January 11 – 16, 2012

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Bruce

PACIFIC AVENUE, SANTA CRUZ, 1892. From McCaleb’s “Surf Sand and Streetcars” book we learn that this was Santa Cruz’s first electric streetcar line. This was known as the lower plaza. Front, Mission and Pacific Avenue. It shared the tracks with the horsecars..

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

LEON PANETTA’S SURPRISE SANTA CRUZ VISIT. The First Congregational Church on High Street was nearly packed and we were waiting for Bert Muhly’s Memorial Service to begin. You could feel the buzz, see the swiveling heads, and hear the whispers… Sylvia Panetta’s here!!! So was Leon of all people!!! Katherine Beiers presided over the 2 hour series of tributes to Bert and Lois. There were tears, laughs, and a genuine feeling of community as we all remembered our personal Bert stories. Bill Monning spoke; Sam Farr presided over the post ceremonies at the reception where Zun Zun played. Bert’s oldest son Bill spoke for 35 minutes and kept Bert’s speech making ability alive and well. Leon Panetta wowed the house by opening with “the last thing Bert would have expected is for the Secretary of Defense to be at his memorial”. Then Leon told of his fond and funny remembrances of the John Tuck/Paul Dragavon “1/4 of July” parties that we staged yearly during the 70’s when Leon was first introduced to Santa Cruz voters. Sam Farr mentioned to me after wards that I should have been included with John and Paul, but what the hell. Zach Friend asked me later what really went on at those legendary parties where upwards of 200-300 people would attend. I didn’t tell him. Keith Greeninger sang and talked how Bert had changed his life. Mark Stone, John Leopold, John Laird, and Don Lane were all there as well as a few other current council people. The Memorial was a fine get together of long time political friends. It’s just too bad that just a few “Developer Democrats” have been working so hard to break up such a community.

WIND MACHINE NEEDED IN SANTA CRUZ. Peter Bartczak sent this clip.

LOOKING FOR DICK YOUNT. Peter Fields sent this inquiry…”I’m assisting a gentleman who’s been compiling Harpers Bizarre reissues for CD. No one seems to know what’s happened to Dick Yount (Harpers Bizarre, Corny & The Corvettes), not even his ex-band mates; and its been over a decade at this point. While I could have sworn I saw an obit quite some time ago, I thought I’d contact you with your knowledge and resources to pose the question…”What ever happened to Dick Yount?”Your help is appreciated – thanks. Sincerely, Peter Fields. Any Bonline readers know about Mr. Yount??

21 MINUTE FILM OF 1955 SAN FRANCISCO.

ANONYMOUS LETTER ABOUT FRED. Culled from this week’s contributions (and thanks for those contributions) was this gem re Fred Keeley and why he should punch a time clock in and out from his office…

“I am embarrassed to admit that I have not been reading your online column until just a few days ago. Someone suggested that I read your Sierra Club articles, and I entirely agree with you. This Micah Posner rat is slimy and dangerous. Although I am a voting Sierra Club member, I hadn’t read anything about the election except the Sentinel’s articles, which are obviously one-sided. But I came to the quick conclusion that the election was not about conservation at all and only partially about bikes. It is really about control by pro-development interests. I am glad to see that others such as you agree. Thank you for continuing to report on this. And what is it with Micah Posner’s dirty clothes? Is he making a statement that it is good for the environment to not wash your clothes, or is he just slovenly? I read something that he wrote in September about his summer vacation, when he marched his family from Santa Cruz to Castle Rock, 50 miles in 10 days. He had his 5 1/2 year old daughter with him. I thought that bordered on child abuse. He was so proud that he marched that poor little girl 4 to 8 miles a day.

The real reason I am writing is to say that I work for the County, and am so pleased that Fred Keeley’s disgraceful behavior is finally getting out. I have a non-descript job in the County building, but have friends who work for Fred or are required to deal with him. It is insulting to me that he makes a ton of money (Sentinel salary database says $162,774) for so little work. People are afraid to talk about this. His staff is obviously intimidated by him so they are afraid to make decisions, but he isn’t there enough to make the decisions. The feeling around the County building is that his office functions OK because he has good staff, but don’t expect more than the minimum from them because they are essentially leaderless. I have also heard rumors that he waives penalties for his chums if they happen to pay their taxes late. The Grand Jury did an investigation of this last year, and I heard people chuckling about it, but I don’t think the Grand Jury report was very strong. In my opinion, Fred Keeley is the opposite of the myth he has created for himself – I do not see him as charming, nor an environmentalist, nor the Treasurer (his treasury manager is the real treasurer), nor concerned about Santa Cruz (just himself). I do see him as a pompous freeloader. One would be hard pressed to find a Fred Keeley supporter inside 701 Ocean Street, largely because he insults us other employees and the citizens who voted him into his nice job by putting as little effort into it that he can get away with, and then joking about it. An acquaintance of mine attended Mardi Wormhoudt’s retirement party when she left the Board of Supervisors, which was apparently attended by hundreds of people, and told me that Fred gave a little skit that included a strip tease down to his shorts and t-shirt, but also bragged to the audience that he went through a silly little job interview so the County could give him his job, and then bragged to the audience of hundreds that he doesn’t have to work very hard at it. So inappropriate and disrespectful. I hope you continue to write about Fred Keeley’s work hours. I doubt he will leave voluntarily, but perhaps the Board of Supervisors can do something. He needs to go do something he is interested in, because he is creating problems and costing taxpayers a lot of money to do something he isn’t interested in, and only does it part time”. Anonymous. Enough said? Probably not.

DONALD SUTHERLANDS FART STORIES.

ERASING ELERICK INPUT NAME. Maryellen Boyle sent emails to Paul and me about her name appearing in Paul’s Input last week. She said, “I am not a supporter of People Power’s Sierra Club list”.

She emailed again saying, “I am shocked to read your comment about me and my membership in the Sierra Club and the assumption that I joined the club to promote a bicycle agenda in the Sierra Club. Your assertion is quite incorrect. For the record, I voted against the People Power endorsed slate of candidates”. (Ed Note. Paul asked me to remove her name, as it was a mistake).

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary talks about Carmel and their water supply problem. He relates issues with the proposed shopping center on highway 68. He discusses our Transportation Commission and the Catch 22 created around the redevelopment agencies. It’s all here and on KUSP.

(Gary Patton is “Of Counsel” to the Santa Cruz law firm of Wittwer & Parkin, which specializes in land use and environmental law. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, “Two Worlds / 365” – www.gapatton.net)

MAJOR MAYOR SHIFTS. The Santa Cruz homeless problem has now shifted from Ryan Coonerty’ s philosophy of the healing power of jail time and arrest records to Don Lane’s concept of providing housing. Pundits around town are now worrying ahead of time that with our next Mayor Hilary Bryant’s background in Veterinary Medicine she’ll be pushing for spays and neuters!!!

CALIFORNIA’S BALLOT BOX BATTLE. There are six measures that could change civil society in California. And our local WILPF chapter is working on them. They say…”The yearly California Battle of the Ballot Box is already heating up, even though November voting is months away. The Santa Cruz WILPF January program will focus on six prospective ballot issues concerning… the death penalty, corporate purchase of our elections, health care, the environment and tax equity. Please join us! 7:00-9:00pm, January 17 Quaker Meeting House 225 Rooney Street, Santa Cruz . Free, all welcome, donations always welcome. For more information call (831 465 8272 ) or email wilpf.news@calcentral.com.

ANCHOR IN ANTARCTICA. Micaela writes re: the cold culinary arts…
Somebody ate my tuna fish. I searched through the week’s leftovers in “Debra Jo”, our name for our communal fridge, and found hush puppies, veggie pasta, chicken egg rolls, basil polenta and hot fudge sauce. All good things to eat (maybe not in the same meal) but I wanted my very own little tub of tuna fish salad. Apparently, it has disappeared into the abyss of our collective appetite.

Most of our meals happen buffet-style, where everyone serves themselves with giant spoons. Our two cooks prepare three meals every working day, and (almost) every meal is delicious. The baked goods deserve special mention. We bring down enormous quantities of food in our vessel, storing it a year’s worth of pork chops and tofu dogs in two shipping containers set up as freezers. However, bread is so bulky that we would never have room to store enough frozen bagels and dinner rolls for a month much less an entire season. Sacks of flour stack much more nicely, so the cooks bake daily and even keep their own sourdough culture.

Of course, eating someone else’s cooking means eating according to their taste and preference rather than your own. The demands of cooking for large groups of people under deadline also dictates how food is prepared and seasoned — not too complicated, not too salty or spicy, not too “ethnic” unless serving a theme meal like Mexican Day (Fridays here at Palmer).

While living at McMurdo Station in 2007-2008, I went an entire year without eating a meal prepared for fewer than one hundred people. By the time I returned to the States after six months of post-Ice travel in Southeast Asia, I had become obsessed with cooking. A year without having to cook did more to expand my palate and range of kitchen techniques than any foodie trend.

And that’s why I get upset thinking about my tuna fish salad, prepared with capers, lemon and dill without the use of wretched plastic-tub mayonnaise. Someone raided Debra Jo for an after-hours snack or maybe for sandwich fixings on Sunday (our only day off) and failed to heed the initials “MN” clearly written on the lid. I tried clarifying Fridge Etiquette at our station meeting during the “Gentle Reminder” portion of our agenda, and perhaps that will solve the problem. If not, then forget initials — I’m labeling my next batch of goodies “Fried Liver and Onions, Help Yourself.”

(Micaela Neus works for Raytheon Polar Services Company as a utilities technician and is currently living at Palmer Station, Antarctica until April or maybe September 2012!!

CAT LIKES PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. Pat Matecjek sent this one, click here: Cat Waits At Bus Stop, Rides the Bus Routinely

VINTAGE DE CINZO. Boulder Creek’s source of boldness ??Seek DeCinzo below.

EAGANS DEEP COVER. The real Mitt Romney from the real Tim Eagan. Scroll to the usual place

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul Landau reviews Frank Bardacke’s book, “Trampling out The Vintage” . Saul and I agree completely on the book. Listen to Universal Grapevine Tuesday from 7-7:30 to hear me interview Frank. Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow whose films are on DVD from roundworldproductions@gmail.com

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Direct from Lisa…”This week at Lisa Jensen Online Express, I reveal my new mantra for the New Year, mull over Dueling Dragons (Hollywood and Swedish versions of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, that is), and send a big shout-out to the Nickelodeon and Del Mar Theaters for their cool new digital upgrade. Lisa Jensen has been writing film reviews and a column for Good Times since 1975.

CHRIS ROCK ABOUT STRAIGHTS WATCHING THE OSCARS.

WAR HORSE. Why are there so many sappy, saccharine, Hallmark, trite, syrupy plots about horses. Think about National Velvet, My Friend Flicka, Horse Whisperer, Seabiscuit …all weepy sentimental slobbering stories. War Horse is worse than all of them. All it lacks is Roddy McDowell, Mickey Rooney, Barry Fitzgerald, and a teen aged Elizabeth Taylor. It even has the required duck that nips at men’s trousers. Don’t go ever, and don’t let anybody you care about go either. BUT there is one good thing about horses…read on.

SANTA CRUZ’S HORSE MEAT MARKET.Speaking ofhorse meat, Joe Giallo and his partner Nancy opened a horse meat market at 2590 Portola where Cole’s Bar BQ is now. Here’s a clipping from the Lewiston Daily Sun telling about Joe and selling horsemeat back in September 1974. My friend the late Jerry Predika ( artist and sausage maker) and I started writing a horsemeat cook book with a recipe for Filly Mignon and much, much more, but Joe got just one load of what they said was improperly refrigerated meat and shut up shop. The meat is delicious and almost fat free. Now we see that Obama has made horsemeat legal again!!! Scroll past the news of George Harrison going on tour, and that Sonny and Cher are breaking up and that Michael Tilson Thomas resigned as guest conductor of the Boston Symphony when he was 29.

TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY. Gary Oldman gets better with every role he plays and he is simply wonderful in this star loaded cast. No one I talked to, me included, could decipher the plot of this complex foreign intrigue. It’s smart, intelligent, perfectly acted, neat photography and all that, but it’s hard to figure who’s doing what to whom…and why. See it anyways, better yet read it again before you go. I should have.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO.This re-make isn’t like a director doing a brand new take on Hamlet’s character. It’s not as good, or as tight as the original. It’s exciting; the new Dragon lady is very cool, but not as cool as the original. The problem with it is…you won’t be able to stop comparing, remembering, and thinking ahead on the obvious similarities of the two plots. After saying all that, go anyways…good fun.

HOSTETTER’S HOT STUFF.There are loads of good things coming up, still including the incomparable David Lindley, John McCutcheon, BeauSoleil avec you-know-who, Linda Burman Hall’s sound projects with the most musical primates on earth besides we humans, a wealth of lovely Irish music of all persuasions, and as a bonus, something I neglected last time: accordion wizard Dan Newton in Santa Cruz, of all places! If anyone has a direct line to The Great Morgani, please tell him to come. They are birds of a feather. You need to click this link here, and the other stuff will be revealed. As before, I hope to see you at one or another of these splendid events. yrs, ph.

Memoir (and): A celebration with Claudia Sternbach, Wallace Baine, Richard Stockton and local authors. “This is the age of memoir,” proclaims William Zinsser in Inventing the Truth: The Art and Craft of Memoir. Memoir will come of age in our century, outgrowing the constraints bound upon it for so long, as the novel did in the twentieth century. Memoir (and) is a nonprofit literary journal born with these ideas in mind and whose mission is to publish traditional as well as nontraditional forms of nonfiction allied with memoir. Reading tonight is essayist Jaclyn Moyer (“Marigold”) and award-winning poet Charles Atkinson (“Passing Bell for Kobun Chino, Sensei”). Tonight’s event promises lively literary conversation with hosts Wallace Baine, the Santa Cruz Sentinel Arts Editor, Richard Stockton of True Fiction Radio, and Claudia Sternbach, author of Reading Lips: A Memoir of Kisses. Thursday, January 19 at 7:30pm at Capitola Book Café.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE RESUMES AT UCSC. Friday, January 13: “American Crossroads”. 20th-Century American Music for Piano with Mary Jane Cope, piano with Amy Beal (piano) and Kristin Harris Garbeff (cello). This is an evening performance of works for solo, duo, and accompanied piano by great American composers of the 20th century, including “Balinese Ceremonial Music” transcribed in 1940 for two pianos by pioneering ethnomusicologist Colin McPhee.

PROGRAM
In a Landscape (1948) — John Cage (1912–1992)
Piano Sonata no. 3 (1947) — Norman Dello Joio (1913–2008)
Sonata, op. 6, for Cello and Piano (1932) — Samuel Barber (1910–1981)
Four Piano Blues — Aaron Copland (1900–1990)
Three Irish Legends — Henry Cowell (1897–1965)
Balinese Ceremonial Music (1940) transcribed for two pianos by Colin McPhee (1900–1964). Friday, January 13, 2012. Music Center Recital Hall, UC Santa Cruz. 7:30pm (doors open at 7:00pm).general seating. tickets at santacruztickets.com

UCSC Ticket Office (831-459-2159) and the SC Civic box office (831-420-5260).

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. On January 10^th activist, author, teacher Frank Bardacke will give us background on his Cesar Chavez/UFW new book “Trampling Out The Vintage” then Jim Mosher returns to talk more about his work on regulating alcohol and marketing it to young non drinkers. Wilma Marcus Chandler is on Jan. 17^th talking about the current “8 Tens @ 8 Play Festival. She’ll be followed by Peter McGettigan ace producer and cameraman at Community TV. Jan Karwin from The League Of Women Voters will be my guest on January 31 talking about the League and the Ballot measures they are backing. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES.In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 5 years here’s a chronological list of just this year’s podcasts. Click here then tap on “listen here” to hear any or all of them… all over again. The Great Morgani on Street performing, 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 Conpany. 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. Hear them all!!!

QUOTES. “I hated America until I discovered TV”, Michael Gerston.”Every revolutionary needs a color TV”, Jerry Rubin.”Children who worship Batman grow up to vote for heroes“, Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by tim eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Comments Off

January 4 – 10, 2012

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Bruce

ONE MORE SNOW PHOTO, 1957. This was taken at Mission and Water Streets or Front and Pacific if you prefer. You know, Bank of The West and The Town Clock corner . We lost the McHugh Bianchi Building (on the far left) in 1972.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

2012 & REPUBLICANS. Now that the New Year is finally here (there were some doubts earlier) we should look at and wake up to what’s really happening on the political scene. We watch, mostly stunned, while our County Treasurer Fred Keeley endorses more and more pro-growth and unqualified Sierra Club candidates. We remained stunned while cyclists led by Micah Posner (who’s running for Santa Cruz City Council) exert more “support the economy” pressure in his pro-growth run for power. If that’s not enough just read the BAY AREA GOP December 2011 NEWSLETTER… partially reprinted here…

Republican Opportunities Bloom in Santa Cruz

Republican opportunities are rising dramatically in Santa Cruz County with two prominent Republicans running for open supervisorial seats.

County Board of Education President Vic Marani is running in the 2nd District, while former state Senator and California Secretary of State Bruce McPherson is running in the 5th District.

Chairman Gene Scothorn says that the Santa Cruz County Republican Party “has new life, and there’s a lot of energy moving ahead into the 2012 election cycle.”

– – –

Vic Marani was elected to the county Board of Education in 2008, after serving earlier on the Pajaro Valley School Board. He has been working as an aide to state Sen. Sam Blakeslee until leaving to run for supervisor.

The 2nd District includes the beach communities south from Capitola plus Corralitos and the mountain areas north of it. Incumbent Supervisor Ellen Pirie is retiring.

Vic Marani served in the past as an educator and a coach, as well as chair of the county Republican Party. He and his wife have twin daughters and live in Rio del Mar. You can reach his campaign at (831)684-6167.

– – –

Bruce McPherson jumped into politics in 1993, pulling off what seemed like a miracle win for a Republican in a heavily Democratic Santa Cruz state Assembly district. He was well known as the editor of the local newspaper, the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

McPherson was elected to the state Senate in 1996 and served two terms. In 2005 he was nominated by Governor Schwarzenegger to become California Secretary of State.

The 5th Supervisorial District includes part of Scotts Valley, Boulder Creek, Felton, various mountain communities, and a little of the city of Santa Cruz. Incumbent Mark Stone is running for state Assembly.

Bruce McPherson says he is interested in running for local government because it is the “best, most responsive form of government.”

Folks who follow local politics beyond the Sentinel know that Vic Marani has worked for decades to place Republicans on as many local “non-partisan” boards as possible. School boards, committees, you name it and Marani’s influence is there. Now he himself is running. They must figure the time is ripe. More than that Republican Bruce McPherson is running for 5^th district County Supervisor. Again folks tend to forget that McPherson followed Arnold Schwarznegger’s party line with total loyalty. Yet, the rumor persists that McPherson was a moderate Republican.

LATTÉ BREAKING QUESTION. Just mentioning Fred Keeley ( see above) County Building spies have asked for quite a while just what hours does Keeley keep? Then they wonder how many times per month does he go to Sacramento? And why? Just how much time and work is his staff/crew filling in for him? Fred’s already earned his place in history right between………. And ………., so what is he working on now?

