McHugh Bianchi Building circa 1972, corner of Pacific and Mission streets. This grand old building set Santa Cruz aside as a City that cared and greeted everyone way back as the Hotaling Building then as Hinkle’s Cash Store. We fought to save it from the 1972 City Council and lost. Now it’s Bank of The West. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection, click for bigger version. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

LATTE’ BREAKING NEWS. It’s not yet what you might call “official” but Ellen Pirie isn’t going to run for 2^nd District supervisor anymore, and that’s definite. So, like I stated last week we got Police flack Zach Friend running for her job but who else is thinking about it? Then there’s hope, some buzz and some excellent reasons why Stephanie Harlan should run and win…she’s got plenty of necessary first hand experience. If you know her help talk her into it.

NEXT ITEM. Zach Friend, not satisfied with his wife as Assistant Manager of Santa Cruz, and him running for Second District Supervisor’s seat is now out scouting and dealing trying to find a “moderate democrat” to run against John Leopold in the 1st (Live Oak) District. Why? you ask??Well, along with NextSpace buddies Ryan Coonerty, the Seaside Corp’s Chris Reyes I think these guys are just going for power and control and of course ultimately to develop Santa Cruz County and City into the happening Metropolis of their dreams. Leopold will be running in 2012 and will take office in 2013. I’m guessing that the “so called Moderate Democrat (read “easily controlled”) will be a Next Space type. Keep watching and send in those items, guesses and predictions.

OUR NEXT MAYOR. Don Lane will be numero uno alcalde next and what does that mean??? I’m betting (based only on past experience) that he won’t cry in the mayor’s seat as much as used to when he was on the Council before. Lane also claimed that the Sentinel was mean to him, and they’ll be nicer now, wait and see. He’ll be a lot more tolerant of Social Service issues like the Homeless than Ryan could be. Lane will listen to folks longer, and appear more empathetic but in the end he’ll vote almost exactly the Ryan Coonerty-Cynthia Mathews-Mike Rotkin line. Mark my words. Matter of fact starting in November, save all of Lane’s votes on important issues that disagree with Ryan’s and one year from this October we’ll count the differences…it won’t take long. AND I’ll take any/all bets.

CLASS ON BUSINESS MARKETING. Did you happen to see this in the Sentinel’s Business Section?

“Class on business marketing“.Facebook class coming Monday. NextSpace will host a class on how to use Facebook to grow a business 6:30-9:30 p.m. Monday at 101 Cooper St. Topics include how to set up your page, what to post, how to protect your privacy and track your progress. Instructors are Sara Isenberg, a web consultant and social media strategist, and Judi Oyama, a graphic designer and social media specialist. The class is offered through the city of Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation, with the cost $79 for residents, $98 for non-residents. Register for class #15023 here or call 420-5270 Monday through Thursday.

Does this strike you as questionable judgment? Maybe overstepping boundaries? A tiny bit of possible conflict of interest? I mean here’s NextSpace owned by our mayor Ryan Coonerty being rented by Our City’s Parks and Recreation Department. Is Parks and Rec paying for the rental? Are owners Ryan, Caleb Baskin, and Jeremy Neuner donating the space in return for all the free publicity and promotion they’re getting? This isn’t the first time NextSpace has been rented by Parks & Rec.either. There’s the Cruzio building that’s closer to Park and Rec., there’s Louie Rittenhouse’s mausoleum that has only ghosts using it, London Nelson Community Center, MAH i.e. lots of choices. So let us wonder together, does the mayor give his Parks and Rec. department “special” rental prices? Who else gets them? Are NextSpace spaces less expensive to rent….how and why did NextSpace get the deal???

DEMOLISHING LA BAHIA. Ever since the Coastal Commission ended that part of the battle about demolishing the historic La Bahia the extra large question remains…. what’s going to happen to the run down La Bahia, which is of course Charlie Canfield’s/Boardwalk property?? More than a few rumors are that the Seaside Corporation will tear it down, and soon. Raise your hands if you can picture our City Council led by Don Lane standing up to Charlie Canfield, Chris Reyes and all their legal muscle and money and saying “Don’t Demolish, Save our Historic Structure“.

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary talks a lot about the shared water problems that Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey County all have…and makes suggestions. He then adds news about the Soquel State Demonstration Forest near Nisene Marks in Aptos. (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 reports, “No pictures this week, but instead a link to the British Antarctic Survey. I didn’t include as much geophysical information as I thought I would– next week? Hope the fall season is treating you better than our spring! We spent six days pushing pancakes across Drake Lake* to disembark into the worst weather I have experienced personally at Palmer Station. The wind waited for us to finish offloading our most important cargo– mail and fresh food– and one of our twice-yearly shipments of diesel fuel to keep the lights on. Since then it’s been a sustained 40mph blast with gusts reaching nearly 75mph every few minutes. The temperature has risen to the mid-teens but we started the week at 0-degrees Fahrenheit… also known as “F-ing Zero” to those who work outside. Of course, we came to relieve the stalwart winterovers** who remained during the continent’s most trying months in order to maintain both the station and the year-round scientific experiments it shelters. Contrary to what non-Ice folk might suppose, winterovers do not rush the gangway the moment it’s down, begging to go home. Rather they behave like house cats left alone over a long vacation. They seem to walk around the edges of the room, and their standoffishness says they’re glad to see you without compromising their self-respect.

I did feel a small shock when I first looked across Arthur Harbor at our local glacier, the Marr Ice Piedmont. It has changed quite noticeably since my departure last April, deteriorating in large scoops that might indicate underlying land. Without measurements, anything I say about its retreat is pure anecdote and speculation, not evidence. When more knowledgeable people arrive later in the spring, I will write in more detail.

Which one dear friend that did not greet us when we arrived at Anvers Island? The ozone layer! The ozone hole varies seasonally, usually reaching maximum diameter in late September (early spring in the Southern Hemisphere). Please see the British Antarctic Survey site for a thorough yet accessible introduction to the Antarctic ozone, as well as links to terrific images put out by Canada.

*Our name for the infamous Passage during calm seas. The region is known for alternating between extreme storms and equally dramatic periods of total calm.

**Because they stay “over the winter.” Commonwealth countries say “overwinterers,” an awkward word to the American ear.

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

HISTORICAL BRATTONONLINE PHOTO BIT. Carey Casey writes, “To the left of the Municipal Wharf, you can see pilings of the old Railroad Wharf sticking up out of the sand (a Bratton Online column from about 7-1-2011 ran a 1913 photo showing both wharves). Thanks for the follow-up Carey.

VINTAGE DE CINZO.Mr. DeCinzo peddles the truth…nothing changes in bicycle behavior. Except it gets worse over the years. See below.

EAGANS DEEP COVER. Tim gives us lesson #2 in Class Warfare…below, below.

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul’s Progreso Weekly article “American Reality Gaps” states, “Now that the 9/11 celebrations of memories, oaths of determination, endless renditions of God Bless America and Nowhere else, and flying of flags have become old news, my wife and I take an overnight vacation. Driving north on scenic Highway 29 in Napa County, admiring the endless acres of grapes which will magically – and with lots of labor – become wine, I wonder who will drink the millions of gallons, and who can afford to even think about buying a bottle of fermented grape juice costing $15 to $300; if you want to experience a quick sensation of liquid velvet flowing through your mouth and oozing down your throat.

Some of the workers – “illegal aliens” for the Tea Party or “undocumented workers” if you’re politically correct – who pick and process these grapes earn less than minimum wage. Yes Virginia, in flag-flying California’s wine country and other patriotic agricultural zones, American bosses hired lots of low-wage foreign labor. But there’s an upside: lower food and booze prices. The underpaid Mexican worker who picks the grapes helps Mommy afford the smooth white wine she drinks from late morning on as well as the mellow red one she shares with Daddy when he comes home. I assume Tea Partiers would accept $6 an hour doing hard fieldwork – or know solid American citizens who would. I don’t. At that wage, you could fast for two days and not afford a “good” bottle of Napa Valley wine! Read the rest here.

He concludes with…”The richest nation in the world rewards its affluent minority with exciting food tastes, ever-new clothing styles, cars with the comforts of their penthouses, super yachts and unimaginable luxuries – and very low taxes. The unpleasant news doesn’t enter their conversations and indeed it must be hard for the ultra rich to imagine that almost 50 million people living in the same county with them have scant access to medical care and will never get a pension”. Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow whose films are on DVD from roundworldproductions@gmail.com

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa states officially that, “I’m on unofficial hiatus for one more week, gearing up for Open Studios (don’t miss the preview show of all 300+ OS artists now playing at the Art League), the Pacific Rim Film Fest, and everything else that goes on around here during the Fall Arts season. But keep checking Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/) for updates. Lisa Jensen has been writing film reviews and a column for Good Times since 1975.

MONEYBALL. Brad Pitt was never better…and I’ll bet he’s not going to be this good again. It’s a story about the money and professional sports. It’s cruel, realistic, and still the film has too much Hollywood in it to be great, but do rent it. It’ll make you wonder about your reasons for following professional ball games.

BRIGHTON ROCK. John Hurt and Helen Mirren barely make it to the screen and keep your attention but the plot escaped me. I never did figure out the motivation for the plot. Accidental killing followed by 1 1/2 hours of British accents just wasn’t enough to recommend this one.

CIRCUMSTANCE. Two Iranian 16 year old girls fall in love in Iran. A mess of politics, lots of cultural stuff, and it didn’t justify caring very much about anybody’s life that we were watching. Rent it just for the cultural experience and a view of today’s Iran.

CHARLES WOLTERS SHOW. Jesse Nickell and his wife have put together at least 27 paintings and prints by the late Charles Wolters for a show at her business The Galleria Wellness Center upstairs from Café Mare in suite 250 from 5-8 p.m. AND just one night First Friday Night October 7^th. for details and for Charles bio and community exploits.

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 Tuesday Sept.27 Brian Spencer and Al Muller talk about The Letters play coming to the Actors Theatre on October 7. Also on the 27^th, ceramic sculptor Peggy Snider discusses her works and Open Studios. UCSC’s Micah Perks talks about a writing event on the campus on October 4^th followed by Davis Banta relating stuff about his production of Sam Shepard’s True West. On October 11 Teresa Landers tells news about The Santa Cruz City Library system. Felicia Rice follows her and will talk about UCSC’s Digital Arts and New Media. Author, actor and acting teacher Joanne Linville will take the entire hour on October 18 to talk about her book Seven Steps to an Acting Craft. County Supervisor John Leopold will again co-host the fall pledge drive on October 25. City Council person Katherine Beiers will be the guest on November 1^st. Followed by Meg Sandow and friend discussing the Homeless Garden Project. The November 8^th Grapevine has former Cabrilho Professor Don Young talking about his book, “The Battle For Snow Mountain”. 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. Ron Clegg reminded me just how wise Malcolm X. was… “The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses.” –Malcolm X. “A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything”, Malcolm X.
“I don’t even call it violence when it’s in self defense; I call it intelligence,”Malcolm X

DREAM INN SITE 1960. In the lower right you can just see the Municipal Wharf and the Ideal Fish Restaurant. The large dark spot in the center is where the Dream Inn was built. You can also see the original Sisters Hospital right where Bay Street comes in on the left. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection, click for bigger version. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

ZACH FRIEND RUNNING FOR SUPERVISOR!!! Just another little BrattonOnline scoop. Yes, Santa Cruz Police flack Zach is going to run for Ellen Pirie’s County Supervisor seat in District two. Other rumors (and probably public records) say that he already makes $103, 000 from the cop job, so it can’t be the money…probably it’s the power. His wife Tina Schull our Santa Cruz Assistant City Manager, makes more than he does, she makes $129,870 per annum so they ain’t hurtin’. I too can’t exactly see him and Ellen fighting it out for the Supe seat….something’s gotta give here.

QUESTION TIME. Does anyone else wonder about Zach Friend, Ryan Coonerty, Chris Reyes and all the monetary and political interconnections to Next Space, The Boardwalk, City Politics ( LOBA, Chamber, etc.), UCSC, The Police Department, Local Democrat Party and now County politics? I mean “small town” and all that, but I sure don’t remember such relationships before those three guys and their friends, relatives, and bosses got so busy. Read this piece from last week’s Sentinel “On Sept. 27, the City Council is expected to weigh a plan that would create a shared command structure between the city and UC Santa Cruz fire departments. The pilot program likely would headed by UCSC Chief Jeff Trapp, officials familiar with the plan said. Details are still being worked out, but Fire Capt. Rob Oatey, president of the city firefighters union, said his members back the plan because it will cut administrative costs”. At first blush it seems fine, but does it ring bells like City and State and integrity and past sneaky deals like sharing water with UCSC, that we never know about??

SPEAKING OF SANTA CRUZ BEING PRO-GROWTH.First, read this, and then think about it…

“Santa Cruz bills itself as a bastion of progressive environmental thinking and lifestyle. Indeed, its past is littered with great leaders who had the forethought to preserve and protect the environment. But, in recent years, the City’s leaders, claiming to be great defenders of the environment, have paid no more than lip service to environmental protection. The City tries to paint itself as forward thinking, such as banning Styrofoam food containers, when in reality it is late to the party. Many communities began enacting this ban, as well as other green initiatives, long before “green” Santa Cruz. And while City leaders claim to be green, the reality is that they could care less. Indeed, the City of Santa Cruz is pro-growth and pro-business. This in and of itself may not be evil, but when they are to the detriment of the environment, it is at odds with what most citizens perceive should be the policy of the City and certainly inconsistent with the image that City leaders try to invent for themselves.

Residents think the City is protecting them from the evil unchecked growth of the University, but in reality City leaders want the growth and are even proposing to give the City’s scant resource, water, to the University for that growth when it does not have to. The City makes special exceptions for its developer friends. La Bahia is a perfect example where the City did not want to apply the height limits that everyone else must conform. The Dream Inn was a cynical ploy. It was billed as a way to spruce up the aging behemoth, but the “remodel” was really a tear down and replace with an even larger more imposing structure. And, lastly, Arana Gulch. Whatever side you are on, this one is the most egregious example of the City’s careless attitude towards the environment. The City could have had an alternative that provided an east-west bike path, ADA access, and other amenities while preserving an endangered plant. Instead, this “green City” painted the plant as the enemy, relishes in creating a schism between bicyclists and environmentalists, and then calls that dispute a “split” in the environmental community. Indeed, Santa Cruz City leaders even publicly stated that the Arana project must move forward to save us from global warming, as if saving us from global warming and preserving endangered species is a mutually exclusive exercise. These are not the hallmarks of a great “green” community. A green community tries to solve these issues, not drive a wedge in the community”. A well-informed friend of mine wrote it for BrattonOnline, we should memorize and act on it. AND find some good people to run for City Council.

WESTSIDE REDTREE DEVELOPMENT. Mark Primack gave a talk at MAH last Thursday night about his architecture work for the 20 acre Redtree Development out on Delaware. Did anyone see who presented or paid for that Primack talk? Why was it given? Of course the project was approved by our pro-growth City Council even though no one has a clue what the actual plans are. AND it was approved over the protests of the neighbors. And I’ll bet if George Ow looks at the plans he’ll be forced to repeat, ” The Duomo in Florence, St. Peters in Rome, I think of the Alhambra in Grenada — you know, they don’t match what’s around them and stand out. That’s what Santa Cruz needs, actually — something that stands out and that is magnificent,’ said local developer George Ow of Santa Cruz”, according to The Santa Cruz Sentinel.

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary’s weekly KUSP radio program for Monday, Sept 19 says, ” For those interested in policy issues related to land use, growth, and development, I’d point to a couple of other items on the County Supervisors agenda. Agenda Item #42 provides a status report on the County’s efforts to “streamline” its permit process. The key issue in any “streamlining” proposal is whether that streamlining is to be achieved by procedural changes, or whether the proposed streamlining would result from changes that would weaken the substantive environmental and neighborhood protection standards contained in the current code. My bias would be in favor of finding streamlining solutions that don’t water down environmental protection”.

More than that he says, “Those who live or work in the City of Santa Cruz should polish up their reading glasses, and get ready to put in some hours on an important document now available for public comment. I speak, of course, about the Draft Environmental Impact Report prepared on the proposed City of Santa Cruz General Plan Update. The City of Santa Cruz is getting ready for final action. If you care about the future growth and development of the City of Santa Cruz, there is no time to waste. The deadline for comments is November 14^th.

