MORE SNOW ON PACIFIC AVENUE, 1957. Not much of this corner left anymore. It’s that Pacific and Front Street meeting Mission and Water Street. The Bank of the West is now where the beautiful McHugh & Bianchi Market was and everything else is gone. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

DATELINE December 14, 2015

THE NICK, Del MAR, AND APTOS TWO DAY CLOSING. Remember that the three Nick theatres will be closed this Wed (12/16) and Thursday (12/17) as part of the Landmark Theatre group changeover. After some probing, I learned that it’s only because the staff at all three theatres needs to learn how to operate the Landmark computer system. Subscribers to the Nickelodeon Newsletter got an email from the Landmark Film Club last Monday (12/14) saying…

“We are honored to welcome The Nick, Del Mar and Aptos to the Landmark Theatres family!

At Landmark, we view the Nickelodeon Theatres as a kindred spirit. We look forward to being able to continue to offer you diverse and entertaining film products in a sophisticated atmosphere. Our theatres showcase a wide variety of films—ranging from independent and foreign movies to Hollywood’s smartest releases. Landmark Theatres is the nation’s largest theatre chain dedicated to exhibiting and marketing independent film. We recognize that the Nickelodeon Theatres are local institutions, and we have no plans to change the features that make them unique. Look for an email from us with showtimes and more later this week.
Thank you for your support, and we’ll see you at the movies!

LINDA HOEGER THOMPSON’S GONE. Linda was a warm-hearted genuine artist, who had love for almost everybody. She died last week. She was serious about genealogy and had more friends than we’ll ever know. We’ll miss her.

MORE ABOUT GORDON PUSSER. I received many, many, heartfelt, loving tributes to our late friend Gordon Pusser. Jennifer Bragar’s was exceptional. She wrote:

A TRIBUTE TO GORDON PUSSER by Jennifer Bragar.

Santa Cruz activists and politicians of a particular vintage have sat in Gordon’s living room planning the next tactical decision in land use battles and local campaigns. You experienced those intellectual exercises to formulate a strategy to make people aware of important land use decisions that would affect their daily lives, or to determine how often you had to get your name out in front of the voter to win an upset election. But, what made Gordon’s sessions stand out is that he opened his home and his heart to your cause. And even if you did not know him, his strategies had an impact on voters throughout the County.

Did you ever wonder how those political signs got mounted around the town electric poles in the late 1990s ? It was Gordon’s brainchild – he had the power of a personal copy machine and the resources to rent a cherry picker and knew a person who could post the signs. Meanwhile, he made sure the campaign stayed within the confines of the city’s sign regulations. If you were the candidate you can remember the awe of seeing your name plastered all over town the morning after the sign hanging occurred and you were glad to have Gordon on your side.

If, on the other hand, you were an opponent then you could sense the unspoken signal that Gordon had been up to something and your campaign had been hit hard – a favorite tactic being a mail piece featuring a highly critical deCinzo cartoon. To those of us loyal followers, we did the best we could to carry out Gordon’s fantastic visions for these campaign escapades.

Gordon loved the story of Mike Rotkin and Scott Kennedy being caught ripping campaign signs down near the west side Safeway in 1998 – almost as much as Bruce Bratton loves reporting on the surrounding events. It was great political moments like that when Gordon’s face would light up with a sparkle in his eyes and he’d be inspired to take more offensive action against campaign opponents.

The truth is, we knew him in his golden years when he took on fights he loved – saving Terrace Point, building renowned work/live artist space on Swift Street, and helping local campaigns – the three amigos, Bob Lee, and countless others. This after he’d spent a lifetime involved with the statewide Democratic Party and played important roles in the campaigns of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone, Senator Barbara Boxer, State Controller Ken Cory, and Governor Gray Davis. He knew all about name recognition and get out the vote tactics from all those years of experience and brought these talents to Santa Cruz. The City has not been the same since. Maybe you were there at a protest to save Terrace Point, maybe you were at the roasted lamb picnic he threw in Teresa’s honor, maybe you participated in a campaign run out at the ArtWorkSpace, or maybe Gordon simply touched you deeply. If he did, and you know who you are, continue his legacy and remain active. Most importantly be sure to teach the next generation how to engage in local politics, and in that way, you will build on Gordon’s legacy.

(Jennifer worked with Gordon on legal projects for years and he helped her start her land use and political consulting business, JB Associates, in 1999.

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary’s abbreviated KUSP Land Use Reports for this week include..

There is no policy document of more importance, where land use is concerned, than a local community’s General Plan. The General Plan is properly called the community’s “Constitution for land use,” since every planning decision, and every local ordinance and regulation, must be “consistent” with the local General Plan. That’s what state law requires. And there is probably no land use issue of more importance to our local communities than housing, and particularly affordable housing, housing that can be afforded by average and below average income families and individuals.

GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT. I follow water issues in both Monterey and Santa Cruz County. Land use, transportation, and water policy all go together. From the point of view of “land use,” I would say the main idea is to make sure that commitments aren’t made to new development unless there is a clear way to provide necessary water. Additionally, new developments should really only be approved if the development, as proposed, won’t overstress, even further, the transportation networks that serve our local communities.

If you think that’s a “good” approach (a “common sense” approach, some might say), and if you don’t think that kind of approach to development is currently being taken by the local government agencies representing you, then maybe you should get more personally involved in the land use, water, and transportation decisions made by local government. As I say from time to time, stimulating that kind of personal participation is the “unhidden agenda” of the Land Use Report. In today’s blog posting, at kusp.org/landuse, I have a link to an article on groundwater management in Monterey County. It’s worth reading. It could also be well worth your time to get personally involved. One person who is personally involved sent me an email, saying that independent and mutual well owners in rural areas should have a voice in managing groundwater. That’s not now the plan, but it does sound like a pretty good idea to me! More Information: Land Use Links Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog Article InMonterey County Herald on Groundwater Management Read the complete scripts of the above at Gary Patton’s KUSP Land Use site http://blogs.kusp.org/landuse . Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney who represents indivuduals and community groups on land use and environmenatl issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, Two Worlds/365” – www.gapatton.net

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. DeCinzo points a ink loaded missile at familiar targets. See below

TIM EAGAN STUFF…Every week for years now Tim Eagan has been sending us his brilliant, clever insightful cartoons. He draws and thinks more than these. Go here and join up to stay abreast of his latest thoughts.More than that, I’ve always though his Subsconscious Comics were among the finest cartoon strips we’ll ever see. Go here to catch up on those. http://www.timeagan.com/?subconscious_comicsSee below to see a non-jocular supporter of that flaming red-hair candidate.

MUNCHING WITH MOZART THURSDAY. This is a great and free live performance that happens in the upstairs meeting room of the Santa Cruz Public Library on the third Thursday of every month.

Carol Panofsky (oboe, baroque oboe, recorder) organizes these noon to 1 p.m. concerts and they are sponsored by the Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries. Carol said in an email…” MunchMo provides a venue for musicians who want to work up a solo program, try out a new violin in public, or put together something a little different without a lot of pressure. I have also given opportunities to advanced students to play their competition/audition repertoire for a live, appreciative audience. As regards the audience, going to a formal concert with a friend is $50, minimum. Add in dinner, at least $100. Plus driving at night. And dressing up. This is too big an investment unless you know up front that you are going to really love what you hear. Library concerts are 40-50 minutes long and free–not a big risk. Parking can be found. You can come on your lunch hour. It is next to the childrens’ room at the library. How else can we expose the little ones to live music? There have been occasional complaints about children and lunches (especially if there are onions or things that crunch…), but that is really the whole point. Concerts are informal and accessible. There is no money involved. Musicians are not paid and concerts are free. No fund raising. No grants. No mailings. No thank you letters. The Friends of the Public Libraries staff the door and tune the piano a few times a year. I, in the name of The Santa Cruz Branchof the California Music Teachers’ Association, find the musicians, make up the printed programs, and set up the chairs. The weekend before the concert, I send out an email to everybody who has asked to be on the list. This Thursday (12/17) is “Celebrate Piano Ensemble”. You’ll hear music by Mozart, Dvorak, Borodin, Debussy, Gruber and of course Jingle Bells. Because it’s wonderful and free, you better get there early if you want to sit down.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Want to celebrate the holidays without all the hysteria? I share one radical idea on how to do it this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com). Also, find out why editing a book is not for sissies.” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. to date we have… UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal talks about being Chancellor on December 15, followed by ex- newspaper man and area benefactor Rowland Rebele. December 22 has Amy White ex. dir. of Landwatch Monterey talking about all the land use projects they have in the works. After Amy, Michel Singher talks about the Espressivo Orchestra Concert happening on Jan. 7^th. I’m on vacation Dec. 29. Then on Jan. 5^th Alexandra Kennedy talks about life and suicide. She’s followed by author, physicist, quantum realist, Nick Herbert. On January 12 actors Scott Kravitz and Mar Nae Taylor discuss this years “8 x 10’s @ 8″ plays playing Jan. 8- Feb. 7. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always at bratton@cruzio.com

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, 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. “For after all, the best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain”. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. “As against having beautiful workshops, studios, etc., one writes best in a cellar on a rainy day”, Van Wyck Brooks. “It will never rain roses; when we want to have more roses we must plant more trees”, George Eliot. “There is little chance that meteorologists can solve the mysteries if weather until they gain an understanding of the mutual attraction of rain and weekends”, Arnot Sheppard.

December 1946. Another favorite repeat…The St. George Hotel (one time site of the Hip Pocket Bookstore) and the future site of Bookshop Santa Cruz. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

WHAT ACID TEST? Reporter/ author Lee Quarnstrom’s book signing at Bookshop Santa Cruz and the other new history events were succesful beyond everyone’s dreams. After the booksigning I got to wondering, why call it a “TEST”?? We’d all tried LSD before in many places, with many friends. I asked Lee he said, “yes, we’d been using LSD for a long time before that party that’s now called the First Acid Test.

When we took the Kesey bus out to a number of parties around the Bay Area with the Grateful Dead and had LSD (often) available in big tubs of Kool-Aid and LSD wads being called acid it just occurred to some wit that we could call these Acid Tests. We never thought about actually “passing” it but it became our slogan, “Can you pass the Acid Test?”

The dinner in Felton Friday night and party afterwards at Don Quixote where the archivist of the Grateful Dead collection at UCSC spoke, as did Mountain Girl, George Walker, Ken Babbs and others, plus the group of Pranksters at the Bookshop, were, in my opinion, a historical event that will make the bohemian history books — old Pranksters coming out of the woods to gather for what could be their final time in their mid-70s. It was a great success and I am just ecstatic about the whole event, both nights. Can you pass the Acid Test? Not much to it!

BEARCAT REDUX. Lots of the conversations around our town since San Bernadino had folks asking (or thinking) maybe, just maybe that our Bearcat might not have been such a bad idea. And does our local police force really train for such events???

FAREWELL GORDON PUSSER. Susan Martinez and Bill Malone sent this note…” Very sad news…. Gordon Pusser passed away peacefully at home Monday morning (November 30th). He’d had Parkinson’s for a few years. Such a nice friend…kind and generous. His wife Teresa will have a small private family memorial. We’ll all miss him….”. Gordon was a good friend and very involved in our local politics for decades. We had our S.C.R.A.P. (Santa Cruzans for Responsible Planning) year after year.

HBO LATIN AMERICA ORIGINALS. If you are subsbribed to HBO one way or the other, and you haven’t been watching the absolutely excellent HBO Latin America Series you are wasting some fabulous viewing. These subtitled adventure series are about the best and most exciting TV watching I’ve experienced, since forever. The series I’m totally addicted to right now is Sr. Avila (Senior). It’s from Mexico and stars Tony Dalton as Avila. It makes The Sopranos look like Mary Poppins. Killings and killers for hire, crooked cops, sex, crooked politicians, family, sex, it’s wonderful. Other series such as Epitafios which I began watching at least 5 years ago, Filhos deCarnaval, Capadocia (just watch the first two seasons, it deteriorates after that) Profugos, Preamer, they are all excellent. And beautiful to watch. They are filmed in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Chile. Great viewing, trust me.

KUSP DUMPS OPERA. Jim Emdy host of KUSP’s “The Opera Show” for many, many years emailed to tell us… “effective december 7th all weekday classical block has been deleted, replaced by local jazz from 8 to 11pm. classical is relegated to sunday 7 to 10 am and evening 7-9pm.”. Jim says, “I will continue on KKUP and expand my exposure there”. This makes one wonder what is happening at KUSP. Santa Cruzans flock to The Cinema 9 to see/hear the live telecasts of The Metropolitan Operas, Miriam Ellis’s S.C.O.S.I. (Santa Cruz Opera Society Inc.) has an amazing loyal following yet, KUSP’s killing of opera doesn’t seem too community minded…what is somebody trying to prove??

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary’s shortened KUSP report this week includes…News that the California Coastal Commission is meeting in Monterey on Wednesday 12/09.

The Commission will consider the issue of “takings.” The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution not only gives citizens the right to avoid self-incrimination, it also says that “private property [shall not] be taken for public use, without just compensation.” There is a very interesting discussion relating to the “takings clause” on the Commission’s agenda. The question posed is whether the Commission has the authority to decide that the denial or conditional approval of a permit application would constitute a taking of private property for public use without just compensation, and, if the Commission found that it would, then grant a permit that the Commission would otherwise deny. An attorney is claiming that the Commission cannot give permit approval based on the Commission’s decision that to do otherwise would be a taking. The claim is that the Commission should just say “no” to the permit, and let the courts decide. This is a fascinating argument, with some real consequences for coastal protection. Gary goes on to say,

“On December 3^rd, the Santa Cruz County Transportation Commission made some important decisions. Most significantly, the Commission approved an “Expenditure Plan,” related to a proposed sales tax measure. The proposal is for a thirty year, one-half cent sales tax that would appear on the November 2016 ballot. There would be five priorities for expenditures:

FIRST: Thirty percent of the proceeds would go to Neighborhood Projects
SECOND: Twenty-five percent of the proceeds would go for Highway Corridors
THIRD: Sixteen percent would go to Mobility Access
FOURTH:Fifteen percent would go to the proposed Coastal Trail
FIFTH: Fourteen percent would to to the Rail Corridor

Commissioners believe that this package of projects is fair and balanced, and represents the diverse transportation needs in Santa Cruz County, and that the priorities established will provide an opportunity to invest not only in localtransportation infrastructure, but to invest in the environment, and the localeconomy, too. Ultimately, the voters of Santa Cruz County are going to decide whether or not to make these investments. It’s not too early to start thinking about this question, either. Those skeptical of highway widening might not like that part of the package, but those skeptical of the value of the rail corridor might also have reservations.