GARY GRIGGS & DAVID GHARKY. Gary Griggs (another endorser of Sierra Club candidates for some unknown reason) Wrote in his 12/30/11 Sentinel column on wharves:

“The photograph also shows a second wharf, a little to the west of the present Municipal wharf, which was built by David Gharkey in 1856. The South Coast Railroad bought this wharf 20 years later and it soon became known as the Railroad Wharf. Tracks were extended to the end and freight and passengers could then be transferred directly to or from ships”. The problem here is that Katherine Beiers alerted me to the fact that it’s spelled Gharky. Just like Joao Rodrigues Cabrilho and LONDON Nelson we appear to have a community wide disinclination to the proper spelling of names. So here from the Santa Cruz Public Library very public files…

“The second wharf, slightly west of today’s Municipal Wharf, was constructed by David Gharkyin 1856 and lengthened in 1863. It was purchased by the South Pacific Coast Railroad in 1875 and became the Railroad Wharf, with tracks running out to the end. Here freight could be unloaded directly onto steamships, and ship passengers could reach county destinations directly by train. During the Civil War, Gharky constructed a high wharf extending out from Second and Main streets on Beach Hill, to serve the Powderworks, the only gunpowder factory in the west. It became known as the Steamship Wharf when the Pacific Coast Steamship Company made it its local headquarters”. We can all do better in 2012.

ROAMING WITH ROMNEY RUMORS. Ever-creative Romney Dunbar who has been doing all those business promotion spots on our local channels told me at Karla Hutton & Ted Benhari’s New Years Party that he’s about to announce his brand new in hotel channel idea. Sounds great and I’ll let you know more when I get his next final word.

WORST IDEAS OF 2011.The Whale’s Tale Restaurant. I still have the full color 11x 16 brochure of the proposed enormous 422 seat restaurant in the shape of a whale that Mark Gilbert wants to build out on our municipal wharf. Lets hope that idea has drowned a rapid death by now.

GOOD TIMES AND CHRISTMAS CHEER. Lots of folks were very surprised to hear that Christa Martin longtime staff writer on December 15, was let go, terminated, fired…whatever, just two weeks before Christmas. That leaves exactly two staff writers at GT. What’s next? Any couldn’t they have waited until this month???

KELLY GARRETT RETURNS.Kelly Garrett, long time Santa Cruzan journalist and partner with Jim Heth in running The Morning Star an actual Santa Cruz daily newspaper was back in town last week. Kelly and his two sons (who are fluent in Spanish) live in Naucalpan, a suburb of Mexico City. Kelly covers the cultural scene in Mexico City which he says is not just huge, never ending, and growing but it’s supported by the citizenry the likes of which is rare here. He’s writing furiously for Mexico Review which will debut in a week or two. I’ll pass on a link to it as as son as it’s online…in case you’re going South.

OUR OWN SENTINEL.Just in case you’re not a life-long subscriber to the Sentinel you NEED to read this one. Both Paul Hostetter and Welles Goodrich sent it in… “Santa Cruz woman thwarts mugger, hands him bag of dog poop”, read the rest here…

SENSIBLE TRANSPORTATION AND PETER SCOTT. Peter Scott sent this…
First of all; we hope the New Year brings you good things! Second, here are two items of interest:
1. Here’s a good letter to the Sentinel editor from Leonie Sherman:

Keep Pogonip wild.On a recent hike through the lower Pogonip, I encountered friendly families, elders and strolling individuals. As soon as I hit the U-Con trail, I was bombarded by speeding cyclists, most of whom did not even slow down as they passed me, none of whom issued a greeting. Cyclists on upper campus have cut illegal single tracks all over the mountain, leading to erosion and compaction, removing trees and whatever else is in their way. Mountain bikers have plenty of terrain to enjoy here in Santa Cruz and there is precious little space left for hikers, families and the elderly. A trail connecting Harvey West with Upper Campus and Henry Cowell already exists: the train tracks. Please oppose the foolish idea to create a multi-use trail, which would cater to a small number of individuals who take up a lot of space. Keep the Pogonip peaceful and wild”. Leonie Sherman, Santa Cruz. Read it again here

2. J. M. Brown’s December 25th Sentinel article is here. Brown’s piece is mainly about the current local Sierra Club election, but it refers to the proposed new trail on the Pogonip as one of the election issues. If you are a member of the Sierra Club, be sure to vote for the three incumbents. The ballot is on the last page of the latest Ventana newsletter (mailed December 15), which you should have received by now. Ballots are
due to the Sierra Club’s P.O. Box by January 11. Feel free to call me (831-423-0796) if you have any questions. It appears likely that the Pogonip trail issue will be coming up before the City’s Parks Commission in February, 2012. We’ll keep you posted. All the best, — Peter
p.s. Don’t forget to encourage your friends to sign our petition if they haven’t already done so.

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary’s KUSP reports take on CEQA, more about Monterey’s Fresh & Easy Chain Store, and about Land Watch in Monterey County. He then discusses and praises The California Coastal Commission and tells why they are absolutely necessary. He closes with a discussion of The Coastal Watershed Council. Read it all here

Michaela’s first words in 2012 are: “Palmer Station celebrated the New Year in classic Antarctic style–tipsy, cross-dressed, and cold. We construct our own makeshift costumes and also dress up the youngest person on station as “Baby New Year” (complete with adult diaper) to lead the countdown to midnight in our bar. After the cheer comes the First Polar Plunge of the Year, quickly followed by the First Dip in the Hot Tub around 2:30 a.m. to watch the sun set over the glacier.

This New Year promises big changes for Palmer and for all the U.S. stations. The National Science Foundation (NSF) finally announced that Lockheed Martin won the contract to manage the logistics and infrastructure for the US Antarctic Program (The Program). The support contract normally lasts ten years, but the economic climate led the NSF to extend the contract held by my current employer, Raytheon Polar Services Company (RPSC), for three additional years. Every month of the extension brought new rumors about “The Transition” often colored by a vague sense of threat: cutbacks, radical policy changes, stricter Physical Qualification (PQ) requirements, no more mail, etc. When the RPSC contract expires on March 31, 2012, we will start to see how these bureaucratic changes will effect those of us on continent in actuality. I bet that at least some of those rumors come true, although not the ones people expect.

The real anxiety about The Transition stems from conflicted reality of a career in The Program. Most people here do not feel that they work for some support contractor chosen by the NSF. We work for Antarctica, for the scientific research in general and for the quirky communities that we form amongst ourselves. The contractor companies have tremendous power over our day-to-day lives during their contract, but in the end they’re just passing through. When one company leaves, we apply to the same jobs with its replacement and carry on. However, our jobs allow us to come to Antarctica in the first place. Not to get hired means to lose access to the people and places that have come to feel like “Home.” The company therefore has no power and all power, simultaneously.

Whatever happens over the next few months, I’ll be in prime position to tell you about it. I recently accepted a winter contract that will keep me on-continent until next September or October. In fact, I might not return to the northern hemisphere until next New Year! ”

(Micaela Neus works for Raytheon Polar Services Company as a utilities technician and is currently living at Palmer Station, Antarctica until April 2012…well maybe longer…see above).

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul either ends last year or kicks off this new one with a statement like… “Obama could make a humanitarian gesture to free the Cuban Five. Cuba has already “conveyed to the U.S. government its willingness to find a humanitarian solution to the Gross case on reciprocal basis.” (Cuban government press release December 2011) The U.S. media ignores the statements of 10 Nobel Prize winners, Amnesty International and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions. All agree. The Cuban Five did not get a fair trial and merit a pardon or a new trial – not in Miami.Obama knows how to get Alan Gross home. After all, Israel swapped 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for one captured Israeli. READ IT ALL HERE

Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow whose films are on DVD from roundworldproductions@gmail.com

VINTAGE DE CINZO. Mr. DeCinzowelcomes the New Year with some food resolution ideas. Scroll down.

EAGANS DEEP COVER. Tim takes a chunk out of political campaigning, scroll below.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa boldly announces…” It’s a wrap this week at (Lisa Jensen Online Express ), where I bid adieu to some of the biggest hits and misses of the 2011 movie year. Meanwhile, my shameless love affair with The Artist continues as I present an illustrated guide to some of the vintage stars and classic movies that inspired it. Lisa Jensen has been writing film reviews and a column for Good Times since 1975.

THE ARTIST. This “film” is nearly perfect. Wonderfully acted, perfectly cast plus our local Dash Pomerantz as an added attraction, you should see this movie. It proves what I’ve tried to say for years…Silent Films are more interactive, they demand your attention, and you simply get more from them. I’ve been attending The San Francisco Silent Film Festival for nearly all of its’ 17 years and have seen at least 200 of the best surviving genuine silent films from around the world….and they are projected and screened properly. The plot of The Artist is corny and a lesser event compared to Silent Masterpieces such as Abel Gance’s Napoleon or Sunrise or Metropolis or any Chaplin or Doug Fairbanks efforts but it’s fun, unique and should be seen on the big screen.

TIN-TIN. I missed most of the Tin Tin books and was more of a Babar the Elephant enthusiast up to about age 8. But this Spielberg animation version of Tin Tin is well worth seeing. I’ll even say that there are scenes the scope of which I’ve never witnessed on the screen before. I was impressed by the new style of animation. Not “The Incredibles”/Pixar type, not Disney, and excellent. My LA grandsons and son in law and I saw it in 3D in Culver City less than a block from the original MGM Culver City Studios, which I last toured in 1954. Culver City has created a 2-3 city block pedestrian mall, and it’s working well from what I could tell.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL.Only if you like Tom Cruise and air-headed spy action thrillers should you see this one. It has something to do with secret drone bomb codes and Russia and suction cups and Dubai hotels. It has no meaning, no discernible plot and only suction cups make the film exciting. Go warned.

NEW MUSIC WORKS. The NMW Ensemble presents MANDOLICIOUS , conducted by Phil Collins, with Guest Artists, mandolin virtuoso Mike Marshall and Nigerian-American tenor Akindele ‘Akiva’ Olanrewaju Bankole present an evening of rare and new small ensemble treats spanning almost two centuries (1826-2011) by composers Mike Marshall, Akindele ‘Akiva’ Olanrewaju Bankole*, Mark Kilstofte, Luigi Denza, Johann Sioly, Franz Schubert and Arnold Schoenberg (* world premiere). There’ll be a post-Concert Discussion with The Artists (at the end of the concert). Admission discounts available for Seniors, Students and Cabrillo College Music Students. Doors open at 7:30pm, showtime is 8pm on Friday, Jan. 13th, 2012 in the
Cabrilho College Music Recital Hall, Aptos. For more info, please visit: www.newmusicworks.org

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. Claudia Sternbach guests on January 3 to talk about her new book, “Reading Lips” after which Kathy Bisbee discusses her film and saving community TV. On January 10^th activist, author, teacher Frank Bardacke will give us background on his Cesar Chavez/UFW new book “Trampling Out The Vintage” then Jim Mosher returns to talk more about his work on regulating alcohol and marketing it to young non drinkers. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 5 years here’s a chronological list of just this year’s podcasts. Click here http://kzsc.org/blog/tag/universal-grapevine then tap on “listen here” to hear any or all of them… all over again. The Great Morgani on Street performing, 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 Conpany. 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. Hear them all!!!

QUOTES. “First coffee. Then a bowel movement, Then the muse joins me”, Gore Vidal. “I’m not feeling very well. I can only write prose today”, W.B. Yeats.. “One should not be too severe on English novels; they are the only relaxation of the intellectually unemployed”, Oscar Wilde.

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by tim eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Comments Off

December 21, 2011 – January 2, 2012

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Bruce

OUR TOWN CLOCK’S ORIGINAL POSITION ON JULY 27, 1964. This shows the removal of the clock from high atop the International Order of Odd Fellows Building on Pacific Avenue. It went from here to sit in Harvey West Park for 10 years before Gene Corridon with financial help and guidance from Bob Darrow, got it re-situated in 1975. Check out the more formal and detailed history here…

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

SUPPORT THE REAL SIERRA CLUB. Paul Elerick and many Sierra Club members and friends sent in the following bulletin and data. It’s important enough to lead off this week’s column…

ELERICK’S INPUT.

Attention Sierra Club Members – Keep the Sierra Club Strong and Independent

In the critical Santa Cruz Group of the Sierra Club election this December please vote for Kevin Collins, Dennis Davie, and Mark Sullivan. Their credentials are printed in this month’s Ventana Newsletter.The Santa Cruz Group of the Sierra Club is the oldest and largest independent environmental group in Santa Cruz County. Locally, the Sierra Club has been effective in challenging policy-makers on many conservation issues, including zoning and land use, timber harvest plans, biodiversity ,transportation, open space, water use, storm water management, oceans and fisheries, and climate change.

These successes are now at risk. A coalition of groups that support many projects that the Sierra Club opposes is attempting to take over the Executive Committee of the Sierra Club in the board election this December. This could silence a critically important independent voice in local conservation efforts.

If you believe that the Sierra Club should keep its historic focus on protecting wildlife and wild lands, please join me in supporting the current Executive Committee members, Kevin Collins, Dennis Davie, and Mark Sullivan in their bid for re-election.

If you are a Sierra Club member, you should have received your Ventana Newsletter by now, it has been mailed to Sierra Club members. Please complete the ballot on the back page, and mail the original per the instructions on the ballot page, (not a copy) before January 5. If you have a joint membership, remember that you can vote twice.

If you are not a Sierra Club member, you can help by forwarding this message to your friends that are members or have friends that are members. For more details on this takeover attempt, click here.

(Paul Elerick is thechair of the Campaign for Sensible Transportation, http://sensibletransportation.org , chair of the Transportation Committee of the Santa Cruz Group Sierra Club. and is a member of Nisene 2 Sea, a group of open space advocates).

MORE ON SIERRA CLUB TAKEOVER. Paul Elerick’s link, and this one, takes you to a story in Santa Cruz Indy Media. The article, “Bicycle Wars: Cycling advocates seek control of Santa Cruz County Sierra Club” contains statements such as, ” But in a move that has some long time Sierra Club members crying foul, cycling advocacy groups are running a slate of three candidates for the board of the Santa Cruz County Group of the Sierra Club in the December election. This would be the second cyclist-sponsored candidate slate in two years, and is expected to decide control of the Santa Cruz Group Executive Committee. And, “The candidates have no prior history of volunteering for the Sierra Club, but do have extensive ties to local cycling advocacy groups. Tawn Kennedy is coordinator of Green Ways to School, a K-12 education project that is funded by a grant through People Power and the Hub for Sustainable Transportation. Greg McPheeters is the immediate past Chair of the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, and Mary Odegaard joined People Power in advocating for the King Street bike boulevard. The trio is attempting to unseat the current Santa Cruz Group Executive Committee Chair, Kevin Collins, a long time Sierra Club forestry activist, as well as the Forestry Committee Chair, Dennis Davie, and the Secretary / Treasurer, Mark Sullivan, a local environmental attorney”. Read that entire Indy Media piece. It tells about Arana Gulch, the bicycle path through Pogonip, King Street’s bike boulevard, and more of Posner’s plots.

MICAH POSNER & PEOPLE POWER. I should have charged a dollar for every person who’s asked me about Micah Posner and his 350-500 member People Power club in the last year. Lately the questions center on Posner being one of the folks behind using the upcoming election to stack the Sierra Club with pro-development people. Check out People Power website at http://www.peoplepowersc.org . Now YOU can look for their non profit status, look for what happens to monies “donated” to People Power, how much does Micah take home? Do they have 350 members or 500 members? The P.P. website claims both! Do they donate $100 each? Why does Micah’s name creep into each development scheme around the County? I can’t figure it out. One deal/reason is that IF those pro-development people over take and outnumber the environmentally committed Sierra Club members there won’t be the Sierra Club opposing those developers deals and the toady’s that go with them.

LAND TRUST VICTORY PARTY??? What’s really happening behind the scenes of that Cemex Deal up in Davenport? The highly trained BrattonOnline spies reported that just last week That the Land Trust threw a victory party up in Davenport, that was nice, but how come County Supervisor Neal Coonerty wasn’t invited and Janet Webb, the president of Big Creek Lumber did get an invite?

Satchmo singing…what else?

MONSTER ATTACKS SMITH GRADE. Bonny Doon neighbors plus The Rural Bonny Doon Association, The Native Plant Society and Back Ranch Road folks are have started their own firestorm over Robert Mansfield’s plans to build a monster house on Smith Grade. Bob is Senior VP of Hardware Engineering at Apple. Check him out at the Apple website Depending on how you look at it, and it’s so big you’ll be forced to look at it, Mansfield is planning on a 9,300 square foot mansion. He’s planning on it being four stories high!! That includes his 4 “barns”, and his basement theater. They erected “story poles” last week and everyone from Empire Grade to Back Ranch Road and miles around are very angry, and worried because the CEQA comment period ends this Wednesday, and the planning dept hearing is scheduled for January 20^th. As one neighbor stated “the story poles show the outlines of the facade, four stories high on a promontory visible from many locations all over the north coast. One issue is an Open Space Easement attached to the property in 1981, which was signed by Gary Patton as our Supervisor at that time” This invasion could happen to you and your property next month, tell the County Planning Department what you think about your environment, your neighborhood and our County before it’s too late.

CHICKEN WIRE MONSTER MACHINE. Trained docent Ken Sievers sent this clip of a genuine chicken wire making machine. Ken noticed that the late Barney Bricmont and I both handled that stuff at Orchard Supply Hardware. Before Orchard I did the same job at Eastside Hardware working for Ted Giubbini back in 1970. But who remembers Eastside Hardware anyways??? Barrios Unidos is at the Eastside location now. Look below for the clip of a barbed wire machine…geez!!

FAREWELL BERT MUHLY. I first met Bert and Lois Muhly at Jim and Katie Heth’s house when Lois was teaching at Soquel. Burt was one of the first people I called to connect with in our fight to stop P.G. & E. from building their Nuclear Power plant up in Davenport. We remained on the same side of almost every local progressive political issue for over 40 years. Bert always talked a lot and when he was scheduled to speak at Leon Panetta’s first local fundraiser for Congress way back in 1976 at Paul Dragavon’ s house I printed “Bert Muhly…brief political update 2:00 p.m.-4:15 p.m.”. He and I laughed about that nearly forever. More than being missed, Bert was essential.

BARBED WIRE MACHINE. Be very afraid of watching this clip!!! The accompanying music either makes the device nearly sexual, or it’s time for a vacation.

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary warns that a “Fresh and Easy” grocery store is moving into Monterey. He pleads with us to get involved next year with land use issues and the setting of local policies. He talks about a Bill Monning Bill and praises the many gifts that Bert Muhly gave our community. Read all of Gary’s weekly KUSP scripts here.

(Editors note; Fresh and Easy Grocery Stores are owned by TESCO. Tesco is British owned and is the third largest retailer in the world after Wal-Mart and Carrefour Hypermarkets. Tesco now has stores in 14 countries around the world. Santa Cruz will probably be next!!)

SANTA CRUZAN LU WATTERS…an early recording.

