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DATELINE: September 15, 2014
LA BAHIA EMAILS. Here’s a sampling of some La Bahia emails BrattonOnline received this week.
” The atmosphere at the City Council meeting was almost giddy with high-fives and celebratory congrats, even before the vote. The house was packed with Canfield/French supporters. The chambers were loaded with city bureaucrats and newly resuscitated French supporters from Pasatiempo. Ryan Coonerty was glorying in what he must think is his reputation resuscitation after his La Bahia debacle before the Coastal Commission. It was a horror show. Geoff Dunn, George Ow, and Kim Stoner were in the back grinning from ear-to-ear, positively drunk with excitement. I guess we’re the fools. Of course, Chase and Noroyan were at their sycophantic best, prostrating themselves before the current council with their support for demolition. Canfield has now been officially crowned
ANOTHER EMAIL…“The editorial cartoon in this morning’s (Sept 13) Senile referred to Soquel Creek Water. And the point it makes reminded me of the following excerpt from the final EIR for the La Bahia. Water was an insignificant issue, and the reason:
Impact 4.4-1 Water Supply. The proposed hotel project will result in an increased demand for water supply in a system that, under existing conditions, has adequate supplies during normal years, but inadequate supplies during dry years. The additional demand during dry years would not be of a magnitude to affect the level of curtailment that might be in effect”. Can you imagine any project that would fail to qualify on “water grounds”?
| SANTA CRUZ 2014 LA GUELAGUETZA CELEBRATION. This happened in Harbor High’s football field and only 86 people have seen it!!! |
STILL ANOTHER EMAIL…George Ow, Chris Ferrante (last La Bahia battle), Richelle Noroyan, Cynthia Chase, all spoke in favor of the scrape-off. All of the City’s department heads were there, Bill Tyselling, Chip Dip, and many of the Chamber of Commerce types. Ron Pomerantz spoke for modifications to the plan and for the unions, Ross Gibson criticized the design as not really meeting the Spanish Colonial revival standard, Gillian Greensite spoke to the demolition by neglect aspects. Geoff Dunn said nothing as is his usual method‹but he was behind the scenes pulling strings and getting his buddies to sign the anti-Ross letter that was part of the packet and signed by Sandy Lydon, George Ow, Joan Martin, Nikki Silva and Charles Prentiss (shocker for me) and a few others on the “B” team. The letter was a case of public pillory, a sad and shameful attempt to trash Ross’s research credentials. I guess they are all on Ow’s payroll in one way or another. Totally unneeded as most of the time Ross is his own worst enemy in terms of documenting his sources. It was cruel and mean. Cynthia Mathews even sent the letter to Researchers Anonymous before the meeting hoping she would get them on board to trash Ross. Disgusting”.
ANOTHER LABAHIA EMAIL…”Right now I’m so disgusted w/our city government and their complicity w/developers, I could puke! We are powerless and they know it. The Council nods their heads, look concerned, but they do nothing in the public interest that isn’t run by the business establishment. Micah Posner is a cipher-his sole concern about LA Bahia is making sure that there enough bicycles for tourists. A small mind at work. He’s not intelligent enough to get it! Chase and Noroyan are hustling for votes and what a better venue than the LA Bahia hearing? Lots of voters and TV coverage. The message they are conveying to the Council members is that I’m one of you and I’ll support your agenda, oh, & BTW, spread the word to your supporters–vote for me and I’ll do what I’m told”.
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BUSKING IN SANTA CRUZ 2013. |
LA BAHIA & THE CITY COUNCIL. Gillian Greensite spoke against our City Council’s planned plot to destroy the historic La Bahia and again cave in to Mayor Lynn Robinson’s husband’s employer The Boardwalk/Charlie Canfield/Seaside Corporation. We can only assume that The Municipal Wharf and its historical value will be sold in the same way. I asked Gillian to tell us her reactions. She wrote…”City council members all jockeyed for the lead in support of the demolition of La Bahia to make way for its upscale mega replacement. Not even a nod in the direction of historian Ross Gibson, whose tireless defense of this historic building is matched only by his meticulous documentation. Not a word of regret for the community’s inability to protect and preserve its history. Not a murmur of censure for the Seaside Company’s deliberate neglect which advertized La Bahia as an eyesore. Not a word of concern for the EIR-determined “significant-level” traffic impact from the project. Nothing but gushing praise.
