Bruce Bratton hosts University Grapevine, linking local and campus issues, every Tuesday 7:30-8:30 p.m. on KZSC 88.1 fm.
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DREAM ON/DREAM INN. Ed Proenza and Kam Babhoff of the Ensemble Hotel Partners, the new owners of the Coast Hotel aka Dream Inn, called SCRP and met with seven of us on Monday (7/24). We found out that Ensemble plans to 1) Refurbish all of the existing rooms. 2) Improve both the Ocean façade and the Street façade. Improving the Ocean side means cleaning up and rebuilding the bottom (underneath the poolside, creating a base for the building). The community consensus they got so far is that everyone in the community believes the building is ugly, so they plan to change that. Maybe add something to hide the elevator shaft on top. 3) Build some dedicated conference meeting room space at the east end of their parking lot closest to the existing hotel. That would be for 30-50 attendees and be about 6000-7000 square feet. Probably on top of those facilities they would build some bridal suites and other extra fancy (expensive) suites wherever they can.
For the record, SCRP meeting attendees included Clear View residents, an attorney, plus a genuine rocket scientist. Ensemble says they have no concrete plans on anything yet, but of course busy little Matt Thompson has been in there advising. They say they won't go against any height limits like La Bahia is doing courtesy of Mike Rotkin. Rumors of Rotkin having an "I Love Spot Zoning" tattoo somewhere on his body are probably not completely true. Ensemble says their policy is to hold properties a long time not just fix and sell. Their biggest footprints and company headquarters are in Long Beach, where they have six developments. Ensemble wants to add a spa to compete with other high price coast hotels. The big deal will be after they finish fixing up the existing place; they want to really develop the parking lot across the street!!! Being clever, they are thinking about building a group of two-story Town Houses to surround a new parking structure, with a swimming pool on top. No figures yet on how many parking spaces or floors but at least one would be underground. Yep, the heritage trees on the lot will have to go, but you can't have everything. SCRPer Bill Malone related how SCRP got 8,000 signatures and a 4-3 vote on the City Council to stop the terrible scheme that Ceil Cirillo and the Redevelopment Agency tried to railroad through for The Coast Hotel. Will the Santa Cruz Sentinel ever let that one go? Are they so shallow or short of staff that they will ever look into the Coast Hotel's faulty towers type financial plot to see the problems? The answer is NO. Many financial experts have weighed in to say that that old Coast Hotel plan involving City money to support a huge conference center never would have worked financially, but no one listened. How much more sense it makes to listen and work with developers early in their planning. So much easier to be friends and work out details before they spend vast sums of money, only to be fought by concerned citizens later when so much is involved. It's called transparency and working together. Remember: no City money is involved in this, all private investments.
SCAN MEETING REPORT. Old and new members attended last week's Santa Cruz Action Network (SCAN) resuscitation meeting. The minimum wage was discussed, a report on The Tidelands Alliance got equal time, and so did the Transportation Funds Task Force. There's a new steering committee, and some new membership rules. SCAN will work with the Progressive Coalition to present some forums in August and more closer to election time. And yes, Santa Cruz City Council candidates will get SCAN endorsements. Maybe.
WESTSIDE DEVELOPMENTS. Early reports have it that Redtree Properties are adding the building of 100+ apartments to their development of their Delaware/Swift Street property. The apartments are planned for about 700-800 square feet. Redtree says the apartments are for employees of the various businesses to be located in the business part of the area. Problem is that would seem to require 100 + parking spaces and that is not consistent with the present zoning. New Planning Director Greg Larson is looking into it.
SPEAKING OF WHICH. New Planning Director Greg Larson is the invited guest of the Santa Cruzans for Responsible Planning (SCRP) this Wednesday (July 26). We'll give him our side of the very successful Coast Hotel victory and learn where he's coming from on our other land use issues. Last week Diane Louie was SCRP's guest. She did an excellent job of de-mystifying the General Plan Advisory Committee's actions, purposes and accomplishments. Diane's also on the Planning Commission. So is Kaitilin Gaffney, and Kaitilin will be a future guest of SCRP.
PDC MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT. The monthly meeting of the People's Democratic Club of Santa Cruz County happens this Thursday July 27 at London Nelson Center from 7-9p.m. Terence Welch will talk about bringing clean money campaigns to California. That means a campaign for FULL public funding of our elections. We'll se it as Proposition 89 on the November ballot. Welch will also be screening the Bill Moyers film "The Road to Clean Elections" at the meeting. Two states have already enacted new clean election laws: Maine and Arizona.
CITY COUNCIL OPPOSES SAN ONOFRE BEACH ROAD BUT SUPPORTS ONE AT ARANA...YOU FIGURE!! Reader Debbie Bulger (Sierra Club and Ventana magazine editor) asks via email. "I feel as if I have fallen down the rabbit hole. Can you explain why three of our council members who voted to bisect Arana Gulch with a paved bikeway and, according to the EIR, cause significant harm to a Federally listed endangered species, would sponsor a Council resolution opposing a road through San Onofre State Beach?