LU WATTERS BIRTHDAY. Lucius “Lu” Watters was one of Santa Cruz’s most famous musicians. He was born here on December 19. His trumpet style and love of Jelly Roll Morton style jazz made Lu the leader of the San Francisco jazz revival back in 1949 through the 50’s. Turk Murphy, Bob Scobey, Clancy Hayes and sometimes even Woody Allen on clarinet played his arrangements. Bruce Engelhardt sends this…Hi Bruce E. “All the Jazz programs out here are celebrating and playing the music of Santa Cruz’s own Lucius “Lu” Watters as the centenary of his birth fall on the 19th of December. Anything happening in Santa Cruz?
To BrattonOnline…” The note above is from my friend Tony Dunn who lives in Airey’s Inlet, which I believe is in Victoria state in southern Australia. It’s a coastal community. He’s a big traditional jazz fan, plays jug and sings with the Gut Bucket Jug Band and is a recently retired economics teacher at the equivalent of our city college which is located in Melbourne. If the Watters he’s speaking of is the founder of Dixieland jazz in San Francisco (out of which sprang Turk Murphy), his birthday should be noted and celebrated in Santa Cruz but so far, I’ve seen and read nothing about it. Perhaps we should organize some sort of celebration or commemoration for Watters next year. I was embarrassed to report back to Tony that I heard and read no mention at all about Watters’ birthday in Santa Cruz in this or past years. Bruce Engelhardt. I agree about us not doing anything to salute Lu Watters. How great to have one of the 10,000 ukulele artistes at least dedicate an evening to his music, or name a development or some meeting room in one of the four new hotels going up…after him!!! Why not???

ANCHOR IN ANTARCTICA. Our cold on the outside/warm on the inside correspondent sends season’s shivers…

“We celebrate holidays according to traditions that have sprung up at Palmer Station since it opened in 1968, each season’s crew tweaking the customs carried over from previous years. All of them have a very “handmade” flavor because we don’t go shopping for gifts or decorations at the local mall. Someone made our menorah from brass plumbing parts, for instance– it’s beautiful, if a bit heavy. The stockings come from recycling bits our everyday life: mesh nets used to catch krill samples, scraps of Carhart work pants, produce bags from the freshies.

The true highlight of the season is the Christmas gift exchange, when we employ our unique talents to create fantastic, one-of-a-kind gifts that we then use to torture one another. Everyone has a chance either to open a gift from under the plastic pine tree or to steal one already opened by someone else. Because the gifts range from stunning to so-so, the emotional roller coaster picks up momentum with every round of unwrapping (and of homemade eggnog) until no packages remain. I lost a gorgeous graphite drawing of seal in a handmade frame in the final round last year, and instead walked away with a package of hot chocolate powder. I would feel silly hanging a picture on the wall of my storage unit, anyway.

One day, I hope to celebrate Christmas at the South Pole with The Anti-Santa Claus– a worker with a naturally white beard who dresses up in a black Santa outfit, a mirror-image of the North Pole original, and runs around station playing pranks. He’s normally a quiet guy, I’m told. He simply understands that some jokes require such rare and precise conditions for the setup that you have a clear obligation to put the punch line in the proper place if you ever find yourself There to make them.

…Holidays spent “on ice” remind us of the simple truth– no matter how long we stay here, Antarctica is not Home. Christmas in particular has a special power to point out everything and everywhere that Palmer Station is not– a home with a partner, visiting aging parents or grown children, and out with friends you’ve known since childhood. Here will never be There, and we cannot recreate the rituals of holidays spent at out respective homes. So why try?”

(Micaela Neus works for Raytheon Polar Services Company as a utilities technician and is currently living at Palmer Station, Antarctica until April 2012.

VINTAGE DE CINZO. Monster homes get the DeCinzo holiday spirit…scroll down.

BING CROSBY AND THE ONLY CHRISTMAS SONG

EAGANS DEEP COVER. Tim E. and animal friends warm up to global warming…see below.

THE NUTCRACKER ON A GLASS HARMONICA. The Shadowbrook’s Ted Burke sent this holiday gem. It says glass harp but it’s really an updated copy of Benjamin Franklins’ glass harmonica. Ted says he’s never tried it in the restaurant….maybe next year?

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul’s provocative article title is “Where’s Captain Hook in NPR’s Peter Pan”. In it he writes…”Operation Peter Pan (recall the Disney film?) used Cuban kids and parents to further their goal: overthrowing the revolutionary government. NPR’s claim of “no evidence” of CIA involvement would have dissolved had they asked Veciana or questioned why the CIA still refuses to release its 1,500 plus documents on that Operation – while de-classifying archives on the Bay of Pigs and the 1962 Missile Crisis”. There’s plenty more about this patently evil plot; read it all here…

Saul Landau’s WILL THE REAL TERRORIST PLEASE STAND UP – available on DVD from cinemalibrestore@gmail.com . Nelson Valdes came to Florida in Operation Peter Pan and is Professor Emeritus at the University of New Mexico. Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow whose films are on DVD from roundworldproductions@gmail.com

3 DIMENSIONS & YOUR BASIC SIDEWALK. Artist Ray Ginghofer sends this link to a cool new art form…

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa (in her theatrical voice) humbly requests….”Clear the decks in your holiday schedule, and put on your dancing shoes, for one of the absolutely best movies of the year. I rave all about The Artist, and examine some of its silent-era forebears, this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/). Lisa Jensen has been writing film reviews and a column for Good Times since 1975.

YOUNG ADULT. Charlize Theron must love to “play ugly” then change into her glamour self…she does that a lot and does it big time in Young Adult. It’s an “interesting” film and she plays a disturbed, alcoholic, partly funny children’s book writer. I liked it, it keeps you wondering, she’s always great to look at, and I hope she doesn’t win anything for this role.

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS. Camping and flapping it up Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law repeat and even add more silliness to this series in #2. The first Downey/Law/Holmes flick made nearly ½ billion dollars…that’s why there’s number 2, surely to be followed by guess what? It isn’t quite as silly as I expected but unlike the almost 235 Sherlock Holmes films listed on IMDB dating back to silents in 1908 and 1916 which take Holmes very seriously, this is just for fun. No one could follow the plot, there’s no tension, no suspense, and nobody tries to act. If that’s your favorite type film go for it.

WHO THE HELL IS JULIET. If you care about Cuba or appreciate excellent documentaries, this 1997 film breaks all the rules. Juliet is a 16 year old prostitute the director met while filming a story of a famous model’s life in Havana. Ten stars at least, it’s fresh, wild, free flowing and has a life rarely seen in films. It took two years to film, and its well worth renting. Go to East Cliff Video to rent it.

STUDENT SERVICES. Another DVD gem from Cedar Street Video. This 2011 French film is about a beautiful student who can’t afford college tuition (one of 40,000 young women in France) who work as occasional prostitutes. Excellent film, produced by IFC. Rent it locally. It wasn’t widely if ever, shown in the USA.

MR.SINATRA AND THE ART OF FLYING.

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. Forest critic Jodi Frediani talks about Cemex on December 20, then Pat Matecjek talks about the recent Arana Gulch decision and developments. (I’m taking December 27^th off and we’ll do a re-play of UCSC Prof. Winifred Frick talking about Brown Bats and Gray Hayes detailing local effects of global warming). Claudia Sternbach guests on January 3 to talk about her new book, “Reading Lips” after which Kathy Bisbee discusses film and community TV. Jim Mosher returns on January 10^th to talk more about his work on regulating alcohol and marketing it to young non drinkers. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES.In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 5 years here’s a chronological list of just this year’s podcasts. Click herehttp://kzsc.org/blog/tag/universal-grapevine then tap on “listen here” to hear any or all of them… all over again. The Great Morgani on Street performing, 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 Conpany. 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. Hear them all!!!

QUOTES. “Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man”, Benjamin Franklin. “New Year’s Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual”, Mark Twain. “Time has no divisions to mark its passage; there is never a thunder-storm or blare of trumpets to announce the beginning of a new month or year. Even when a new century begins it is only we mortals who ring bells and fire off pistols”, Thomas Mann. “New Year’s eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights”, Hamilton Wright Mabie

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by tim eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Comments Off

December 13 – 19, 2011

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Bruce

SNOW AND TWO WAY TRAFFIC ON PACIFIC AT 7:50AM. IN 1957. You say global warming, I say nostalgia, but whatever works we do have occasional snows around these Mediterranean parts. That lovely building for you newcomers was The Cooper House, formerly our “County Building”. It went down bureaucratically after the 1989 earthquake. It had been retrofitted just before the quake, but big bucks won out and we lost.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection.

Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

CEMEX SALE. That selling of the Cemex Davenport Territory last week was huge news*. I asked Jodi Frediani (Forestry Consultant for Sierra Club and Director of Central Coast Forest Watch) to tell us her side of that story. She wrote…

Land Preservation Goes Down a Slippery Slope…by Jodi Frediani

Clearly the media, along with the environmental groups that have joined to purchase the Cemex property near Davenport, are willing to look past the harm that logging can do when they chant land ‘protection’ or ‘preservation’. *Paul Rogers, San Jose Mercury News, calls this one of “the largest land preservation deals in the Bay Area in a generation”. According to Miriam Webster, the definition of ‘preservation’ is ‘to keep safe from injury, harm, or destruction; protect’. Even the land trusts themselves are saying the land will be ‘protected’, but from what? It seems the key factor will be to reduce or protect the property from development.

ROBIN WILLIAMS PLUS HAIRY FRIEND

Rogers tells us the ‘conservation easement’ that will be prepared will ‘limit development, logging, and other uses.’ The land trusts will then sell the property to a new owner, ‘probably a timber company’. Hmm. I question just how strong those limitations on logging can be, if the anticipated buyer is a timber company. Clearly the Devil will be in the details.

San Vicente Creek, which runs through the heart of the Cemex forest, is the sole water supply for the town of Davenport. It is anything but pristine which is also true for those streams that traverse Big Creek’s lands. And it is a crucial stream for the survival of Coho salmon and steelhead trout.

A number of enhancement projects have recently been implemented in the lower stream reaches to benefit fish, but the creek is listed as ‘Impaired for Sediment’ under the Clean Water Act. Logging was originally listed as the cause of the impairment, but was changed to ‘unknown’ after strenuous objections from the timber industry. Sediment is bad for fish.

Let’s hope that the conditions in any conservation easement will include substantial no-cut buffer zones along all segments of the watercourse, as well as ‘off-limits’ areas for preservation (that word again!) and retention of old growth. And how about reducing the rate of cut? The Cemex forest has been logged repeatedly and continuously for the past 50 years. Except for the handful of old growth, still there in part due to restrictions by the Department of Fish and Game, the rest of the forest is missing large trees, snags, downed wood and other components of a healthy forest ecosystem.

How about selling carbon credits instead of continuing to log? Why not use this land to grow and retain large trees, which sequester more carbon due to their size? Let this ‘working forest’ work for us all. And let’s hope the conservation easement over such a huge swath of our North Coast is developed in a transparent, open process soliciting and incorporating public input”. End of Jody’s story. There will be more to follow, you can be sure.

ELERICK’S INPUT. Arana Gulch – Coastal Commission decision

It appears that the project to build a bike path through and over Arana Gulch has moved ahead, an idea I never supported. The California Coastal Commissioners approved the AG “multi-use” plan on a 10-1 vote that included Commissioner Mark Stone’s amendments, the most important being that the City actually have the funds in place to pay for ongoing maintenance of the changes planned for Arana Gulch.

This issue has managed to split the environmental (and bike) communities, but its time to move ahead. It would have been nice to see an AG plan that saved the endangered species, and provided access to people with disabilities without the paved “trail”. One of the commissioners asked this question but didn’t get a straight answer. For those who want to see replay of this Coastal Commission hearing, it’s on their website and worth watching. You’ll find it the last item on their December 8^th meeting agenda.

Are we going to be facing this same pressure when changing the bike rules comes up again for Pogonip? Most likely, but this one is outside the Coastal Zone so local government will have the call. It seems their strategy has been lately to have a “staff recommendation” that staff knows is what the majority of a council or commission wants so then gets a rubber stamp approval when it comes before them. You can expect the “mountain biker” community to be pushing for access to Pogonip; we’ll be hearing more on this from local candidates for office in 2012.

(Paul Elerick is the chair of the Campaign for Sensible Transportation, http://sensibletransportation.org , chair of the Transportation Committee of the Santa Cruz Group Sierra Club. and is a member of Nisene 2 Sea, a group of open space advocates).

SANTA CRUZ CITY COUNCIL

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary states re LAFCO’s decision on UCSC’s water demands “Last week, the Santa Cruz County Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCO, voted to authorize the City of Santa Cruz to extend water service to the UCSC North Campus. This means the University can transform 240 acres of natural area into a new, dense development, with over 3,000,000 square feet of new buildings. My law firm represents the Community Water Coalition, and I testified that there really isn’t a secure water supply for all this proposed new development. While the Chairperson of the Commission agreed, saying, “I do not believe that the City has an adequate, reliable, and sustainable water supply,” he and most other Commissioners^* voted to support the University’s application. The Chancellor of UCSC, who was present, had warned the Commission, in a letter threatening a lawsuit, that town-gown good will was on the line, to quote a headline in the Santa Cruz Sentinel. The fact that LAFCO has indicated that it will allow the City to commit its admittedly scarce water supplies to new development on the campus should make everyone pay even more attention to water policy issues. Tomorrow, Item #35 on the Board of Supervisors’ agenda provides a good overview of “water challenges in Santa Cruz County.” I recommend you read it, and I recommend you get personally involved!” Read the rest of Gary’s KUSP broadcasts here

ANCHOR IN ANTARCTICA. Each passing day actually grows four minutes longer as we spin closer to Summer Solstice in the southern hemisphere, thereby providing us four more opportunities to get into trouble. Yesterday, our research and supply vessel seized the chance to experiment with an irritating but thankfully rare form of mischief: an environmental spill.

The vessel has a large main crane used to move our shipping containers full of supplies onto shore. As cargo operations began Saturday evening, one of the crane’s hoses sprung a leak and squirted some hydraulic fluid into our tiny marina. How much? Less than a quart, certainly. But enough to launch our emergency Spill Response Team into action. The official work day had ended, so some people responded to the call for help in their jeans and tennis shoes, simply adding wools, hats and life vests as necessary. We deployed our floating barriers to stop the slick from spreading, wicked the oil out of the water with specialized, fuzzy-blue rags stuffed into nylon mesh (called absorbent berms), and then this morning packed the contaminated material into 55-gallon drums to ship it all the way to Port Hueneme, CA for hazardous waste processing.

Twenty people gave up their free time to spend over an hour cleaning up less oil than you’d find in a bottle of salad dressing. Add another few hours writing official reports, preferably illustrated with pictures of people in gym clothes using nets to scoop the oily blue fluff out of the water. And yet no one complained: we take even these minuscule spills seriously because the attitude about pollution in the past was a complete joke.

On another note, I had a moment that evening to survey the scene while I was kneeling on the pontoon of a Zodiac (our rubber boats). I was struck by how the ways we split up into teams, adopted roles or took on specific tasks mirrored our common partnerships and personal strengths in everyday life. Some stood advising from the deck while others got busy taking pictures, fetching absorbents, skimming with the nets, distributing the berm, etc. If I had a camera and a hot air balloon, I could have drifted through the scene capturing amazing portraits not only of individuals but of the group as a unique and contradictory whole. But I was busy doing stuff…

(Micaela Neus works for Raytheon Polar Services Company as a utilities technician and is currently living at Palmer Station, Antarctica until April 2012.

VINTAGE DE CINZO. Monarchs adjust to local atmosphere…see DeCinzo fluttering below.

WHOLE FOODS “ORGANIC” CHINA PRODUCE???

EAGANS DEEP COVER. Eager Eagan shows us what a Trump Roast is like…scroll below..

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul’s article, « When Number 2 Acts Like Number 1 » closes with, “U.S. policy rests on false assumptions. Pakistan, Washington decided, has no choice but to obey its aid-giving ally. The Chinese, however, understand the possibilities that will open to them as Washington marches to the beat of imperial ignorance. China has moved resources and advisers to Pakistan, including nuclear experts. Washington can’t seem to grasp a decline that the rest of the world sees, in their once undisputed world power. It cannot keep its home in good repair, but it still acts as if it can make other nations bend to its will. The 24 dead Pakistani soldiers might become the symbol for the beginning of the end of U.S. Empire. It’s all here…

Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow whose films are on DVD from roundworldproductions@gmail.com

GOODBYE BARNEY BRICMONT. I first met Barney when he and I were clerks at Orchard Supply Hardware back in 1974. I worked in the “Industrial” section and cut chicken wire, and glass. Barney was in “paint” I think, and we remained friends through all those decades. Politically we were in The Peoples Democratic Club a lot and he’ll be missed very much. His daughter announced… Services will be on Friday, December 16th at 2 pm at the Pacific Garden Chapel, 1050 Cayuga Street in Santa Cruz. A reception will follow at 5 pm at the Silver Spur on 2650 Soquel Drive in Santa Cruz. In lieu of flowers, Barney’s family requests that donations go to the Public Schools Foundation of Santa Cruz County. Their address is 1840 41^st Avenue Suite 102-244, Capitola, CA 95010.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa wishes you & yours to “join Christina Waters and me this season as we fight to restore the unfairly maligned reputation of the holiday fruitcake. She’s doing the baking over at her blog (http://christinawaters.com/), from a recipe I scored decades ago from my Danish Aunt Chris. I provide the back-story this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/). Lisa Jensen has been writing film reviews and a column for Good Times since 1975.

DINNER AT GABRIELLA’S. Charles Prentiss’ paintings were on the walls and he was in the corner, Paul Cocking was maitre’de ing and so we had Gastrique apples and Brussels Sprouts, pulled pork and linguine con squid. All great, tasty, and excellently presented. I mention this because I hadn’t’ been to Gabriella’s in a long time. Good non-touristy place to take your visitors.

NO NEW FILMS ON BIG SCREENS. Just be sure to see My Week With Marilyn, The Descendants, Like Crazy, Melancholia, Into the Abyss, and maybe Hugo or J. Edgar, if you run out of places to go.

GREAT FILMS ON LITTLE SCREENS. As previously stated (for many years) just about my favorite hobby/hangup/interest is to discover absolutely great and totally unknown (not distributed in USA) films at Cedar Street video or East Cliff Video. I have found nearly 200 masterpieces that way. I found this 100% perfect French thriller-kidnap-millionaire-ransom-enigma. You will never figure ahead in any step of the story. No blood (only a cut finger), masterful thinking, brand new (2011) never released here, great acting, superb photography it’s called “Rapt” directed by Lucas Belvaux. Just get it and restore your faith in intelligent, well directed thrillers.

“The Last Circus” is also beautiful, but gory, bloody like Fellini’s meeting with Chain Saw Massacre. From a Toronto critic… “There’s no doubt de la Iglesia intended The Last Circus — originally titled Ballad of the Sad Trumpet, after a popular Spanish song performed by a singer in clown-face — to be a showpiece. It is masterfully constructed, brilliantly photographed, and every frame blazes with commitment, imagination and inspiration. Even the copious allusions to past masters, including Fellini, Tarantino, Hitchcock, Chaplin, Peter Greenaway and Ken Russell, can’t dilute its originality.And in the end, that will be The Last Circus‘s major claim to cult glory. It’s a jaw-dropping, barnstorming mess of a yarn ramped up to 11 on every level. It may be bewildering, de trop, offensive, even sickening, but you won’t forget it and you’ll never see anything like it again”. I couldn’t have said it better.