The proposed Santa Cruz City General Plan Update would allow the construction of 3,350 new residential units and it contemplates a population increase of 8,040 residents, and the construction of 3,140,000 additional square feet of commercial, office and industrial uses. Impacts related to traffic, water supply, public services, schools, cultural resources, and air quality are anticipated. Your time to comment is now“, he says.

That’s what I was saying about Santa Cruz being so pro-growth. (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)

Here’s a picture from the trip down as seen from the deck of the RV Laurence M. Gould in September 2011. Swirling “grease ice” surrounds some medium-sized “pancakes” that have broken loose from the pack and started drifting northward.

Made it to Palmer just yesterday afternoon (Sunday, Sept. 18)… getting busy here at station. Today’s -12 C and my fingers are a bit stiff for typing! How you get to Antarctica depends very much on where exactly you’re going. Getting to Palmer Station, my destination this season, from the port of Punta Arenas, Chile requires at least four days in an ice-worthy ship to cross the Drake Passage. Weather satellites and diesel engines allow modern travelers to skirt the major storms, although not the high swells characteristic of the area. We cross in the R/V Laurence M. Gould, a 76-meter ice-strengthened vessel* contracted by the National Science Foundation to serve Palmer Station in addition to operating throughout the Southern Ocean as a research vessel. Seen in person, the Gould doesn’t win your immediate confidence. Painted gaudy orange and yellow, she looks like an over-sized rubber ducky that goes bobbing unsteadily (but reliably!) across bathwater that seems to be smothering a giggle. Toward the stern, she sports a pair of stabilizers that bring to mind of inflatable water-wings worn by children at the beach. They’re intended to minimize the rolling and reeling caused by her shallow draft, necessary for navigating ice, and perhaps they do help some. Nevertheless, the Gould has a terrible reputation for turning some of the Program’s steeliest stomachs inside out and every passage sees some puke.

Those of us bound for station spend much of our time playing cards, watching DVDs, knitting and even reading when the stomach permits. I love to watch the ocean transform as we continue to cruise down the peninsula. The open water turns streaky with “grease ice,” the first sign of a freezing sea. Gradually, the pancakes** start to appear, first as little silver dollars and growing larger as we head south until eventually they pack so tightly together that they merge into sheets and lo, the ocean is solid! Icebergs begin to dot the horizon, tiny in the scheme of things but looking very grand against a sunset. In my stateroom at night I like to listen to the ice go crunch and squeak against our bow.

*Ice-going vessels fall into a detailed hierarchy based on what type and thickness of ice each is able to withstand, and under what types of conditions. The term “icebreaker” commonly used by the public does not get used lightly by those who work on these vessels.

**Please see the Wikipedia entries for more technical descriptions of sea ice formation… try searching “pancake ice” to get started.

(Micaela Neus works for Raytheon Polar Services Company as a utilities technician and is currently living at Palmer Station, Antarctica until April 2012. She will continue writing these articles as long as possible)

VINTAGE DE CINZO. De Cinzo addresses UCSC students, see below

EAGANS DEEP COVER. Tim helps us digest the GOP debates look below a few pages

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul Landau equates Rick Perry with Elmer Gantry in his weekly Progreso Weekly shot–across-the-bow titled “President Rick Perry“. He opens with, “Imagine this scene: 3 million Christians brought together in Washington DC in 2013. Incoming President Rick Perry asks them to pray to God to stop warming the climate and promising in return to stop sinning: having abortions, practicing homosexuality – even same sex marrying. Since Perry announced his disbelief in man’s contribution to climate change and has attributed the hurricanes, tsunamis, droughts, floods, earthquakes and fires (best of all) to God, the Texas governor called a prayer meeting in Houston. On August 7, standing on a stage surrounded by more than 30,000 Christians, Perry – picture Burt Lancaster playing Elmer Gantry – beseeched Jesus Christ to bless and guide the nation’s military and political leaders and “those who cannot see the light in the midst of all the darkness.” His address to the prayer rally, which he sponsored as he “weighed” his decision to run for president, characterized the man and his constituency. Read it here!

Saul Landau’s WILL THE REAL TERRORIST PLEASE STAND UP plays at Albuquerque’s Guild theater, Sept. 21, 6 & 8 pm. Prof. Nelson Valdes will do Q & A. Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow whose films are on DVD from roundworldproductions@gmail.com

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa, busy as ever says, “Good grief! Open Studios is right around the corner, the Pacific Rim Film Festival is coming up, and even I don’t know what I’ll be writing about this week! Visit Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/), and find out. Lisa Jensen has been writing film reviews and a column for Good Times since 1975.

DRIVE. Ryan Gosling is about the last person you’d think of casting in this crime thriller but he’s as good as Carey Mulligan who plays his girlfriend. One critic said,

“Drive is a needle-punch of adrenaline to the aorta“, and it is, and more than that, it’s an excellently made film. You may be pacifistic and calm and sustainable so stay away, but if you want to see stunt driving, action, blood and stuff go for it…one of my top ten’s of the year so far.

STRAW DOGS.This is a genuine Hollywood-type re-make of the original Dustin Hoffman – Sam Peckinpah film, and it’s a waste of their time and money and yours too IF you go see it. It ‘s a term paper on violence, without good acting and blah photography. Don’t go.

NOT SEEN. I couldn’t get the strength together (read “lower my standards”) to go see “Bucky Larson” or “Seven Days in Utopia” or “I Don’t Know How She Does It”. If you happen to even meet anyone who did go, and had anything good to say about any of these movies…let me know. Maybe I’ll pass it on.

THOSE “LIVE” LONDON-LOCAL LAST WEEK TELECASTS. 167 folks went to see London‘s National Theatre Live telecasts of One Man Two Guvnors last Thursday and Sunday at the Del Mar. I went and can honestly say that I haven’t laughed so hard and often at any live or screened event in years. It’s in British and so we lose a few lines but the humor ranges from absolutely brilliant, sharp and witty to the lowest, bawdiest, physical pratfall stuff you just don’t see anymore. Its possible The Del Mar can get a re-run…if so just go and I’ll save a seat for you. The Regal 9 London Globe “live” telecast of Shakespeare’s Henry VIII had only about 10 of us, on the same Thursday night and time as One-Man 2 Guvnors but it was Shakespeare as I’ve never before seen it produced. Amazing, exciting and I’d go again anytime. Let’s hope they continue the Globe series and do better publicity.

SATYAJIT RAY’S LAST FILM & LECTURE ON SAT.9/24 @ UCSC. Film enthusiasts and even Vedanta types should know about the lecture and special screening

ofSatyajit Ray’s (pronounced “wry”) last film Agantuk (aka The Stranger and aka The Visitor). The screening will be at 3 p.m. in the UCSC Media Theatre. Go here for that link http://news.ucsc.edu/2011/09/satyajit-ray-lecture.html …after that..…

Dr Karan Singh, Member of Parliament in New Delhi, will deliver the Satyajit Ray Lecture on” Nava Vedanta : Ancient Philosophy of Non-dualism and Its Modern transformation”. It will be held at the Music Recital Hall, Performing Arts complex, UCSC. at 5 PM. It will be preceded by a CD on his Ethical and Philosophical Ideas entitled: I BELIEVE.

http://satyajitray.ucsc.edu/pictures/FlyerKaran8.pdf

For tickets and more information about the Satyajit Ray Film and Study Collection, go to: http://satyajitray.ucsc.edu, call 831-459-4012 or e-mail satyajit@ucsc.edu

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, September 20^th has Christopher Krohn discussing UCSC’s Environmental Studies Internship Program of which he is director, then on that same program, Rita Bottoms author of the new book “riffs & ecstasies” will talk about that book. On Sept.27 Brian Spencer and Al Muller talk about The Letters play coming to the Actors Theatre in October. Also on the 27^th, ceramic sculptor Peggy Snider discusses her works and Open Studios. UCSC’s Micah Perks talks about a writing event on the campus on October 4^th followed by Davis Banta relating stuff about his production of Sam Shepard’s True West. On October 11 Teresa Landers tells news about The Santa Cruz City Library system. Felicia Rice follows her and will talk about UCSC’s Digital Arts and New Media. Author, actor and acting teacher Joanne Linville will take the entire hour on October 18 to talk about her book Seven Steps to an Acting Craft. County Supervisor John Leopold will again co-host the fall pledge drive on October 25. City Council person Katherine Beiers will be the guest on November 1^st. Followed by Meg Sandow and friend discussing the Homeless Garden Project. The November 8^th Grapevine has former Cabrilho Professor Don Young talking about his book,” The Battle For Snow Mountain”. 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. “Facts are for people who don’t have opinions”, B. Bratton. “Thank God, men cannot as yet fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth”, Henry David Thoreau. “We have made machines out of men—now we will make men out of machines”, Fritz Lang’s Metropolis.

FISHING ON THE SAN LORENZO, December 8, 1940. This was back in the day before the Santa Cruz City Council’s let pollutants and developers kill off our fish. This was the opening of the steelhead season, by Murray Street on East Cliff. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection, click for bigger version. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

WHAT CITY COUNCIL PENSIONS? I ran this item last week, and Cynthia Mathews immediately corrected The Santa Cruz Sentinel, Doug Deitch and me.

“As previously mentioned Cynthia Mathews has been out there running for re-election in 2012. You can tell because she’s smiling, friendly, and joining every group she can squeeze into. But now comes along by way of Doug Deitch of all people, this data on the Sentinel website about the pensions she and Mike Rotkin receive. What pensions? How much do we pay former City Councilmember’s? Why does Cynthia get an annual pension of $34,569.48 and Mike Rotkin only get $9, 789.24? What other City jobs has Cynthia had? Not Planned Parenthood surely? I always thought that City Council members did it for the civic duty thing. Would somebody look into this hard earned City Expenditure….and reveal all the facts behind what our City Council are really paid??? Wasn’t it widely touted as $1000 per month while in office??

Check Michael E. Rotkin’s monthly and annual pension at

Name MICHAEL E ROTKIN
Agency CITY OF SANTA CRUZ
Monthly pension $ 815.77
Annual pension $ 9,789.24

Mike had 6 terms or 24 years in office.

Now check Cynthia’s pension at…

Name CYNTHIA S MATHEWS
Agency CITY OF SANTA CRUZ
Monthly pension $ 2,880.79 (not correct she says)
Annual pension $ 34,569.48 (not correct she says)

She had 4 terms or 16 years in office….why the difference? And how come they make more in pensions???

CYNTHIA MATHEWS CORRECTION EMAIL. Cynthia wrote in an email the same day the column came online…, “I don’t know how the Sentinel arrived at its figures for my pension as a retired council member, but the information you cite in your column is incorrect. My monthly pension for 16 years of service is $811.86, for an annual total of $9,742.32. This is calculated on the same formula used for all council members. For details you could contact the City HR department”. Much mail and questions have come in all week about these City Council pensions. Questions like… don’t many of the Council members have full time jobs? Doesn’t the mayor get an extra paycheck while being Mayor? Do council persons get health benefits, do they get social security, and the biggy…just how many hours per week do they work? They wave the self sacrifice FLAG a lot and whisper that they only make $1000 a month, but now we see that ain’t true. Would someone go to Human Resources and track down the City Council Pension Story??…PLEASE???

PENSION QUESTION. Gail Williamson asks, “I was wondering if you knew when and how pensions for city council members started? Did the council vote the pensions in, or is it the city manager who designated them public employees or what?” Gail Williamson.

NO WORD FROM RAPUNZEL ROBINSON. As mentioned above Cynthia got back to me immediately with a correction on that Sentinel error. But still no word back from Lynn Rapunzel Robinson on her dropping out of the California Assembly race. I’ve called her twice and left messages on her phone machine. I emailed her too and nothing!!. In the past when I dared write anything about Lynn, her husband John Robinson would phone me immediately and say things like “you dumb fuck” or similar words he learned from hanging out with Carnies, Theme Park and Amusement Park people at his President & CEO job at California Attractions & Parks Association in Sacramento, CA (CAPA). So it looks like Lynn has no plan B either. I’ll be the first to let you know if Lynn responds to the dropout news. You’d think any responsible candidate would answer.

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Among other items such as the California Environmental Quality Act taking a big hit Gary says, “I, personally, think that the future growth and development of every local community should be a “political” issue, in the best sense of the term. That is, I believe that local communities should be trying to make growth happen the way the majority of the community wants, instead of letting growth just “happen to” the community, as the consequence of lots of individual decisions added up. Measure J, Santa Cruz County’s growth management system, was adopted by the voters in 1978, and Measure J requires the Board of Supervisors to vote on growth on an annual basis. As far as I know, no other local community in California has done anything similar. The Board can vote for rapid growth, slow growth, or something in between. Again, why don’t you let the Board know what you think?

Gary goes on to tell us in his KUSP broadcasts about the killing of oak trees in Monterey and about taking a walk on Fort Ord property. That would be a change, they used to make me march or do double time when I was at Fort Ord. check out all of Gary’s opinions at PATTON (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)

VINTAGE DE CINZO. DeCinzo is hot on the trail of an ongoing mess…wheel downward.

EAGANS DEEP COVER. Tim’s inside version of creating jobs….spin downwards.

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul takes on a genuine schlemiel and says, ” Remember the aggressive guy in grade school and high school who snarled out of the corner of his mouth, and always egged other guys into fights but never felt knuckles on his own cheek? He’s the same guy who later got six college deferments for the draft while he advocated for the righteousness of the Vietnam War. No one liked him, no obstacle in oozing his way into political leadership – naturally, in the Republican Party. And once he achieved political power he really enjoyed, quietly of course, pushing people around. From U.S. Defense Secretary he was then moved laterally to honcho at Halliburton with its lavish DOD contracts. If it had been anyone else, one would have thought conflict of interest. But patriotic Dick Cheney? Perish the thought! Read the rest here…

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

CHRISTINA WATERS RETURNS FROM VACATION!!! She’ll be back from vacation and slinging her well-seasoned opinions starting this week – Sept. 15 – @ http://christinawaters.com. And don’t forget to check out her “Plated” column each Wednesday in the SCWeekly.”

LISA JENSEN LINKS. How seaworthy is Laurie King’s new Russell-Holmes mystery novel, “Pirate King?” Find out this week at Lisa Jensen Online Express. Also, some thoughts on why The Help is cleaning up, and some kudos to Lampshade Productions for upholding the Santa Cruz arts community tradition of doing it for themselves. Lisa Jensen has been writing film reviews and a column for Good Times since 1975.

CONTAGION. Gwyneth Paltrow coughs and chokes her way into your heart in this dirty handed plague type film. Matt Damon gets about the only chance to add any semblance of depth to any character and my friend Elza Minor (Ebony Magazine film critic) and I both fell asleep during the first 1/2 hour. Not a bad film, but sure could have been better.

ATTACK THE BLOCK. Much of the dialogue is “in British” with no subtitles so it’s hard to understand many of the great “throwaway” lines, but go see this nearly insane aliens-invade London comedy. It’s a spoof of alien films and has plot twists and turns that no one has ever used before. It’s a surprise from start to end.

HOSTETTER’S HOT STUFF. (As per usual Paul and I are on different clocks so please realize that many of his early events are over and gone). He syas, “It’s been hectic, I’ve been distracted. Nonetheless, things keep happening, and among the ones coming up soon are Mike Marshall and Caterina Lichtenberg at large in California, mandolins in hand, Tandy Beal shenanigans coming up, Brian Blade and the Fellowship at Kuumbwa (amazing jazz), the Berkeley Oldtime Music Festival in Berkeley, a whole bunch of good things in the queue with the Celtic Society, the New Music Works Garden Party whooptidoo coming up, the Tamburitza extravaganza featuring everyone who ever made a dent in the genre, Baaba Maal onstage in an interview at the Rio of all things, and the details are all at http://www.lutherie.net/live.music.html, if you care to take a peek. Cheers, p.h.

