BRATTON…Suicide and Murder, Free streaming movies at our library, our Downtown Streets team. GREENSITE…on DeLaveaga Golf Course. KROHN…Long strange trip, Chambers of Commerce, money, development, UCSC system issues. STEINBRUNER…Soquel water rates and purity, Mid County Groundwater agency problems, Firewise time, CEQA exemptions (fair?) tech jobs in Santa Cruz. PATTON…gambling in/on politics. EAGAN…Subconscious Comics and Deep Cover. BRATTON…I critique Official Secrets, Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, Brittany Runs The Marathon UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE GUEST LINEUP. QUOTES…”Buttigieg”
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TSUNAMI IN SANTA CRUZ. 2011. Just in case we forget where we live. |
VIMEO post of literally otherworldly footage of “an active alien body, far out in the depths of our solar system.” Take a minute or three to watch this amazing space film. From 2014 to 2016, the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft followed the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67p) around space: collecting scientific data, sending a probe to its surface, and capturing some 400,000 photographs of the comet. This cinematic video was made from those photos.
DATELINE Sept. 16
SUICIDE AND MURDER. Our Doctors, therapists, and social workers go to great lengths to ask and probe if we have any suicidal thoughts? There’s so much concern legally and socially about possible suicides — but has it occurred to you that nowhere and no how are we ever asked about murderous thoughts! With so many murderers running around, you’d think those same professionals would care as much about stopping the deadly shooters before they break out. Besides that, suicide is becoming legal and easier around the world. The newest edition of Exit International’s newsletter headlines an article about the latest discovery of drugs and medicines like sodium azide and sodium nitrite as effective end-of-life drugs. Go here to read more… If you wonder more about this note that in 2017 there were 47,173 suicides in the USA and 39,773 murders by guns.
LATTE BREAKING NEWS…
FREE MOVIE STREAMING AT OUR SANTA CRUZ LIBRARY. I just found out that we/you can go to KANOPY on our Santa Cruz Library website, and can get eight films per month for free. These are excellent, arty, foreign, independent films. Definitely not the kind you’d think would be on a public library list.
DOWNTOWN STREETS TEAM NEWS. It was news to me when I interviewed Brooke Newman on last week’s Universal Grapevine. Among other items she told us such things as…it was Chip Flatulencia — formerly head of our Downtown Association (mostly known as just “Chip”) — who worked so hard in 2017 to establish our Streets Team here. There are 15 cities with Street Teams, with a staff of over 50. It was started in Palo Alto in 2015, and is a 501 C3 non-profit. There’s a waiting list for homeless to get on our team. She also told us the horrible statistic that sexual abuse is at 97% for women experiencing homelessness along with severe mental illness bipolar, major depressive disorder, etc. but as you’ll find in the article link below. The numbers are ridiculously high for all subgroups of women, a fact that is definitely underreported.
NEXTDOOR NOOSE. Reading danged nosy Nextdoor is a hard habit to break. I copied this topical summation from it. I also left off a name or two…just in case.
“You must not understand all the San Jose style building plans the city manager and Economic Development have in store for the city of Santa Cruz. The only problem will be that we don’t have the same multiple choices of freeways and expressways that they do have in San Jose. We already feel how crowded our roads are now, just wait, not for too long, and you won’t recognize much in Santa Cruz that will reflect our historical and formerly quaint and funky beach town. The city rolled out the red carpet for all of this to happen when they became deeply enmeshed with the Silicon Valley Leadership group and Monterey Bay Economic Partners. That influence is now the main thrust of the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce , check out their website and read who their leadership is and make the connections for yourself. From Casey Byer to Cynthia Mathews, along with other city leaders, this is a takeover by moneyed interests to profit from what was once our community, but is now their commodity.” Very well stated.
September 16
THE POLITICS OF GOLF
I’ve never found golf interesting. Then again, I’ve never played the game. Where I grew up in Australia golf courses were alien territory, oases of green that seemed to serve no purpose aside from keeping development at bay. Those who played golf were jockeys, on their days off from riding the ponies, or so pictures in the newspapers led us to believe. Then again, I never knew anyone who played golf.