I know, one's a road and one's a bikeway; one's a State Park and one's a local greenbelt. But when I last checked, an endangered species was still an endangered species". Signed Debbie.
THAT IMPEACH BUSH INITIATIVE. The unstoppable Sherry Conable wrote a reply to Ryan Coonerty that said it all as to why the City Council should put the Impeach Bush item on our November ballot. Here's almost all of her email;
1) Tactics versus Principle - as I said to Council in my email on behalf of COIN! on July 20th, I think this deserves to be judged on principle, not by 'election strategy' or what you call 'tactics.' Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. This is by far the most dangerous, criminal, and lawless President, Vice President, and administration in the history of this country, and the call to respond to that is HUGE!
How having this on the ballot will affect any other ballot measure should not be a consideration. My guess is that it will bring people out to vote, and having people participate is what democracy is about! The voice of the individual voter is the most essential building block of a healthy, functioning democracy - it is what legitimizes all other aspects of democracy, and I really hope you will support that in your decision on Tuesday.(that's last Tuesday and this is being composed last Monday..BB )
2) Precedent - sometimes, government jurisdictions take precedent from other jurisdictions. A similar resolution has already been on the ballot (and passed) in a number of cities and towns in Vermont, not via a legal signature gathering drive, but via their Town Councils simply putting it on (I do not know what the mechanism was in Madison, WI).
Santa Cruz has played that same jurisdictional 'precedent' role on many past occasions, e.g., being the first jurisdiction to pass a resolution opposing the invasion of Iraq (over 160 other jurisdictions around the country then did the same), being the first California city to stop offshore oil development by refusing to provide infrastructure services on land (done by ballot), which was then copied successfully up and down the coast by other cities, etc.
If we never did anything except by 'precedent', ultimately we would never do anything new!! - women and African Americans still would not be able to vote, we would never have had affirmative action we would never have established the category 'hate crime' ....etc!
3) Resources - there are no plans to mount some huge campaign! We will do something very modest, focusing on education about the issues and what is at stake, and trust the voters to come out and express their feelings about this rather important matter!
4) Attention from the press - it is hard to predict what they will focus on, except that they sure seem to look for soap operas! Our intention will be to use the media to educate the voters and to keep in the public eye the reality that this war-crime ridden, lawless administration is dragging our country into great disrespect, causing incredible devastation and destruction, and moving the nation quickly towards fascism - and we will hopefully inspire people to get involved and take action about that! The voice of the individual voter is the cornerstone on which democracy is built!
Let the people vote! Peace, Sherry.
THE CUBAN CONUNDRUM. Reader Triton Hebbron sent in this link and story from the Washington Post about what Cuba is doing to help poor Americans become Doctors. Coming from The Washington Post it's especially surprisingly positive. It's called the Cuban Solution and was written by Cindy Loose. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/19/AR2006071901380.html
Triton Hebbron is a Noel Coward fan who used to live in Santa Cruz and now lives in Las Vegas, stirring things up there by trying to get the gambling palaces to act responsibly or even humanely.
GARY PATTON ON THE AIR. Be extra vigilant and be sure to read Gary's stuff this week. He tells about SCRP and Santa Cruz's new Planning Director. He tells about what could spell disaster if plans for our Ninth Circuit are successful...what Ninth Circuit? Read him too and find out his views on how the Monterey Bay has been developed, and how Monterey County is facing what we fought for in the early 70's.
TIM EAGAN. Tim takes a less than chiropractic approach to the effectiveness of giving neck rubs. Scroll down.
SAUL LANDAU. Read here to see Saul's reaction to what support our troops really means. http://www.progresoweekly.com/index.php?progreso=Landau&otherweek=1153717200 Click here to see Manuel Ramy's article on Cuba; it's called Back to the Past. A decent history of The USA and Cuban relations. www.progresoweekly.com . After those pieces, read Jose Pertierra's article on "Is Venezuela the real target of Bush's New Cuba Plan?" Pertierra is an attorney and a representative of Venezuela in Washington D.C.
GRAPEVINE. Pete Shanks, author of Human Genetic Engineering (a guide for activists, skeptics and the very perplexed) will be my first guest on Grapevine. Grapevine is on every Thursday 4-5p.m. on KZSC 88.1 fm . My second guest will be Pat Matejcek, and we'll be discussing Arana Gulch and just what effect the Santa Cruz City Council's vote had on the future of this endangered piece of land.
EX BRITS HAVE ART SHOW IN SAN JUAN BAUTISTA. Christianna Hunnicutt, Jenny Morten, and Ray Gwyn Smith all of whom used to live in the British Isles and all of whom are incredibly talented, have an art show titled The Practiced Eye from now through August 27 in San Juan Bautista. Click here to download their flyer (pdf format). Maybe you could go when you're there for the Cabrillo Music Festival...I mean the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music.
