June 21 – 27, 2016 - Bratton Online - A Weekly Column By Bruce Bratton - Page 50Bratton Online – A Weekly Column By Bruce Bratton | The latest incarnation of Bruce Bratton's weekly opinion columns, 34 years and running

June 21 – 27, 2016

Posted on June 25, 2016 by Bruce

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY HALL OF RECORDS AND FIRST COUNTY COURTHOUSE.

This was taken before 1894 when the courthouse burned down/up in the fire of that year. The Hall of Records still stands as Lulu’s Octagon Coffee house. It’s all on short little Cooper Street. I have no idea which Cooper it was named after, probably Fred Cooper who had a bookstore.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email bratton@cruzio.com

DATELINE June 20,2016

RAY BOLGER and the missing dance from The Wizard of Oz.
Ray came to Santa Cruz a few times. We visited once when he filmed Peter and The Wolf for Dan Bessie out on Swanton Road.

THE DOWSERS ARE COMING!!! We don’t hear as much about dowsing as we used to. Dowsing being the “art” of divining where water is located by use of some sort of sticks, or rods. There’s much more to it than that and the 34 th annual West Coast Dowsing Convention is happening again this year from July 1-5 on the UCSC campus.

DOWSING CONFERENCE IN SANTA CRUZ.
Check out this video clip

FUTURE OF PACIFIC AVENUE. Our Santa Cruz City Council race is looming closer each week. What should be one of the largest issues facing our council is the health and future of Pacific Avenue. Our wimpy council kowtows daily to allow business exploitation and what should be better marketing concepts to stop more ruining of our Downtown. As out of town franchises like Five Guys Burgers gets more and more popular, more and more of that money goes out of town and more of our local burger businesses are hurt. As our City Museum of Art & History brings in four or five out of town restaurants and a wine and beer business, again more of our local businesses are decimated. As our police hassle our street performers and the vendors, they refuse to ticket or stop the insane loudness from the roaring motorcycles. Those motorcyclists licenses could easily be photographed and ticketed. We now have one “parklet” narrowing Cathcart street. The quick debate will soon carry over to more parklets on Pacific and so will the decades old debate on making Pacific a one way street, or closing it to all traffic. We need some consistent thinking, planning, and permitting if Downtown is going to remain the centerpiece it once was…when locals went there to shop and have fun.

COTONI-ESHOO-CEMEX NATIONAL MONUMENTAL THREAT. Before everybody gets excited over again about Congresswoman Anna Eshoo’s National Park Monument with Obama’s Yosemite push, we need to realize and remember that our Coast Dairies Land just north of Davenport is now and has been 1. Almost wilderness 2. Completely protected by BLM regulations. 3. Even if declared a National Monument BLM doesn’t have the money to protect it from the tens of thousands of tourists that will invade and ruin the very nature of the place. AND what happened to all the political promises by Supervisor Ryan Coonerty, Anna Eshoo and others to not support the Monument status unless certain rules and regulations were made part of the plan?

SANTA CRUZ SHAKESPEARE. I drove up to the De La Veaga building site of Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s new outdoor theatre a couple of weeks ago. I was going to take pictures of how it’s developing, but I couldn’t, the project is just too big to photograph. Rick Wright the president of the Shakespeare board stopped by my car on his way to saw down a couple of trees. He told me there was more than 2 ½ miles of cables under the new “Tech House” building that was near completion. Tractors, bulldozers, trucks were everywhere, didn’t see any seats yet but the whole scene is so large I might have missed them. Everything opens July 12th. It’s going to be something else. Especially when they only have a two year lease.

APOLOGY TO STEPHEN KESSLER. I wrote here two weeks ago in answer to Stephen Kessler’s diatribe against Bernie Sanders that he was heir to the Maidenform Bra fortune. Stephen corrected me…it was Rose Marie Reid Swimware not Maidenform Bra. Stephen after continuing to slam Bernie in every possible way also corrected me in saying he never had to work for a living. He said he did too, he’s been a writer almost all his life…you can see what he’s been up to all of his years at http://stephenkessler.com

PAUL ELERICK IS ON VACATION (In Michigan)

GREENSITE’S INSIGHT.
DEMOCRACY UNDERMINED

Last Thursday, the City of Santa Cruz Planning Commission voted unanimously to conduct their next round of discussions on the Corridor Plan and the Downtown Recovery Plan in a series of private ad hoc committee meetings. No public allowed. Two ad hoc committees were voted in: one to review development standards and circulation issues for the Corridors Plan and the other to review development standards for the Downtown Recovery Plan, that outdated name for the bulky high rises that will eventually line the river on Front St. between Laurel and Soquel, and parts of Pacific, bulldozing the current buildings that house Recycled Stereo, India Joze, University Copy and many other small long-time Santa Cruz businesses. These zoning changes foreshadow the development of projects more massive and impactful than any Santa Cruz has ever experienced, ones guaranteed to change the character of Santa Cruz to the point of rendering parts of town unrecognizable.

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

The Brown Act, passed in 1953, guaranteeing the public’s right to attend and participate in meetings of local legislative bodies, allows for ad hoc meetings so long as they are of short duration, sunset after that time, are comprised of less than a majority of members and focus on a discrete topic. Therefore the decision to move to private meetings is most likely legal. However one could argue, as I did at the Planning Commission meeting, that ad hoc private meetings are an inappropriate venue for deliberation on these rezoning plans, given their significance and impact. Excluding the public leaves the public without a voice until the final meeting of the full commission where only small details are left to be discussed. Deference is to those commission members who have spent hours on the plans in ad hoc meetings.

This was true for the Downtown Recovery Plan. After scores of ad hoc meetings, the commissioners presented the results to the full commission who accepted their summary without debate and spent hours on fine details. Those of us in attendance who would have liked to challenge basic premises such as heights of 85 feet and the adoption of “volumetrics,” that is, no upper story setbacks, didn’t stand a chance. Discussion and acceptance of these basics had happened long before in the private meetings attended no doubt by Planning staff and consultants. In response to the commissioners lament that there is just too much to discuss in public meetings I pointed out that city council has equally if not more complex projects and doesn’t form private meetings to discuss them prior to full council deliberation: that the role of the commissioners and council is to set policy, not merge their work with consultants and the planning staff. Some commissioners and planning staff became defensive and hastened to reassure that the commissioners were all volunteers, that there were no back-room deals, that they weren’t in bed with developers and so on. “Of course not,” I responded, “but the purpose of public meetings is to allow the public to witness the deliberations and debates of the elected and appointed representatives and participate in that process, not to have that debate and discussion happen in private meetings and be presented with a finished project. It might be efficient but it is not democratic.” A further measure of unconcern with democratic process is the failure of the city of Santa Cruz to televise their planning commission meetings, long ago accomplished by the cities of Scotts Valley, Capitola and Watsonville.

This trend towards private meetings to discuss public issues is troubling. While the city did hold public meetings to showcase the elements of the Corridors Plan, the public had to fight for the right to speak. Another commission, The Commission for the Prevention of Violence Against Women, which I co-founded and chaired for a number of years, changed its public standing committees into ad hoc committees save for one, which meets infrequently and is often cancelled. When I asked to attend an ad hoc committee I was told I could not do so unless a commissioner invited me, which did not happen. At the time we were engaged in a battle with the Police Department over its failure to adequately investigate cases of reported rape. The PD became unglued at the criticism (all well documented) and city, staff and newly appointed commissioners rallied behind the police. Private ad hoc committees were effective in keeping me at arms distance. Of course the public can always attend and speak at the final meetings of the full standing body and no decisions are made until that point. This is the standard reply to concerns. As anyone who has attended such meetings can attest, at that point one’s voice is simply not heard.

Our democratic process is not something to take for granted. It needs constant vigilance. As it increasingly slips away it needs your voice raised in protest. ( 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).

PATTON’S PROGRAM. From Gary’s Two Worlds website…

Stanley McChrystal is a retired General in the United States Army. In other words, this is a guy who knows about guns (and other weapons). In an opinion piece in the June 17, 2016 edition of The New York Times, McChrystal came out in favor of gun control legislation, to “keep guns out of the hands of those who cannot be trusted to handle them responsibly.” What we need to avoid, said McChrystal, is a situation in which “our communities … feel like war zones.” McChrystal’s article bore this title: “Home Should Not Be A War Zone.” I want to join with McChrystal in saying that “home should not be a war zone.” But let me ask this question: Does that same principle apply to Iraq? Or to Afghanistan? And what about Syria? What about Libya? Presumably, we all remember the pictures of what United States military operations, some of them directly commanded by McChrystal, did in those countries. U.S. Military operations have turned the homes of other nations into “war zones,” with drone strikes, on the ground military operations, naval bombardments and aircraft bombing runs. The picture below is from Iraq, and is labeled as “collateral damage.” We started that war.

In the article readers are reminded that the United States has a long history of bombing the homes of other peoples “back to the stone age,” to use the colorful, but largely accurate, language of General Curtis LeMay. Here for nostalgia buffs, is a picture of a United States aviator destroying Ben Tre, a village in Vietnam.

GREAT WHITE SHARKS JUMPING. Probably not as big a danger as the bird poop on our wharf but worth thinking about.

There is at least some evidence that the recent and horrific events in Orlando, Florida were the result of someone trying to achieve retribution, in this country, for what this country is doing to the homes of those living in countries that the United States government has decided have something to do with “terrorism.” Ask the ordinary people whose homes are being destroyed by the United States military who they think the terrorists are. Their answer will almost certainly be that the greatest purveyor of terror today is the United States government (and specifically its military troops and the private contractors who have properly been identified by Bob Dylan as the Masters of War). Want to stop terrorist efforts from targeting U.S. communities, and trying to turn them into war zones? Let’s stop doing to others what we do no t want them to do unto us!”

Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney who represents indivuduals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expre ssed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, Two Worlds at www.gapatton.net

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. Our spacial neighbors and their welcome see down a few pages..

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. Eagan views our constitutional RITES…use your scroll wheel for a few pages below.

Then check out Tim’s other views…

Subconscious Comics

And the latest EaganBlog, We’re All in This, but Not Necessarily Together:

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Party like a pagan this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com), as we celebrate the Summer Solstice! And. as an extra added attraction this year, we also get a full moon on the same day! Read all about it!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

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

WEINER. As weird as Anthony Weiner is, the social programs he fights for to become Mayor of New York City are way better than Cynthia Mathews’s any day. He’s brilliant, the documentary is well done, and this guy has a lifelong hang up with his name and his wiener. So he photographs his crotch and puts it online. Later on during his Mayor campaign, he has phone sex with a young babe. His famous wife is/was Hillary Clinton’s best friend and advisor. If it wasn’t all true it would be the nutso fantasy of all time. Go see it.

DARK HORSE. Another documentary, and it’s syrupy, feel good, nearly predictable and grand fun to watch. The middle class Brits who all chip in and buy a race horse are perfect. You’d want them for neighbors. It’s another slam at England’s class system. Their class system is just older and better defined and more accepted than ours.

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

MAGGIE’S PLAN. This NYC tradgi-comedy falls into the “Woody Allen, New York City Odd People in Love” category. Julienne Moore, Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke and Bill Hader do excellent acting (except for Julienne Moore and her lousy German accent). It’s about University teachers, divorce, sex, raising kids, control freaks, and our very, very complex lives today. You’ll be completely absorbed all the way through. Not a classic but “absorbing”.

ME BEFORE YOU. It’s an odd bit of casting to see Emilia Clarke who plays the white haired, skinny, oft-bare-nippled, dragon mother Princess Daenerys Targaryen Thoros in Game Of Thrones in this hammy, corney tragi-comedy. She is chubby, uneducated, clutzy, poorly dressed, goofy and mugs incessantly. The other star is a guy in a wheelchair who looks so much like Christopher Reeves (in and out of the wheel chair) that there’s a creepy feeling all through the film. It’s beyond a tear jerker, it’s treacle, sugary, and not worth your time.

LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP. This sharp, wordy, comedy is from a little known Jane Austen book, “Lady Susan”. If you’re particular, it takes place in England 130 years before Downtown Abbey (1790). Plenty of Hayden, Cherubini and Cimarosa-type music. Daughter Hillary convinced me that I’d been slipping critic- wise and that Kate Beckensale is completely out of character, and phoney. It’s a desperate, wordy attempt to make still more money out of anything with Jane Austen’s name on it. The plot centers on what women had to do to survive back then. Go see it if you like Brit costume epics, with lots of scenery and furniture. 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, so go figure. It’s just not all that gteat a film.

NICE GUYS. Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe make terrible buddies in this sloppy attempt at another buddy movie.This one is set in L.A. in the 70’s. An investigator and a cop team up and with no laughs, no subtleties whatsoever, more violence, much blood, …it’s awful. There’s a 13 year old girl in it that does an excellent job of acting her name is Angourie Rice. We’ll be seeing and hearing more of her.

NOW YOU SEE ME 2. A disaster sequel to another disaster opener. 36 on Rotten Tomatoes. Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, and bit parts by Morgan Freeman & Michael Caine but don’t tell anybody. Four would be stage illusionists (technical advice by David Copperfield, really) are supposed to be world famous but Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe, really) is an evil world plotter and you’ll never be able to follow the plot anyways, so don’t go. Tell your friends who like stage magic not to go too, there isn’t any. What effects there are, are all digital Fx.

THE LOBSTERColin Farrell, Rachel Weisz and John C. Reilly head the cast of this unfathomable, supposedly dystopian satire on our views and customs relating to sex, marriage, and it’s not nice to animals either. It’s heavy drama, with some laughs thrown in. Maybe you have to be young and distant to catch all the supposedly clever zingers. I missed 95% of any meaning or purpose to this flick.

X MEN: APOCALYPSE. Another Marvel Comics dystopian monster versus mutant movie. The one in teresting thing I remember from this very forgetable mess is that Magneto played by Michael Fassbender is Jewish and got all his superhuman strength from the ashes of Auschwitz!! And it shows Auschwitz too!! Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Issac, James McAvoy and a big surprise Ally Sheedy are all in it for the big bucks they got paid….why else?

POPSTAR: NEVER STOP NEVER STOPPING. I am many generations before this parody of today’s rock scene and didn’t laugh or like any of the parts I stayed awake through. Then I left just about half way through. It is true that Sarah Silverman, Ringo Starr, Mariah Carey, Martin Sheen, Jimmy Fallon, Simon Cowell, and Joan Cusack all have “cameo” parts of about 12 seconds each BUT that Judd Apatow directed it… should be warning enough.

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

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. June 21 has Carla Brennan talking about Meditation, Buddhism, and Mindfulness. She’s followed by Lincoln Taiz and Ben Leeds Carson talking about the workshop presentation of their opera “Menagerie: The Trial of Spock” (the Star Trek Opera). June 28 has naturalist Grey Hayes warning us of more dangers from the ill-schemed proposed North Coast Cotoni National Monument. He’s followed by UCSC Professor James Clifford telling us about his new UCSC Campus book, “The Ecotone“. Gillian Greensite local environmental activist, brings us up to date on stuff on July 5th…She’s followed by Karen Ashley and Dick Tippett reporting on the West Coast Dowsing Conference. 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

Oh yes. This isn’t new (2011), but if you’ve ever shopped at Whole Paycheck, this will resonate.

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

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“SHARKS”

“French fries kill more people than guns and sharks, yet nobody’s afraid of French fries“, Robert Kiyosaki

“Sharks are beautiful animals, and if you’re lucky enough to see lots of them, that means that you’re in a healthy ocean. You should be afraid if you are in the ocean and don’t see sharks”, Sylvia Earle

“Most people don’t know that humans kill 100 million sharks every year, mostly for a really expensive soup in Asia”, Michael Muller

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 | Comments Off

June 14 – 20, 2016

Posted on June 15, 2016 by Bruce

THE REAL APTOS VILLAGE circa 1910. Train depot, The Bayview Hotel in it’s real location, before Swenson Builders and Zach Friend got involved.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email bratton@cruzio.com

DATELINE June 13, 2016

SANTA CRUZ’S MYSTERY SPOT. There aren’t as many Mystery Spots around the USA as there once was, and ours was/is one of the best.

STAN KENTON & HIS ORCHESTRA. I’ve never been a fan of Stan Kenton but his influence on West Coast jazz was undeniable.

LONDON NELSON, JACOB LIEBBRANDT, JOAO CABRILHO, AND MR. GHARKY.

Or “What Sin’s A Name”?

It was great news last week to see that Good Times finally caught up to spelling LONDON Nelson’s name properly. I’d been writing about LONDON Nelson and that stupid spelling for at least 25 years. Phil Reader wrote a brief book about LONDON N. and appeared on my radio program a few times talking about how that mistake happened. It takes all of about three minutes research to learn how it happened. Now let’s see if Good Times sticks to the proper spelling. I bet they won’t. For some reason (probably arcane), Santa Cruz County has been cursed with popular names that have been spelled incorrectly for decades or even a century.

Here are a few examples that I’ve crusaded for over the years. (link expands, click again to collapse)

LEIBBRANDTS FIND CITY IS NOT RESPECTER OF NAMES; FEW PERSONS CAN SPELL IT. by TOM McHUGH (of McHugh Bianchi). Stan Stevens sent this. It’s from Santa Cruz Evening News 1929 Jan. 18, 10:2

Various members of the Liebbrandt families in the city have found to their dismay and chagrin that certain names are not conducive to felicitation. Their dilemma is a misspelled surname. It seems that the trouble started somewhere in the early years of the nineteenth century when Jacob Leibbrandt migrated to Nebraska from his native Germany. Just how long he remained in that state is not known but we find him in Santa Cruz in 1850. Probably there would have been no trouble if J. Leibbrandt had not been a large land owner. He was, however, and thereby hangs a story. His tract ran in an irregular line from what is now the corner of Cliff and Third street and was bounded by Third street, Leibbrandt avenue and Kaye street on the north; Third street on the east; Beach street on the south, and Cliff street on the west. Now Leibbrandt had three sons Jacob Jr., David and John, and eventually these boy married. When the city fathers deemed the time to be ripe to dedicate Leibbrandt avenue to Santa Cruz and posterity a certain one of the wives decided that she could achieve renown if she could but devise a shorthand method of spelling the name. Then the fun began. Her first attempt was Leibrandt, later she changed it to Leibrant. It appears in the records of the county recorder spelled in at least three different ways, as Leibbrandt, Liebrant and Leibrandt. Other ways of spelling are Librant, Liebbrant, Liebrandt, etc. This indifference over the spelling of a proper name has raised a justifiable wrath in the bosom of the Leibbrandts. To add insult to injury the name is not pronounced correctly by many. According to Herbert Leibbrandt of 44 Leibbrandt avenue from whom we gleaned much of our information, the correct pronunciation is Lee-brandt. Most people it Ly-brandt. Apparently the only way to straighten the matter out is to conduct an election or pass another ordinance.

GHARKY STREET AND GHARKY WHARF. Former Mayor Katherine Beiers first alerted me to this “popular” misspelling. Here’s an article from

“Notes on the History of Wharves at Santa Cruz, California”

by Frank Perry, Barry Brown, Rick Hyman, and Stanley D. Stevens June, 2012

David Gharky was born around 1800 and arrived in Santa Cruz during the winter of 1852-1853. He built and, for a few years, operated Santa Cruz’s second wharf. He was primarily a farmer and died in 1877. It should be noted that “Gharky” has been spelled at least seven different ways. The present-day street is spelled “Gharkey,” which was a common spelling in the 1800s. The 1865 deed recording the sale of his wharf to the California Powder Works spelled it “Gharkey,” “Gharky,” and “Girkey” within this one document. Spellings in old newspapers include “Gherky” and “Ghearkey,” while the 1860 census spelled it “Yerkey”—possibly a clue to its pronunciation. The State Legislature, in issuing a wharf franchise in 1856, spelled it “Ghirky.” The strongest evidence, however, points to “Gharky” as the correct spelling. It is spelled that way in the 1854 poll list, on an 1866 parcel map, in the 1867 Great Register of Voters, in the 1870 census, in his obituary (Sentinel, Sept. 25, 1877, p. 2), and on his tombstone at Evergreen Cemetery. Most significantly, he signed it that way in his will (see page 14). Given this evidence, we have adopted that spelling here, except when quoting others”.