Traffic is a huge concern when local politicians discuss climate change and global warming but is of little concern when they discuss new developments that impact neighborhoods. My question about traffic impact, given that the current roundabout is gridlocked on peak summer weekends, was ignored. Within the next few weeks they plan to build a second roundabout at the wharf entrance without assessing the impact of the first.
The same holds true for water. In response to a community member’s comment about the impact on water from such a large-scale development, councilmember Posner dismissed it with reference to new water supplies and conservation. Along with “revitalization” aka “gentrification” of the beach front, tourist dollars were top dog, despite a recent $6 million tax rebate of city monies for the potential Seaside Co. hotel, for the soon to be built Hyatt on Broadway and for the Marriott. Santa Cruz has long been a tourist destination. What’s new is the imbalance between those who live and work here within the limits of available resources and the impact on both from the development/tourist industry, amply supplied with promotional dollars. The Sentinel used to celebrate the end of the tourism season and the return of the town to locals. Now it’s year-round tourism that’s celebrated. The argument that we need ever increasing tourist dollars to thrive as a city is contradicted by the lavish expenditure by the city on new senior management staff, all in the spin business.
Probably the biggest symbol of this imbalance will be the upcoming struggle over the Wharf Master Plan, a mega tourist upscale development which could potentially wipe out another part of Santa Cruz history. With the Coastal Commission and Congressperson Sam Farr gushing over the plan, sensible suggestions from those who love and frequent our Municipal Wharf will need to be expressed and heard. If you’re keen to work on this issue contact gumtree@pacbell.net
SOQUEL CREEK WATER DISTRICT AND
THE APTOS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SLATE
Not too many years back, the local Republican Party started out on a strategy to win local elections, one seat at a time. In the case of the Soquel Creek Water District (SQWD) election this year, the Aptos Chamber’s slate consists of one independent, one Republican, and one Democrat and that tells me the Repugs are still at it. Even with the support of 2nd District Supervisor Zach Friend, the one member of Aptos Chamber of Commerce slate who’s a Democrat failed to get the Democratic Central Committee’s endorsement at Saturday’s endorsement forum.
It looks like the “slate” is playing it a little loose with endorsements. For a period of time, even Republican slate member Prentice listed Zach as an endorser on his website. It didn’t stay up there very long, but Prentice’ website screams out about the need to take politics out of the Water District election. If I was a member of a political party the commands less than 30% of the registered voters in the District, I’d be crying too. (Paul Elerick is co-chair with Peter Scott of the Campaign for Sensible Transportation, http://sensibletransportation.org , and he’s a member of Nisene 2 Sea, a group of open space advocates).
| SANTA CRUZ: PARADISE LOST. Another view of our fair city. It’s a good thing the City Council and our police didn’t know about these kids having a good time
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PATTON’S PROGRAM. Gary’s KUSP clips cover the Board of Supervisors legalizing ofcannibus, and property rights in Santa Cruz County.Then he mentions that Bruce McPherson will be talking about a $7.12 billion dollar water bond. He also talks about the lead pollution that the Santa Cruz Gun Club facility has been causing for decades. On Thursday he covers the raising of water rates for the next 5 years in Santa Cruz City, and also in Live Oak,Pasatiempo and Capitola. He ends on Friday discussing the dissolving of the Lompico Water District, which doesn’t happen very often. Read the complete scripts of the above at Gary Patton’s KUSP Land Use site http://blogs.kusp.org/landuse . Gary is a former Santa Cruz County Supervisor (20 years) and an attorney who represents indivuduals and community groups on land use and environmenatl issues. The opions expressed are Mr. Patton’s. Gary has his own website, Two Worlds/365” – www.gapatton.net
CLASSICAL DeCINZO. DeCinzo gives the United States Post Office a new idea see downwards.