I am aware that the Municipal Golf Course at DeLaveaga Park is controversial, with many progressives viewing it as a rich person’s sport that sucks up too much of the city’s water and financial subsidies. I now know people who play golf and while I still have no interest in the sport, I do know that those who play at DeLaveaga are largely not rich folk but are long time locals, predominantly in the trades or service industries.
All of this is to say that when the issue of the DeLaveaga Operations Plan came before the Parks and Recreation Commission last week, I had an open mind. I am a recently appointed Parks and Rec commissioner thanks to the votes of Krohn, Cummings, Glover and Brown. The other 3 council members did not support my application to be on the commission.
The city’s General Fund has been subsidizing the golf course to the tune of up to $750,000 a year, with water being a recent top revenue drain. It requires 9 FTE personnel (described as a skeleton crew) to keep the course in good condition. While golf has declined in popularity around the state with many courses closing, the course at DeLaveaga has weathered political attempts to shut it down over the past 20 years. The current proposal from Parks and Recreation is for an aggressive marketing plan to attract new players, an increase in fees to play plus costly investments in modern irrigation and recycled water with the goal for the course to become more self-supporting.
The Parks and Recreation Commission voted (6-1) to support the staff recommendation with a request to review the business plan from the private operator (GSL, Inc. Tim Loustalot) added to the motion. The absence of the operator from both the commission meeting and the city council meeting the following night was noted. Also noted was the seemingly modest allocation to the city from the operator’s profits. According to the recently signed Lease Agreement with the operator, the city gets 6% of gross revenue from Food and Beverage, 8% from alcoholic beverages and 10% from Merchandise sales. I asked how this allocation compares with what the city gets from the operators of the Municipal Wharf’s restaurants and concessions, which also fall under Parks and Recreation. Neither the Parks Director nor the Parks Superintendent knew the answer. Unfortunately the Lease Agreement with the operator has already been signed by the city’s Economic Development Department so changes for the next five or ten years, the length of the lease, are not possible.
Left on the table were recommended fee increases to play the game of golf. Listed as percentages they appear reasonable. Broken down into dollars, the increases are low to the point of being negligible. A $3 increase spread over 3 years is proposed for a Monday to Friday 18 holes game (from the current $49 to a high of $52 by 2022). A weekend 18 holes increase is $6 spread over the same time period (from the current $64 to a high of $70 in 2022). Discount cards and member programs have higher percentages but all are modest given the base cost. I understand the balance between attracting more golfers and the deterrent of increased fees (if we accept the course should stay open) however anyone who can afford a game of golf should shoulder their share of increased water rates to keep the greens green. Or the cost of a pipe system for recycled water from Soquel Creek.
It was with this in mind that I watched with interest the city council deliberation and vote on the Golf Course issue the following evening. It started as interest and quickly became frustration. No longer does Community TV run the email contact to reach council members during the meeting. Nothing to do but watch as the Mayor ruled that Council member Mathews made the first motion even though Council member Krohn had offered one in writing earlier and had been told to wait. Nothing to do but watch as Mathews said she was “miffed” if she didn’t get to make her motion that undermined Krohn and Brown’s attempts to accelerate a plan for the Golf Course to come up with a balanced budget. Nothing to do but watch as Mathews opined without any evidence that staff had reviewed the Business Plan (from the operator) in great detail. If so, they did not share that with the Parks and Recreation Commission. They seemed to be caught as flat- footed as the rest of us. As a final shove to get her motion approved, Mathews said it would avoid “sticker shock” for players to know about the increases coming their way. Sticker shock? A $2 or $3 increase spread over 3 years?