MARSH THEATRE, SAN FRANCISCO.I finally got to the Marsh Theatre in San Francisco last Sunday. I’d been hearing about “the marsh” for years, because it has been producing some of the best live performances at least in Northern California. It’s a small (110 seats) theatre and most attractions are one or two people standup shows. I saw now classic, and near-legendary Geoff Hoyle (from The Pickle Family Circus) create his constantly sold out “Geezer” show. Geezer is Geoff’s gut bursting, soul searching view and vision, of getting old, living life and facing death all in one brilliant one man exploration. Try to get tickets. Rumors are that after Geoff finishes this run and does a show at Teatro ZinZanni he’ll be back at “the marsh”. Check out their line up, Charlie Varon, Marga Gomez, Josh Kornbluth, plus they have classes, Youth Theater, workshops. But by all means be sure to see Geoff Hoyle in “Geezer“. www.themarsh.org

HENRY 8^TH ( VIII). Regal Theatres, Fathom and all these folks screwed up and never publicized this live telecast Shakespeare series live from London’s Globe theatre. What I did find online is…

“This summer and fall NCM Fathom, Globe Theater and Arts Alliance Media invite you to experience classical Shakespeare titles as a lowly groundling of 400 years ago—front row and intense. You can avoid lengthy stands in the yard, however, as this four-part series reaches you in the gallery-like prestige of movie theaters nationwide. The Merry Wives of Windsor, Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2 and Henry VIII were captured in 2010 at the internationally renowned Globe Theatre in London, and you’ll see them larger than life stateside. Each show is at 6:30 p.m. local time.

On Thursday, September 15 at 6:30p.m. Henry VIII cements the in-theater events, which is only fitting since a performance of this play at the Globe Theatre in 1613 resulted in a cannon malfunction that torched the original structure.

Yet the open-air playhouse emerged from the charred ground, a reconstruction process that will be shared during the performances. Other additional footage includes a historical perspective on the Globe, and the work of the Globe today.

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 Sept. 13 Angelo Grova, Rose Sellery and Tina Brown talk about their FashionART Runway & Trunk Show happening Sept 24 followed by KUSP’s Opera host Jim Emdy and I discussing up coming Opera seasons. September 20^th has Christopher Krohn discussing UCSC’s Environmental Studies Internship Program of which he is director, then on that same program, Rita Bottoms author of the new book “riffs & ecstasies” will talk about that book. On Sept.27 Brian Spencer and Al Muller talk about The Letters play coming to the Actors Theatre in October. Also on the 27^th, ceramic sculptor Peggy Snider discusses her works and Open Studios. UCSC’s Micah Perks talks about a writing event on the campus on October 4^th followed by Davis Banta relating stuff about Sam Shepard’s True West. On October 11 Teresa Landers tells news about The Santa Cruz City Library system. Felicia Rice follows her and will talk about UCSC’s Digital Arts and New Media. Author, actor and acting teacher Joanne Linville will take the entire hour on October 18 to talk about her book Seven Steps to an Acting Craft. County Supervisor John Leopold will again co-host the fall pledge drive on October 25. City Council person Katherine Beiers will be the guest on November 1^st. Followed by Meg Sandow and friend discussing the Homeless Garden Project. 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 DeCINZO.

QUOTES. “If you can’t say anything good about someone, sit right here by me“, Alice Roosevelt. “If you have to kill a man it costs nothing to be polite”, Winston Churchill. “I regret very much my inability to attend your banquet. It is the baby’s night out and I must stay at home with the nurse”, Ring Lardner.

PACIFIC AVENUE DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ AUGUST 29, 1957. Reeve’s Shoes is now The Gap and F.W. Woolworth Co. is now Graphfix and the World Market. Is this progress? Nope, all in all we just swapped some chain stores over the last 64 years. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection, click for bigger version. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

BRATTONBULLETIN. (This just in from Monday Sept.5, 9:27.am.) ” Lynn Robinson is stepping down from the assembly race. She will be meeting with her campaign managers (Coonerty, Friend, Reyes) this Tuesday morning at Walnut Street Cafe to let them know her reasons”. Now folks you gotta wonder why that happened. Did Canfield, Swenson, LOBA, George Ow, and Santa Cruz Neighbors pull their $$$ promises out of Rapunzel Robinson’s campaign? Will this mean that Ryan will be coached back into running (or drafted by “popular demand” as they say?). Maybe husband John didn’t want her up in Sacramento? By golly, let’s get to the bottom of this.

SUSTAINABLE WATER COALITION…WHAT??? Cynthia Mathews who’s hot on her campaign trail to run once again for the next City Council election 2012, sent this email…

From: mathews@cruzio.com
Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2011 17:20:39 -0700
Subject: Invitation: Sept. 19 Leadership briefing on Our Water Future
To: mathews@cruzio.com

Dear Community Leader,

As you know, the need to address our community’s water challenges could not be more urgent. While there are differing views about the proposal for the City of Santa Cruz and the Soquel Creek Water District to build a local desalination facility, there is no doubt that maintaining the status quo is not a viable option.

We are vulnerable to major community disruption in the event of a severe drought.

Our groundwater aquifers are threatened with saltwater intrusion

Federal officials working to restore endangered species will limit our use of existing surface water supplies in the future

The Sustainable Water Coalition has come together to help the community understand our vulnerability to water shortages in the years ahead and to ensure that all options – including desalination—remain on the table as we search for the means to achieve a sustainable water future.

We are writing to invite you and other community leaders to join us at a special briefing to get a complete update on our community’s water situation and learn what you can do to ensure an adequate water supply in the years ahead.

Bill Kocher, head of the City of Santa Cruz Water Department, and Laura Brown, head of the Soquel Creek Water District, will discuss the water districts’ challenges, research conservation efforts, and critical decisions ahead; the Sustainable Water Coalition will describe opportunities for community members to get involved, with time for Q & A.

Please join us:

Community Water Issues Briefing

Monday, September 19, 7:30 pm

McPherson Center for Art and History – auditorium

705 Front Street, downtown Santa Cruz

We promise an efficient, information-filled meeting, with plenty of time for your questions. We’ll also provide desserts and coffee. This is an invitation-only event, and space is limited. Please reply to let us know if you will be able to join us. We look forward to seeing you September 19.

Sincerely,

Cynthia Mathews

Mike Rotkin SUSTAINABLE WATER COALITION PO Box 8305, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

We do have to wonder about this private meeting using City Personnel to obviously pitch the De-Sal plant. By Invitation only!!! Who is paying rental for the room at MAH? Does Kocher get paid for these appearances? Who’s attending? At least they’re admitting to a water shortage.

WHAT CITY COUNCIL PENSIONS? As previously mentioned Cynthia Mathews has been out there running for re-election in 2012. You can tell because she’s smiling, friendly, and joining every group she can squeeze into. But now comes along by way of Doug Dietch of all people, this data on the Sentinel website about the pensions she and Mike Rotkin receive. What pensions? How much do we pay former City Councilmembers? Why does Cynthia get an annual pension of $34,569.48 and Mike Rotkin only gets $9,789.24? What other City jobs has Cynthia had? Not Planned Parenthood surely? I always thought that City Council members did it for the civic duty thing. Would somebody look into this hard earned City Expenditure….and reveal all the facts behind what our City Council are really paid??? Wasn’t it widely touted as $1000 per month while in office??

Check Michael E. Rotkin’s monthly and annual pension:

Name MICHAEL E ROTKIN
Agency CITY OF SANTA CRUZ
Monthly pension $ 815.77
Annual pension $ 9,789.24

Mike had 6 terms, or 24 years, in office.

Now check Cynthia’s pension:

Name CYNTHIA S MATHEWS
Agency CITY OF SANTA CRUZ
Monthly pension $ 2,880.79
Annual pension $ 34,569.48

She had 4 terms or 16 years in office….why the difference? And how come they make more in pensions than that $1000 per month??

LARRY GRANGER LEAVING SANTA CRUZ SYMPHONY. I couldn’t find anything about it on the Symphony website but in San Francisco Classical Voice we

Read…”After 20 years of heading the Santa Cruz County Symphony, John Larry Granger is retiring. He will conduct concerts in the next season and will remain music director during the 2012–2013 season, in which guest conductors will vie for the position. During Granger’s tenure — the longest in the orchestra’s 53-year history — the California Arts Council awarded the organization the highest ranking of artistry in its class. Granger will conduct a season of personal significance: Dvor(ák’s Symphony No. 8, which he conducted at his audition concert in 1991; Brahms’ Symphony No. 4, the first major work he studied in detail at the Institute of International Conducting in 1979; and Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony, which influenced his love for classical music as a child.

Opening the season on Oct. 1 and 2, along with the Dvor(ák symphony, will be the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, with New York Philharmonic Associate Concertmaster Sheryl Staples as soloist. A “concert concerto” on Nov. 12 and 13 will bring together Klein Competition winner Nikki Chooi (in the Beethoven Violin Concerto), 2009 Van Cliburn Competition finalist Chetan Tierra (Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1), and Aaron Miller (Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24). Concerts in 2012 will feature the music of Delius, Poulenc, Saint-Saëns, Nielsen, Berwald, Estrella de Soria, Mendelssohn, and Vaughan Williams on Jan. 28–29, Feb. 27–28, March 24–25, and May 12–13. Santa Cruz will miss Larry. A fine guy, easy to talk to and an inspiration.

SANTA CRUZ WEEKLY MOVING INTO CRUZIO.I found this news in Cruzio’s newsletter.” News Flash, just signed: Santa Cruz Weekly will be moving into one of our new offices this fall, more on that soon… The Sentinel moved to Scotts Valley, The Weekly’s moving into Cruzio!!! That’s really known as downsizing, times are getting tougher.

ABOUT OHLONE SACRED LAND AND CONDOS. Email to editor…

“I was very heartened to read that your newest Bratton Online included info about the sacred Ohlone site along Branciforte Creek. I marched in the first protest, which I found very moving, from Laurel Street to the site (almost – the guard would not let us onto the knoll). To the indigenous people it is a sacred site, where they will go to offer their chant, prayers, and medicine to their ancestors. For me, well, for 15 years I’ve walked many times a week in the DeLaveaga woods so close by, and feel like it is my “church.” To know that indigenous people walked there too, and nearby buried their dead along that sweet creek long long ago: it fills me with song. Please can’t we all convince whoever it is who needs convincing that a small knoll near a pleasant creek has meaning far beyond money and power? Thank you for your good work for our citizens and our piece of paradise”. – Kit Birskovich.

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary says… People hate being stuck in traffic. Elected officials, at all levels, hear about this problem all the time, and while the problem comes from poor land use planning, the “solution” most often suggested is to build more roads. Transportation planners have noted that building new roads actually “induces” new demand, so that the road-building strategy doesn’t actually work. The new congestion-free roadway stimulates more people to get into their cars, and the final result is the same old level of congestion, but with another lane of cars now stuck in the jam”. He also says, ” Monterey is dealing with money and tourism and needs citizen input. Then he talks about the ongoing issue of the Corral de Tierra Shopping Center and why it doesn’t die. He closes with The Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds (full disclosure here…I was the treasurer of the Santa Cruz County Fair back around 1975!). He ends by telling us news of the County Planning Commission. (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)

VINTAGE DE CINZO. DeCinzo provides the bait for dealing with our big tourist attraction Fishhook Curve.

EAGANS DEEP COVER. Professor Eagan, civil rights, protests, home sweet home, mix ’em together and whaddya got???…scroll down.

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul Landau was in town last Thursday. We chatted about our old days with the S.F. Mime Troupe and how he’s thinking of making yet another film!!! But before that, he writes…”The Thief In The Living Room”. A rogue elephant ravishes the American living room. But instead of stopping the criminal antics, the people and elected officials salute, praise and honor him, and keep him close to our hearts and wallets. The scoundrel’s name? The Defense Department. Thanks to clever PR teams, the media refers to its murderous and thieving excesses in eulogies to “our brave men and women in uniform who keep our freedom alive.” Until recently, Congress routinely lauded its “heroic feats.” Even as Members focused attention on debt slashing, they continued to fund costly wars and development of futuristic weapons systems; some wrung their hands in despair over insufficient funds to maintain basic infrastructure. Read all of it 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/), catch up with the Santa Cruz Woodworkers show at the MAH, get ready for Laurie King’s first Pirate King event at Capitola Book Cafe, and fasten your seat belts for some exciting new movies (we hope!) coming to local screens this fall. Lisa Jensen has been writing film reviews and a column for Good Times since 1975.

NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE….extra great film news

The National Theatre of Great Britain Announces the new National Theatre Live season beginning September 15^th 2011 at the DEL MAR THEATRE, 1124 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz CA 95060.

The National Theatre is delighted to announce the third season of National Theatre Live(NT Live), a successful initiative to broadcast live performances from the National’s stages to cinemas worldwide. Since its first season, which began with the acclaimed production of Phédre starring Helen Mirren, over half a million people have now experienced the National’s acclaimed work on movie screens around the world.

David Sabel, the National Theatre’s Head of Digital Media, says: ‘It is thrilling to think that over half a million people worldwide have now seen a National Theatre Live broadcast. The programme has grown significantly, giving an ever-widening audience an unprecedented opportunity to engage with our work.’

Season three titles include: One Man, Two Guvnors, The Kitchen, Collaborators, and The Comedy of Errors. These live performances will be broadcast from the National Theatre in London and presented in state-of-the-art High Definition in the 500 Seat Grand Auditorium of the Del Mar Theatre, 1124 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz CA 95060. www.thenick.com all evening shows are at 7 p.m. Additional titles for 2012 will be announced soon.

APOLLO 18.If you look around you’ll note some critics use “Blair Witch” to describe Apollo 18. They should, it’s like Blair Witch meets Paranormal Activity. That’s not all bad. Apollo is a scary movie, and it sues the same techniques to scare us that those two films used. Newly found footage shows what happened to the Lunarnauts when they landed up there. Far from great, and not worth watching on your little screen, but it does manage to keep you awake…go warned.

SHARK NIGHT. Made by the same guy (David Ellis) who made Snakes on a Plane, this flick is even worse, which seems impossible but due to the weekly KZSC program The Bushwhackers I’ve become an expert on Snakes On A Plane through no fault of my own. This shark flick is even in 3D and that sucks too. I don’t even remember any nudity in it, which would have been a plus for a film this miserable. Fake sharks, bad acting, muddy water, no stars, and insane plot…a David Ellis film. He knows exactly what he’s doing and will make millions, just not from you, I hope.

FAMILY FRIENDLY FILM FESTS. Years ago the Pacific Rim Film Fest showed a film that was really raunchy and a bunch of children were in the audience. Last year the same thing happened with the Santa Cruz Film Festival…they didn’t bother rating and warning their audience’s films for what was appropriate and some children and families were very upset. I wrote to Julian Soler at the Santa Cruz Film Fest last week he responded…”we will indicate in all the program notes, in both the printed program and on the website, if a film is family-friendly as well as alert audiences about any films which younger audiences should definitely avoid. You can definitely assure anyone who raises this issue that we are taking proactive measures to ensure that younger audiences are not exposed to inappropriate content”. Ann Parker of The Pacific Rim Film Festival says that they too are making sure audiences get accurate family viewing ratings before their screenings.

THREE PHOTOGRAPHERS: DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS 4.Exhibit at London Nelson Gallery. Different Directions 4, a vibrant new selection of photographs by Susan Lysik, gail nichols and Virginia Scott, runs from Saturday, October 1 through Friday, November 18, 2011 in the Hallway Gallery at London Nelson Community Center, 301 Center Street in downtown Santa Cruz. The Center is open from 9 am to 9:30 pm, Monday through Saturday. An opening reception is scheduled for Friday, October 7 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm, and is included in the October First Friday Art Tour.

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 Sept. 6^th Land Use Attorney Bill Parkin will describe current issues then Jewel Theatre’s Chad Davies and Mary James talk about their The House of Blue Leaves play. Sept. 13 Angelo Grova, Rose Sellery and Tina Brown talk about Fashion ART happening on Sept 24 followed by KUSP’s Opera host Jim Emdy and I discussing up coming Opera seasons. September 20^th has Christopher Krohn discussing one of UCSC’s student programs, then that same program, Rita Bottoms author of the new book “riffs & ecstasies” will talk about that book. On Sept.27 Brian Spencer and Al Muller talk about The Letters play coming to the Actors Theatre in October. Also on the 27^th, ceramic sculptor Peggy Snider discusses her works and Open Studios. UCSC’s Micah Perks talks about a writing event on the campus on October 4^th followed by Davis Banta relating stuff about Sam Shepard’s True West. On October 11 Teresa Landers tells news about The Santa Cruz City Library system. Felicia Rice follows her and will talk about UCSC’s Digital Arts and New Media. Author, actor and acting teacher Joanne Linville will take the entire hour on October 18 to talk about her book Seven Steps to an Acting Craft. County Supervisor John Leopold will again co-host the fall pledge drive on October 25. City Council person Katherine Beiers will be the guest on November 1^st. Followed by Meg Sandow and friend discussing the Homeless Garden Project. 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. “Some of the worst things in my life never even happened”, Mark Twain (contributed by Jane Bruce-Munro).” The words were not alive. What was alive was the twitch…the twitch can know that the twitch was all. Then, having found out, in the mystic vision, you feel clean and free. You are at one with the great twitch”, Robert Penn Warren/ All the King’s Men.

