Celebrating the publication of In the Ocean Wind at Bookshop Santa Cruz on July 13, 1974 were (left to right) Gary Griggs, Margaret Koch, Jim Houston, Cynthia Wayburn, Dean Chase, Peter Scott, Celia Von der Muhll, Morton Marcus, Nan Flink, Hugh Johnston, Al Lowry, Burney Le Boeuf, Charlie Givins, Agnes McCrary and Ransom Rideout. Other contributors not present for the photo were Peter Beagle, Todd Newberry, Bill Burke, Will Shepherd and Susan Meiselas. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

GEORGE W. BUSH'S 8 YEARS OF WAR, FEAR AND TERROR BRANDED THE USA FOR EIGHT LONG YEARS. I'd like to take credit for this brilliant thinking but Don Webber put it all into words. For Bush's entire eight years the USA has been driven to doing terrible things nationally and internationally and blaming it all on 9/11 thinking. Bush's creating of terror, ruining civil rights, created a horrifying image of the USA all over the world. Well, as Don says, the SANTA CRUZ CITY COUNCIL'S BUDGET-DRIVEN PLANNING HAS BRANDED OUR PAST FOR DECADES AND HAS DETERMINED OUR FUTURE TOO. The repeated railroading through of any developers plans justifying it all by we need the money is ruining Santa Cruz. There's no real concern for environment, our quality of life, the uniqueness of Santa Cruz, no concern for the working people, ignoring the issues and concerns of the community living in the affected neighborhoods, and it's all being justified by repeating "the city needs the money". What's even worse is that the City Council never shows us how for example the La Bahia will really net our budget $750,000. What are the increased costs that the La Bahia will incur...why doesn't the Council show us the annual municipal expenses of this project? That's not just the La Bahia, I mean the 2120 Delaware Development the largest in our history what's that going to cost the city annually?

MORE ABOUT JIM HOUSTON. One could write nearly forever and not contain all the stuff about Jim Houston. For example Dick Bender a close friend of Jims asked me why no one had mentioned the importance of sports in Jim's life. So Bender wrote," Jim's father was a house painter and also taught Jim how to play the ukulele Jim went to Lowell High School in San Francisco a public school for gifted kids. He graduated with honors and played football, he was a lineman. He did a brief stint at Abilene Christian University, Texas on an academic scholarship. He graduated from San Jose State and Stanford. Jim resigned from his fraternity at S. Jose State (which was unheard of) when he discovered charities were not receiving the all the money that his fraternity said they were donating from fees, donations and fund raisers. In addition to being very honorable, Jim was very competitive; he even owned his own volleyball net. I played with him and against him in two man beach volley ball he favored Cowell Beach, I miss him a lot already".Dick Bender.

JIM HOUSTONS FUNERAL. There were so many people that Chaminade had to broadcast the services into another meeting room. Probably 500+. Geoff Dunn emceed and Judith Flanders from The Iliahi Foundation and The Ridhwan School was the first to speak. Then came George Ow jr. and after him was Jeannette Paulson from the Hawaiian Film Festival. Eddie Kamae played and sang a couple of songs, Maxine and Earl Kingston talked briefly but the sound system at Chaminade is so bad hardly any body could hear anything they said. The Poet Laureate Emeritus of California Al Young closed the official part of the afternoon last Saturday by talking how he and Jim supported each other through the tough early times and got us all to sing " Hey Good Lookin" one of Houston's favorites. To close the official part of the Celebration Kalae Miles sang and led us in a chant he wrote in Jim's honor. Afterwards the Huna Wai Hawaiian Band played some great Hawaiian music. Marsh Leicester, Jeff Hawkins and Dave McClellan from the Red Mountain Boys and Annie Steinhart and I from the Hot Damn String Band joined forces and played as many of Houston's favorites as we could remember. It was a grand party and if Jim is anywhere, everybody at the party felt he was very much there.

EMAIL TO TONY MADRIGAL. Jean Brocklebank sent an email to Tony thanking him for his stand on La Bahia....many of us did. Jean's thanks sums up many things...
"Tony ~Thank you for your values and your vote on the La Bahia project. I know that your heart is with the unions and so I expected your voice on behalf of workers in Santa Cruz. What I did not expect was your eloquent defense of the uniqueness of our community and that the Council must take care not to "make concessions at any cost."   You alone got that the project is out of scale.

Everything you voiced was spot on, Tony: The "Council shouldn't make bad land use decisions because of tough economic times.  Are we exchanging the uniqueness of our community for the promise of some future prosperity?  We need to make sure our planning decisions work for protecting our environment, and work for the neighbors of the project."

There has been comment from some lately that many of us are old leftovers from the 70s who want to hold Santa Cruz back. That is such a poor understanding of preservation of culture...and Santa Cruz is culturally unique, is it not?  Why do so many want to be here? I think such a negative framing of preservation of our uniqueness (which is not mutually exclusive of economic strength) as an old timers dream is a disservice to all the young residents of Santa Cruz who feel just as protective of neighborhoods, of the environment, and of the rule of law.

That is what our General Plan is:  the rule of law.  To violate it without the proper procedure of amending it first, through open & transparent public debate, borders on oligarchy.  That does not sound like Santa Cruz to me.

I did not send a letter to the Council, asking for a scaled down project.  I regret not doing so.  Living literally across the street from the City of Santa Cruz, I thought my voice would not count.  Silly me, I shall not make that mistake again.  For as the City goes, so goes the County.

Please accept my sincere appreciation for the breadth of your understanding as well as doing the right thing last Tuesday". Jean Brocklebank.

RORY CALHOUN DIED ON APRIL 28^TH. Probably a lot of people forgot that one of our three famous Santa Cruz movie stars, Rory Calhoun died on this date in 1999. The other two stars are Zazu Pitts and Walter Reed. None of them were born here but they each lived here for a few years. Zasu and Rory were here before they were famous; Walter lived at Dominican Oaks after he achieved fame. Go to www.imdb.com to get their full stories and credits. I got to know Rory on his revisit here. A bunch of us brought Rory and his newer wife Sue back here in 1991 for many area celebrations of his acting achievements and the signing and hand printing of the cement pavement in front of the Nickelodeon.

My daughter Jennifer and I attended the funeral in Los Angeles.  A bunch of very familiar Hollywood character faces were there, and we got to meet Rory's ex Lita Baron. More later.

NEW IDEA FOR BRATTONONLINE.COM. Please keep sending those great clips of good viewable material. Ever since BrattonOnline.com started back in June of 2003 many, many of you have been kind and forwarded some really fine visual and oral web material....keep it up and every week I'll include the best in a new paragraph titled..."LINKS YOU'LL LOVE, LAUGH & LINGER OVER"..