SOUTH KOREA FILMS. Back in the day (like late 40’s and 50’s) films from certain countries changed the way films were made. First Italy, then Sweden, then Japan (De Sica, Bergman, Kurosawa) all made huge monies from subsidizing film those directors. Now it’s Argentina and South Korea who are making great cinema contributions. Go to the video stores and learn to read the secrets hidden in each labeling….great fun (and enlightenment).Films such as Tae Guk Gi, I Saw The Devil, Today and Tomorrow…all great, and available to RENT LOCALLY!!!

GEOFF HOYLE’S GEEZER. If you haven’t seen Mr. Hoyle do this solo show and especially at The Marsh theatre in San Francisco, just do it. He’ll be there February 9 – March 18, 2012. “Who knew that dying could be so side-splittingly funny? But then, given that “Geezer” is a solo by physical comedy maestro Geoff Hoyle, perhaps that’s not the right question. Who knew that Hoyle could be so deeply poignant?”—Robert Hurwitt, SF Chronicle. Hoyle trained in Paris with Marcel Marceau’s teacher, Etienne Decroux, developing his unique bravura comic style, a combination of court jester, vaudevillian and English music hall comedian. His regional appearances include Berkeley and Seattle Rep, A.C.T. and La Jolla Playhouse. His award-winning shows Feast Of Fools, The Convict’s Return, (Geni(us) and The First Hundred Years have been seen in Paris, London, New York, Berlin and the former Soviet Union. He was the original Zazu in The Lion King on Broadway and first made his mark in the Bay Area as the Pickle Family Circus’ beloved clown, Mr. Sniff.Thursday & Saturday at 8:00 pm; Sunday at 5:00 pm. at The Marsh San Francisco, MainStage, 1062 Valencia Street at 22nd Street.

HOSTETTER’S HOT STUFF. Howdy – (ed. Paul says things like “howdy” because he lives in Bonny Doon). “Amidst the turmoil of daily life I’ve managed to assemble a few new things to look forward to, and will endeavor to add more soon. Of immediate interest, especially if you fancy eastern European folk dancing to socket wrench rhythms, is a dance—tomorrow—at Cabrillo with a particularly choice live band. Then the Festival of Living Music has a fine concert in the offing this weekend featuring seasoned and emerging artists (one of the things I love about FLM) as a lead-up to their season of many pleasures. More about that in due time. Maybe you missed Paul Mehling and the Hot Club of SF when they played in Santa Cruz, but they have a double-header coming up at Yoshi’s in Oakland, so all is not lost. Then there’s the Annual New Years Eve Balkan Blowout at Ashkenaz, with Brass Menažeri and the always-killer Édessa and then, ta da, it’s 2012 and there’ll be more to discuss in the near future about all that. Details here, of course: http://www.lutherie.net/live.music.html Support live music!!! yrs, ph.

Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Paul Burdick returns to talk about justice on December 13^th, then UCSC professor and author Patricia Zavella will talk about her new book published by Duke University , “I’m Neither Here nor There” all about Mexicans’ daily struggles with migration and poverty with lots of focus on our local problems. Forest critic Jodi Frediani talks about Cemex & Timber on December 20, then Pat Matecjek talks about the recent Arana Gulch decision and developments.. (I’m taking December 27^th off). Claudia Sternbach guests on January 3 to talk about her new book, “Reading Lips” after which Kathy Bisbee discusses film and community TV. Jim Mosher returns on January 10^th to talk more about his work on regulating alcohol and marketing it to young non drinkers. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 5 years here’s a chronological list of just this year’s podcasts. Click here http://kzsc.org/blog/tag/universal-grapevine then tap on “listen here” to hear any or all of them… all over again. The Great Morgani on Street performing, 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 Conpany. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus 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. Hear them all!!!

QUOTES. ” Christmas is a time when you get homesick – even when you’re home”, Carol Nelson. “Isn’t it funny that at Christmas something in you gets so lonely for – I don’t know what exactly, but it’s something that you don’t mind so much not having at other times”, Kate L. Bosher. “Once again, we come to the Holiday Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in his own way, by going to the mall of his choice”, Author Unknown.

BEST OF VINTAGE DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by tim eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Comments Off

December 5 – 11, 2011

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Bruce

LIBERACE’S BROTHER GEORGE (in middle), HOCUS POCUS (as SANTA) & REINDEER IN SANTA’S VILLAGE May 9, 1959.

Santa’s Village was built in Scotts Valley right off to the east on hwy 17. about 1955. It went bankrupt in 1977. George Liberace played the violin and was the butt of many of his brother’s onstage jokes.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection, click for bigger version.

Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

WATER TO UCSC OR TO YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS?It would seem like just about everybody in the County must know about the City of Santa Cruz’s water supply problem. But they don’t. The Sentinel prints it’s own Chamber of Commerce, LOBA, single sided pro- growth, pro- UCSC give away point of view, with little to no mention of any other way of looking at what’s happening. Basically it’s that Santa Cruz has very little extra water to even maintain status quo usage. Do we want to give that water (150 million gallons per year to UCSC’s 3 million square feet of new buildings on their proposed North Campus ~~~~ or do we want to give it to our normal city growth like our kids who want to build here, or when we want to add on an addition to the house…we can’t have both ~~~~~ even with de-sal? That’s what the LAFCO meeting Wednesday am (see Patton) is really about.

FEAR WORKSHOP. Almost like a Santa Cruz City Council meeting, but funny ha-ha not funny peculiar.

McPHERSON A “McNOTHING” SO FAR. Folks who know politics up in Scotts Valley, Felton, and all along the mighty San Lorenzo River are waiting and worrying about the Republican money and Power machine to get cranking to start up Republican Bruce McPherson’s Supervisor campaign. He’s been suspiciously absent from their area get togethers, has done no noticeable or audible door knocking, while the other supe candidates are really working it. What has most folks wondering is, if McPherson has the know how or even the interest in taking care of the genuine local problems. Trying to imagine him handling drug houses, or dog and leash hassles, or neighbor’s property rights and your driveway makes for an impossible McPherson task. Does he understand the area? What’s he ever done in the San Lorenzo Valley? are huge questions. The existing conservatives and Republicans are excited and waiting for the balance and big bucks to tip their way both in the Valley AND because of both Ellen Pirie’s and John Leopold’s Supervisor Seats, this election could throw the entire County into an even more pro-growth conservative pocket. More and more George Wylie, with his long time hard work on the local Library and School boards is the person to vote for to replace Mark Stone as Supervisor. Check Wylie out. See that Arnie Levine, Harry Berggren, Dr. Kip Tellez, Chris Ungar and other notables endorse Wylie. And stay very aware.

THE ORIGINAL JINGLE BELLS.A little mood music and charming too.

TELL OUR LEGISLATORS….”END THE WARS”.

Peace Vigil – War Protest Dec. 13 You’re invited to join WILPF, MoveOn, and other peace activists at the intersection of Morrissey, Water, and Soquel NEXT Tuesday 12/13 from 5:00pm to 6:00pm for a peace vigil and war protest that connects the dots between war and corporate greed. We’ll send photos of the event to Farr, Boxer, Feinstein and Panetta so we’re not just protesting to each other. Wear warm, light colored jackets and bring a candle or flashlight. We’ll provide WILPF peace doves and peace posters – “peace not profits” – “books not bombs” – “ground the drones” – or bring your own favorite message to our legislators. WILPF Santa Cruz. So meet us at the triangle of Morrissey, Water and Soquel – 5pm – Tuesday Dec. 13

ARANA GULCH & THE COASTAL COMMISSION. Pat Matecjek writes, “If the California Coastal Commission is convinced to approve the bike road across Arana Gulch, it will tear apart an important section of the Coastal Act which will lead to similar threats to endangered species habitat in other areas of the CA Coastal Zone. Please sign the petition.

Our fervent hope is that the Commission will pull the bike road out of the Master Plan and pass the rest of it. 3 meetings are scheduled the following week to involve the public in planning for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Scenic Trail along the rail corridor. So it makes fiscal sense to reallocate the $5 million allocated to the bike road to speeding up the development of the real east-west bike/ped route along the rail corridor”. Pat Matecjek.

END OF “FILM” AT THE NICK.The day (nights mostly) have arrived when technology has replaced one more part of our lives. In another week or so there won’t be any more “FILMS” projected on the four screens at the Nickelodeon Theatre. They’ll all be digital projections. Gone will be scratches and those little circles in the upper right that told us to turn around quickly and see the projector switch (up until you were 12). Gone too will be those huge 8 sided steel boxes with last weeks films standing in the corner waiting to be shipped. I didn’t ask if the new “cinema product” will be mailed to the theatre like Netflix dvd’s or will magically be digitally cabled and copied “online” or some other plan from the devil. I’m told that the latest screening invention will give us better resolution, and improved color. It’s sad news too that the Nick will be cutting back on the special “films” they’d play for a week just because they were important and wonderful and very few would attend. This “progress” sure is wonderful. Isn’t it??

THE ASKING OF “WHY?” BY RICHARD FEYNMAN

Check this out…

STARTING GREY BEARS. The 38^th Annual Grey Bears Holiday Dinner at the Civic last Sunday was so successful they ran out of food, but everyone had a great time. I remembered and Facebooked Gary Denny Sunday morning. Gary Denny was an UCSC student and along with another student Kristina Maillard they actually and truly started the Grey Bears. I think they fed about 150 folks that first December Holiday. This year it was over 1500 seniors in the Civic and another 1000 home delivered meals. Not bad for UCSC students.

CHUCK MOORE DIED. Back in the day (1964-and all of the 70’s) Moore’s Graphic Arts Print Shop over on Potrero printed (and mostly donated) every piece of Democratic Party literature in the County. Chuck Moore and his widow Elizabeth (Jimmie) attended, worked, cleaned up and hosted so many Democrat fund raisers they became synonymous. Good Times even chose Chuck and Jimmie the “Valentines Day In Love Couple” of the year award a few years ago. Old friends are welcome to a celebration of Chuck’s life at the old Moore household way up that damned winding road on April 28th. Elizabeth was at that Grey Bears dinner last Sunday she looked just fine. See you at that party in April, if not before.

ELERICK’S INPUT.

RESULTS OF THE 12/1/11 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION VOTE

This 12 member commission failed to support their community at their last meeting, by not passing a compromise motion by Supervisors Pirie and Stone to delay spending $4 million dollars on another highway widening project. This will go to future “auxiliary lanes” between Soquel and 41^st Avenues, a distance of less than one mile. The $4 million will go to design and land purchase, but not one foot of concrete for the lanes. The compromise would have delayed the highway widening for two years and used the $4 million dollars to fix local streets and roads that are falling apart. Road repair was the clear choice of citizens who spoke at the meeting. Nobody spoke against the compromise except a representative from the Santa Cruz Business Council who actually just supported the highway, not against the compromise. Thirty letters were submitted in favor of the compromise.

Unfortunately the 12 member RTC commission was deadlocked 6-6 on the compromise. You’ll be able to watch the replay of this contentious debate on Community TV, but it’s hard to explain how elected officials from all five Supervisorial districts and the City of Santa Cruz couldn’t get one more vote to pass the compromise. The three representatives from the Metro District, Capitola, Scotts Valley and Watsonville stuck together to kill it. It was especially revealing during deliberation that the Commission is all about widening the highway. Commissioners representing the Metro District and Scotts Valley commented that they seldom used Highway 1. Especially painful was the support of the one non-elected member of the RTC representing the Metro District voting against the compromise. Sometime it needs to be explained why one agency has three votes on the RTC, one of these being a non-elected “at large” member but still votes with the same weight as a county supervisor”.

ANTARCTICA WEATHER

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary talks about LAFCO in Monterey on Monday, LAFCO in Santa Cruz on Tuesday and explains LAFCO and UCSC’s legal problem like this…

“In summary, state law gives LAFCO the job of deciding whether or not it is appropriate to allow a water service provider (in this case the City of Santa Cruz) to extend its water service to an area outside its jurisdictional boundaries. That is what UCSC is asking for, and there are some arguments in favor, but there are lots of arguments against that, too, particularly at a time of water supply uncertainty”. Read the rest here…

ANCHOR IN ANTARCTICA. Micaela declares…” The weather has turned nasty once again, but it doesn’t matter because this week I received one of the most prized Antarctic possessions: my own room. When seven people finished their tours of duty and shipped north on our vessel last week, I snapped at the chance to live alone for December. Since I tend to grow to the size of my container, like a goldfish or a guppy, I already made a mess of the place. But it’s my mess, and that makes it gorgeous!

Our rooms started out as basic military barracks built by Navy Seabees in the late 1960s, equipped with same standard-issue furniture, but nothing here stays normal for long. Over the generations, each room has been customized in some way, such as a homemade nightstand, extra shelves in the wardrobe, or varnished wood to replace the laminate on the desk. These items tend to stay with the room to be inherited by each season’s occupants, and so people naturally develop favorites. Last year, I lived in a room with a nautical knot display frame given to station years ago by the crew of the Lautaro, a Chilean ship that operates along the coast. In my new room, I enjoy a particularly well-built headboard that stops my pillows from sliding down the wall.

Most people rate sharing a room as the worst part of living in Antarctica. I guess not many people over thirty like bunk beds, and people under-thirty want a place to bring a lover. People at other stations will even hang bed sheets from the ceiling tiles to get some privacy (not here: the rooms are too small). One hears outrageous stories about bad roommates, and I did have one awful experience with a woman who wore a coonskin cap and a bolo tie, yet I don’t think that fully explains why we covet private rooms. We all have such different ways of doing the exact same thing. Rarely will a person drawn from a random pool fit into our own subconscious schedule perfectly, and we all feel a slight strain when forced to work into someone else’s routine.

The opportunity to be alone, however brief or contrived, belongs to the same category of healthcare as sunshine or good-tasting food. No artificial substitute has ever been found for the sense of well-being they impart, nor remedy for the ache of their absence. That’s how I’m justifying laying around in my underwear talking to myself, at any rate, since no one’s here to contradict me”.

(Micaela Neus works for Raytheon Polar Services Company as a utilities technician and is currently living at Palmer Station, Antarctica until April 2012.

VINTAGE DE CINZO. Professor DeCinzo expands his views scroll down

EAGANS DEEP COVER. The deep Republican Dream revealed, scroll below.

CUBA BEFORE LANDAU. These Life mag photos show us “Back in The Day” before Castro.

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul says in his Progreso Weekly column, “Last month a Super Committee (12 Members of Congress) failed to decide – fortunately – our economic destiny: where our tax money would go – or not. Yes, capitalism failed again. And with it went democratic procedures in the political arena. Big Facts: Since 2008, millions got laid off, evicted or foreclosed and lost their pensions. Capitalism’s answer: “So you think we might have put a few people out of business today,” Jeremy Irons explains to a lower executive (playing the role of a failing investment bank chief in a fictionalized Lehman Brothers in “Margin Call”). Read it all here.

Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow whose films are on DVD from roundworldproductions@gmail.com

RABINDRANATH TAGORE.For no explainable reason, this Nobel prize winning poet and novelist (1861-1941) is just about unknown outside of India. UCSC professor Dilip Basu (almost retired now) has just finished translating Tagore’ s 3^rd novel into English. It’ll be available soon and he’s coming on my Universal Grapevine radio program to talk about it, when the time is right.

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa states…”This week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/), I revisit one of my all-time favorite movies about movies, onscreen this weekend via the Dante Society Italian Film Series. Also, since we’re officially the 5th most artistic metro in the U. S. (based on number of artists per square inch, or something), I offer up some ideas for simple, cheap, yet arty holiday details”. Lisa Jensen has been writing film reviews and a column for Good Times since 1975.

INTO THE ABYSS. As we know it’s mostly Republicans who still support the death penalty but everybody should go see Werner Herzog’s latest film, “Into The Abyss”

Like all good Herzog films this documentary looks deep into the human psyche/soul and forces you to think about killing people. It features interviews with the real Texas murderers in their holding cells just days before they’re poisoned. You meet the victims and the murderers families ~~~~ it’s shocking. Then a former Texas executioner tells us about his more than 100 executions and why he quit doing them. Only Herzog could pull this off… if you have any Republican friends take one with you and see this film.

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS in 3D. It’s very true that this movie has received super reviews ~~~ not from me. It’s a high tech explanation of how Santa can get all the presents to every kid in the world, and on time!! The voices with this about average 3D animation are the best of and from the Brit studios but it’s dull, long, wordy, certainly doesn’t have any Pixar –type adult humor.

“THE DESCENDANTS”(FROM AN ISLAND VIEW). Before The Sentinel’s Wallace Baine there was film critic Rick Chatenever. Rick and wife and kids moved to Maui decades ago. Now Rick writes about film for The Maui Times. Here’s a link to his film column for last week, where he gives his impression of Clooney’s The Descendants and Hugo and much more. Read it all here… He wrote about The Descendants, “”The Descendants” is expected to land Oscar nominations for star George Clooney, director Alexander Payne and 18-year-old supporting actress Shailene Woodley, for openers. Set on Kauai and Oahu, kamaaina audiences will find everything onscreen feeling familiar. It feels mostly real, too, from the slack key soundtrack featuring Gabby Pahinui, Keola Beamer, Sonny Chillingworth, Jeff Peterson and more, through the Kauai locations, right down to the casual informality creeping into even the most tragic situations. The film’s title refers to the descendants of the islands’ earliest haole arrivals, who now own thousands of acres of paradise that they didn’t earn … and their ancestors didn’t exactly earn, either. Clooney plays the father of two daughters, whose wife lies in a coma in a hospital bed after an unfortunate speedboat accident. The upheavals in his life come in waves, and his struggle just to keep his head above water is another multifaceted acting achievement cloaked in his trademark understatement. Director and co-writer Payne’s contribution comes in a sense of bathos —truly tragic developments in the story may turn comic in the next instant. “The Descendants” is equal parts real family dynamics and actual island style — which turns out to be far more appealing than Hollywood’s usual drinks-with-umbrellas variety. Like a wiser, hipper, funnier “Hawaii Five-0,” it exports visions of what aloha actually looks like — warts and all —to audiences on the Mainland and elsewhere. While some little part of me wants to point out that film industry professionals don’t quite “get it” as much as they think they do, I can imagine airline reservations to the islands soaring after audiences get this heartwarming hit of all things local”. Thanks to Rick. Go see this film.

MOON WATCHING. Simon Kelly forwards this…” NASA Science News for Nov. 26, 2011…On Saturday morning, Dec. 10th, sky watchers in the western United States and Canada will witness a total lunar eclipse swollen to super-sized proportions by the Moon illusion”. And stay very aware.

BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT EVER!!! Don’t get too excited, I looked these balls up. They sell from $39 to $75, and get dirty easily, and must be maintained carefully.