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

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. Widening Highway 1?? One small advantage…scroll below

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. Echoes abound…shout with care…see downwards

LISA JENSEN LINKS.Lisa emailed to say she’s really busy editing and will connect later. She saw Spike Lee’s film Chi-Raq and I can’t wait to see how she reacted.

WARNING!!! The Nickelodeon, Del Mar and Aptos theatres will be closed Wednesday, December 16 and 17. They will open again under the Landmark banner on Friday Dec. 18.

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. UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Booked so far are… Patrick Meyer talking about airplane noise and “Save Our Skies Santa Cruz” on Dec. 8. Patrick is followed by James Mockoski and Ross Gibson talking about their restoration of the 1917 Santa Cruz movie “Mothers Of Men”. UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal talks about being Chancellor on December 15, followed by ex- newspaper man and area benefactor Rowland Rebele. December 22 has Amy White ex. dir. of Landwatch Monterey talking about all the land use projects they have in the works. After Amy, Michel Singher talks about the Espressivo Orchestra Concert on Jan. 7^th. Then on Jan. 5^th Alexandra Kennedy talks about life and suicide. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always at bratton@cruzio.com

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, 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. “Writers fish for the right words like fishermen fish for, um, whatever those aquatic creatures with fins and gills are called”, Jarod Kintz. “What would an ocean be without a monster lurking in the dark? It would be like sleep without dreams”, Werner Herzog. “There’s nothing wrong with enjoying looking at the surface of the ocean itself, except that when you finally see what goes on underwater, you realize that you’ve been missing the whole point of the ocean. Staying on the surface all the time is like going to the circus and staring at the outside of the tent”. Dave Barry. “There was a magic about the sea. People were drawn to it. People wanted to love by it, swim in it, play in it, look at it. It was a living thing that as as unpredictable as a great stage actor: it could be calm and welcoming, opening its arms to embrace it’s audience one moment, but then could explode with its stormy tempers, flinging people around, wanting them out, attacking coastlines, breaking down islands. It had a playful side too, as it enjoyed the crowd, tossed the children about, knocked limos over, tipped over windsurfers, occasionally gave sailors helping hands; all done with a secret little chuckle”, Cecelia Ahern.

SNOW ON PACIFIC AVENUE. 7:50 a.m. 1957. You can still tell this is Cooper Street and Pacific Avenue by the old County Bank building. That was the historic Cooper House on the far right (now Oneill’s Surf Shop) and the nearly historic Leask’s Department store (now Urban Outfitters) on the immediate left. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

DATELINE November 30, 2015

WIDENING HIGHWAY ONE, AGAIN!!

Paul Elerick does a great job (below) of detailing statistics showing even the hired consultants know widening highway 1 won’t help our grid-locked highway 1. A simpler question for the RTC would be “where in the United States has widening a freeway ever lessened traffic?” Why doesn’t everyone know by now that when a freeway/highway is widened traffic is quickened for a brief time then everyone takes advantage of that faster speed and either moves closer to that freeway or changes their route accordingly. We could use that same much needed money to improve our streets and roads.

CORRECTION TIME. Many thanks to all the folks who wrote to tell me that The Dallas Mavericks is a basketball, not football team. Footballs are the balls with the points at each end, right?

APOLOGY TIME. Somehow in last week’s BrattonOnline the video clip of Charlie Canfield talking about his old organ slipped digitally and covered part of Gillian Greensite’s banner/title. It was totally accidental and became cached. It won’t happen again, probably.

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary reports on these items in his KUSP broadcasts…

The Sea and Sand Inn, located on West Cliff Drive just above Cowell’s Beach, is hoping the Planning Commission will approve the installation of a ” soil nail wall,” which may or may not have some aesthetic impacts on the City’s most well-used beach. A few years ago, despite the protests of tree advocates, the Seaside Company, which owns the motel, cut down some heritage trees on the Sea and Sand Inn property, and there is at least a good argument that this has had an impact on bluff stability.

Another item that would affect West Cliff Drive is also on the agenda for Thursday Dec.3 when the Santa Cruz City Planning Commission will hold an important meeting at the City Hall

The City proposes to install a combination pull up and dip exercise bar in the landscape area on the east side of the parking lot closest to Its Beach. Lots of people think that the City’s West Cliff Drive walkway is just fine the way it is (I was out there on Thanksgiving, and it was getting a lot of use). Is this the first step towards turning West Cliff Drive into a parcourse? Finally, the Planning Commission is going to consider possible amendments to the City’s Downtown Recovery PlanThis will affect the future of the the Santa Cruz Downtown, also an important topic.

I believe most professional planners would agree that the California Coastal Commission sets the “gold standard” for planning agencies. One reason is that the Coastal Act articulates some very specific policies which are “mandatory,” as opposed to “discretionary” in form. Policies that are structured as “discretionary,” which are quite common at the local government level, aren’t really “policies” at all, since they contain a built-in exit that allows the local agency to disregard the policy if the agency wants to approve a particular development. For instance, if the so-called ” policy” states that the agency should prevent the conversion of agricultural land to urban uses “to the greatest extent feasible,” very common language in zoning codes, the local agency can always determine that it is not really “feasible” to protect farmland when an attractive development opportunity presents itself. If you really want to protect farmland, you have to have a policy that says something like, “commercially viable farmland shall not be developed or divided.” Period! The Coastal Commission is meeting in Monterey, starting on Wednesday, December 9^th, through Friday, December 11^th. I have links to the agenda at kusp.org/landuse. I invite you to review the agenda, and then to attend the Commission’s meeting, to see that “gold standard” planning agency in action” . Read the complete scripts of the above at Gary Patton’s KUSP Land Use site http://blogs.kusp.org/landuse . Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney who represents indivuduals and community groups on land use and environmenatl issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, Two Worlds/365” – www.gapatton.net

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. Scroll down for some food for thought, as always.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. Tim takes his grand and wild view of worldy stuff …see below.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “If you’re interested in backstage Hollywood, the craft and business of screenwriting, or the (belated) triumph of reason over fear-mongering, don’t miss Trumbo. Read all about it this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com).“Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, you should listen live, and it’s also archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. Booked so far are… The winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz’s Young Writers Contest read their entries on Dec.1^st. Patrick Mayer talks about airplane noise and ” Save Our Skies” on Dec. 8. Patrick is followed by James Mockoski and Ross Gibson talking about their restoration of the 1917 Santa Cruz movie ” Mothers Of Men” . UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal talks about being Chancellor on December 15, followed by ex- newspaper man and area benefactor Rowland Rebele. December 22 has Amy White ex. dir. of Landwatch Monterey talking about all the land use projects they have in the works. After Amy, there’s an update on what’s happening with the battle between the Community Garden and the Boardwalk Corporation. Then in Jan. 2016 Alexandra Kennedy talks about life and suicide on Jan. 5. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always at bratton@cruzio.com

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, 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.

“I’m addicted to warm Thanksgiving bird meat, but I should just quit cold turkey. To me, the beginning of December is like leftover November,” Jarod Kintz. ” It is December, and nobody asked if I was ready,” Sarah Kay

“The rapid nightfall of mid-December had quite beset the little village as they approached it on soft feet over a first thin fall of powdery snow. Little was visible but squares of a dusky orange-red on either side of the street, where the firelight or lamplight of each cottage overflowed through the casements into the dark world without. Most of the low latticed windows were innocent of blinds, and to the lookers-in from outside, the inmates, gathered round the tea-table, absorbed in handiwork, or talking with laughter and gesture, had each that happy grace which is the last thing the skilled actor shall capture–the natural grace which goes with perfect unconsciousness of observation. Moving at will from one theatre to another, the two spectators, so far from home themselves, had something of wistfulness in their eyes as they watched a cat being stroked, a sleepy child picked up and huddled off to bed, or a tired man stretch and knock out his pipe on the end of a smouldering log.” Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows.

WHEN RAIN FELL ON PACIFIC AVENUE IN 1955. One of my favorite historical photos. This was about in front of The Rittenhouse building at Church and Pacific, where the Rip Curl Store opened a few months ago. I always remember Wally Trabing telling me this flood was almost his very first Santa Cruz Sentinel story assignment. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

DATELINE November 23

WATER, DE-SAL, WATER SUPPLY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THE COMMUNITY WATER COALITION AND THE SANTA CRUZ CITY COUNCIL.

I’ve been a member of The Community Water Coalition since 2008. Gary Patton our legal council wrote a letter to Mayor Don Lane and the city council this week all about the results of the Water Supply Advisory Committee. He stated that WSAC’s strategy is absolutely the correct one to pursue. He also stated regarding the use of the water we do have… “Currently, “development” and “demand” drives supply. It should be the other way around. John Aird another CWC member stated, “I believe the proposal that the City Council should put the WSAC recommended package to a 2016 vote is absolutely wrongheaded”.

NICKELODEON TRANSITION. By now every movie goer in the County knows about Jim Schwenterley selling the 3 theatres (Nickelodeon, The Del Mar and Aptos ) to the Landmark Theatre chain. Somehow we always thought that those locally owned theatres would never change. They would always be “our theatres”. Lots of questions remain…like will Landmark still “home-make” the caramel corn as they actually do in the Del Mar? Will we still only get those great (and slightly obscure) films even for six day runs, as we do now? Will the Rocky Horror Picture Show extravaganza still keep happening at the Del Mar along with Scott Griffin’s odd, great, weird choice of midnight flicks? We do know that Landmark Theatres has an Eco-Select special popcorn bag that’s used in all their theatres. Landmark owns 55 theatres, 267 screens in 26 markets ranging from NYC, Washington, Boston, to San Francisco and Berkeley. They sell DVDs, books and CD’s in their lobbies. Landmark Owners Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban also own all of part of Magnolia, Lions Gate and Weinstein Distributors and the Dallas Mavericks football team. They bought Landmark in 2003. Go here to see what the Landmark Theatres north of us are playing…looks good to me!!! Then I asked Bill Raney, the original owner of the The Nickelodeon back in the 60’s, what his reactions to the sale were. Bill said, “The only thing I worry about is whether they will keep the Nick’s present staff. Rumor has it that they will, in which case that staff will have the opportunity to explain to them some of the things that work and don’t work in Santa Cruz.

BOARDWALK’s BATTLE OVER THE COMMUNITY GARDEN. If only half of the tourists that come to the Boardwalk every weekend knew how poorly The Seaside Corporation treats its renters and neighbors they’d shut it down in 2 days!!! This will be a test of the guts of the City Council to see if such big deal humanitarians like Don Lane, Cynthia Mathews, and Richelle Naroyan really have the integrity and courage to ask for fairness from Charley Canfield… and after all the city has given the Boardwalk!!! Go here for a short film about the community garden… https://vimeo.com/139610416

BOARDWALK & CANFIELD HOMEWORK. The Santa Cruz Metro did a fine inrerview with Charley Canfield (age 75), Marq Lipton and Ann Parker on May 7, 1998. The story has lot of information about the stuff Canfield owns such as Marina Motors, The Surf Bowl, 1/3 of the houses in Beach Flats, The La Bahia apartments and tells us that he inherited all his money to start with. Other online sources show Canfield as owning Toyota of Santa Cruz and the Suburu dealership. It tells too how our City Council under Scott Kennedy allowed him to stop paying amusement tax on his Boardwalk vending machines. Read this article…it’s the tip of his ice berg.

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary says in his KUSP broadcasts…” Should the City of Santa Cruz put a measure on the ballot to get voter approval for a comprehensive water supply strategy recently recommended to the Council by its Water Supply Advisory Committee? The strategy is outlined in a 75-page report, but that doesn’t count the report’s many appendices that are hundreds of pages long. The strategy is based on taking water out of the San Lorenzo River during high water events, and then storing that water in local groundwater aquifers, to be used in times of drought. That’s a great strategy, if the groundwater aquifers don’t leak, which is a real possibility.

All involved in developing the proposed strategy admit that it might not work, and that it will take several years to find out whether it does. As of Monday, November 23^rd, the public hasn’t even had a full chance to comment, and the City Council hasn’t even approved the strategy. Notwithstanding all this, putting the untried strategy on the ballot was one surprising recommendation from the City Manager in his agenda report. The City Manager thinks that a vote can<quote> “solidify community commitment to the strategy.”

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

A COMMUNITY FOR NATURE. Grey Hayes has a blog (see link and credentials below)

ABOUT LAND TRUSTS…the privatation of open space.

The rise of the ‘Land Trust Movement’ represents a disastrous shift in the way we protect land for future generations. The shift is from public responsibility, funding, authority and accountability to private funding and private ownership. This private ownership by Land Trusts –even those incorporated as non-profits– signifies the end of public accountability and transparency. In consequence, the purpose and focus of land protection has also shifted from the ecologically sound conservation of plants and animals to the recreational and utilitarian desires of the moneyed elite. At its best the Land Trust Movement is a capitalist response to reduced funding for public land protection agencies. You want protection for public lands? You are going to have to pay for it yourself. This view assumes that development and maximized use is a natural or desirable condition worthy of public support while protection from development and overuse is a special interest need and should be privately funded. At its worst the Land Trust Movement represents a shift toward a new feudalism, widening the gap between the rich and poor via control of land. At the whim of wealthy donors, Land Trusts manage and control entire ecosystems according only to the vicissitudes of an elite few, without regard for or accountability to the commons. In essence they transform management of natural areas into a commodity; excluding the views of the relevant sciences and the general public alike in pursuit of short-sighted, ego-driven land management goals. Read how the public lost control and a lot more by going to http://greyhayes.net/a-community-for-nature

(Grey Hayes has had land stewardship with UC Natural Reserves, did large-scale monitoring and strategic planning with The Nature Conservancy, professional education with the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, and taught undergraduates at UC Santa Cruz. An advisor to the Sierra Club and is now an active advisor to the California Native Plant Society. In 1990, he was honored to be recognized as a Fellow by the Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation).

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. An early (and still current opinion) about The Boardwalk scroll downwards…

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. What goes around…comes around…see Tim Eagan’s weekly vision below a bit…!!