THE HIHN MANSION. The “only full Italian Villa style residence ever built in Santa Cruz” (Chase.” Santa Cruz Architecture”) The 1872 residence of Frederick Augustus Hihn,. Designed by Charles A. Davis. It’s on the site of our present City Hall and was destroyed to build what’s there now. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection, click for bigger version. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

KEELEY SHOWS HIS SMARM’S STILL WORKING. County Treasurer Fred Keeley has oozed and smarmed his way through items and issues before but this letter he wrote to Jesse Nickell, Barry Swenson, and Charlie Canfield is a new degree lower even for him. To see and read his use of Mardi Wormhoudt’s name is beyond belief.

Keeley writes…

Jesse,
Thank you, Barry, Charles and so many more.

The Mayor and City Council, in my view, demonstrated that a progressive/pro-environment City of Santa Cruz can also have a strong, serious economic development policy, and that can all come together in a project such as the one in front of the Coastal Commission. Even after a few days, I continue to be in stunned disbelief that there is some mythical “precedent” that would have been set if the Coastal Commission would have approved the project; and, that such a “mythical” precedent would have caused a cascade of similar LCP amendments or variances from other communities.

Frankly, in my view, there was no precedent here at all. The Coastal Act, the related statutes, and case law all contemplate LCP amendments and what amount to variances, in tightly limited circumstances. If that is not the case, the Coastal Commission should do away with LCP amendments altogether. They have not because there is a legitimate role for such a tool to be used in limited circumstances, and this was certainly such a case.

Leadership is important in such matters. I am not trying to hurt myself patting myself on the back, but when faced with a critically important matter for the community during my services in the California Assembly (the so-called third high school in Watsonville), I spent seven months holding community-based negotiations every single Friday afternoon and into the evening (the City of Watsonville, the County of Santa Cruz, the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, the Coastal Commission, the environmental community). The result of that intensive work on the part of all parties was the approval (with an LCP amendment, I might add) of Pajaro Valley High School, an interlocking agreement that no further development would take place west of Highway One in the Pajaro Valley, and the support of a significant element of the environmental community (including Watsonville Wetlands Watch, and CAFF, among others). The point here is not “hey, how swell am I”, but to say that such matters are the time to get in and work like hell, and see if a positive outcome can be achieved.

I could go on about why I do not understand why a segment of the building trades (who have always supported by electoral ventures) were willing to not only take 100% of nothing instead of 70% of something, and I could inquire of my friends at SEIU why they, who have a direct and on-going stake in the $700,000 annual revenue from the now-dead project, sat on the sidelines and allowed their brothers and sisters in the trades to give away many of their jobs. Instead, I want to end on a note that is so strange and offensive that I cannot close without sharing it.

After my testimony in support of the Coastal Commission staff recommendation to approve the project, Ralph Meyberg, who said that he was speaking for “local environmentalists”, came up to me and said, “You will be visited by the ghost of Mardi Wormhoudt tonight.” Needless to say, I was speechless. Mardi Wormhoudt was one of the most dedicated, intelligent, and hard-working public officials that this community has ever produced. You could disagree with her, but there was not ever an ambiguity as to her beliefs or advocacy. Her passing from this community left a giant hole in many of our hearts, including mine. For Mr. Meyberg to invoke her memory as a weapon is the single most despicable act that I have witnessed in my 30 years in public life and public policy in this wonderful community.
Finally, thank you again. This may, unfortunately, be the end of this project, but it is not the end of this matter. Sincerely,

FRED KEELEY
Treasurer, County of Santa Cruz

WHALE RESTAURANT NO JOKE. Somehow I failed to get across my point that the Whale’s Tale restaurant as pictured here two weeks ago was, and is no joke. Many people thought I wasn’t being serious following the La Bahia decision that I was joking about some ugly impossibly bad designed restaurant being proposed for the entire end of our Municipal Wharf. No joke scroll down, look at that Whale restaurant then go to the Dolphin Restaurant and sign something saying how much you hate that whale behemoth.

UCSC’S DICKENS UNIVERSE IN THE NEW YORKER.Don’t miss the August 29^th issue of the New Yorker. Jill Lepore who teaches history at Harvard and is writing a book on Charles Dickens in America wrote a great article on our very own UCSC’s Dickens Universe or Dickens’s Camp that has been happening here every summer since 1983. It tells about Murray Baumgarten, John Jordan numerous Dickens impersonators, no mention of the now defunct Dickens Players but read it anyways. Here’s another link to another recent story about our annual July Dickens Project

WHAT IS SACRED? Alex Darocy sent me a link to www.SantaCruzWiki.org . I’d never found it before…well worth checking out. Mainly, Alex is concerned about the destruction of the Ohlone Village. Read on and think about your reaction if KB Home was going to dig up your Mom and Dad’s graves.” SCWiki says, “Market Street Field is located along Branciforte Creek, adjacent to Market Street and Highway 1. It is directly across the street from the intersection of Market Street and Goss Avenue. For years, locals have known the site to be a former Ohlone village, and also as a contemporary gathering site for Native Americans into the 20th century. Today, Market Street Field continues to be visited by people who seek to gather medicinal herbs, and by a variety of other people interested in Ohlone culture. Due to the possibility of disturbing this history, the commercial development of Market Street Field traditionally has been avoided, until KB Home decided to build on the site. Despite the statement in 2007 from Judy Warner a Planning Commissioner from the City of Santa Cruz that Market Street Field was, “the oldest and most significant cultural area in the City,“¹ the plan to build was approved.

On August 2, 2011 during construction by KBHome the remains of a 6000 year old Ohlone child were unearthed. The remains are now in the possession of the California Native American Heritage Commission, which believes that Ann Marie Sayers of Hollister is the “Most Likely Descendant.” Sayers called for all earth moving at the site to be halted, and area residents quickly formed the group the Save the Knoll Coalition, which organized a series of meetings and protests with the goal of protecting the burial site and Ohlone village which began with the March to Protect the Ancestors (a protest and march from Pacific Avenue to Market Street Field) on August 14, 2011. I missed the march but we need to follow up on this.

Who or what is KB Home? Wikipedia says among other things “KB Home (NYSE: KBH) is a homebuilding company based in the United States, founded in 1957 as Kaufman & Broad in Detroit, Michigan. It was the first company to be traded on the NYSE as a home builder and is a Fortune 500 company. Its headquarters are in Los Angeles, California. In fiscal 2008, the company delivered 12,438 homes in the United States and had revenue of over $3 billion. This is down from close to 40,000 homes and more than $9 billion in revenue at the height of the real estate boom in 2005.

MORE ON OHLONE SITE DESTRUCTION.Read this website and learn even more about Culture Change

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary talks about how and why we seem to think that widening and building new roads to alleviate traffic is expensive and wrong. He tells us about Non-Conforming Structures and The County Planning Department. He gives some history on his own “Measure J” and talks about the Pedestrian Safety Work Group. (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)

QUERY FROM QUARNSTROM. Lee writes, “Could you pass along to DeCinzo my weekly enjoyment of his latest cartoon at the bottom of your column. His depiction of bicyclists in your most-recent column is priceless! Also, David Weiss’s note about motorcyclists echoes a question I once asked a Santa Cruz policeman, i.e.; why do cops tolerate loud motorcycles, almost always Harley-Davidsons, that are obviously exceeding legal noise limits? “Because,” he told me, “almost every police officer either has a Harley-Davidson or wants a Harley-Davidson.” Oh.

VINTAGE DE CINZO. DeCinzo’s shot at logging locally…spin down just a few feet.

EAGANS DEEP COVER. Tim monkey’s around with our deepest fears…spin downwards near that drawing of the Whale’s Tale restaurant.

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul Landau (formerly of the San Francisco Mime Troupe) writes “Riots, Demonstrations, and New Agencies of Change” in this week’s Progreso Weekly“. He states, “An angry demonstration virus spreads to country after country in response to negligent and callous political leaders who have ignored the basic needs of their citizens. Instead, they have bowed or eagerly catered to demands of multinational corporations and banks, thus deepening the already profound world’s income gap. In 2011, billions face hunger, or even starvation. A smaller elite has accumulated even more wealth. In 2011, the shit hit the proverbial fan. The “Arab Streets” revolted. In Greece, Spain and England the socialists had already assumed the politics of the capitalists. The banks became the means and ends for policy”. Read all of it here Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow whose films are on DVD from roundworldproductions@gmail.com

ANCHOR IN ANTARCTICA. I mentioned a few weeks ago that Micaela Neus was going to send BrattonOnline lots of her news from Palmer Station in Antarctica. I met her at July’s Silent Film Festival in San Francisco. We were watching a silent documentary of Scott’s trip down there. Micaela first went to the much larger (maybe 1200 people) McMurdo Station in October 2007 and stayed just a week or so past a full year, she left in October 2008. She then traveled in SE Asia before returning to Antarctica– this time to Palmer Station, from September 2010 to April 2011. Now, she’s headed back for another “seven month summer”. Micaela works for Raytheon Polar Services Company, the current contractor for the US Antarctic Program, administered by the National Science Foundation. She’s a machinist and her job is to keep certain things running so that the scientists can do their job. I think it is absolutely fascinating to have a connection and news from Antarctica, and I mentioned before that she just turned 30!

ANCHOR Micaela writes…
Antarctica is a place where grown men exchange strong words over a bottle of Tabasco sauce left momentarily unattended on a galley table. The necessarily communal nature of our living means that the best dinner is the one least objectionable to the greatest number of people. No butter, no salt, no spice except that which you add to your own plate after you come through the buffet line. We stock basic condiments like soy sauce and mustard, but we typically run out of one thing or another. That’s when people turn to their private stores, bringing out bottles and jars of whatever they need to keep life on ice palatable to their particular sensibilities. A few pilfered dashes of Personal Tabasco, brought down in bubble-wrap from the other side of the world, will add heat to more than the scrambled eggs.

Regarding packing — the Program issues ECW* before letting us board the plane or vessel, but leaves the rest up to the individual. What do you need to stay warm, to stay healthy, and to stay sane? Simple questions, until you have to answer them in 70lbs or less. Like other fingees**, I devoted most of suitcase to myself that first year. Fingees always worry about what they themselves will lack, and consequently over-pack. I know a woman who mailed herself 10lbs weights, in case we didn’t have a gym! Veterans know to save some room in their bags for gifts to friends already on continent, ranging from their preferred brand of toothpaste to a pound of real bacon. One year, I surprised a friend by bringing him Indian take-away from his favorite restaurant in Christchurch, New Zealand. I got the idea from others who had delivered pizza, I must admit, and it’s still a good one if you’re headed our way.

What did I kick myself for forgetting that first year? Dried fruit and the manual to my camera. This year I plan to bring something to help stuff the stockings. All that other junk is surprisingly easy to live without… at least, in Antarctica.

* Extreme Cold Weather, shorthand for the head-to-toe insulation and water-proofing gear issued by the Program before deploying to station.
** Pronunciation of FNG—f—ing new guy. Common form of address for a first-timer.

(more from Micaela just as soon as I hear anything)

LISA JENSEN LINKS. This week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/), find out what’s up with Open Studios this year with the release of the 2011 Open Studios Art Tour Calendar and Guide. And rejoice! Tandy Beal’s exuberant and haunting multi-media dance ensemble piece, Here After Here, is coming back to Cabrillo for one weekend only. Lisa Jensen has been writing film reviews and a column for Good Times since 1975.

LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI AT THE DEL MAR-IN PERSON. Santa Cruz has more than the average number of poets. It also has more than a number of average poets, but never mind. Lots of people have been working hard to bring major poet, writer and owner of City Lights Bookstore Lawrence Ferlinghetti to Santa Cruz. BrattonOnline readers will remember that he was in Davenport in June. We’ll see a documentary about Lawrence showing what a force he’s been in social change and literary freedom over the years. Mark your calendars for Tuesday October 18^th 7p.m.

MOVIES, DESCENDING.

THE DEBT. Helen Mirren has only made a couple of middling films in her career and I can’t even remember what they were. She and Tom Wilkinson work hard to cover some mistakes they made in tracking down the real life mad Butcher-Doctor of Birkenau. It’s a re-make of a 2007 Israeli film and is a bit confusing to follow all the flashbacks and duel casting but it’s an excellent film. Go see it. John Madden directed it, that’s why it’s confusing.

OUR IDIOT BROTHER. Paul Rudd is the big star but Santa Cruzan Adam Scott does a fine job too in this sometimes clever, sometimes just weird, dysfunctional family comedy-tragedy. The 3 sisters finally realize that goofball bro Rudd is pure, simple but may have some clues after all. But mostly he’s simple.

A MATADOR’S MISTRESS. This is truly a secret movie that stars Penelope Cruz and Adrien Brody. Brody plays the most famous matador ever, Manolete himself. Mostly because he looks so much like him. Penelope plays his mistress…with a gold tooth! I’m not making this up…and the movie is terrible. And was never released. It’s probably on Netflix and for sure at Cedar Street Video. It was directed by Menno Meyjes who did The Color Purple and one of the Indiana Jones. It’s so terrible, it’s weird.

COLOMBIANA.This film is almost as bad as Matador’s M. but it’s new. It stars Zoe Saldana who was much better in Avatar as a cartoon….well she’s just about a cartoon in this one. It’s got some good chase-blood-violence scenes if that’s your thing, but wait and rent it so you can see it on as small a screen as possible.

SAN FRANCISCO MIME TROUPE BEST EVER.Quick, go online www.SFMT.org and find the next dates and locations for the Mime Troupe. Palo Alto Sept.1, SF’s Dolores Park Sept 3,4,5 then Hayward, Sonoma, Berkeley, and Petaluma through the end of September. Call your friends in those towns and tell them this “2012-The Musical” is one of the most clever, funniest, best choreographed, meaningful shows they’ve ever done….and I’ve seen a lot of them. The songs are great, the phoney eco friendly Green Planet Corporation is spot on with their re-cycling and compost pitches.

They hit Starbuck’s, Banana Republic, Gym memberships, and even have the nerve to ask the audience for a show of hands of those folks who work for corporations!!! Go see it and take everybody you know and work with.

MORE MIME TROUPE. Just last Monday Rich Siebert sent me a PDF link to an ancient San Francisco Mime Troupe program of their “Civil Rights In A Cracker Barrel”. Take a look way down there at the bottom, I got thanked. I was the original white Interlocutor (before John Cobb) back in February 1964. The show didn’t get on the boards until June 1965. Please note other distinguished names such as music by Steve Reich, script by Saul Landau, more help by Nina Serano Landau, and Peter Arnott played banjo with our Goodtime Washboard 3.Arlene Sagan was music director of Bella Musica, the sublimely beautiful and talented Sandra Archer died last year and of course R.G. Davis was the creator of the Mime Troupe.