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. Tuesday December 6^th has Youth Symphony conductor Nathaniel Berman followed by UCSC’s Leta Miller author of “Music and Politics in San Francisco”. Judge Paul Burdick returns to talk about justice on December 13^th, then UCSC professor and author Patricia Zavella will talk about her new book published by Duke University , “I’m Neither Here nor There” all about Mexicans’ quotidian struggles with migration and poverty with lots of focus on our local problems. “quotidian” means daily or commonly. I looked it up. I thought a “quotidian” was something The Great Morgani played with his foot , like an accordion only smaller. Jim Mosher returns on Dec 27 to talk more about his work on regulating alcohol and marketing it to young non drinkers. Next year Claudia Sternbach guests on January 3 to talk about her new book, “Reading Lips“. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES.In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 5 years here’s a chronological list of just this year’s podcasts. Click herehttp://kzsc.org/blog/tag/universal-grapevine then tap on “listen here” to hear any or all of them… all over again. The Great Morgani on Street performing, 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 Conpany. Plus 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. Hear them all!!!

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

QUOTES. “Liza Minelli comes out looking like a giant rodent en route to a costume ball”, S. Kaufmann. “What is Uncle Vanya about? I would say it’s about as much as I can take”, Roger Garland. “Critics are pygmies with poison darts who live in the valley of the sleeping giants”, Dagobert D. Runes

BEST OF VINTAGE DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by tim eagan.

November 28 – December 4, 2011

MARILYN MONROE-HISTORICAL PHOTO. I personally took this photo October 28, 1952. Read below.

photo credit: author’s personal collection

Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

ONE WEEK WITH MARILYN and MY 1/50 SECOND WITH MARILYN, part 2.

The film now at the Del Mar “My Week with Marilyn Monroe” not only depicts a very unseen side of this most luminous star but it shows the powerful acting talent of Michelle Williams. I’m sure she deserves an Oscar but she doesn’t deserve a genuinely important award for real acting. And no I can’t think of any real acting awards at the moment.

As I said last week this is a great excuse to mention that Marilyn Monroe actually posed for me back on October 28, 1952. My Cousin, his wife Irene and I had just attended the live broadcast of the Charlie McCarthy-Edgar Bergen Radio program at the then CBS Vine Street Theatre (now the Huntington Hartford Theatre) in Hollywood. Marilyn was their guest. I had my faithful Argus C3 loaded with Kodachrome and, just by accident we entered the theater parking lot at the exact time Marilyn exited the stage door. I asked her in my best teen-aged tourist voice if I could take her picture….as you can see, she actually pushed aside the group around her and smiled as only she could. Yes, I still have the original color slide, and yes I still love her (in a special way)

MARILYN MONROE IN “NIAGARA” DRESS.Note that this is the dress she wore in my photo when she was promoting “Niagara”. It co-starred Joseph Cotton and Jean Peters

WALGREENS NEXT YEAR.I asked the folks at the Water Street Walgreen’swhat they knew about the new Walgreen’s opening next to The Saturn Café in George Ow’s building. They didn’t know much except that it’s going slower than they figured and it’ll be opening sometime next year”. All this apparently is good news because it seems like everyone really dislikes the downtown CVS.

SENSIBLE TRANSPORTATION IN OUR TIME??New news on the updated website, check it out…sensibletransportation.org

MCPHERSON CONTEST. Chris Finnie sent in this contribution in the WHY BRUCE MCPHERSON SHOULDN’T RUN FOR ANY OFFICE contest.

Hi Bruce,

The reasons you gave in your column would be enough. But, for me, there’s one more. When Carly Fiorina ran for Senate, she had an event at the Cocoanut Grove. Some local Democrats protested on the sidewalk outside. We had signs and flyers that we offered to attendees that detailed her record at HP–since that’s what she was primarily running on. I saw Bruce McPherson walking up to the door and approached him. With a big smile, I said, “Mr. Secretary, would you like one of our flyers?” He looked away with a face like he’d just bit a lemon, shook his head, and kept walking. However, the limo driver who dropped off campaign staffers did stop to talk to us. Seems he’d worked at HP and said everybody there hated Fiorina. A friend of mine who also used to work there saw my picture at the demonstration in the paper and shared it with fellow HP alums. She told me she was “so proud to tell them I know you.” But Carly Fiorina was not only the candidate Bruce McPherson supported, there was Meg Whitman, who also lost in a landslide in Santa Cruz County, his attitude toward us clearly demonstrated to me that he was not willing to engage with people he disagrees with and is, in fact, outright hostile to them.

I volunteered at an event for Eric Hammer the other night. The place was packed! But one guy surprised me. He said he was a friend of Bruce McPherson. Seems his wife went to school with Bruce. When I asked why he was at a Hammer event, he said, “His time is over. He should move aside for younger candidates.” Since I’m not far behind McPherson in age, I’m not sure that’s a good criterion. But I’m light years ahead of him in my opinions, and I don’t want to elect anybody like Bruce McPherson who wants to drag this county, state, and country back to the Dark Ages! His antiquated stances are out of synch with the voters of the county and the district–though pretty much perfectly in tune with Scotts Valley. Maybe he should run for mayor there! Chris Finnie.

MARCHING WITH ATHEISTS. Dennis Etler sends this…”Let’s all turn out for the annual Santa Cruz Holiday Parade on Saturday, December 3. Secular Humanists of SC County, SC Brights, SC Atheists, Monterey County Atheists, UCSC Secular Student Alliance, the Cabrillo College Secular Student Alliance and anyone else of a secular bent who cares to join us is called on to gather together at 9:30 AM at Laurel and Pacific next to the Saturn Cafe. You will be sure to see us all assembled behind our Reason’s Greetings Banner and Flying Spaghetti Monster mascot! It will be a lot of fun, and an opportunity to meet and greet one another and sing secular holiday tunes so if you can, please try to make it. Let’s show the community that nonbelievers are alive and well in Santa Cruz. The parade will be followed by the 4th annual Human Rights Fair celebrating the 63rd anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We’ll have a booth at the Galleria, 740 Front Street from noon to 5 PM, Hope to see you at the parade and fair. Reason’s Greetings, Dennis

ELERICK’S INPUT. Details regarding the RTC hearing on December 1

In last week’s BrattonOnline, I asked people to speak out on the expenditures our Regional Transportation Commission that prioritized Highway 1 widening over repairing local streets and roads. The link here will show you exactly what road projects are being lowered on the RTC’s priority list after widening. For more details and PICTURES of what we’re talking about, please click on: Details for the December hearing.

Smart Meter update…As accurately reported in both daily and weekly newspapers, PG&E is moving to offer an alternative to a Smart Meter edict as ordered by Public Utilities Commission. As one who called PG&E months ago asking to be on their “last to install a Smart Meter” list, I had a message from them on my phone mail announcing the PUC’s decision of November 22^nd. They said simply that I didn’t need to do anything as the final details will be decided sometime in the future. We’ll see, but nowhere have I seen the issue of throwing their hard working meter-readers out of a job, or having the privacy of my home invaded by monitoring my appliance usage”.

POLISH SALT MINE!!! Ray Ginghofer sent this link to a salt mine in Poland that contains an absolutely unbelievable cathedral, art gallery and carvings from salt unlike any you’ve ever seen.

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary covers a lot of issues every day on KUSP but The Pogonip’s future is a very big deal. He says, “The City of Santa Cruz is thinking about changing its Pogonip Master Plan. In fact, it’s probably likely that the City Council will make the changes being discussed, absent some significant public involvement that says that things should stay pretty much the way they are now. Whether or not to change the current Pogonip Master Plan, and how Pogonip is used, is quite an important issue, and there are strong feelings on all sides. As usual, I am using the “bully pulpit” of the Land Use Report not so much to convey my own thoughts, but to urge you to get personally engaged and personally involved yourselves. If you track down the transcript of today’s Land Use Report, by clicking on the “Archives/Podcasts” link at the top of the KUSP Home Page, you will find some links that will introduce you to the topic.

According to the current Pogonip Master Plan, “Pogonip is a place to be appreciated for its natural beauty, habitat value and serenity, in contrast to the built environment. Pogonip should provide the community with education and recreation opportunities that are environmentally and economically sustainable.” The proposed changes to the Master Plan would provide for a “multi-use trail,” and introduce mountain biking into the Pogonip environment. And the City is not planning to do a full-scale environmental review. If you care, get involved! (Gary Patton is “Of Counsel” to the Santa Cruz law firm of Wittwer & Parkin, which specializes in land use and environmental law. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, “Two Worlds / 365” – www.gapatton.net)

ANCHOR IN ANTARCTICA. Micaela Neus writes…” Tourist season opened this week with the arrival of the National Geographic Explorer, one of the smaller cruise ships that send passengers ashore at Palmer Station. Our station has a maximum occupancy of 46, compared to 150 passengers and about 60 crew members aboard the Nat. Geo. Explorer. Consequently, visits bring life on station screeching to a halt and everyone has a hand in preparing for so many guests in one afternoon. I volunteer as a guide, leading about a dozen people at a time around to the Aquarium, central buildings, power plant vista points, and then off to (where else?) the gift shop.

Oddly enough, the Nat.Geo.Explorer visited Palmer Station on the same day its predecessor sank near the South Shetland Islands in 2007. The M/S Explorer struck a chunk of iceberg, possibly one with a rock embedded in it that punched a 10″ x 4″ hole through the double-reinforced, ice-breaking hull. The impact occurred on a perfect
summer’s day and a calm sea state that allowed all 154 souls on board to get into lifeboats safely. In another lucky coincidence, several other ships were only a few hours away and promptly picked them up. If the conditions had been worse, the hole larger, or outside rescue further away, this story would have a much sadder ending.

The M/S Explorer was not the first cruise ship to go under in the Antarctic and it will not be the last. No one has died so far, but it is easy to imagination a common accident snowballing into a mass-casualty incident at sea. The International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) does an excellent job setting environmental and life safety standards for private companies operating in the Southern Ocean and on-continent, but I wonder if any regulation could prevent a future tragedy. Human exceptionalism is our modern hubris– the belief that humans stand apart from nature, exempt from its realities and limitations. Can we really maintain sense of Antarctica as an unpredictable and powerful environment while standing in line for the all-you-can-eat buffet? ”

(Micaela Neus works for Raytheon Polar Services Company as a utilities technician and is currently living at Palmer Station, Antarctica until April 2012.

VINTAGE DE CINZO. DeCinzo makes a « bank shot » scroll downwards

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul writes in his Progreso Weekly column about J. Edgar (The film)…” In the film old Hoover dictates his story to young Special Agents, but Hoover doesn’t tell the truth; rather he promotes himself by distorting the facts to reflect that he has single-handedly protected the country from ruthless killers, kidnappers (the Lindberg kidnapping occupies much film space) and all things that smack of communism, anarchism or pinko-leftism. Hatred spews patriotism, hatred of communism, but the film leads us to suspect Hoover hated himself. Unable to control his most loathsome impulse – his mother hated “daffodils” – he tries to achieve power over people and institutions. The film subtly suggests Hoover became his own internal enemy; his mother subverted him by not allowing his sexuality (identity) to emerge. His career stained, not marked, decades of U.S. history and many people paid a heavy price for his psychic dynamics”. Read it all here… Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow whose films are on DVD from roundworldproductions@gmail.com

THE REAL MARILYN MONROE.Great trivia stumper….Who was the only Hollywood movie star to co-star with Marilyn Monroe in 3 (Three) films??? The answer is a few paragraphs down on the page…

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Santa Claus has his elves. Here in Santa Cruz, we have artists and craftspersons working overtime to create unique, original holiday gifts. This week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/), I preview the most festive of the upcoming holiday art shows. Also, after you see Hugo (and I hope you do), read my illustrated guide to the wacky, wonderful world of French film pioneer Georges Mèlíes. (Lisa Jensen has been writing film reviews and a column for Good Times since 1975).

DESCENDANTS.Once again George Clooney proves what an excellent actor he is. This film also proves that well made films still have a place in our lives. Just go see it. Seeing as how this film was made in Hawaii I linked up with Rick Chatenever, formerly film critic of The Santa Cruz Sentinel who has been living on Maui for decades and writing reviews for The Maui News for a long time too. He writes about The Descendants, “Maui Film Festival also gave us an early FirstLight look at Alexander Payne and George Clooney’s expected Oscar contender, “The Descendants,” which makes Hawaii a co-star in its compassionate bathos. Locals may quibble with its details, but its way of bringing lots of aloha to mainstream Mainland audiences is one more thing to be thankful for on this special day”. Rick emailed this Monday and stated, ” I’m writing about it more extensively in this week’s column … which won’t be out until Thursday (12/1) (Wednesday online). I wasn’t an extra in it (wrong island). There was some talk about me doing an interview/panel with Alexander Payne when he was on Kauai filming, but it didn’t materialize. My thoughts about the film are a little mixed. I imagine they’ll get clearer as I write them.I’ll keep you posted”. Aloha, Rick. (ed. note Rick and I ended up on the cutting room floor after being extras in a Star Trek movie)

MELIES TRIP TO THE MOON.

HUGO. Martin Scorsese hasn’t directed a good full length feature in decades, and Hugo is like Shutter Island, Aviator, Gangs of New York, Casino i.e. good material, good actors, but poorly directed. I’ll sure give credit to him for Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, but like Clint Eastwood he’s got to hit you over the head withsuch obvious story lines to make sure you catch his drift. Scorsese’s film are full of jerky, rapid, edits to provide variety so you won’t get bored, and Hugo is full of bizarre edits, numerous unnecessary angles and pointless scenes. Note any of more than a dozen scenes that do absolutely nothing for the story or the characters. Ben Kingsley as George Melies is just fine, the kid who plays Hugo is average, Sasha Baron Cohen as the evil station cop is useless. The 3D isn’t necessary and to say this is a tribute to early film history is insulting. Cinema deserves better.

THE SKIN I LIVE IN, (The Return of) The Nick is bringing back this “stunning” film& I repeat my review from before.. It’s a rare treat nowadays to see a film that still has an identifiable Directors touch…and Almodovar’s films still have his stamp all over them. You might not like the creepy taxidermy-Frankenstein plot but it’s an excellently told story, not one of the all too often corporate driven plots.

GREY BEARS HOLIDAY DINNER, SUNDAY. Live and local entertainment throughout the Holiday Dinner is a long time tradition with The Grey Bears.

After some serious serenading by The Great Morgani in the Civic lobby “the big show” starts with The Ukulele Group “Mele O Ke Kupuna” (music of the elders) led by Barbara Sonnenshine. Then Ukulele Dick and Jayme Kelly Curtis serenade with Jazz and Tin Pan Alley tunes of the 20’s and 30’s. Elaine’s Dance Studio brings their stars of tomorrow to perform many dance styles. 10 year old violinist Benjamin Rivers will play some Holiday music followed by Lorraine Kinnamon’s Tehauni Dancers doing both Hawaiian and Tahitian Dances. Then Steve Bare & The Sixties Project close the 2 hour production with big and hot hits from back in the day. The entire stage event is managed and directed by Katie and Nancy Heth. I’m emceeing again, as I have for all 38 of the Grey Bears Dinners (except the first one).All seniors are invited, it’s this Sunday at the Civic and goes from11:30 to 1:30. See you there.

CUBA REPORT. John Waller of Pastors for Peace sends this…” This past summer, for the 22nd year, Pastors For Peace Caravan to Cuba succeeded in delivering tons of humanitarian aid and several vehicles to the Cuban People in direct and open defiance of the US Embargo and Unlicensed Travel Ban of the Treasury Department. Come see a slide show put together by Sandino Gomez, Yesenia Molina and other Caravanistas who
went to the island nation this past summer and hear a presentation about their experiences. We’ll talk about what’s next for the project with the two new executive directors at the helm and how you can get involved locally to make a difference globally. The presentation will be on Wednesday Dec. 7th at 6:30 PM at the Resource Center for Nonviolence’s new building located at 612 Ocean St. For more information about this event: www.rcnv.org, or call 831-423 1626 x103. For more information about Cuba Caravans, contact Pastors for Peace, www.pastorsforpeace.org

THAT MARILYN MONROE ANSWER The only actor to be in three films with Marilyn Monroe was none other than local boy …Rory Calhoun!!! Did you guess?

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. November 29 has Attorney Bob Taren returning to opinionate on matters and issues. After Bob, Jim Mosher talks about his teens and alcohol program. December 6^th has Youth Symphony conductor Nathaniel Berman followed by UCSC’s Leta Miller author of “Music and Politics in San Francisco”. Judge Paul Burdick returns to talk about justice on December 13^th, then UCSC’s Patricia Zavella author of “I’m Neither Here nor There” will talk about Mexican migration & poverty. Next year Claudia Sternbach guests on January 3 to talk about her new book, “Reading Lips”. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES.In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 5 years here’s a chronological list of just this year’s podcasts. Click herehttp://kzsc.org/blog/tag/universal-grapevine then tap on “listen here” to hear any or all of them… all over again. The Great Morgani on Street performing, 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 Conpany. Plus 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. Hear them all!!!

QUOTES. “Don’t never trust no skirt“, Wallace Beery. “Everybody has something to conceal”, Humphrey Bogart. “To possess consciousness is to be a hypocrite“, Jacques Riviere.

BEST OF VINTAGE DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by tim eagan.

November 21 – 27, 2011

NEW HIGHWAY 9 RIVER STREET INTERSECTION IN 1956. An amazing photo showing the new highway, The Tannery in lower right, CPDES hall center right, and the baseball field, the Sashmill far left, new San Lorenzo bridge in lower center. No Harvey West Park, and UCSC’s future site way up at the right.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection, click for bigger version.

Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

OCCUPY & FREE SPEECH. Spending just a few hours at the Occupy Santa Cruz site in the last weeks I was completely impressed with the method of group decisions. I spent more hours at the Berkeley Free Speech movement (Mario Savio, Bettina Aptheker etc.) in 1964. The significant difference is that at Berkeley the “steering committee” would meet in private (sometimes all night) to make decisions for the Protesters and announce their decisions to the group the next morning. “Occupiers” make their decisions at the totally open General Assembly meetings. A much better, efficient principle and I’m betting on “Occupy” all the way.

UC DAVIS CHANCELLOR LEARNS AN OCCUPY LESSON. We’ve read and seen the spraying but watch this beautiful display of what Occupy can be about, and how effective it is. As one commenter stated, if you look closely you can see Gandhi and Martin Luther King standing in the crowd with their arms folded.

GETTING ACROSS ARANA GULCH. #1. Last week I printed Kit Birskovich’s plea to “Save Arana Gulch”. You can read it by scrolling down to last week’s BrattonOnline.

#2. Then on 11/15 @5:07 p.m. Chris Schneiter of Santa Cruz Public Works Dept. wrote, “Someone forwarded the piece about Arana Gulch from your blog. The description is all wrong. How about giving people an opportunity to judge the Arana Gulch Master Plan and Trails on their own?
The link to the correct information is here. I hope you take the opportunity to read it!

# 3. Then on 11/18 @4:14 p.m. Andy Schiffrin of wrote as an individual who works for Neal Coonerty to say, ” I read the piece in this week’s Bratton Online from Kit Birskovich regarding Arana Gulch and thought it presented a very misleading view of the proposed project”.