LINKS YOU'LL LOVE, LAUGH & LINGER OVER #1. Best of this week's links..
Pat Matecjek forwards this culture chuckle for opera fans http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDwDo_hTs2Q

Nancy Abbey sent this piece on law enforcement looking at marijuana and the laws. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/norm-stamper/420-thoughts-on-pot-vs-al_b_188627.html

Anthony Walton in referring to Slumdog Millionaire asks "When will this movie go away?  It already has and I've never seen it. Here is some of the latest sleaze". (BrattonNote...this clip is about the father of the little girl star of the film trying to sell her!!!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yScRPycrRSU&feature=channel_page

PATTONS PROGRAM. Attorney Gary Patton is "Of Counsel" for Wittwer &  Parkin. He produces the following as his script for his KUSP "Land Use Report". Gary begins the week talking about Tuesday's City Council meeting on Desal plants and water rationing issue and [points out there isn't any scheduled discussing how the City is supposed to give UCSC 152 million gallons of our  water annually to support the new growth they're planning. He tells of Planning Commissions meeting and talks about Poor Clare's proposed development. There s details of Atkinson Lane development and about John Leopold's future meetings with folks.

EAGAN'S DEEP COVER. Tim asks the 7 probing questions..."what does it take to be a Weak Leader" scroll down a ways.

LANDAU'S PROGRES.  Read Saul Landau's "Telephone conversation with Gerardo Hernandez (one of the Cuban Five) from the U.S. prison (Part II)" here

WATERS WEIGHS IN. Christina Waters has been doing her weekly online column, and I've been adding a link to it since 2006. I have been waiting for her to use the greatest line in covering wine culture I ever thought up...but she hasn't because she likes Pinot Noirs so much...in discussing a winemaker she could say "He died for our Zins"  but so far she hasn't. Read her take on stuff at www.christinawaters.com  anyways.

UCSC DUMPING PRECIOUS WATER ISSUE. (repeated from April 14^th  column) Jodi Frediani who keeps track of these things sent us this email Monday April 13."  The City is about to put into place water rationing measures.  In the meantime, UCSC , which uses City water, is planning on emptying their very large pool at the East Field House so they can replace/repair tiles.  Then I understand they plan to refill it this summer.  The City's guidelines prohibit emptying and refilling 'residential' pools, but do not seem to address UCSC.  Doesn't it seem that if the university really wants to be a good neighbor, they should reconsider the timing of their pool repair project?? Jodi".

UCSC REACTS and says "Mr. Bratton, A recent edition of your newsletter included an item critical of plans to drain and refill the UCSC swimming pool. That item misrepresented the facts; I'm writing to set the record straight. We've worked closely with city water officials on the pool project and comprehensive campus water conservation plans. As a result of those plans, the pool refill -- which will allow us to perform important safety-related maintenance -- will not increase overall water consumption one drop. And, we will be ready to meet anticipated water use restrictions.
Barry Shiller Associate Vice Chancellor, Public Affairs & Communications UCSC

FREDIANI REACTS. Jodi then replied to that reaction..."Here's what I learned from the City Water Department. They (UCSC) did meet with City Water in January and UC got rights to work to figure out a way to cut water use.  They are responding to the City's Water Shortage Contingency Plan by proposing a 15% reduction in overall campus water use between May and October. I was told that "the water use in their pool is like a drop in the bucket" or another way "Pool is only noise on a much larger signal". UCSC's plan is to reduce consumption by something like 20-30 million gallons for the entire season, which will be reflected in their water bills. So, I guess that while they will be emptying the pool, their overall usage will be cut significantly. Good news for a change".

What the story below doesn't tell you is that while UCSC may plan to save 20 million gallons during the water restriction period, they will still be emptying their olympic size swimming pool, dumping something like 800,000 gallons of water, to do a re-tiling project.  They plan to refill the pool in August. Of course, the amount of water that it will take to refill the pool will undoubtedly be offset by the showers that won't be taken by swimmers during that period. Not only do the showers not have low-flow heads, it is really hard to get only a small amount of water out of them.  Maybe these shower heads will be part of UC's retrofit.  To the fish! Jodi".

REPEAT-REPEAT-THAT SECRET ELECTION IN MAY. The League of Women Voters will lead a public discussion of the pros and cons of the six ballot measures for California's May 19, 2009 Special Election. Free copies of the League's easy-to-understand non-partisan Smart Voter publication will be available at the meeting. To obtain the League's nonpartisan election information online, go to www.smartvoter.org . The discussion will be on Wednesday, May 6, 1-3 p.m. at the Santa Cruz Public Library Central Branch meeting room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz. The meeting is free and the public is invited.  The last day to register to vote is May 4. For information about voting, call the Santa Cruz County Elections Office at (831) 454-2060.

DAMNED COMCAST TO CLOSE LOCAL TV. Ron Holman playback technician trainer at SCCTV emails to state..." So Comcast has finally lowered the boom on KRUZ. Paula Mahoney and Woody Carroll (the last two local employees) got their pink slips. Apparently Comcast is reducing their 11 Northern Cal Locally Owned "LO's" down to 3. No San Jose or Monterey LOs anymore either. Just SF, Stockton, and if I heard it right, Redding? This is a sad moment for me, even though I've seen it coming for  a long time. I got my start in tv by interning on Game of the Week in '93. Being the instant replay operator (a really fun job!) is probably the high water > mark in my tv sports career, and I'm gonna miss it...

But I digress. The significance of this is that Local Origination TV Stations (LOs) used to be mandated by local franchise agreements, such  as the one that funds our Santa Cruz Community TV. LOs are different in that they are owned by the cable company and are indeed commercial, unlike Access Stations. By tradition they are focused on local programming, but they basically can play anything they want to. For many years, KRUZ was Ch  3, prime tv real estate indeed, but for some reason the cable company  reassigned it to Ch 17 several years ago. It is no longer a franchise agreement requirement, so Comcast is unfortunately within their rights  to disband it.

KRUZ did have a wide variety of local programming, altho it was very repetitive (like CTV, and also mainly due to severe budget  restraints). However, their coverage of high school sports was definitely the crown jewel for them. GOW (Game of the Week) dates back to the very beginning of the '90s, if not earlier. Back when the cable company was flush, once a year student athletes and their families  would be invited to the Sports Awards at the Coconut Grove for a free  dinner and awards, complete with video highlight clips, it was awesome! And now it's gone, perhaps just another shift in the ever-changing local media scene... But the more ominous note is that this is more likely a reflection of corporate media's power grab in the DIVCA bill passed last year in the CA legislature, which stripped local government of  the power to set local franchise agreements and sent it to a statewide  level. The stated intent of the bill was to "do no harm" to community programming, but to me Comcast shutting down KRUZ is a clear signal that the cable/telecom companies have no intention of doing so". So then I asked Ron about Comcast and their continuance of the forced support of Santa Cruz County Community TV. He said, "nobody's really sure when the franchise expires, it's complicated because it's a court decree.  We might have some cuts in 2-3 yrs, but it seems likely funding will remain the same. However, the state wide franchise law will kick in SC County in 2014 (Laird got us an exemption for awhile) and there will most likely be serious funding cuts then. Thanks for spreading the word, I love BrattonOnline!"