GUYS AND DOLLS. Hands down this is the finest, best fun musical Cabrilho has ever presented. The sets, the costumes, choreography, the orchestra, and especially the voices are stupendous. Hilary Little as Miss Adelaide and David Curley as Nathan Detroit are prime time material. There are some seats left, call 831-479-6154 or go to www.cabrillostage.com, but hurry.
SCOOP. This is Woody Allen's latest "London-murder-mystery-starring-a-beautiful woman" movie. This time it's Scarlett Johansson who up until this film, was a fine actor; here, I couldn't believe a word of her script or her acting. The script is same old Woody stuff, with the usual maybe 3 or 4 very funny jokes, that Woody sets up for himself to get good laughs. Hugh Jackman does a fine job as a wealthy Brit and you have to see it if you're an Allen fan...but save your money and rent it. Believe me there's no hurry, you're not missing much.
MONSTER HOUSE. One of the most exciting animated films I've seen. Genuinely scary and a genuine plot carried out with thought and even logic. The animation is amazing, the kids are real and you'll stay involved all the way through. I have no idea what young ages would be too scared to take but when I saw it every age from 3 or 4 to teenagers loved it. And seeing it on the big screen is worth it.
LADY IN THE WATER. A mess of a film. It has no meaning, no message; nothing scary...I don't know why they even made this tripe. Even Paul Giamatti's talents are wasted on this, don't go.
MY SUPER EX GIRLFRIEND. There are some clever ideas in this film that could revolutionize the super hero film genre. Much of the film is good fun, well acted, neat effects, and Uma Thurman has only been better in Kill Bill. See it by all means especially since the theatre is air conditioned, and what's more fun on a hot day?
RUSSIAN DOLLS. This is leaving the Nick after a short run so that means it's a good film. You'll stay involved, and interested and opinionated in this search for a definition of what LOVE means or how to identify it when you are supposed to. The film will stick with you long after it's over, even though you don't like the leading male.
ABOUT JOAO RODRIGUES CABRILHO. For at least 25 years I've tried to alert as many people as possible to the fact that Juan Cabrillo's real name was Joao Rodrigues Cabrilho, and that as far as we know he was Portuguese, not Spanish. If you respect Wikipedia, as I do, take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Rodriguez_Cabrillo. They give both sides of the argument. Maybe Wikipedia doesn't know everything but possibly the Library of Congress has some validity?? Look at http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/portam/cabrilho.html . When The Library of Congress calls him Joao and states that he's from Portugal, that's worth something. Click around that Loc.Gov site you'll see stories about other famous Portuguese explorers. To be fair, W. Michael Mathes from the San Diego Historical Society has the longest and most persuasive piece on his name as Juan Cabrillo. Check it out. If nothing else, this all proves that history isn't dead. http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/73summer/cabrillo.htm It's all about righting wrongs and being honest ethnically. Same goes for London Nelson and the embarrassing shame that Franklin Marshall has brought on using London's real name. Why do we perpetuate this ethnic slurring? Speaking of local names why isn't there a Lou Harrison building, or street, or freeway...isn't a tribute to Lou long overdue?
LET'S HEAR IT FOR CASTRATI.. The History News Network has some late breaking news about the effects of castration and no it's not about Wayne Newton http://hnn.us/roundup/entries/28435.html . HNN is a fascinating website, try it.
RE: ARANA. Here are some Ed Abbey (author of The Monkey Wrench Gang, Desert Solitaire) quotes that relate to Arana Gulch.
"May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds." Earth Apples: The Poetry of Edward Abbey (1994) "We need wilderness whether or not we ever set foot in it. We need a refuge even though we may not ever need to go there." The Heart of Noon.
- Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread.
- A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.
- If wilderness is outlawed, only outlaws can save wilderness.
- The idea of wilderness needs no defense, it only needs defenders.
- From the point of view of a tapeworm, man was created by God to serve the appetite of the tapeworm.
- One final paragraph of advice: do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am - a reluctant enthusiast....a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it's still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, the lovely, mysterious, and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much; I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those desk-bound men and women with their hearts in a safe deposit box, and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this; You will outlive the bastards.
Deep Cover
Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.
It's free! Click here.
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CARAVANISTAS BACK THROUGH CUSTOMS OK. This year's group of Caravanistas made it back through USA customs without undue problems Monday afternoon. The hundred or more Americans and some Canadians, who collected vehicles and supplies and took them to CUBA, were allowed to re-enter. No showdown over their breaking Bush's laws, nothing... YET.