EAGAN’S DEEP COVER. Tim Eagan gives us a preview of “the arms race”, which means using arms against a race. See below a few pages.
LISA JENSEN LINKS. Lisa writes: “This week at Lisa Jensen Online Express (http://ljo-express.blogspot.com), big thanks to the 300+ (and counting!) pirate fans who entered our Here There Be Pirates Blog Hop and Book Giveaway. Winners to be announced soon, so stay tuned!” Lisa has been writing film reviews and columns for Good Times since 1975.
THAT IS THE QUESTION
(IN ORDER OF PERFECTION)
THE ONE I LOVE.Elisabeth Moss (from Mad Men) and Mark Duplass (from Parkland and Zero Dark Thirty) play a disturbed couple who go to Ted Danson for therapy. He send them to an isolated B&B and then the intriguing mystery begins. It’s all about both their relationships and hopes and dreams and it’s about your relationships too. It goes deep, it goes mysterious, and you’ll stay with it all the way through and you’ll think about it at home too. See it quickly, or it’ll vanish by Thursday.
THE DROP. Apparently this really, really is James Gandolfini’s last film….and it’s very good. Not an excellent one but very good. Tom Hardy is the lead and he’s excellent, and Noomi Rapace is just as good. Everybody’s good and so’s the film but…even with the well done tensions, great photography…it’s a mite puzzling…until the end. It’s mob scene Brooklyn, bars, illegal payoff money…go see it.
LOVE IS STRANGE. Wow, 97 % on Rotten Tomatoes…I’d give almost that much. It’s about Alfred Molina and John Lithgow as gay males who’ve lived together for decades.Marisa Tomei does a perfect job as part of the family. It’s really about much more than the gay couple it’s about all the relationships around them, and around you too. Go see it quickly it could leave very fast if you don’t go now.
NO GOOD DEED.This absolute mess of a horror- thriller film got a 14 % on Rotten Tomatoes (just as an example). Idris Elba is excellent with the part he must have been forced to play. What is odd is that the film spends most of the time explaining Elba’s brutal/insane character. DO NOT SEE THIS FILM….EVER!!! (nobody else is going either)
TRIP TO ITALY. A sequel to the clever, improvised comedy of 2010 “The Trip” this one flops miserably. Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are big time British stars once again out on a food columnist tour of great restaurants in Italy. They apparently ad-lib, imitate Brit celebrities, and make foold of themselves. I have no idea why anybody likes this film , but the New Yorker did!!!
STILL PLAYING AT A THEATRE NEAR US
FROM BEST TO REALLY BAD
THE CALVARY. Brendan Gleeson is the Roman Catholic priest in a small town in Ireland. The acting is perfect, the photography makes you want to visit Ireland next week. The tension, ethics, morals, God, and murder all combine to make this an award winner. Gleeson should be handed this years Oscar now. Better go tonight before it becomes another six day wonder and leaves town.
Now, check out this cast Jon Favreau, Dustin Hoffman, John Leguizamo, Sofia Vergara, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., and Oliver Platt. It’s an original comedy all centering around food. It’s funny, touching, fast moving, and even educational!!! If you enjoy preparing food, and relish eating good food this is your movie! Chefs, food critics, restaurantowners, and normal people should see this well made film.It’s been “onscreen” over six months. That’s got to mean something.
LUCY. Scarlett Johansson struts, slinks and shoots her way to the top in this science fiction thriller. Morgan Freeman loses a few acting points as he pretends he’s some kind of a professor. Amazingly, Lucy topped Hercules in box office money on opening weekend. That definitely proves something. Honestly, it’s a fun story and you’ll stay attached to the screen all the way through. The story is ridiculous, the plot has huge mistakes, there’s not one ounce of logic to it, it’s just fun to watch.