GREEN PARTY 2004 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE DAVID COBB TO SANTA CRUZ. Cobb - a lawyer, organizer, and social activist - will appear in Santa Cruz at 7pm on Friday May 15. David Cobb is well known for his work as an advocate for curbing the undue power of mega-corporations. He will address the issue of how multi-national mega-corporations have become unelected governing institutions that undermine democracy in the U.S. He will share his vision of a nonviolent, democratic revolution to make the promise of democracy a reality. David Cobb serves on Sierra Club's national Corporate Accountability Committee, is a co-founder and member of the Board of Directors for the Green Institute, and a Principal with POCLAD (Program on Corporations Law and Democracy.) The event, sponsored by WILPF Santa Cruz and Pajaro, will be at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 420 Melrose Avenue, Santa Cruz (behind Safeway on Morrissey.) $5-10 donation (no-one turned away for lack of funds). For more information call 831 465 8272 or nabbey@cruzio.com.

TOM BIHN & HIS BAGS. I now am the proud owner of a genuine Tom Bihn large Café Cayenne/Olive shoulder bag. Tom Bihn if you arrived here less than 9 years ago had a little shop on Locust Street where he used to design and sew bags. Now he's got not just a store in Seattle but a factory too where they sell all kinds of messenger bags, backpacks and related items all over the world through the internet. Tom got very involved in our local politics and convinced me to take his place on the City Downtown Commission, and I'll get even some day. Go to his website, it is fascinating - especially the FAQ page - and believe me his refusal to ever compromise on quality or aesthetics is still strong. Tell him I sent you and don't believe him if he says they're going to start making baby harp seal bags ...he's a kidder.

HOSTETTER'S HOT STUFF. Owing to a mysterious last-minute "scheduling conflict" the Aashish Khan concert this coming weekend up at UCSC's Music Recital Hall has been canceled. No word on a rescheduling. You're just going to have to find something else to do on Saturday night. If you weren't at the Tim Eriksen concerts either at Cayuga or the Freight this weekend, shame on you. What an astonishing performer, what a brain. I've put a few new things up here at http://www.lutherie.net/live.music.html in the future. What's on the agenda soon is the Teodosije Spasov concert in SF on the 5th of May. Spasov is remarkable and while he's not here with Miroslav and Vlatko, he's got an all-star band.Beware: the Mandolins are coming, too. More soon. ph

THE SOLOIST. It's the typical Hollywood tear jerker. Robert Downey does his usual fine job of acting and Jamie Foxx sort of mugs his way through his part. At first you'll think wow he's great but 2 minutes after leaving the theatre you'll realize Foxx didn't do much of anything. But IF you like Beethoven, they do play snippets. Renting it would be more than advised.

EARTH. It's another good old Disney True Life Adventure just dolled up with better camera work. Local film fans may care that Norm Wakeman shot the Water Ouzel sequence for Disney's Water Birds another True Life Adventure at our Big Creek waterfall back in 1951. (Norm was my photography teacher). Earth has no real environmental message it only show how beautiful nature's creatures are. Never mentioning that every creature on earth now has a specific extinction date no matter what we do...according to Claudio Campagna. See it for it's beauty, anthropomorphism, and cuteness... not for profundity or meaning.

FIGHTING. Better than average Rocky type Hollywood film. It's about street fighting the kind Morton Marcus likes. Channing Tatum is the lead whoever he is and Terrence Howard does a passable role as the semi thug veteran. I wouldn't even rent it unless you're really bored.

OBSESSED. Idris Elba from HBO's The Wire is the lead in this Hollywood woman stalker blah movie. Beyonce Knowles is his up-against–the-wall wife. It may actually be better if you watch it at home. Try it and get back to me later.

PARIS 36. An odd French film that takes place in 1936 Paris. It's a "gee kids lets save this great old theatre" type movie. The problem is that the people who want to save it have little or no talent, they're terrible and the whole point is lost. Because it's et in a special neighborhood in old Paris there are probably more special effects used in this than Star Wars. I'd suggest you see some other movie instead.

UNIVERSITY GRAPEVINE. I host this weekly live interview radio program on KZSC 88.1 fm every Tuesday from 7:30-8:30 This week (April 28^th) I'll be talking with Sarah Friedlander and Mark Wainer from The Community Of Artists. Their art show opens this Friday May 1^st at the Felix Kulpa gallery. In the second half Sandy Lydon will tell us some of the secrets about Aptos and its wild and wooly past

Future guests will be Katherine Beiers, Rosie Deakers, Fred Keeley, Brian Staufenbiel, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, John Laird, Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, Bookshop Santa Cruz, Luis Alejo, Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, and even more after that. I repeat that's KZSC Tuesdays 88.1fm 7:30-8:30pm.

QUOTES. "There is only one son, Fretting" Neal Cassady. "A truly healthy man-like the animals-should need no toilet paper", George Ohsawa. "Birth is not one act. It is a process", Erich Fromm

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Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.

JIM HOUSTON AND THE RED MOUNTAIN BOYS 1971. Genuine Santa Cruzans can tell that this was taken in front of Leasks Department Store during the Second Annual Spring Fair that took place on a closed off Pacific Avenue. That's Dave McClellan on mandolin, Marsh Leicester on fiddle, Jim Houston doing vocals and playing string bass and Jeff Hawkins on guitar. This is one photo from Jeff's video of that Gig. Jeff swears that Houston was singing Alabama Jubilee.  You can see more photos of Jim singing and playing with The Red Mountain boys by clicking here (link expands, click again to collapse). photo credit: Jeff Hawkins Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

SERVICE FOR JIM HOUSTON THIS SATURDAY. Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston just emailed this..."Yes, there is a memorial celebration of his life this Saturday, April 26 at 12:30pm at Chaminade (you know, all of our kids have worked there) to which the public is invited.  Eddie Kamae will be here as well as many of Jim's literary colleagues. In lieu of flowers, donations to Squaw Valley Community of Writers, (non-profit org). P.O Box 1416, Nevada City, CA 95959 are welcome.

WHEN THE ROLL IS CALLED UP YONDER JIM HOUSTON WILL BE THERE. Jim Houston was much loved and will be missed by the thousands that he made friends with and inspired. Jim was part of our Hot Damn String Band since the early 80's. Look at the right for what the Feb.11, 1982 issue of Good Times said about us and that ten year anniversary. Jim sang When The Roll Is Called up Yonder with us and now it seems extra appropriate. He also sang The Crawdad Song but I can't figure any connection. Ray Ginghofer an old friend says Jim wrote Gig about his years (1965-1969) playing bass with Vern Bennett on piano at The Shadowbrook. That was when the Shadowbrook was owned by Frank Podesta. While most folks are remembering Jim Houston as a writer most of my memories are tied in with Jim the performer, the musician. I asked Marsh Leicester fiddler and UCSC literature professor to write part of his memories of Jim. Marsh goes way back as a founding member of The Red Mountain Boys and relates...