As Council member Glover noted, the $750,000 subsidy of the Golf Course is essentially what it would cost to re-open Harvey West Pool year-round (the next item on that evening’s agenda) and offer free swim lessons and free swimming for our city’s youth. With Council member Myers absent and a 3-3 tie, the Golf Course item will be back to council for another vote. I wonder what Vicente DeLaveaga would say?
| Gillian Greensite is a long time local activist, a member of Save Our Big Trees and the Santa Cruz chapter of IDA, International Dark Sky Association http://darksky.org Plus she’s an avid ocean swimmer, hiker and lover of all things wild. |
SEPT. 16
WHAT A LONG STRANGE TRIP IT HAS BEEN
Road Trip!
Imagine if you will, me in a bus for two and a half days with the likes of the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce executive, Casey Beyer, the SC Business Council something, Robert Singleton, the SC Economic Development Director, City Manager, and others representing public agencies, banks, the Warriors, UCSC, Kaiser, Poly (Plantronics), and a home builder (developer), all members of the Chamber of Commerce, tripping towards Southern California to see how “smart” development is done there. Okay, open your eyes, turns out you can now imagine it because it happened. I learned no secret handshake, drank no special water, nor was there even a bonding song that we all were required to sing extolling capitalist virtue and damning the communist menace. I never even heard the names Ayn Rand, Milton Friedman, or Adam Smith mentioned even once. It was more a serious field trip to the heart of what I would call the real Central Coast: Goleta, Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, and Ventura. The excursion was surprisingly mellow and informative, full of rich discussion around affordable housing, transportation, homelessness, and the principles of “Lean Manufacturing.” But, before you begin shifting uncomfortably in your seat…
What was I doing on this trip?
I wanted to meet, greet, and rap with some leading figures inour local development, commerce, and academia communities and get in touch with that familiar Marxist refrain about how the state greases the wheels for the owners of capital to come in and do what they do, make more capital. First stop was picking up Kristin Miller, the CEO of the Goleta Chamber of Commerce. I had always thought of Goleta, population 31,000, as a bedroom community for UC Santa Barbara, but it’s much more. Miller hopped on the big bus just after we pulled off the 101 into one of those famous SoCal “strip malls.” She said Goleta was about 15 years into a 20-year general plan. It was basically an “infill” plan because everyone loved the Bishop Ranch, and if the ranch was not going to be developed, then everywhere else around it basically had to be. “The community has had a lot of pushback on the plan,” she lamented. Miller outlined the top three barriers for development in the Goleta area as a lack of “workforce” housing” and “access to a qualified workforce,” as well as “over-regulation.” She offered up the example that Corning, one international company with a subsidiary here, located in an area that includes the likes of Raytheon (largest private employer in Goleta), Decker’s and Direct Relief International among others, called her up just the other day and asked where they could get some workers for $17 bucks an hour. She told them it would be difficult because of the cost of housing. We then passed some apartments that she said were going for $2400 a month for a one-bedroom and up to $4000 for two and three-bedrooms. Miller also pointed out that the median home price was “only $850,000,” whereas in the People’s Republic of Santa Cruz it’s $905k. She said Goleta had instituted a popular “interest only” program in which a home-buyer could borrow up to $100,000 and pay it back after 10 years by refinancing the home. I guess in Goleta there is built-in optimism that home prices will keep going up. Post-recession development in Goleta parallels that of Santa Cruz and began in earnest in 2012. “Part of the angst we lived through is that a lot of builders had permits acquired in the pre-recession days, then in 2012 the building boom hit,” she said. Miller also mentioned that the pro-chamber of commerce city council was voted out in 2017, but “elections happen, we try again,” she said. Sound familiar?
Next week–What happens after capitalist schmoozing? The rest of the trip and a bit of analysis too.
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(Chris Krohn is a father, writer, activist, and was on the Santa Cruz City Councilmember from 1998-2002. Krohn was Mayor in 2001-2002. He’s been running the Environmental Studies Internship program at UC Santa Cruz for the past 14 years. He was elected the the city council again in November of 2016, after his kids went off to college. His current term ends in 2020.
Email Chris at ckrohn@cruzio.com |
SIGN THIS PETITION TO PROTEST OUTRAGEOUSLY HIGH AND UNFAIR SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT NEW RATES!