JOAO RODRIGUES CABRILHO. This has been a hotly contested mis-spelling since California became a state. Some historians believe that Cabrilho was born in Portugal which means Cabrilho is correct. Others believe he was from Spain, which means Cabrillo is proper. When I’ve spoken to Portuguese Organizations we all agree it’s Cabrilho. Check this out. From the Library of Congress article titled “Cabrilho’s Discovery of California”

LEAH GARCHIK AND MY GREAT NAMES. Noting all of above, names has always fascinated me. I met Cashmere Tango Obedience in Aptos, E. Pluribus Eubanks verified his name for me decades ago. In the last two months I’ve sent two names to Leah Garchik at the San Francisco Chronicle. She sent them back, not wanting to make fun of a foreign name and she thinks folks might be too sensitive in the second case. From the 3/30/16 issue of the Santa Cruz Sentinel in an article about new buildings being proposed near an agricultural zone…it stated this.. “We’re not city planners or economists, but we feel there must be a proposal that falls somewhere between encroaching on the buffer and killing the project.” Juggy Tut, president of Elite Developments, which bought the property last year, remains patient despite the controversy”. I never asked Juggy. Last week I sent Leah “Rasmea and her defense committee recently won a huge victory, as the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals sent her case back to trial judge Gershwin Drain, saying he had BLAH.. BLAH”‘ JUGGY TUT and GERSHWIN DRAIN !!! How can you beat those monikers??

CABRILLO FESTIVAL HOUSING. It’s a long time and very popular tradition. Especially for folks who live near the Civic Auditorium to house one or two Cabrillo Festival Of Contemporary Music musicians while they’re here. Hundreds of friendships have been made, kids love having musicians in their homes”and you get to hear Festival secrets too. The “official” festival request reads “We need your help! Each year, dozens of local families and individuals open their homes to house our talented orchestra members and illustrious guest artists. With the momentous season ahead, we now find ourselves short of homes! If you have a spare bedroom, guest cottage, or entire home available, won’t you consider joining our host program? Many of these are for short term stays! You’ll receive vouchers for two concert tickets, and the opportunity to support some incredible artists. Contact Festival Housing coordinator Valerie Hayes at 426-6966 or use this form

ELECTION RESULTS

Only one shocker in Santa Cruz County results, and that was the vote total that Donald Trump received. It’s hard to understand why 5,883 of our neighbors voted this way. Obviously they haven’t been watching Trump perform on TV, and God knows he’s been given lots of free TV by the media. Very scary stuff going on here. No surprise here in Santa Cruz County that Bernie beat Hillary by the count of 25,171 to 20,105. The Bernie team certainly got their people out to vote. Now lets get the Dems on the same page in November. I found it reassuring that all three of the County Supervisors running for re-election won. Today’s Board of Supervisors members are working as a team to get things done while supporting their diverse constituents. Nice going voters and nice going Supervisors Friend, Leopold and McPherson. Check here for complete election results.

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

SEXUAL ASSAULT: CHANGING THE NARRATIVE

There is no going back.

Inspired by the compelling Victim Impact Statement read aloud in court by the woman sexually assaulted, and fuelled by national outrage at the 6 month jail sentence handed down by Judge Aaron Persky to the ex-Stanford student convicted of sexual assault, the public’s understanding of the impact of rape and the focus of blame has shifted as dramatically as two plates in a major earthquake. The issue of rape, routinely buried in silence, has soared to a national and global level and the discussion is not on how drunk she was but on how life shattering her experience was. This shake-up is long overdue.

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

Females have for centuries been held accountable for the sexual violence of males perpetrated against them in male-dominated societies including our own, despite significant gains in female status and economic independence. Historically, the task of preserving her virginity as a measure of her worth fell on women’s shoulders. If she were raped then she hadn’t tried hard enough to prevent it. Our very language renders the person who raped invisible by using the passive voice as in my last sentence. While women as male property has largely been legally overturned in most countries, and many men do not use force to obtain sex, the social attitudes holding women accountable for rape have been slow to change. This is especially true when alcohol is involved. From research we know that if a woman is raped and has been drinking she is blamed, hence the guilt and shame. If a man rapes and has been drinking he is excused. Typical victim-blaming statements include, “she was drunk, what did she expect?” and “she put herself in a dangerous situation.” That an aggressive male creates the “dangerous situation” does not register and is rarely examined as the cause. It is accepted as given and the task is to avoid it not question its legitimacy. In fact masculinity is rendered invisible in media coverage of all violence whether local or global. Boys are not born violent nor are they prone to rape. They are, however encouraged if not pushed in that direction by cultural norms of the need to be a “real man,” the politics of global war and the throbbing reinforcement of aggressive masculinity by the popular media. This imperative permeates all aspects of our lives from presidential politics (is Obama tough enough?) to humiliating a young boy for showing “weakness.” That many young boys and men are beginning to challenge the straightjacket of expected masculinity, and many male mentors helping to foster that possibility is encouraging but insufficient unless there is also wide social and political recognition of the centrality of the need to wean men from violence and a redistribution of resources in that direction.

The fury surrounding the Stanford case has focused on the very light sentence handed down by the judge with thousands calling for his removal from the bench. The defendant was found guilty of sexual assault (not rape) in that he penetrated the woman’s vagina with his fingers (labeled “foreign objects” in the legal system) and was witnessed “humping” her with his clothes on, while she was extremely intoxicated and eventually unconscious. The three felony counts of sexual assault arose from these actions. Due to alcohol she had no memory while he claimed she consented, a claim the jury disbelieved. Had he been sentenced to 6 years in state prison there may have been no public outrage. Many of those clamoring for justice say they would be happy if he were raped while incarcerated. As understandable as these strong emotions may be, they bring us no closer to understanding the causes of sexual violence and its prevention.

Ohio, the home state of the convicted ex-student, is a state that adopted the abstinence-only sex education policy that thankfully has been terminated by President Obama. How many generations of young people were left with a vacuum where sex education might have played a positive role especially when the family fails, as most do, and it appears this one did if the father’s comment of “20 minutes of action” is any indication? Yet even states such as California, which did not adopt abstinence-only, fail to provide young people with the insights, skills and language to navigate the complexities of sexual relationships. Beyond body parts, disease and pregnancy prevention, few attempt to engage in conversations about desire, sex as a relationship not a thing, caring for oneself and others, pleasure etc. Consent can be taught in grade school, not in a sexual context but in other contexts such as asking to borrow a scooter. Those who “take” sex probably also “take” her scooter. Boys who demonstrate aggressive tendencies should be noticed by teachers, religious leaders, coaches, all well trained in these issues and with resources readily available to intervene. To wait until college to teach sexual consent with online mandatory modules is too little, too late as evidenced in the Stanford case.

The letter from the woman who was sexually assaulted has sparked a national conversation, helping rape survivors lift the load of guilt from their shoulders and shifting the focus to the actions of the male who instigated the crime. It is a rare opportunity to build upon this historical moment, to ask fundamental questions and provide game-changing solutions.

(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).

UCSC DORM TOUR. Not what you think

PATTON’S PROGRAM. From Gary’s Two Worlds website”

Go to Gary’s Two World’s website to see the Trump image he mentions”

“That image, like Donald Trump himself, is hard to ignore. I found it on a blog posting by David Weinberger, who writes, mainly, about the effect of tech on our ideas.

In his blog posting entitled, “How Donald Trump Hijacked the Authenticity of the Web,” Weinberger claims that Trump appears to be “authentic,” even “honest,” because political discourse has succumbed to a standard of “political correctness” that makes virtually all political speech seem somewhat deceptive and fraudulent. In other words, by saying the politically incorrect thing, Trump gets credit for “speaking truth to power,” and for an honesty and straightforwardness to which he is most emphatically not entitled. Weinberger’s observation is worth thinking about, particularly as those who hope for an honest political discourse think about how to “trump” the advantage that “The Donald” has managed to obtain by his ruthless and brutal disregard for good breeding and the truth”. (Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney who represents indivuduals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, Two Worlds at www.gapatton.net

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. Same old view of local cyclists according to DeCinzo scroll that-a-way.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. Eagan swings into our hot election circus see below”

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Good news for art lovers, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com), as Pajaro Valley Arts hosts an excellent sculpture show in its Watsonville gallery, and offers up a fabulous new membership deal. Also, discover a new online arts and letters publication, Ampersand Literary, which generously invited me to Q&A about books, writing, and my chaotic adventures in publishing!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

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

MAGGIE’S PLAN. This NYC tragi-comedy falls into the “Woody Allen, New York City Odd People in Love” category. Julienne Moore, Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke and Bill Hader do excellent acting (except for Julienne Moore and her lousy German accent). It’s about University teachers, divorce, sex, raising kids, control freaks, and our very, very complex lives today. You’ll be completely absorbed all the way through. Not a classic but “absorbing”.

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

ME BEFORE YOU. It’s an odd bit of casting to see Emila Clarke who plays the white haired, skinny, oft-bare- nippled, dragon mother Princess Daenerys Targaryen Thoros in Game Of Thrones in this hammy, corney tragi-comedy. She is chubby, undeucated, clutzy, poorly dressed, goofy and mugs incessently. The other star is a guy in a wheelchair who looks so much like Christopher Reeves (in and out of the wheel chair) that there’s a creepy feeling all through the film. It’s beyond a tear jerker, it’s treacle, sugary, and not worth your time.

MONEY MONSTER. Genuine Hollywood. What can you expect when you have George Clooney and Julia Roberts as stars and Jodie Foster as director. The entire film demands lots of tension and there is some but it keeps lagging. You will be totally aware that you’re watching Clloney and Roberts every time they move or speak. The irate investor/person of plot isn’t the best actor either. But there’s few other films around so see this”just be warned.

NICE GUYS. Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe make terrible buddies in this sloppy attempt at another buddy movie.This one is set in L.A. in the 70’s. An investigator and a cop team up and with no laughs, no subtleties whatsoever, more violence, much blood, “it’s awful. There’s a 13 year old girl in it that does an excellent job of acting her name is Angourie Rice. We’ll be seeing and hearing more of her.

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

THE LOBSTER. Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz and John C. Reilly head the cast of this unfathomable, suposedly dystopian satire on our views and customs relating to sex. marriage, and it’s not nice to animals either. It’s heavy drama, with some laughs thrown in. Maybe you have to be young and distant to catch all the supposedly clever zingers. I missed 95 % of any meaning or purpose to this flick.

X MEN: APOCALYPSE. Another Marvel Comics dystopian monster versus mutant movie. The one in teresting thing I remember from this very forgetable mess is that Magneto played by Michael Fassbender is Jewish and got all his superhuman strength from the ashes of Auschwitz!! And it shows Auschwitz too!! Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, James McAvoy and a big surprise Ally Sheedy are all in it for the big bucks they got paid”. why else?

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR. These box office gazillion dollar money makers are getting more and more bizzarre. They are direct copies of comic book plots. You shouldn’t apply any common sense or logic to the plots. Like comic books (even the earliest ones 1930’s) were just for fun and escape. So is Captain America:Civil War. To see Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Robert Downeyjr., Paul Rudd, Marisa Tomei, Martin Freeman, William Hurt, Paul Bettany, Hope Davis, Alfre Woodard and the legendary Stan Lee (creator of the Marvel Comics) in as nonsensical and violent and bloody and senseless a film like this one is just embarrassing. I can’t wait to see such sagas as Orphan Annie vs. Little Lulu, Joe Palooka battles Dick Tracy, Bugs Bunny vs. Minnie Mouse. They can’t fail.

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

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks” (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. The three top Short Story Winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz take over the June 14 program which is also Universal Grapevine’s 10th Anniversary!! June 21 has Carla Brennan talking about Meditation, Buddhism, and Mindfulness. She’s followed by Lincoln Taiz and Ben Leeds Carson talking about the workshop presentation of their opera “Menagerie: The Trial of Spock” (the Star Trek Opera). June 28 has naturalist Grey Hayes warning us of more dangers from the ills-schemed proposed North Coast National Monument. He’s followed by UCSC Professor James Clifford telling us about his new UCSC Campus book, “The Ecotone“. 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

With all the sadness going around, here’s a little helping of pure joy.

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

QUOTES “MUSEUMS”

“I went to the museum where they had all the heads and arms from the statues that are in all the other museums”, Steven Wright

“I’ve become like one of those people I hate, the sort who go to the museum and, instead of looking at the magnificent Brueghel, take a picture of it, reducing it from art to proof. It’s not “Look what Brueghel did, painted this masterpiece” but “Look what I did, went to Rotterdam and stood in front of a Brueghel painting!”, David Sedaris
“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep”, Scott Adams

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 | Comments Off

June 7 – 13, 2016

Posted on June 7, 2016 by Bruce

BRAND NEW HISTORICAL PHOTO. Here we are, the June 4th ers at Lulu Carpenters (on June 4th 2016). We started getting together in 1982, and hadn’t been together for at least 15 years). Left to right… That’s Rip Harris– S. Cruz High School Counselor, Kathy Cowan – Cabrillo teacher and author of “Sacred Lies Sober Truths“, Linda Pope formerly of Pope Gallery and UCSC’s Sesnon Gallery, Me, Gail Cruse– realtor and vocalist with the “Back In Time” trio. Coffee, laughs and an Astrology reading from Susan Heinz!!!

photo credit: my new iPhone and a genuine photographer who volunteered and I didn’t get her name

Additional information always welcome: email bratton@cruzio.com

DATELINE June 6, 2016

MUHAMMAD ALI AND SYLVESTER STALLONE. Ali was truly the greatest, and would have been a much better president than Trump. Watch these two stars in action.

MUHAMMED ALI…MORE OF…only if you like the reality of boxing.

JUST GET OUT AND VOTE. Here’s How…

PRESIDENT….Bernie Sanders by all means, and later (if necessary) Hillary Clinton.

U.S. SENATE….Kamala D. Harris

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE….Jimmy Panetta, yep! I know what you’re thinking but…

STATE SENATOR….Bill Monning (even with his strange support of studying the economics of closing the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant).

STATE ASSEMBLY….Mark Stone, hasn’t done anything wrong yet!

YES ON 50…The legislator suspension measure.

YES ON Q…Cabrillo College Bond. (Some questions do arise here BUT it’s our community college!)

YES ON S…Santa Cruz Library Money. It’s needed now more than ever!

COUNTY DEMOCRAT CENTRAL COMMITTEE. Pick 5 out of the six. The five I know are all pro-growth, anti homeless…it’s embarrassing, and shameful

SANTA CRUZ CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE FORUM. There’ll hopefully be more of these and the first one I know of will be produced by the Peoples Democratic Club of Santa Cruz (PDC) it’s happening Monday August 29 6:30 p.m. at the London Nelson Community Center.

KESSLER, CLINTON…and MAIDENFORM BRAS. It shouldn’t have been such a surprise to read Stephen Kessler’s diatribe against Bernie Sanders in Sunday’s Sentinel. He called Bernie an idealogue, said he’d “make a lousy president”, wasn’t a liberal, wasn’t a Democrat, would destroy the Democratic party, said “no one has taken him seriously”, and called him a simple minded demagogue. Kessler had special words for Bernie’s constant attack on Wall Street, wherin lies the clue to Stephen’s heavy attack. Stephen is one of the heirs to the Maidenform Bra Corporation and has never had to work a solid day in his life. So protecting stocks and Wall Street??? It all figures, in case you wondered. Read it here… or not!

Mr. Paul Elerick of Aptos writes…

PRIDE.

What a wonderful event, the entire day with the before-parade, the parade and after the parade. I walked with the People’s Democratic Club along with our Democratic Central Committee, Crosson North County Democrats, and other likeminded folks. I’m sure the large turnout of Democrat walkers had to do with having two candidates in the running for the Democratic nomination for president. I’d say of the marchers, the Sanders and Clinton supporters were about even. But that wasn’t the same with the parade watchers. Sanders had the most vocal (and younger) supporters. Great parade and lots of fun afterward.

Here’s to getting behind our Democratic Party candidate. Let’s not even think about giving the election to Trump because our choice for president came in 2nd in the Democratic Primary on June 7, Make sure you vote!

Oh yes, I forgot to mention a great lunch at 99 Bottles. Try their American Stout (Number 38 on the list), to go with the BBQ beef sliders. It would be another good place to watch election returns.

CORRIDORS OF POWER.

The parking component of the Corridors Plan was presented to and discussed by the Santa Cruz City Planning Commission last Thursday. The public present voiced strong opposition. Eastside neighbors were joined by local business-owners, their numbers swelled by a petition containing 200 signatures of other businesspeople, gathered in just 2 days of door-to-door effort. The senior city planner expressed annoyance, declaring that the public had been misled by a flyer detailing the proposed parking changes and distributed to neighbors and businesses by folks on the eastside. A number of long-time local business owners, including a Soquel Avenue physician plus the owner of Horsnyder’s Pharmacy begged for the retention of on-street parking, stating its removal would severely impact their businesses since proximity was crucial for their elderly, often frail patrons. The senior city planner continued to be annoyed, stating that this change was way off into the future and anyway, prior to the removal of on-street parking, new parking structures would be built within a quarter mile or so of any business. “This will promote healthy living through walking and bicycling” assured the consultants.

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The traffic engineer and other consultants deplored the amount of off-street parking that is currently available at businesses on the Soquel, Water, Ocean, and Mission corridors. Far too much in their estimation based on counting cars in parking lots on four occasions. One urged getting rid of all blacktop, citing the need for no oversupply, adding that of course it “needs to be managed well.” Hence their proposal for a new Transportation Management Agency that will accompany this Plan. The fact that all current off-street parking is free was especially troubling to the consultants. “Free is not conducive to managing parking demand,” they advised the commissioners who never questioned this premise. “Unbundling” parking is the urban planning jargon for removing free parking at businesses and replacing it with distant parking structures, costly to build and undoubtedly costly to use. Of course this won’t happen overnight or tomorrow until it does.

Commissioners all agreed that it is our job to provide housing for whomever wants to come and live in Santa Cruz. “Growth is inevitable “was the consensus and “we have to be able accommodate it.” Since there is no limit if you accept these assumptions, after the corridors are maxed out with dense urban apartments and high- rise parking structures, where next? Well, commissioner Mark Mesiti Miller noted that there are 3-4 bedroom single -family homes in Santa Cruz that are occupied by 2 people and “that’s not right” he opined. Will a Bedroom Management Agency be far behind? Commission chair Peter Spellman offered a few concerns regarding the lack of specificity in the Plan but there was no discussion of the impact on the future of the small local businesses that line these corridors. Commissioners seem unaware that their enthusiasm for the Plan embraces the eventual demolition and replacement of long-time local businesses that some of them profess to love. Similar to working class black neighborhoods and stores in Portland, this gentrification will drive out the long-time local establishments in Santa Cruz who simply won’t be able to afford the new rent in the new buildings. I guess someone has to pay for the proposed Transportation Management Agency. Developers are watching and waiting in the wings. That which gives Santa Cruz its familiarity, its sense of place, its unique character will gradually be lost. Or as one commissioner put it, “the Plan will bring uniformity.”

There were very few folks from the Westside attending the commission meeting. Those who live on the westside could give more support to our neighbors on the Eastside who face the brunt of the Corridors Plan although folks on the westside should prepare for big changes at Bay and Mission, Mission and Almar, the eventual loss of Palm Center and other small local businesses once their property owners have been “incentivized ” to sell and develop. Think high-rise, glass and steel, elevators, no free parking, parking structures, multi-story student apartments on top of retail catering to students. So far, the city, the consultants and the commissioners are saying it’s this Plan or nothing which suggests they feel very much in control and sense little opposition. Whether they are correct remains to be seen. The General Plan calls for development along the corridors. How much, what scale, what configuration, how to protect local business and established neighborhoods can all be shaped by the community if enough people get involved. The Plan will be codified over the summer by staff and consultants and return in the fall to the Planning Commission before going to Council.

It will be a sad day for Santa Cruz if this Plan slips through without stiff opposition from all sides of town.

GROUCHO MARX, DICK CAVETT, AND TRUMAN CAPOTE

(WHAT A GROUP). What celebrities today have this much appeal and cool?

OLDIE BUT GOODIE. It’s been around for years, and I laugh every time I see it.