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “How do we love the Nickelodeon? Let me count the ways this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com), as I salute the founders and history of Santa Cruz’s favorite movie theatre. Yes, it’s about to be transferred to new ownership, but the vibe should remain the same.” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. Dr. Neil Sawhney PAMF cardiologist shares important heart issues and advice on Nov. 24. Then Bill Weigel reveals the issues and problems with the proposed Monterey Downs development. The winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz’s Young Writers Contest read their entries on Dec.1^st. Patrick Mayer talks about airplane noise and “Save Our Skies” on Dec. 8. Patrick is followed by James Mockoski and Ross Gibson talking about their restoration of the 1017 Santa Cruz movie “Mothers Of Men”. UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal talks about being Chancellor on December 15, followed by ex- newspaper man and area benefactor Rowland Rebele. December 22 has veterans advocate Dean Kaufman and a guest explaining many benefits available to veterans locally. Then there’s an update on what’s happening with the battle between the Community Garden and the Boardwalk Corporation. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always at bratton@cruzio.com

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, 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. “I always like walking in the rain, so no one can see me crying.” Charles Chaplin. “Are the days of winter sunshine just as sad for you, too? When it is misty, in the evenings, and I am out walking by myself, it seems to me that the rain is falling through my heart and causing it to crumble into ruins.”Gustave Flaubert . “Being soaked alone is cold. Being soaked with your best friend is an adventure.”Emily Wing Smith. “The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house. All that cold, cold, wet day.” Dr. Seuss, The Cat in the Hat.

DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ 1966. Amazing and even shocking to see the changes in our downtown in the last 49 years. The U.S. Postoffice is just about the only recognizable structure from those days. Mc Hugh Bianchi Market, The Tea Cup Restaurant, the pre-Swenson St. George Hotel, and a tiny peek at the Wells Fargo Bank building is just about all there is. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

DATELINE November 16, 2015

SAM FARR RETIRES!!! Wow and whew!!! Now lets watch for all the locals who’ve been waiting for this to happen. We should take money bets on who’s going to run…and on who’s going to win. Watch our Board Of Supervisors carefully and make your predictions. Luis Alejo’s absence on certain votes and his questionable money backers really doesn’t make him the favorite by any means. My money and support are on Mark Stone all the way.

LONDON NELSON & MAH HISTORY. If you get a chance to see the newly revised and modernized history exhibit at MAH do take a look at the references to LONDON Nelson. He’s one of our local historical figures. In spite of the mis-spelling of his name for decades as Louden, MAH got it right, we should be much obliged. Now if we can get folks to spell Gharky street and Cabriho College (and highway) the way their namesakes did…we’ll have something!!

WIDENING HIGHWAY ONE, THE PLOT THICKENS. Former mayor Bruce Van Allen sent an email urgent memo Monday (11/15) in case you missed it, it said….

In 2004, we led the County-wide opposition that decisively defeated a sales tax increase to widen Highway One. Since then we have actively supported numerous transportation improvements around the County, including the long push to get local public ownership of the 32-mile rail corridor stretching across the County, while maintaining resistance to wasteful investment in the outdated thinking behind widening highways. Now it’s back. A new 30 year transportation sales tax measure proposed for 2016 could fund useful and environmentally sound improvements. Unfortunately, the current proposal would waste 135 million dollars on widening Highway One. But widening Highway One STILL won’t work. Repeated scientific studies have shown that expanded freeways encourage more traffic and soon become congested again. Here’s the tiny benefit the CalTrans Environmental Impact Report estimates that the current plan to widen Highway 1 for Auxiliary Lanes will get us: “[This plan] would result in a very slight improvement in traffic congestion” when compared to no highway expansion”. And besides costing millions of our tax dollars, the CalTrans Environmental Impact Report estimates that the plan would result in an annual increase in greenhouse gases of 25% compared to no highway expansion. What does work to decrease congestion and prevent global warming over the long term? A state of the art, county wide, light rail with trail system. Please attend the Regional Transportation Commission’s meeting at 9:00 AM, Thursday, November 19, at the Vets Hall on Front Street in Santa Cruz next to the downtown Post Office. Tell them to forget about wasting money on the highway and get on track with a system that works. Also see Paul Elerick’s urgent plea just below.

LEE QUARNSTROM AT BOOKSHOP SANTA CRUZ, December 3.

Tony Russomanno writes…I was delighted to see your item about the Dec. 3 Bookshop Santa Cruz appearance of Lee Quarnstrom, or “Angel,” as he was known to fellow Merry Prankster Tiny Tim. That’s the name Tiny shouted when he ran into Lee 23 years ago while shopping for a Butler toothbrush (the one with the rubber tip on the end for massaging gums) at what is now the Trader Joe’s on Front Street. The name “Angel” dates even further back to the mid-60s, when Tiny’s New York roommate, Wavy Gravy, brought him to The Spread and Tiny caught sight of then-17 year old Lee— tall, slender, a mop of golden hair— backlit against the warm California sun, leading Tiny to believe he was seeing an angel. The name stuck, at least with Tiny. The surprise reunion, along with Angel and Tiny’s confused reminiscence of the Grateful Dead, was part of my KPIX-TV report on the best thing that happened in Santa Cruz or anywhere else in the San Francisco Bay Area on July 16, 1993.

When Ann Parker was doing PR for the Boardwalk, she would only alert me to events that had the potential for something beyond the confines of a press release. All this one took was a phone call from her: “Hey, Tony, Tiny Tim’s in town for a few days. Want to do anything?” Sure. Here’s my plan: walk up Pacific Avenue with the camera rolling. Along the way, I got a call from my news director telling me I also had to fill in and do the weather. No problem. Tiny earlier told me he knew something like 16,000 songs, so I asked him to help me with the weather by singing a line matching each part of the forecast. Too perfect. Or, as Dave McElhatton attempted to say, “Tiny and Tony, together at last.” Requiescat in pace, Tiny Tim, 1932-1996

PATTON’S PROGRAM. GaryPatton states in his now abbreviated KUSP Land Watch reports this week…

The City of Santa Cruz is working on a broadly-supported strategy to deal with water supply. A study session was held on November 10^th, and the Council is expected to take official action next Tuesday, November 24^th. I have links at kusp.org/landuse, to guide you to information about a complex proposal from the City’s Water Supply Advisory Committee. I also have a link to the agenda of a special meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee of the Monterey Peninsula Regional Water Authority. That meeting took place today, Monday, November 16^th.

The Santa Cruz proposal would secure future water supplies by capturing water from the San Lorenzo River, during high rainfall events, and then storing that in groundwater aquifers for future use. As currently planned, the system would benefit not only the City, but also other water agencies. In Monterey County, future water supplies would be secured by what I sometimes call “manufacturing water.” The main proposal, the Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project, would take in seawater near Marina, and then desalinate that seawater to meet the needs of the Monterey Peninsula. The proposed “Pure Water” project would treat sewage effluent, and then use that treated effluent to build up groundwater supplies. All around the Monterey Bay, water supply issues remind me of one of those Facebook references to marital status: “It’s complicated!”

On widening Highway One… one of the big items on everyone’s wish list, according to the pollsters who did a poll last May, is reducing congestion on Highway One. I have no doubt that the polling is accurate about that concern. There is a problem, however. Identifying the priority doesn’t really tell us how to achieve the goal. If we had $113 million dollars to reduce Highway One congestion, which is what is being suggested, could we spend that money in a way that would, in fact, reduce congestion? As I noted last week on the Land Use Report, highway widening (seemingly an obvious solution) doesn’t really work. After a highway is widened, more people use the highway, illustrating what is called “induced demand.” The congestion stays just about the same. Money spent, but no progress made. Really to reduce congestion, we need to reduce the number of vehicles on the highway at peak times. That means we need to find a way to share rides, through transit and other mechanisms. Learning to share, not more money, per se, is what can solve our problem. Read the complete scripts of the above at Gary Patton’s KUSP Land Use site http://blogs.kusp.org/landuse . Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney who represents indivuduals and community groups on land use and environmenatl issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, Two Worlds/365” – www.gapatton.net

CLASSICAL DeCINZO Long ago comment on National monuments scroll downwards…

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. Still another take on those Republican debates see below

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “It’s a little slow out of the starting gate, but Jewel Theatre Company’s spirited new production of Guys And Dolls picks up steam and races to the finish in the spanking new Colligan Theater at the Tannery. Read all about it this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com).” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. Shmuel Thaler and Wallace Baine discuss their new Gail Rich Awards book “The Creative Among Us” on November 17, those guys are followed by Dr. Shawna Riddle giving us Holiday health advice and common sense about vaccinations. Dr. Neil Sawhney PAMF cardiologist shares important heart issues and advice on Nov. 24. Then Bill Weigel reveals the issues and problems with the proposed Monterey Downs development. The winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz’s Young Writers Contest read their entries on Dec.1^st. Patrick Mayer talks about airplane noise and “Save Our Skies” on Dec. 8. Later on, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal talks about being Chancellor on December 15. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always at bratton@cruzio.com

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, 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. “What we’re really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?” ~Erma Bombeck. “An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving Day”, Irv Kupcinet. “On Thanksgiving Day, all over America, families sit down to dinner at the same moment — halftime”,Author Unknown. Last, and not least… “Got no check books, got no banks. Still I’d like to express my thanks — I got the sun in the morning and the moon at night”. Irving Berlin.

DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ….PACIFIC AVENUE AND MISSION STREET. How time flies, what changes we’ve seen. That’s where McHugh & Bianchi used to be on the right side corner. Now it’s Bank of The West, There’s still an empty lot where Bookshop Santa Cruz used to be and Lulu Carpenter’s Café which was the first business to re-open on Pacific after the 1989 quake. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

DATELINE NOVEMBER 2, 2015
And hoping to catch up again on……. NOVEMBER 9, 2015

MONTEREY DOWNS AND HORSE PARK DEVELOPMENT. Way back in the early 1970’s a group of out of town developers (Hollywood Turf Club, Marine World, Moroto Investment Company etc.) treid to develop Wilder Ranch. They tried to build 10, 000 homes (that’s means 30,000 people coming here). We organized and eventually stopped them. The Monterey Downs proposed development on Fort Ord Land isn’t quite that large but the battle is not only looming but getting dangerous. Land Watch Monterey County has stated the facts…they are startling. From their website…

“The Monterey Downs and Horse Park components of the proposed project includes the following: a 225,000 square foot horse training facility that would be comprised of a track and stabling area, ancillary buildings, and a 6,500 seat sports arena and grandstand; a 330,000 square-foot commercial center; a 15,000 square-foot horse park that would be comprised of a visitors center, office space, veterinary clinic, and horse stables; two affordable extended stay hotels with a total of 256 units; 1,280 residential units ranging from apartments to single family residential homes; a 100,000 square foot office park; a 200-room (100,000 square foot) hotel; a 5,000 square foot tennis and swim club; a 73-acre habitat preservation area; and 74 acres dedicated to open space and parks and infrastructure” Link to the Land Watch website see just how bad this development will be and get involved in any way you can. Bill Weigle will be talking about The Monterey Downs development on Universal grapevine Tuesday November 24 at 7:30 p.m.

KUSP CUTS BACK ON GARY PATTON’S LAND WATCH PROGRAM. Gary Patton sent this email Saturday (10/31)… “KUSP will no longer be running the Morning Edition show from NPR; therefore, the Land Use Report is not going to appear each weekday in a “local break” in Morning Edition, which is how it has appeared in the past. I am not sure what the programming will be that surrounds the placement of the Land Use Report, and I think that the scheduling shown in this week’s transcripts may change, as KUSP experiments with its new programming schedule. As you will probably notice, I have also been instructed to prepare only FOUR segments for next week; they will run (as indicated in the transcripts) on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; plus Sunday”. Gary went on to say he has no idea what KUSP’s programming plans are for the future. When they start their AAA changes by cutting locally originated and essential news oriented programs like Gary’s all we can do is wait…and hope. Opera program host Jim Emdy says that his Monday Night at The Opera Show will continue until mid November but after that is anyone’s guess”. Jim added, “all news and info are gone now in daytime. that includes Democracy Now, which is a free show”.

JOHN LEOPOLD FOR SUPERVISOR. Grand new local news happened on Universal Grapevine last Tuesday (10/27). John Leopold announced that he was once again running for 1^st District Santa Cruz County Supervisor. I added that we remember that even the Santa Cruz Sentinel endorsed him that last time he ran (2008). He reminded us that the county primary happens in June and usually lots of people try running up until that time. As you might guess Doug Deitch says he’s also running in the first district. He’s run in other districts before. Zach Friend 2^nd District supervisor also announced and took out papers to run. Becky Steinbrunner said (also on Universal Grapevine) that there are some highly qualified folks that are considering entering that district race and said the recall drive is progressing nicely. We haven’t heard from 5^th District Supervisor Bruce McPherson yet.

OUR PRECIOUS WATER AND UCSC. We’ve all been reading how UCSC has been nearly perfect on their water cutbacks. However Toby Goddard from our Santa Cruz City Water Department states and I quote, “Based on the assumed student enrollment growthrate and demand factor, it is estimated that water demand for the UCSC campus willincrease by 10 million gallons per year from 2020 to 2030. Total UCSC demand at 2030 would be 348 million gallons per year, which represents a net increase of 136 million gallons per year over existing water use.This statement is from… The University of California and The City of Santa Cruz recently completed a Water Supply Assessment (WSA) and certified an EIR for the City of Santa Cruz Sphere of Influence Amendment (“SOI Amendment EIR,” Santa Cruz, 2010).

NEWS FROM GEORGE OW. George sent some mighty interesting news about changes at Kings Plaza (41^st Ave. and Capitola Road) …

1. Orchard Supply Hardware is doing a multi-million dollar remodel of their existing store. They were bought by Lowe’s a year or two ago and we are very happy that they kept ours open–and are now improving it. It is rumored that they are spending $5 million, but that is unconfirmed.
2. There are two murals along 38th Avenue. One is the 240 long feet by 160 feet high “Whimsey” mural done by Elizabeth Sadoff, Dennis Marks and Julie Heffernan about 30 years ago. It was recently refinished to bring back fading colors. The second one is the “Whale Mural” alongside the CineLux Theater that was 20 feet high by 134 feet long. It will be smaller because of architectural changes, but will be renovated with a whale theme.
3. The old Pizza Company-Tony & Alba’s space across from the CineLux Theaters is being remodeled by the owners of West End Tap and will be called the East End Gastropub. They are working out the decor and menu now. Bill Schultz is doing the construction.
4. The space where Pretty Mama was at is being remodeled to be a woman’s nail, facial, skin, etc. spa.
5. 5. CineLux is remodeling the former Capitola Book Company and theater space to increase the theater count from three to eight. Paul Gunsky is changing everything to make it a deluxe presentation, à la his remodel of the Scotts Valley Cinemas. Construction is still underway, but five screens are now operating and more will come on line soon. (George Ow is part of Ow Family Properties and owns Kings Plaza).