Sign this online petition if you are among the thousands of Soquel Creek Water District customers who are shocked that your water bill jumped by hundreds of dollars when the District claimed the new rate increase would only average $5/month more but you are working hard to conserve water:
Sign the Petition Soquel Creek Water District Rate Increases Are Unfair and Hurt Families!
This petition, launched by ratepayer Kris Kirby, has over 200 signers after just a couple of days.
Read her good Letter to the Editor in the recent Aptos Times (pg. 14-15)
Ratepayers at Soquel Creek Water District are stunned by their outrageously high water bills when they have continually been held up by the District as the water conservation poster children for the State. The District Board approved new rate increases last February to amass revenue needed for the $90 million project to inject treated sewage water into the aquifer, but assured customers that the average monthly increase to bills would be “$5 or less”.
Attend the Board meetings. Write and demand the Directors to be accountable:
Soquel Creek Water District bod@soquelcreekwater.org and copy Emma Olin emmao@soquelcreekwater.org Make sure your letter is included…sometimes staff omits critical communications from public view.
MAKE SURE TO READ AND COMMENT ON THE MIDCOUNTY GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY PLAN THIS WEEK
This Thursday, the MidCounty Groundwater Agency Board is meeting to consider approving the Draft Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) and close public comment period on the document. The Board meets September 19 at 7pm at Simpkins Swim Center. This Plan will dictate how water is used and who will pay for projects that affect the groundwater levels and water quality.
You can find the Draft GSP in local libraries (you may have to ask for it) and it is available on the website: Recent News | Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Agency
I am very concerned that the Draft GSP relies on the Soquel Creek Water District’s outrageously expensive, risky and unnecessary project to inject 1.3 million gallons/day of treated sewage water into the aquifer in Aptos. The draft GSP also includes the City of Santa Cruz’s Aquifer Storage Recovery (ASR) project to inject water into the aquifer in the Live Oak area, and the City is currently considering using treated sewage water for this too, although the recent pilot tests have used potable water that has been (hopefully) de-chlorinated.
*******Soquel Creek Water District has NO FINAL ANTI-DEGRADATION EVALUATION FOR ANY COMPONENT OF THAT PROJECT. That means that there is no analysis of what injecting treated sewage water into the aquifer would do to the water quality in the aquifer and/or associated surface streams. The District likewise had no such evaluation in place when they recently injected millions of gallons of water 1000′ deep into the Twin Lakes Church well from a nearby hydrant and also brought in by trucks from an unknown source. The results of that pilot test have yet to be made public by District Engineer Taj Dufour, although it was promised for debut “sometime this summer”.
The draft GSP relies only on information modeled for the City’s ASR and the District’s Toilet-to-Tap projects for sustaining the basin. Water transfers and regional conjunctive use was not modelled and seemingly not considered. The only other scenario modeled was to investigate the effects of shutting down all private wells.
*****Also troubling to me is that the Draft GSP makes no citations to the technical information that supports much of the Plan and recommendations. Where are the technical references? I have written the Lead Planner, Ms Darcy Pruitt, to ask for the information, especially related to groundwater contamination and the proposed injection projects, but received no reply.
The audio recordings of past Board meetings have just been added to the website, and are worth listening to in order more thoroughly and accurately review the history of how the current recommendations being made in the GSP came to be.
I recommend the July 19, 2018 meeting, Item #8 Potential Projects and Concepts to Support Recovery and Sustainability of the Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Basin and the May 16, 2019 (Items 9 & 10)(and note public questioning of Soquel Creek Water District reporting discrepancies for chloride levels in the Pleasure Point area as well as the statement of Montgomery & Associates staff that there was no scientific basis for the State to declare the MidCounty Basin in “critical overdraft”), and the July 18, 2019 joint meeting with the GSP Advisory Committee, reviewing the Draft GSP goals.
Here is the agenda for this Thursday
Even though it appears that the Board will only see comment submitted before September 12, I urge you to submit your written comments all this week and to attend the meeting.