ARANA GULCH. Thanks to Anna Abend who was counting speakers at the Santa Cruz City Council meeting (July 11), we learned that 38 speakers spoke to the City Council and TV audience saying save Arana Gulch and 24 said pave it over. So our City Council in typical fashion, voted unanimously to pave over Arana Gulch. The Council's stated belief is that the 2 miles of paving and the bridges would be a compromise instead of leaving it natural. Mike Rotkin as you can imagine, said that the natural beauty would be better protected if it was made into a park and voted yes to pave. Ryan Coonerty mentioned John Muir and said he was writing a book and that what has happened to Yosemite in terms of tourist attractions is a good thing and voted for paving Arana. Emily Reilly said the 8 foot wide paved trail and the bridge would increase the tar plant and voted for paving. Tony Madrigal stated he feels good about paving the greenbelt because it wasn't meant to be exclusive. Although Tony is fully aware that anyone can and does use the Gulch now. Cynthia Mathews voted yes on paving Arana Gulch because she believes we need several more bicycle paths across the city. Ron Pomerantz even went to the trouble of having Mike Rotkin read his letter in support of paving. As you must know The Sierra Club, the California Native Plant Society, Friends of Arana Gulch, and others have been working hard to Save Arana Gulch. The battle to preserve this precious natural habitat is far from over. There's the Coastal Commission and several legal moves to be explored. Hopefully our so called "progressive" City Council won't get away with this so called compromise.
ARANA GULCH AND GEORGE W. BUSH. Richard Stover, photographer for The Sierra Club's The Ventana magazine sent this in.
"The really ironic thing about that night in the Council chambers is that we started the night with a citizen's protest against George Bush and we ended the night with the Council endorsing some of George's fundamental world views: exploitation always trumps preservation, the powerful take what they want, consequences don't affect us, and science doesn't matter. Most of Bush's actions from his "Healthy Forest" Initiative to the plunder of Iraq flow from these world views. The Council should be required to read Bill McKibben's essay in the latest issue of National Geographic."
AB 2987. This is that Assembly bill that establishes a state franchise system for video and cable services. Assemblyman John Laird along with the entire state assembly voted for the bill. Finally John and I had a chance to talk. John said he asked Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez if Nunez would make sure Santa Cruz Counties' special agreements re support of local community channels, our local rights of way, local control, and use of cable fees as a source of revenue would be protected, Nunez said if John voted YES he'd make sure all those items would be safe. If John voted NO then Nunez would be under no obligation to protect those agreements, so John voted yes. I hope I got that right, it sounds odd to me. Here's a link to the League of California Cities. This tells the details of AB 2987. http://www.cacities.org/index.jsp?displaytype=11&story=25165 Luckily, last night I saw the Democratic Women's Club presentation on community channel 25 by Deanna Sessums, the Monterey Bay regional Representative. She made a powerful presentation of why we need to convince Laird and everybody else to vote NO on AB 2987.
http://www.cacities.org/index.jsp?displaytype=11&story=25336 Check this out, the League is working hard and fast to defeat this mega communications takeover.
DEANNA SESSUMS' REPLY. I emailed Deanna Sessums of The League of California Cities asking her what she thought about Laird's vote supporting the Conglomerate Takeover and hurting Santa Cruz so much (AB 2987). Here's her reply..."
"I too am disappointed with Assemblyman Laird's vote for AB 2987. Nunez has made promises all along to deal with local issues and after months of negotiations and committee hearings there are still enormous issues with his bill. Why would Assemblyman Laird help to move a bad bill forward when we sent him to Sacramento to represent our community's values – and that means voting against legislation that benefits big business at the expense of consumers, our neighborhoods, schools, libraries and the environment? Let's not be naïve - the telephone companies (telcos) drafted this bill to benefit their bottom line profits. They don't want the bar set high because it will cost them money, but their profit is solely dependent on the use of our public rights-of-way --- which we as a community own and maintain.
To be clear on what we're giving away here's a snapshot of what AB 2987 would do
- allows cable companies to walk away from the contracts they negotiated in good faith with our cities and county - that means local customer service standards that requires cable to narrow the window of time you wait around for them to make a service call but it also means funding for our public television among other things
- threatens institutional networks that link schools, libraries and public safety facilities in some communities. Monterey's INET connects the Aquarium, all K-12 schools, the Defense Language Institute, and city facilities and results in a total net savings of over a million dollars a year in high speed internet access fees. The plan is to hook up UCSC and other Santa Cruz facilities to this same INET at some point in the future! AB 2987 not only threatens INETs that already exist it eliminates them as a future option for communities that have yet to realize their potential.
- public access TV would loose out too as AB 2987 fails to guarantee a minimum level of funding for operations – the people that make it work.
- this bill is so poorly written that it doesn't even account for emergency broadcast messages
- but perhaps the most anti-Santa Cruz value embedded in AB 2987 is the ability of telcos to 'cherry pick' wealthy neighborhoods and bypass low-income or rural communities as they roll out their products. There's currently a requirement that a minimal number of low-income families be served BUT only if industry can guarantee a significant market share – read PROFITS - first. And if not there are no requirements at all. And why would that be? According to the Senate U&C Chair it's because we must 'provide a safety net for these companies." That's not the way it happened with cable. Cities insisted that everyone in our community be served – rich or poor. Remember the profit in this sector is based on use of the publicly owned right of way so this is a more than fair requirement.