ARANA GULCH MASTER PLAN– A POSITIVE VIEW.The report on the Arana Gulch Master Plan in last week’s column misstated a great deal about the City’s proposal for this beautiful gem of a place.It says the proposal is to build “a wide paved road” across Arana Gulch. While there once was a proposal to construct a six lane roadway (the Broadway Brommer Expressway), it was defeated in the 1970’s. The current plan is to build an 8 foot wide pedestrian and bike path to provide public access to the special environmental resources on the site.

The report also describes a project that would be very disruptive to the landscape. That was also true of the road widening project, but the current plan is for a very different path that conforms to the contours of the landscape and has very minimal impact. As for impact on the Santa Cruz tarplant, the City’s plan is the best chance for its survival at Arana Gulch. The proposed path does not harm any existing tarplant and existing paths that go through the historic tarplant area will be removed and the area restored. The City will receive state and federal funding that, in part, will be used for tarplant restoration. Without the path the City will be unable to get that funding. While the City has been conducting tarplant habitat restoration each year since they’ve owned the property, a more robust program is needed in order to bring the tarplant and other coastal terrace species back.

The tarplant now is in severe decline, hanging on the edge of extinction at Arana Gulch. The Coastal Commission’s Chief Ecologist has described the City’s plan for tarplant restoration as “the last best option” for the tarplant. And any suggestion that the US Fish and Wildlife Service has drawn a negative conclusion about the City’s Plan and its effect on tarplant is simply wrong – they hold the opposite view and have given their required approvals for the plan. As for the assertion that the City’s proposal is contrary to the Coastal Act, the staff of the Coastal Commission, which includes the leading legal and environmental experts on the Coastal Act, hold the opposite view.

Before signing a petition that will deny safe access to Arana Gulch for eastside Santa Cruz residents and eliminate funding for tarplant restoration, I urge people to read the Coastal Commission staff report on the project prepared for the upcoming hearing in December , Thursdays item #22.a).

In my view, the project will provide significant net benefits to the community by giving the tarplant its best chance of surviving and providing access to this spectacular environmental resource to a much wider public.Thanks for letting me present a more positive view of this important project – Andy Schiffrin

# 4. So I sent Chris Schneiter’s critique to Jean Brocklebank of Friends of Arana Gulch.

Her reply is here. [expanding link, click again to collapse]

to BRATTON ONLINE

Kit got it right. Chris cannot refute anything she said with a straight face. And he knows it.

The City has resubmitted the same project to the California Coastal Commission as has been submitted in the past. The “project” is called the Arana Gulch Master Plan” but is nothing more than a vehicle for the Broadway Brommer (BB) East West Bicycle Connection route that has been a Public Works project since the early 1990s. When the City Council agreed not to build a road for cars through Arana Gulch, they were lobbied successfully to build a bicycle connection instead. Seemed like a good idea, huh?! CalTrans got involved with Public Works and then the City started getting funds from Federal and State transportation grants allocated through the Regional Transportation Commission. The project was controversial from the beginning and opposition was strong. Arana Gulch, after all, is a greenbelt. An EIR for the BB project was produced and eventually certified by the same City Council that voted to stop the BB project. They certified the EIR to get their $40,000 reimbursed with RTC funds. Then a new City Council resurrected BB. Along the way, in 2002, the Arana Gulch greenbelt was designated “critical habit” for Holocarpha macredenia (Santa Cruz Tarplant) by the US Fish & Wildlife Service. That designation should have changed everything. But the City kept on in the quest to build the bike connection between two streets. Over 11 years ago, California Coastal Commission staff wrote to the City and said “As directed by the City’s Local Coastal Program, the preferred approach” (in planning for Arana Gulch) “would be to prepare a specific management plan for the greenbelt prior to consideration of a Broadway-Brommer Bicycle Pedestrian Path project.” The recommendation was for a separate Master Plan first, followed by an application for Broadway Brommer (BB) second. The City ignored this advice and four years later the City Council instead directed the Department of Parks & Recreation to include the BB project in the Master Plan document, thus assuring that BB became the Master Plan and vice versa. There has been nothing but confusion and controversy ever since, especially since more than half of the BB project is not even in the greenbelt.

One of the biggest obfuscations the City tells is that they have reduced the scale of the project by removing one of the two originally planned bridges (Hagemann Creek and Arana Creek). In the Master Plan draft EIR, the bridge over Arana Creek is called a “steel bridge span.” In the final EIR (p. 6), they changed it to “steel span,” removing the word “bridge.” Clever, huh? In point of fact, the BB route across the 100′ riparian setback on Port District property must rise from 10 feet above sea level to 43 feet to get over Arana Creek. True, the current non-engineered and not even design-doodled goal is to go over Arana Creek basically over the culverts (“not open water” as it says in the EIR), so their removal of the word “bridge” was self-serving. But it has to be a bridge because it has to provide through flow of flood water. Thus, the steel span is a bridge.

The City also hates when we describe the actual width of BB (euphemistically now called “an interpretive trail”). By CalTrans standards, it is 8 feet of pavement with 2 feet of gravel shoulder on each side, for a total of 12 feet minimum. Several of the architectural drawings show it even wider in places (13′ – 15′). Not only that, the City has added another 1500′ of the same kind of paving from the Agnes Street entrance, to meet the BB route (whatever it is called) on the top of the meadow at 73′ above sea level, thence to drop to the 10′ above sea level elevation, where it will have to rise again to 43′ to get over the steel-not-brdge-span, eventually to 73′ at 7th Avenue. Skateboard park anyone?

The link that Mr. Schneiter sent you will lead your readers to City materials geared to make Broadway Brommer appear to be just a wee “interpretive trail” for educational purposes. They have added the word “balance” to their introduction, all very polished with “protecting sensitive habitat” (which they will pave for BBrommer) and “prudent level of public use.” Read my lips: BBrommer is a Public Works project; it is a transportation project funded by transportation money (all documented in the record for the last 17 years) and no amount of window dressing will change that fact.

I urge your readers to go to the online petition and read what Friends of Arana Gulch says before they sign the petition to save our greenbelt from an industrial sized bike route project. FOAG fully supports the Master Plan as long as Broadway Brommer is removed. Without BB, the AG Master Plan really is a terrific document for resource management that will allow reconfiguration of the two entrances and pathway improvements to make them safer for all users, restore native species, save the Santa Cruz Traplant from extinction, be a real educational experience for all ages, and remain as natural open space surrounded by urban development ~ exactly why citizens voted in 1979 and again in 1994 to preserve its uniqueness.

Jean Brocklebank, on behalf of Friends of Arana Gulch

She said among other things, “Kit Birskovich got it right. Chris cannot refute anything she said with a straight face. And he knows it”. She also says, “Read my lips: Broadway Brommer is a Public Works project; it is a transportation project funded by transportation money (all documented in the record for the last 17 years) and no amount of window dressing will change that fact”.

# 5. Lastly I sent Andy Schiffrin’s reaction to Pat Matejcek of The Sierra Club and Friends of Arana Gulch. Her reply, and vivid dissection (diverse vivisection?)

is here. [expanding link, click again to collapse]

ARANA GULCH MASTER PLAN– A POSITIVE VIEW. (Matecjek’ points are in bold)

The report on the Arana Gulch Master Plan in last week’s column misstated a great deal about the City’s proposal for this beautiful gem of a place.

It says the proposal is to build “a wide paved road” across Arana Gulch. While there once was a proposal to construct a six lane roadway (the Broadway Brommer Expressway), it was defeated in the 1970’s. The current plan is to build an 8 foot wide pedestrian and bike path to provide public access to the special environmental resources on the site.

********It’s actually a network of paved trails, one E-W, the other N-S and intersection.

The report also describes a project that would be very disruptive to the landscape. That was also true of the road widening project, but the current plan is for a very different path that conforms to the contours of the landscape and has very minimal impact.

So not true. Hundreds of feet of concrete retaining walls with numerous “pull-outs” to address the height differential between the Arana grassland 73′ and the junction point where the trail up from the harbor meets those from the Greenbelt (+/- 10′) = a giant skateboard ramp. There’s already 1 roller-coaster in this area – no one needs 2.

Thousands of cu. yds. of earth would be required to build the proposed “ramp” (desperately trying to own up to needing 2 bridges) that would run from this junction point to the “Welcome to the Upper Santa Cruz Harbor” sign. There isn’t the 15′ the city claims between the dry storage yard fence and the top of the 4-pipe structure carrying water between Arana Creek and the upper harbor, so the connection would be narrow. High tide and heavy rains would eat at the bottom of the “ramp”, as they currently do at the narrow bank that remains unless the “ramp” becomes a concrete dam.

Users traveling east and exiting the “ramp” area would be dumped onto the roadway against downhill traffic (pickups towing boats on trailers) as there is no sidewalk, no bikelane and no room for one.

As for impact on the Santa Cruz tarplant, the City’s plan is the best chance for its survival at Arana Gulch. The proposed path does not harm any existing tarplant and existing paths that go through the historic tarplant area will be removed and the area restored.

The proposed “trail network” divides what USFW has defined as “actual and potential tarplant habitat” into small, unmanageable sections – the parts it doesn’t directly pave over.

The City will receive state and federal funding that, in part, will be used for tarplant restoration.

IF the bikeroad is built, there will be some $ for “mitigation”.

Without the path the City will be unable to get that funding.

Who cares?. The city is on record as “selling excess real estate” to provide a tarplant restoration trust fund.

While the City has been conducting tarplant habitat restoration each year since they’ve owned the property, a more robust program is needed in order to bring the tarplant and other coastal terrace species back.

Not every year – lots of public nudging has been required. The city even cancelled an MOU they had w/ CA F&G that gave them $5K/year.

The tarplant now is in severe decline, hanging on the edge of extinction at Arana Gulch.

Thanks to the city’s policy of “benign neglect”. It’s time to move beyond the “Interim Management Plan” to the real and permanent one but the “canker” of a transportation project must be excised first. After the tarplant’s seed bank has been restored to healthy numbers for a few years, the city is free to bring back a transportation proposal to the CCC.

The Coastal Commission’s Chief Ecologist has described the City’s plan for tarplant restoration as “the last best option” for the tarplant. And any suggestion that the US Fish and Wildlife Service has drawn a negative conclusion about the City’s Plan and its effect on tarplant is simply wrong – they hold the opposite view and have given their required approvals for the plan.

The Center for Biological Diversity doesn’t agree.

As for the assertion that the City’s proposal is contrary to the Coastal Act, the staff of the Coastal Commission, which includes the leading legal and environmental experts on the Coastal Act, hold the opposite view.

Political pressure. Coastal Commission Staff was also supporting replacing La Bahia….

Before signing a petition that will deny safe access to Arana Gulch for eastside Santa Cruz residents and eliminate funding for tarplant restoration, I urge people to read the Coastal Commission staff report on the project prepared for the upcoming hearing in December (http://www.coastal.ca.gov/mtgcurr.html, Thursdays item #22.a).

What the city is proposing is extremely unsafe and doesn’t meet DOT requirements for a Class 1 bikeway.

Thinking citizens have every good reason to oppose the bikeway and to sign the petition:

1) it’s unsafe;

2) it’s unnecessary – the real E-W corridor will happen soon just 1/4 mile south along the rail corridor;

3) it’s a waste of $5+ million dollars that could be redirected to the rail trail or any number of more important transit needs;

4) disabled access can easily be accomplished from both/either of the existing entrances;

5) approval by the CCC would set a destructive precedent state-wide and weaken the Coastal Act.

Kit B. closed her Save Arana Gulch piece with a chance to sign a petition…

“We ask that California Coastal Commissioners vote to approve the Arana Gulch Master Plan ONLY if the proposed paved City-County connector bicycle project (called Broadway Brommer) through ESHA and “critical habitat” of an endangered species is REMOVED from the AG Master Plan. “Will you sign this petition? Click here

TRIP TO SANTA CRUZ, 1937, 1938. Carolyn Swift and others sent this rare and wonderful clip of Hwy. 17 and Hwy 1 travels that was filmed just about 74 years ago.

QUARNSTROM QUERIES. Lee Quarnstrom, longtime Santa Cruzan and reporter/columnist, writes to say, “Today’s column ( Nov. 15)brings at least two things to mind that I want to share with you: First, by referring to their northern acreage as the “upper campus,” UC officials have always made it clear that the land is ripe for future development. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a campus as “the grounds and buildings of a university or college” or “the grounds of a school, hospital, or other institution.” To me the phrase “upper campus” has always implied not a redwood forest with grassy meadows; it has strongly suggested the “grounds and buildings” planned for those grounds.

Also, you might recall, we lived on a Santa Cruz corner with Broadway on one side of our house. I closely followed the endless Broadway-Brommer proposals that seemed to pop up immediately after some previous proposal had been shot down by the city’s environmentally sensitive residents and their elected officials. Developers and their allies on city councils and boards of supervisors have never felt defeated just because some proposal or other to put a road through Arana Gulch had died; never, they knew, had a stake been pounded through Broadway-Brommer’s heart.

I can understand why residents living east of Arana Gulch might want another commuter route to Santa Cruz. But I’ve never been able to understand why anyone in Santa Cruz, including the business community, would favor opening a road — or even a bikeway — that would make it easier for Santa Cruz shoppers to speed out to 41 Avenue and the Capitola Mall”. Lee Q.

HUBBLE TELESCOPE AND 100 BILLION GALAXIES.

SIERRA CLUB SANTA CRUZ GROUP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CANDIDATE’S FORUM

Last year’s election showed an unprecedented interest in positions on the Executive Committee of the Santa Cruz Group of the Sierra Club. Vying for the 3 open seats this year will be the incumbents: current Group Chair Kevin Collins, Secretary / Treasurer Mark Sullivan, and Forestry Committee Chair Dennis Davie and the challengers: Tawn Kennedy, Greg McPheeters, Jim Danaher, Mary Odegaard. The proceedings will be moderated by Nancy Abbey of WILPF.

WHAT: Sierra Club, Santa Cruz Group Candidates’ Forum

WHEN: Tuesday, November 29 @ 7 pm

WHERE: Room 3, London Nelson Center, 301 Center Street, Santa Cruz

This promises to be a lively and important discussion of the future of the Santa Cruz Group and the natural resources of Santa Cruz County.

ELERICK’S INPUT: WIDENING HWY.#1…OR NOT!!!

Next Regional Transportation Commission is December 1^st. Please plan to attend!

On Thursday, at 9:00 A.M on December 1^st a major decision will be made by the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) regarding funding the next segment of widening Highway 1. Why is this so important? The results of these twelve commissioners vote will determine how State Transportation Improvement funds (STIP) that are planned for Santa Cruz County will be used. The commissioners will be asked to either dedicate 100% of these funds for the NEXT 25 years to widening Highway 1, or to say no to this folly and steer that funding to major road and street repair and other needed transportation projects. It gets even more ludicrous! Even if the majority of 12 commissioners vote to take all the STIP funds to widen the highway, there still won’t be enough money available, even to partially complete the project. That would require the passage of a ½ cent sales tax or some kind of vehicle license fee increase ($10 has been discussed), or even both, plus all the STIP funds for the next 25 years. And even that may not be enough to complete the widening all the way to San Andreas Road.

What can you do? Attend the next RTC meeting on Thursday, December 1^st. It’s at 9:00 A.M. at the County Board of Supervisors meeting room in the County Building. There will be an agenda published online 5-7 days prior to December 1^st. E-mail or call members of the RTC to let them know that repairing local streets and roads needs to be a higher priority than widening the highway.

(Paul Elerick is the chair of the Campaign for Sensible Transportation , chair of the Transportation Committee of the Santa Cruz Group Sierra Club. and is a member of Nisene 2 Sea, a group of open space advocates).

MAGIC…ALMOST

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary talks about the Santa Cruz City Council proposing the spending over $480,000 on a contract for a “Permitting Advisor” for the proposed desalination plant. He details a proposal to facilitate the development of the UCSC North Campus Area. He praises the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors in rejecting a proposal from the County Planning Director to weaken the County’s land use policies in the Coastal Zone. He explains that community involvement in land use issues tends to be “oppositional” in character, but that’s ok. And he closes by saying, “What sometimes appears to be “late-breaking” opposition to proposed development projects can be frustrating to landowners and developers.

Not that the coming week needs any more excitement. We expect a visit on Thursday from one of the National Geographic Explorer (NGE), a cruise ship with an ecological and historical focus. More than one hundred passengers will come ashore in sets of twelve for a brief walk around station led by charming, good-looking tour guides like myself. All non-essential work stops so enough people are free to accommodate the crowd and we do not get very much done. However, tours do add variety to our lives and help get the message out to the public. Worth the hassle, no doubt.

We celebrate Thanksgiving the very next day with brunch and an early dinner, despite the fact that we still work. Holidays never meant much to me until I spent them on ice, honestly. Dressing up for dinner means more in a place where everyone wears issued clothing day after day. We hope to have one pie per person, thirty-four of each, and I’m making vegan pumpkin “cheesecake.” Will we make our quota? Stay tuned!

And then Saturday the Laurence M. Gould (LMG) returns from a research cruise further south down the peninsula. The weather prevented us from unloading all the cargo when she was at port two weeks ago… we can’t operate the crane in high winds. They had rough seas much of their research cruise too, unfortunately. The scientist’s net samples off the main deck as well as using other equipment to collect information about microscopic ocean life but large swells will force them to stop their work.

As for me next week will be a wet one. Any moment not spent attending to vessels or making my mother’s creamed onions will go to a water leak I discovered under the central building four days ago. Just a drain line (not sewer or a gushing supply line) but I had to crawl under there and slide along the ice in my waterproof suit with my flashlight and a hard hat. Living the dream, as they say”.

(Micaela Neus works for Raytheon Polar Services Company as a utilities technician and is currently living at Palmer Station, Antarctica until April 2012.

LOOKING AROUND…THE HARD WAY!!!

VINTAGE DE CINZO. Crosby, Stills and geezers…scroll downwards

EAGANS DEEP COVER. Tim reveals the truth behind Supercommittee. Scroll below.

VALENCIA, SPAIN 1900.Clever, excellent way to show off old photos. Good music and cool animation. Only 1:31 long.

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul’s article this week is “Libya” He states, “I walked Tripoli’s streets. At a coffee shop near the hotel, a group of young men stopped playing with their worry beads, brought their jumping knees into upright positions and followed me. Like most of the young men I saw, my followers were well-dressed and looked healthy, maybe a bit overdosed on caffeine. I tried to ignore them as I wandered into the Suq – the old market – in downtown Tripoli. It was mostly boarded up. President Qaddafi had built new five-story department stores”. Read the rest here

Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow whose films are on DVD from roundworldproductions@gmail.com

THE OTHER BEAUTIFUL SANTA CRUZ. Note their town clock!!!

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Happy Thanksgiving to one and all. This week at Lisa Jensen Online Express, I preview a movie and a book to be thankful for, and explain why you have to go see the delightful SSC production of A Year With Frog & Toad right this minute. Lisa Jensen has been writing film reviews and a column for Good Times since 1975.

WATERS WONDERLAND. “This week Christina Waters takes on holiday wines, vegetable drinks, fruitcake and the continuing saga of museum cafes. All at http://christinawaters.com.