HOW TO BECOME A FIREWISE COMMUNITY
This Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 7pm, the Aptos Library will partner with Aptos/La Selva and Central Fire Protection Districts to encourage communities in the wildland areas of Santa Cruz County to do some grassroots organizing and become a certified FireWise Community. This not only improves fire safety for neighborhoods and the environment surrounding them, but also may help stave off non-renewal notices from insurance companies and even earn a premium discount. Join Fire Marshall Mike DeMars or the brand new Deputy Fire Marshll, Marco Mack, from Sonoma County and learn what you and your neighbors can do to address wildland fire risk.
NEW STATE BILL WILL GIVE SANTA CRUZ CITY $16 MILLION FOR HOUSING
Maybe you saw Jessica York’s good report in the Santa Cruz Sentinel about how Assemblyman Mark Stone was able to get AB 411 passed and to the Governor’s desk this week. This would allow the City to spend $16 million on new construction of 100-150 units, such as near the Metro Station, instead of paying off old debt from Redevelopment Agency bonds sold in the past and returning the money to the taxpayers.
Here is the link to an analysis of this troubling precedent that Assemblyman Stone’s bill could set in motion, as well as other tactics to grab money wherever it can be found. I wonder if the money would actually build something or if it will go to administrative and permitting fees to support government? I wonder what back-room deals are in the works with the developers as you are reading this?
It is beginning to be clear what is really driving the supposed need for a multi-story parking garage that would bury a library.
You may find this earlier report about AB 411 with an interview of City Economic Development Director Bonnie Lipscomb:
State bill would free up $16M for affordable housing in Santa Cruz
Don’t forget that Bonnie Lipscomb made it known on KION TV in September, 2017 that:
Lipscomb said, “Our goal to provide more housing more all…and we have between 500 and 700 housing units already approved for the downtown…and at different levels of affordability…so we are supporting the creation of all types of housing to support a range of workers throughout the community.
Santa Cruz brings tech jobs to the Central Coast
Santa Cruz brings tech jobs to the Central Coast
Paul Dudley
Each day thousands of tech workers commute from the Central Coast over the hill to Silicon Valley.
But what will this “Big Tech Hub” do to the quality of life and the environment in Santa Cruz County?
Will all future development in the County and City be CEQA Exempt? Hmmmmm…….
WRITE ONE LETTER. MAKE ONE CALL. ATTEND ONE PUBLIC MEETING. MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE….BUT JUST DO SOMETHING THIS WEEK. Cheers, Becky Steinbruner
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Becky Steinbruner is a 30+ year resident of Aptos. She has fought for water, fire, emergency preparedness, and for road repair. She ran for Second District County Supervisor in 2016 on a shoestring and got nearly 20% of the votes.
Email Becky at KI6TKB@yahoo.com |
#258 / Wanna Bet On It? Sep 15
I recently found out that there is now a way to transform our national politics into an opportunity to make money by gambling. Or to lose money through gambling, if you really want to be honest about it.
Would you like to place a bet on what’s going to happen in American politics? Click on the link to be transferred to PredictIt. An article by freelance writer Whitney Kimball, published in The Daily Dot, will give you some guidance before you put your money on the line.
I am not very much tempted by this invitation to turn our all-too-typical “horse race political commentary” into a chance to gamble (just like on the real horse races). First, I am just not the betting kind! Second, I have an objection based on my deep concern about the future of politics in the United States. This idea of turning politics into a betting game gives me the shivers.
I believe we create our human world, the world upon which we most immediately depend, through the political actions we take, individually and collectively. I never tire of telling my students that the “equation” I set out below is the political equivalent of E = MC2.
Einstein’s equation tells us about the incredible power that resides in the matter that constitutes the physical world. This is the World of Nature upon which we ultimately depend. The following equation tells us about the power that resides in politics, the activity that creates, sustains, and transforms our human world:
Politics > Law > Government
Political “action” is what powers our institutions of self-government. “Betting” is an activity that is based on “observation.” We are, of course, both actors and observers, but democratic self-government is based on the idea that we must at some point stop “observing,” and that we must take “action” to make things happen the way we want them to.