Signed,
Deanna Sessums, Monterey Bay Regional Public Affairs Manager,
League of California Cities
P.O. Box 7980
Santa Cruz, CA 95061
dsessums@cacities.org
SAN FRANCISCO SILENT FILM FESTIVAL. In only 11 years this festival has become the worlds leading silent film festival. It draws scholars, stars, and audiences from around the world. Now three days long, it packs the 1400 seat Castro Theatre for almost every screening. The opening night's screening of Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell in Seventh Heaven was one of the finest cinematic artistic achievements I've ever seen, and I see a lot of films. Louise Brooks invented luminosity on the screen and if you've never seen her in Pandora's Box, you've missed a lot. The problem is that you can't enjoy silent films on your television set. It's like looking at postcards of the Grand Canyon, they just doesn't do it justice. I saw some former Santa Cruzans such as Richard Hildreth, Paul Mehling and his Hot Club of San Francisco, Brian Staufenbiel and Nicole Paiement, and of course the inventor and artistic director of the Festival itself, Stephen Salmons, and we all had a good time. Next year you should go too.
12 AND HOLDING. Just about everybody missed this gem of a film. We have to go to the Nickelodeon quicker to see the really good films; otherwise they have to make way for films that sell. 12 AND HOLDING was about a bunch of 12 year old boys who shared a tragedy and how that guilt affected their lives. Get it on DVD...fine film.
LOOK BOTH WAYS. This "feel bad" film opens Friday at the Del Mar. We've seen many, many "feel good" films but this one makes you feel really bad. It starts off with a guy learning he has testicular cancer, then it goes to suicide, unwanted pregnancy, disease, somebody called it a pity party. Catastrophes, misery, and it's also an Australian film with a woman director. Trust me do NOT go if you're in a bad mood, only go if you're feeling in too good a mood and feel guilty about being happy. There are no new revelations or messages here, just misery. It's an antidote for seeing Peaceful Warrior. See Prairie Home Companion instead, or A Scanner Darkly, or Wordplay.
UCSC'S NEW ACTING CHANCELLOR. George Blumenthal who just got the job as the interim chancellor should make a great chancellor. I heard him last month give a talk about the origins of earth, how our universe works, and what's going to happen in the next millennium. Getting freshmen to behave and finding new parking spaces should fit in there somewhere.
GARY PATTON. Gary talks all week about the importance of saving our farmland. He talks about how Santa Cruz County has one of the strongest protection systems in the state; he goes on to say that land owners make lots of money selling their farmland to shopping malls, and developers. Then he adds that measure J worked, and that maybe we need a new State Initiative to protect more farmland because voters do vote to save it.
TIM EAGAN. Eagan too must have seen Mr. Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth". Scroll down to check it out.
GRAPEVINE. This week on University Grapevine I'll be talking with Tom Fredericks, the development director of the Cabrillo Music Festival. Tom knows all the secrets about which concerts are hot and how to get good deals. Then I'll be talking with Marcus Cato managing director of Shakespeare Santa Cruz. He too knows the good deals, where to sit, when to buy tickets and little known events associated with the company that you might miss. That's Thursday, every Thursday from 4 to 5 p.m. on KZSC FM 88.1
MONTEREY BAY MUSIC. Music critic, reviewer, lecturer, teacher and friend Scott MacClelland has kindly allowed me to link up his recent article from San Francisco Classical Voice. In it, Scott gives an experts' collection of every viable music institution around our Monterey Bay. You'll be amazed to see how large a musical treasure we have in these parts. Also check out San Francisco Classical Voice, www.sfcv.org it lists and reviews much of the Bay Area's classical music scene.
KAPU LUAU. Super disc jockey Tim Seidl of station KAPU fm reports in that the big concert/luau that station KAPU created last weekend was a huge success. More than 350 tickets or wannabee hula shakers were there as were all those Hawaiian artists that KAPU brought over. Great food, super music, and a great day were had by all. Next year it'll be even bigger, I hear.
READERS WRITE. Zack Dahl saw this in Harper's Index and is passing it along:
750 - Number of times President Bush's "signing statements" have exempted his administration from provisions of new laws.
568 - Total number of times for all other presidents since Washington.
PISCES MOON DOING NEW, VERY NEW PLAY. Keep it in the back of your mind that Pisces Moon Theatre Company is doing Stephen Adly Guirgus' play, "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot" at the Broadway Playhouse starting September 29. I never heard of it either, but go here http://www.piscesmoon.org/upcomingshows.html and read about the cast and the play details...sounds eexciting.
QUOTES. "To be a successful father there is one absolute rule: When you have a kid, don't look at it for the first two years." -Ernest Hemingway. "Dahlia is my good and deserving aunt, not to be confused with Aunt Agatha, who eats broken bottles and wears barbed wire next to the skin." -P.G. Wodehouse. "Teenagers, are you tired of being harassed by your stupid parents? Act now. Move out, get a job, and pay your own bills—while you still know everything." -John Hinde.
Deep Cover
Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.
It's free! Click here.