FINAL FAREWELLS. Al Johnsen taught pottery at UCSC back in it’s earliest days. He co-founded Big Creek Pottery and later opened his own Scott Creek Pottery. He was also the driving force behind the legendary Swanton Road Corn Roasts. He died Tuesday Nov. 3^rd.

Marge Frantz also taught at UCSC for almost 30 years. She was a long time member of the Communist Party USA and lived for years at Piedmont Court.I have no details on her dying.

Ed Borovatz was a Santa Cruz school teacher and became our County supervisor in 1977. I remember that he lived in a near legendary house on Branciforte…we’ll miss them all.

BEACH FLATS & THEIR GARDEN & EMINENT DOMAIN. Fred Geiger wrote a letter to the Santa Cruz City Council and made some important points… “Dear Council members. As you likely realize, the General Plan calls for 1 Acre of publicspace per one thousand residents. The Beach Flats Community has about 2,600 residents and has only about ONE HALF an ACRE of public space. This is a completely unacceptable situation and has existed for very many years. Now the Garden space is to be reduced and no mitigation of this unacceptable situation is being proposed.

The City should exercise its right to Eminent Domain and secure this Garden plot, as well as other space, to rectify this unacceptable situation. The purpose of such taking of land (with just compensation) is to benefit the public good. I can think of no clearer circumstance in which it could be exercised! Thank You. Fred J. Geiger.”

BOOKSHOP SANTA CRUZ NEWS. Ex Register-Pajaronian and Mercury reporter Lee Quarnstrom will return to the Bookshop on December 3 to sign copies of his “When I was A Dynamiter” book. More details will follow but Lee told me…”It’s part of a big shindig that will include Supervisor John Leopold dedicating a plaque near The Spread, a house where I, along with Ken Kesey & his family and some other Merry Pranksters, lived in the mid-60s for a while. The plaque will memorialize the first Acid Test, held there 50 years ago, at the site of The Spread (now gone) on the north side of Soquel Drive just west of Rodeo Gulch — the gulch itself, not Rodeo Gulch Road, which is on the other side of the gulch. The Acid Tests, which we Pranksters, as we called ourselves, were held in in the Bay Area and southern California, with music by the Grateful Dead. Obviously those future details will make all this sensible!!!

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary Patton states in his now abbreviated KUSP Land Watch reports this week…

Highway widening projects are always controversial. They cost a lot of money, of course, and they generally have pretty significant environmental impacts. The issue that I think is most often coming to the fore, nowadays, is a question about whether such highway widening projects actually accomplish anything positive, in terms of reducing highway congestion.

In other words, while spending many millions of dollars and causing large impacts to the environment might be a good tradeoff, if the end result were significantly less traffic congestion, those huge expenditures and negative environmental impacts look a lot less attractive if the end result is no significant improvement at all in the highway congestion problems that were the reason that the widening project was undertaken in the first place.

In fact, highway engineers are coming to the conclusion that widening highways results in what is called “induced demand,” which means that the new capacity from the widening project is quickly consumed by more people using the highway, so it’s the same old congestion, but with more people caught in the jam. The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is proposing a project to widen Highway One in Santa Cruz County, from Morrissey Boulevard to Larkin Valley Road. An EIR process is just beginning. You are invited to get involved, and can get more information at kusp.org/landuse.

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

A REAL AMAZON STORE TO OPEN!!! Casy Coonerty Protti mentioned this news at our Bookshop Santa Cruz Birthday Party last Friday night. And I just found the news on HUFF POST It’s going to be across from The Empire State Building on West 34^th Street. “It won’t be a regular store, though. There’s just too many items on Amazon. The store will be more like a warehouse. You’ll be able to return and exchange things you buy online in the store. You’ll also be able to order something online in the morning and pick it up at the store that night”. It also said that if that one works they’ll open more. Something just doesn’t seem right about that. Amazon started in 1995, in case you’d forgotten.

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. Fortune teller DeCinzo reminds us of rain, storms and FEMA!!! See below just a few pages.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. Tim gives us Deep Insight into the Republican future!!! Scroll below…

GUYS AND DOLLS IN THE NEW THEATRE!!! The Jewel Theatre Company must really be jumping up and down (plus dancing) getting ready for their big new production of Frank Loesser’s Guys and Dolls. It’s running in the brand new Colligan Theatre at The Tannery November 12-December 6. Laura Piccone is directing it and Lee Ann Payne is doing the choreography. Go to www.JewelTheatre.net for tickets or call 831 425-7506

LISA JENSEN LINKS. “Everybody’s a critic this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express http://ljo-express.blogspot.com as I consider what happens when audience expectations don’t match up with the book (or movie) actually produced. Also, there’s still time to catch up with some interesting fall films.” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. Tandy Beal talks about her production of “Mixed Nutz” and her Artsmart concerts followed by Debbie Hencke from “The Alliance of Concerned Citizens” talking about County Code changes. And on Nov. 10. Shmuel Thaler and Wallace Baine discuss their new Gail Rich Awards book on November 17, those guys are followed by Dr. Shawna Riddle giving us Holiday health advice and common sense about vaccinations. Cardiologist Dr. Neil Sawhney guests on Nov. 14 to talk about you heart and the holiday strains. After Doc Sawhney, Bill Weigel reveals the issues and problems with the proposed Monterey Downs development. The winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz’s Young Writers Contest read their entries on Dec.1^st. Patrick Mayer talks about airplane noise and “Save Our Skies” on Dec. 8. Later on, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal talks about being Chancellor on December 15. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always at bratton@cruzio.com

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. “November hung his Granite Hat upon a nail of plush”, Emily Dickenson.

“The Hardest thing about boxing is picking up your teeth with boxing gloves on”, Kin Hubbard. “Losing the Super Bowl is worse than death. With Death you don’t have to get up in the morning”, George Allen. “You can observe a lot by just watching”, Yogi Berra.

THE VENETIAN WATER CARNIVAL (June 1895-1927). Back in the day they’d dam up the San Lorenzo River, build elaborate floats and the community would have a great time. An annually built stage and grandstand held hundreds of folks. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

DATELINE October 12, 2015
and DATELINE October 19. 2015
and DATELINE October 26, 2015

TARDY AGAIN??? As I’ve mentioned as often as deemed necessary, I write a new weekly column every Monday and I’ve been doing exactly that for 40 years and 6 months. Lately the woman who has been responsible for getting this weekly missile online and who has been so kind, generous, and severely over extended, Gunilla Leavitt, has had some hardships.

1. Her car was torched last November. They jailed the guilty teenagers two weeks ago. See the news video here.
2. Gunilla has been going through breast cancer for the last 8 months. She had surgery, radiation, and estrogen blockers that she will be on for 5 years; thankfully no chemo.
3. She’s had to close her business The Golden Fleece (Yarn Store/Emporium).

Beyond all that she’s maintained a positive attitude, not only on life itself, but she told me the other day that now she’ll have more time to devote to getting BrattonOnline actually online quicker. Starting November, the columns will again go up weekly. Let’s all give Gunilla enormous credit ..and big thanks…and best wishes.

SUPERVISOR GREG CAPUT. It seems unbelievable in Santa Cruz County, in this century, and after all the world’s exposure of that right wing group of anti-abortionists who criminally falsified Planned Parenthood’s operations that anybody with half a brain would still want to challenge the way Planned Parenthood does their good works. Yet Fourth District Santa Cruz County Supervisor Greg Caput has done just that. On October 14 he asked the Board of Supes to request an audit of Planned Parenthood in the 2016 Session. There’s been almost nothing in the media around here about Caput’s stupid caper. Thanks to a rare agreement the rest of the Supervisors held strong and all of them made fine remarks in their unanimous opposition to the numbed out Caput. Supervisor Ryan Coonerty gave an especially well rounded reaction. I’ve often surprised friends by telling them Caput has a law degree, and saying that when he was on Universal Grapevine, we agreed on many more issues than I’d imagined. No longer. He’s as big a fool and as poorly informed as everyone says he is. And just because he’s a Roman Catholic, a Croatian, has a law degree, and has been elected twice doesn’t make him a good guy. South County Democrats have to work harder next time and elect somebody who knows how to read…and think.

SUPERVISORS AND ISSUES. Patient observers of our local County Supervisors and City Council have long realized that there is now, and usually has been, a lot of agreement on issues, problems, and politics but only outside the County boundary. Gun control, equality, oil, water, ad infinitum…there’s agreement. What came out last week at the Supe’s stomping down Caput’s idiotic attempt to close down Planned Parenthood was that Caput had voted every time over the years NOT to fund Planned Parenthood!!! What we need is a website or an easy quick way to see how our locally elected officials have voted on major issues. Like checking on Zach Friend’s record on supporting police and military requests, or Bruce McPherson’s record on supporting any and all development. Any suggestions, or ideas on this??

POLITICAL NOTES. Watch how Mike Rotkin uses his membership and the so called success of the Water Survey Committee as a way to stay public and run again for City Council. Watch too for the petition to re-call County Supervisor Zach Friend. Becky Steinbrunner told us on Universal Grapevine that the re-call is now legal and we can all go sign the petition at tables near the Bayview Hotel.

BOARDWALK AND THAT COMMUNITY GARDEN. The Seaside Company or as it’s better known The Santa Cruz Boardwalk absolutely knows nothing but greed. After all these years that the City of Santa Cruz has given them gifts of millions of dollars they turn on the residents of Beach Flats and want to kill their Community Gardens. The City forgives the Boardwalk millions in terms of taxes on their arcade games, we’ve given the Boardwalk acres and acres of parking lots (for free) and manage to look the other way on how Charlie Canfield, Chris Reyes and the rest of their team has allowed all their properties in Beach Flats to deteriorate. Still they want their small garden space “to grow plants for Boardwalk rides decoration”. I think we should erect big signs telling all the Valley tourists who come to the Boardwalk about how the locals and their garden project get treated.

MORE ABOUT DeCINZO & THE SENTINEL. Well, first Steven DeCinzo got an email from Marc Desjardins saying they (Sentinel) was cutting him back to one cartoon per week. Steven says, “Marc was probably the only one at the paper who was positive and happy with an optimistic sense of humor”. While DeCinzo was thinking about that “one per week offer” he got another email saying Don Miller had changed his mind and that the freelancer money “could be better spent elsewhere”. Steven’s last cartoons (unprinted) were, “a series of cartoons condemning the visiting Pope and the hypocrisies and crimes committed by the Catholic church”. Besides all of that, Steven is getting married in Austria!!! I should have kept track of all the folks who told me, “Damn that paper, DeCinzo was the last and only reason I was reading the Sentinel”.

COTONI COAST DAIRIES NATIONAL BATTLE.As usual in Santa Cruz County the battle between Environmentalists and Big Business/Money goes on…and on. Ted Benhari of Friends of the North Coast posted this on Facebook…

“UCLA Prof. Daniel Blumstein is a leading authority and researcher on animal behavior. You may have heard him talking about Ecotourism, which is particularly relevant to the debate about Coast Dairies, on NPR today. On his web page he writes: “Ecotourism is the fastest growing part of the world’s largest industry, tourism. Yet, in order for ecotourism to be sustainable, we must know much more about how non-humans perceive the myriad of impacts associated with tourism so that they can be minimized. Unfortunately, most studies focus on a single species and there is no theory managers can use to predict how a particular species might react to, say, the construction of a hiking trail. Current and future work aims to develop predictive models about how species react to human impacts based on an understanding of life-histories and evolutionary “experiences”. ” He’s written, with a colleague, “A Primer of Conservation Behavior” for Sinauer Associates press. I hope to read it soon, and that BLM has already. It’s obvious the backers of the monument campaign have not”.

COTONI NATIONAL PARKING LOT. Someone I know has a good friend who works for BLM (Bureau of Land Management). BLM is and will be stewards of the proposed Cotoni National Monument. He reports that for a Park/Monument of this size (5,800 acres) BLM requires and would build a parking lot that would hold 500 cars. Ask anyone at BLM about that. Remember too that this isn’t about protecting that wilderness, it’s already completely protected. Read the list of local businesses that support the destruction of that wilderness…it’ll surprise and depress you. Operations such as KUSP, Hilltromper, O’Neil Sea Odyssey, Charlie Hong Kong, Save The Frogs, Emily’s Bakery, 99 Bottles, The Sock Shop and more. It makes you wonder how much research any of thse folks have done to see what impact the Fort Ord National Monument (14,658 acres) has had on their community since 2012, when it became official.

HILLARY BRATTON SINGS. Here’s a top music magazine interview with Hillary.

MY SPECIAL RADIO GUEST (repeat) It was obviously with great pride that I had my daughter Hillary Bratton as my interview guest on Universal Grapevine Tuesday October 13 from 7-7:30 pm. Hillary’s brand new album, “Tears on My Pillow but the rest of the bed’s OK” is her first, and was just released and is available at iTunes. We talked about her really interesting and illustrious past and living and working in Paris, New York, and Los Angeles. Her career with Sony, Rhino Records, and Apple…and a bunch of surprises for both of us…if you missed it here’s a link to the interview. http://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton More than that…IF you want to hear or buy her album here’s a link to Hillary’s nine great songs…

THE REAL HALLOWEEN MONSTER. Just a reminder to see if any of us can guess where Mayor Don Lane’s BEARCAT will be parked during the Downtown Halloween celebration. I’m still guessing it’ll be on Front Street near the back door to The Verve Coffee house.

UPDATE ON 41^ST AVENUE CINELUX. I saw the Robert DeNiro, Anne Hathaway comedy The Intern at the in-progress enlargement of the 7 screen theatre at the 41^st Cinelux. There’ll be lots of ohhh’s and ahh’s when they do the official opening. They’ve added 4 theatres, I think three of them have just 35 seats each. Those are luxuorious seats too. When you do go there remember that the temporary entrance is a new single door, up a short ramp on the 38th avenue side.