Instead of “betting” on Elizabeth Warren, or Bernie Sanders, or Cory Booker, or Joe Biden, or Kamala Harris, or Julian Castro, my advice is to do something about it! Take action to support the person you want to represent you.
Political power comes from political action. Our political actions elect those who will represent us, and pass the laws by which we tell ourselves what we want to do.
If you care about self-government, you need to get involved, yourself, in the politics that will define our future. “Betting” on what is going to happen to us is the antithesis of trying to make things happen the way we want.
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Gary Patton is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney for individuals and community groups on land use and environmental issues. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. You can read and subscribe to his daily blog at www.gapatton.net
Email Gary at gapatton@mac.com |
EAGAN’S SUBCONSCIOUS COMICS. See the funniest and most profound look inside our sneaky personalities. Scroll below.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. See Eagan’s system shattering views down a few pages. As always, at TimEagan.com you will find his most recent Deep Cover, the latest installment from the archives of Subconscious Comics, and the ever entertaining Eaganblog.
MOZART, MUNCHING WITH. Every third Thursday of the month Carol Panofsky and friends create a free concert. This month Elbert Tsai, violin- Christina Simpson, viola -James Jaffe, cello and Chia-Lin Yang at the piano. They’ll be playing…
Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2 in D Major, Op. 94bis by Sergei Prokofiev and
Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 87 by Antonín Dvorák. The concert happens on
Thursday, September 19, 2019 12:10 – 12:50 in the threatened Santa Cruz Public Library Downtown Branch – in the Meeting Room Upstairs. It’s sponsored by THE FRIENDS OF THE SANTA CRUZ PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BRANCH OF THE MUSIC TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA.
OFFICIAL SECRETS Keira Knightley heads the cast — along with Ralph Fiennes — and this is a great whistleblower true story. A young woman has to decide whether to expose a confidential letter that shows USA and Britain were involved in the illegal start of the Iraq war. The acting, plot, reality and quality of this movie make it one of my favorites of the year.
LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE. With an audience rating of 99 on Rotten Tomatoes it’s gotta be good…or great! Her politics, talent, and integrity — plus an amazing voice — makes her truly unique in the field of music. She mastered many styles, never gave up, and is dying of Parkinson’s right now! Her Mexican heritage, time with Gov. Jerry Brown and sheer guts will keep you surprised as you learn so much about her.
BRITTANY RUNS THE MARATHON. Actress Jillian Bell plays Brittany, and I could not like Jillian Bell no matter how hard I tried. In real life Jillian lost a lot of weight so she could give a better performance, but I didn’t care. As promised, she does run the NY marathon…no, she doesn’t win it. The movie is supposed to be a comedy, but I didn’t laugh once.
HONEYLAND. A documentary set in today’s Balkans. Mainly it’s about how to raise and care for honeybees. It’s really about humans, community, money, family, love, health, and just about every human characteristic you can think of. Brilliant, touching, well filmed, important, sensitive,. Please see this film. CLOSES THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 19
WHERE’D YOU GO, BERNADETTE. It’s listed as a comedy because it’s an adapted from a book regarded as funny. Cate Blanchett makes the story of a woman looking for her place on earth and a settling of her life into a deep depressed saga. Billy Crudupis her over the top understanding partner who has to live with her searching. Kristen Wiigacts as her troubled neighbor who becomes one of a few good friends. By luck I also watched Ingmar Bergman’s Persona the next day and found a very sensitive revealing similar story of a woman in search. Both are fine films and well worth seeing. CLOSES THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 19
AFTER THE WEDDING. Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams and Billy Crudup do excellent acting work in this re-make of a twisted marriage saga. Part soapy, part tragedy, it’s a sad tale of money, family, death, and child raising. Partly filmed in Calcutta it’ll keep your attention but won’t earn your praise. CLOSES THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 19
ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD. The more movies you’ve seen in your lifetime the more you’ll like Quentin Tarantino’s latest. With Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio in the leads and it all happening in L.A. in 1969 it almost can’t miss. Slightly under the cuteness of the relationship between Pitt and DiCaprio is knowing that the film ends with the Manson Family killings of Sharon Tate and four other characters at the house that she shared with her husband, Roman Polanski. Add Al Pacino for about two minutes to all of that and you’ll be forced to like it.