"Now the Lord prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah.  And Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, until he vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.  And when Jonah got back to town, this is the song that he sang:

Oh what a time I had with Minnie the mermaid,
Down at the bottom of the sea.
There was nothin' moral
'bout our life among the coral
All alone, just Minnie and me
(stop time)
And every night
When the Starfish came out.
I'd hug and kiss her so,
Oh,
(a tempo)
Oh what a time I had with Minnie the mermaid
Down in her seaweed
(trio, ritardando: Down in her seaweed)
(a tempo) Down in her seaweed bungalow!"

"Minnie the Mermaid" was Jim's signature song (he taught it to us from his vast repertoire of preposterous jazz tunes) with the Red Mountain Boys, Santa Cruz's original, so far as I know, and certainly oldest bluegrass band.  We were formed in 1968, and named after a brand of inexpensive (to make no further comment on its quality) jug wine.  Of the jokes that became hoary in our introductions over the next 15 or 20 years, "We're the Red Mountain Boys, named after where we spend most of our time, high on Red Mountain," had to be dropped finally, when the band outlasted the company and the wine.  In '68, I had just arrived with my fiddle and high tenor to teach English at UCSC, and met our founding and long-term guitar player and lead vocalist, Page Stegner, (Wallace's son) at a party. Page, as a writer and UCSC professor already knew Jim, and he was quickly recruited as bass player and bass voice for the band.  We soon added Kent Taylor, a UCSC grad student whom I knew from the east coast, as mandolin player and another lead or tenor voice, and an extraordinary undergraduate banjo-picker from L.A., Ron Rutowski.  This is the band that played the first ever Swanton Road Corn Roast at Al Johnson's Big Creek Pottery back of Davenport that summer, (and about the next 15 years of them as well).  We did gigs at Salz Tannery, the Bay Tree Bookstore, UCSC College nights, hippie weddings in the Santa Cruz mountains, parades down Pacific Avenue before and after it was a mall, and many a bar where the patrons had been studying long-term to be bears, and only remembered the words "beer" and "boogie."

We were together a long time (long enough for me to begin to learn my instrument) and went through a few changes of personnel, of whom the most important and longest lasting were David McClellan (son of famous SC artist Doug) on mandolin, and Jeff Hawkins, who left to form his own legendary local band, but Jim was our rock-steady bass player always, and the low voice in the intricate gospel quartet arrangements. He was a central focus of what it meant to be a Red Mountain Boy: good on his instrument, enthusiastic about the music and cheerfully ironic about how odd it was for people like us to be playing it, funny and smart and modest. He knew more music than most of the rest of us and taught us tunes with more than five chords, like "Minnie"; we used to introduce him as "Jazzbow Jim Houston (or Slam Stalwart), the only bass player in bluegrass who can make 'Skip to My Lou,' sound like 'Night in Tunisia," but in fact he was always more concerned for the whole band sound than to show off his own virtuosity.  His grin and his presence made our gigs as people-friendly as the music and he was always a joy to bounce off of musically. He'd get all excited about a new lick or a new arrangement, and giggle with glee when we figured it out.  But the best memories of all may be the long, intense, but always goofy practices at his wonderful house, where the conversation between numbers could wander to writing or life or food or Hawaii, or anything before getting back to the music, and with Jeannie and the kids wandering in and out, ignoring us or helping with the beer, or even sometimes listening.  With the years we all got too good at our day jobs to play regularly, and Jim found other bands that needed him, as he had always had a wealth of musical partnerships -- but I really can't imagine he won't still be out there somewhere, bringing Minnie and her seaweed bungalow back to town".

HOUSTON ON COMMUNITY TELEVISION. Peter McGettigan reports in to say that "Local Book TV" will present James Houston reading from his book "Snow Mountain Passage" this Friday April 24^th at 7 p.m. Channel 25. More than that, in June Book TV will be dedicated to poet, author and musician Jim Houston every Friday at 7 p.m. Channel 25.

HOT DAMN STRING BAND MEMORIES OF HOUSTON. Hot Damn String Band fiddler Annie Steinhart wrote this for Jim...On the flyleaf of my tattered paperback "A Native Son of the Golden West" (1971), I find: " For Annie, Remembering our motto:  Living well is the best revenge.  Your Pal, Jim H."   Jim and I weren't the kind of pals who called each other up and hung out.  A few times a year we'd run into each other with mutual delight along Pacific Avenue or at some literary do, but mostly we were creative kindred souls, both equally drawn to writing and playing music (Jim's 1969 book Gig tapped his experience playing in a piano bar; for years he played bass with the Santa Cruz bluegrass band The Red Mountain Boys).  For over thirty years these two paths converged in the perfect setting  for a writer/musician--the Book Shop Santa Cruz annual birthday party featuring the legendary Hot Damn String Band, me on fiddle, Jim on bass("Hot Damn motto: Never Lost It, Never Had It") with Jim Reynolds on guitar and Bruce Bratton on washboard and Mike Johnston on mandolin.

The secret of Hot Damn's longevity is that after a youthful exuberance of gigs centered around the infamous Club Zayante, we only got together once a year to play at the Bookshop Santa Cruz's birthday party.  I can picture Jim hunched over his standup bass against a wall of books singing with marginally more heart than intonation one of his contributions to our eclectic--to put it mildly--repertoire that ranged from  Drop Kick Me, Jesus, Through the Goalposts of Life to I Don't Look Good Naked Any More.  Jim's song was called Ragtime Cowboy Joe.  The refrain went "talk about your cowboys, talk about your cowboys, Ragtime Cowboy Joe.

Jim and I are both in the iconic 1973 photograph of 20 Santa Cruz writers gathered at the Cooper House(yours truly is the only female, which says something about the state of women in the arts 35 years ago. Jim stands apart on the left in a snap button denim cowboy shirt and jeans, one knee cocked with lanky surfer grace, high forehead, widows peak, cop-style mustache framing a piratical grin, keen dark eyes gleaming with humor, good will, crackling life force.[start new paragraph]  Like his good looks, Jim just got better as the years rolled by.  He won literary accolades galore, became somewhat of an academic muck-a-muck, but none of this went to his head.  He was always just Jim in a faded denim work shirt, totally unpretentious, a rare and gentle prince among men, and I mean that with all my heart.[start new paragraph.]  Talk about your cowboys, talk about your cowboys.  Ragtime Cowboy Jim.