PATTON’S PROGRAM. From Gary’s Two Worlds website…June 4, 2016

LET’S HAVE HOUSING PRICE CONTROL

The People’s Democratic Club of Santa Cruz County, affectionally known as the PDC, hosted a discussion on affordable housing on Thursday, May 19th. I was privileged to be able to participate in the discussion, and joined former Santa Cruz County Planning Director Tom Burns, and current County Planning Department staff person Sarah Neuse, for what turned out to be a lively and (I thought) productive session. The very engaged audience, more than any of the named presenters, is what helped make it that way.

The PDC billed the evening as “An Initial Conversation about Density and Affordable Housing,” with the idea, I think, that there would be a lot of back and forth on the question of whether or not it is “worth it” to increase residential densities in Santa Cruz in order to provide the community with more affordable housing. As some who are reading this blog posting probably know, the City of Santa Cruz is currently considering a “Corridors Plan,” to increase building heights, mixed uses, and residential densities along the City’s main transportation corridors (Ocean Street, Mission Street, Water Street, and Soquel Avenue). Santa Cruz County has recently adopted a somewhat similar plan, which they call the “Sustainable Communities Plan.”

The PDC sent out its meeting announcement with the following advisory:

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There’s almost universal agreement that Santa Cruz County has a housing crisis! But responding to the need for affordable housing often comes into conflict with environmental, neighborhood, and traffic concerns. Are their [sic] new ways to increase affordable housing within these concerns? Let’s talk about it. This will be a conversation – not a debate or a hearing – that will attempt to hear and respect differing views about how to meet the housing crisis without sacrificing the integrity of our community. We see this as a first step in finding common ground among progressives to address this issue that affects all of us.

I think it’s fair to say that the meeting did not end up with a focus on “tradeoffs” between community integrity and affordable housing. I think most of those in attendance ended up agreeing with me that increased residential densities do not, in and of themselves, produce more “affordable” housing, and that any thought that our affordable housing crisis can be eliminated (or made less severe) by “building our way out of it” is a false expectation.

It may be theoretically true, as our high school economics classes tell us, that when “demand” is high, prices rise, and that increasing “supply” should reduce the price. However, in the real world, right now, a lot of existing and new housing is not being purchased for “shelter,” and especially not for people who live in the community. Housing is increasingly being purchased as an “investment,” and those doing the purchasing are people with money, from all over the world. Considering the imbalance between those with lots of money and the ability of a local community to build new housing, new housing production almost certainly does not lead to lower housing prices. Of course, in Santa Cruz County, and especially in the City of Santa Cruz, continued growth at the University of California, Santa Cruz adds even more demand into the mix.

Is there a solution? Really, as I said some time ago, in a blog posting called “The Tough Truth About Affordable Housing,” we need to impose price controls on housing. You can do that with new housing, but you can’t do it with existing housing. As the “political revolution” that Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders call for moves ahead, we probably need to fund new, permanently price-restricted housing for working families, and to add that demand to Sanders’ call for affordable, single-payer health care and a free college education for all our young people. A decision on whether or not to increase building heights, mixed uses, and residential densities along our main transportation corridors must be “decoupled” from our concerns about affordable housing. There is no automatic connection between the two.

What will make housing affordable is price controls.

It’s just that simple.

And that is, indeed, a very “tough truth.”

(Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney who represents indivuduals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, Two Worlds at www.gapatton.net

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. DeCinzo asks “is it really, really the Safe-Way”? …checkout is below.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. The ever thoughtful Eagan puts the bite on politics. Thumb down a few pages.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa is working and writing harder than ever, and was deeply involved with Nancy Raney’s celebaration at the Nick. Check out her website anyway, just to make sure you didn’t miss anything. It’s at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-xpress.blogspot.com) Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

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

X MEN: APOCALYPSE. Another Marvel Comics dystopian monster versus mutant movie. The one interesting thing I remember from this very forgetable mess is that Magneto played by Michael Fassbender is Jewish and got all his superhuman strength from the ashes of Auschwitz!! And it shows Auschwitz too!! Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Issac, James McAvoy and a big surprise Ally Sheedy are all in it for the big bucks they got paid….why else?

POPSTAR: NEVER STOP NEVER STOPPING. I am many generations before this parody of today’s rock scene and didn’t laugh or like any of the parts I stayed awake through. Then I left just about half way through. It is true that Sarah Silverman, Ringo Starr, Mariah Carey, Martin Sheen, Jimmy Fallon, Simon Cowell, and Joan Cusack all have “cameo” parts of about 12 seconds each and that Judd Apatow directed it…which should be warning enough. .

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

A BIGGER SPLASH. Tricky, subtle, beautifully acted by Tilda Swinton who plays a female David Bowie, and a plot that’ll sneak up on you. Ralph Fiennes is unusually nasty and perfect in his role as a father and ex-lover. Lots of nudity, Italian Island scenery and surprises that’ll ultimately leave you happy that you saw it.

MEDDLER. Susan Sarandon and J.K. Simmons who plays a cop named Zipper are the main reasons to see this family drama. There are a few laughs, but the plot is so burlesqued that you’ll never be too absorbed or care about it. It’s a warm touchy-feelie flick but only hints at any of the characters depths so again you don’t get very involved. Your call….as usual. I didn’t know that Susan Sarandon is 70 years old. Same age as the character she plays.

THE LOBSTER. Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz and John C. Reilly head the cast of this unfathomable, supposedly dystopian satire on our views and customs relating to sex. marriage, and it’s not nice to animals either. It’s heavy drama, with some laughs thrown in. Maybe you have to be young and distant to catch all the supposedly clever zingers. I missed 95 % of any meaning or purpose to this flick.

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

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

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. Former Mayor Bruce Van Allen guests the first half hour, then former County Supervisor Gary Patton discusses local politics on Election Day June 7. The Short Story Winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz take over the June 14 program which is also Universal Grapevine’s 10th Anniversary!! June 21 has Carla Brennan talking about Meditation, Buddhism, and Mindfulness. She’s followed by Lincoln Taiz and Ben Leeds Carson talking about the workshop presentation of their opera “Menagerie: The Trial of Spock” (the Star Trek Opera). 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 love some of Jimmy Fallon’s segments – Wheel of Musical Impressions, for instance, is great. Jamie Foxx is absolutely fantastic, so enjoy.

QUOTES. “GAY”

“I was like, Am I gay? Am I straight? And I realized…I’m just slutty. Where’s my parade?” Margaret Cho

“The single best thing about coming out of the closet is that nobody can insult you by telling you what you’ve just told them.” Rachel Maddow

“Democracy! Bah! When I hear that I reach for my feather boa!” Allen Ginsberg

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 | Comments Off

May 31 – June 6, 2016

Posted on June 2, 2016 by Bruce

LAUREL AND PACIFIC, FEB. 2, 1949 Back then this was Bill O’Reilly’s Dodge and Plymouth showroom and garage. Now it’s Walgreen’s. There is nothing more to say.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email bratton@cruzio.com

DATELINE May 30, 2016

WELCOME TOURISTS. Just kidding….I know tourists don’t read local stuff. But just in case any of your visitors even think about moving here, we owe it to tell them about….our lousy bus system, our states almost highest real estate and rental prices, the states dirtiest city beach, our greedy Boardwalk and what they’ve taken from our community, how our Art and History Museum doesn’t have much Art or History anymore, and much, much more. On the other hand Santa Cruz still has a special and unique character. Not just the scenic attraction but the mix of locals who moved here because of blending of the influences from the University, surfing, The Boardwalk, and just the fact that our town is separated from those other places by those mountains that still shut out some of the northern noise.

OUR STATE’S DIRTIEST BEACH. Once again we have to live with the bold greed of our City Council when we are awakened to the fact that our most prominent Cowell Beach is the dirtiest beach in the state. Our City Council has continually gone forward and spent
thousands, with millions more dollars on the way, to expand, commercialize, and destroy the integrity of our Municipal Wharf instead of cleaning up and eliminating the health hazards that apparently is the result of that wharf being contaminated. Putting money and tourism ahead of health and the environment is another example of this council’s ineptitude. Here’s a news clip from KSBW from 2012 about trash found on Cowell Beach. I can’t embed it, so I’m just giving you a link.

BOARDWALK BUSINESS IN 2015. I don’t think hardly anyone realizes the vast amounts of money the Boardwalk makes off the tourists/customers. A survey and index report was just press released by the TEA and AECOM Themed Entertainment Association Just check out the link below… Read all about The Boardwalk and the rest of the California Theme parks. The Seaside Corporation, i.e. Boardwalk, can’t be listed in many of these reports because they can’t sell admission tickets. The last I knew was that there are over 3,500,000 customers annually attending the Boardwalk and that was ten years ago. Go to page 35 of the 82 pages and see that Seaworld in San Diego, Knotts Berry Farm in Buena Park, Six Flags in Valencia, Busch Gardens in Virginia all have almost as high attendence figures as The Boardwalk.

According to the report, money spent per visitor ranges from $126 at Disney Parks to $50 at Cedar Fair Park. Locally of course that doesn’t include what Boardwalk visitors have to pay for parking. Read here for a summary of the report.

Just a quote from the report…

“Finally, if done right, it can be easier to get visitors to spend more than it is to get new visitors.”

BEACH FLATS GARDEN AND THE BOARDWALK. What I’m trying to get across with all those facts and figures is that The Boardwalk makes a very lot of money. Much more money than we’ll ever know about. Doesn’t it seem cruel and nearly evil that they won’t give or donate 16, 000 square feet of a community garden to the folks who have lived and worked there for more than 20 years. The Seaside Corporation owes much more than they have ever given not just to the Beach Flats Garden folks but our entire City. They should be ashamed.

ELERICK’S INPUT. Mr. Paul Elerick of Aptos writes…

NONSENSE COMING FROM THE CAMPAIGN FOR SENSIBLE TRANSPORTATION

Today’s group of highway haters continues to do their best to steer people away from allocating any money from a possible Transportation Tax towards improving congestion on Highway 1. CFST is asking us believe that it is all about “Highway Widening,” and would do nothing to improve congestion on Highway 1. Not true at all.

For those of us who use the highway, we see the auxiliary lanes that go as far as Soquel Drive exit as being clear mostly all day long. The auxiliary lanes being proposed by the Transportation Improvement Plan (Tax Measure) will eventually extend to State Park Drive, letting people who live between Soquel Dr. and State Park get on and off Highway 1 faster, giving the rest of the south-county commuters a better chance at getting home sooner. We’re talking about a total of three miles of aux lanes that extend between on-ramps and off-ramps.

CFST continues to hammer away about “Highway Widening” being the same as auxiliary lanes and that these three miles of lanes will bring about the dreaded global warming that we all are aware of.

Consider what will NOT happen if CFST is successful at killing the tax measure by taking away any money for congestion relief on Highway 1.

Local street repair: Improved neighborhoods and increased safety for cyclists and pedestrians by repairing local streets and roads countywide.
New bridges for cyclists and pedestrians: Cyclist- and pedestrian-only bridges to be built over Highway 1 at Chanticleer St. and Mar Vista Dr.
Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail: Expansion of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail for cyclists and pedestrians along the coastal rail corridor in Watsonville, Santa Cruz and Capitola, and connecting to Monterey County.
Preservation of rail transit as a future option: Holding open the option of transit in the future by maintaining the tracks in the coastal rail corridor and researching future technologies; the plan doesn’t include funding for any new rail service.
Improvements to Highways 1, 9 and 17: • HWY 1: Traffic relief for South County and Mid-County commuters, small businesses, transit buses and first responders through the addition of auxiliary lanes.
HWY 17: Protection for wildlife by building an undercrossing at Laurel Curve and funding the Safe-on-17 Freeway Service Patrol. • HWY 9: Safety improvements in the San Lorenzo Valley.
Safety for kids: New funding for Safe Routes to Schools.
Help for seniors, veterans and residents with disabilities: Sustain an effective paratransit system.

Think about all these things that are needed before you sign onto Campaign For Sensible transportation CFST’s petition. My opinion? A transportation tax measure will never pass without some benefit to users of Highway 1. Current proposal is to allot about 20% of the tax to the Highway. Let’s not let the perfect stand in the way of the good!

(EDITORS NOTE. BrattonOnline is now, and always has been, an opinion “column”. Rarely if ever, have I knowingly included opinions I disagree with. However, I completely disagree with Paul Elerick’s opinion, and completely support The Campaigh For Sensible Transportation goals, aims and logic.)

SEA ORGAN. An amazing invention sent by my nephew Johnnie McKown.

15 MYSTERIOUS CREATURES…AND FUZZY FILMING. Most probably the result of those low flying planes we’ve been suffering from.

GREENSITE’S INSIGHT. Gillian is out documenting the 33 trees in the city of Santa Cruz that PGE proposes to remove; most of them long time heritage trees. Others are documenting the hundreds of trees to be removed along Graham Hill Road. Greensite’s Insight returns next week.

PATTON’S PROGRAM From Gary’s Two Worlds website…

My hometown newspaper, the Santa Cruz Sentinel, ran an article on Friday, May 20th, about a new innovation in land use planning, the “Agrihood.” The article was titled, “Home grown: Agrihoods take hold – residential developments firmly rooted in agriculture”

Please color me skeptical (in fact, please color me outraged, especially about that “firmly rooted” part). The “Agrihood” featured in the Sentinel article is located near Davis, California, which is a university community located in Yolo County. Davis, the main city, is almost totally surrounded by extremely productive agricultural land. In other words, Davis is not that different from the City of Santa Cruz, which also hosts a University of California campus, with productive agricultural land located nearby.

I tracked down the developer’s website, which you can review by clicking this link The development is called “The Cannery.” See if you think that the kind of housing depicted is “firmly rooted in agriculture.” Note, also, that the development is not actually in Davis, the city, but on the outskirts, and undoubtedly is being built on what was formerly productive agricultural land. The claim that the development is “rooted in agriculture” is apparently based on the fact that instead of converting all of the agricultural land that the developer acquired, the developer is retaining some part of it in agriculture, as an amenity for the developer’s sprawl development. This is a lot better than a “golf course,” says the article, particularly from the developer’s point of view, since golf courses aren’t nearly as attractive as an amenity, nowadays, as they used to be.

In my opinion, having served for twenty years on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, where I learned firsthand about the relentless pressure that developers apply to get local land use approvals for developments that either convert or encroach upon agricultural land, this “agrihood” concept reeks of a developer ploy to get county governments to approve residential developments that would violate basic General Plan and zoning laws.

In Santa Cruz County (and in Yolo County) land use laws are intended to protect agricultural land, and to reserve such land for agriculture If the developers can make Boards of Supervisors believe that their proposed housing developments are “rooted” in agriculture, then maybe they can get approval to start converting agricultural land into skip out subdivisions. In the case of “The Cannery,” a 547-unit subdivision is planned, with the units priced to appeal to upscale buyers. Again, check out the lovely pictures in the website advertising These are not homes that are intended to house persons whose lives are “rooted in agriculture.” Quite the opposite.

In case you haven’t taken a course in Land Use 101, let me tell you why developers always want to convert agricultural land into residences, if they can get away with it. It all comes down to land cost. The cost of agricultural land is usually something like one-tenth of the cost of urban land, on a per acre basis Therefore, if the developer can get approval to convert agricultural land into housing, instead of building the housing on the lands already designated for urban development, they can make a lot of money. So, if someone proposes an “Agrihood” near you, don’t be fooled. It’s a ploy by developers, to make a lot of money, not a new way to integrate agriculture into the fabric of our urban lives.

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. Another view of Roaring Camp’s idea of Patriotism. See below.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. Eagan’s dystopian view of Hillary’s political future. Scroll down.

COMMUNITY OF ARTISTS. On First Friday, i.e. June 3, See 13 area artists works at the opening of A Community of Artists, 5pm to 6pm, at the Felix Kulpa Gallery, Santa Cruz. Their ninth annual show runs through June 26. Get there early on Friday and hear their saxophone group, “Casual Sax”.

DIDO AND AENEAS. The UCSC Music Department presents an updated production of the tragedy Dido and Aeneas, a Baroque opera in three acts. Music by Henry Purcell. Libretto by Nahum Tate. Directed by Brian Staufenbiel. UC Santa Cruz Orchestra conducted by Bruce Kiesling. Thu, Jun 2, 2016 to Sun, Jun 5, 2016. Music Center Recital Hall

LISA JENSEN LINKS Lisa is very busy memoralizing her other writing…next week!!!

Check out her website this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com) Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

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

DYSTOPIAN…critics favorite word It seems like every film reviewer or critic, who writes about films taking place in the future has to use the word DYSTOPIA or DYSTOPIAN. With another half year of DYSTOPIAN films coming to our screens and just to safe, I had to look it up to be sure. And to save you the trouble, here’s the Wictionary definition.

DYSTOPIA…
A vision of a future that is a corrupted (usually beyond recognition) utopian society. A miserable, dysfunctional state or society that has a very poor standard of living
DYSTOPIAN… dire; characterized by human suffering or misery

LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP. This sharp wordy comedy is from a little known Jane Austen book, “Lady Susan”. If you’re particular it’s about 130 years in England before Downtown Abbey (1790). Plenty of Hayden, Cherubini and Cimarosa-type music. Kate Beckensale is just great, so’s everybody else in it. It’s actually about what women had to do to survive back then. Go see it if you like Brit costume epics, with lots of scenery and furniture. 99% on Rotten Tomatoes!!!

THE LOBSTER Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz and John C. Reilly head the cast of this unfathomable, suposedly dystopian satire on our views and customs relating to sex. marriage, and it’s not nice to animals either. It’s heavy drama, with some laughs thrown in. Maybe you have to be young and distant to catch all the supposedly clever zingers. I missed 95 % of any meaning or purpose to this flick.

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

THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY. Dev Patel the star from Slumdog Millionaire and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel shows his very excellent acting chops in this true story. A low caste Indian child is born with the strange and genuine gift of understanding mathematics on the same level as Einstein. Because he’s Indian and dark skinned the British intellegentsia (Oxford etc. ) won’t accept him or his math theories. It’s a feel good story you’ve seen hundreds of times, but it’s worth going to.

MEDDLER. Susan Sarandon and J.K. Simmons who plays a cop named Zipper are the main reasons to see this family drama. There are a few laughs, but the plot is so burlesqued that you’ll never be too absorbed or care about it. It’s a warm touchy-feelie flick but only hints at any of the characters depths so again you don’t get very involved.Your call….as usual. I didn’t know that Susan Sarandon is 70 years old Same age as the character she plays.

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

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm

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

or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG Mark Wainer and Judy Johnson talk about their Community of Artists show on May 31st followed by Santa Cruz County Clerk Gail Pellerin with updates on local voting. Former Mayor Bruce Van Allen guests the first half hour, then former County Supervisor Gary Patton discusses local politics on Election Day June 7. The Short Story Winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz take over the June 14 program. June 21 has Carla Brennan talking about Meditation, Buddhism, and Mindfulness She’s followed by Lincoln Taiz and Ben Leeds Carson talking about the workshop presentation of their opera “Menagerie: The Trial of Spock” (the Star Trek Opera). 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 love impressions. When someone is really good, it’s extra awesome. This guy is great 🙂

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 9 years here’s a chronological list of some past broadcasts. Such a wide range of folks such as Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson-Darrow, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, and Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems. Mike Pappas on the Olive Connection, Sandy Lydon on County History. Paul Johnston on political organizing, Rick Longinotti on De-Sal. Dan Haifley on Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Dan Harder on Santa Cruz City Museum. Sara Wilbourne on Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Brian Spencer on SEE Theatre Co. Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro on MAH and Big Creek Pottery. Carolyn Burke on Edith Piaf. Peggy Dolgenos on Cruzio. Julie James on Jewel Theatre Company. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus Nina Simon from MAH, Rob Slawinski, Gary Bascou, Judge Paul Burdick, John Brown Childs, Ellen Kimmel, Don Williams, Kinan Valdez, Ellen Murtha, John Leopold, Karen Kefauver, Chip Lord, Judy Bouley, Rob Sean Wilson, Ann Simonton, Lori Rivera, Sayaka Yabuki, Chris Kinney, Celia and Peter Scott, Chris Krohn, David Swanger, Chelsea Juarez…and that’s just since January 2011.