HABITAT’S ReSTORE —FANTASTIC!!! Almost everybody has heard about Habitat For Humanity and all the good “housework” they do for low-income folks. It’s the ReStore that Habitat has been running out on Swift Street that has been the secret…at least I hadn’t been there. IF you are re-modeling, Nino prepping, searching for lightbulbs, lamps, refridgerators, mirrors, get out there ASAP. They have a huge warehouse chock full of tools, tables, dishes, art, anything you need house-wise. Check out their website, days and hours at…http://habitatsc.org/restore 719 Swift Street suite 62. It’s over by Kelly’s Bakery and the Swift Street Courtyard.

MARV KAPLAN DIED. Marv Kaplan was a dear friend to lots of people here and just about everywhere he went. He died September 4^th. Gloria Kaplan and Mathilde Rand sent this notice…”As many of you may already know, my dear husband Marvin passed away on September 4^th of this year. He would have turned 88 on September 30. We, Gloria and Family, will be celebrating Marvin’s life on Sunday, November the 8^th, at the London Nelson Community Center in Santa Cruz, from 1 to 4 PM. I know he would have loved for you all to attend, as you are the people he really liked. I truly hope you will be able to be there! If you care to share some fond memories you might have of Marvin, we would love to hear them. We hope to see you then. If you can, please feel free to bring some finger food to share with others.”

KUSP… EARS AND TEARS! If you genuinely care about the future of KUSP you’ll read the full 33 page report onwhat the out of town consultants stated re keeping KUSP alive. If the consultants report seems like they haven’t a clue about our community, take another few minutes and read the RADIO SURVIVOR website take on those consultants ideas…http://www.radiosurvivor.com/2015/10/05/inside-kusp-fm-of-santa-cruzs-triple-a-music-plan. Among other things it tells us….”PMC (Public Media Company-consultants) sees potential in a programming/format shift to a local, professionally programmed and hosted music format that would be described, in radio format terms, as Triple-A (or ‘AAA’) . . . The Music Format, if done right, will share audience rather than compete for audience with KAZU. It will also be connected to the Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay region and residents by programming regional music and musicians, convening and partnering with local events and with community and cultural groups.” If you are looking for extant public radio AAA models to grok this recommendation, the document cites Minnesota public radio’s The Current, Austin’s KUTX, and WXPN in Philadelphia“. If anyone is taking bets on KUSP’s future, now’s the time.

FREE RADIO AND A REWARD. Robert Norse wants us to know…Free Radio Santa Cruz is now offering a $500 reward for successful info about a new studio space [See “Free Radio Santa Cruz is now Homeless!” at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2015/09/24/18778046.php]. Not knowing which way KUSP will go just makes our need for radio news more important. Lend a hand to Free Radio Santa Cruz.

STAYTON AND SOLAR BOOK. I interviewed Bob Stayton who wrote the book “Power Shift-From Fossil Energy to Dynamic Solar Power on Universal Grapevine on September 29. I learned that for some wild reason most of us don’t see Solar Power as our own problem. We seem to be waiting for the government or Jesus to make it happen. Stayton’s book teaches us about all possible energies, and their history, and our future energy needs and solutions. Read his book, it’ll add new light to your life. It’s available at Bookshop Santa Cruz and Grass Roots Books in Corvallis. Online you can buy the book from:

Amazon (paperback and Kindle), Barnes & Noble (paperback and Nook Book), Apple’s iTunes Store (iBooks), Kobo Books (Epub), or from the publisher http://sandstonepublishing.com/power-shift

KOENIGS’ HISTORY OF JAZZ FILM. Ken Koenig emails to say… I just put the complete version of Santa Cruz Swings on YouTube where it can be watched for free. This film chronicles the history of jazz in Santa Cruz, California. Despite being a small beach town, Santa Cruz has had a rich jazz history which touches on all the eras of jazz. From the early bands at the beach at the turn of the 20th century, to the Cocoanut Ballroom and the big bands of the 30s and 40s, to the bebop era of the 40s and 50s, and the birth of the Kuumbwa Jazz Center as well as the great jazz program at our local community college in the 70s, and the many different venues for jazz in Capitola, Santa Cruz and the area over the years as well as the world class jazz musicians who have been a part of this history, Santa Cruz Swings shows it all. Using numerous interviews with folks who were there, archival film footage, photographs and selections of jazz music made in Santa Cruz the story unfolds for all to learn and appreciate. The film can be accessed by typing “Santa Cruz Swings Full length movie” into the YouTube search area or by typing “Santa Cruz Swings Full length movie” into Google”. We need to thank Ken for preserving that important part of our history. I’ve seen the film many times…it just keeps getting better, go for it.

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary’s KUSP Land Use report clearly states…

ABOUT PARKING…

Santa Cruz City residents, and those who work in downtown Santa Cruz, and those who shop in downtown Santa Cruz, and those who are in business in downtown Santa Cruz, may be getting a little bit panicked about parking. A recent article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel indicates that the City has oversold its available downtown parking spots. According to the article, there are 1,642 spots available for permit parking, and the City has issued 1,831 permits for those spots. Oh! That’s why you can’t find a spot, even if you have paid for it in advance.

Regular parking spots (the kind you don’t pay for in advance) are also hard to find. And you increasingly have to pay for them. They are no longer free. In fact, the City is currently getting ready to convert one of its last free parking lots to a paid parking lot.

ABOUT “CORRIDORS”.(Gary continues…

As I have mentioned a few times here on the Land Use Report, the City of Santa Cruz is moving ahead with a plan to increase development along the city’s most important transportation corridors. That means Mission Street, Ocean Street, Water Street, and Soquel Avenue. The proposal is to increase allowable building heights along these corridors, and to increase the densities allowed, and to encourage mixed uses, mixing commercial uses with multi-family residential uses. Three to five story buildings, all along these corridors, could be a result of the process that the City is pursuing. Naturally, these kind of changes could have significant impacts on adjacent neighborhoods, and might also be expected to increase the kind of traffic congestion and parking problems that are already pretty daunting.

In pursuing its so-called “Corridors Plan,” the City is seeking to implement General Plan provisions that support this kind of development. It’s fair to say that the City’s General Plan is rather pro-development, and that at least some local residents weren’t really paying attention when the General Plan policies gained approval.

A proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue provides an example of what’s proposed generally, and some residents are concerned. In fact, they’ve put out a petition opposing high-density zoning. You can explore this important issue with links at kusp.org/landuse.

ABOUT WATER AND “FLOW“. Gary writes on 10/26…

Friends of Locally Owned Water, or Felton FLOW, is holding a “Future of the San Lorenzo Symposium” Thursday 10/29 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The Symposium will take place at the County’s Highlands Park, located at 8500 Highway 9, in Ben Lomond. Since the San Lorenzo River is the main source of water for the majority of residents in northern Santa Cruz County, this sounds like a meeting that you might want to attend, even if you don’t live in Felton.

Felton FLOW is the group that led the charge for public acquisition of the formerly private water system in Felton, then owned by the California American Water Company. Cal-Am didn’t particularly want to sell its system to the public, but the residents of Felton, and Cal-Am customers, thought the public, not a big corporation, should be in charge of their water supply. From everything I’ve heard, the former Cal-Am customers are happy to have put their water supply under public control. Folks from the Monterey Peninsula, where Cal-Am controls everyone’s water destiny, are also invited to the meeting on Thursday at 6 p.m. Felton FLOW has also given local water customers a heads up on an upcoming public hearing to consider a drought surcharge. This would only affect customers of the San Lorenzo Valley Water District. If you’d be affected, you might want to mark your calendar for November 19^th, at 7:00p.m.

Get complete scripts of the above at Gary Patton’s KUSP Land Use site http://blogs.kusp.org/landuse . Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney who represents indivuduals and community groups on land use and environmenatl issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, Two Worlds/365” – www.gapatton.net

BOOKSHOP SANTA CRUZ NEWS. The biggest book sale of the year at the Bookshop starts Friday November 6^th for Club members and the rest of the weekend for everybody else. As is the custom for the last 30 years our Hot Damn String Band will play from 7:30-9:30 to provide book buying music. Circle that date. The H.D.S.B. consists of Jim Reynolds – Guitar, Annie Steinhart – Fiddle, Bruce Bratton – Washboard, Dave Magram – Banjo, Garry Cunningham – Bass and Dore Collar – Mandolin. After that Ex Register- Pajaronian and Mercury reporter Lee Quarnstrom will return to the Bookshop on December 3 to sign copies of his “When I was A Dynamiter” book. More details will follow but Lee told me…”It’s part of a big shindig that will include Supervisor John Leopold dedicating a plaque near The Spread, a house where I, along with Ken Kesey & his family and some other Merry Pranksters, lived in the mid-60s for a while. The plaque will memorialize the first Acid Test, held there 50 years ago, at the site of The Spread (now gone) on the north side of Soquel Drive just west of Rodeo Gulch — the gulch itself, not Rodeo Gulch Road, which is on the other side of the gulch. The Acid Tests, which we Pranksters, as we called ourselves, were held in in the Bay Area and southern California, with music by the Grateful Dead. Obviously those future details will make all this sensible!!!

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. World traveler DeCinzo and bicycles…again. See below about four pages.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. Tim Eagan takes on another part of our existence…scroll down.

A NEW HAMLET STARRING BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH. Shakespeare fans and Cumberbatch lovers have made this National Theatre Live production”thee” fastest ticket seller in their history. There’ll be two more repeat screenings at the Del Mar. One on Thursday night Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. and the last on Sunday Nov. 8 at 11 am. This is not your grandmother’s version of Hamlet. The period of the setting is all over the place, costumes are new and old and the much hallowed script has had infinite changes. It’s had rave reviwes and huge amounts of arrows and slings. But you shouldn’t miss it, I saw it and was nearly stunned and the Del Mar was sold out!!! It opens with Hamlet listening to Nat King Cole singing Nature Boy on an old 78. Ophelia is really disturbed and on and on. By the ending I was completely convinced that this was an important version of Hamlet. Remember Nov. 5 & 8 at the Del Mar.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Can the Peter Pan origin-story reboot, Pan, really be as bad as all that? Find out the awful truth this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com). Also, my next novel makes its first foreign-language sale, and read all about a beautiful, poignant Chinese film you should put in your Netflix queue like no.Don’t miss the powerful new doc on the courageous Malala Yousafzai, He Named Me Malala..”

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

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. County Supervisor John Leopold and I co-host the bi-annual KZSC Pledge Drive on Oct. 27. Davis Banta and April Bennett from SideReal Theatre discuss their new play on November 3, then Scott Griffin from The Del Mar- Nickelodeon theatre group talks about local movie business. Shmuel Thaler and Wallace Baine discuss their new Gail Rich Awards book on November 17, those guys are followed by Dr. Shawna Riddle giving us Holiday health advice and common sense about vaccinations. Ellen Primack from the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music guests on Nov. 14 to talk about renovating the Civic Auditorium. After Ellen, Bill Weigel reveals the issues and problems with the proposed Monterey Downs development. The winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz’s Young Writers Contest read their entries on Dec.1^st. Later on, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal talks about being Chancellor on December 15. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always at bratton@cruzio.com

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, 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. “Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons”, Woody Allen. “I wish that dear Karl could have spent more time acquiring capital instead of merely writing about it”, Jenny Marx. “Having a little inflation is like being a little bit pregnant“, Leon Henderson.

A VERY WIDE PACIFIC AVENUE IN 1910. Look this over carefully, note the two way traffic, note the two trolley car lines, note the cars and carriages parked at the curbs. Yet the stores were exactly as far apart as they are today. That would be at Lincoln Street on the left and Soquel Avenue on the right. Or New Leaf Market where the UniqueTheatre sign is and The Om Gallery and Pacific Cookie Company are on the right. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

DATELINE SEPTEMBER 21, 2015
and DATELINE SEPTEMBER 28, 2015
UPDATE: OCTOBER 9, 2015

[Note: This column has had a couple of updates, including the “To see or not to see”. New column Tuesday the 13th! -Gunilla]

SENTINEL OUSTS DECINZO!!!. This news just in….Steven DeCinzo’s cartoons will no longer appear in the Sentinel. First, they were going to cut him back to just one cartoon on Sundays then Don Miller decided that the free lancers money could be “better utilized elsewhere” and fired him completely!!!!. Steven said the Sentinel was “a nice run” and it lasted longer than he expected. It’s another financial and dissapointing cut and slash at the Sentinel. Of course you’ll always be able to read both classic and some new DeCinzos at the end of every BrattonOnline.com check below.

16,000 UCSC ALUMNI LIVE IN SANTA CRUZ. UCSC Chancellor stated in a column in the Sentinel a week or os ago that 16, 000 UCSC Alumni now live in Santa Cruz. We really have to think about that! That’s about four percent of our permanent population. Add to that the number of UC students living in Santa Cruz and we have some idea of UCSC’s influence on our city. Personally, I like almost all of that influence except their demands for water when they start building their North Campus.

SANTA CRUZ COP LINGO. In last week’s column I mentioned that Santa Cruz police refer to “incidents” (trouble) happening on Pacific Avenue as being on the “Oakland” end (Lincoln Avenue going South) or on the “Los Gatos” end (Lincoln Avenue going North). I’ve since been informed the police also call “incidents” happening in Harvey West Park as being in “Middle Earth”. Now we know.

MY SPECIAL RADIO GUEST. It is obviously with great pride that I’m having my daughter, Hillary Bratton (pictured right), as my interview guest on Universal Grapevine Tuesday, October 13 from 7-7:30 pm. Hillary’s brand new album, “Tears on My Pillow but the rest of the bed’s OK” is her first, and was just released and is available at iTunes and other such places as Amazon. We’ll be talking about her really interesting and illustrious past and living and working in Paris, New York, and Los Angeles. Her career with Sony, Rhino Records, and Apple…and a probably a bunch of surprises for both of us…don’t miss it!

Also, while waiting for the radio show, you can read this interview with Hillary!

SANTA CRUZ WATER ISSUE. Lynda Francis sent this out a couple of weeks ago…it’s must reading.