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ARANA GULCH...MORE. I sent a bulletin to every BrattonOnline.com subscriber telling how important it was/is to tell the City Council to vote NO on accepting the final EIR on Arana Gulch. This land use battle is every bit as important as Wilder Ranch, Lighthouse Field, saving Pogonip, and Wingspread. Please take some time out and stroll out and around Arana Gulch, it is a genuine treasure. Yet there are bicyclists, developers and other types who are waiting in the wings to pave, develop and otherwise destroy this precious and rare piece of nature. GGGGrant Wilson sunk to a new low in writing a saga exploiting disabled people in convalescent hospitals and how bridges and 2 miles of 8 foot wide cement paths across Arana Gulch would help them. It's exploitation at its most cruel. But read this link to Grant's pitch on Santa Cruz Indy Bay http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/06/28/18283541.php?show_comments=1#18283635 . Grant probably is ashamed by now. But it shows the level of attack they're using.
We've heard of the new state budget and that it contains funding for the seismic retrofit of the Murray St. Bridge over the harbor, making even more ludicrous and unnecessarily expensive the prospect of 3 bike routes in less than a mile + bike racks on the 2 paved routes. Bike lanes are to be implemented on "outer" Soquel Ave (beyond Morrissey) by fall 2006. Tuesday's City Council agenda (July 11) says that the city is all ready to give $9000 to the Arana Gulch Watershed Alliance (AGWA), which is basically a PR front for harbor concerns. The coordinator, Roberta (Bobbie) Haver attended both the P&R and PC meetings, testifying in support of the FEIR. What, exactly, is the city going to get for $9K from her/it? This Arana Gulch project is being rushed through by the City. Once again our less than intrepid or creative council members cry "it's the money"!!! We really need some new blood and brains on the council...know of anybody? Read the Parks and Rec website Arana Gulch plan http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/pr/parksrec/parks/aranadrafteir.html .
PATTON ON THAT CABLE FRANCHISE BILL. GARY PATTON sent a letter to the California State Senate asking them to vote no on that Cable Franchise Bill AB 2987 for a very different reason. An environmental reason. Read that letter in the letters to the editor section. Assemblyman John Laird and I are still trying to connect about why he voted yes on this bill. We'll get his point of view as soon as possible.
GARY PATTON'S WEEKLY KUSP REPORTS. Click here to read Gary's daily reports. He talks about Arana Gulch and the future of its 68 acres (taking no side here), he goes on to discuss the future of Salinas Valley, what coastal erosion is about, and all about a big party to help pay for a documentary featuring Swanton Berry farms that's happening next Sunday.
SAUL LANDAU ON THE WAR AGAINST TERRIORISM. Read www.progresoweekly.com. It has Saul's piece on The War Against Terrorism and there's an article on the Cuban "Liberator" Ferro and his unmasking.
TIM EAGAN'S WEEKLY SCREED. Scroll down.
ABOUT DENISE DENTON'S MEMORIAL CEREMONY. Last week I said I saw very few local elected officials at Chancellor Denice Denton's memorial service. In addition to actually being at the main location for the service and the reception that followed I asked the responsible University personnel if they saw or knew of any more political officials, than I mentioned...they didn't. I asked many media people the same thing, they didn't see any more than Tim Fitzmaurice or Tony Madrigal, either. Then I got two emails. One from Mardi Wormhoudt said "I actually was at Chancellor Denton's memorial service last week- but I didn't see you either. This is no surprise, however, given that people were in two (it was three) locations and each of them was very crowded. I did see Emily Reilly and Cynthia Mathews, so I know that more elected officials attended than you reported. There well may have been others, given the large number of people. So, it might be best to give people the benefit of the doubt". The same day I got another email from Cynthia Mathews it said that she attended the service too, along with Vice Mayor Emily Reilly, City Manager Dick Wilson and Public Works Director Mark Dettle". That's good that they went. Then I got to wondering, just to be fair, how many University officials would go to funerals of our local elected officials? Probably not very many.
GRAPEVINE PICKINGS. On University Grapevine KZSC 88.1 fm Thursday 4-5 pm, I'll be interviewing Jon Nordgren, musical director of Cabrilho College's summer musical "Guys and Dolls". Then I'll talk with political activist Fred Geiger about resuscitating SCAN (Santa Cruz Action Network).
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: Dead Man's Chest. Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, and, even though you can't recognize him, Bill Nighy (as Davy Jones) - they barely manage to tread water in this #2 of the trilogy. The exciting plot of #1 washed away and this #2 is just bilge. Hopefully the next and maybe last episode will capture the loony, creative fun that made part 1 so marvelous. Since part 2 set new box-office records this pirate stuff could go on for years, har, har.
A SCANNER DARKLY. Yes, Keanu Reeves is in this film. So is Robert Downey Jr, and Winona Ryder and so is Woody Harrelson. The big deal with this film aside from it being adapted from a Philip K. Dick novel is that it was filmed in regular live action on regular film then each frame was hand painted with computer help. It looks like computer animation but very different. I liked this film it's about drugs, and hallucinations, and dreams, and freaking out and it looks like it. Go for it, you'll like it.