QUOTES “JUNE”

“How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?”, Dr. Seuss

“All June I bound the rose in sheaves, Now, rose by rose, I strip the leaves”, Robert Browning

“Wine and cheese are ageless companions, like aspirin and aches, or June and moon, or good people and noble ventures”, M. F. K. Fisher

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 | Comments Off

May 24 – 30, 2016

Posted on May 25, 2016 by Bruce

CLASSIC INTERSECTION of Pacific, Water, Front, and Mission streets. This was taken January 27, 1967. There was a long battle in 1972 to save this McHigh & Bianchi Building. Henry Faitz who ran for State assembly that year was part of it…we lost! Next door (to the left) you can almost see the original Plaza Stationery Store, which became Tower Records. Today we have Bank Of The West taking over all of this. Probably the next development will be a 20 story Corridor building.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email bratton@cruzio.com

DATELINE May 23, 2016

WIDENING HIGHWAY ONE…ANOTHER EXPERT SAYS NO.

1955 SANTA CRUZ. Here’s a 20 minute film of 1955 Santa Cruz. Have we lost or gained anything from the 61 years of growth?

IRIS DeMENT (H.Q.). “Let The Mystery Be”. The song and her rendition just haunts me

LOST BOYS FILMING IN SANTA CRUZ. Back in 1987 Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patric and the late Corey Haim came to Santa Cruz to film “The Lost Boys”. The city went nuts over the “fame”.

Bruce Van Allen, Jack Nelson and Rick Longinotti from The Campaign For Sensible Transportation sent this email last week…”In case you missed it, on Saturday (5/14) we learned the answer to the question, “Stuck in Traffic, Will More Lanes Help?” Susan Handy, Director of the National Center for Sustainable Transportation at UC Davis told us, “Numerous studies consistently show that adding capacity to roadways fails to alleviate congestion for long because it actually increases vehicle miles traveled (VMT).” Susan explained how “induced travel” works. When a highway is consistently congested, some people decide not to take a trip or to take an alternate route or mode. These potential trips constitute a pent-up demand for auto travel on the highway. When highways are expanded that pent-up demand is unleashed as more cars return to the temporarily less-congested highway. Pretty soon congestion is back.
We already know that the Draft Environmental Impact Report on Highway 1 expansion predicts “very slight improvement in traffic congestion”. Susan said that the Draft EIR is overstating the congestion relief benefits, because the Draft EIR didn’t account for induced travel. If “very slight” congestion relief is an overstatement, then what would commuters get from the $100 million highway project that the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) wants to ask voters to approve in November?

If you think that this money for highway expansion would be better spent on saving bus routes, creating safer bicycle and pedestrian routes and repairing roads, then please support our campaign. We’re mailing to as many voters as we can afford with the important message that widening highways doesn’t work and that we need sustainable transportation solutions. Would you make a donation online? Or send a check to Campaign for Sensible Transportation, PO Box 7927, Santa Cruz, Ca. 95061? There’s not a lot of time left to persuade the RTC to shift priorities. Let your friends know about this!!!

JUNE 4TH PARTY REMINDER. Don’t forget to get in touch, or tell only your June 4th friends to get in touch, if they’d like to be invited to our very exclusive June 4th Birthday Party. It’s a fun and intriguing party. Susan Heinz is creating a special Gemini reading just for us. Like noon to 2 p.m on 6/04.

THE REAL MICHAEL MOORE. After Michael Horne’s Pulse Productions brought Michael Moore to Santa Cruz last week I asked him for any great backstage stories. Horne has told me some nearly horrendous tales of backstage demands, tempers, and plain nastiness from some ot the other “stars” he’s booked. Here’s some of what he wrote about Secrets of Michael Moore…

“Santa Cruz had 3/4 house sold at the Civic. A great evening. He spoke for about 90 minutes and then took another 90 min for Q & A. It was Michaels first talk in about 6 months after being essentially bedridden since his bout w pneumonia, so he had a lot on his mind!

Nice dude backstage…as you would expect, smart, funny and down to earth. I asked Mayor Mathews to introduce him and she gave him an “Honorary citizen of Santa Cruz” plaque, which he got a kick out of. Someone shouted out “Send back the Bearcat” in the midst of the intro, so Michael ran with that to start the talk.

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

Horne concluded…”All in all a great experience and an honor to bring this brave warrior back to Santa Cruz”.

WHY I’M OPENLY SECULAR by ENTERTAINER JOHN DAVIDSON from the San Francisco Chronicle May 12, 2016. John Davidson made some bold and wise comments on where he’s at with religion.

Read all of his statement here (link expands, click again to collapse)

WHY I’M OPENLY SECULAR by ENTERTAINER JOHN DAVIDSON
from the San Francisco Chronicle. May 12, 2016

Now, at 74, trying to be more honest, I have come out. I have finally joined the Openly Secular movement. So, why speak out now? Why does it matter if some people choose to accept religious claims that defy both evidence and common sense? Why burst their bubble? Well, here’s why: If people deny the scientific facts of evolution and climate change, and they are in positions of authority, such as in government or on a school board, their superstitions and religious views affect me, my children and my country.

If people believe that the Bible is a book of facts and not myths, then they are a danger to me and my loved ones, because the Bible, if taken literally, says people should kill anyone who does not agree with their faith (Deuteronomy 13), that women must submit to men, that slavery should be accepted, that homosexuality is wrong and that the end of the world is imminent. And, if people advocate for prayer instead of modern medicine, they are a drain on our health care emergency centers, not to mention a danger to themselves and their own children.

On a lighter note, when a football player points a finger to the sky after a touchdown, but fails to point another finger to the sky after a fumble, it’s laughable. Why is the believer’s credo to give divine thanks when things go right but not to lay blame when the opposite occurs? It makes no sense, and I guess that’s the point.

I simply can no longer remain silent when our leaders are so credulous as to believe that a virgin can give birth, that a man can walk on water, that a man can be dead for three days and then come back to life, that a man really did put two of every species on Earth into a boat, floated around for 40 days feeding them their individual diets, and then landed somewhere with any of them still alive. I don’t want those who believe that mankind began with Adam and Eve, who met a talking snake in the Garden Of Eden, teaching my grandchildren anything!

It is clear to me that the world would be more sane if all religions, all primitive superstitions, were abandoned. We are not capable of knowing all the mysteries of life.

But science and the empirical method of discovery are the “candle in the dark.” Blind faith cannot be allowed to win out over rational thought. As children, we were told that the Easter Bunny, Jack Frost, Mother Nature, Santa Claus and God were real. We owe it to our children, when they come of age, to explain that these were all imaginary friends.

When I was in college at Denison University, I declared myself a philosophy major before winding up in theater arts. The first two required courses in philosophy were basic logic and comparative religion. That’s all it took for me to come to these conclusions. That was in 1961. Why am I still even discussing this? Well, because half of this country still believes in fairy tales. That’s why we need a Reason Rally. That’s why I am honored to be one of the guest speakers.

Among other statements he wrote…

If people deny the scientific facts of evolution and climate change, and they are in positions of authority, such as in government or on a school board, their superstitions and religious views affect me, my children and my country.

John Davidson is an American singer, actor and hosts of TV shows that included “That’s Incredible,” “Time Machine” and “Hollywood Squares.”

PACIFIC AVENUE MARCH FOR HILLARY.

I walked with 20 other Hillary for President supporters last Friday night starting at 7PM.. It was an enlightening hour or so. Got lots of quiet thumbs up from Hillary supporters, yes there were quite a few. One Trump supporter hanging out of a passing car hollering “Trump, Trump…”. Lots of Bernie’s people, student age, telling us to “feel the Bern”, whatever that means. Several of Pacific Ave. rougher looking back-packers followed along for a while, not cheering for anybody in particular, but mostly just making noise and expecting to be told to shut up. Nobody did, nor were there any SCPD officers that I saw. It was an interesting walk, the street music was great, very mellow evening. There’s no doubt in my mind that Senator Sanders will carry the Santa Cruz vote on June 7.

But if you’re a Hillary supporter like me, tired of apologizing for not seeing Sanders as presidential material, join us every Friday evening until June 7th, at 7PM at Jamba Juice on Pacific Ave. to walk with us for Hillary. Not sure if we’re changing anybody’s mind who to vote for, but it’s rewarding enough to see the thumbs up and smiles from people.

FAULTY TOWERS

There is something creepy about outside urban planners dissecting the place we call home. As I sat in council chambers last Thursday (5/19), listening to SF consultants Urban Field Studio deliver their presentation on the Corridors Plan to the Planning Commission, I felt our town’s identity inexorably slipping away. Given the small turnout, I fear most have accepted this urban makeover of Santa Cruz as inevitable, which I think is a mistake. Despite the fast tracking to get approval by council before the elections in November, there are glaring problems with the proposed rezoning that can and should be challenged.

To be sure the current General Plan calls for a greater density of housing along the four major corridors of Mission, Water, Ocean and Soquel. This makes some sense given the restraints of the Greenbelt, the continued expansion of UCSC, the bottomless pit of desire to live in Santa Cruz and the fact that building new housing in a hot market is a speculators’ dream machine. Too few believe the last 3 variables can be challenged so we are left with how best to implement growth. Within this narrowed vision, we should still expect robust debate, since there are winners and losers in this growth-at-all-cost game. So far, the debates and some concern for what’s left of Santa Cruz’s built identity have been non-existent. Absent more community-awareness and expressed concern, there is no indication that this situation will change when the Corridors Plan goes to council in August.

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

Besides calling for more mixed-use density along the major arterials, the General Plan also spells out the need to protect adjacent neighborhoods and to preserve the small town feel of Santa Cruz. These latter two requirements should call for some tempering of the maximum possible density build-out and equal airtime given to neighborhood protection and small town elements. That was not the thrust of the consultants’ presentation, which aimed for the maximum. Citing the need to consolidate the current small parcels into larger lots by “incentivizing” the sale of existing properties, the consultants envision large-scale 45 to 55 feet tall buildings, with some areas slated to go as high as 65 and 75 feet, built right up to the sidewalks. If you want to get a feel for the future, check out the rendition of the mixed use development under-construction at 555 Pacific on the Planning Departments web-site at: http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/home/showdocument?id=52398.

The extra traffic generated by this increase in people coming to live in Santa Cruz apparently is a non-issue since it is never mentioned. Parking however is a thorny issue since accommodating parking under the current requirements cuts into profits and reduces the number of possible units. Rather than accepting this as a reasonable trade-off, the conversation is all about how to change the formula. One commissioner opined that parking should be “decoupled” from development and made into a “marketable product.” Other plans include reducing the required parking provisions by half; shared parking and off-site parking. So a new arrival in Santa Cruz, paying $2000 a month for a one bedroom unit can expect to park his or her car in the Safeway parking lot at night and walk back to their high rise steel and glass unit all in the interest of increasing density and profit. The longer -term plan is to remove all street parking on Soquel and Water, irrespective of the impact on current small businesses who probably will lose their leases when the buildings are demolished to make way for the new high-priced high-rises.

It was left to members of the public to raise quality of life issues, neighborhood protection, parking, traffic, parks and schools. The lead senior planner admitted she hadn’t thought about schools but she made a note of it. For parks, she said developers would pay a fee that would go into a pot so the city could buy more green space. Dream on.

The reason it is important for more folks to speak out to downscale this rezoning is that once the maximums are approved, a developer who might wish to build a more modest scale building will probably not get his or her project approved unless the maximum is reached. That happened to the Kessinger property on Meder St. The owner/developer wished to build small single-family homes suitable for modest-income first time home –buyers but in the interim that end of Meder was re-zoned at higher density. The city refused to approve his project unless he made it higher density. That was not his vision for his property so he withdrew the project and the land remains a sweet horse meadow, an island of old Santa Cruz in a sea of urbanization.

On Thursday June 2nd, the Planning Commission will hear the second installment from the consultants. This time it is traffic and parking. Your email or presence is important.

BRATTON NOTE. Be sure to look at this link from Gillian. http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/home/showdocument?id=52398. It has eight (8) pages of Santa Cruz Developments. There’ll be one near you!!! La Bahia is at the very end of those pages. Is this the reason you live in Santa Cruz?

PATTON’S PROGRAM. From Gary’s Two Worlds website…5/22/16

There is “tension” within the Democratic Party, as the Party decides which candidate it will put forward as its Presidential candidate after the Presidential Nominating Convention to be held in Philadelphia this July.

Those who want the tension-causing Bernie Sanders to drop out of the race are advocating for a course that would reduce intra-party “tension,” but that could mean all the difference for the long-term health of the Democratic Party, and not in a good way.

I say, let’s keep that tension going! I’d like to hope that the Democratic Party is going to come out of the elections in 2016 as a “thriving,” not a “dying” organization.

Absorbing and celebrating what Bernie Sanders and his supporters are bringing to the table is one way to make sure that’s true!

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. Classic DeCinzo predicts our future…car-wise. See below

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. It’s the old unicorn versus the turtle story scroll down a little bit.

For more Eagan, baseball and his Uncle Everett check out… Tim Eagan’s blog

STRINDBERGS “A DREAM PLAY” AT UCSC. Last week I wrote August Strindberg’s plays inspired playwrights like Albee, Artaud, Beckett, Pinter and Tennessee Williams. A Dream Play was Strindberg’s personal favorite. He wrote The Ghost Sonata, Miss Julie, and The Dance of Death. A Dream Play is about life being lived out as a dream, or an illusion. Kirsten Brandt is directing it. It runs May 26-29 at UCSC’s Experimental Theatre. (That’s the large black box theatre up the hill from the Mainstage Theatre). 7:30 pm & 3 p, on Sundays. Tickets available online at ucsctickets.com. Go see it IF you like Beckett, Albee, Pinter, Tennessee Williams and plays like that. The acting, the play itself, the incredible sets and the directing by Kirsten Brandt are as engrossing as they are revealing of our own lives and dreams.

HILLARY BRATTON SINGS AGAIN! In case you and/or your friends will be in New York City Tuesday, June 14 daughter Hillary will be singing some of the great songs from her new album, “Tears on My Pillow but the rest of the Bed’s OK”. She’ll be backed by songwriter Barry Reynolds on guitar. It’s happening at the Rockwood Music Hall Stage 3 in the East Village at 196 Allen Street . She’ll go on about 7:30 p.m.

SANTA CRUZ WOMEN OF JAZZ. Jim Coffis sent this email from the Kuumbwa Jazz Center. Santa Cruz Women of Jazz features an impressive line-up of local, vocal talent featuring Gail Cruse, Ann Whittington, Ruby Rudman, Charmaigne Scott, Vicki Neville Coffis, and Stella D’Oro. Three of the vocalists, Cruse, Coffis and Whittington are from the popular Back in Time vocal trio, known for their tight harmonies and swing era classics. Whittington has also led her own excellent groups for many years, with a warm vocal style favoring modern jazz classics. Ruby Rudman has sung it all, jazz, pop, funk/fusion. She has been featured locally with the Robin Anderson Big Band and fusion band Barbies in Jail. Charmaigne Scott is one of the Bay Area’s most celebrated blues, funk and soul singers, and a crowd favorite at the Monterey Bay Blues Festival for many years. She is also a wonderful, dynamic jazz vocalist. Stella D’Oro is the lead singer for Santa Cruz’s Stella By Barlight, a fine jazz quintet playing the music of Anita O’Day, June Christy and other jazz legends. The Back in Time band, featuring pianist Martan Mann, reedman Phil Smith and bassist Bill Bosch, superbly accompanies the Santa Cruz Women of Jazz. Expect an evening of contemporary jazz to classics of the Swing Era. It happens this Thursday May 26 at Kuumbwa.

MIRIAM ELLIS INTERNATIONAL PLAYHOUSE….UCSC’s Department of Languages and Applied Linguistics, Cowell College, and Stevenson College, will present The Miriam Ellis International Playhouse (MEIP), an annual multilingual program of fully-staged short theater pieces, for its 16th season. Three public performances will be held on May 25, 26, and 27 (Wed. – Fri.) at 8:00 PM at the Stevenson Event Center, UCSC, and will feature works in French, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish, with English super-titles projected above the stage. The program will be directed by Language lecturers and performed by Language students. It’s free and nearby parking is $4.00.

This year’s works include: (in French) Scenes from TARTUFFE, by Molière, directed by Miriam Ellis; (in Japanese) BEST FRIENDS, by Yuuki Himura & Osamu Shitara, directed by Sakae Fujita; (in Russian) UNCLE FYODOR, THE DOG AND THE CAT, by Edward Uspensky, directed by Natalya Samokhina and her students; (in Spanish) THE BAT, based on a myth by Eduardo Galeano, directed by Marta Navarro. The pieces range in style from folklore to classical and modern-day theater, with emphasis on their comic elements. The English subtitles titles make the material easily accessible to audiences, who are afforded a rare multicultural experience by the diversity of the programs. For further information, please contact lmhunter@ucsc.edu or ellisan@ucsc.edu.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “In a recent interview, I was asked how, when, and why I first got the writing bug. Read my answer, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com). Also, help me cheer on my next book, Beast: A Love Story, as it moves a couple of paw-prints closer to publication!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

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

HIGH RISE. After watching and liking Tom Hiddleston in The Hank Williams movie and becoming a complete fan of The Night Manager on HBO I figured anything he was in would be great. Whew, was I wrong. Both Hiddleston and Jeremy Irons give it their all but the director has ruined what I hear was a very exciting book. It’s about a very tall apartment building that holds 2000 residents. The problem is that the poorest folks are on the first floor and the class system is seriously enforced all the way to the penthouse where Jeremy Irons who designed the building lives. The editing, the interwoven plots and the insane struggle of the classes to “move up” become bloody and are full of killing, anal, booze, drugs, more blood, eating dog meat, just plain yuck. Do not go see this movie.

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

MEDDLER. Susan Sarandon and J.K. Simmons who plays a cop named Zipper are the main reasons to see this family drama. There are a few laughs, but the plot is so burlesqued that you’ll never be too absorbed or care about it. It’s a warm touchy-feelie flick but only hints at any of the characters depths so again you don’t get very involved.Your call….as usual. I didn’t know that Susan Sarandon is 70 years old. Same age as the character she plays.

DOUGH. Jonathan Pryce is the Jewish bakery shop owner in London who hires an African Muslim, pot – selling teen ager as a helper. It’s a British film and it’s a cute and cuddly early Hollywood type comedy. If you’re Jewish, it’ll probably make you feel good, except for the treacle.

SING STREET. Dublin, Ireland in the 1980’s and a group of kids form a band. It’s almost a musical except for the teen age/lovesick plot that makes the film into a really enjoyable trip. Not exactly Oscar material you’ll enjoy it in spite of yourself.

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

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

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR. These box office gazillion dollar money makers are getting more and more bizzarre. They are direct copies of comic book plots. You shouldn’t apply any common sense or logic to the plots. Like comic books (even the earliest ones 1930’s) were just for fun and escape. So is Captain America: Civil War. To see Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Robert Downeyjr., Paul Rudd, Marisa Tomei, Martin Freeman, William Hurt, Paul Bettany, Hope Davis, Alfre Woodard and the legendary Stan Lee (creator of the Marvel Comics) in as nonsensical and violent and bloody and senseless a film like this one is just embarrassing. I can’t wait to see such sagas as Orphan Annie vs. Little Lulu, Joe Palooka battles Dick Tracy, Bugs Bunny vs. Minnie Mouse. They can’t fail.

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

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. Anita Monga artistic Director of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival (21st Year) returns May 24, then Chris Krohn and Michelle Glowa bring us up to date on the Beach Flats Garden issue. Mark Wainer and Judy Johnson talk about the Community of Artists show on May 31st followed by Santa Cruz County Clerk Gail Pellerin with updates on local voting. Former mayor Bruce Van Allen discusses local politics on Election Day June 7. The Short Story Winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz take over the June 14 program. June 21 has Carla Brennan talking about Meditation, Buddhism, and Mindfulness. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always and only at bratton@cruzio.com

People complain a lot about the younger generation, how they’re lazy and not involved, etc etc. Enter this young man from Louisiana. He’s 22, and has been an activist for 8 years. He’s well spoken and smart; this gives me hope.