THE NOVEMBER MAN. Pierce Brosnan is the “James Bond” retired CIA agent, and it’s the very old “Last Assignment” agent back in the game type film. Lots of Russians, some Germans, tons of sneaky types and I’m betting no-one has been able to figure out the plot yet. It is fun to look at.
A MOST WANTED MAN. This is almost Philip Seymour Hoffman’s last film. It got a 90 on Rotten Tomatoes. Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe and Robin Wright play various roles as secret agents from The USA, Germany, Islamic territories, Russia and elsewhere. It’s a slow moving and very confusing story from John le Carre’s book. I couldn’t follow the connections and lost interest after the first 20 minutes.
100 FOOT JOURNEY.A more memorable title would be “Slumdog Chef“, or “The Grand Budapest Restaurant” or “Monsoon Wedding Eats Out“. Even Helen Mirren doesn’t save this latest in the “aren’t East Indians cute and funny” type film. It’s degrading to all concerned. But I must confess, I went home and made my first omlette in months.
IF I STAY. If you liked The Fault in Our Stars (and I did) you might like If I Stay. A young cellist is almost killed in a car crash and she has to decide if she wants to come back to this life. Yes, it’s a weeper, feel depressed, after-life kind of film. Joshua Leonard who plays the girls’ once hip father is the son of Bob and Joann Leonard of Watsonville. Joshua was also in the original Blair Witch Project…and has scarier stories about the off screen Blair Witch happenings than we saw onscreen. Go only if you enjoy those flowing tears.
MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT. There was a sizable audience at the Nick’s very first Santa Cruz screening of Woody’s latest saga. Ah ha I thought, even with the really terrible reviews of M.I.M. we all still like Woody’s worst films better than most of the rest. I was wrong. This is one of the worst W. Allen films I’ve seen. Colin Firth as sort of a Harry Houdini anti-psychic magician is bitter, mean, and completely unforgivable all the way through the film. Emma Stone is no match for Mia Farrow, Scarlett Johannesen, Diane Keaton, Cate Blanchett, or any of the brilliant feminine attractions Woody has directed in the past. Probably his 2015 film will be better…it has to be.
BOYHOOD. This film made some sort of cinema history because the director took 12 years to film the same cast in the same roles as they aged. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 99 but I think the acting is so terrible it shouldn’t have been made…or released. Any sensitivity, reality, sincerity, or emotions are spoiled by the amateurish acting. Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke play the parents, and they aren’t very good either. Wait and rent it.
THE GIVER. This is one of those teen-age book series made into a big time film. The teenagers in the audience loved this sci-fi “1984” future world attempt. Jeff Bridges does an excellent job with his gruffy codger professor role, but Meryl Streep loses points and credability for suffering through this way overwritten, poorly filmed pointless simplistic plot. Don’t even rent it.
AS ABOVE SO BELOW. This film got three points less on Rotten Tomatoes than November Man’s 36. Young adults go beneath the streets of Paris into the catacombs to find the meaning of life…or something like that. It looks like the sequesl to Blair Witch with hand held camera stuff all the way through. Creepy, weird, crawly, but pretty dumb….don’t waste your money.
I REFUSE TO SEE
(AND YOU SHOULD TOO!!)
WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL. Remember James Caviezel ??? He played christ in “The Passion of The Christ“. From what I gathered, he plays the same christ-type football coach in this Hallmark Greeting Card saga. We’ve seen it before. Way too many times. And I’ve been reading that half the stories in the film aren’t true.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. I must confess and proclaim I did not see this movie. Any film that has a talking raccoon named “Rocket” as a major character is more than I could stand. Your guess on this movie is every bit as good as mine. Actually if anyone sees this film and likes it, let me know. Especially if you can think of a reason for anyone else to see it.