HAWAIIAN COMMUNITY SADDENED BY HOUSTON'S PASSING. KAPU dj  Big Brother Tim Seidl actually broke the news about Jim Houston dying on his KAPU 104.7 FM program last Thursday about 4p.m. Tim says that the Hawaiian community was very aware of all the love and work Houston put out for Hawaii. Not just the connection with Eddie Kamae and his films and music but Houston taught at the University of Hawaii for decades.

FROM THE HONOULU ADVERTISER. "The Houstons were married in Honolulu, and James Houston wrote widely about Hawaiian history and culture. At the time of his death, he was working on a novel about Queen Liliuokalani. Houston also was a musician who played stand-up bass and guitar in folk and bluegrass bands. He was especially fond of Hawaiian music, and developed a close friendship with Eddie Kamae. He collaborated with Kamae on the film "Sons of Hawaii," a documentary of Kamae's iconic group, which at times counted among its members Gabby Pahinui, Moe Keale, Dennis Kamakahi, Norman Isaacs, David "Feet" Rogers, Sonny Chillingworth and Zulu.

LA BAHIA AND OUR CITY COUNCIL'S DECISION. I asked Bill Malone who is a member of Santa Cruzans for Responsible Planning (SCRP) to write his opinions about the City Council's support of Swenson's La Bahia development.  Bill says he is "also working with the Build a Better La Bahia coalition which supports a new hotel.  The Coalition is asking that the new hotel conform to the City's existing General Plan and Zoning restrictions and that it is built and operated by Union workers.  These are traditional Santa Cruz progressive community values".

City Council Reaches Decision on La Bahia Project:  Sure!

Whatever the Developer Wants!  Bigger is Better!

"I don't think the State regulatory agencies (Coastal Commission) will abandon their policies and philosophies, especially about protecting the environment, just because our local economy is hurting and the City needs an income generating project." – Councilmember Tony Madrigal.

The developer was asked what he would do if the Coastal Commission did not approve their project.  "We'd probably redesign."  Well, of course you would.

I arrived early at the Council meeting to get a seat.  I did not want to stand during a very long meeting. However, there were just a few people there!   Eventually the chamber was filled, with some Union members standing in the back with their signs.I noticed that the crowd was eerily subdued, both supporters and critics, not like most of the previous boisterous La Bahia meetings.  That's odd! We were informed that the Council had asked their staff and the developer many questions about the project since the public hearing two weeks ago.  And that they had received a lot of correspondence.   I expected several hours of lively discussion of the questions.  Wrong.  They never did tell us what questions were asked.  Nor tell us any of the answers! 

The Planning Department staff report was short: No new information – just clarifications!  I began to be suspicious. The developer was uncharacteristically brief with low-key presentations!  What is going on? Councilmember Don Lane had written a very thorough, six page letter on ten "key issues" of the project.  He asked the developer and the critics to respond to his questions on these issues.   He had informed us (Build a Better La Bahia coalition) that he would be discussing these at the Council meeting and he intended to call on us to respond to several questions.  I expected this to take a couple of hours. Wrong again. Maybe thirty minutes.  Don asked only a few of his questions.  There was no Council discussion – they just impatiently watched Don.

By this time I realized that it was all over.  There was no reason to prolong this charade.

There would be no objective discussion of the merits and flaws of the project. Nor a discussion of the project alternatives. No questioning the appropriateness of a 61-71 foot tall massive building in a neighborhood of 25-35 foot homes.  No mention that the hotel was much bigger and taller than the City's General Plan and zoning restrictions.

No discussion of the several dubious EIR findings.  No concern for the blocked scenic views.  The EIR rationalizes that the scenic view is OK at a spot on the wharf about a half mile from the hotel.  Forget about any scenic view from the beach.

It was as if someone had spread the word to Council and staff:  Don't mention anything negative or controversial.  Just say nice, fluffy praise, like:  "A renaissance project."  "I'm thrilled."  "Economic viability." 

There was little mention that they were approving the complete demolition of a historical building.  However, one Councilmember did make sure the developer includes some cement benches like those in the existing historical La Bahia. I think they also suggested pictures of the historical building in the new hotel lobby. That should satisfy the historical landmark buffs!

I realized long ago that the majority of the Council were in favor of this project from the start.  They might pay "lip service" to the concerns of the neighbors, environmentalist and unions.  But, basically it was a done deal.  They just had to go through the process.

Time to vote came quickly: after just over an hour of "discussion".  Predicatively, Lynn Robinson, Ryan Coonerty and Cynthia Matthews gushed their support.  Don deliberated his key issues; then stated his support, concluding that the project is "better in some ways."  Mike, uncharacteristically, did not say a thing!  He knew that he didn't have to: he had the votes.  And probably he did not want chance saying anything that would further upset the unions.

Tony Madrigal was opposed!  The big building is not a proportional fit in the neighborhood. The neighbors have major concerns.  It is out of scale.  Council shouldn't make bad land use decisions because of tough economic times.  Don't make concessions at any cost.  Are we exchanging the uniqueness of our community for the promise of some future prosperity?  "We need to make sure our planning decisions work for protecting our environment, and work for the neighbors of the project."  The City has a saying: "Preserving our space. Shaping our place."  We need that statement to mean something.

Tony asked the developer what he would do if the Coastal Commission did not approve their project. Jesse Nickell (developer Barry Swenson's project director) simply said: "We'd probably redesign."  Tony mused: The Council should ask them to redesign it smaller now.

The Council seemed to conclude that they could not ask the developer to use union workers because there was no public money used for the project.  However, the developer is demanding (and getting) special benefits from the City that are worth a lot of money.  They want benefits far beyond those allowed by existing zoning.  The developer stands to make several additional millions from these special benefits the city gave them (additional height, special condo financing breaks, etc).  Council did not (or would not) even try to make that connection.

The Unions are having second-thoughts on their prior endorsement and support for Mike, Ryan and Don in their past elections.  So are environmentalists.  Probably most neighbors too.  Will they remember these votes the next time these Council members run for another office?

A Councilmember once remarked regarding building heights: "I think that one of the values here is that there's a certain scale that people find acceptable." This project is too big and beyond the "certain scale that people find acceptable."  We would all welcome a Santa Cruz scale hotel.

The Council certainly has the right to override zoning.  But I hope Council members always maintain Santa Cruz Community values and maintain the town at the "certain scale that people (Santa Cruzans) find acceptable."

So, what's next?  Well, now the precedent is set for taller, big buildings in the beach area.  Forget the citizen created General Plan and Zoning guidelines/restrictions.  This Council ignores that – they like big buildings.  Bigger is better apparently.   Santa Cruz's uniqueness and charm is slipping away". (end of  Malone's La Bahia review).