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

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 9 years here’s a chronological list of some past broadcasts. Such a wide range of folks such as Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson-Darrow, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, and Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems. Mike Pappas on the Olive Connection, Sandy Lydon on County History. Paul Johnston on political organizing, Rick Longinotti on De-Sal. Dan Haifley on Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Dan Harder on Santa Cruz City Museum. Sara Wilbourne on Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Brian Spencer on SEE Theatre Co. Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro on MAH and Big Creek Pottery. Carolyn Burke on Edith Piaf. Peggy Dolgenos on Cruzio. Julie James on Jewel Theatre Company. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus Nina Simon from MAH, Rob Slawinski, Gary Bascou, Judge Paul Burdick, John Brown Childs, Ellen Kimmel, Don Williams, Kinan Valdez, Ellen Murtha, John Leopold, Karen Kefauver, Chip Lord, Judy Bouley, Rob Sean Wilson, Ann Simont on, Lori Rivera, Sayaka Yabuki, Chris Kinney, Celia and Peter Scott, Chris Krohn, David Swanger, Chelsea Juarez…and that’s just since January 2011.

QUOTES. “VOTING”

“The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” Winston S. Churchill
“Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.” Abraham Lincoln
“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.” H.L. Mencken
“Every election is determined by the people who show up.” Larry J. Sabato

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 | Comments Off

May 16 – 22, 2016

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Bruce

PACIFIC & SOQUEL AVENUES. 1912. Nowadays we have Forever 21 on the left and New Leaf Market on the right. That old building on the left is where Good Times started in 1975. Note how incredibly wide the street was back then. That was BP (before parkletts), and other architectural miracles.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email bratton@cruzio.com

DATELINE May 16, 2016

PINK FROGMOUTH WALKING FISH.

FISH THAT WALK ON LAND

COUNCIL CAROUSEL, PART 7. Don’t ask about the first six parts, I just made that up because I have no idea how many times I’ve written about our 2016 Santa Cruz City Council race. Just trying to list the important issues so we can learn where the candidates stand isn’t easy. We’ve got three hotels going up in North County and two new ones in South County, and our greedy developers, Chamber of Commerce, Business Council, and a majority of the present City Council all drool over the thought of attracting more businesses here with the totally untrue statements that growth will provide more jobs and provide money to help pay for our Social Services (an old Mike Rotkin mantra). So ask the candidates how they’ll vote on growth.

Ask them about widening Highway One, simply pro or con) ask them if they think adding auxiliary lanes is widening…or not. Ask them tough ones like where do they stand on The Beach Flats Garden and do they think the City has already given The Boardwalk enough land and tax breaks. Ask them their definition of “affordable” as in “affordable housing” (maybe even a dollar set of figures) the current City Council and the Board of Supervisors have long ago copped out/sold out on that one.

WHO’S RUNNING.

The final or even the first declaration dates for city council candidates to declare their commitment are July 18 – August 12. Here’s a list of names that you’ll be seeing and hearing as candidates. Some have already made their candidacy known, others are strong and oft-repeated rumors. Por ejemplo… Sandy Brown, Martine Watkins, J.M. Brown, Micah Posner, Dru Glover, Steve Pleich, Mark Primack and of course Cynthia Mathews.

HAPPY COLLEGE NEWS. KZSC 88.1 fm our local radio station just finished another pledge drive, it was good fun. More than that it worked!!! I asked Keith Rozendal our station broadcast advisor how it went from his point of view, he said …

“We are very pleased with the fundraising. We’re going to top our fall 2015 drive by roughly 25% (pledges are still coming in!), and our number of donors is up by a similar margin from the fall. The UCSC one-day Giving Day game was a nice boost near the end, with 115 donors together giving $5,700 in just 24 hours. We’re going to put that money to good use, hiring a professional instructor (Nada Milkjovic) to teach our radio training class. KZSC doesn’t sound like other college radio stations because of this deep training and mentorship behind the mic. More than 70% of our programmers are UCSC students with less than 2 years experience on the air, but it doesn’t sound like that at all! If you haven’t listened to KZSC in a while, I think you’d be pleasantly surprised. And KZSC-trained programmers go on to successful careers in the media as a high rate (NPR, This American Life, podcasting, including Serial and Maximum Fun!, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, Oregon Public Broadcasting, and more). With continued strong listener support, we plan to bring some of that same strong education to teaching local news reporting. We’d hire local journalists, and other people who know the community well, to give a crash course in local issues and history. Then the students would be sent out to meetings, events, and happenings to report on Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito Counties. We get the sense that Santa Cruz is starving for local news and we think this is a very inexpensive way to start providing that essential service to the community and our democracy”.

Editors note…you can always send/donate/give to support KZSC by going to KZSC.org and click on “donate”

SAD COLLEGE NEWS. An article in the San Francisco Chronicle (Sat. May 14, ’16) talked about a Stanford student who struggled with depression, and was a lacrosse star. The article states…”The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) cites research that suggests that suicide “is the second leading cause of death among college students. Approximately three suicides occur daily among college students, and 7 to 10 percent of college students either attempt or contemplate suicide in a given year”. I’d never heard this. More about athletes and suicide..

UCSC MEETING WITH CHANCELLOR BLUMENTHAL AND EXEC. VICE CHANCELLOR AND STUDENTS MAY 2ND, 2016. This is a group of notes taken at the meeting. There were between 90 and 100 students present. Quotes are labeled GB= George Blumenthal and AG= Alison Galloway. Assuming you’d like to hear some straight and otherwise answers to many students about their college, go here to read two pages of notes from that meeting….you’ll be surprised.

On accepting 650 more students above the number of students (16,231 undergrad, 1,637 grad students (17,866 total 2015-16) now enrolled… All remaining study lounges will be turned into bedrooms. Yes, every space not next to a mechanical room (laundry?) will be made into a dorm room. And every dorm room is already too tight. It is really difficult that we have to take more students. (AG) System-wide, 5000 more students need to be accepted and absorbed from the deal that Gov. Brown and UC Pres. Janet Napolitano in order “not to raise tuition.” (GB)

Recreation space, why aren’t you doing more? We are just dealing with the beds. We haven’t begun to deal with that (increased recreation space) yet. We did change times (because UCSC students were going to class more than other UC’s) and there will be 10% more classes scheduled next year. I’m actually pushing to have taller buildings, 4 or 5 stories was the treeline at that time (of last LRDP), but that has changed. (AG)

Why are you accepting more students when there is not enough space? 650 more students are coming. We have a Long Range Development Plan approved with the city. We are trying to accommodate more students on the campus, but there will be more in town. (GB)

The guarantee of 2nd year housing on campus now does not exist. Students were told a week ago they do not have a guarantee.We did not hear that. We will look into it. (GB)

Why is childcare not provided? It’s resources. It would cost $7-9 million to build. We are looking at an off=campus location.(AG)

The cuts on service that Metro is looking at…Yes, the cuts were a disaster. (AG)

Any plans for building parking garages to accommodate more students? If we build parking garages the debt goes on the parking system and fees go up. (AG) Student: TAPS is currently proposing increases.

Why aren’t you being honest with High School students (when they come and visit campus and take the tours) They never tell you that you won’t get the classes, won’t find housing?

I think we are being transparent with high school students. Non-residents students are currently 5%. (GB)

Why can’t we use the Chancellor’s house for housing and classroom space, you’re not living there? University house is currently not occupied, it’s condemned. (GB) We are looking at 2300 Delaware, a building we own, to accommodate students and graduate students who are associated with the new coastal biology program. (AG) How this (housing and number of students) situation is going to turn around is a political decision and will likely take place in Sacramento. (GB)

Why are there so many administrators? The number of administrators has actually decreased since 2010. Also, the caliber of staff is higher, they are being asked to do more, and we pay them more.(AG) We are looking at putting additional seats in the Science and Engineering library. (AG) Student tuition forms the largest portion of our core expenses. Currently from the state we receive 40-45% of our funding. In 1965 90-95% came from the state. (GB) Higher buildings equals a lower building footprint. We have a mandate to grow.

What is the current occupancy of all rental units in Santa Cruz? I think the occupancy in town is 97%. (AG)

Have you ever made payments to the city for police and fire protection? We have a party patrol, we pay about $17,000. (AG)

GENERATING OPINIONS. My notes last week about labeling generations brought in many opinions. I hasten to add, and should have emphasized that hardly any two of my sources agreed on which years bracketed those groups. More than that many generations had titles that I didn’t and couldn’t include. Lisa Jensen wrote to say…” As to your generational categories last week, it seems to me that the Beat Generation ought to be in there somewhere between the Silent Generation and the Boomers (overlapping both: people who came of age in the mid-50s). And I remember that the Me Generation is what Boomers used to call people coming of age in the ’70s. The Gen X-ers came after. What you call Generation Z (the current crop), I call “Gen-Texters” — but that’s just me!” She’s right there was no mention of the Beat Generation. Probably because it seemed to apply for only a few years and mostly to SF and NYC groups. Fascinating, isn’t it?

BERNIE NEWS. Here’s an email report with some near late breaking news re the opening of The Santa Cruz Bernie headquarters… 150 people show up to Bernie’s campaign headquarters opening in downtown Santa Cruz…pretty impressive…the Sanders people were ready…split into three groups…telephone bankers, register to vote group and door to door canvassers…had house parties lists ready for people to volunteer…Watsonville, Gilroy and Gonzalez lists and events for people to sign up for too…they were ready. The headquarters are at the new Satellite Center 325 Soquel Drive by the Hindquarter restaurant.

ELERICK’S INPUT. Mr. Paul Elerick of Aptos writes…

DO WE WANT THE CORRIDORS PLAN?

I think the County Planning Department and others are setting themselves up for failure with their development concept called a “corridors plan“. If they push more multi-purpose and multi-story projects like the one in Santa Cruz off Soquel, there may be a homeowner’s revolt. At the public hearing on CTV,(community television) every speaker (neighborhood resident) spoke against the project due to building height, density and traffic. Speakers for the project all worked for the City or County, or were part of the developer’s team.

So why is a ‘corridors plan” needed? We’re told we need more housing, especially low cost housing for workers that are already here and can’t find a place to live where they work. And of course the same old “we need to provide for growth”. Sounds reasonable, but has anybody considered all the other things these “growing corridors” will bring? Take a drive over the hill to San Jose, or even closer to Salinas and see what high-rise, low cost housing looks like after a few years. Streets mostly shaded from the sun all day, cars that look like they haven’t been driven for a long time and left on the streets. Streets that can’t be swept clean due to all the cars parked on them. The sad part is that some of our friends and neighbors are for this in the name of providing “affordable housing”. Another solution to the problem is don’t build them and they won’t come. We are big enough already.

TALL STORIES.

The council hearing last week on the large-scale developments proposed for Front Street between Laurel and Soquel and parts of Pacific, was a love fest among consultants, planners and decision-makers with developers observing from the wings. I kept waiting for a challenging question from a council member. Perhaps someone will express a small concern about the impact of eight story buildings, I thought? Maybe a word or two about the impending loss of long-time, small businesses? An observation, perhaps, that 85 feet tall buildings and the phrase “human-scale” is an oxymoron? No such questions were asked. No critical comments expressed. The assumptions went unchallenged.

The consultants and planning staff did a slick job of minimizing impacts and keeping the tone upbeat. The visuals kept the heights far lower than what is proposed, which perhaps explains why council member Micah Posner wrote in his newsletter to his constituents that the proposed building heights are 3 and 4 stories rather than the 5, 7 and 8 stories detailed in the presentation. Everyone on council loved the alleyways connecting Pacific and the river levee and why not? They looked cute in the drawings, decked out with flowers and surrounded by 2 story buildings rather than the sunless corridors bounded by 55 to 85 feet high buildings which is what actually will be the result if the height changes are approved. The council expressed enthusiasm for tall buildings butting up to the San Lorenzo River levee as “revitalizing” the river, although the consultant made it clear that commercial activity facing the river was not viable.

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

The likelihood that these tall buildings will be student housing did not deter council member Don Lane from his enthusiastic support. After all, students have to live somewhere, he opined. While that is true, to create an Isla Vista downtown next to the river demands more critical review. Isla Vista is a dense, student- housing enclave next to UC Santa Barbara. It’s crime rate, including rape, is far higher than any other area of Santa Barbara, so high that a police substation within its boundaries eventually became necessary. According to planning staff, the capacity of all these projects will be around 900 units. Add the 99 units under construction at 555 Pacific and you have a potential student population downtown of around 2-3000. Council member David Terrazas stated his support for the project and views it as taking pressure off the neighborhoods, although given continued student growth at UCSC that is unlikely to happen.

The word “affordable” was used extensively to sweeten the pot despite the fact that beyond the 15% inclusionary housing that may occur, the rest will be market rate housing. Council member Lane believes that smaller units make for more affordable housing, even at market rate, and up to a point that is true. A 600 square foot apartment costs less than a 3- bedroom house but we are still talking big money and what happens when the single person in the apartment decides to start a family and needs more room? Will we have to accommodate that need as well? Why is it a given that are we expected to dramatically change the character of Santa Cruz to provide for those who do not yet live here? We have all but met our state-mandated housing requirements and have built more than our fair share of subsidized housing. More market rate housing will not bring the diversity that council member Richelle Noroyan spoke to at the meeting. We were promised that vision for the 6 story 1010 Pacific which turned out, as predicted, to be more student housing.

I doubt that many are aware of these plans to transform downtown into a high rise, high- density urban city. The Sentinel gave it essentially no coverage after the council hearing with only one short paragraph of misleading summary. The city council failed to publicize the hearing beyond that legally required. Those few of us in attendance who raised concerns and opposition were dismissed as engaging in “nostalgia.” I beg to differ. Nostalgia is wishing for a return to the past. This is about a fight to save what’s still left of Santa Cruz. It is revealing that the planning director shared that her inspiration for building possibilities for Santa Cruz came from a visit to Austin, the capital of Texas, population around a million. It is revealing that the consultant, ROMA is an urban planning firm from San Francisco, population 800 thousand. The promotional visuals were from big cities. We are a small town of 63,000 and should be represented as such, not ignored in the rush to make big bucks, bulldoze the familiar and impose dense high rises with the false assurance that this is all for our own good. The City Council decision and vote expected in the summer.

PATTON’S PROGRAM. From Gary’s TWO World’s website (05/16/16)

ABOUT COMMUNITY BRIDGES.

IGOR MOISEYEV BALLET. Diana Rose has this great Russian ballet dance company on her FB page. I know nothing about ballet but this is different!!!

MEXICAN WALKING FISH.

I am a long time supporter of Community Bridges, a Santa Cruz County-based nonprofit organization that provides a wide variety of human service programs in the three-county area that includes Santa Cruz County, Monterey County, and San Benito County. You, too, can be a Community Bridges supporter. Click right here to contribute! Community Bridges recently sent me its 2015 Annual Report, which you can read online. On Pages 4 and 5, I learned that Community Bridges provided help to tens of thousands of people last last year, and that over 87% of the people it helped live below 200% of the federal poverty level (less than $31,860 for a family of two). I am glad that my contributions to Community Bridges are helping families and individuals who are having a difficult time, economically. That’s great, and there are pages and pages of names in the Annual Report (all in very small print), of many hundreds of other people who are doing the same. However…..

While individual giving is good (an d let me remind you about that link in the first paragraph of this posting that will let you join the crowd), there is no reason that we shouldn’t structure our society so that the community itself provides the kind of basic human services that are now being provided by way of individual contributions to Community Bridges and other nonprofit organizations. In the richest nation in the world, the richest nation, in fact, in the history of the world, we could, thorough our collective action, provide every family and every individual in this country with a basic education, meaningful work, child care, health care, and housing. You know we could do it. The money is out there, and the purpose of politics is to decide, collectively, how we should raise money and spend it, on the things we decide just must be done, for the good of us all. So, keep those individual contributions flowing, but…Let’s make sure that the United States Congress and the next President of the United States does something to ensure that there’s a strong and solid economic floor for every family, and every person in this country.

That’s not a bridge too far! Read more of Gary’s patterns on his website. Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney who represents indivuduals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Check out his website, ” Two Worlds/365” www.gapatton.net

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. DeCinzo looks at war games at Roaring Camp!!!

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. Tim Eagan reveals the Trump campaign’s major believers. See downward a few scrollings . Read his near weekly blog right here…. http://www.timeagan.com/?eaganblog

MUNCHING WITH MOZART & FRIENDS. Every third Thursday there’s a free noon piano concert upstairs at the Santa Cruz Downtown Library. This Thursday (5/19) Rose Georgi will play Tchaikovsky, Chopin, more Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, and Khachaturian. The concert starts at 12:10, but get there early because it fills up pretty fast. Carol Panofsky creates and supervises the series.

STRINDBERG’S “A DREAM PLAY” AT UCSC. August Strindberg’s plays inspired playwrights like Albee, Artaud, Beckett, Pinter and Tennessee Williams. A Dream Play was Strindberg’s personal favorite. He weote The Ghost Sonata, Miss Julie, and The Dance of Death.

A Dream Play is about life being lived out as a dream, or an illusion. Kirsten Brandt is directing it. It runs May 20-22 & 26-29 at UCSC’s Experimental Theatre. (That’s the large black box theatre up the hill from the Mainstage Theatre). 7:30 pm & 3 p, on Sundays.Tickets available online at ucsctickets.com.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “We didn’t have much in the way of female role models on 1960s TV, but it was still possible for a little girl to get inspired — if she knew where to look. Join me in the Way-back Machine, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com).” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

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

MEDDLER. Susan Sarandon and J.K. Simmons who plays a cop named Zipper are the main reasons to see this family drama. There are a few laughs, but the plot is so burlesqued that you’ll never be too absorbed or care about it. It’s a warm touchy-feelie flick but only hints at any of the characters depths so again you don’t get very involved.Your call….as usual. I didn’t know that Susan Sarandon is 70 years old. Same age as the character she plays.

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

SING STREET. Dublin, Ireland in the 1980’s and a group of kids form a band. It’s almost a musical except for the teen age/lovesick plot that makes the film into a really enjoyable trip.

Not exactly Oscar material you’ll enjoy it in spite of yourself.

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

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

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

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR. These box office gazillion dollar money makers are getting more and more bizzarre. They are direct copies of comic book plots. You shouldn’t apply any common sense or logic to the plots. Like comic books (even the earliest ones 1930’s) were just for fun and escape. So is Captain America:Civil War. To see Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Robert Downey Jr., Paul Rudd, Marisa Tomei, Martin Freeman, William Hurt, Paul Bettany, Hope Davis, Alfred Woodard and the legendary Stan Lee (creator of the Marvel Comics) in as nonsensical and violent and bloody and senseless a film like this one is just embarrassing. I can’t wait to see such sagas as Orphan Annie vs. Little Lulu, Joe Palooka battles Dick Tracy, Bugs Bunny vs. Minnie Mouse. They can’t fail.

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

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

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

computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. On May 17 Brian Spencer from the See Theatre talks about T. McNally’s play, “Mothers and Sons” and about theatre details. Then Land Use Attorney Bill Parkin brings us up to date on legal, environmental, and social issues. Anita Monga artistic Director of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival (21st Year) returns May 24, then Chris Krohn brings us up to date on the Beach Flats Garden issue. Mark Wainer and Judy Johnson talk about the Community of Artists show on May 31st followed by Santa Cruz County Clerk Gail Pellerin with updates on local voting. Former mayor Bruce Van Allen discusses local politics on Election Day June 7. The Short Story Winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz take over the June 14 program. June 21 has Carla Brennan talking about Meditation, Buddhism, and Mindfulness. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always and only at bratton@cruzio.com

Interesting stuff about something we all take for granted – 911.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 9 years here’s a chronological list of some past broadcasts. Such a wide range of folks such as Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson-Darrow, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, and Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems. Mike Pappas on the Olive Connection, Sandy Lydon on County History. Paul Johnston on political organizing, Rick Longinotti on De-Sal. Dan Haifley on Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Dan Harder on Santa Cruz City Museum. Sara Wilbourne on Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Brian Spencer on SEE Theatre Co. Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro on MAH and Big Creek Pottery. Carolyn Burke on Edith Piaf. Peggy Dolgenos on Cruzio. Julie James on Jewel Theatre Company. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus Nina Simon from MAH, Rob Slawinski, Gary Bascou, Judge Paul Burdick, John Brown Childs, Ellen Kimmel, Don Williams, Kinan Valdez, Ellen Murtha, John Leopold, Karen Kefauver, Chip Lord, Judy Bouley, Rob Sean Wilson, Ann Simonton, Lori Rivera, Sayaka Yabuki, Chris Kinney, Celia and Peter Scott, Chris Krohn, David Swanger, Chelsea Juarez…and that’s just since January 2011.