SILENT FILM FESTIVAL. From Friday night at 8 p.m. until Sunday night at 10 pm I'll be attending the 11th Annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival at San Francisco's famous Castro Theatre. Eight major silent films starring such legends as Janet Gaynor, Harry Carey, Mary Pickford, Louise Brooks, Anna Sten, Lon Cheney, the ever popular Mae Busch, and Mr. Hearst's special friend Marion Davies will all be shown on the big screen at the proper speed, with mighty Wurlitzer organ accompaniment. In addition, each film will feature special introductions with film historians and stars. It's great fun, I've been attending for years. Phone 925-866-9530 for tickets now. Go to www.silentfilm.org - it's a great website, and you'll see just how much stuff is going on besides just the films.
QUOTES. "First you forget names, then you forget faces. Next you forget to pull your zipper up and finally you forget to pull it down." -George Burns. "We are all born mad. Some remain so." -Samuel Beckett. "I have the body of an 18 year old. I keep it in the fridge." -Spike Milligan. "Armpits lead lives of quiet perspiration." -Patrick Murray.
Deep Cover
Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.
It's free! Click here.
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ON TO CUBA! The intrepid members of Pastors for Peace, also known as the Caravanistas, have made it to McAllen, Texas (as of Monday, July 3). They are there with all their buses, ambulances, other vehicles and tons of much needed donations for the folks in Cuba. The Caravanistas will stay in McAllen until Friday July 7, and then cross the American customs border...they don't expect any trouble going OUT of the USA...they shouldn't have any trouble with Mexican customs either. The Caravanistas stay in Reposa over night, and then they drive in a caravan through Mexico to Tampico. The vehicles will then be loaded onto a barge and sent to Cuba. The group then flies to Cuba, stays there eight days and then comes the return trip. The confrontation if any, with the US Customs will happen, or not, on July 17th. There'll be more to say then. The deal is, as I keep trying to understand it, according to our government, or whatever you call it, it isn't illegal for us to travel to Cuba but it is illegal to buy anything in Cuba, like food, water, or pay rent for hotel rooms. It is also illegal to accept ANYTHING of value for free like food, water, or hotel rooms. The Caravanistas have been warned and of course are going anyway to do the very utmost and ultimate in protesting the US Government's embargo on Cuba. Wish them luck.
ARANA GULCH AND GRASSES. We don't want to widen highway 1 and what's the point in widening the path in Arana Gulch...same difference. Only bicycles are supposed to be more special and make destroying the natural environment and nature worth it...I don't think so. Does anybody, even Micah or GGGG-rant, have any statistics on how many bicycle trips are replacing car trips as in going to work type trips? We know those skinnies wearing goggles and advertising underwear on bikes obviously aren't going to work, so they don't count and besides they couldn't mind going an easy 50 miles more someplace. We're paving over nature fast enough as it is, and since they aren't making any more open fields we need to save what we have.
CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES. Bruce Van Allen, former Mayor, river preservationist, and political activist is going to run, he told me he is. So is Lynn Robinson, she said so too the last time I saw her, which was at Chancellor Denton's Memorial service. I realized that the only elected people I saw at Denton's service were Tim Fitzmaurice, and Tony Madrigal. No Laird, Farr, or Third District supervisors or any County Supervisors past, present or future, were there... maybe I missed them.. Where were our public servants?? Ceil Cirillo was there too.
CHANGING FACE OF DOWNTOWN?? You've probably seen the notice that Eric's Deli is moving from Longs/Trader Joe's block to the corner of Walnut and Cedar Streets. Did you also notice that Cedar Street Video has already moved and is now open on the corner of Maple and Cedar to Cathcart and Cedar where that flower shop used to be. Then there's that restaurant across the street where nobody went and the food was bad, but now something else is happening there. Looks like action is happening on Cedar and not so much on Front...who ever figured all of that out??
UNIVERSITY GRAPEVINE. Tune in to KZSC 88.1 FM this Thursday from 4 -5 p.m. I'll be talking with Paul Figueroa, Exec. Director of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH) about all the programs and exhibits they have going on right now. After that UCSC Student Lily Foster returns to talk about the thesis she wrote about the politics on the UCSC Campus.
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS...A SHAM, AGAIN!!! We all need to read this article from AlterNet about how Nuclear Power Plants are NOT safe. Dick Cheney has been trying to sell these time bombs and we've seen a few well meaning folks fall for his statistics. http://www.alternet.org/envirohealth/38261/ Read also about the greenhouse lies, and what radioactivity does to our DNA. We stopped Nuclear Power plants before and it's about time to gird our loins, leap into the fray, cast our nets...whatever!!