 

THAT SECRET ELECTION IN MAY. The League of Women Voters will lead a public discussion of the pros and cons of the six ballot measures for California's May 19, 2009 Special Election. Free copies of the League's easy-to-understand non-partisan Smart Voter publication will be available at the meeting. To obtain the League's nonpartisan election information online, go to www.smartvoter.org  The discussion will be on Wednesday, May 6, 1-3 p.m. at the Santa Cruz Public Library Central Branch meeting room, 224 Church Street, Santa Cruz. The meeting is free and the public is invited.  The last day to register to vote is May 4. For information about voting, call the Santa Cruz County Elections Office at (831) 454-2060.

OBAMAS CUBA POLICY. Nancy Abbey has been involved with U.S. Cuba politics through Pastors for Peace and The Cuba Study Group for decades and has been to Cuba many times. She writes to inform us...

Reaching Out to Cuba, but........

There's a lot of excitement over Obama's easing restrictions regarding Cuba and the response by Raul Castro that he's open to talking about everything. I'm excited and a true believer that change in U.S./Cuba relations is on the horizon. 

But...there are definitely some sticking points.

Careful reading of Obama's press release of April 13 has much of the "same-old-same-old" rhetoric and assumption of right – both moral rightness and right by manifest destiny to interfere in the governing of Cuba. (click here) 

Several things bother me.

First, there's the idea that Cuba needs to give up something in order for the blockade to be lifted – to negotiate by acquiescing to U.S. demands – that's diplomacy, I'm told.  Do you tell your child to negotiate with the bully that takes his lunch money?

Cuba didn't put the blockade in place.  Cuba didn't invade our territory.  Cuba hasn't trained and harbored terrorists to strike on our soil or assassinate our head of state. What's to negotiate?

Oh, yes.  We, in our rightfulness demand that Cuba look like us – a two party system and free enterprise. Yet, we all know that's not perfect.  There's a lot wrong with Cuba – as there is with every country including our own – but who are we to insist that ours is the one true way? This attitude is, in and of itself, a major sticking point. Or doesn't Obama understand that?

 A second sticking point may be the increase in remittances by Cuban Americans to their families. Sounds good, but he's said that the Cuban government must quit levying a tax on these remittances. Since the remittances can and have created a class disparity – most Cubans with relatives in the U.S. are white – they undermine the socialist ideal of economic justice. Cuba is not going to willingly allow some citizens to move into an elite economic status without taxing their remittances to provide (to the best of the government's ability) health, education, food and housing services to all Cubans. Or doesn't he understand this?

Third, why has Obama chosen to ease regulations on sale of telecommunications instead of the building materials Cuba so desperately needs? Is it so that Cubans will have greater access to the fraud-ridden Radio and TV Marti? Is that the carrot that Raul is supposed to bite?

Believe me, I'm pleased that our President is moving in the direction of normalized relations, but let's hope he's not relying on Cuba hard-liners who are still surrounding the White House.  The old Miami right-wing Cuban American National Foundation (CANF) recently reversed their 50 year position on lifting the embargo in a 14 page document sent to the President with their recommendations for this great event. When CANF decides "if you can't lick 'em, join 'em," – and if they're given the ear of the president – this is going to be a long process.(end of Nancy Abbey's Cuban policy critique)

PATTONS PROGRAM. Attorney Gary Patton is "Of Counsel" for Wittwer &  Parkin. He produces the following as his script for his KUSP "Land Use Report".

Gary talks about new agenda accessibility for Monterey County Board of Supervisors. He discusses The Santa Cruz City Council giving away water to support UCSC's incredible growth. There are two worthwhile meetings coming up one on Desalination and the other on Voting Integrity. Do we want to vote on the possibility of an open space district in Santa Cruz? And he closes with the development of Poor Clare's and Atkinson Lane property.

EAGAN'S DEEP COVER. Tim gives us close-up views of Fox News and both sides of very hot issues left and right scroll down about 3 pages

LANDAU'S PROGRES. Somehow Saul managed to get a phone interview with Gerardo Hernandez one of the "famous" Cuban five. It tells more of the spy story than I've ever seen click here http://progreso-weekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=897&Itemid=1

WATERS WEIGHS IN. Christina chats up a recent mega-meal at Asilomar, bids Jim Houston goodbye and includes a link to the New York Times obit for Jim. She then makes you an offer of art & food you can't refuse. Check it all out at http://christinawaters.com.

SANTA CRUZ DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION PLANNING 20^TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF OUR 1989 EARTHQUAKE. A bunch of interested locals including Don Lane, Mark Primack ands yours truly got together to work on how to best commemorate the 20^th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake coming up on Saturday October 17^th at 5:04 p.m. Lots of ideas flowed and if you have any suggestions send them to Chip at the DTA. chip@downtownsantacruz.com

THE SHAME OF THE SENTINEL. Here's a copy of what Joe Michalck sent to Don Miller at the Santa Cruz Sentinel in case they don't print it. Joe wanted you to see it for sure. "Dear Mr. Miller,

"Last week I read the commentary on two articles in the Online SC Sentinel: one was in response to your newspaper's reporting on the City of Santa Cruz's decision to demolish the City landmark, La Bahia; the other, the obituary on Jim Houston's passing (I've included the commentary as copied verbatim from your newspaper).

I find this kind of reader opinion inflammatory, inciting to violence, and racist. This is the kind of opinion that is counter to the values this community represents, and the lowest form of journalism that I have ever seen. Remember, I'm referring to a newspaper with supposed editorial standards, not an unregulated, unrestricted, personal blog. How do you justify this kind of commentary? Is it the click-through revenue which bolsters your advertising income and therefore has a higher value than journalistic integrity? Is it a policy mandated by your MediaNews overseers, who obviously don't care about our local community? There are many newspapers in this country who have found a way to regulate this kind of commentary by requiring logins which delineate identity (email, personal name, etc.) and therefore, make the poster more responsible as a result.

Yours in disgust, Joe Michalak, 114 Escalona Dr.Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Bratton says, "I won't re-print that muck here in BrattonOnline go to the Sentinel links if you want to see how low the Sentinel can sink. BB"

THE OLD SENTINEL BUILDING. It was news to me that George Ow owns the old Sentinel building on Church Street.  Nope, I haven't heard any word on his plans for but almost the entire team of BrattonOnline spies, researchers and fact checkers are working on it. I just Googled everything I could think of and couldn't find a thing.

SWENSON IN APTOS. Judy Steen emails to say, "Just read the latest BrattonOnline. Gary Patton is right. We should be learning more about the Aptos Village Plan. As you probably know, Barry Swenson Builder is the developer. He hired Albion Environmental, Inc. to prepare a "Cultural Resources Study for the Proposed Aptos Village Project." The report was issued, dated February 2009.

A January 2009 version of the report was referred to the County's historic consultant, Circa. After reviewing the study, the consultant had concerns that there was insufficient discussion of how the conclusions of no substantial adverse impacts on two of the historic structures, the Hihn Apple Packing Shed and the Aptos Fire Station/VFW Building, were determined.