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. Sara Wilbourne and Meg Sandow will be talking about Tandy Beal’s “HereAfterHere” on Tuesday, August 30 then City Museum Director Dan Harder returns that same night. On Sept. 6^th Land Use Attorney Bill Parkin will describe current issues then Jewel Theatre’s Chad Davies and Mary James talk about their The House of Blue Leaves play. Sept. 13 Angelo Grova, Rose Sellery and Tina Brown talk about FashionART happening on Sept 24 followed by KUSP’s Opera host Jim Emdy and I discussing up coming Opera seasons. September 20^th has Christopher Krohn discussing one of UCSC’s student programs, then that same program, Rita Bottoms author of the new book “riffs & ecstasies” will talk about that book. On Sept.27 Brian Spencer and Al Muller talk about The Letters Play coming to the Actors theatre in October. Also on the 27^th, ceramic sculptor Peggy Snider discusses her works and Open Studios. 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. “Most people wouldn’t know music if it came up and bit them on the ass”, Frank Zappa. “You are a wish to squirt pleasantly“, Philip Whalen. “Don’t patronize the chain bookstores. Every time I see some author scheduled to read and sign his books at a chain bookstore, I feel like telling him he’s stabbing the independent bookstores in the back”, Lawrence Ferlinghetti

OLD HABIT. CITY DESTROYING GRAND HISTORIC BUILDING. Back on September 12, 1966 Santa Cruz destroyed the Carnegie City Library and built the main library we have there now. End of comment. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection, click for bigger version. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

MAYOR COONERTY GETS LESSON IN RUNNING A BUSINESS AND ON HOW TO BE A MAYOR. Brilliant and forceful member of The Coastal Commission Steve Blank gave Mayor Ryan Coonerty some sharp and quick lessons on how to make plans, how to make presentations, and how to run a business two weeks ago at that Coastal Commission meeting when Ryan made such a miserable, losing pitch for his friends at the Boardwalk and Barry Swenson’s La Bahia Condo Hotel. Blank’s credentials from his website say, “I moved from being an entrepreneur to teaching entrepreneurship to both undergraduate and graduate students at U.C. Berkeley, Stanford University and the Columbia University/Berkeley Joint Executive MBA program. The “Customer Development” model that I developed in my book is one of the core themes in these classes. (My presentations are here.) In 2009, I was awarded the Stanford University Undergraduate Teaching Award in the department of Management Science and Engineering. The same year, the San Jose Mercury News listed me as one of the 10 Influencers in Silicon Valley. In 2010, I was awarded the Earl F. Cheit Outstanding Teaching Award at U.C. Berkeley Haas School of Business. In 2011 the National Science Foundation adopted my Lean Launchpad class.

So, after his urging Ross Gibson to tell the Commission about the historical value in restoring The La Bahia and telling Ryan where to go and that he should have had a plan B, Steve Blank wrote on his website things like,

“Everyone has a plan ’till they get punched in the mouth”, Mike Tyson.

One of the key distinctions between an entrepreneur and an operating executive is an entrepreneur’s almost seamless agility in the face of changing circumstances versus an operating executive’s intense execution focus on a plan. World-class entrepreneurs learn how to combine both”. Blank continues…

“WTF?
Driving home over the mountains from a Coastal Commission hearing, I had time to ponder an email I received from a city official (ed. that would be Ryan Coonerty) as the road wound through the Redwood trees. The Coastal Commission had found that a zoning change his city requested didn’t conform to the Coastal Act, and we denied it. I felt sorry for him because he had put together a project that depended upon the property owner, developer, unions, hotel operator, local neighbors, city council, weather, wind speed, phase of the moon and astrological sign all aligning just to get the project in front of us. It was like herding cats and pushing water uphill. Reading his email I was sympathetic realizing that if you substituted customers, channel, product development, hiring, board of directors, and fund raising, he was describing a typical day at a startup. I felt real kinship until I got to his last sentence: “Now we’re screwed because we had no Plan B.”

Read the rest of Commissioner Steve Blanks website…telling Ryan where he goofed and what he has to learn…

Blank goes on to say that he shared Coonerty’s email with the other commissioners and:

“When I shared it with the other commissioners who were public officials, all of them could see that there could have been tons of alternate plans to get a project approved, and there were still several options going forward. But the mayor just had been so intently focused on executing a complex Plan A he never considered that he might need a Plan B”. Let’s hope some lessons were learned.

BERKELEY NEWSPAPER EDITOR LOOKS AT THAT COASTAL COMMISSION DECISION. The editor of the Berkeley Planet newspaper was at that Coastal Commission meeting. Read her report…

RYAN COONERTY AND LYNN ROBINSON. We all live here (or say we do) because ” it isn’t like Los Angeles or San Jose or Waikiki”. You hear that statement 100’s of times each year. Why don’t people see that its people like Ryan Coonerty and Lynn Robinson sitting on City Councils in LA, San Jose and Waikiki who voted for spot zoning exceptions to local codes and regulations that allowed those cities to grow into monsters. What would stop the next developer from getting another exception to build higher than that La Behemoth would have been…and the next, and the next.

SUSAN McCABE, COONERTY’S, SWENSON AND BOARDWALK’S LOBBYIST. It doesn’t take much guessing or Googling to figure out why the Coastal Commission’s pre decision meetings mentioned Susan McCabe so often she’s the hired lobbyist for the Coonerty/Boardwalk/Swenson Group. Read this

about Susan from the San Luis Obisbo New Times, For three months of work as a contracted lobbyist, Susan McCabe will have probably made $37,500 before her contract is suspended. After that, she’ll make $650 per hour; her assistant will make another $325 per hour”. In The same article it said, “In doing so, project officials for the Morro Bay/Cayucos treatment plant shifted from referring to Susan McCabe, the aforementioned lobbyist, from hired guide through state regulators to an as-needed consultant. By the time her contract expires, McCabe will have pulled in $37,500 (not counting travel and other expenses, estimated at about $800 so far) for three months of her services. In that time, she’s produced precisely six pages for the public record and made one public appearance. That was the May 12 meeting”. I really don’t know yet where her hourly fee of $700 came from or who paid it. Probably the city of Santa Cruz.

CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION, A STATEMENT. Commissioner Steve Blank said elsewhere in his website, “The Commission has been able to stave off the tragedy of the commons for the California coast. Upholding the Coastal Act had it taking unpopular positions upsetting developers who have fought with the agency over seaside projects, homeowners who strongly feel that private property rights unconditionally trump public access and local governments who believe they should have the final say in what’s right for their community”. And Blank was appointed by Guv Schwarzenegger!!!

>

ABOUT WHALES TALE RESTAURANT. From your reactions I guess I didn’t make it clear that I think that butt end of a whale restaurant design is the worst looking Roadside attraction I’ve ever seen. “Whale of a bad idea’, James Aschbacher artist, designer, muralist. “Terrible eyesore” Jenny Heth graphic artist. Lee Quarnstrom was a bit more poetic he says, “Why don’t they just drag a dead goddamned big whale up onto the wharf and drape it over the guy’s restaurants, etc.? That way people would not only be able to see it from afar, they could smell it all the way to Bonny Doon“.

(Lee has a way with words).Paul Hostetter (of Bonny Doon) asks, “Is Mark Gilbert one of the former owners of Pearl Alley? If so, I can’t believe he’d evidence such colossally bad taste”.

DIVING NAKED WITH BELUGA WHALES IN minus 15 DEGREES!!! Check this lesson in meditation from Paul Hostetter.

Impressive photos right here…

WHERE’S JOHN LAIRD LATELY? With Bill Monning’s eager, rapid announcement of his running for the 2012 California State Senate you gotta wonder where John Laird’s usual candid statements are involving that decision. Is it that comfortable a job as Governor Jerry Brown’s appointee as the new Secretary for Natural Resources. Whassup wi dat?

CABRILLO FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC. Having attended just about every concert of the CabFesto ConMu for the last 39 years and hearingand seeing some geniuses such as John Adams, Philip Glass, Conlon Nancarrow, John Cage, and Arvo Part, I have to add this year’sstunning debut of Anna Clyne’s “Within Her Arms”. Anna is all of 31 years old. The CabFesto ConMu program states, “Born in London, Great Britain, Clyne received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, and a Masters degree from the Manhattan School of Music. Recent commissions include works for Carnegie Hall and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Last fall she began a two-year residency with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She made her Festival debut last season with the West Coast Premiere of rewind. Within Her Arms was a 2009 commission from Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen as part of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Green Umbrella series. Salonen conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic strings in the premiere on April 7, 2009 at Walt Disney Hall. Alex Ross of The New Yorker described it as “a fragile elegy intertwining voices of lament that bring to mind English Renaissance masterpieces of Thomas Tallis and John Dowland.” We’ll be hearing much more of her just about forever, trust me.

VINTAGE DE CINZO. DeCinzo re-cycles cyclists…scroll downwards

EAGANS DEEP COVER. God’s not sure what hits him !!! scroll down.

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul says in his “The Bush Legacy” column in Progreso Weekly. “`Scores of millions of Americans – many who laughed at his fumble mouth antics – now feel the impact of George W. Bush’ eight year legacy. The man who made comedians’ careers has had his revenge. His tax cuts – they paled before the importance of the Iraq war – kissed the asses (the G spot) of the top corporate executives, and other extremely wealthy individuals (they’ve had a fine time since the 1970s, but super good under Bush). By 2001, thanks to the tax cut, Washington received reduced revenues as expenses rose thanks to W’s wars”. Read it all 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/), cure the gloomy summer blahs with a couple of incendiary new movie thrillers, and help celebrate the 10th anniversary of my swashbuckling novel, The Witch From the Sea, with a rogues’ gallery of private artwork from the book. Thanks for reading! Lisa Jensen http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/ http://www.goodtimessantacruz.com/

Lisa Jensen has been writing film reviews and a column for Good Times since 1975.

NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE COMING TO THE DEL MAR. The Del Mar is installing a special dish and will be receiving live telecasts of many Brit productions. They start September 15 with One Man, Two Guvnors by Richard Bean and more live plays include Comedy of Errors, and The Kitchen by Arnold Wesker. We’ll hear more soon.

FILMS, DESCENDING.

THE GUARD. Brendan Gleeson one of England’s best actors (you’ll know him when you see him), heads up a great cast along with American Don Cheadle, another great actor. This is a very funny, brittle, inside, racial comedy about killing and drug trafficking…don’t miss it IF you like laughing and good films.

THE TREE. Charlotte Gainsbourg and her family have an affair with a tree. AND I mean every word of that sentence!!! It’s nearly as kinky as it sounds and Gainsbourg has done better in every other film she’s been in. Wait and rent this.

ONE DAY. The ever lovely Anne Hathaway plays an average girl and is ridiculous. She’s not average anything, and she meets some average guy on July 15. Then every July 15 we have to watch their relationship. Looking at a calendar is more interesting. But I saw it at The Scotts Valley Cinema with all their new theatres plus the re-doing and raking of seats in their biggest auditoriums…wow!!! Just wow!!!

SAN FRANCISCO MIME TROUPE IS HERE!!!

The Tony Award-winning SF Mime Troupe opens August 27 & 28 in San Lorenzo Park with its 52nd season premiering “2012 – The Musical!”
A small political theater company, Theater BAM!, finds itself at a crossroads: should they keep telling the stories they feel can change the world (and starve while telling them), or feed at the corporate trough, sell out, and be the mouthpiece for The Man. Tough decision. But before having to make it, they are offered an artistic commission that may save the company; all they have to do is create a new play, “2012 – The Musical!” But is it political? Will it keep with the company’s original mission? What’s the true purpose of this frivolous production, and who’s really bankrolling the thing?

Wilma Bonet directs Lizzie Calogero, Keiko Shimosato Carreiro, Cory Censoprano, Siobhan Marie Doherty, Michael Gene Sullivan, and Victor Toman in this musical satire about the art of Mass Distraction. Written by Michael Gene Sullivan, with additional dialogue by SFMT, music & lyrics by Bruce Barthol, and musical direction and additional lyrics & composition by Pat Moran. San Lorenzo Park Sat, Aug 27th @ 3:00 PM (Music 2:30) Sun, Aug 28th @ 3:00 PM (Music 2:30)
Ticket Info: FREE (donation)

LETTER TO THE EDITOR…from David Weiss, “I always read and enjoy your newsletter! I loved the photo-op of you and Ferlinghetti. Having visited City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco many times in the early Bohemian era brought back rich memories. Thanks especially for re-raising the issue in your recent column regarding motorcycle noise in Santa Cruz. I share your concerns. Each weekend, the motorcycles rumble up through the San Lorenzo Valley. I live across the river from the highway in Felton and the migrating gaggle of cycles resonates through the bones of every resident as loudly as the take-off of a vintage B-52 bomber might. It’s not that I have an issue with motorcycles per se, I don’t. It’s just that law enforcement doesn’t seem to hesitate to give citations to folks whose car muffler systems cause any noise at all. ..And this is not a knock on law enforcement, which does an outstanding service and job.

It just seems that law enforcement, in general, ignores and dismisses motorcycle muffling….especially since factory muffling, which many quiet motor motorcyclists choose, provides factory sane restrictions on noise. This is a constant complaint of many, many citizens that continually frustrates us all. Yes, I know…they have more important things to do…and I agree. But how about sending a message to the motorcyclists with a series of blockades on occasion to issue fix-it tickets? They should at least raise the issue to a priority…once in a while. And, by the way, you mentioned what a difficult choice it would be to choose between Monning and Laird for the newly created Senate seat. That may be true as each is an outstanding public servant. For me, however, my choice will be John Laird. Best to you, Dave Weiss, Felton.

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 Aug 23^rd has Wilma Bonet from The San Francisco Mime Troupe in town and previewing their performances the 27 & 28^th. Susanna Waddell talks about the Mary Warshaw Show also on the 23^rd. Sara Wilbourne and Meg Sandow will be talking about Tandy Beal’s HereAfterHere on August 30 then City Museum Director Dan Harder returns that same night. Jewel Theatre’s Chad Davies and Mary James talk about The House of Blue Leaves on September 6^th. Sept. 13 KUSP’s Opera host Jim Emdy and I will discuss up coming Opera seasons. September 20^th has Christopher Krohn discussing one of UCSC’s student programs, then that same program, Rita Bottoms author of the new book “riffs & ecstasies” will talk about that book..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. “Have you ever had the measles, and if so, how many?”, Artemus Ward. “A psychiatrist is a man who goes to the strip show to watch the audience“, Christopher Morley. “I don’t mind dying: the trouble is you feel so bloody stiff the next day”, George Axelrod.

PROPOSED NEW WHALE RESTAURANT ON OUR WHARF. (or “Come Back Coastal Commission!!!”) Mark Gilbert who owns the Dolphin Restaurant, Gilbert’s Firefish Grill and Woodies Café all on the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf wants to re-build and diminish the size of the public toilets, eliminate one seal- watching hole, add a gift shop and build this two story whale topped restaurant at the end of the wharf, that will be the size of the entire Olita’s Cantina building. Plus he’s devised a “Rube Goldberg device that creates an intermittent whale spout from the roof”. He will be asking for our opinions as soon as he can establish a dedicated phone number or website. In what he told me was an “exclusive interview” he said that Mayor Coonerty loves it, John Robinson (Lynn’s husband and former Boardwalk flack) thought “it was very ambitious and we need it”, David Terrazas “loved the idea and suggested that I get brochures to the City Council”, and Katherine Beiers thought it was “too big”. Gilbert thinks it’s “a really cool idea” and that cleaning the Gull poop off the metal covering would only be a monthly job. Would this Whale’s Tale Restaurant be much closer to The Duomo in Florence, St. Peter’s in Rome, or The Alhambra in Grenada [sic] than the La Bahia? photo credit: drawing courtesy Mark Gilbert’s brochure Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

SEWING WILD GLOATS OR, THE DEFEAT OF THE TERRIBLE LA BAHIA PLAN.

Bumblings and mumblings around the County are saying the reason and drive behind Cynthia Mathews long time pushing Ryan Coonerty’s battle for the Coastal Commission seat that Mark Stone won became very clear last Thursday when the Coastal Commission voted against the Barry Swenson-Charlie Canfield destruction and development of the historic La Bahia into their La Behemoth.

LA BAHIA REPORT FROM DON WEBBER. I asked Don Webber the head spear carrier, organizer, and spokesperson for Build A Better La Bahia to write BrattonOnline a summary, a reaction to last Thursday’s Coastal Commission meeting. Here are some excerpts of his 1000 word report….”After years of turning a deaf ear to warnings that their ambitious plans for a new beach hotel (170,000 sq. ft) on the La Bahia site would likely run afoul of the Coastal Act, city officials and business boosters were informed last Thursday by the Coastal Commission that their scheme amounted to overdevelopment of this relatively small parcel at the foot of Beach Hill”.

“Commissioners, six to four, rejected the city’s application to amend its local coastal program to allow developer Barry Swenson to demolish the dilapidated landmark La Bahia Apartment complex and replace it with an upscale, resort-style, seven-story, 125-unit condominium project intended to be operated and taxed as a hotel”.

“City leaders, who joined the Swenson development team a decade ago, had whipped up a hurricane of public support for the plan. For hours speakers regaled Coastal Commissioners with the promise of business opportunities and tax revenues that Swenson’s plan could engender. The majority of commissioners were unimpressed. Even local Commissioner Mark Stone ultimately voted against the city’s proposal”.