REDWOOD ESTATES 1927. Up along Hwy 17 near Holy City

HOLIDAY GIFT. Peggy Snider sent this link. If you like historic things and places check it out.

MAGIC…LOOKS LIKE REAL BLOOD!!!

HBO’S ENLIGHTENED. I wrote about how much I liked this weekly semi-sweet saga starring Laura Dern. Carole De Palma says, “On the subject of this new T.V show did you know there is a Santa Cruz Connection?? Mike White’s mom and Dad grew up in Santa Cruz. I was in Gault School with Melvin White, when his father was a fundamentalist type preacher across the Street where the Pacific Cultural Center is now. His wife Lila Lohr grew up on the Westside and was a cousin. I guess they met in high school, married and had kids one of which is Mike White. Later Mel White became known for coming out of the closet and writing a book about it after being a preacher. One year he served as the Gay Parade leader here in S.C. Mike White is very gifted and funny and I think Enlightened is a riot. I believe he was raised in Southern Ca. Thanks for the petition on Arana Bike path and keep on doing what you do.

MELANCHOLIA. Lars Von Trier…that just about says it all about this film. Either you like his films…or not. I must confess that I didn’t understand Fellini, Bergman, Kurosawa, or hardly any of the masters when I first saw them. However I had Pauline Kael as a Berkeley neighbor and she sure helped. I liked Melancholia. What’s it about? It’s about what you think when you stare off into the void wondering what’s happening today.

LIKE CRAZY. Deserves at least 3 or more Academy Awards, young lovers held apart by bureaucracy and fear. An absolutely sincere, touching, perfectly acted masterpiece.

MY 1/50 SECOND WITH MARILYN. I haven’t seen My Week with Marilyn Monroe yet, and this is a great excuse to mention that Marilyn Monroe actually posed for me back in October of 1952. I’ll copy and paste the color photo next week. No joke!!

MORTEN’S GALLERY OPEN STUDIO. A fantastic T’gvng Weekend thing to do is to take advantage of an almost last chance to see both Jenny and the late Geoff Morten’s Paintings, Prints and Ceramics. It’s a perfect thing to do with your weekend guests, the home and studios are great, well worth the drive and the art and craft is absolutely wonderful. Their works will be on show at their home and studios at 168 Mar Monte Avenue, La Selva Beach 95076 call 688-5173.

COCKING’S CRITIQUE & CRABBINESS. Paul Cocking of Gabriella’s Café sends this…” 1. events…besides the snow ball fight…like the dance deal…santa barbara has an art fair EVERY weekend…san rafael’s sidewalk coloring event is a HUGE event…we have a lot of artists…wine tasting…we have a lot of wineries…los gatos wine fair a very big deal…san luis obispo has music and food and main street closed every week…taste of santa Cruz. huge deal in santa monica…we have a lot of restaurants…organize halloween instead of trying to contain it…costume contests…music
2. close pacific avenue…santa monica’s huge success has nothing to do with their closing and reopening mall at one end…it’s an attraction in itself…see san luis, san francisco’s safe streets, san rafael, new york.
3. get the DTA to put an ad in the mercy news with all the thousands of dollars i have given them…where in the world does all that money i am legally bound to give them go? (we know)
4. make the ads in the convention and tourist bureau magazine affordable…hundreds of dollars for a listing?…don’t they get subsidies?…where in the world does all that money go? (we know)
5. condemn the empty hole at the end of pacific avenue…make it a park, plaza, attract events
6.put in a public market in one of our huge empty buildings (agent for one i spoke to had NEVER been to ferry plaza)
7. make it more difficult to open MORE bars and junky stores.

(Ed. note Need I say that was unedited???) Thanks Paul. While you’re at Gabriella’s you and your friends should check out Charles Prentiss’ latest paintings…he’s one of the very best.

HISTORICAL CORRECTIOM. Carey Casey corrects my historical photo guess about Zocolli’s from last week (scroll down to see the Pacific Avenue photo) Carey states in no uncertain terms… According to Chase’s Sidewalk Companion…, Plaza Grocery opened in that building in 1929. Robert O. Zoccoli bought the business in 1948. The building itself was constructed for Hugo Hühn (brother of F. I. Hihn) sometime in the period from 1866-77. Since the demolition of the 1860 Flatiron Building following the 1989 earthquake, the Zoccoli’s building and the 1866 Lulu Carpenter’s are the oldest remaining commercial structures in the downtown area. Thanks Carey, I should always consult my Chase S.C. Architecture book. (Which would make a great Holiday present for any friends).

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. UCSC’s Ralph Abraham will talk about 2 of his new books on November 22 followed by Gary Patton and UCSC Environmental Studies Interns. November 29 has Attorney Bob Taren returning to opinionate on matters and issues. After Bob, Jim Mosher talks about his teens and alcohol program. December 6^th has Youth Symphony conductor Nathaniel Berman followed by UCSC’s Leta Miller author of “Music and Politics in San Francisco”. Judge Paul Burdick returns to talk about justice on December 13^th. Next year Claudia Sternbach guests on January 3 to talk about her new book, “Reading Lips”. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES.In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 5 years here’s a chronological list of just this year’s podcasts. Click herehttp://kzsc.org/blog/tag/universal-grapevine then tap on “listen here” to hear any or all of them… all over again. The Great Morgani on Street performing, 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 Conpany. Plus 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. Hear them all!!!

QUOTES. The first two are from Ted Burke, “Witnessing the Republicans and the Democrats bicker over the U.S. debt is like watching two drunks argue over a bar bill on the Titanic.” And “The trouble with quotes on the internet is that it’s difficult to determine whether or not they are genuine“, Abraham Lincoln.

BEST OF VINTAGE DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by tim eagan.

November 8 – 14, 2011

TWO WAY PACIFIC AVENUE January 26, 1965. Note an earlier location for Palace Stationers and Fortier’s Optical, note Fingal’s Jewelers in the Palomar passageway, S & M Bakery on the far right!!, and the International Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F) sign on their building.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection, click for bigger version.

Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

NOAM CHOMSKY ON OCCUPY. Why is it that Noam Chomsky always gets it right? His statements are always right on the point….read this excerpt from “truthout”, then read it all…

“If the bonds and associations being established in these remarkable events can be sustained through a long, hard period ahead, victories don’t come quickly, the Occupy protests could mark a significant moment in American history. I’ve never seen anything quite like the Occupy movement in scale and character, here and worldwide. The Occupy outposts are trying to create cooperative communities that just might be the basis for the kinds of lasting organizations necessary to overcome the barriers ahead and the backlash that’s already coming. That the Occupy movement is unprecedented seems appropriate because this is an unprecedented era, not just at this moment but since the 1970s.The 1970s marked a turning point for the United States. Since the country began, it had been a developing society, not always in very pretty ways, but with general progress toward industrialization and wealth”. Read the rest here.

DECLARATION OF THE OCCUPATION. Peggy Snider sent this truth-out piece, and I found this amazing link to the document itself. Let us hope that The Santa Cruz Police and our City Council use common sense and live up to some long fought for Santa Cruz traditions of intelligence and understanding.

OCCUPY THE ROSE PARADE!!! I received this email last week and know nothing more than what it says. BUT the concept of Occupying The Rose Parade boggles my mind. Partly because I used to live there and even sold folding chairs at the Parade!!!

http://www.OccupyTheRoseParade.org: We are a one day affinity project of the international “Occupy Wall Street” movement . Please share the URL for the site with other 99%ers via Facebook, Twitter or other social media platforms. 6 am Dec. 31, 2011 to 2 pm, Jan. 2, 2012: We are striving for 40,000 national & international occupiers converging at Pasadena’s Norton Simon (by Orange Grove Blvd & Colorado Blvd). Further details pending (see website also). (Note: If you can purchase tickets for the event in front of the Norton Simon for Jan, 2, 2012, please strive to do so. We will have costumed viewer “stand” actions as well. Details will provided listserve in two weeks regarding OWS/OLA “Human Float” , Banner Drops and other actions). Primary Goals: (1) Legislate real Wall Street Accountability; & (2) Mobilize “We Are the 99%” support for real and truly systemic reform. Facebook Page (please share w/ others & ‘Like’)

ZACH, HIS SUPERVISOR CAMPAIGN AND POLICE FACILITIES. Still no word on any follow up to Zach Friend’s using his Santa Cruz Police facilities for the Democrat Campaign work. We can just assume he’s been warned not to boast about it anymore, or maybe even not do it, when he runs for Ellen Pirie’s Supe Seat.

PEDESTRIAN MALL & CHIPS LAST NAME “NOOLLASSNAMMA”. Philip Boutelle emailed to say, “Hey Bruce, Thanks for your coverage on the push for 2-way traffic on Pacific. There’s a public works meeting on Thursday; maybe they would be more receptive to public comment than the current council. I agree 100% that a pedestrian mall is the best plan, but we’ll never get there with this council–unless somehow the merchants back the plan too, which is unlikely.-Phil Boutelle. Then I received an email from Baba. Baba said, “Chip’s last name is Noollassnamma. The Sentinel has reported it many times*. It is Swedish. It is sometimes shortened and anglicized to Nolanam. It was an immigration mistake, Ellis Island, you understand I am sure”. Thanks Baba, I couldn’t find any Sentinel thing with Noollassnamma in it, but if you say so….

HOMELESS GARDEN STORE AND NEWS. Meg Sandow was my guest on Universal Grapevine Nov. 1st. We got so involved in discussing The Gardens’ future plans she says she forgot to say,

1. Most people hear the word “homeless” and think “dirty, crazy, mooching, unmotivated.” This is far from the truth generally and certainly far from the truth at the HGP. The trainees are all dealing with various difficulties, as are so many of the rest of us. However, also like the rest of us, they are smart, funny, spiritual, creative, hard-working, clean, interesting and engaging. Many of them have previously worked successfully in traditional jobs. I think the stereotype of homelessness allows us to persist in holding an entire population of people in need at the periphery of our social consciousness.

2. The HGP is truly a community project. Money that is donated to HGP, among other things, supports other important community organizations in Santa Cruz with food (Independent Living Program, Live Oak Family Resource Center, Beach Flats Community Center, Santa Cruz AIDS Project, and Women’s Crisis Support) and flowers (Hospice of Santa Cruz County). That is community service at its best!”.

DEBBIE BULGER ON DOWNTOWN STUFF. The Gibbs Report gets it right about our parking garages: “Parking garages are in disrepair and less appealing than private sector industry standards.” (p. 36). She then asks, “What I want to know is why the City is in the parking business. Don’t they believe in private enterprise and capitalism? She continues…Here’s what Gibbs has to say about the town clock intersection: “Shopping traffic could also be improved if the [town clock] intersection had a more commercial character.” (p. 36). Debbie adds, “Perhaps we should put a flashing neon sign on the town clock pointing the way to Pacific. Of course, if we did, it would read “Welcome to River Street”. By the way after only 73 years* of editing “The Ventana” (Sierra Club’s newsletter) Debbie is retiring/collapsing.

*(It’s really only been 15 years). They are looking for several people to replace her. The pay is not only phenomenal, it’s non-existent. Contact dfbulger@cruzio.com to apply.

KBOQ’s DEATH, SCOTT MACLELLAND AND BARBARA ROSE SHULER.

Classical music blamed for station’s demise. I asked Scott if I could run this, he said sure.

“Last Saturday, a student in my long-running Topics in Music class at the Carmel Foundation lamented the loss of KBOQ’s classical music because, as she explained, it helped her get to sleep at night. Obviously, helping people nod off was ancillary to KBOQ’s programming purpose in recent years, on the apparent assumption that some offshore classical “service” that winnowed down the 75 biggest hits of 18th and 19th century European music—chopped up and played over and over ad infinitum—was a sure bet for advertisers. Now, we read, KBOQ’s management blames the advertisers, and by implication the listeners, along with classical music itself for its commercial failure. From long experience in classical radio, I know this is nonsense. Fortunately, most TV cable and satellite services provide classical audio channels, and there’s no end of first-rate, commercial-free, classical stations from all over the world on the Internet. As with the restaurant business, quality presentation is crucial to the success of classical radio. Max Bragado’s recent complaint about The Monterey Peninsula Herald’s release of Barbara Rose Shuler underscores the argument. Classical coverage in the local media requires editors who understand and respect those in the community who present, educate and support the art. Scott MacClelland

PENGUINS ON ICE.

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary Patton tells about… “An application by UCSC to the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) which can decide whether or not to allow the City provide water for University growth, including its proposed expansion into its undeveloped North Campus Area, and the construction of over three million square feet of new buildings”. He goes on to talk and ask about “fast tracking” for two way traffic on Pacific Avenue and what happened to that plan. He adds ideas about Coastal Zone development and “flexing”, then ideas on weeds and reeds and of course stuff about Land Use and he ends urging us to go see the new film on Henry Cowell State Park by Fred McPherson,(that’s the environmental Fred McPherson) on Nov. 14th. (Gary Patton is “Of Counsel” to the Santa Cruz law firm of Wittwer & Parkin, which specializes in land use and environmental law. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, “Two Worlds / 365” – www.gapatton.net )

Micaela, our intrepid technician, reports more news and opinions about Adelie Penguins than you’ve read in a very long time…

“Two months of foul weather topped by a week of near-constant 35-70mph winds have confined us to station almost every day this spring, and my patience has started to fray at the seams. Projects keep me busy, but I need a change of scenery to stay energized and enthusiastic. Being able to take a boat out to the surrounding islands or hike up the glacier in The Backyard are the two perks of life at Palmer Station. Otherwise, we’re just thirty-four people stuck inside a half-mile square.

The Adelie penguin colony across the harbor has a much rougher time of it. They’re tough little bastards, solid muscle and seemingly fearless, but also among the most vulnerable to climate change. No one knows how Adelies decide when to migrate or lay their eggs, but we do see that they follow a rigid internal schedule that does not adapt to variations in the environment. Warmer temperature along the northern tip of the Western Antarctic Peninsula has caused an increase in precipitation around Palmer Station over the last few decades. That means more snow later into the spring, when the Adelies build their pebble nests. First snow hides the pebbles, making for a poor nest-pile, and then melts away as the summer progresses, scattering the stones and potentially dumping the egg onto the wet ground. If the nests last and the chicks hatch, heavier rains soak their down and cause them to freeze to death. Other penguin species will delay breeding until the snow clears, or start earlier when the retreating sea ice causes a spike in the krill population.

Not Adelies, and we see the proof here at Palmer Station. Our local colony on Torgersen Island has imploded, shrinking from approximately 15,000 to a mere 2,000 within twenty years, trending towards a local extinction. I feel the Adelie penguins are the dinosaurs of our ecological era — a creature so well adapted to one age that it cannot survive into the next. Future societies will look at historical images and wonder that the world once supported such a tottering, delicate thing as penguin, much like we struggle to imagine life dominated by flesh-ripping lizards the size of Volkswagens. Some of those historical images might be my own snapshots, if the wind ever dies down enough for me take some! Special thanks to one of our researchers, Kim Bernard, for her careful explanation of Adelie adaptation as understood from her krill studies.

(Micaela Neus works for Raytheon Polar Services Company as a utilities technician and is currently living at Palmer Station, Antarctica until April 2012).

VINTAGE de STEVEN DECINZO. The Monterey Aquarium loses its Star…view below…

EAGANS DEEP COVER. “You are what you eat” doesn’t hold true for Tim Eagan’s weekly dish of ire…see below.

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul Landau laments the American way of denying reality and says, “DRUGS R US – The American Way” Americans have descended into a legal drug culture, while simultaneously retaining the “illegal” one – at great expense. But the government responds by denying the evidence its own agencies produce. Last month, a funding “highlights” of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) showed how the Obama administration had decided to emphasize again its focus on law enforcement – not treatment. For fiscal year 2011, Obama allocated $15.5 billion, more than 3.5 percent more than last year for law enforcement. Treatment allocation barely rose”. The whole thing is here… Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow whose films are on DVD from roundworldproductions@gmail.com

LISA JENSEN LINKS. This week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/), Lisa promises to celebrate shoes, art, and shoe art at the Sockshop’s soleful Art and Wine benefit, expose Anonymous (looks great; less filling), and consider how Pygmalion and Frankenstein merge in the outrageous new Almodovar movie. Lisa Jensen has been writing film reviews and a column for Good Times since 1975.

ANONYMOUS. After all of that hullabaloo, the film isn’t all that exciting, and the direction sucks too. Costumes and sets are wonderful and digital, but it just doesn’t hang together. David Bolam emails to comment on Roger Ebert’s comments on Anonymous, “The most detailed and valuable record of life in London at that time is the diary of Samuel Pepys”. He adds, William Shakespeare 1564 – 1616, Samuel Pepys 1633 – 1703, and closes with, “Exit, sighing and shaking head”. David Bolam. Trying to substantiate another myth about Shakespeare’s credentials is pretty phony, and it just isn’t very interesting or dramatic. I can’t wait to see “Dickens’s Disciple” when we find out it was Sherlock’s friend Dr. Watson who wrote all the Dickens masterpieces. That’ll be followed by “Harry Potter’s Princess” when we learn that it wasn’t really J.K. Rowling who wrote them, it was none other than Marianne Faithfull!! This could be bigger than Paranormal Activity, part 14.

PENGUIN GOES SHOPPING!!!

TOWER HEIST. Even with Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller this is a tired and poorly executed heist movie. It’s impossible to follow (if you even try). Pieces of the plot start and stop and the tension, which should be everything just isn’t there. Don’t go…or rent it during the Holidays when you don’t want to offend your guests. AND it flopped at the box office, because Puss In Boots stayed in #1 position.

MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE. This subtle, sensitive, secretive film is well worth watching. It’s about a young girl who has done time in a cult like the Western Service Workers then tries to join life again by moving in with her sister and her husband. Problem is that there are so many flashbacks and jumps we never know where we, or she, is in time. It’s completely fascinating but don’t take your visitors to see it unless you want to argue a lot.

HOSTETTERS HOT STUFF. Amazing and true to report that Paul’s’ column came in on Monday morning when I put BrattonOnline together!!! So the dates are accurate and even current!!

“A few more things to put on your calendars, including Crooked Still at Kuumbwa and the Freight and Salvage, the inimitable California Honeydrops, the New Orleans-style R&B band with the best attitude and offering the most fun, at Moe’s Alley, Jim Kweskin & Geoff Muldaur with Suzy Thompson at the Freight, Deby Benton Grosjean’s long-awaited CD Release gig, contemporary Indian singer Kiran Ahluwalia at the unlikely venue of Don Quixote’s, New York R&B Soul legends Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings at the Rio. If none of that does it for you, how about “A Classical Evening” at UCSC with Nicole Paiement conducting Mozart and Beethoven with the UCSC Orchestra and combined vocal ensembles at UCSC (this’ll be a big one), or perhaps Carnatic saxophone with Prasant Radhakrishnan presented by the Sangati Center in Berkeley, or the Hot Club of San Francisco, or Kevin Burke? Enough for now. Details as usual are here yrs, ph.