She recommended that the report should thoroughly discuss potential impacts and proposed mitigation measures. She also recommended that the plan should contain language directing rehabilitation and new construction to follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for rehabilitation. The January report was revised and then resubmitted to Circa for review. Circa reviewed the revised study and still concluded that additional discussion was warranted. My understanding, based on very reliable sources, is that Barry Swenson Builder has now hired Anthony Kirk as a historical consultant. It was Kirk who provided the document that led to the demolition of the Pleasure Point Roadhouse. Judy Steen".

NEED FOR A COMMUNITY CALENDAR. Just thinking about last week and all the political events, plus the cultural events that conflicted...we NEED A COMMUNITY CALENDAR!!! My guess is that Cruzio is the best equipped to handle the input from the hundreds of political, cultural, service and other event oriented groups that plan ahead. Any suggestions on this?

LEGALIZE DENIM. What if the government told us that 6 out of every ten men had to wear denim? Have you ever seen as much "uniformity", such a lack of individuality, so much sameness? What is it about Levis nowadays....yep, I'm part of that crowd but I sure don't understand it. Is George Will right in his Washington Post article denim is  "the modern trend toward undifferentiated dressing, in which we all strive to look equally shabby." He also says, "Denim is the clerical vestment for the priesthood of all believers in democracy's catechism of leveling -- thou shalt not dress better than society's most slovenly. Read the whole thing even about driving Hummers to Whole Foods ...

STATE OF PLAY. How Russell Crowe and the much younger (and very terrible actor) Ben Affleck were college roommates is not part of the plot but it will make you wonder. How the ever-cute and downright fetching Rachel McAdams ever got to be head blogger at The Washington Globe will make you scratch a bit too. It's about crooked politicians, and two deaths and how Helen Mirren as editor has to decide between the internet and hard copy. You could wait and rent it and the closing titles showing genuine newspapers rolling off genuine presses may make you teary but you still won't remember or care about the plot five minutes after it ends.

CRANK HIGH VOLTAGE. A nearly impossible movie to review. It's like a live action but cartoon style video game shot on LA streets. Jason Statham carries the entire saga, which is about a guy with a battery driven heart that needs recharging...a lot. Bai Ling or Ling Bai plays an incredible prostitute that sets new standards for onscreen lunacy and Amy Smart who was in Crank 1 is a left handed vegetarian born in Topanga Canyon adds genuine character to this bizarre Quentin Tarantino meets MTV & Sin City. Then there's the scene where this guy slices off both his nipples and the old Chinese drug lord David Carradine gets beaten up while Corey Haim and Dwight Yoakum do small roles too. It's better than Crank 1 and was filmed using store bought cameras and has an insane pace and editing and humor. It is beyond gross and starts out at being over the top and doing close-up gore that just becomes funnier. Consider yourself warned is all I can say.

17 AGAIN. Zac Efron turns into Matthew Perry and if that doesn't make your day, forget attending this stupid movie. It could have been a contender and there were ways this movie about re-living a life could have even been profound. But it's pure Hollywood drivel.

THE INFORMERS. The cast alone tells you almost all you need to know about this movie. Think about Billie Bob Thornton (remember that he used to be married to Angelina Jolie with tattoos and things??) Then you have Mickey Rourke, whew!!

Add to that group Wynona Ryder and  Kim Basinger as the erratic pill popper, Rhys Ifleck, and singer Chris Isaak and you've got yourself one messed up group. It's like the dark side of Boogie Nights which too was about LA drug scene in the 70's and 80's. Boogie Nights held together more as a film, the Informers lacks coherency, and solid editing. Opens next Friday at the Nick.

TOKYO! Be careful and don't confuse this with another new film Tokyo Sonata. Look for the exclamation point. Tokyo! has three stories by three different directors (very different) taking place in today's Tokyo. All three are exciting, beautiful, and I can only say IF I ever made a film I would hope it was as good as this one, it's the kind I'd like to make. Go see it, it opens next Friday at the Nick. I hope that by now you've seen Shall We Kiss and Everlasting Moments...if not better hurry.

HOSTETTER'S HOT STUFF. Paul Hostetter gets around more than most people and he says you should be aware of the following events.. "Here comes a busy weekend for fans of Scottish music and large energetic mandolin groups. And Tim Eriksen is in the area this week too. And some more notable things are coming soon enough, in May: Aashish Khan, Teodosije Spasov, the Pine Leaf Persons, and more. Have a good look here at http://www.lutherie.net/live.music.html and plan accordingly!

EL TEATRO CAMPESINO IN MAY. Jim Bierman swears that The Teatro Lab group's sometime in May production of Sam Burguesa and the Pixie Chicks will be worth attending. The ETC website says about Sam Burguesa," There's a rumbling in Crumblen, California. Chicano slacker Sam Burguesa has lost it all - his home, his money, his marbles. Someone just needs to 'splain that to the Pixie Chicks. Under the auspices of the new "Teatro Lab," the next generation of El Teatro Campesino creates a new musical workshop for the age of Obama. The cosmic cabaret promises to mix music, myth, magic and politics in a way only El Teatro can. Catch it before it flies away!". I can't find any more data or dates. I'll let you know.

UNIVERSITY GRAPEVINE. Remember that University Grapevine the radio interview program that I host is now on 7:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday nights on KZSC 88.1 fm. My first guest will be Radha Vignola talking about the nine methods of meditation that she'll be teaching for Parks & Rec. in August. My second guest will be Attorney Bob Taren and we'll talk about politics in Santa Cruz and stuff like that.

QUOTES. "Apart from cheese and tulips, the main product of Holland is advocaat, a drink made from lawyers," Alan Coren. "I had always imagined that cliché was a suburb of Paris, until I discovered it was a street in Oxford." Philip Guedalla. "The Germans take part of a verb and put it down here, like a stake, and then they take the other part of it and put it over yonder like another stake, and between these two limits they just shovel in German," Mark Twain.

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CAPITOLA AIRPORT 1955. Obviously this is an "Auction Proof". There's a great auction of historic photos owned by Covello & Covello and The Capitola City Museum. Go here and get all the details. People ask all the time where I get my weekly photos....99% of them come from Covello & Covello so now's the time to check out this old photo auction....it's for a good cause. Here's what the museum wrote as a caption for the above photo "In 1949, the same year that Capitola became a city, Highway One was completed as far as Morrissey Boulevard, linking Watsonville to Santa Cruz.  The new route sliced away 200 feet of the Santa Cruz-Capitola Airport, seen at center, left.  Pilots Russell and Esther Rice, who had both grown up in Santa Cruz and Soquel, operated the airport.  Esther, a friend of the Brown family of Brown's Bulb Ranch, often made leis of begonias to give to visiting pilots who landed here.  Her gesture earned the resort a new name in 1950:  "Waikiki of the West."  photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

MONDAY SCOOP!!! Good old Sam Farr comes through. This letter which you can and should read in PDF at the end goes beyond what Obama said in the newspaper and what he promised earlier re relations with Cuba.