“At the eleventh hour, Mayor Coonerty was still trying to persuade Coastal Commissioners that Swenson’s project, with approximately 5,000 feet of meeting space, was actually a “conference center.” The mayor argued that without those penthouse ocean-view suites for which the property had to be rezoned, it just wouldn’t be a “conference center” any more”

“To all of you who lent a hand in stopping our city leaders from needlessly destroying a famous beach landmark, or who helped preserve the scale of development at the Main Beach, thank you for your time, your ideas, and your support. If the insiders ever do figure out how to build a hotel at the beach appropriately, I hope to meet you there”. Read all of Webber’s report here

SWENSON NEVER LISTENED TO THE PEOPLE. It was developers Swenson and Canfield’s choice to not just keep that large size but actually enlarge the La Bahia after being told it was not in scale. SCRP and Build a Better La Bahia members met many times with Swenson people over the years saying the La Behemoth was too large, out of code, and each time Swenson would actually come back with a larger plan. The results from last Thursday should have been no surprise. Mayor Ryan Coonerty’s stubborn belief and statements that they could fight and change any rules kept the pot boiling.

THANK YOU LETTER TO COASTAL COMMISSIONER MARK STONE.

Bill Malone one of the speakers and activists opposing the Canfield – Swenson “La Behemoth” sends this letter to Mark Stone….

First of all, a Thank You to Coastal Commissioner Mark Stone.

Thank you for your vote and the leadership you demonstrated at the Coastal Commission on the La Bahia issue! Your arguments supporting your vote were thoughtful and reasonable. You were wise to take a broad, unbiased view of evaluating this project as you would if the project was in some other community on the California Coast. You realized that if the developer got his way, that this could set a bad precedent not just in Santa Cruz but along the entire California Coast.

I find it refreshing to see someone in a position of authority like you that has great core values and is willing to stick to them in the face of strong opposition.

It is unfortunate (but not surprising) that the La Bahia proponents are lashing out at you. Obviously, they are stunned and disappointed at not getting their way. Apparently, they are only used to dealing with weak-willed folks like the Santa Cruz City Council, who are willing to change and ignore their own rules to give some developers anything they want.
I am sure you anticipated the backlash and I know you are strong enough to not be too bothered by it.

As I know you are aware, your job as a Coastal Commissioner is to uphold the Coastal Act, and, as I understand the Coastal Act (especially Section 30251), that is exactly what you did, as did most of your fellow Commissioners. It really wasn’t too difficult to determine that the project violated the Coastal Act in several ways.

The proponents have no one to blame but themselves. They chose to ignore the Coastal Act at their peril. They wasted a lot of everybody’s time and gambled over $2 million so that they could get a big payoff. They lost their gamble. If they had designed a nice hotel project within the confines of our existing Local Coastal Plan and zoning, their hotel could have been built years ago, and the city of Santa Cruz could have been receiving tax revenues during that time.

I wonder how much City Staff time and money as well as Coastal Commission Staff time and money was wasted on this La Bahia folly. The City should do an audit and inform the public how much of the City’s scarce money and time was wasted. The City Council should try a new policy of not wasting staff time and money pursuing projects that greatly overreach the City’s rules and regulations.

The City officials should wise-up and stop trying to push poorly thought out projects past the Coastal Commission. This is the second time the City has tried – remember the City’s Arana Gulch Plan that the Commission criticized. Hopefully the City officials have learned that the Coastal Commission has standards and rules that they adhere to and obey. (The City Council could learn a lesson from the Coastal Commission by adhering to and obeying the City’s own rules and regulations!) I am glad California has the Coastal Act to protect our Coast for all to enjoy. And I am glad the Coastal Commission has intelligent strong Commissioners like you.
—Bill Malone.

SCRP PRESENCE AT COASTAL COMMISSION. Santa Cruzans for Responsible Planning is a small but dedicated group, and quite often even too shy to identify them selves as members. SCRP’ers speaking at the Coastal Commission meeting last Thursday were Don Webber, Bill Malone, Aldo Giacchino, Ron Pomerantz, Ralph Meyberg and Patricia Matejcek. SCRP members Celia Scott and Ren Curry wrote letters to the Commission, and were unable to attend. Attending that meeting as supporters and not speaking (and giving up speech time were Fred Geiger, Susan Martinez, Reed Searle and me.

NOT PENCIL OUT???

Swenson has “penciled out” and has constructed many other restorations, refurbishes, and restructures but somehow couldn’t make La Bahia Pencil Out??? No one including The City Council, The Coastal Commission or the people, ever saw any proof or line item statements why or how La Bahia didn’t “pencil out”. It was only Jesse Nickell’s “Not pencil” statement or claim that was accepted. Why didn’t any officials ask for proof of Swenson not being able to afford restoration at La Behemoth but did in many other locations??

UNION PRESENCE AT COASTAL COMMISSION AND THROUGHOUT THE BUILD A BETTER LA BAHIA CAMPAIGN. Union members from various unions Ned Van Valkenburg, Mark Weller and Glen Schaller all spoke at the Commission meeting. They spoke and worked in the campaign as neighbors, concerned citizens, and as folks who care about our Coast and the environment.

MARRIOTT’S NEW HOTEL IN SCALE AND NO PROBLEM. As everyone should know by now there’s a new 150 room 4 story Marriott’s Courtyard Hotel going to be built in Beach Flats. There will be meeting rooms for 242 people and parking for 200 cars. They are knocking down the Peter Pan, Big Six and Super 8 Motels to do this construction. There has been no opposition to Marriott’s plans. They are within scale, within code, and proves that La Behemoth was just poorly planned. Speaking of motels, a friend stayed at The Paradise Inn on Second Street last Friday night (8/12), and woke up in the middle of the night having been bitten by bedbugs. Worse that that she saw them crawling around her bedsheets. Anyone else have that experience with bedbugs lately?

PATTON’S PROGRAM.

On Monday Gary had this to say about last week’s La Bahia decision… “In 1972, local governments were approving development projects that were rapidly degrading coastal resources. In response, the people adopted an initiative measure to require local decisions to conform to state coastal protection policies. In 1976, the Legislature enacted the California Coastal Act, superseding the initiative measure. That law set up the system in place today. The basic premise of the Coastal Act is that local governments will first adopt a Local Coastal Plan that they think conforms to state coastal protection policies; once the Coastal Commission agrees, and has signed off on the so-called “LCP,” the local government can then make any decision it wants to, as long that decision is consistent with the local plan.

The La Bahia project was, admittedly, inconsistent with the City of Santa Cruz plan. In other words, the City and the developer were asking the Commission to change the local plan to conform to the proposed development project, instead of proposing a project consistent with the plan. To its credit, the Coastal Commission has been very strong in upholding the idea that projects should follow the adopted plan. This was just another example. And from an overall view of how we hope to protect our coastal resources, and to make sure we don’t return to the way things were prior to1972, that’s just the right approach. Read the rest of his week’s broadcasts here.

(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)

VINTAGE DE CINZO. DeCinzo deals with today’s tourism…scroll down.

EAGANS DEEP COVER. Tim vents about elephants and their way…scroll below.

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul Landau writes in his Progreso Weekly column titled “Our Successful Democracy“. “The United States, as we learn from first grade on, represents the world’s best economy and most successful democracy because we live by the rule of law. And we rightfully tell other countries how they too can measure up to our standards – including how to deal with our terrorist foes. And we help them. U.S. forces, for example, intervene in Pakistan to assassinate our enemies (who should also be their enemies), which creates collateral damage: kids, women, and other innocents also get whacked. But none of this should interfere with the virtuous rhetoric behind our policy. Indeed, using the United States as her model, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton lectures our erstwhile ally, Pakistan, on how democracies should behave”. Read all of it 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/), how to cure the summer blahs with a couple of incendiary new movie thrillers, and a tasty sneak preview of Laurie King’s new Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes mystery (in which our redoubtable heroine and hero temporarily forsake bees for pirates). Lisa Jensen has been writing film reviews and a column for Good Times since 1975.

FILMS… IN DESCENDING ORDER OF GREATNESS

POINT BLANK. I always suggest checking out Rotten Tomatoes.com to see what other critics say about a film…and they give this one a huge and rare 91% positive. That means this is a great, great thriller that never lets up. Perfectly acted, fine photography and a kidnapping plot plus murder just keeps you thrilled all the way through. Hurry and see this.

SARAH’S KEY. Kristin Scott Thomas can do no wrong when she appears in a film and this is a near masterpiece. It’s about how the French (not Nazis) in the Vel‘ d’Hiv Roundup in 1942, when the Nazi-affiliated Vichy government arrested over 13,000 Parisian Jews. It’s shocking news to most of the world and it’s also an excellent film….go see it.

THE WHISTLEBLOWER. Rachel Weisz plays a Nebraska born US Contractor employee sent to Bosnia to keep the peace. She finds out that her company is full of evil money driven sadists who do human traffic….a true story. It’s nasty, cruel, inhuman and a well done film.Go see it.

THE HELP. It’s 1960 in Mississippi and a young girl writes a story about what it’s like to work as “colored” help from the Help’s point of view. It’s a Spielberg film distributed by Disney, which means it’s a bit Hollywood, glossy, and could have been more challenging and gutsy. It was an embarrassing time in our Southern USA history and needs more honesty before we can ever hope to end it. Go see it.

DEVILS DOUBLE. This is one really strange film about a guy who’s a double for Saddam Hussein’s son. I never understood why they made this “film based on fact”. It’s cruel, vicious, insane and beneath humanity. What’s the point except to tell us being Hussein’s son’s double was a sad and sorry job. Forget about it entirely.

30 MINUTES OR LESS. Up to and including Social Network Jesse Eisenberg was fine and funny OR serious in every role. This 30 Minutes flop flick isn’t worth 3 minutes of your time. I walked out after about 20 minutes and I rarely walk out of a film. Don’t even rent it, and don’t ask about the plot, there isn’t one.

HEREAFTERHERE: A SELF-GUIDED TOUR OF ETERNITY. Tandy Beal directs the latest incarnation of last years sold out production September 9-11 at Cabrilho College.

HereAfterHere is a multi-media dance-theatre experience combining original music, video, theatre, dance and interviews based on people’s concepts of an afterlife. The performance combines Ms. Beal’s long-term investigation of dance, visual narrative, illusions, text and music to make a rich mosaic of both contemporary and traditional concepts of the afterlife. If there is an afterlife, where is it located? Why is it exclusionary? How do we get in and….. what’s the price of admission?
With over 25 dancers and actors, original music composed by Jon Scoville, video segments by Jess Damsen, Denise Gallant, Ben Jaffe, Bruce Lee and Nada Miljkovic. It also features Guggenheim fellow Ellen Bromberg and galactic videos from the DVD “View From the Center of the Earth²” by Joel R.Primack and Nancy Ellen Abrams.

Go to the website tandybeal.com/hereafterhere it’s a forum for the public to share their thoughts, some of which will be included in the show. The September 9 performance will benefit Hospice of Santa Cruz. A $50 donation per ticket includes premiere seating and an invitation to a private reception before the performance, located at the Cabrillo Music Recital Hall at 6pm. Regular priced tickets are also available for the opening performance (see below).
When: Friday and Saturday , Sept. 9 & 10 at 7:30 pm, Sunday, Sept. 11 at 3:00 pm at Cabrillo Crocker Theater, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos.

Call 831-420-5260 or www.santacruztickets.com. Also available at the SC Civic Auditorium Box Office. **Tickets for Hospice of Santa Cruz Benefit, Sept. 9**:

$50 includes premiere seating and reception before performance. For
Benefit tickets please call 831-430-3082

HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES. Santa Cruz’s Jewel Theatre Company presents “House of Blue Leaves” by John Guare September 8-25, 2011. Their press release says, “See the play the Wall Street Journal recently hailed as “A modern masterpiece. Wildly funny, yet you go home feeling stunned. One of the best American plays of the 20th Century.” Set in Sunnyside, Queens, on the day Pope Paul VI visited New York in 1965, The House of Blue Leaves centers on Artie Shaughnessy, a zookeeper who dreams of making it big in Hollywood as a songwriter for the movies with the help of his childhood friend, film director Billy Einhorn. Desperate for a better life with Bunny, his flamboyant neighbor, Artie must first deal with his schizophrenic wife (aptly named Bananas), his AWOL son, a trio of impulsive nuns, and a hard-of-hearing movie star, all looking to make their own dreams come true. At once dark and zany, House is one of Guare’s most powerful works, presenting timeless, dramatic themes – the power of celebrity, the desire for fame, and the longing to escape to a better life – in a screwball comedy plot“. It’s directed by Susan Myer Silton and has a great cast. Go here for tickets and details.

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. This Tuesday (Aug. 16^th ) Rob Blitzer from the Blitzer Art Gallery in the old Wrigley Gum Factory will talk about art. Following Rob, Audrey Stanley will tell us inside secrets from this season’s Shakespeare Santa Cruz. Tuesday Aug 23^rd has Wilma Bonet from The San Francisco Mime Troupe in town and previewing their performances the 27 & 28^th. Susanna Waddell talks about the Mary Warshaw Show also on the 23^rd . City Museum Director Dan Harder returns August 30. Jewel Theatre’s Chad Davies and Mary James talk about The House of Blue Leaves on September 6^th. Sept. 13 KUSP’s Opera host Jim Emdy and I will discuss up coming Opera seasons. September 20^th has Christopher Krohn discussing one of UCSC’s student programs, then that same program, Rita Bottoms author of the new book “riffs & ecstasies” will talk about that book.. 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!!!

BEST OF VINTAGE DeCINZO.De Cinzo draws his own conclusions about vacations…scroll below

QUOTES. “We haven’t had a real hotel here in over 100 years”, Gary Griggs Director of UCSC’s Marine Sciences. “This was my last shot“, Jesse Nickell of Barry Swenson Builders. “That’s what Santa Cruz needs, actually—something that stands out and is magnificient”, George Ow local developer.

THE HUGE PROPOSED LA BAHIA. FROM BARRY SWENSON’S & CHARLIE CANFIELD’S OWN VIEW. For more than six years we’ve tried to get Barry and Charlie to scale it down, not stop building it…they haven’t listened. We’ve pointed out that it ruins a coastal land form. We’ve shown that it will be as high as the highest phone pole up on 1st street, because the City Council refused to have them erect “Story Poles”. Here’s their own front-on view. photo credit: photo courtesy Don Webber collection Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

LA BAHIA AND THE COASTAL COMMISSION.

SCRP (Santa Cruzans for Responsible Planning) wrote a letter trying to save Beach Street and the Beach Street view. READ IT here. It details almost all the points and positions we’ve asked for over the years. We need to remember too that there are very few Conference facilities proposed for the La Bahia….there are really just rooms to stay in while the conference goes on across the street. Remember too that Santa Cruz can’t now and never will be able to compete as a conference destination with San Francisco, Carmel, or Monterey or even the Chaminade. The condominium aspect will soon fail and Charlie will turn the La Bahia into a 100% condo hotel. Remember too it’s a non union business, if that means anything to you. It’ll be six (6) times the size of the present La Bahia. The Casablanca is an older structure, it’s been maintained beautifully, why has Charlie let the La Bahia deteriorate?? Even the Coastal Commission staff report syas at the conclusion that it’s a “judgment call” in allowing it to be torn down. Why not a “Judgment call” to restore it…which by all accounts would be less expensive. See you there this Thursday.

LA BAHIA & COASTAL COMMISSION DATA. Don Webber provides us with… “Here is a link to the California Coastal Commission website. On the homepage, in the left hand column, just below the governor’s mug shot, are the links to view the live webcast of Coastal Commission meetings. There are several options to receive the webcast (with or without the agenda alongside or audio only). Choose one. If you have any trouble receiving the webcast using Windows Media Player, not to worry, you can click on the link to watch it using the Silverlight portal, which seems to work on all computers. You may be asked to download or update your Silverlight player, but that’s relatively painless. This month’s meeting of the Coastal Commission is being held in the Watsonville City Council Chambers on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (the 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th). Meetings begin at 9 A.M.

GARY PATTON ABOUT LA BAHIA. As Gary says on his KUSP program this week…” The California Coastal Commission is meeting today in the Watsonville City Council Chambers, located at 275 Main Street in Watsonville. On their agenda is the proposed demolition of the La Bahia apartment building in the City of Santa Cruz, and its replacement by a hotel of substantially greater height and bulk.