THE FAREWELL. Whew, 100% on the Rotten Tomato meter and 91% on their audience score. The cast is mostly Asian and handles the problem of how to tell Grandma that she’s dying of cancer. It’s funny, deeply sad, superior acting and will hold you to the unfolding story right to the unusual ending. Well worth seeing….and remembering. CLOSES THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 19
UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or archived for two weeks… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. Faisal Fazilat and Janina Larenas appear on Sept. 17 to talk about the co-operative group CO-OPSC. After those folks Vanilla Queen Patricia Rain talks about the Chocolate Vanilla Festival that happens Sept. 26. September 24 has John Hall updating us on The Downtown Commons Advocates and their plans. Following John, Nancy Macy from the San Lorenzo Valley Women’s Club talks about PG&E and the tree removal issue. October 1 Robert Morgan returns to lay out the program and plans for the Transportation Justice Conference at Cabrillo College on Oct.5. OR…if you just happen to miss either of the last two weeks of Universal Grapevine broadcasts go here… https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/schedule/kzsc You have to listen to about 4 minutes of that week’s KPFA news first, then Grapevine happens. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always and only at bratton@cruzio.com
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Ok, so how I arrive at these videos is sometimes a bit of a journey. This gem you get to see because I was on Youtube, watching a documentary about Queen and how they got a lot of flak for permorming in Sun City, South Africa, in the time of apartheid. That made me remember this song, which apparently was not as big a hit in the US as it was in Europe. Just look at this all-star cast though… 34 years later, all too many of these musicians are no longer with us. Watch the video, and see how many faces you recognize! |
UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE ARCHIVES. In case you missed some of the great people I’ve interviewed in the last 9 years here’s a chronological list of some past broadcasts. Such a wide range of folks such as Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, and Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems. Mike Pappas on the Olive Connection, Sandy Lydon on County History. Paul Johnston on political organizing, Rick Longinotti on De-Sal. Dan Haifley on Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Dan Harder on Santa Cruz City Museum. Sara Wilbourne on Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Brian Spencer on SEE Theatre Co. Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro on MAH and Big Creek Pottery. Carolyn Burke on Edith Piaf. Peggy Dolgenos on Cruzio. Julie James on Jewel Theatre Company. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus Nina Simon from MAH, Rob Slawinski, Gary Bascou, Judge Paul Burdick, John Brown Childs, Ellen Kimmel, Don Williams, Kinan Valdez, Ellen Murtha, John Leopold, Karen Kefauver, Chip Lord, Judy Bouley, Rob Sean Wilson, Ann Simonton, Lori Rivera, Sayaka Yabuki, Chris Kinney, Celia and Peter Scott, Chris Krohn, David Swanger, Chelsea Juarez…and that’s just since January 2011.
“BUTTIGIEG”
The Electoral College needs to go, because it’s made our society less and less democratic.” Pete Buttigieg
Like anyone who follows politics, I am sometimes mesmerized by the twisted and relentless drama playing out in Washington. But I also know about the price of distraction – the consequences of our attention being diverted from how politics affects daily life”. Pete Buttigieg
“Our neighborhoods are safer when there is trust between communities and the police who are in charge of protecting them”. Pete Buttigieg
COLUMN COMMUNICATIONS. Subscriptions: Subscribe to the Bulletin! You’ll get a weekly email notice the instant the column goes online. (Anywhere from Monday afternoon through Thursday or sometimes as late as Friday!), and the occasional scoop. Always free and confidential. Even I don’t know who subscribes!!
Snail Mail: Bratton Online
82 Blackburn Street, Suite 216
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Direct email: Bratton@Cruzio.com
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