QUOTES“The Ocean”

” The smell of the ocean was stronger now, rank and enveloping, as if the bottom of the sea had turned over and littered the shore with its dead”, T. Coraghessan Boyle

“I think space exploration is very important. I think there is very intelligent life on Mars. I believe that Martians are spying on us from the bottom of the ocean“, Annabella Sciorra

“Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering“, Saint Augustine

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

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com

Direct phone: 831 423-2468

All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ gunilla@thegoldenfleece.com

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Comments Off

May 9 – 15, 2016

Posted on May 12, 2016 by Bruce

DEL MAR THEATRE February 25, 1957. That’s the then Del Mar theatre manager on the left, a wax figure of James Dean, (unidentified woman behind Dean) and Brad McDonald who created the Shadowbrook Restaurant on the right. James Dean died February 25, 1957 in case you forgot.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email bratton@cruzio.com

DATELINE May 9, 2016

OUR COMMUNITY POWER. Community Choice Aggregation or CCA is just about the greatest environmental concept for our local three counties….ever! It’s been talked about nearly a decade around these parts. Santa Cruz County Supervisor John Leopold talked about it on last week’s Universal Grapevine. His Facebook page says, “Santa Cruz leads the way on push for local green energy grid, he’s a strong supporter and liked the article in last weeks Good Times.

Community Power means that our three counties, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz combine efforts and buy power collectively from PG& E. Our costs would drop considerably, the sources of that power could be wind and sun driven…and we’d have dreaded PG&E off our backs ond away from our pockets. It’s working right now in other counties. It can work here. Read Power Structure – Good Times Santa Cruz .

SANTA CRUZ CITY COUNCIL QUESSING GAME. As of Sunday (5/8) Micah Posner’s dad said Micah hadn’t made up his mind yet about running this time.

MILLENNIALS, SILENT GENERATION ETC. Discussions and critiques of generations seem to crop up and be more numerous at certain times. I got curious and after a bunch of searching I found the most agreement on generation labels and dates to be…

The Lost Generation 1900 – 1924
The Silent Generation 1925 – 1942
Baby Boomer Generation 1946 – 1964
Generation X 1960 – 1980
Millennial Generation 1980 – 2000
Generation Z 2000 – 2025

I know there are some gaps in the years…these numbers are just to give you something to think about besid es Donald Trump.

LENNY BRUCE ON THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW. Lenny was/is my most favorite comedian. I saw him in person quite a few times and even ushered once at the Warfield theatre so I could see his most notable performance.

A LITTLE CONFUSION. The week before last (April 26-May 2) issue of brattononline.com had some glitches. There were no borders around Paul Elerick’s and Gillian Greensite’s sections. As a result many folks were confused about who said what. It was Paul Elerick who likes and wrote about auxillary lanes on Highway One, not me, definitely NOT ME. I’ve never seen, heard or read anything that says widening highways or adding auxillary lanes has worked…ever.

SANDY LYDON’S STEINBECK EVENT. Sandy Lydon and Thomas Steinbeck are doing a presentation/discussion titled “Fact or Fiction? Did the Chinese visit this coast before the Spanish?” Ow Family Properties is sponsoring it. Author, cinematographer, and photojournalist Thom Steinbeck and Cabrillo College Historian Emeritus Sandy Lydon will discuss (together for the first time), their own views of our Chinese past. They have admired each other’s work for years. You will be able to listen as they come together on stage and share notes and writings, including the opinions of Thom’s father, Nobel Laureate John Steinbeck. It promises to be a rare and magical evening. Friday, May 13, 2016 7:00 pm Barbara Samper Recital Hall, Cabrillo College. This event is free for President’s Circle Members and Heritage Club members. Tickets will also be on sale in the Cabrillo Ticket Office for the general public at $12 per ticket. Students are free.If you belong to President’s Circle or Heritage Club and would like to reserve tickets, please email foundation@cabrillo.edu or call (831) 479-6338. Tickets are available to the general public for $12 each and students are free. Click to purchase tickets.

JUNE 4TH PARTY REMINDER. Don’t forget to get in touch, or tell your June 4th friends to get in touch, if they’d like to be invited to our very exclusive June 4th Birthday Party. It’s a fun and intriguing party. Like noon to 2 p.m on 6/04.

HIGH RISES & HOT AIRRegarding the massive, dense, high rise retail and residential units projected to line the levee on Front Street between Laurel and Soquel and parts of Pacific, by the time you are reading this, city council will have deliberated on the project and given direction to staff. That’s right, before the Planning Commission has finished discussing and voting on the project, the council is inserting its influence. After last week’s piece on this topic, I wrote to Ron Powers, principal planner for the project to confirm the correct date for the next Planning Commission meeting when this item would be voted on. He replied that it would be held most likely in July. He omitted to mention that it was also on city council agenda for Tuesday, May 10th. I don’t recall an item ever discussed by council prior to the Planning Commission’s voting and forwarding its recommendation to council. Perhaps as unprecedented as 85 feet high buildings downtown.

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

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, along comes PG&E with a Tree Removal Project, that if unchallenged, will lead to the removal of thousands of heritage trees in the city and county. Hardest hit will be Graham Hill Road, Aptos and the city of Santa Cruz. Named the Community Pipeline Safety Initiative, it requires the removal of trees and shrubs within a 14 feet radius of all underground transmission gas lines. These are not the distribution lines that connect to individual homes although some sections of transmission lines are on private property. This statewide project is ostensibly for safety purposes. The claim is that tree roots might damage the steel gas pipes and that trees may cause delays for first responders should there be a pipeline problem. At first glance this sounds plausible. Apply logic, precedent and facts and it sounds unnecessary and highly destructive. When asked, PG&E can supply no examples nation-wide, ever, of tree roots causing a problem to underground gas pipes save one example of a lightning strike on a tree that connected to its roots and dented a pipe. Some opponents of the project have argued that tree roots remove water, the most likely cause of pipe corrosion and to remove the roots will increase the corrosion potential. Tree roots do not penetrate gas lines as they do sewer and water lines. The access claim by PG&E bears scrutiny. Most of the public trees to be removed in Santa Cruz city are on sidewalks next to public roads. Imagine a serious gas leak. What is the first thing to do? Send in a fire-truck, engine or PG&E first responders in vehicles with internal combustion engines? Not unless you want to risk a fire and the death of first responders. The first action is to shut off the gas. Then evacuate gas from the pipeline. Only then is it safe to send in first responders. At that point, even if a tree were growing next to or on top of a pipeline, with heavy equipment necessary to trench down to the pipeline buried 2 to 4 feet underground to repair the pipe, a few tree roots would present a minor obstacle. Tree roots have not been included in the long list of gas pipeline problems, which focus on equipment, valves, inspection timelines and the like. The tragic San Bruno gas leak, firestorm and loss of life four years ago had nothing to do with trees but with negligence and faulty valves. PG&E was fined $1.6 billion for that mistake.

These days, robots routinely inspect the internal integrity of gas pipelines. If a problem is noted, and a tree grows above the pipeline, then its removal is warranted. To remove thousands of heritage trees in the unlikely possibility of a non-life threatening problem with one is overkill. The list of public heritage trees to be removed in our city and county is enough to make one weep. Or get organized. Palo Alto folks rebelled when this project hit their city. Their civic leaders took their side and challenged PG&E. Santa Cruz city council last week did hold a presentation from PG&E but allowed no public comment. The list of questions I sent in for council to ask PG&E went unasked. The county is holding two public meetings, one on May 11th at Live Oak Sheriff Station at 6pm and the other on May 24th at 7pm at Brook Knoll Elementary School. Public meetings for the city of Santa Cruz have not yet been scheduled but will probably be held soon after the county meetings. Unless we have a huge community outrage demanding a saner response, we will lose many of our last remaining heritage trees for no good reason other than PG&E’s wanting to save face, spend a lot of money and pass that cost onto consumers.

(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 darksky.org Plus she’s an avid ocean swimmer, hiker and lover of all things wild).

GOODBYE THRIFT STORE. The City of Santa Cruz demolished the old Front Street Thrift at 521 Front Street last week. (Note from Gunilla: “The store moved a while ago to the old New Leaf location at that funky Soquel/Water intersection that trips up anyone driving who’s not from around here. What’s with that intersection anyway?”) The Sentinel ran a photo from the destroyed inside of the structure on 5/4. Gunilla Leavitt’s photo is from 5/6. I can’t find any information on how many parking spaces this will yield. OR could this be another 3 or 4 story parking structure? Why aren’t we told these things?

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Goodbye to Gary Patton’s KUSP’s Land Use Report and all the other local programming at KUSP that is now off the air. Here is the link to Gary’s website… In it in addition to discussing the KUSP affair he says, “In fact, for any Santa Cruz County residents who are reading this particular blog posting, and who care about land use, the upcoming meeting of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, scheduled for Tuesday, May 10, 2016, has a number of important land use related items, including an item that could have truly profound impacts on the future of local land use. You can review the agenda by clicking the link.

FOXES ON A TRAMPOLINE..

Agenda Item #53 recommends that the Board proceed to make the commercial cultivation of marijuana a legal land use in Santa Cruz County. If you care about this topic, and it will very likely affect your neighborhood, you might want to mark your calendar for June 14, 2016, which is when a proposed ordinance on commercial cultivation will likely come back for detailed review, and a public hearing. Supervisors Zach Friend and Bruce McPherson are calling for a full environmental review, and major public involvement. I think that is a very good idea!”. Also be sure to link around his site and think about his bus and bicycle theories!!!

Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney who represents indivuduals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, Two Worlds/365” – www.gapatton.net

FUN RAISER AND SPECIAL TRIBUTE. The Campaign For Sensible Transportation is saluting and appreciating Nancy Abbey, beloved activist with the People’s Democratic Club, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba, octagenarian mother of three and grandmother of six. The event will be Sunday May 22, 3-5 pm in the Courtyard of The Museum Of Art & History, Cooper at Front Street. $20 – $200 donation requested. Come and enjoy good company, food, and music while raising funds to campaign for sustainable transportation. The Campaign for Sensible Transportation is in the middle of a direct mail campaign advocating that a November sales tax include adequate funding for METRO transit, not highway widening. They could use your donation now. Please go online to get benefit tickets or to make a contribution to this effort.

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. Those danged Monarchs…planning their return…see downwards.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. Eagan has a vision….and shares it. Scroll below.

MOTHERS AND SONS. See Productions presents Terrance McNally’s MOTHERS AND SONS The publicity says, “At turns funny and powerful, MOTHERS AND SONS portrays a woman who pays an unexpected visit to the New York apartment of her late son’s partner, who is now married to another man and is raising their son. Challenged to face how society has changed in the 20 years since her son’s death from AIDS, she faces the past and begins to look to the future. Local actors, Mindy Pedlar (Katharine Gerard), David Jackson (Cal Porter), Benjamin Pletcher (Will Ogden), and (alternating) Everest Franz and Ezra Knox (Bud Ogden-Porter) will bring this emotionally heart-warming story to life. Independent producer and director, Brian Spencer, will guide the production. Though gay-themed, MOTHERS AND SONS is perfect for the open-minded theater goer as it explores human emotions which do not have boundaries.
MOTHERS AND SONS plays in about 90 minutes without an intermission. It’ll be at the Center Stage Theatre 10001 Center Street Downtown Santa Cruz May 12-29.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. Historian and author extraordinare Sandy Lydon co-hosts for pledges on May 10. On May 17 Brian Spencer from the See Theatre talks about T. McNally’s play, “Mothers and Sons” and about theatre details. Then Land Use Attorney Bill Parkin brings us up to date on legal, environmental and social issues. Anita Monga artistic Director of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival (21st Year) returns May 24, then Chris Krohn brings us up to date on the Beach Flats Garden issue. Mark Wainer and Judy Johnson talk about the Community of Artists show on May 31st followed by Santa Cruz County Clerk Gail Pellerin with updates on local voting. The Short Story Winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz take over the June 14 program. June 21 has Carla Brennan talking about Meditation, Buddhism, and Mindfulness. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always and only at bratton@cruzio.com

Stephen Colbert 🙂

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 9 years here’s a chronological list of some past broadcasts. Such a wide range of folks such as Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson-Darrow, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, and Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems. Mike Pappas on the Olive Connection, Sandy Lydon on County History. Paul Johnston on political organizing, Rick Longinotti on De-Sal. Dan Haifley on Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Dan Harder on Santa Cruz City Museum. Sara Wilbourne on Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Brian Spencer on SEE Theatre Co. Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro on MAH and Big Creek Pottery. Carolyn Burke on Edith Piaf. Peggy Dolgenos on Cruzio. Julie James on Jewel Theatre Company. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus Nina Simon from MAH, Rob Slawinski, Gary Bascou, Judge Paul Burdick, John Brown Childs, Ellen Kimmel, Don Williams, Kinan Valdez, Ellen Murtha, John Leopold, Karen Kefauver, Chip Lord, Judy Bouley, Rob Sean Wilson, Ann Simonton, Lori Rivera, Sayaka Yabuki, Chris Kinney, Celia and Peter Scott, Chris Krohn, David Swanger, Chelsea Juarez…and that’s just since January 2011.

QUOTES. About “MAY”

“But winter lingering chills the lap of May”, Oliver Goldsmith

“May you live as long as you wish and love as long as you live”, Robert A. Heinlein

“Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date”, William Shakespeare

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

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com

Direct phone: 831 423-2468

All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ gunilla@thegoldenfleece.com

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Comments Off

May 2 – 8, 2016

Posted on May 3, 2016 by Bruce

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

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email bratton@cruzio.com

DATELINE May 2, 2016

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GREENSITE’S INSIGHT.

THE FABRIC OF DOWNTOWN: SHOT FULL OF HOLES

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

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

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

They name it the volumetric approach. Rather than stepping back the height planes of a single building mass, this approach includes horizontal and vertical variation. In this approach, forty percent of a building mass along a city block will be up to 55 feet; sixty percent up to 75 feet and twenty percent up to 85 feet. This, they assure, will make the buildings appear less tall. There were visuals to demonstrate, all from cities such as Paris and San Francisco and none from a town the size of Santa Cruz. Sub-committee chair Peter Kennedy had to think for while to come up with some good local examples since there are none currently in Santa Cruz and finally pounced on Sunnyvale. Sunnyvale! In case you are still skeptical, they propose alleyways between each building mass. Alleyways! Stretching between Pacific, to Front and then on to the levee. In the artist’s rendition, the alleyways are filled with flowers, winding paths, happy residents and shoppers. Not a drug dealer nor a person shooting up in sight. In addition, to break up the mass, 25 feet wide and 15 feet deep “indentations” at street level will be incorporated. With a nod to the need to keep these voids free from social problems, at night, metal screens will be lowered and locked. How attractive.

Seductive, vague phrases dripped from the consultants’ tongues and were lapped up by commissioners and staff. Flying in the face of reality, statements such as, “this maintains the scale and fabric of the city”; “rules to ensure a human fabric and scale”; “appropriately scaled” were tossed into the mix. The term “fabric” of downtown was employed many times. Hard-to-fathom phrases such as “the need to keep clarity in the level of judgment being put forward” raised no eyebrows. In a reversal of history it was claimed that, “the project helps achieve the first principles of the Downtown Recovery Plan” (post earthquake).

A few minutes were spent deliberating the unfortunate fact that the 85 feet high residential buildings lining the levee and facing the San Lorenzo River will shade the levee and river from the afternoon sun. Not a problem, since “fair skinned people should be in the shade”, opined one commissioner. And “fish prefer cooler waters,” opined another. The loss of morning sun on Front St. didn’t rate a mention. There will be no commercial facing the river since “that has been a 27-year goal that has never materialized and should be dropped,” stated Peter Kennedy.

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

JERRY LEWIS AND THE TYPEWRITER SONG.

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

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

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary says…

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

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

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

Land use policy is important!

If you want to have an impact on the future of your local community, you will have to get involved yourself! Read the complete scripts of the above at Gary Patton’s KUSP Land Use site http://blogs.kusp.org/landuse . Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney who represents indivuduals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, Two Worlds/365” – www.gapatton.net

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

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

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. Facing those ferocious creatures…scroll below…

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

TALLEY’S FOLLY AT THE COLLIGAN. The Jewel theatre Company is collaborating with Santa Cruz Shakespeare and is presenting Talley’s Folly by Lanford Wilson. Directed by Mike Ryan. It runs May 5 -29 at the Colligan theatre at the Tannery. Their press release reads…”Using the backdrop of an ornate, deserted Victorian boathouse in Lebanon, Missouri, circa 1944, TALLEY’S FOLLY presents Matt Friedman, a Jewish immigrant now living in St. Louis, who has arrived to plead his love to Sally, the daughter of the prosperous Talley family. Bookish, erudite, totally honest and delightfully funny, Matt refuses to accept Sally’s rebuffs and her fears that her family would never approve of their marriage. His attempts to overcome her defenses bring secrets to light that each of them have long held close. The soul-baring cost of love is weighed closely in this Pulitzer Prize winning play as two wounded outcasts seek to find common ground and a chance at happiness. The NY Post called TALLEY’S FOLLY “funny, sweet, touching and marvelously written…” and this production features Equity actors Christopher Reber and Monica West whose portrayal of Matt and Sally will capture your heart”. TALLEY’S FOLLY is being performed at the Colligan Theatre, 1010 River Street,Santa Cruz, from May 5 through May 29, 2016. Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm, and Sundays at 2:00pm. Visit www.JewelTheatre.net for tickets and details or call (831) 425–7506.

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

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

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

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

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

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or

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

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

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

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 9 years here’s a chronological list of some past broadcasts. Such a wide range of folks such as Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson-Darrow, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, and Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems. Mike Pappas on the Olive Connection, Sandy Lydon on County History. Paul Johnston on political organizing, Rick Longinotti on De-Sal. Dan Haifley on Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Dan Harder on Santa Cruz City Museum. Sara Wilbourne on Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Brian Spencer on SEE Theatre Co. Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro on MAH and Big Creek Pottery. Carolyn Burke on Edith Piaf. Peggy Dolgenos on Cruzio. Julie James on Jewel Theatre Company. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus Nina Simon from MAH, Rob Slawinski, Gary Bascou, Judge Paul Burdick, John Brown Childs, Ellen Kimmel, Don Williams, Kinan Valdez, Ellen Murtha, John Leopold, Karen Kefauver, Chip Lord, Judy Bouley, Rob Sean Wilson, Ann Simonton, Lori Rivera, Sayaka Yabuki, Chris Kinney, Celia and Peter Scott, Chris Krohn, David Swanger, Chelsea Juarez…and that’s just since January 2011.

QUOTES. “GARDENS” as in Beach Flats Gardens.

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

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

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

COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS.

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

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

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com

Direct phone: 831 423-2468

All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ gunilla@thegoldenfleece.com

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Comments Off

April 26 – May 2, 2016

Posted on April 27, 2016 by Bruce

OUR MUNICIPAL SANTA CRUZ WHARF, 1906. The penciled notes on the back of this excellent photo say, ” Commercial fishing Santa Cruz wharf. Steve Ghio with cap holding a 50 pound deep sea bass. Steve Canepa holding fish basket’. All of this tradition and history and authenicity is being sold out by our current City Council with the goal of attracting more tourist bucks. Is it worth it? Ask your favorite Council candidate.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email bratton@cruzio.com

DATELINE April 25, 2016

KUSP’S DEBT. The station is in deep trouble as we’ve all heard. On Wednesday May 4th. Their board is going to decide on one of these ideas… *if their fund drive doesn’t raise the money by April 30 they will either

approve a potential loan which would be collateralized by the sale of Pataphysical Broadcasting Foundation, Inc.’s major assets.
approve a potential sale of the major assets of the Pataphysical Broadcasting Foundation, Inc.