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. The November 8th Grapevine has former Cabrilho Professor Don Young talking about his book,” The Battle For Snow Mountain”, and then poet Robert Sward will read from his new book, “New and Selected Poems”. On November 15th the winners of Bookshop Santa Cruz’s Youth Writing contest will read their entries. Ralph Abraham will talk about 2 of his new books on November 22 followed by Gary Patton and UCSC Environmental Studies Interns. November 29 has Assemblyman Bill Monning discussing inside Sacramento stuff, then Jim Mosher talks about his teens and alcohol program. Judge Paul Burdick returns to talk about justice on December 13th. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 5 years here’s a chronological list of just this year’s podcasts. Click here, then tap on “listen here” to hear any or all of them… all over again. The Great Morgani on Street performing, 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 Conpany. Plus 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. Hear them all!!!

QUOTES. “I’ve never seen anything quite like the Occupy movement in scale and character, here and worldwide.” Noam Chomsky. “There is only one difference between a madman and me. The madman thinks he is sane. I know I am mad”, Salvador Dali. “Many excellent cooks are spoiled by going into the arts”, Paul Gauguin.

BEST OF VINTAGE DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by tim eagan.

October 31 – November 6, 2011

PACIFIC AVENUE, WATER STREET AND MISSION STREET. This was the Anthony Block and here we can see Irwin’s Nickelodeon just about our first movie theatre. It’s where the Town clock is now. See page 84 of John Chase’s Santa Cruz Architecture for some great details.

photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection, click for bigger version.

Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

LATTÉ BREAKING NEWS. I ran this last week …”Big Secret…there’s a “big retailer coming on to Pacific Avenue”, even most council members don’t know who or where, probably into the “old” Borders store. I’m guessing it’ll be announced this week…you can read it in The Sentinel later after the news is delivered to Scotts Valley.

Rumors had the location wrong BUT… Now it can be told… “It’s confirmed that this will be a Walgreens to be opened in February or March 2012. Saturn Café is the only business that will remain in this building. The building is to remain the same on the outside except for signage”. Yes, that’s another George Ow building. Maybe that’s what Ow and Jesse Nickell were talking about when I saw them having coffee last week at Hoffman’s. I think the newly re-designed Hoffman‘s looks tacky and no where near the style and aesthetics it used to have.

DEVELOPING PACIFIC AVENUE. Funny thing is I used to know Downtown Association Chip’s last name, but I forgot. We had a brief (maybe 5 min.) conversation about two way traffic on Pacific. He and his cohorts are so fixed on business and bucks they forget quality, integrity, class, and community. They want any business downtown and I’m sure are jumping gaily over the Walgreen news. Our downtown will look like San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf if their mentality and greed isn’t stopped by the community. The community has to take action because The Current City Council, plus LOBA, and The Chamber are all blinded by bucks. San Jose and LA had the same problem and look at the growth there. Also look at the clips of the Charlottesville, Virginia Downtown mall. Think about it.

DOWNTOWN MALL – CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia. This looks a lot like Santa Cruz could look.

PACIFIC GARDEN MALL. Ken Koenig opined on this… Bruce: I’m with you on this one. I think the idea of making downtown two way traffic is ridiculous. I was driving there the other day thinking about what happens when one car decides to double park, or delivery trucks are double parked, or the street gets congested, etc. Really regressive. (At least now you can drive around the folks who are double parked for whatever reason. Try telling the delivery trucks not to double park on the street.
I agree that the mall should be without traffic but apparently (according to Lisa Rose) studies show that leads to the death of the area. I haven’t been to Santa Monica’s Third Street Mall for a long time. I’ve been told lately there are lots of stores closed but I would think that was due to the recession. How having two way traffic on Pacific would help business is beyond me. Best wishes, Kenneth L. Koenig Santa Cruz, CA

History of the Charlottesville Mall. The narrator is a City Council member and the worst narrator in the world…BUT the story and visuals are great.

MORE ON PACIFIC MALL. Ron Sandidge adds…I’ve had the opportunity to witness Danish culture and life first hand. Below is a link to the Google page that shows various websites with information about Copenhagen’s walking street, Strøget. It was controversial too and then the merchants realized tremendous business success, ending much of the debate. Soon connecting streets (tributaries if you will) joined in. The concept proved worthy and other Danish towns and cities implemented the idea as well.

You could look up Stroget on Wikipedia and see what a success it has become.

REPUBLICANS FOR BILL MONNING. What’ll be fun to watch are the growing ranks of Republicans for Bill Monning. Bruce Van Allen reports that it’s really happening.

LA BAHIA, MARK STONE, ASSEMBLY RACE AND ETHICS. Good Times ran Susan Martinez and Fred Geiger’s letter last week. It hit so many good points I asked Susan and Fred if I could run it here…they said yes.

Dear Editor,

In a recent letter, Robert deFreitas condemned Coastal Commission member and SC County supervisor Mark Stone for his Coastal Commission vote against the La Bahia project in SC. Mr. deFreitas claims there was only one environmental issue relevant. He says that point was visual esthetics and that its impact was not an issue of objection of the Commission staff. The fact is the staff had previously opposed this project due to its over 70 ft. height (double the allowable height in that area) and flip-flopped its position when the height was lowered by just a few feet – certainly an insufficient modification. There were at least 3 other environmental legal impediments to the approval of the La Bahia that were raised by many speakers at the hearing. As to the “open public process” mentioned by deFreitas, we attended several of these meetings over the years. The developer was proposing 5 stories and the public acceptance seemed about 50% either way at that height. When brought forward for governmental approval, the project height had grown by 40% to 7 stories. So much for developers listening to the public for input.

DOWNTOWN MALL-RAP VERSION. A bit cute but it shows the potential of a community supported mall…and it was designed by Lawrence Halprin!!

It seems that there are always individuals who are willing to sacrifice the environment as long as a few bucks are likely to find a way into their own pockets. It was evident at the hearing that it was these people who were supporting the project and in their own presentations mentioned only financial reasons for their support (which are irrelevant under the Coastal Protection Act). The arguments against the project voiced by Stone and the rest of the majority on the Commission were directly related to the legal requirements of the Coastal Act. If there was a legitimate legal case for approval, why was the La Bahia rejected by a clear majority of the Coastal Commission?

Mark Stone should be appreciated for resisting these self-interested peoples’ demands and voting in accordance with the environmental protections contained in the Coastal Act that he swore to uphold regardless of untoward pressures. According to the Ventana magazine of the local Sierra Club, “SC County now has a Commission on the Environment and has bans on pesticide spraying by the county, genetically modified crops, Styrofoam containers and single use plastic bags because of Mark’s leadership”.

Mr. Stone will be running for State assembly for a seat in our redistricted community recently vacated by Bill Monning. We can think of no one else who has proven his integrity and environmental commitment as well as being an effective elected as clearly as has Mark Stone. We will be strongly supporting him in his run for State Assembly and expect him to achieve a resounding victory to the benefit of all in our district.

Susan Martinez , Fred Geiger. Santa Cruz

BERKELEY DAILY PLANET. You need to read The Planet if you want to know the truth about The Oakland cops (Berkeley Cops too!) and what happened at Occupy Oakland.

PEPPER SPRAY TIMES. I got this link from the aforementioned Berkeley D. Planet

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary relates how the Santa Cruz City council is fast tracking the 2 Way traffic on Pacific and how they are doing the same thing on pushing for the De-sal plant and asks why, and says we should attend any/all meetings to say our piece. He talks about Sustainable Agriculture and gives a big plug for Frances Moore Lappe’s appearance here on Nov. 11^th. (Gary Patton is “Of Counsel” to the Santa Cruz law firm of Wittwer & Parkin, which specializes in land use and environmental law. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Besides that, Gary has his own website, “Two Worlds / 365” – www.gapatton.net)

Halloween is an unusual holiday, on any continent. We celebrate our disobedience to the standards of decorum and good-neighborliness that we ourselves set, and will sanction almost any misdeed as long as it retains an air of make-believe. Ice-folk need little encouragement to party in any case and an evening’s release from our many social restrictions will always be popular. However, Halloween has an extra significance in Antarctica as the unofficial deadline to find someone to share your bunk bed for the season.

People who work in Antarctica have seasonal lives. We might spend the austral summer in Antarctica then head north for the summer in Alaska or Greenland, or else take a job in national forests or on island bases, research vessels, or other temporary situation. Consequently, many of our romantic relationships also happen in seasonal cycles and are dependent on location. Ice people often have “ice-wives/husbands,” partners for the months we spend in Antarctica who we may not see off-ice even as friends. “Ice marriage, tarmac divorce,” we say, meaning that the marriage begins when the plane lands on the ice-runway at the start of the season and ends when its wheels hit tarmac again in New Zealand six months later. Some people return to one another every season, just as people have preferred roommates; other relationships end with the contract, no hard feelings. A few people do this while partnered with someone else back home, whether or not their homebound partner knows it. At least one person will switch partners mid-season — I recommend watching from a safe distance.

Like most human behaviors, this cycle is so recognizable and predictable that Halloween has become a known point in the season when many flirtations turn into liaisons and suspected-sweethearts come out as public-couples. Did any of this happen this weekend at Palmer Station? I would do wrong to tell you, and so I won’t. I will say that this particular reveler has gone home alone, for two years in a row. Then again, I dressed up as Death.

(Micaela Neus works for Raytheon Polar Services Company as a utilities technician and is currently living at Palmer Station, Antarctica until April 2012).

TRUE LOVE WILL OUT.

VINTAGE de STEVEN DECINZO. Steven looks at one part of religion…scroll down

EAGANS DEEP COVER. Mr. Eagan notes which way the wind is blowing tax-wise see below.

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul looks at the George Clooney film The Ides Of March and says… »Sex, of course, also enters the plot – flashes of Bill Clinton! Discovering that his innocent babe (intern) has something going with their boss, Myers loses his zeal – for the boss and his job. In fact, the film shows Myers’ true character emerging from his unpleasant finding. He uses the rhetoric of idealism to cover the sordidness hidden in his heart and soul. The character flaws coincide with the image of Democracy drowning in the muck of money and media madness. Baseness at the foundation of politics, The Ides of March cautions, disguises real political choice – long before presidential elections.

The deal triumphs over the ideal. U.S. democracy in action means, as one film character says, “A president can start wars, lie, cheat, drive the country into bankruptcy, and in general do anything he wants — but he can’t fuck an intern.” Read it all here… Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow whose films are on DVD from roundworldproductions@gmail.com

KZSC PLEDGE DRIVE – BIG SUCCESS. KZSC station manager Michael Bryant emails, “One week ago KZSC set a modest goal of $20,000. On Halloween, listeners to The Great 88 had donated that much and more; “spooky good” in these times. Our thanks to everyone that helped our local community radio”, Michael. (Ed note. I personally want to thank all the readers/listeners who pledged and donated and helped Universal Grapevine).

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa links,”How cool did the Rio look last weekend for New Music Works’ Metropolis premiere? How furiously is Alexandre Dumas spinning in his grave over the latest, misbegotten adaptation of The Three Musketeers? Learn the answers to these and other mysteries this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express. Lisa Jensen has been writing film reviews and a column for Good Times since 1975.

ANONYMOUS, the movie. I haven’t seen it yet but in this Shakespeare-hot town we need to know that Roger Ebert wrote, “In a New York Times article, the Shakespeare scholar James Shapiro has cited a few technicalities: (a) de Vere writes and stars in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” when he was 9 years old, and (b) “he died in 1604, before 10 or so of Shakespeare’s plays were written.”. I have a personal theory. The most detailed and valuable record of life in London at that time is the diary of Samuel Pepys, who attended plays in court and in town, and as Secretary of the Navy, was an inveterate gossip, well-wired for information. He wrote his diary in a cipher, not intending it to be read. If he had knowledge of the true authorship of the plays, I don’t believe he could have suppressed it”.That’s Ebert, then I asked Michael Warren of UCSC’s Shakespeare Santa Cruz he hadn’t seen it yet either and he wrote, “If you want my opinion re authorship, that’s simple. Like nearly all Shakespeare scholars, I am a confident Stratfordian, and think that there is no need to attribute the authorship of the plays to anyone other than The Man From Stratford–actor, shareholder in the company, dramatist, and property investor; there is plenty of evidence of a conventional kind to lead one to believe he was “the author.” However, I do believe that in the texts of a few plays there is evidence of other hands (for instance Macbeth, Measure for Measure perhaps) and that he collaborated with John Fletcher on at least two plays, Henry VIII and The Two Noble Kinsmen, and so on. Life, writing plays, authorship itself, and textual transmission are all far more complicated than the anti-Stratfordians make them out to be, especially four hundred years ago”. At any rate it opens Nov. 4^th and from all reports it’s a beautiful film, lots of pageantry, shot on German stages, well acted, fun to think about, basically a fraud and very worth seeing.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3. I’ve seen all 3 of the Paranormal Activity series and had the living hell scared out of me by each one of them. That’s a beautiful phrase “The living hell” because that’s what happens when you’re scared. I’m impressed that the film makers have been able to create a new way of telling the story on film. Their camera and editing technique are completely new and it’s worked for three films now. What if someone came up with as new a way to tell say a love story on film? The creativity in Paranormal Activities is just amazing. So if you like being scared go see any of all of these Activities.

THE RUM DIARY. This version of Hunter Thompson’s early career is a terrible film. Poorly directed, very poorly directed, dull script, Johnny Depp at his dullest, and it’s boring. Oddly enough it could be called Pirates of The Caribbean. It’s about rich developers wanting to build hotels on beach front property in the Caribbean. They are ruthless, take advantage of the locals, screw honest people and as a newspaper reporter Hunter Thompson (Depp) sees through their scheme. Not Santa Cruz but in Puerto Rico territory.

IN TIME. Justin Timberlake does a fine acting job and so does Amanda Seyfried in this science fiction Orwellian thriller. It has moral and ethical overtones because the concept is that in the future you use the days and months of your life as money. So when you can something say like a bottle of scotch, it would cost you two and a half hours of your life. It’s possible!!! Go see it or at least rent it later.

ENLIGHTENED. A definite guilty pleasure. This HBO series now in its’ third week stars Laura Dern and Mike White who are also producers of the series. Laura Dern has always been a great actor and she shines…even glistens in this one. I wouldn’t sign up for HBO just for this but if you already have it don’t miss Enlightened.

12 TONE MUSIC..THE FUN PART.

HOSTETTER’S HOT STUFF. Paul postulates…”As autumn inexorably advances upon us, things keep happening in our area, among them: the San Francisco World Music Festival, winding up this weekend, the Hot Club of SF with a scattering of interesting events coming up here and there, a highly recommended appearance by a trio of Canadian sonic explorers called Three Meter Day, the talented and exuberant California Honeydrops at Moe’s in SCruz, and probably elsewhere (follow the links), the inspired combination of Jim Kweskin and Geoff Muldaur with Suzy Thompson at the Freight, Deby B. Grosjean’s CD release party, the long overdue return of Kiran Ahluwalia, a marvelous singer of modern ghazals, and some very welcome rumblings from the Sangati Center, which sort of languished there for awhile. Here’s where you look for more details: http://www.lutherie.net/live.music.html

Also, the sixteen or so strings of Jimmy Crowley and Marla Fibish are doing a tour shortly, mostly very small venues and house concerts in the Bay Area, I highly recommend you check www.marlafibish.com for the details. Great spirited Irish music in the form of singing and playing on the extended family of mandolin-type things. They have a new CD and everything!Carry on. Ph….Marla Fibish???

BOOK EVENT. Don Young who taught at Cabrilho College for decades has written “The Battle For Snow Mountain”. I’ve read it, its surreal, funny, and an “only in the Army” adventure. Don fought in “The Battle of The Bulge” and has told the story as only he could. Get the book and hear him talk about it at the Capitola Book Café on Thursday November 10 at 7:30 p.m. And hear him on Universal Grapevine Tuesday November 8^th at 7 p.m.

BOOKSHOP BIRTHDAY. Bookshop Santa Cruz turns 45 years old this very Friday night and that means 20% off everything all day Friday! It also means that for the 34^th year our Hot Damn String Band will play our hearts out to add to the festivities. We still miss Jim Houston who played string bass with us for more than 20 of those years but Jim Reynolds will still be on guitar, Annie Steinhart, fiddle, Dave Megram banjo, Todd Kimball mandolin, Gary Cunningham string bass, and yours truly on washboard. Cake and ice cream will be served at 8:15 we start at 7:30 p.m. See you there.

Here’s an old story by Rob Pratt on the Hot Damners from the old Metro newspaper.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE CONCERTS at UCSC. The series continues with “A Distant Music” featuring Paul Nauert, composer. A concert featuring the premiere performances of Paul Nauert’s song cycle “A Distant Music” for tenor, piano, and string quartet and “Pathfinding” for solo B-flat clarinet with guest artist Paul Miller, clarinet. Also on the program: “Suite Italienne” by Igor Stravinsky featuring Roy Malan, violin, and Michael McGushin, piano, and Nauert’s “Darwin Street” for solo bass clarinet with Paul Miller. The String Quartet is Roy Malan, violin, Kevin Rogers, violin Ivo Bokulic, viola, Vanessa Ruotolo, cello , Paul Miller, clarinet Brian Staufenbiel, tenor. Michael McGushin andCarl Pantle, piano .(It’s one of the world’s largest quartets!!). It’s Friday, November 4, 2011 – 7:30 p.m. at UCSC’s Music Center Recital Hall. Tickets are available at the UCSC Ticket Office (831-459-2159), the Santa Cruz Civic box office.

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. The November 8^th Grapevine has former Cabrilho Professor Don Young talking about his book,” The Battle For Snow Mountain”, and then poet Robert Sward will read from his new book, “New and Selected Poems”. On November 15^th the winners of Bookshop Santa Cruz’s Youth Writing contest will read their entries. Ralph Abraham will talk about 2 of his new books on November 22 followed by Gary Patton and UCSC Environmental Studies Interns. November 29 has Assemblyman Bill Monning discussing inside Sacramento stuff, then Jim Mosher talks about his teens and alcohol program. . Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 5 years here’s a chronological list of just this year’s podcasts. Click here http://kzsc.org/blog/tag/universal-grapevine then tap on “listen here” to hear any or all of them… all over again. The Great Morgani on Street performing, 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 Conpany. Plus 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. Hear them all!!!

QUOTES. “Christianity is a communist plot“, Tom McNamara. “As every second passes my teeth get worse”, Art Speigelman. “While we are sleeping two-thirds of the world is plotting to do us in”, Dean Rusk.

BEST OF VINTAGE DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by tim eagan.

Posted in Weekly Articles | Comments Off

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by tim eagan.

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by tim eagan.

BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by tim eagan.

BEST OF VINTAGE DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by tim eagan.

BEST OF VINTAGE DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by tim eagan.

BEST OF VINTAGE DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by tim eagan.

BEST OF VINTAGE DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by tim eagan.

BEST OF VINTAGE DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by tim eagan.

BEST OF VINTAGE DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by tim eagan.

BEST OF VINTAGE DeCINZO.

Deep Cover by tim eagan.

Recent Articles

Recent Comments

Archives

winzip freeware

winrar free download

winzip registration code

free winrar

winrar free

windows 7 crack

winrar download free

windows 7 ultimate product key

windows 7 activation crack

winzip free download

winzip activation code

download winrar free

windows 7 key generator

windows xp product key

winzip free download full version

free winzip

free winrar download

windows 7 product key