“We need to include a movement in demanding climate action locally…that is, we can bevery effective here in Santa Cruz. The current council has taken countless actions that go against our own climate action plan and defy reasonable alternatives to counter climate change. Most are not “climate deniers,” but they carry on with business as usual in the face of mounting evidence that we really do need to change old habits—planning, water, public works projects, and transportation.

The current Santa Cruz City Council has:
1) Approved over 500 new hotel rooms in the past year without identifying any newsources of water, and this during a water emergency;
2) Discouraged electric car use by rescinding the “free parking in SC” for all electric cars ordinance;
3) Allowed trees to be cut down randomly, tall trees/shade producing trees, at anunprecedented rate…we need a city wide tree count now, and we also need to know howmany trees have been planted;
4) Continued to pave the old way…even though we know this is a major source ofradiating heat, the city continues to use old technology asphalt in the face of newways of resurfacing.
5) Is standing by passively and allowing the current Beach Flats garden to close…itwill be the loss of yet another green space;
6) Continued to encourage a car-centric city center…no discussion about a Pacific Ave pedestrian mall, but a two-way pro-car approach that was shot down by the fire dept., but now they want to make it one way all the way to the wharf.

We must standup and say most people want a pedestrian mall complete with movable street furnitureon Pacific Ave. AND the opening to peds and bikes only of other large thoroughfares(W. Cliff, Front Street, Soquel, Center Street) on a rotating Sunday basis like NYC, LA, Bogota and Mexico City now do with some of their large streets.

The city council can require:
— Shade trees for any new parking lots
— A bus pass fee for all new housing, that is, a bus pass be included for all residents of new housing paid for in developer fees
— Rainwater catchment and grey water systems in all new construction— significant solar subsidies
— Water from all yearly water main flushing has to be captured and given to local residents for use in their gardens
— Moratorium on new construction until new guidelines are put in place
— The city can only buy electric and hybrid vehicles
— Set a clear goal of 250 drought tolerant planted lawns each year for the next five years
— Begin the Santa Cruz version of the “ice bucket challenge” that only uses waterfrom the ocean Santa Cruz might not solve the global lurch toward climate change ourselves BUT, we can act locally and our actions are important and will effect other cities…five million people visit here each year and they will see that making positive change is possible. There is so much to be done locally. Maybe we need a follow up to the Climate Action Plan, or a plan with teeth: deadlines and fines and new policies”. Thank Lynda Francis for all of that.

VANISHING VIDEO STORES. After Sami Abed closed his three video rental stores…Cedar Street Video, East Cliff Video and Video 9 in Boulder Creek, I checked and according to a recent article in the S.F. Chronicle, there aren’t many left in San Francisco either. Remember the days of Blockbuster and Hollywood Video Stores? Well do check out DVD 2 Go at 5171 Scotts Valley Drive across from the turnoff to Scarborough Lumber. Linda runs this amazingly neat and well organized DVD store and it’s been there for 12 years!!!

THE RETURN OF LEON PANETTA. Lois and Bert Muhly had an almost infinite number of friends. Lois’s funeral last Saturday (9/26) was a very fitting tribute to both of them. John Laird officiated and about mid way through the friendly and informal tribute introduced Leon Panetta. Leon had appeared at Bert’s funeral a while back. Leon was in fine fettle and had us all laughing over some wonderfully shared memories.

KUSP NEWS. LIVE COVERAGE AND FIRINGS. Seems like the troubles never end at KUSP. Now that station manager Terry Green has left the building and some board members have resigned let’s hope that IF the station survives they’ll bring back all the live broadcasts that they cut in the last year. Many, many live classical and other musical events went by the wayside, with no notice to or from anyone.

WRENCHED, THE FILM. Here’s what I said last week…

Join the Ventana Wilderness Alliance at the Del Mar Theatre (10/01) for a special screening of “Wrenched: how Edward Abbey lit the flame of environmental activism and gave the movement its soul”. This film captures the passing of the monkey wrench from the pioneers of eco-activism to a new generation carrying Edward Abbey’s legacy into the 21st century. How far are you willing to go in defense of wilderness? At 7pm there’ll be a special live introduction by Edward Abbey’s sister, activist and educator Nancy Abbey. This will be a night to remember but sell-out of the small upstairs venue is almost guaranteed. Advance tickets are strongly advised. Thursday, October 1: Doors open at 6:00 pm and show starts at 7:00 pm. Location Address: 1124 Pacific Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz
Ticket Prices: $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Tickets can be purchased here. For more information: Call 831-423-3191 or go to ventanawild.org http://wrenched-themovie.com/

MORE ABOUT “WRENCHED”. I’ve seen the film since last week and need to tell you what an important film it is. It’s almost a primer on Anarchy and the real meaning and practice of Anarchy, and how historically it has changed communities for the better. It’s also a “how to” lesson on blocking traffic, using chains and barrels and arrests for achieving victory. Maybe more than all of that… it’s how greed, money and the establishment (Land Trust) cries for GROWTH ruin wilderness (The proposed Cotoni National Monument) . All we have to do is see what development has done to the wilderness that was once Wilder Ranch. See this film. I’ll meet you there.

WHICH HOMELESS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT??? We really need to be more careful with labels. Far too many well-minded folks use “Homeless” to describe who they mean instead of “travelers” or some such word. Any thinking person knows that there are true homeless by the hundred of thousands in the USA and around the world today. The “travelers” (as Mayor Don Lane suggested) that apparently hang out on Pacific Avenue at both Los Gatos and Oakland ends are there by their choice of lifestyle.

MARIN ALSOP’S LAST YEAR!!! So just one more season with Marin Alsop leading the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. That’ll be an exciting change. I go back so far with the Festival that I was on the Board when they let Carlos Chavez go, Marion Taylor and I think it was Bud Kretschmer went on a long time search and found Dennis Russell Davies back in St. Paul, Minnesota to lead the Fest for many more years. He made great opening appearances by riding his Harley Motorcycle and having hair down his shoulders!!! Maybe, just maybe they’ll ask composer John Adams (“The Death of Klinghoffer”, “Nixon in China”) to give us another try?? There was some awkward exchanges when he almost joined us just before Marin did.

PACIFIC AVENUE—WHICH WAY. Reed Searle sent this letter to the City Council Monday 9/28…

It is more than slightly ironic (and of course hypocritical) that the Council is asked to do something designed and intended to increase traffic—-precisely the opposite of our stated intention to reduce traffic. But this is probably nothing more than standard procedures that have brought us to where we are now. Should the Council be inclined to accede to the request of the Downtown Commission, I have three suggestions:
1. Investigate (a pilot project along with the requested change) a two way bicycle path from the Town Clock to the intersection with Front St . This would probably necessitate elimination of some parking spaces but would be consistent with stated Council goals of reducing, not increasing, auto traffic. In any event, bicycles will undoubtedly continue to go two ways on Pacific regardless of legality and safety.
2. Consider eliminating all two way sections in this area. I cannot see why retaining these is reasonable. This may also assist in the desired development of the lower part (Oakland end) of what we used to call the Mall.
3. Consider an occasional, perhaps one Sunday a month, closure of Pacific so there may be a trial pedestrian mall. I know this is very controversial but that surely does not mean it is unreasonable. There are malls that are highly successful and others that have flopped. Careful planning and policing would be essential and might make the Mall as desirable as those in, say, Burlington, Vt, or more recently Times Square and a number of European cities. This also is consistent with Council global warming policies.

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary states on his weekday (endangered?) KUSP report…

City Councilmember Richelle Noroyan will be sponsoring a Pacific Avenue One-Way Traffic Project that will be presented to the City Council by the City’s Public Works and Economic Development Departments during the September 29, 2015 City Council meeting. The proposal is to convert a one-block segment between Walnut Avenue and Lincoln Street to the opposite direction, and to convert a three-block segment between Church Street and Cathcart Street to a continuous one-way southbound direction. If approved by the Council, the proposed construction date is after the first of the year in 2016. Last Thursday (9/17), the City of Santa Cruz Planning Commission held an important public hearing, and voted to support a proposed development at 1800 Soquel Avenue, consisting of two three-story mixed use buildings. The site is located at the corner of Soquel Avenue and Hagemann Avenue, right across the street from Walgreens, for those who know the Soquel Avenue corridor, and who would like to be able to picture exactly where the development would be.

An article in the Santa Cruz Sentinelcalled the proposed project “controversial.” The meeting took four hours, and the Sentinel says two dozen speakers expressed concerns, with both traffic and parking being the big issues. The “Nextdoor” online bulletin board for the Eastside/Branciforte neighborhood carried a report from a resident who attended the meeting. That person said that the Commission’s logic was that<quote> “if they make parking bad enough, people will be forced to use other transportation.”` The commenter made clear that he wasn’t advocating that approach, only reporting what he had heard from the Commission.

The project still has to go before the City Council, so if you care, you can still weigh in. In addition, this project is a good example of what the City is planning for the Soquel Avenue, Water Street, Mission Street, and Ocean Street corridors. As I’ve reported before, a planning process is underway. Plans govern specific projects, so get involved early, not late!

Gary then writes (and reads on 9/28)…

The “market” system is supposed to make things affordable. The price of peanuts is set at a point at which the demand for peanuts and the supply of peanuts is in balance. If there isn’t enough supply, the price will rise, and more peanuts will be produced. If there is more supply than demand, the price will fall. The housing market is not like the market for peanuts. Demand comes not just from people who need to have a house to shelter themselves, but also from those who want to invest in the real estate market. Investors don’t want housing for its own sake, and they price ordinary people out of the market. Consider Carmel. Something like fifty percent of the housing in Carmel has been purchased by people who don’t even live in our region, and who have out-competed local workers and their families, in terms of price.

One partial solution is to require new developments to sell a certain percentage of new units at a price below market, and to restrict that below market price for resales. The system is called “inclusionary housing,” and it has worked well in Santa Cruz County, though the Board of Supervisors recently changed the system, so that developers don’t have to build affordable housing anymore, and can just pay a fee instead. Read the complete scripts of the above at Gary Patton’s KUSP Land Use site http://blogs.kusp.org/landuse . Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney who represents indivuduals and community groups on land use and environmenatl issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, Two Worlds/365” – www.gapatton.net

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. DeCinzo and the cyclists..go head on. See below just a bit.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. Freedom by any other name would smell… etc. See Tim’s weekly aside, scroll downwards..

PENINSULA REVIEWS. I met Lyn Bronson at Anna Dmytrenko’s excellent piano concert Sunday (9/20) that was presented by The Aptos Keyboard Series. Lyn produces and edits Peninsula Reviews. It’s a free newsletter with maybe a dozen critics who review and discuss music events on and around the Monterey Peninsula “and neighboring communities”. Check it out. http://www.peninsulareviews.com

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “Every word counts this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com), as I consider the art and craft of the final book edit. Also, author Kate Forsyth delves deeper into fairy tales in The Wild Girl, Captain Hook invades Project Runway, and Alias Hook tops a list of recommended reading in Entertainment Weekly!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or sometimes old programs are archived… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. Jinx Deruisa from The Santa Cruz Chamber Players and Rebecca Jackson take the stage on Sept. 29, after which Robert Stayton will talk about solar energy and his new book “Power Shift” On October 6 Patrice Vecchione returns with news of her newest workshop. After which Amber Duncan and Courtney Castanos from the Ramblin’ Adventure Club talk about their kid’s programs.

My daughter Hillary Bratton opens on October 13 talking about her brand new album, “Tears On My Pillow” to be released Oct. 2. Then Lee Taiz and Nancy Howe talk about The Santa Cruz Watercolor Society’s Blitzer gallery show. On October 20 Becky Steinbruner returns to tell us what she thinks about developing Aptos. Phil Collins then tells us all the new season plans for The New Music Works. County Supervisor John Leopold and I co host the bi-annual KZSC Pledge Drive on Oct. 27. Davis Banta and April Bennett from Sidereal Theatre discuss their new play on October 27. Shmuel Thaler and Wallace Baine discuss their new Gail Rich Awards book on November 17. The winners from Bookshop Santa Cruz’s Young Writers Contest read their entries on Dec.1^st. Later on UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal talks about being Chancellor on December 15. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always at bratton@cruzio.com

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

QUOTES. “The geeks shall inherit the earth”, unknown. “A plagiarist is a writer of plays”, Oscar Wilde. ” I got all the schooling an actress needs—I learned to write enough to sign contracts”, Hermione Gingold

EARLY PACIFIC AVENUE. Car collectors should inform me exactly when in the 1960’s this photo was taken. It’s just before Chuck and Esther Abbott changed the Avenue so completely with their “Mall” ideas. This is of course Pacific and Cooper Streets with Leask’s Deaprtment store on the left where The Regal Cinema 9 now sits. This is, as you’ll read, what the Santa Cruz police refer to as “The Los Gatos” end of Pacific Avenue. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

EARLY PACIFIC AVENUE. Car collectors should inform me exactly when in the 1960’s this photo was taken. It’s just before Chuck and Esther Abbott changed the Avenue so completely with their “Mall” ideas. This is of course Pacific and Cooper Streets with Leask’s Deaprtment store on the left where The Regal Cinema 9 now sits. This is, as you’ll read, what the Santa Cruz police refer to as “The Los Gatos” end of Pacific Avenue.

DATELINE AUGUST 31, 2015
AND DATELINE SEPTEMBER 7, 2015
AND DATELINE SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

Dear Readers,

Yes, three columns worth of stuff this week. Sorry about the delays and missed events. Gunilla is doing all she can to get us back on a regular schedule. Stop by her “Golden Fleece Emporium of Wonderment and Yarn” over at 317 Potrero Street by the Sashmill and say hello, and check out the latest yarn bargains.

PACIFIC AVENUE’S DIVIDING LINE. It isn’t too widely known but our Santa Cruz Police have for many years divided Pacific Avenue when they refer to incidents needing attention. From Lincoln Street going north it’s called, “LOS GATOS”. From Lincoln Street going south it’s known as “OAKLAND”. We should just reflect on that a minute or two. For any and all newcomers trying to determine North and South in this bay- surrounded County…just remember that both Pacific Avenue and Forty-First avenue in Capitola run almost perfectly North and South. Check your compasses.