This data is from their Treasurer’s report…

The expenses of the station on a “bare bones” basis are about $60,000 a month. Absent significant new revenues in April of $50-$100K we will be out of cash and unable to make payroll sometime in May.

$170,000 Secured Loans
$90,000 Unsecured loans from individuals or guaranteed by individuals
$260,000 Total “debt”
$450,000 Unpaid programming fees (NPR, APM, Pacifica)
$70,000 Unpaid accounts payable including vacation payable
$780,000 Total liabilities or obligations of KUSP at March 31, 2016.

In case you missed it…that’s $170,000 KUSP owes our Santa Cruz Community Credit Union. AND a debt of $780,000 total. As their treasurer states in the report…” Even if the debt were forgiven, we still need to have the cash every month for the $60,000 in operating expenses”. Now go and turn on KUSP…is that what you think is a Santa Cruz Station?

VERIZON ON SUNDAY MORNINGS. Since becoming an iPhone owner I’ve got thousands of questions on how to use it. I went to two group classes at the Apple Store in Los Gatos. That worked fine. Last week the greeters at the Verizon store which, contrary to the 100 Cooper Street address they list on their website, is really at/in the 1300 block on Pacific Avenue…they told me that they have an open session every Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. to help Verizon/Apple users. I’ll meet you there.

NANCY RANEY THE SOUL OF THE NICKELODEON. Nancy Raney died last week, she was partners with husband Bill of the Nickelodeon until they sold it in 1997. Like KUSP in the early years, the Cooperhouse, and the Catalyst, the Nickelodeon was a real and genuine part of our community. It was Nancy who made it feel real. As a thank you to the local film family Nancy went to enormous pains to have the famous “Babette’s Feast” (from the 1987 film) re-created in the Casablanca Restaurant just for us. More than that, she presided over every weekly critic’s screening sessions with personal touches that none of us will ever forget. She was fun, kind, smart, and happy…and that’s getting more rare nowadays. She is very much missed.

DRONE. A special film. [THIS SATURDAY AT THE VETS HALL]

Theme: America’s Drone Program: The Dark Realities of Modern Warfare. Intimate stories from the secret CIA drone war on terror. People living under drones in Pakistan and drone pilots struggling with killing via joysticks in the US in the biggest targeted assassination program in history. And the people willing to stand up against the violations of civil liberties and fight for transparency, accountability and justice.

Speaker: Ray McGovern, retired CIA analyst and intelligence expert
Event Hosts: VFW Post 5888, Veterans For Peace, People United for Peace.

Saturday, April 30…7 pm • Chris Matthews Hall in the Vets Memorial Building, 846 Front Street, Santa Cruz.

See it, and go see Eye In The Sky starring Helen Mirren which is also a fine film. Go here to learn more about the USA’s role in this…

STEPHEN CURRY…BEST SHOTS. I don’t know much about basketball but these clips of Stephen Curry are really impressive.

ELERICK’S INPUT. Mr. Paul Elerick of Aptos writes…

MUSICAL REMEMBRANCES.

Driving home from Hollister with daughter and grandson, the conversation turned to music and Prince’s untimely death. Here we were, three generations talking about one of the greatest musical artists that ever lived, and all three of us could appreciate him. There have been many more losses of favorite entertainers, but Prince pointed out how much we lose when we take great people for granted, assuming they’ll be around forever.

We need the three miles of auxiliary lanes on Highway 1

Tuesday afternoon the Santa Cruz City Council will be voting (sometime after 4PM- 4/26) on whether or not to support the RTC’s transportation tax measure, now being called their Transportation Improvement Plan (TRIP). It’s important to know what will be lost if TRIP loses, it’s all in the link to the RTC above. If you care about funding a balanced transportation tax measure, listen to the arguments for and against it, and let the Council know how you feel.

TRIP’s opponents have tried to build their case by referring to the auxiliary lanes as simply more “highway widening” and will contribute to deathly global warming. They have done their best to kill the tax measure by gathering petition signatures for a plan that has basically no money for the highway, ignoring the fact that people still drive cars and will continue to do so. Think Congestion Relief and the fact that our South County neighbors will benefit from the auxiliary lanes, as well as people that live in mid-county who will be arriving home earlier when the auxiliary lanes are built.

GREENSITE’S INSIGHT.

THE HUMAN FOLLY OF MASSIVE TREE REMOVAL

While there is some good news in that the courts ruled against the city’s weakening its Heritage Tree Ordinance, other recent decisions spell disaster for our remaining big trees.

Last week the California Coastal Commission voted unanimously to reject the appeal of a project spearheaded by the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) and the Elkhorn Slough Reserve, to cut down 1225 eucalyptus trees which live in 4 separate groves in Elkhorn Slough. The fact that 75 of the trees are over 3 feet in diameter, that the groves provide habitat to a wide range of birds, vertebrate and invertebrate animals, bats and bees didn’t pass muster for their protection. The trees will be felled, herbicide painted on the stumps (despite their being within 100 feet of a wetland and 1.5 miles of a Monarch habitat) all in the hopes for “habitat restoration.” Destroying a habitat to restore a habitat, a goal that has few success stories, makes little sense in an era of ever increasing carbon dioxide build-up in the atmosphere. Large trees sequester the most carbon. All trees give us oxygen. It is folly to expect small seedlings to take root in the 6 inches of wood chips that will remain after the present trees are cut down and to reach the carbon sequestration potential of the removed trees in the short time we have left to reduce atmospheric carbon. Never mind the machinery and energy that will be expended to cut down and chip over a thousand trees.

Another project that will result in thousands of tree removals in our county is spearheaded by PG&E. The project involves the removal of all trees and bushes within 14 feet of underground gas transmission pipelines. Petunias can stay. This is a 24 feet diameter cleared zone and impacts public and private property. It will remove many trees in our city. The real devastation will be evident along Graham Hill Road where the project will result in the removal of hundreds of large trees such as Ponderosa Pines and Redwoods along the Graham Hill Rd. pipeline.

The stated purpose is safety and access for first responders should there be a gas pipe problem, requiring repair. The fact that there is not one single example of a tree causing a problem with a gas transmission line in 30 years of documentation nation-wide; the fact that removing trees may cause a water build-up around the pipes, causing corrosion; the fact that fire trucks and engines operate from the street and gas should be shut off and gas abated before any internal combustion engine appears on the scene fail to deter PG&E from its campaign which has met widespread opposition in other counties, for example Palo Alto. A group of us met with PG&E representatives and Bruce McPherson, chair of the Board of Supervisors in his office to express concerns and present counter evidence for such a devastating project. PG&E gave many assurances that have since proven to be untrue. The first test for how our city responds will be at Tuesday’s council meeting (4/26/16). The decision was made to agendize it as a “presentation” from PG&E, which allows for NO public comment. This seems a sure sign that the city wants no public opposition. Other cities are not taking this lying down. Why is Santa Cruz?

GORILLA WATCHES Iphone & Selfies!!!

PATTON’S PROGRAM.

There is a “Special” meeting of the Santa Cruz Planning Commission Thursday April 28, and it’s important. The City of Santa Cruz suffered from a major earthquake in October 1989. Large portions of downtown Santa Cruz were destroyed. Almost amazingly, the City bounced back, and in deciding how to rebuild, the community debated, at length, over the issue of building heights along Pacific Avenue, the main downtown shopping street. It is a bit of an oversimplification, but property owners generally wanted to be able to build very tall structures, reasoning that they could finance reconstruction better if their property were more developable. The community at large, while sympathetic, wanted to preserve a more human scale for the downtown, and compromises were made on both sides, with the result you can see today. The downtown is vital, and thriving (not that there aren’t problems).

The plan that governed the rebuilding of downtown was called the “Downtown Recovery Plan.” Tomorrow, the City Planning Commission is going to consider amendments that would allow much taller structures on Pacific Avenue, between Cathcart and Laurel Streets, and on Front Street between Soquel Avenue and Laurel Street. Big, downtown residential structures would be built, if the standards are changed.If you care, you had better get involved now. The meeting is at 7:00 p.m. Thursday (4/28), in the City Council Chambers. Get more information at kusp.org/landuse.

Let’s talk about “Community Voices” and community choices. Recently, the Land Use Report has been part of KUSP’s “Community Voices” series, whichalso includes”First Person Singular,” a program that presents KUSP listeners with an opportunity to hear unique voices from the Monterey Bay Region. I truly appreciate the fact that KUSP has featured the Land Use Report for so many years. The first edition of the Land Use Report aired on July 28, 2001. That means that the Land Use Report has now been heard on KUSP for fourteen years, nine months, and three days. I don’t know how much longer KUSP listeners will be able to hear the Land Use Report. The station is facing major economic challenges, and there is a “May Day” campaign underway right now. If you want to keep KUSP community radio on the air, today would definitely be a good time to step up and contribute. As usual, I have a link in today’s transcript, at kusp.org/landuse. Whatever the fate of KUSP’s community voices programming, I hope listeners will remember the basic message of the Land Use Report. Here it is: Land use decisions will determine our future, and the choice is ours. Community choices can create the kind of future we want. Get engaged. Get involved. And get going! Read the complete scripts of the above at Gary Patton’s KUSP Land Use site http://blogs.kusp.org/landuse . Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney who represents indivuduals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, Two Worlds/365” – www.gapatton.net

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. DeCinzo visits the Monterey Bay Aquarium…again. Check it out.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. Eagan gets a charge from our electric car’s future!!! See below…

LUCIA di LAMMERMOOR Opera trailer. Check out this production that’s coming to The Nickelodeon from London’s Royal Opera House.

THREE (3) ONSCREEN OPERA SERIES IN SANTA CRUZ. First, we had and have the Metropolitan Opera series on Saturday mornings at the Regal Cinema 9. Then Landmark brought and brings us the All’Italia series at the Del Mar…which is really great. Last week I wrote…”The new (4 months now) Landmark chain is bringing filmed versions of live opera performances from opera houses around Italy to our Del Mar screen on Pacific Avenue. I can’t find many details and the production company All’ Opera Italia’s website is all in Italian. The spring series starts April 26 with Barber of Seville from Torino, Cerentola from Rome (May 25), La Favorita from Venice (7/27) that’ll be sung in French, and La Fanciulla del West from La Scala on August 10.The rest of them are sung in Italian with English subtitles and start at 7 p.m. The usual Santa Cruz tuxs and tiara’s are expected. Now Landmark is presenting Five operas from the Royal Opera House in London. This series will be at The Nickelodeon.!!! It’s started already with; 4/24 at 11am: Boris Godunov. 5/1 at 11am: Giselle. 5/22 at 11am: Lucia di Lammermoor. 6/12 at 11am: The Sleeping Beauty. 7/24 at 11am: Werther. BUY TICKETS. Go here for some details. Now all we have to do is support this incredible addition to our arts scene.

RARE & SPECIAL SITAR CONCERT. UCSC’s Music Department presents Ustad Shujaat Khan, sitar, who returns to UC Santa Cruz for a concert of classical Indian music. With Dibyarka Chatterjee, tabla, and Abhiman Kaushal, tabla. Ustad Shujaat Husain Khan is perhaps the greatest North Indian classical musician of his generation. He belongs to the Imdad Khan gharana (tradition) of the sitar (lute) and is the seventh in the unbroken line from his family that has produced many musical masters. His style known as the gayaki ang, is imitative of the subtleties of the human voice. Khan is the son and disciple of master sitarist Ustad Vilayat Khan. His musical pedigree continues back through his grandfather, Ustad Inayat Khan; his great-grandfather, Ustad Imdad Khan; and his great-great-grandfather, Ustad Sahebdad Khan—all leading artists of their generations. Saturday, April 30, 2016 – 7:30pm Music Center Recital Hall, UCSC. Purchase tickets online (account must be created with University Tickets) or at the UCSC Ticket Office at the Theater Arts Center. Hours of Operation: Wednesdays/Thursdays 12:00-noon – 3:00pm Phone: (831) 4 59-2159 * Tickets also for sale at the Recital Hall, 1 hour prior to performance *

THE REAL LOIS LANE. John Sandidge and I were trying to remember the other Lois Lanes.

Right now Amy Adams has the part. Back in the earlier film days there was Margot Kidder and poor old Christopher Reeve. but the “real” Lois Lane for me has always been Noel Neill from the early TV series…look here..

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Please join me in bidding a heartfelt farewell to Nancy Raney, the godmother of the Santa Cruz movie community, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com). Longtime co-owner of the Nickelodeon, tireless supporter of film, books, and culture, world traveler, and lifelong adventurer, Nancy’s high spirits and buoyant personality will be sorely missed in this town.” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

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

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

CINDERELLA, take# 97 (or The Huntsman: Winters War). Yes, it does have the mirror and “who’s the ugliest thing in the land” gimmick . It also has tons of dwarves whose names should be Poopy, Syphly, Pee Pee, Crotchy and awful things like that. A fully armed (remember Mad Max?) Charlize Theron along with Emily Blunt, Chris Hemsworth and Jessica Chastain do their best to bring life and some semblence of excitement, or maybe even magic to this dull flick…and they couldn’t add anything worthwhile to this convuluted old prequel to Cinderella. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a measly 17 tomatoes. It’s evil sisters fighting each other, curses, ice walls (Game of Thrones stuff), and special effects dwarves…BUT if like that sort of thing, it’ll probably play for weeks.

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

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

EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT. One of my maybe top 3 films from 2015. It also has a 99% from Rotten Tomatoes. This was Colombia’s best foreign film entry for the Oscars…it shoulda won! Filmed along the Amazon. It’s two separate stories of scientists exploring the jungles for certain rre plants. It’s really about how “whites” have ruined, killed, destroyed,the peoples and the environment as they stoled the rubber and lumber. There’s a very clear message for all of us here, today. (subtitled)

10 CLOVERFIELD LANE. What a surprise…the reviews were coming in saying this is a well done, thrill -film from some very respected reviewers. They’re right, this is an exciting, involving, mysterious, well-acted, suspenseful movie. John Goodman stars as a creepy, misunderstood, possible deviate, who’s locked up a young beautiful woman Mary Elizabeth Winstead to protect her from what is (or isn’t?) outside the underground home-like prison. Great suspense, nicely filmed, believable, just go and have fun. Don’t read anything else about it, you’ll spoil the excitement and puzzlement.

BREACHING THE BOTTOM. DEADPOOL. To be fair Deadpool is a fairly decent movie, because if you’ve followed the Deadpool comic book character for its many years (since 1991) you might relate to this meaningless , pointless, extra violent mess. Deadpool is a reluctant, foul mouthed superhero. If you like superhero/Marvel type graphic heroes, you could like this movie. Deadpool is making millions at the boxoffice.

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. Andrew Austin tells us about UCSC’s latest development plans on April 26. He’s followed by The Reel Work Film Festival’s Camille Walker. The bi-annual KZSC Pledge Drive

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

happens May 3 with County Supervisor John Leopold co-hosting and Sandy Lydon co-hosts for pledges on May 10. On May 17 Brian Spencer from the See Theatre talks about T. McNally’s play, “Mothers and Sons“. He’s followed by Becky Steinbruner discussing Aptos issues

In the wake of hearing about the Santa Cruz Metro cutting bus service, I wanted to share this bus commercial from the city of Karlstad in Sweden. From Wikipedia: “Karlstad is a city, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city had 61,685 inhabitants in 2010 with 89,245 inhabitants in the wider municipality in 2015, and is the 21st biggest municipality in Sweden. Karlstad has a university and a cathedral.”

In comparison: “Santa Cruz (Spanish: Holy Cross) is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California. As of 2013 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated Santa Cruz’s population at 62,864.”

That’s, fairly darn close I’d say. So how about them buses?

and the legal measures in her lawsuit. Anita Monga artistic Director of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival (21st Year) returns May 24. Mark Wainer and Judy Johnson talk about the Community of Artists show on May 31st. The Short Story Winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz take over the June 14 program. 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-Darrow, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, and Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems. Mike Pappas on the Olive Connection, Sandy Lydon on County History. Paul Johnston on political organizing, Rick Longinotti on De-Sal. Dan Haifley on Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Dan Harder on Santa Cruz City Museum. Sara Wilbourne on Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Brian Spencer on SEE Theatre Co. Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro on MAH and Big Creek Pottery. Carolyn Burke on Edith Piaf. Peggy Dolgenos on Cruzio. Julie James on Jewel Theatre Company. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus Nina Simon from MAH, Rob Slawinski, Gary Bascou, Judge Paul Burdick, John Brown Childs, Ellen Kimmel, Don Williams, Kinan Valdez, Ellen Murtha, John Leopold, Karen Kefauver, Chip Lord, Judy Bouley, Rob Sean Wilson, Ann Simonton, Lori Rivera, Sayaka Yabuki, Chris Kinney, Celia and Peter Scott, Chris Krohn, David Swanger, Chelsea Juarez…and that’s just since January 2011.

QUOTES. WHALES…

“Nature did not put whales on this earth to splash kids while stuck in a pen”, Jane Velez-Mitchell

“Ships are expendable; the whales are not,” Paul Watson

“By the end of the 20th century, up to 90 percent of the sharks, tuna, swordfish, marlins, groupers, turtles, whales, and many other large creatures that prospered in the Gulf for millions of years had been depleted by overfishing”, Sylvia Earle

COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS.

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

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com

Direct phone: 831 423-2468

All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ gunilla@thegoldenfleece.com

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Comments Off

April 19 – 25, 2016

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Bruce

OUR HISTORIC MUNICIPAL WHARF. (1914) . Two of our historic wharves with these mostly Genovese fishermen and their nets. We lost the wharf on the left and now Cynthia Mathews and her pro-growth associates on the Santa Cruz City Council want to destroy any semblence or authenticity our wharf has or had and make it into another touristy Pier 39.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email bratton@cruzio.com

DATELINE April 18, 2016

ARANA GULCH ON YOU TUBE. From a bicycle rider’s view just after it was opened.

THE SALES JOB ON ARANA’S BRIDGE.

BEARCATS AND HEAVY ARMOR.

DOWNTOWN HOSTS…MORE ABOUT THE ENDING. I ran this in BrattonOnline 4/04/16…

“SANTA CRUZ DOWNTOWN HOSPITALITY HOST PROGRAM ENDING!!!
In spite of the favorable opinions from almost everybody those yellow jacketed Hospitality Hosts vanish as of June 30. As of right now it’s stated …because the contracts weren’t renewed. Paid for by Santa Cruz Businesses and property owners the program is run by the Downtown Management Corporation. The Downtown Management Corporation (online) has probably old data on it, with names like Ceil Cirillo, Bonnie Lipscomb, and Peter Prindle. Anyways we’ll miss those dedicated Pacific Avenue trekkers”

Since then I talked with Gina Rodrigues who has been heading our Downtown Host program since 1998. (It started in 1994) She wants to pursue other career moves. No one wanted to take over her job and no Downtown or City officials wanted to keep this extra friendly face of Santa Cruz in operation. The Hosts did and do more positive actions than any Don Lane Bearcat. The Host program is finished June 30th. We’ll miss ’em.

ARANA GULCH, WHAT IT COST US. Jean Brocklebank reports in with…

Friends of Arana Gulch (FOAG) recently requested an accounting to see how much was spent to build everything associated with Broadway-Brommer, a bike transportation project through the heart of the Arana Gulch Greenbelt. The draft figure I received from the Department of Public Works stands at $7,185,000 and includes the extra paved route from Agnes St. to connect to Broadway-Brommer ($515,000). This will be reported to the City Council in the General CIP Fund (Capital Improvement Program) now in preparation.

Some have charged that Friends of Arana Gulch is responsible for the exorbitant cost of the project. This is not true! In order to get its transportation project accepted by the CA Coastal Commission, the CA Dept. of Fish & Wildlife and the public, the City had to change the name (and therefore the essence) of the project. No longer a transportation project (originally in the Gas Tax Fund, not the General CIP Fund), Broadway Brommer magically became an “interpretive trail” dependent on the natural resources of Arana Gulch (especially the endangered SC tarplant). This funny-nose-and-glasses disguise worked but greatly increased the cost of the bike shortcut through AG.