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES IN 3 D. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a miserable 19. I’m giving it a complete pass…and we all could use a nap much more.
THE IDENTICAL. Ashley Judd and Ray Liota try to act like the parents of Elivis Presley’s secret twin…Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 5 (out of 100!) I give it a complete pass. And I like Liota and Judd too!!!
DOLPHIN TALE 2. Looks to me like a corporate attempt to make us moviegoers and humanitarians forget how cruel Marine Theme parks (Marine World, etc.) are to dolphins. Remember Blackfish?? Yep, Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd (again) and Harry Connick, jr. and Kris Kristofferson all take part in this cover-up.
UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE RADIO PROGRAM
KZSC 88.1 FM or live online at
www.KZSC.ORG TUESDAYS 7-8 P.M.
UNIVERSAL GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. I host Universal Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer, (live only or sometimes old programs are archived… (See next paragraph) and go to WWW.KZSC.ORG. Rose Sellery and Tina Brown discuss this years Fashion Art Show after which Shelley Phillips describes The Community Music School programs on September 16. Debbie Diersch and Jonathan Pilch from the Wetlands Foundation relate new wetlands ideas and Scott Roseman, owner of New Leaf Community Markets is on the second half hour on Sept. 23. Susan Lysik talks about her photo exhibit Toy Cameras, Old and New on Sept. 30, she’s followed by world expert on King Lear, UCSC’s Michael Warren telling secrets about the play. On October 7 Jessica Bailey the exec. dir of UCSC’s Arboretum talks about their latest plots and plans. She’s followed by our 29th District Assemblyman Mark Stone discussing new Sacramento news. October 14 has Michael Alman telling us about his Life Raft Tutoring program. Do remember, any and all suggestions for future programs are more than welcome so tune in, and keep listening. Email me always at bratton@cruzio.com
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 update includes Nikki Silva, Michael Warren, Tom Noddy, Anita Monga, Mark Wainer, Judy Johnson-Darrow, Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld, Rachel Goodman, George Newell, Tubten Pende, Gina Marie Hayes, Rebecca Ronay-Hazleton, Miriam Ellis, Deb Mc Arthur, The Great Morgani on Street performing, and Paul Whitworth on Krapps Last Tape. Jodi McGraw on Sandhills, Bruce Daniels on area water problems. Mike Pappas on the Olive Connection, Sandy Lydon on County History. Paul Johnston on political organizing, Rick Longinotti on De-Sal. Dan Haifley on Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Dan Harder on Santa Cruz City Museum. Sara Wilbourne on Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Brian Spencer on SEE Theatre Co. Paula Kenyon and Karen Massaro on MAH and Big Creek Pottery. Carolyn Burke on Edith Piaf. Peggy Dolgenos on Cruzio. Julie James on Jewel Theatre Company. Then there’s Pat Matejcek on environment, Nancy Abrams and Joel Primack on the Universe plus Nina Simon from MAH, Rob Slawinski, Gary Bascou, Judge Paul Burdick, John Brown Childs, Ellen Kimmel, Don Williams, Kinan Valdez, Ellen Murtha, John Leopold, Karen Kefauver, Chip Lord, Judy Bouley, Rob Sean Wilson, Ann Simonton, Lori Rivera, Sayaka Yabuki, Chris Kinney, Celia and Peter Scott, Chris Krohn, David Swanger, Chelsea Juarez…and that’s just since January 2011. Hear them all!!!
QUOTES. “If you lose a son you can always get another, but there’s only one Maltese Falcon“, Gutman in The Maltese Falcon. ” The fabled musk deer searches the world over for the source of the scent which comes from itself”, Ramakrishna. “Every word is like an unnecessary stain on silence and nothingness”, Samuel Beckett/
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BEST OF VINTAGE STEVEN DeCINZO.
Deep Cover by Tim Eagan.