PACIFIC AVENUE – CLOSING IT TO CARS. In a New York Times article today, (August 31) it tells how Retail Space values went up after Times Square was closed to vehicles. …among other relevant ideas it says, “The kneejerk reaction of some city officials — to tackle the issue by returning Times Square to its old car-centric, traffic-first self — is unsurprising: We know how to manage traffic, with curbs, signals, crosswalks and signposting. But the answer to this topless crisis is not to act in haste and go back to a Times Square gridlocked with yellow cabs and black S.U.V.s. Instead, the lesson is that painting the pavement blue and closing it to cars is a start, but reclaiming space alone is not sufficient to create the sort of vibrant public plaza we’d all like. That requires real stewardship. Civic culture needs cultivating and curating. Unless we do so, public space can become a public nuisance. Urban space develops organically and in sync with a city’s communities if it’s nurtured properly, but we’ve learned that this requires cities to keep reviewing how that space is designed and regulated. There must be mechanisms for maintaining a balance of activities, to avoid one particular group of users, like panhandling performers, dominating. Sometimes, that means regulating activities that are a nuisance or offensive. But imposing conditions or constraints is only part of the solution”.

FIGHTING CHAIN STORES LIKE HAYES VALLEY (San Francisco). The San Francisco Chronicle (Friday, August 28) tells how the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association lost out in their fight to stopping more chain stores opening in their neighborhood. Our Pacific Avenue with Jamba Juice at one end The Los Gatos end and Taco Bell at The Oakland end and Rip Curl, Urban Outfitters, Gap and Forever 21in the middle, our Pacific Avenue is almost the perfect version of any tourist trap in the world. (Think Fisherman’s Wharf). More than a tourist trap it’s becoming just another anonymous shopping mall experience. As that Chron article quotes, “local merchants can’t afford to pay the type of rent those chain guys can pay”. When was the last time we heard anything from our Downtown Neighborhood Association???

THE BEARCAT’S LOCATION??? When will Mayor Don Lane be rolling out his pride and joyride??? We are taking all bets on just where that pride of the City Council be parked during Halloween (just weeks from now). Many times our cops park such vehicles across from the Vet’s Hall on Front street…until needed.

TEEN AGE BOY’S BRAIN DEVELOPMENT.In the New Yorker (Aug. 31^st) there’s an article titled “The Terrible Teens” (no links allowed from the New Yorker). It’s another piece of the Tannery Tragedy puzzle. The article tells and gives scientific proof that there’s somethhing wrong with teen age boy’s brains. “They are not quite firing on all cylinders when it comes to the frontal lobes”. The frontal lobes are where planning, self-awareness and judgement happen. Parents need to be ever protective and watchful. They do crazy, insane things with little or no thought of any consequences. Those seemingly insane thoughts include what seems to us like planning, plotting for seconds, days or months according to professionals who have studied recent teen age behavior. More information is out there on the unknown effects of various tranquilizers and behavior modifers that have been prescribed for teen agers. Those effects are often monstrous and yet subtle…and largely unexplored. Who is the guilty party when prescribed medicines are given teen agers who then act spontaneously or carry out “evil” plans???

NO EL NINO …AGAIN??? Grey Hayes, ecologist and teacher at Elkhorn Slough told me last week that we really shoudn’t get too excited about all the predictions of El Nino coming this year. He reminded me that exactly one year ago (last August) weather people were jumping crazily about the big rains and a huge El Grande heading our way. Then a few weeks later nope, no such rains/water. All predictions were off. Grey says he’s betting it’ll happen again….be warned!!!

COTONI NATIONAL MONUMENT. Some of author Ed Abbey’s quotes really ring true when we’re facing the wilderness- killing involved with the Cotoni National Monument proposal. One especially…”The idea of wilderness needs no defense, it only needs defenders.” Then, when we look at the politicians who support this money making destruction there’s “Power is always dangerous. Power attracts the worst and corrupts the best.” Looking at the much lauded and hyped development of our city by the Chamber and its types there’s “Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.” I miss Ed and his wisdom and his foresight.

PYNCHON MYSTERY LINGERS ON. There’s a new novel on the market, “Cow Country”. The author is listed as Adrian Jones Pearson. Many folks are saying it’s none other than our one-time Aptos resident Thomas Pynchon. Now someone has to figure out if the bizarre and dysfunctional Cow Eye Community College (the focus of the book) is none other than our Cabrillo Community College!!! Some literary “experts” are claiming it’s not Pynchon, but others like of the New York Times say it’s another trick by Pynchon, who seldom misses a chance to mess up, fool, baffle and hide from the public. Here’s a link to Alexandra Alter’s New York Times piece from Sept.11, 2015.

As I’ve mentioned a few times I actually did meet Thomas Pynchon while he lived here. A long time friend of mine visited with Pynchon frequently and introduced us.

FREEDOM FROM FIREWORKS. Jean Brocklebank long time activist, environmentalist and neighbor of Arana Gulch writes…

“Residents all over the County of Santa Cruz have had it with fireworks explosions, not just on July 4th but throughout the year. They are fed up with the problems caused to people, pets and wildlife. A new campaign has been formed, appropriately called Freedom From Fireworks. “The FFF campaign was introduced to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors during oral communications at their August 18 meeting. Six of us stood at the podium, representing 83 others who could not be there. The supervisors listened carefully. There was some applause from the audience after I finished reading our statement. Now the big work begins, to educate the BOSupes, so that we can get their help in making enforcement of the existing ordinance prohibiting all fireworks a priority health & safety issue. This will take some specific policies and we are going to share our ideas for said policies with the BOS in the coming months. We’ll be meeting the County Sheriff, the Santa Cruz Police, Veterans, Animal Services, Native Animal Rescue, City and County Fire Chiefs, CalFire and NOAA officials (Monterey Bay Sanctuary), to name a few.
“Meanwhile, if anyone wants to add their name as Supporters of what we are doing, they can use the Contact Us form at the web site. They can also add the name of their neighborhood by using the same form found on the Neighborhoods page. The more names the better to show supervisors that this is an issue of concern all over Santa Cruz! We also have a Facebook page.” http://freedomfromfireworks.weebly.com

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary reports Mon-Fri on his KUSP program…

There are definitely two schools of thought about the proposal to ask President Obama to establish the Coast Dairies land on the Santa Cruz County North Coast as a National Monument. Supporters say that this will confer a status and recognition for these and other lands on the North Coast that can’t help but be positive. Skeptics point out that the lands are already protected and preserved, and that the main impact of the Monument designation, if such a designation is made, will likely be to bring hundreds of thousands of additional tourists to the North Coast, causing environmental damage to the very lands that all agree are worthy of protection. Monument skeptics also point out that there are already significant parking, traffic, littering, and law enforcement problems on the North Coast, and that a Monument designation would probably make the existing bad situation even worse. You can get more information on both sides of the controversy at kusp.org/landuse, and if you’d like to register your personal feelings, consider attending a Town Hall Meeting to be conducted by Congress Member Anna Eshoo and Congress Member Sam Farr. That meeting will take place on Monday, September 21^st, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, at the Davenport Volunteer Fire Department. The purpose of the meeting is to address North Coast concerns regarding the National Monument proposal.

If you live in the unincorporated area of Santa Cruz County, and if you care about the future of your community, please get involved in the so-called “Code Modernization” project. It will have a major impact. By the way, the “unincorporated area” means any area in Santa Cruz County that is not located in the City of Santa Cruz, the City of Watsonville, the City of Capitola, or the City of Scotts Valley. The zoning ordinance is the set of rules that restricts what you (and maybe more important, what your neighbors) can do. Don’t underestimate its importance!

As a matter of pure logic, and basic economics, if our communities want affordable housing, they must either use public funds to build it, and/or find a mechanism to impose price controls. Just to say it again, if maintaining a “free market” in real estate is our society’s highest priority, then prices will be set by those with the most money. In Monterey County, huge numbers of homes formerly available for residential use by local residents are now second homes, the owners living elsewhere and only using the homes infrequently. They have the money to do that, and that’s what they do. In Santa Cruz County, higher-paid people who work in the Silicon Valley buy up homes that are then not available for local workers. Then he talks about a proposed evelopment in Live Oak… The Board is probably going to set Tuesday, September 29^th, at 1:30 p.m., as the time to make a decision on a 20-unit residential subdivision proposed at 1000 Rodriguez Street, at the corner of Jose Avenue. If you care about this proposed development, you should plan to attend the hearing. Originally, the developer, City Ventures, wanted to build more units, and there is an argument, of course, that developments within designated urban areas should be “dense” developments, to help prevent future urban sprawl. To me, one of the issues of most significance is that the developer will not produce ANY affordable units. That’s because the Board changed its policies within the last year to allow developers the right to pay fees instead. Significant neighborhood impacts; no affordable units. You decide!

He closes with a huge development named The Monterey Downs…

LandWatch Monterey County has announced some guided hikes, to show the public the proposed Monterey Downs development site.Participants will be able to see the size of the one mile race track, the 6,500-seat arena, the grandstands proposed, and all the area that will be developed into homes and commercial areas if the Monterey Downs project is approved. There are also coastal oak trees covering the land, many of which would be cut down to carry out the project.

I want to mention another federal agency with a hugely important environmental assignment; this is an agency that I bet listeners and readers may think about quite frequently. I mean the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Again, this federal agency has oversight responsibilities for natural resources that are critically important to our Central Coast Region

I want to alert all of you to the Sanctuary’s pending review of its management plan. There will be a meeting on this topic on September 23^rd, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Louden Nelson Community Center in Santa Cruz. This is a “scoping meeting” for the Environmental Impact Statement that will accompany the management plan revision. My comment is that the health of our marine environment depends on good land use practices. If you want to make a comment, visit kusp.org/landuse to find out how you can do that! (Read the complete scripts of the above at Gary Patton’s KUSP Land Use site http://blogs.kusp.org/landuse . Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney who represents indivuduals and community groups on land use and environmenatl issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, Two Worlds/365” – www.gapatton.net

SANDY LYDON’S SANTA CRUZ HISTORY CLASS & CENTRAL COAST SECRETS.

This is the guaranteed last time forever and ever that Sandy will teach his much respected and community changing Santa Cruz History class. It began September 11 and goes through December 18. Go here.. http://www.sandylydon.com to see how to enroll and check out his newest travel and tour news. There’s new news and data on the past and very present anti-Chinese sentiment in San Francisco now!!!

EXEUNT PETER DEMMA. Peter Demma died a couple of weeks ago…on August 28. He added greatly to the color of our county. He was part owner with Ron Bevert of the Hip Pocket Bookstore once located in the older St. George Hotel. He ran for sheriff and walked naked down the street to draw attention to his cause. He was born in Oakland and grew up in Berkeley and in various towns like Menlo Park and Atherton. His daughter Melyssa sends this…Please join his life celebration ceremonies as follows: Sunday, September 27th, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at Veterans Hall, Front Street, Santa Cruz. The ceremony will Include; photos, stand up speeches (please feel free to contribute), Honored Guards, Taps performance and a 21 gun salute.

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. The Best of Times, the Worst of Times and Good Times too…scroll a few pages downward.

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER.
Look below a page or two..see Eagan’s newest target..

ARTHUR MILLERS “THE PRICE”. One of Arthur Miller’s finest and most rarely performed plays runs now through October 4 at The Jewel Theatre at 1001 Center Street Downtown Santa Cruz. Joy Carlin directs it, and Nancy Carlin stars in it. It was the absolute hit of their theatre season. The complete cast of four actors was probably the finest ensemble I’ve seen in years. The touching, demending, family disecting plot is excellent Arthur Miller. (Death of A Salesman, All My Sons, The Crucible, After The Fall) This’ll be the Jewel’s last show in the Center Stage. Artistic Director Julie James tells me the Tannery’s Colligan Theatre will open on time and that the Jewel Theatre will open with Guys and Dolls in November!!! Tickets at www.JewelTheatre.net or call 425-7506

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “All quiet on the blog this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com), while I hunker down to hammer out the final revision on my next novel. But you never know when something cool is going to pop up, so keep checking back!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

WRENCHED, THE FILM. Join the Ventana Wilderness Alliance at the Del Mar Theatre (10/01) for a special screening of “Wrenched: how Edward Abbey lit the flame of environmental activism and gave the movement its soul”. This film captures the passing of the monkey wrench from the pioneers of eco-activism to a new generation carrying Edward Abbey’s legacy into the 21st century. How far are you willing to go in defense of wilderness? At 7pm there’ll be a special live introduction by Edward Abbey’s sister, activist and educator Nancy Abbey. This will be a night to remember but sell-out of the small upstairs venue is almost guaranteed. Advance tickets are strongly advised. Thursday, October 1: Doors open at 6:00 pm and show starts at 7:00 pm.Location Address: 1124 Pacific Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz
Ticket Prices: $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Tickets can be purchased here For more information: Call 831-423-3191 or go to ventanawild.org http://wrenched-themovie.com/

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 and we now have two weeks worth of archives!!!)… Composer, teacher Joseph Sekon guests on September 15 to talk about an upcoming concert. After Joseph, Jewel Theatre’s Julie James returns to reveal their 2015-16 season. September 22 has emcee and Santa Cruz Voice Kim Luke discussing this years FashionArt Show happening September 26. Then Rachel Kippen program director of Save Our Shores talks about their Beach Clean-up program. Jinx Deruisa from The Santa Cruz Chamber Players and Rebecca Jackson take the stage on Sept. 29, after which Robert Stayton will talk about solar energy and his new book “Power Shift” On October 6 Patrice Vecchione returns with news of her newest workshop. After which Amber Duncan and Courtney Castanos from the Ramblin’ Adventure Club talk about their kid’s programs. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always at bratton@cruzio.com .

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, 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. “I could never trust a man unless I’ve got his pecker in my pocket“, Lyndon Baynes Johnson. “Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance”, H.L.Mencken. “I never vote for anyone—I always vote against“, W.C. Fields.

THE OLD PACIFIC AVENUE 1960. This is the Hotel St. George originally built in 1893. There were many versions of this hotel due to fires and earthquakes. The one we know today is a Barry Swenson Builders creation. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email bratton@cruzio.com

DATELINE AUGUST 17, 2015
COMBINED WITH DATELINE AUGUST 24, 2015

COLUMN CONFUSION. Once again Gunilla Leavitt and I are forced to combine the weekly columns which are always written every Monday. Hopefully next week there we can get back to a regular new column online as soon as possible each week on or after Mondays.

[Gunilla speaks: It is ALL MY FAULT, please don’t fault Bruce for this. And bear with me, I *will* get back on a normal schedule. I’m just going through some stuff. Thank you for your patience.]