FREE SHAMU!!! I was awe struck (actually dumb struck) at the reactions by some long time friends to my running the clip of Shamu the Orca at Marine World. They actually thought and accused me of supporting Marine World’s cruel and unusual treatment of that poor Orca. I’ve been writing for years that we should close down all Marine World type side shows. I’ve been trying to convince readers that we should demand the closing of all Aquariums and zoos. Yes, close The Monterey Bay Aquarium. Even John Sandidge agrees with me about the cruelty on display at the Monterey Bay Aquarium…and all zoos too. That definitely includes the San Diego Zoo!!! I’ve also printed and compared photos of big strong fishermen photos holding up their catches with hunters not daring to display photos of same age fawns and does shot illegally. I was trying to show by that Shamu video just how cruel the display of marine creatures really is. Next time I’ll include a caption so there’ll be no doubt. Just ask yourself if even the lowly jelly fish have any reactions at all, or do you think the marine victims in their “touch tank” really like living in the Monterey Bay Aquarium???

DON LANE’S BEARCAT ON DUTY SATURDAY NIGHT. The Don Lane Bearcat passed me about 7:20 p.m. Saturday night with siren screaming. It was going north on Laurel and turned west on Mission. The Sentinel report says it went up to Western Drive to deal with a suicide on Beachview Avenue. It is one scary vehicle!!! All black, no police insignia anywhere. This is the second time our law enforcement has used the Don Lane Bearcat since October of last year. What a bargain!!!

DILIP BASU SERVICE. Dilip Basu of UCSC shed this mortal coil and a memorial gathering for the UC Santa Cruz community will take place on Thursday, May 26, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on campus at the Merrill Provost House. Individuals wishing to share memories about Professor Basu’s contributions to UCSC should contact Terry Burke at eburke@ucsc.edu to secure a place on the program.

MICHAEL MOORE LOST WEIGHT. Cedar Geiger, an integral part of our local Pulse Producations tells me that the now world famed Michael Moore has lost a huge amount of weight. More than that as most folks know Moore will be here at the Civic in Santa Cruz on May 14. See his new thinner photo nearby. The opening day of Where to Invade Next was the biggest box office of any of his films. Pulse has him booked at the Warfield in S.F. May 15. In case you miss him here.

EUCALYPTUS TREES AND SOME FACTS. Scroll below to read last week’s article by Gillian Greensite about Eucalyptus trees. She got a reaction…it said, “Not only do Australians never use the word ‘gasoline’ (we say petrol) but I have also never heard of any tree referred to as this in my 25 years firefighting experience. Further to this, spot fires are caused by embers blowing in the wind, so they occur in front of the fire, not behind it. There are a number of factors that affect fire spread, these include topography (mainly slope), aspect (north facing here in the Southern hemisphere), weather (wind, humidity, temperature) fuel moisture (how long since it has rained) and fuel load. The main concern with fuel load is the loose ground fuel or hanging fuel in the forest (smaller than 6mm). The way this is reduced sometimes is through a hazard reduction via scrub removal or a low intensity burning. Removing larger trees is counterproductive as it just allows the smaller shrubs to proliferate beneath, where they are normally shaded and slowed by the larger trees. The actual larger trees are not even considered in the fuel load calculation. If the ground fuel level is very high, this can lead to the fire spreading to the crowns of the larger trees, and then spreading as a crown fire. You don’t prevent this by removing the larger trees, but rather by managing the fuel load beneath the trees”.

Gillian responded and forwarded… “It says the author is an Aussie but I doubt it. No Aussie uses the word gasoline. To confirm this and other points, I sought the opinion of a firefighter in Tasmania just in case I had missed something. His response to my enquiry is below. He also shares some expert tips on fire safety under trees, including eucalyptus. I’ve emphasized his sentence about “gasoline trees.” Your author’s comments on a number of points are not well-informed. I’ve included the comments from retired Fire Chief from Oakland, Dave Maloney. His comments debunk a lot of the myths about the “explosive” unique character of eucalyptus under fire. Most Oakland folks don’t want to replace them and they have been leading the fight against that campaign. I lived under eucalyptus in Australia until I moved to the US in 1975. Nobody I knew hated eucalyptus or were scared of them. We took the usual fire precautions as you would living in any forested area. And, if a person is afraid of living under eucalyptus, why live there in the first place? Interesting how we’ve grown up believing the evils of Eucalyptii.

Mr. Paul Elerick of Aptos writes…

WHEN YOU LIVE OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS OF SANTA CRUZ

We used to identify with Santa Cruz as where we were “from,” when asked. That was probably over 30 years ago. We probably never really had an impact on Santa Cruz, but by working on city council campaigns and 3rd District Supervisor’s campaigns, we became closely aware of city politics more than the average Aptos resident did.

We shed tears when the real stores on Pacific Avenue disappeared, before and after the earthquake, watched when a big-box Mall went up on 41st Ave. in Capitola. We’re now reading that this Mall has been re-sold and is in need of “updating”.

But the final knife through the heart of what was once “downtown” Santa Cruz was the rush to demolish the Cooper House after the earthquake. The Cooper House was “our” town square, as it was for hundreds of other county residents. It was our weekend treat to go there for a beer and music. Such demolition can never be allowed to happen again.

Now Aptos residents are asked to look forward to the un-built Aptos Village Project as their “town square”. Sorry Barry Swenson Builders, a patch of artificial turf in the middle of a high-density development doesn’t cut it.

However, Santa Cruz still has another treasure, the Municipal Wharf. Please, city of Santa Cruz, don’t let this go the way of the Cooper House. By that, I mean the proposal I recently saw would be a disaster. Multi-story warehouse type buildings? Replacing what? We still see the Municipal Wharf as something special; can we please keep it the way it is?

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary’s Land Use KUSP Reports include…

Capitola residents should be thinking about that “vision thing.” If you have some ideas about what Capitola should look like in the future, you will want to show up at a meeting scheduled for Wednesday April 20th. “Vision Capitola” is a grassroots effort,organized by former mayor and longtime business owner Gayle Ortiz. A workshop session will be held Wed. April 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the Jade Street Community Center. There will be another meeting, Wednesday, April 27th. At that second meeting, participants will discuss the results of the workshop being held this evening, and

GENE KELLY ON ROLLER SKATES. You might remember roller skates…the kind you strap onto your shoes???

will help prepare a report to the Capitola City Council. The “Vision Capitola” effort, in other words, is not city-sponsored; it’s a community effort that plans to deliver a message to the Council about what local residents are thinking, as they look towards the future. Here is what former Mayor Ortiz says, as quoted in a recent article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel: “Vision Capitola is about a positive visualization of where we’re headed as a community. It’s not about looking back or complaining. Let’s find out what we value and build a city that reflects that.” The key to success in this effort, Ortiz said, is participation. Hey, I think that’s my line, too! For more information, track down today’s Land Use Report blog at kusp.org/landuse.

How would you like more density in your residential neighborhood? The City of Santa Cruz has big plans for a lot more density and a lot more development along the City’s major transportation corridors. Find out how to plug into the process at kusp.org/landuse. I strongly advise you, if you live or work in the City of Santa Cruz,to pay attention to what the City is proposing. Pay attention and get involved, to be more specific!

What is being proposed is a change to the City’s land use regulations to allow five-story, and maybe even seven-story buildings along Mission Street, Ocean Street, Water Street, and Soquel Avenue. Parking would be limited, and both commercial and residential uses would be housed in the new, high-rise structures. A member of the City’s Planning Commission explains the program in a recent article in the Good Times weekly newspaper. The title of the article is quite appropriate: “Expansion Pack.” If you think local streets are already “packed” with traffic, and that the “expansion” of the UCSC campus, and other major developments, like a hotel in a residential neighborhood on Broadway, have already “packed” the City quite enough, get ready for a lot, lot more. Unless, of course, community involvement suggests that the City’s plans aren’t really what local residents want. No one is going to know what you want if you don’t get involved yourself! Read the complete scripts of the above at Gary Patton’s KUSP Land Use site http://blogs.kusp.org/landuse . Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney who represents indivuduals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, Two Worlds/365” – www.gapatton.net

Gillian tells us…

SANTA CRUZ: AT CAPACITY.

A unanimous council vote approved the 3-story, 32 unit housing development with ground floor space for commercial at 1800 Soquel Avenue where the soon to be demolished May’s restaurant is currently located. Many Eastside neighbors spoke against the project. Proponents were fewer and mostly members of Affordable Housing Now! The Sentinel reporter’s write-up of the meeting (4/12/16) gave voice to the various viewpoints. The Sentinel editors revealed their bias with the headline “Project Irks Neighbors.” The verb “irk,” means to annoy or irritate. Thus they trivialize the serious fight that Eastsiders are waging to save their neighborhoods from the negative impacts of dense, multi-story housing/commercial projects that are disproportionately impacting that side of the San Lorenzo River.

If the 1800 Soquel Avenue project were only one of few large multi unit housing projects proposed for Santa Cruz it would be hard to oppose. If the project were about truly affordable housing for those who live and work here it would be hard to oppose. It is neither. This is one of many such developments in the Corridors’ Plan, impacting Water, Ocean, Soquel and Mission and ultimately the whole town and which will be before city council later this summer. As for “affordability,” the below market rate allowance for 5 out of the 32 units for this project with no restriction that they go to local workers belies one of the principles of Affordable Housing Now! that, “Affordable housing solutions should be directed toward housing for existing local moderate and low income residents.” None of those who spoke from that organization raised this important point, which, if enacted, could be a game-changer. So much for principles.

Some say the city is bound to grow no matter what. I challenge that assumption. The city will grow only so far as progressives push for more and denser housing and developers are favored at city hall. For over 20 years I have argued against increasing density as a solution for housing availability and cost. Building more does not reduce cost. Despite the myth of Santa Cruz as a “no-growth” town, there have been many multi-housing projects approved and built over the past 20 years. The cost of housing has risen throughout that time, save for a recession blip, and the cost just keeps rising. To reduce ever-increasing housing costs you have to remove the causes.

First is UCSC growth. Half of students live off campus. Half of 6,000 (the size of UCSC when I came to Santa Cruz) compared to half of 25,000 (the number of students you can expect under the next Long Range Development Plan) means an ongoing housing crunch. I challenge the city to research whether the housing they have approved has gone to middle income locals such as police, fire and teachers as claimed or predominantly to students.

Second is speculation in housing. Landlords and speculators own half of the Santa Cruz city housing stock. Growth is good for business. Wealthy clients from Silicon Valley buy second homes. Speculators buy up houses for student rentals and airbnb. Check out the brochures for the latest housing projects in Santa Cruz. 555 Pacific Avenue, under construction for 90 market rate units is a good example. “Ideal for students, high-tech professionals and second-homers” states their promotional literature. How does this help local workers and families? Growth is not inevitable. It is nurtured, promoted by market research, the tourist industry, housing speculators, housing activists and passed by city council vote. We have more than met our state-mandated housing goals. Growth impacts much, from the serious such as water availability, traffic, crime, police, fire and medical services to the less serious such as park and open space crowding, getting a doctor’s appointment or losing the night sky due to a new high rise. Santa Cruz is near capacity. Is sustainability just a slogan useful for some circumstances and ignored for others? Encouraging pricey high-rise corridors effectively discourages local low and moderate-income residents. We are rushing headlong into a congested, generic city, formerly known as Santa Cruz.

( 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).

OPERA AT THE DEL MAR. Santa Cruz opera fans now have another reason besides the Regal Saturday morning Metropolitan viewings to be happy. The new (4 months now) Landmark chain is bringing filmed

FEMALE HAMLET. Watch Maxine Peake deliver “To Be or Not To Be” in a production coming to the Del Mar on May 2. It’s from Manchester’s Royal Exchange. Lots of women have played Hamlet starting with Sarah Bernhardt in 1899, Asta Nielsen did Hamlet in a silent German film in 1920. And Santa Cruz Shakespeare will be dong the same this season with Kate Eastwood Norris as Hamlet. July 29 – Aug. 28.

versions of live opera performances from opera houses around Italy to our Del Mar screen on Pacific Avenue. I can’t find many details and the production company All’ Opera Italia’s website is all in Italian. The spring series starts April 26 with Barber of Seville from Torino, Cerentola from Rome (May 25), La Favorita from Venice (7/27) that’ll be sung in French, and La Fanciulla del West from La Scala on August 10.The rest of them are sung in Italian with English subtitles and start at 7 p.m. The usual Santa Cruz tuxs and tiara’s are expected. https://www.landmarktheatres.com/special-events-santa-cruz

SANTA CRUZ LIBRARY CONCERT. MUNCHING WITH MOZART & FRIENDS presents “MOSTLY PIANO” concert with Roger Emanuels, cello and piano and Carol Panofsky, piano and oboe. They’ll be playing Mozart, Brahms, Gustavino, Saint-Saens, Haydn, Faure and Chopin. It is free and will happen Thursday, April 21st 12:10 – 12:50 Santa Cruz Public Library, Downtown Branch – Meeting Room. Coming Soon in the series is; May 19: Rose Georgi, solo piano…June 16: Lars Johannesson, flute & Ann Thiermann, piano…July 21: Daniel Lewin, violin…August 18: Phyllis Rosenblum, flute and Laureen Herr, piano.

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. Dives deep into the Monterey Bay Aquarium…scroll downward.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER.Tim looks at Hillary’s “best ……forever” see below.

LISA JENSEN LINKS…Lisa writes: “He’s been dead for 400 years this week, but William Shakespeare is still being performed, and enjoyed, with gusto. Join me in speculating why, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com), as I suggest some of my favorite Bardic reinventions! Also, ready or not, here comes Game of Thrones—Season 6! ” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Go od Times since 1975.

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

A good week to read those books that you’ve been thinking about. These films (EXCEPT FOR Midnight Special) aren’t even worth renting!!!

MIDNIGHT SPECIAL. Last week I wrote, “MIDNIGHT SPECIAL. Michael Shannon, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, Sam Shepard and Joel Edgerton make this into one of the best most imaginative films of this year (so far). It’s about Shannon’s son who my really be from another world. Fine acting, great creative plot and an ending…well we didn’t get to see the last ten minutes because there was a fire alarm and flashing lights all inside and around the theatre. We (audience) thought it was part of the film’s special effects, and had to leave. I’ll go back this week to see the ending. . p.s. It’s got some exciting scenes of Don Lane type BEARCATS in action. (odd coincidence since we hadn’t seen our Lane Bearcat in months) . Because of the fire alarm, I went back to see the ending. It’s even better the second time. A rare fantasy sci-fi it is good fun, well acted by all concerned…and you could take the famly!!!

APRIL AND THE EXTRAORDINARY WORLD. I really loved “Persepolis” another film from Jacques Tardi but April is no “Persepolis”. It’s a steampunk animated graphic cartoon and has about zero subtely. It goes almost nowhere and I defy anyone to tell me what point the film was trying to make. I like animation, especially the now classics from Japan’s Miyazaki studios, and the animation is fine in April, it’s the ridiculous plot that drove me out of the theatre half-way through. The first time this year.

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

DEMOLITION. A very dark, deep film about a guy (Jake Gyllenhaal) who suffers terribly from the accidental death of his wife. During his healing he hangs out with Naomi Watts, and they stay crazed together. If you know tragedy personally , you’ll identify completely with what he goes through. Perfectly acted, totally believable and an excellent film. Just be prepared for the suffering

MIDNIGHT SPECIAL.Michael Shannon, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, Sam Shepard and Joel Edgerton make this into one of the best most imaginative films of this year (so far). It’s about Shannon’s son who my really be from another world. Fine acting, great creative plot and an ending…well we didn’t get to see the last ten minutes because there was a fire alarm and flashing lights all inside and around the theatre. We (audience) thought it was part of the film’s special effects, and had to leave. I’ll go back this week to see the ending. . p.s. It’s got some exciting scenes of Don Lane type BEARCATS in action.

I SAW THE LIGHT. I can’t remember seeing a movie where the lead character was made out to be such a terrible human. If you really love Hank Williams music be very sure you want to find out what a miserable human being he was. Tom Hiddleston who was born and raised in London does an excellent acting job as Hank. He also does his own singing, just copying Hank a little bit. Williams died at age 29 and had recorded 36 hits in that short time. Hank had a wonderful and unique voice, plenty of stage charm but away from the spotlight….whew!!!

EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT. One of my maybe top 3 films from 2015. It also has a 99% from Rotten Tomatoes. This was Colombia’s best foreign film entry for the Oscars…it shoulda won! Filmed along the Amazon. It’s two separate stories of scientists exploring the jungles for certain rare plants. It’s really about how “whites” have ruined, killed, destroyed,the peoples and the environment as they stoled the rubber and lumber. There’s a very clear message for all of us here, today. (subtitled)

ALLEIGIANT, Part of the Divergent series. This mess got a 10 on Rotten Tomatoes, and deserved about a 2. Shailene Woodley once again leads her group of troopers out of Chicago and you can’t blame her. It’s the future and Chicago has been destroyed by secret nasty people led by Jeff Daniels. Jeff has something to do with altering genomes and making people nutty. The flimsy, thrown together plot is too confusing and too improbable to explain. Just remember that no matter how bad Chicago is in the future, outside the wall that surrounds it…it’s even worse. So’s the movie, don’t go.

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

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. April 19 has Joan Van Antwerp describing Albee’s play “A Delicate Balance” now playing at the Center Stage (4/8-4/23). She’s followed by Laurie King, author of 14 Mary Russell (Mrs. Sherlock Holmes) mysteries detailing her Bookshop Santa Cruz new book signing on April 20. Andrew Austin tells us about UCSC’s latest development plans on April 26. followed by The Reel Work Film Festival’s Camille Walker. The bi-annual KZSC Pledge Drive happens May 3 with County Supervisor John Leopold co-hosting and Sandy Lydon co-hosts for pledges on May 10. On May 17 Brian Spencer from the See Theatre talks about T. McNally’s play, “Mothers and Sons“. He’s followed by Becky Steinbruner discussing Aptos issues and the legal measures in her lawsuit. Anita Monga artistic Director of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival (21st Year) returns May 24. Mark Wainer and Judy Johnson talk about the Community of Artists show on May 31st. The Short Story Winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz take over the June 14 program. 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 girl is AH-MAZING!!! Prepare to have your mind blown!

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 9 years here’s a chronological list of some past broadcasts. Such a wide range of folks such as Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson-Darrow, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, and Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems. Mike Pappas on the Olive Connection, Sandy Lydon on County History. Paul Johnston on political organizing, Rick Longinotti on De-Sal. Dan Haifley on Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Dan Harder on Santa Cruz City Museum. Sara Wilbourne on Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Brian Spencer on SEE Theatre Co. Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro on MAH and Big Creek Pottery. Carolyn Burke on Edith Piaf. Peggy Dolgenos on Cruzio. Julie James on Jewel Theatre Company. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus Nina Simon from MAH, Rob Slawinski, Gary Bascou, Judge Paul Burdick, John Brown Childs, Ellen Kimmel, Don Williams, Kinan Valdez, Ellen Murtha, John Leopold, Karen Kefauver, Chip Lord, Judy Bouley, Rob Sean Wilson, Ann Simonton, Lori Rivera, Sayaka Yabuki, Chris Kinney, Celia and Peter Scott, Chris Krohn, David Swanger, Chelsea Juarez…and that’s just since January 2011.

QUOTES. “Eucalyptus”

A city where everyone seemed to live in a bungalow on a broad avenue lined with palm, pepper or eucalyptus trees, where there was never any snow. Kevin Starr.

“My nose remembers more than my eyes. The sharp oily smell of eucalyptus combines with afternoon dust from the hockey field. But my heart feels the difference then and now.”
Phyllis Theroux

“I can’t be expected to produce deathless prose in an atmosphere of gloom and eucalyptus.”Gerald Durrell

“When I run in Ethiopia, I look out and see eucalyptus trees and rivers.”
Haile Gebrselassie

COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS.

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

Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com

Direct phone: 831 423-2468

All Technical & Web details: Gunilla Leavitt @ gunilla@thegoldenfleece.com

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Comments Off

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

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

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

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

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

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

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

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

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

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

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

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

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

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

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

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

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

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

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

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

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

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

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

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

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

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

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

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

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

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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