DESALINIZATION PLANTS, POLLUTING AND EXPENSIVE. Margie Kay alerts us to an editorial in the Sacramento Bee that tells how desalinization plants are a political compromise NOT a proven alternative. The technology just isn't here yet to make them environmentally sound, check out this editorial: http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/story/14274314p-15084153c.html
GARY PATTON. Here's an early warning about the "Protect Our Homes" act that will appear on the State ballot in November. It's one the extremists got on there and it's rally about "Eminent Domain". Read here too about Monterey County's continuous battle with sprawl; a lesson we need to memorize. Gary Patton's Land Use Reports
SAUL LANDAU. Here's Progreso Weekly's website, their latest issue and Saul Landau's newest column. http://www.progresoweekly.com
TIM EAGAN's FRIENDS. Scroll straight down (only after you've read every word) and you'll see that it's all in how you phrase it...
A READER WRITES. Judi Grunstra asks this pithy question, "As I was driving past the River St. sign, I wondered whether it would make sense to add another line, directing people to the Tannery Arts Center when it opens, rather than construct another sign. That is, unless an art center would not want to be associated with such an ugly and hated sign. Just musing..." Thanks Judi. I've wondered if just maybe we could have an artists contest to see who could come up with the prettiest way to re-paint that sign...as long as the community seems to be joined at our groin with such a carbuncle??.
SUPERMAN. There's not much to say about this film. It's a very good super hero film, one of the best, but not THE best. Christopher Reeves and Margot Kidder were the best. But this film is pretty good, Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor should have been given more room to be more conniving, but hey. Then there's the religious stuff, like the repeated use of the word Savior, plus Marlon Brando giving his only son to help earth, and Superman always landing on earth in a crucifixion position, Superman with his super hearing always forced to hear "all the cries of pain and suffering" on earth, so how can he not be the savior etc. Weird faux holy material, then too if you remember the books and articles on how two Jewish boys invented Superman back in the 30's...all sort of strange.
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. This film is a pure delight for the most discriminating Meryl Streep fans, and I'm one. Daughter/editor Hillary told me about an article in the NY Times that says once again a film depicts fashion like what Hollywood thinks fashion looks like, not the reality of the fashion world. They missed one more time in portraying an art form. The article goes on to say a lot about what's in and out and that the film erred. It's fascinating...me I wouldn't know. But again, this is if you like Meryl or not. There are a couple of lines in the script attempting to justify the haute couture world of fashion, which are interesting but not important. It's a fun film.
OHANA de WATSONVILLE. There'll be a huge concert and luau at 250 W. Riverside Drive in Watsonville on Saturday, July 15 from 12 noon to 6p.m.
Radio station KAPU 104.7 fm is bringing a bunch of great Hawaiian stars here in an all day feast and continuous music while you party. Brittni Paiva, Owana Salazar, Aaron Mahi, Martin Pahinui, George Kuo, Steven Espaniola, John Cruz plus the slack key trio Kohala will all be here live!! Many of these artists have never performed on the mainland so this is your big chance. Go to www.kapu.org or call 831 768-7002 about feast and concerts tickets.
MESHING MUSCLES IN MONTEREY. Jerry Hoffman of JH12 Sports at this very moment is probably trying to assemble another pro boxing card for his July 8th Collision at The Conference Center in Monterey. With the many variables in the world of boxing, schedules and the availability of boxers changes happen all the time. As of this day, Tony "Tiger" Lopez of Sacramento will fight long time friend Andy Nance of Marin in the opening bout. There'll be two women boxing bouts: Maria Contreras versus Kaleisha Wests and Dyana Ornales faces Jenny Houts. The main event will be Jesus "Chuy" Rodriguez vs. Sergio de la Torre. WARNING...the last 20 Monterey boxing events have sold out, and this one will too. Call 831-688-1604 to charge tickets by phone.
COWBOY POETRY. I've never quite figured out the "magic" of Cowboy poetry, but it used to be a big deal and many folks wrote long articles about it. Clem Albertoni, cowboy poet from Soledad, will be leading off the Agricultural History Project series of three 2006 AG TALKS. Clem works with the Cowboy Poets annually at the Salinas Rodeo. I guess there are Cowboy Poets in Salinas...who knew? On July 26 there's Andy Griffin from Watsonville who will tell stories and on August 9th Allan Molho will talk about Hudson's Landing on the Central Coast. It all takes place at the Codiga Center & Museum on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. That's $8 for non members, call the Agricultural History Project before you do anything at 831 724-5898.
QUOTES. "Which painting in the National Gallery would I save if there was a fire? The one nearest the door, of course." -George Bernard Shaw. "You ask me, sir, for a suitable institution to which you propose to leave your paintings. May I suggest an asylum for the blind?" -James McNeill Whistler. "I don't know anything about the ballet. All I know is that during the intervals the ballerinas stink like horses." -Anton Chekov. "If it sells, it's art." -Frank Lloyd. "Salvador Dali seduced many ladies, particularly American ladies; but these seductions usually consisted of stripping them naked in his apartment, frying a couple of eggs, putting them on the women's shoulders, and without a word showing them the door." -Luis Bunuel.
Deep Cover
Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.
It's free! Click here.
 |
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