FAREWELL FRED KEELEY. There may be a farewll party at the Highway 17 Santa Cruz County Boundary for Fred Keeley by folks who offer to pay his gas fare… one way. We’ll have to wait and see. Then again others have started calling him the Man From Unctuous, but that isn’t kind.

Fred’s giving up his push and pull job working as the Sempervirens Fund President and his connection with the proposed National Monument campaign. As The Sentinel (8/6) said “As a contract democracy consultant for Santa Clara, Keeley, a former California assemblyman and former Santa Cruz County Supervisor, will help expand the city’s award-winning Community Outreach/Vote Ethics Program, which puts ethical campaign strategies at the forefront of elections, asking voters to pay attention to the candidates’ conduct. He also will teach a graduate seminar in the Public Administration Department at San Jose State University and continue serving as chair a special task force, commissioned by State Treasurer John Chiang, to develop best practices on the fiduciary care and use of state and local bond proceeds”. Local subterranean voices are saying he was advised to switch jobs, and even get something out of the county due to some near –totally- unproven rumors. I’ll remain poised to add to all of this…stay in position.

MORE ABOUT TEEN AGERS, LIFE IMPRISONMENT AND DEATH SENTENCES!!!

Last time I wrote in this space…”THE TANNERY MURDER, A THOUGHT. Now that we know that 15 year old teenager will be tried and sentenced as a adult doesn’t it seem “strange” that at 15 we don’t believe he’s mature enough to drink, he’s too young to know how to vote, and he certainly can’t think fast enough to drive a car…but he is definitely qualified to face life imprisonment for that one decision???” Whew, lots of reactions to what I just meant as something to think about. Well it turns out some folks think that stuffing the body in the dumpster closest to your house and then hanging out near it and bugging the police is adult thinking!!! Others think that because that 15 year old kid killed somebody that we should hire prison staff to kill him. It’s really hard to justify this killing thing. Then again we all know what happens to young boys/men in prison especially if they were sick enough to murder a child.

It’s another slower version of a death sentence. There are many articles lately on youths and solitary confinement. A reader sent this link..

The New York Times had an editorial Sunday (8/16) titled “Indefinite Imprisonment, on a Hunch”. I can’t get a link to it, but it says, “despite the public perception that all sex offenders are recidivists sex re-offense rates are in fact lower than those for other crimes”. It concludes, ” Public Safety would be better served if resources were directed toward community supervision and other services for those leaving prison, rather than skirting the Constitution to keep locked away”. One reader/writer wrote, “What bothers me about the crimes that took Maddy Middleton’s life was that AJ Gonzalez was let down by so many systems in his life: familial, social, educational. Somewhere throughout his young life there had to have been many warnings signs that should have been detected and not ignored”.

FAREWELL LOIS MUHLY. Lois and Bert Muhly were among my earliest Santa Cruz friends when I moved here in 1970. For nearly 45 years we worked on an infinite number of causes, campaigns, fund raisers, musicals, and protests. Davenports Nuclear Power Plant, stopping 10,000 homes onto Wilder Ranch…and on and on. Bert and Lois defined what it means to be a beautiful, giving and very loving couple. We will fell the loss for decades. Services will be held September 26, 2015, at 3:00pm at the Peace United Church of Christ (formerly First Congregational Church), 900 High St, Santa Cruz, Ca In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Resource Center for Non-Violence, 612 Ocean St., Santa Cruz, Ca, 95060 or Three Americas, Inc. PO Box 711, Santa Cruz, Ca 95061-0711

KUSP HISTORY. For a completely different reason some readers searched online for some of my old columns in Metro Weekly. I happened to find this from JANUARY 22, 2003 Metro Weekly…

“As listeners probably know, KUSP-FM is starting its biggest schedule change in 20 years on Feb. 3, 2003. There’s a new lineup of programs from 9am to 9:30 pm weekdays, including the canceling of the seniors’ Prime Time program. (Full disclosure: that show contained my little eight-minute movie critiques that used to be aired every other week.) The station is cutting out Johnny Simmons’ Lost Highway and Wallace Baine’s Talking Pictures on Sundays. It’s adding Pacifica’s Democracy Now at 3pm on weekdays and expanding a lot of NPR programming, such as All Things Considered and Fresh Air. Changes in any medium (even newspapers) are rarely taken lightly, and KUSP’s changes have caused a near civil war among programmers, supporters and volunteers. Station manager Peter Troxell, who has seven months left (if he leaves on schedule), says these are tough financial times for the station. Along with KAZU’s recent switch to NPR programming, which cost some amount of KUSP listeners, the debt from an expensive station remodeling has also hurt KUSP’s budget. So KUSP has reduced staff hours, not replaced some staff members who’ve left and even gotten a discount on NPR’s program costs. Grants and station-sponsoring clients have dwindled, and now program director Howard Feldstein and Troxell say the station’s healthy. “We’re not going away; we’ll stay here. Membership is OK; these are just program changes that were overdue,” Troxell and Feldstein add. What you need to do is go online to www.kusp.org and see the complete new schedule”. So much for KUSP history and that “expensive remodeling” plus the $6500 monthly rent that seldom gets talked about.

CLOSING PACIFIC AVENUE FOR $800. It’s a good thing Mayor Don Lane and The Santa Cruz City Council approved the closing down of Pacific Avenue and Lincoln Streets last Friday morning for a Helmann’s Mayonnaise commercial. We learned that to cover the cost of blocking all traffic, bringing in extra police and preventing the use of all the parking meters for FOUR HOURS on Pacific Avenue and Lincoln streets costs only $800. That’s the amount that Helmann’s Mayonaise had to pay. As most of us know, Hellmann’s is owned by Unilever, probably the largest commercial institution of its kind in the world. If you go to Unilever’s website you’ll read such stuff as…”On any given day, two billion people use Unilever products to look good, feel good and get more out of life” and, “With more than 400 brands focused on health and wellbeing, no company touches so many people’s lives in so many different ways”. Still more, “Our portfolio ranges from nutritionally balanced foods to indulgent ice creams, affordable soaps, luxurious shampoos and everyday household care products. We produce world-leading brands including Lipton, Knorr, Dove, Axe, Hellmann’s and Omo, alongside trusted local names such as Mazola, Ben & Jerry’s, Popsicle, Rinso and Suave. With the generosity shown to UNILEVER by our City Council we should surely see a more honest appraisal when any local residents disrupt traffic hereabouts. As The Sentinel article says, “There’s a flat fee of $100 to shut down any street”. We can only assume that anarchists and others would pay that same fee.

CABRILLO FESTIVAL SAYS GOODBYE TO MISSION CONCERTS. Marin Alsop has decreed No more San Juan Bautista Mission concerts! Besides all the problems with traffic, weather, cramped space, bad acoustics, and rigid church officials, the Mission gigs cost the Festival an extra $20,000 to move all their gear there.

FOOD TRUCKS & WHAT TRUCKS?? Restaurateur Ted Burke swears a friend sent this to him… “There should be a margarita truck that plays Mariachi music as it drives around the neighborhood in the evening. And we would hear it and run out with our money and stand on the curb, waiting for it. Like an ice cream truck, but, you know, with margaritas”. We’d probably have to vote on that.

TESLA MURAL PLANS. Nikola Tesla can get some much needed publicity and recognition here in our enlightened city. Peter Bartczak noted muralist says, “My latest public art project is a 22’x12′ mural featuring Nikola Tesla, your favorite cult hero/genius inventor/visionary. I hope to put paint to the wall at a local longtime (35 years) Santa Cruz institution – John’s Electric Motor Service on May Street. That’s over off Water and Orielly’s Auto Parts and near where the old DMV offices used to be , remember? The mural will depict Tesla as an electrical magician and shows a few of his inventions – A.C. Current, broadcast power, fluorescent lights, remote controls, and, of course, the Tesla coil. Peter is a long time Santa Cruzan and is responsible for murals on the west side’s Upper Crust Pizza on Mission St., the dancing figures downtown by the clock tower, and the portraits that used to grace the wall of the Silver Spur restaurant on Soquel Drive. He has also done work for such companies as Disney, Universal Studio Tours, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Dell Publishing, Annieglass, and many local businesses. You can see more of his work at www.clownbankstudio.com

Funding is thru the Indiegogo crowd funding website All sorts of goodies are given to contributors, including postcards, fine art prints, keychains, and original art, depending on how much you contribute. Please contribute whatever you can to this project so we can inspire more people with Tesla’s genius and vision.

PETER McGETTIGAN SAYS GOODBYE TO COMMUNITY TV. After decades of erstwhile camera work at Santa Cruz Community Television these two entities said goodbye to each other under circumstances which aren’t entirely clear. But Peter is now available to do any and all video work. mcgettiganfilms@gmail.com or 831 469-9501.

HIGHWAY 6 Benefit Dinner August 29, 5:30-8:30 p.m. London Nelson Center. The invitation reads, “There’s a time when you can’t even passively take part! And you’ve got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus — and you’ve got to make it stop!” – Mario Savio, UC Berkeley Sproul Plaza, 1964.

Please join us for an evening of delicious food and inspiring music in a benefit dinner for the UCSC Highway 6. Members of the UCSC Highway 6 and the Santa Cruz community are organizing to raise funds to further the fight against UC political repression of student activism, at a time when students all over the country are rising against police brutality and inequality in education. We would love to have you be a part of this important movement-building event!The six students who took the highway on March 3rd have met unprecedented repression by the state and the university, including several violations of constitutional rights by the UC administration during the judicial process. The Hwy 6 will be filing a civil suit against the university with the goal of minimizing further repression of student activists across the UC system. This event is also an opportunity for you to connect with other community activists, to learn more about recent student activism at UCSC and why things have escalated to the point that they have. There will be a catered dinner, a silent auction, and several inspiring performances. Please RSVP with your name/s and the number of people attending in your party to: <ucschwy6@gmail.com>

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary states on his KUSP broadcasts…August 24-28. He talks about plans to vibrate Salinas and developing CSUMB. Then he talks about Cal-Am and their control of the Monterey Peninsula’s water supply. Hard to believe but there’s a “Canine Sports Center,” proposed to be located on a 43-acre site near Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley. Gary mentions that too. Fort Ord development will be dealt with by the City Of Marina Planning Commission. Like Santa Cruz, he says, “There is a more Marina-specific item on the agenda, too; namely, the proposal by Shea Homes to cut down two healthy cypress trees. The Planning Director said that was “ok.” The Marinatacrifice

Tree Committee said it was “ok,” and now the Planning Commission will consider the issue on an appeal. From the City of Santa Cruz to the City of Marina, public officials are usually willing to sacrifice trees to aid the desires of the developers. ficials are usually

ABOUT PLACING WIRELESS TOWERS AND SUCH…to aid the desires of the developers”. He closes telling us about the placement of Wireless Facilities…

As listeners may know, federal law has largely preempted the field of wireless regulation, and this federal preemption has made it quite difficult for local governments to have any say on the location of these facilities. For instance, while the health impacts of wireless facilities are of concern to many local residents, federal legislation has pretty much made it impossible for local governments to regulate wireless facilities based on health concerns.The visual impacts of such facilities, and other land use impacts, are still a basis for local regulation. However, there is a bill now being considered in the California State Legislature that might undermine such local regulation. Assembly Bill 57, now in the State Senate, would provide that proposed wireless facilities will be “deemed approved” if not acted upon within either 90 or 150 days. I note that Assembly Member Mark Stone voted “no” on this bill in the Assembly. Assembly Member Alejo is recorded as “not voting.” Read the complete scripts of the above at Gary Patton’s KUSP Land Use site http://blogs.kusp.org/landuse . Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney who represents indivuduals and community groups on land use and environmenatl issues. The opions expressed are Mr. Patton’s \. Gary has his own website, Two Worlds/365” – www.gapatton.net

CLASSICAL DeCINZO. A National Monument by any other name would smell… etc. etc scroll downwards!!!

EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. Tim Eagan looks at the many sides of Trump…see below.

MACBETH. I wrote on my Facebook page last week…”I’ve been urging everybody to go see Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s “The Liar”,. It’s the best and funniest play I’ve ever seen them perform. I saw Macbeth last night(8/13). It’s the worst, most poorly acted Macbeth I’ve seen in a long lifetime. Macbeth forgets his lines, the audience laughs at every tragic scene, it’s so poorly performed. The Equity actors must be from the bottom of the barrel. Macbeth got more laughs than their production of Much Ado About Nothing!!!” I got many thnk-yous for that but UCSC’s Patty Gallagher who is an EQUITY Actor and a witch in Macbeth felt bad. Patty’s consistently one of the best actors I’ve seen, even though this production plays the witches as bar maids/whores instead of powerful demons from hell. I should have said that 99% of all the actors were all bad and never mind about Equity.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: Lisa writes: “This is the last season for Santa Cruz Shakespeare in the fabulous Sinsheimer-Stanley Festival Glen at UCSC. So if you want to bask one more time in this unique playgoing experience, make plans to see a play (or two) before the season ends on August 30. I recommend the rambunctious, hysterically funny comedy, The Liar, the absolute jewel in the crown of this year’s SCS season, and there are only a few performances left! Read all about it this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com).” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or sometimes old programs are archived… (See next paragraph) and go to http://www.radiofreeamerica.com/dj/bruce-bratton August 25 has Bruce Van Allen talking about UCSC’s Highway 6 and a fund raiser on 8/29 as a very hot topic. After that Sharon D. Payne and Kosher Assault tell us inside secrets about the Santa Cruz Derby Girls. Sept. 1^st Tom Karwin talking about The UCSC Friends of the Arboretum after which environmentalist Grey Hayes discusses new nature issues that need attention. On Sept 8 Kimberly Perm from the Pajaro Valley Shelter Services talks about their programs and their successes. Then Julie Callahan returns with Rosemarie Alles discussing The March For Elephants. Joseph Sekon guests on September 15 to talk about an upcoming concert. After Josef, Jewel Theatre’s Julie James returns to reveal their 2015-16 season. September 22 has emcee and Santa Cruz Voice Kim Luke discussing this years FashionArt Show happening September 26. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always at bratton@cruzio.com .

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, 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 preface is the most important part of a book. Even reviewers read the preface”, Philip Guedalla. “I did so enjoy your book, darling. Everything that everybody writes in it is so good”, Mrs. Patrick Campbell. “It was a book to kill time for those who like it better dead”, Rose MacAulay.