As the staff report says, there are really two sets of issues before the Commission: First, is the demolition of the existing La Bahia appropriate? Second, if the Commission decides that demolition of the existing structure is appropriate, what are the appropriate standards for redevelopment following such demolition?

The Commission staff recommendation backs up the City’s determinations in each of these areas. Yes, demolition is appropriate. Yes, the bulk and scale of the proposed new structure is acceptable under Coastal Act policies. It’s not clear that the Commission itself will necessarily agree with the staff. The City and the developer want to ignore current requirements, and change planning standards to facilitate the developer’s desires, instead of requiring the developer to follow the existing plan guidelines. In general, this approach is the opposite of what good planning demands. If you care about the outcome, you should be at the Coastal Commission meeting Thursday”. Gary Patton.

BIG QUESTION RIGHT NOW. If you could vote tomorrow for the 2012 California State Senate race, who would you vote for Bill Monning or John Laird? Such great representatives, so hard to choose….too bad we will have to, probably.

LEE QUARNSTROM AND THE MERRY PRANKSTERS. After seeing The Magic Trip (now at The Nick) I asked Lee Quarnstrom former Watsonville Pajaronian and Mercury News Reporter/Columnist to outline his involvement with Ken Kesey’s Merry Pranksters. He’s writing a book about it someday, but he sent this reply…

My Merry Prankster Career in a Nutshell
In early 1964 I interviewed Kesey for the San Mateo Times, where I was working, at his home in La Honda almost immediately after he’d returned from that bus trip to New York. I liked him, liked the Pranksters, joined up, rented a cabin nearby and moved to La Honda from the Haight-Assbury (then still part of the Fillmore) and, by April, had quit the San Mateo paper, gotten busted with Kesey and a dozen other Pranksters and had my photo handcuffed to him & Neal Cassady on the front pages of the SF Chronicle and the SJ Mercury, where I later worked for 19 years. I stayed in La Honda — with Prankster bus trips here & there, mostly around the Bay Area and northern California, until we moved to Santa Cruz (actually, to “The Spread,” a huge farm with a shabby old farmhouse and a barn, in Soquel, on the north edge of Rodeo Gulch) a year-and-a-half or so later. We lived at The Spread and I worked at the Hip Pocket Book Store — and, after Kesey had fled facing two pot busts, including the La Honda bust (they dropped charges on most of us after some court hearings) we took the Acid Test on the road with the Grateful Dead. Eventually we headed south and caught up with Kesey in Mexico, finally renting a place to live on the outskirts of Manzanillo. Zonker and Hassler and I came back to LA, then to Santa Cruz and San Jose and a while later Kesey came back and was arrested by the FBI on a federal fugitive warrant. Longer version will appear, if I ever finish it, in “My Life as a Dynamiter,” a memoir. Lee Q

POSTSCRIPT TO ABOVE. I also asked Lee Q. about Magic Bus tripper “Hassler” in the movie being Ron Bevirt (whom I knew briefly back in the early 70’s from Last Chance Road near Swanton). Lee said, “Yes, Ron Bevirt is Hassler; he lives in Eugene, Ore. His son Joe Ben invented, among other things, the Gorrilapod or whatever it’s called tripod, ingenious”. end of ps.

RESPECTING OUR SANTA CRUZ POLICE??? The next time you see Santa Cruz Police flack Zach Friend ask him or any real police person, how they expect to gain genuine respect in this town when they continue to write $35 tickets for noisy car radios and still allow those Wild Ones on un-muffled motorcycles to rev up and roar away from Starbuck’s up Pacific and every which way on Front Street, especially on weekends…it isn’t fair, or economically sound, tourist wise.

FORGET OCEAN STREET MOTELS, SPRUCE UP LENZ ARTS. The concept of our city council awarding privately owned motels on Ocean Street city revenue money to improve the approach to The Boardwalk is simply beyond comment. BUT if they are going to paint places, how about getting Lenz Art store right there at River Street and North Pacific to paint their store??? Maybe even chose some great colors? Maybe even make it attractive to customers or passersby or just in case someone moves in across the street at 2030 Pacific???

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Here’s Gary’s summary of his daily KUSP broadcasts… read it all here:

MONDAY. The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors is finding out that railroads still have a lot of privileges. Get more information right here.

TUESDAY. Some important decisions relating to the future of “redevelopment” in Santa Cruz County are on the Board’s agenda today. More right here!

WEDNESDAY. The Coastal Commission is meeting in Watsonville today, tomorrow, and Friday. Get an overview on today’s Land Use Report.

THURSDAY. Today, the Coastal Commission, meeting in Watsonville, takes up the controversial La Bahia Hotel item. Get more information right here!

FRIDAY. Here’s an important item from the Coastal Commission’s current agenda, affecting not only Pismo Beach, but areas along the entire California coast.

(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 )

VINTAGE DE CINZO. Ahh…the ocean, the surfing, the…scroll down.

EAGANS DEEP COVER. Tim sees that special something, scroll below…if you know what’s good for us…

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul’s article this week “The Good, The Bad and The Crazy” begins with…” The political elite and its stenographic media don’t classify types of terrorists. If they did we would get the good, the bad and the crazy. Since no one is perfect, the virtuous purveyors of death and destruction naturally need flexibility. Mistakes occasionally occur. For example, when U.S. drones – a basic weapon for virtuous terrorists – routinely whack civilians in Pakistan, Yemen and other remote areas, the Pentagon occasionally admits its honest mistake. The drone directors, of course, had every reason to believe that the corpses, when alive, were terrorists and not school children and housewives” Read the rest 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/), get inspired by Muse (headlining this weekend at the Outside Lands Music Fest in SF), get a crash course in silent movie-style swashbuckling in preparation for Laurie King’s upcoming novel, “The Pirate King” (set in the world of silent filmmaking), and—now that it’s kitten/puppy “season”—get some wild into your life by adopting a new companion from Animal Services or the SPCA. (We did, and here’s why we’re insanely happy about it!) Lisa Jensen has been writing film reviews and a column for Good Times since 1975.

PLANET OF THE APES, The Rise of. I miss Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter. I missed them even more after seeing this thinly sliced piece of tripe. There’s no real people or plot in this one, it’s just the Hollywood version of part two of “Project Nim”, which is a much finer film.

ANOTHER EARTH. Sounds like a good film, a parallel earth, our living duplicates, star approaching earth, etc. But it’s full of “Tree Of Life” saccharin, pretentious, murky stuff. Maybe rent it, and watch certain parts you can’t understand a few times, it might get better.

POINT BLANK. It doesn’t open at the Nick until August 19^th, but be the first in line to see this most excellent tight, suspense, kidnapping, murder, race- against- the- clock thriller. More to follow, but don’t forget…Point Blank.

DAVENPORT GALLERY PRESENTS CASH/CLASH/CULTURE

This show is about the conflict between economics, aesthetics and the environment.

Artist’s reception, This Saturday, August 13th from 4-7 pm. Please come meet the artists and learn more about their ideas and inspirations. Cash/Clash Culture includes fantastic work by:
James Collum – large format photos of industry, Russel Brutsché – acrylic paintings

Virginia Draper – photography, T. Mike Walker – collage
Alanni Winkler – acrylic paintings, Nora Sarkassian – ceramic sculpture
Kelley Richardson – photos and found object sculpture , Jake Thomas -inter media
Tamara Smith-drawings and Kerry Boon-digital painting.

Also, be sure to check out our new historical exhibit that helps tell the story of Davenport and its place in the history of Santa Cruz County. The show runs through August 28th. The September show is Color! We hope to see you soon, All of us at The Davenport Gallery www.davenportgallery.org on facebook too
Phone # for info 831-426-1199
450 Highway 1, Davenport, CA 95017
Hours 11am to 5pm Wednesday Through Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday only)

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 August 9^th local raker of muck Don Webber who’s been fighting for years to protect our Beach street neighborhood and coastwill detail the problems with the La Bahia plans followed by writer John Deck talking about his new book “Joan Linville.. Seven Steps to an Acting Career“. Tuesday Aug 23^rd has Wilma Bonet from The San Francisco Mime Troupe in town and previewing their performances the 27 & 28^th. Tandy Beal appears August 30 discussing her production of Hereafter Here. Sept. 13 KUSP’s Opera host Jim Emdy and I will discuss up coming Opera seasons. Christopher Krohn will discuss one of UCSC’s student programs then that same program, Rita Bottoms author of the new book “riffs & ecstasies” will talk about that book..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. “You never leave the bus. Nobody ever leaves the bus. The bus may spit you out for a while but nobody ever leaves the bus“, Ken Kesey. “You are a wish to be here wishing yourself”, Philip Whalen. “Speak in French when you can’t think of the English for a thing—turn out your toes when you walk—and remember who you are!“, Lewis Carroll.

SCOTTS VALLEY 1958. That’s Camp Evers at the lower left at the intersection of Mount Herman Road and Scotts Valley Drive by the Union Station. And yes, this is before all the high tech companies came…and left. And it’s before Highway 17 became so terrible. photo credit: photo courtesy Covello & Covello Historical photo collection Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

DESTRUCTION OF LA BAHIA OR, WHAT WILL THE COASTAL COMMISSION DO ….etc.

I asked Don Webber who’s been opposing Charlie Canfield’s Boardwalk and developer Barry Swenson building a too high condo hotel instead of saving La Bahia to write BrattonOnline a piece summing up where the history of Santa Cruz stands in view of the recent Coastal Commission’s staff report. You can read all of his reply here…among other items he says….” So the Coastal Commission staff has signed on to the city’s vision for La Bahia and has recommended to Coastal Commissioners that they approve the city’s application to amend our local coastal program to allow Barry Swenson Builder to demolish the La Bahia Apartments and to replace them with a replica six times the size.

This kind of thing isn’t allowed under current zoning, so the city’s is seeking Coastal Commission permission to create a new zone specifically for the La Bahia parcel allowing Swenson to build at an increased mass and scale. The Coastal Commission staff says that’s okay with them.

Their staff report also contains a slew of new policy provisions for the city to include in its local coastal program relating to the regulation of condominium-hotels and other matters. There will undoubtedly be a lot of talk about condo-hotels and these other matters in the staff’s presentation to the Commission; their staff report is full of it.

But the crux of the matter before the Commission remains these two questions:

Must we demolish a protected coastal resource, the La Bahia Apartments?

And if so, what is the proper mass and scale of the construction that replaces it?

After what can only be called a tortured analysis, the authors of the staff report come down on the side of demolition and maximum scale—just what the city asked for.

Whether their analysis will persuade a majority of Commissioners to agree with their conclusions remains in doubt until the morning of August 11 in the Watsonville City Council Chambers”.

Don tells many more ideas and possibilities then closes with…””One thing for sure, the Coastal Commission hates spot zoning, i.e., carving out one parcel for special treatment different from all others in a zone. It’s notoriously bad planning that undermines the integrity of a local coastal program. What good is having a program if landowners can exempt themselves from it and have their own zone within a zone? Ultimately this process thwarts the intention of local coastal programs because it allows the coastal zone to be changed parcel by parcel; like dominoes they fall, before you know it, the coast is transformed.

I’ve watched the Coastal Commission for a long time. Commissioners take their role as statewide protectors of coastal resources seriously. They are aware that developers and project boosters are always in support of the maximum development, and that it’s not at all rare for local government to share the boosters’ point of view. So, the jury is out until the Commissioners themselves address these issues on the 11^th. See you in Watsonville”. Don Webber.

Here’s a link to Webber’s take on La Bahia

GO HERE FOR SEARCH ON AREA’S LOWEST GAS PRICES. I just now found this, and yes, everybody else knew long ago…but just in case. Wow, Scotts Valley????

http://www.californiagasprices.com/GasPriceSearch.aspx

IN & OUT BURGER CONTINUED. No video clips, but an interesting article.

http://www.thedailymeal.com/n-out-burger-coming-town-near-you

URGENT: Sign Our Petition to Save Sharks! Kaitilin Gaffney of the Ocean Conservancy sends this…Over 70 million sharks are killed each year to meet a growing demand for shark fin soup—and we need to act quickly to make sure shark populations worldwide have a fighting chance of recovering.

Internationally, numerous governments have passed, or are considering bans on the trade in shark fins. The United States currently has a national ban on the brutal practice of finning in US waters —but a loophole still allows for the import of shark fins to California, which primarily enter the country through its ports. California now has the chance to join Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington State in banning the trade in shark fins. To protect sharks worldwide from massive declines and risk of extinction, we simply must eliminate the trade in shark fins in California. Please add your name before August 15th to our petition asking California’s State Senate to put an end to the shark fin trade. Sign the petition here!

UM…ER…AHHH. Morton Marcus almost had a corner on this speech improvement. Read the article here

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Here’s how Gary describes his KUSP broadcasts for the week.

Read them in full detail here.

(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 )

DAWN GABLE IN PROGRESO WEEKLY. Dawn Gable used to work and study at UCSC’s Predatory Birds Department. Then she went to Cuba, and Washington and is involved in politics (and even nastier predatory birds!!!), she writes this about a bill we need to watch closely. She writes, “Florida Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and her right-wing friends in the House Foreign Affairs Committee had what Ranking Member Howard Berman reportedly called “a series of tantrums” that caused the committee to spend two straight days dealing with over 100 amendments to a bill that will never become law. While Ileana would like someone, not sure who, to believe that she is valiantly and courageously fighting against all sanity wherever it may lurk, she knew, as well as Berman, that it was nothing more than a cowardly show. The bill in question is the State Department Authorization bill”. Read the rest of it here…

VINTAGE DE CINZO. DeCinzo thinks about tourism in Santa Cruz scroll way down.

EAGANS DEEP COVER. Tim creates a genuine cliff hanger…in color as always. Scroll down, if you please.

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul writes in this week’s Progreso, “The reason we have a Department of Defense is to break things and kill people. The problem we have now is that so much of the money is not going to the people who are breaking things and killing people.” –Ret. Marine General Arnold L. Punaro, Member of the Defense Business Board, to the Washington Post (7-21-11). As strategic minds of Washington figure out nation building in Afghanistan while undermining the crumbling infrastructure at home, U.S. political culture focuses on gay marriage and debt ceilings. On his radio show Rush Limbaugh still severely stresses the President’s middle name, “Huuu—ssssein.” Millions righteously titter over Rush’s “subtlety” and, of course, continue to believe the radical Muslim Obama was born in Kenya. For Rush, Obama represents the left, a threat to our rights to choose our own doctors and keep all our money. Left and progressive circles have re-christened Obama: President Disappointing. There’s more…read it here…

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

LISA JENSEN LINKS. Our summer theater season continues with two new productions from Shakespeare Santa Cruz. Visit Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/) to find out if Danny Scheie’s reboot of The Comedy Of Errors lives up to its predecessor, and whether The Three Musketeers is fit for a king. Also, expect the beginning of a beautiful friendship when the First Friday Art Walk launches the new August Wine Walk, and a few thoughts on the return (at last!) of Project Runway. Lisa Jensen has been writing film reviews and a column for Good Times since 1975.

OFFICIAL MAGIC TRIP MOVIE SITE… http://www.magictripmovie.com

MAGIC TRIP (NOT “THE TRIP”). Our Monterey Bay and San Francisco Bay areas have heard so many fables, lies, stories, facts, and dreams about Ken Kesey’ s legendary bus trip in his bus named “Furthur” that to see this documentary is at least revelatory. Kesey bought a 16 mm camera and took miles of footage of their trip to the World’s Fair in NYC in 1964. To watch these trippers in this film that took 40 years to assemble, is to put lies to fully ¾ of all the fables we’ve heard. You’ll see the west coast psychedelics meet the uptight east coast experimenters like Timothy Leary, Richard Alpert (Ram Dass), and Larry McMurty…they didn’t get along! Hear the Grateful Dead then known as The Warlocks, watch the busload go swimming in the “colored section” of a river in Louisiana and just a lot of good drugged fun. Neal Cassady drove and talked meth-odically and constantly. Ken Babbs, Paul Sundstren, and Jane Burton were onboard. As was writer Robert Stone, who was also in Shakespeare Santa Cruz’s opening play King Lear (but nobody was supposed to know that)!!! Local resident Ron Bevirt (from Swanton’s Last Chance Road) is in it too. No Hells Angels, no Paul Krassner, no Stewart Brand, they all came later. After this NYC trip that took off from Kesey’s place in La Honda, the bus and Ken took many trips around the USA and around the west coast doing what was called “Acid Tests”. There’s about 4 seconds of a trip to Santa Cruz if you watch closely. Just don’t miss it, it probably won’t play here long, and it needs the big screen to take in all the sights, fun and craziness. Ken Kesey died in 2001 from liver cancer.

CRAZY, STUPID LOVE. This movie would be 100% asinine if it weren’t for the few dramatic twists. Steve Carell loves and is married to Julienne Moore who loves Kevin Bacon, probably. But Carell’s kids love the wrong people and those people love the wrong people and Marisa Tomei is still very good. Go only if this lousy summer fog weather keeps up.

CRAZY, STUPID, DUMAS’ THREE MUSKETEERS. This relatively new play based on Dumas book is more or less a staged version of those goof ball relationship comedies some of us see opening every week. Shakespeare Santa Cruz’s production of THREE MUSKETEERS is good fun, signifying nothing, and has excellent costumes. It’s easy to imagine Ryan Gosling, Steve Carrell, Mila Kunis, Seth Rogen in this “swashbuckler” as folks call it. AND it’s good fun, especially in the outdoor Glen…go see it, and bring your visitors.

COWBOYS AND ALIENS. With all the names of writers, producers, and especially actors like Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig, Sam Rockwell, and David Carradine this could have been a contender. Late 1800’s in Arizona and aliens visit cowboys…why not have a good story line…but it doesn’t. It’s just fun, really dumb fun, maybe for very young movie goers.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER.(repeat) CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER. Each of these comic hero epics makes me miss Christopher Reeves as Superman more and more. Those first two Superman films with Marlon Brando and Margot Kidder were absolutely believable, fun and full of genius. Captain America was one of my comic book favorites back in the very early 40’s along with Captain Marvel and this film has terrific special effects and is better than almost all the other Marvel Comic Movies…but that’s not saying much.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS. (repeat) Like the last six Potter films, I couldn’t keep track of curses, locations, worlds, villains and heroes’ names. Lord of The Rings was a classic compared to this series of scenes, proving nothing. We watch Harry, Ron and Hermione get older and the ending seems satisfactory, but give me the MGM Judy Garland Wizard of Oz any time…now, there’s a masterpiece.

PROJECT NIM. Political type fans must know by now that the chimpanzee that was trained and so cruelly treated in this film was named Nim Chimpsky. The entire film is or should be a testament to PETA. You’ll cringe over watching Nim’s intelligence grow and seeing just how his “owners” failed him. A fine but painful film to watch.

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS PLAY BIG SUR. I’ve finally calmed down after hearing this anonymous tip about The Henry Miller Library and the peppers. But in case some of you didn’t hear…

HOSTETTER’S HOT STUFF. Paul H. is back from some secret places and these dates are long past (some of them) but it’s good to keep tabs on him anyways…”It has been awhile. Time to get organized. A couple of things are coming up immediately, or soon thereafter. Debo Band + Fendika makes its first real hit on the west coast soon, including the Bay Area, which is huge news. Not only that, there are the Honeydrops, and some out-of-control tamburasi, and an opera by Gertrude Stein and Virgil Thompson. Wow! Details are, as to be expected, here.

I lament the paucity of decent venues in Santa Cruz. Furthermore, I have a checkered history with Moe’s Alley and am at pains to exhort people to go there, but also have to confess that they are the only venue in town that presents certain good things, and one of them—this Wednesday night—is a singer from Saharan Africa named Bombino. I only know his music from YouTube and recordings and I really like what I have heard, and he’ll be here soon. Suck it up and try and see Bombino at Moe’s. More again very soon, as other worthy events will flood in no time. As ever, ph

CABRILLO FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC. Hopefully everyone’s learned about the free Festival Orchestra rehearsals at the Civic almost daily, right now. And for sure everyone is planning on the Art & Wine Festival on Church Street in front of the civic on Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 8 pm. The concerts and visiting stars are listed in ads nearly everywhere. You know what’s odd is that I’ve attended just about every single Cabrillo Festival concert for nearly 36 years and I have only seen one, maybe two elected local officials at any of them…why is that?? Go to www.Cabrillomusic.org to get details, times, locations, lecturers, titles and what have you.

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. New executive director of MAH Nina Simon will guest on August 2, telling us all about the new ideas happening at the Museum of Art & History. After Nina, Grey Hayes will talk about environmental issues and ideas for our bay area. Then on August 9^th local raker of muck Don Webber will detail the problems with the La Bahia plans followed by writer John Deck who will talk about his new book ” Joan Linville.. Seven Steps to an Acting Career“. Tuesday Aug 23^rd has Wilma Bonet from The San Francisco Mime Troupe in town and previewing. Sept. 13 KUSP’s Opera host Jim Emdy and I will discuss up coming Opera seasons. Christopher Krohn will discuss one of UCSC’s student programs then that same program, Rita Bottoms author of the new book “riffs & ecstasies” will talk about that book..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!!!

BEST OF VINTAGE DeCINZO.

QUOTES. “Take what you can use and let the rest go by”, Ken Kesey . “In the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes”, Andy Warhol.”Read it like popcorn; eat it like a novel”, Whole Grains.

BUILDING OUR MAIN POST OFFICE. JULY 1, 1911. Do note no Veterans Building and note the tall “Victory Pole” over by the Jamba Juice flatiron building. Those Victory Poles proved you were patriotic way back then. photo credit: photo courtesy Covello & Covello Historical photo collection Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES, LA BAHIA & DESAL. There’s not much of a secret as to who’s pushing to develop La Bahia and who’s pushing for the zillion dollar new desal plant. But I did get an anonymous email saying, “LOBA has called a meeting to all its members for this Thursday, July 28 at Clouds downtown at 7:45am. Item on their agenda: La Bahia and Desal .The message goes on to read “Pay close attention to who’s on LOBA and the folks who are pushing the Desal issue. Pay close attention just who they work for and why they are pushing Desal”. LOBA of course endorsed Terrazas, Lynn Robinson, and Hilary Bryant so you know they support whatever. Ryan is involved up to his neck. Lets see what if anything is announced after Thursday’s meeting.

ANCHOR IN ANTARCTICA, PART 2. Micaela Neus, our new correspondent from Antarctica is racing around preparing for her trip back to Palmer Station down there. She’s planning on sending us lots of material once she arrives. Stuff like her own back story, her interest/experience in Antarctica, etc. What Palmer Station is really like, the general history of humans in Antarctica, a list of recommended reading, How to pack and prepare, Ocean Search and Rescue training, abandon-ship drills, and more data that seems completely unbelievable. Stay linked, and stay warm as they say.

SILENT FILM FESTIVAL, RETAKES. One of the many fun parts of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival is/are the Santa Cruz connections. This year UCSC professor and film scholar Shelley Stamp was there to introduce and educate us about America’s first major female film director Lois Weber. Weber directed films all the way through 1934. We saw “Shoes” her film telling us of the plight of a woman earning a decent wage. I took Shelley’s class in Silent Cinema at UCSC and recommend it highly.

ABBOTT SQUARE PLAN REVISION. The opening date of Vino Cruz the revised wine shop has been changed, but is now finalized. The grand opening will be Saturday, August 20th. There’s going to be some music out side and Richard Alfaro of Alfaro Vineyards will be pouring and showcasing his wines. Steve Principe tells me that the Santa Cruz Mountain Appellation is the oldest wine growing region in California and, if not for prohibition, likely we would be the center of wine rather that Napa-Sonoma? There is a very rich history of wine here in our area. All of this should be a grand addition to Cooper Street.

RICHARD SNOW GONE. This is from Indy Bay… Richard Helliwell Snow died unexpectedly of a heart attack, July 5, at a Potter Valley meditation retreat. Read more here…

TRADER JOE’S…BEST BETS!! (AND LOUSY BETS). Taste tests of the Traders products. The team behind What’s Good at Trader Joe’s? have been reviewing and rating the store’s best and worst products since August of 2010. Twice this year, they ranked some of the 130 products they reviewed in different categories from Top 5 Vegetarian to “Worst. Stuff. Ever.”

Read more…

WEAVING TO AND FRO. Gunilla Leavitt, the webwoman who assembles this BrattonOnline every week, is now the proud owner of The Golden Fleece Yarn Shop. Gunilla has been a yarn and knitting expert for decades. The Golden Fleece is located right at the entrance to the Sashmill Street (Potrero Street) just as you leave Water Street. So whilst chatting with her the other morning, who should enter but long time friend Lois Trabing?! Lois is a long time knitter, but mostly we chatted about husband Wally and that nearly perfect article that Wallace Baine wrote about him. Wally’s doing absolutely fine. And we’re all fans of Mr. Baines.

PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary talks about Redistricting here and in Monterey County. He follows that with warnings about the Ocean Street Area plan about to be discussed. Then he mentions that Monterey County will be working on allowing medical marijuana shops. Agricultural land development is being determined by CSAC. He closes by telling us about the Lincoln Institute of Land Use Policy. It’s right here…

(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 )

VINTAGE DE CINZO. De Cinzo and Who let the Dogs out…see below!!

EAGANS DEEP COVER. The many sides of Rupert Murdoch…scroll down again, and again.

LANDAU’S PROGRES. Saul writes in his piece titled “Murdoch’s Knife in the Heart of Journalism”…« Rupert Murdoch finally got his you know what caught in the proverbial ringer – for his employees’ hacking, not for contributing to the prolonged murder of English-language journalism. Wars, revolutions, famines and disasters occurred and Murdoch’s “journalists” juxtaposed lurid “blood” photos with half naked “Zoozoos” who divorced “Googoos” to wed “HooHahs.” Stories on poverty, unemployment and foreclosures get dwarfed by reports of Lindsay and Britney making X-rated videos before going into rehab. And millions bought his newspapers and watched – and rely on – his TV “news.” In the name of freedom of the press Rupert’s Fox News and commentators spew verbal venom on notions that smack of socialist, pink or liberal thought – like taxing billionaires and regulating their corporate and banking behavior. Indeed, the Foxers promote billionaires not paying taxes as an example of virtue and freedom. “You don’t want your government squandering taxpayers’ money.” Sure, imagine life without cops, firemen, schools, road repair service, etc”. Read it all here

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

LISA JENSEN LINKS. This week on Lisa Jensen Online Express ( http://ljo-express.blogspot.com/), in honor of the new Shakespeare Santa Cruz production of The Three Musketeers, let’s take a look at Dueling Musketeer Movies, and see why some buckle their swash with more style than others. Also, further thoughts on the Passion of Harry Potter, evoked by the surprisingly emotional and fulfilling Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Thanks for reading! Lisa Jensen has been writing film reviews and a column for Good Times since 1975.

OUR FUNNY READERS. Jodi Frediani emails to say…” I will say that in the day when I ate the occasional burger while on the road, In and Out was head and shoulders above the competition. I agree with Dan Dickmeyer , that IF you are going to eat fast food, In and Out makes a better product. That is, if you don’t mind being proselytized while eating fries. Of course, I no longer touch the stuff”. Jodi. Before the next response go to the In & Out Website http://www.in-n-out.com does Santa Cruz really need one of these??? Then we learn as Catherine O’Kelly writes,” Dan Dickmeyer is right about In & Out Burgers. In & Out Burgers are better than the average burger. One of my grandsons works for them in Solano County, and they are really good people to work for. They bend over backwards to accommodate his availability to work [he’s their best “chef.”] PBS did a special on the company, wholly family-owned. They make everything themselves, I mean everything! All the signs, all the furniture, the buildings, it’s pretty amazing. Truly an “American Success Story.” I remember Dan from ‘way back when. We collaborated on keeping out a particularly bad piece of public sculpture. So he’s in Canada? I wondered where he went. Every time I drive or walk past Lighthouse Field, I plant it. I plant a Rose Garden, an Arboretum showcasing our California native plants, a lawn for picnics. I also build low-impact Asilomar buildings to accommodate guests for small conferences. I also imagine the Natural History Museum being brought there from its obscure spot by the Seabright beach. That the huge field is simply a vacant lot is such a waste! A very expensive piece of real estate that is used only by dogs and their owners. Yes, the butterflies have a corner, but the rest of the field should be put to better use. The dead trees are loved by woodpeckers, but they look like shit. I realize I’m speaking BLASPHEMY here, but I don’t care. The County is SURROUNDED by green space. We need to make better use of the assets we have, not just to improve the local economy, but for us residents, students and tourists. We quite desperately need more housing, and we also need more places to accommodate tourists besides the Boardwalk and the Mystery Spot. So glad they have that little shuttle bus going….that’s a good first step. I walked in Arana Gulch a few months ago for the first time: what a great place for condos!!!

Gotcha, didn’t I??? I can hear you growling………maybe even snarling…..Catherine O’Kelly.

FILMS, IN PARTICULAR ORDER (i.e. GOOD TO BAD) and some previously reviewed (but since archives aren’t available…a quick shot)

BUCK. Excellent film. Surprisingly touching and profound…it’s about a real horse whisperer, who’s also a very thoughtful and effective psychologist who grew up in an abusive family scene.

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS. Woody Allen’s best film in years. Not his greatest but funny, smart, starring Cole Porter, Hemingway and Owen Wilson.

BEGINNERS. Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer in a light saga aboutlove and closets and growing up.

TERRI. John C. Reilly is one of my favorite actors especially since “Chicago”. He plays weird Terri’s odd- ball high school counselor in this complex coming of age drama. The plot goes odder than odd but will keep you awake all the way through. A fine film.

THE TRIP. IF you love British films and have seen hundreds, you’ll go for this clever comedy. Two show biz buddies tour Northern England outdoing each other imitating both young and older Michael Caine, Anthony Hopkins and Brit film stars you’ve never heard of. Go for it.

SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN. A beautiful film but confusing plot full of flashbacks between generations of bonded “sisters” failing to ever connect. Director Wayne Wang has done better like Dim Sum, Smoke, Chan Is Missing and even Joy Luck Club.

THE TREE OF LIFE. Thedebate goes on over this over- inflated Thomas Kinkade type film. Only Kinkade and Terence Malick would try to depict life in this self indulgent muck. But the acting is ok by Brad Pitt and Sean Penn.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER. Each of these comic hero epics makes me miss Christopher Reeves as Superman more and more. Those first two Superman films with Marlon Brando and Margot Kidder were absolutely believable, fun and full of genius. Captain America was one of my comic book favorites back in the very early 40’s along with Captain Marvel and this film has terrific special effects and is better than almost all the other Marvel Comic Movies…but that’s not saying much.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS. Like the last six Potter films, I couldn’t keep track of curses, locations, worlds, villains and heroes’ names. Lord of The Rings was a classic compared to this series of scenes, proving nothing. We watch Harry, Ron and Hermione get older and the ending seems satisfactory, but give me the MGM Judy Garland Wizard of Oz any time…now, there’s a masterpiece.

CARS 2. Just chalk this up to PIXAR’s ego-driven mistake. It proves that even though you call Emeryville home, you can’t rest on your laurels.

SHAKESPEARE SANTA CRUZ’S COMEDY OF ERRORS. Director Danny Scheie’s up to his old director’s tricks in this year’s re-vision of Comedy of Errors. He’s got an excellent cast, Shakespeare’s dimmest plot, and once again, he makes it funny, fast, and insanely foolish. Who cares if you can’t understand a lot of the lines, there’s a door slam and a sex change every 21 seconds. Take your visitors to see it, they’ll love it.

UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer (live only, or sometimes old programs are archived…(see next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. July 26 has Sean Van Sommeran talking about our shark neighbors, suitably followed by Emily Glanville from Save Our Shores. New executive director of MAH Nina Simon will guest on August 2, telling us all about the new ideas happening at the Museum of Art & History. After Nina, Grey Hayes will talk about environmental issues and ideas for our bay area. Then on August 9^th writer John Deck will talk about his book ” Joan Linville.. Seven Steps to an Acting Career“. Looking ahead, Rita Bottoms author of the new book “riffs & ecstasies” will be on September 20.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 DeCINZO.

QUOTES. “The wrongest thing one can do is shut oneself off to new things“, Susannah York. “WE should be trying to listen to the voice that can’t be heard”, Van Dyke Parks. “We must first become human before seeking anything superior”, Rene Daumel.