FARR TO DELIVER CUBA LETTER TO OBAMA 46 Representatives support 10-step plan to normalize relations
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Sam Farr (D-Calif.) will deliver a letter to President Obama later this week that outlines a 10-step plan to normalize relations with Cuba. Forty-six Members of Congress signed the letter.
Rep. Farr, who will be flying to the Summit of the Americas with the president on Thursday, has long been a proponent of normalizing relations with Cuba.
"It's clear that our policies toward Cuba have failed, so it's time to look in a new direction," Rep. Farr said. "I'm excited by the positive signs that are emerging from the White House and the changes we've seen in Cuba over the past couple years. I look forward to continuing to work with the president to build on this momentum during the Summit of the Americas and as we move forward."
Rep. Farr's letter outlines the following 10 steps:

• Do not oppose Cuba's full participation in the Organization of American States.
• Lift limits on gift parcels regardless of relationship.
• Remove limits on remittances regardless of relationship.
• Reestablish all forms of legal travel; investigate broadening categories.
• For agricultural trade, reinstate payment requirement in advance of delivery, not in advance of shipping.
• Allow direct U.S.-Cuba shipping without intermediate stops.
• Pursue cooperation between U.S. and Cuban security and law enforcement agencies.
• Remove designation as state sponsor of terrorism.
• Remove designation as country not cooperating with antiterrorism efforts.
• Provide aid for disaster relief and health-related assistance.

"Our government has been hostage to policies put in place 50 years ago, and that's not how we reestablish our nation as a leader," Rep. Farr said. "It's time to initiate a complete overhaul of our relationship with Cuba. It will start with reform to family travel and remittances, but it can't end there. We must expand this new policy of diplomatic outreach to our own backyard and restore responsible relations with Cuba." A copy of the letter can be viewed here

Here's what Progreso Weekly had to say in English and Spanish (Monday at 6:30 pm) about the Obama change in Cuban policy... progresoblog.com

THINK LOCO CONTEST WINNERS. Because Think Loco ended up supporting The San Jose Developer Barry Swenson's La Bahia project it's the right time to enter the contest to name Karl Heiman's new coffee house and Peter Beckmann's new bakery that'll for sure be located in the new La Bahia. Heiman and Beckmann have been the main drivers of the Think Loco campaign. Café du "Madame Toots" is far ahead so far because Heiman owns Mr. Toots in Capitola  Names for Beckmann's Bakery are even cuter "Beckmann's Boardwalk Boulangerie" leads the field. Cute names for the Quintessentially cute La Bahia shops promised to supporters are more than welcome. Just "Think Local"..ha!!

UCSC DUMPS PRECIOUS WATER. Jodi Frediani who keeps track of these things sends us this email Monday am..."  The City is about to put into place water rationing measures.  In the meantime, UCSC , which uses City water, is planning on emptying their very large pool at the East Field House so they can replace/repair tiles.  Then I understand they plan to refill it this summer.  The City's guidelines prohibit emptying and refilling 'residential' pools, but do not seem to address UCSC.  Doesn't it seem that if the university really wants to be a good neighbor, they should reconsider the timing of their pool repair project?? Jodi".

BRATTON ONLINE NOW ONLINE MONDAYS.  Webwoman Gunilla Leavitt of GodmomasForge.Com  who does all the real computer internet work for BrattonOnline and I have worked out new schedules. If all goes perfectly well this column (now almost six years online) will hit your monitors Monday nights with the latest news and stuff and opinions. We have worked out new advertising rates (see right border) that will allow you to reach the most intelligent, thinking audience you can imagine...hint, hint. SO be sure to subscribe now or... if you tried to subscribe in the past and the link didn't work, subscribe again, it's free and you'll get little headlines in your email announcing the newest issue's contents. It's free and really confidential; I don't even know who subscribes. Go to that little box in the upper right hand corner.

UNIVERSITY GRAPEVINE NOW ON TUESDAY NIGHTS!!! Due to all kinds of positive demands University Grapevine, the weekly one-hour radio interview I host on KZSC 88.1 fm will move to 7:30-8:30pm slot on Tuesday nights, and thank you very much. My guests this week 4/14 will be Nancy Lingemann talking about The Tango, its history and her history with it. In the second half hour Joan Gilbert Martin and Stan Stevens will talk all about the "Pathways to the Past "History Journal which was just published by the Museum of Art & History.

Future guests are equally fascinating they are Radha Vignola discussing meditation and its many forms, Bob Taren about politics in the county,  The Community of Artists, Sandy Lydon, Katherine Beiers, Rosie Deakers, Brian Staufenbiel, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, Bookshop Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, and things like that. I repeat KZSC Tuesdays 88.1fm 7:30-8:30pm.

THE ETHNIC SIDE OF ELECTIONS IN WATSONVILLE. In reading over the ethnic and political side of "Blossoms into Gold" the new book about Croatians in Watsonville it dawned on me that we've seen Croatians, Italians, Portuguese and Latinos elected to offices there but what about Chinese or Japanese? I asked Sandy Lydon about that he said..." Ernie Wong was appointed to Watsonville City Council in 1969 to fill a vacancy – he was selected from a list of 5 who wanted the appointment. He did not seek election at end of term.  As of now, he's the only Chinese-American Watsonville City Council person.

Jun Lee was elected to the Scotts Valley City Council in 1976 and was selected as Mayor in 1980 - first Mayor of Chinese ancestry in the County. 

Henry Hibino was elected to Salinas City Council in early 1970s and eventually became mayor -- first Japanese-American mayor in the region". Jane Yokoyama was elected to the City Council by a huge vote and later became Mayor of Santa Cruz in 1990-1992. I just wanted to pass that info along...strange isn't it??

PATHWAYS TO THE PAST BOOKSIGNING THIS SATURDAY. The newest publication by The Museum of Art & History "Pathways To The Past" will have a huge bunch of it's authors at a book signing this Saturday at the Museum from 3pm-5 p.m. It's a great collection of articles on Santa Cruz County History. As it says in their press release "Join us for a book signing to celebrate the publication of History Journal 6. Twenty local authors guide the reader along various Pathways to the Past. Beginning with reminiscences of a pre-statehood pioneer and concluding with impressions and a poem inspired by the 1989 earthquake, this eclectic journal features early Santa Cruz artists, tales of spiritualism, an early civil-rights case, egg-laying contests, and a gigantic cheese. Ranging from the north coast through Capitola to Watsonville, and down the San Lorenzo River, it provides images or both heroism and everyday life. This journal is enlivened by more than 160 drawings, painting, photographs, and maps. Location: MAH Atrium, 3-5pm, cost: free".
 

RE ELERICK'S INPUT LAST WEEK.  Incoming email response from Nikki Derby "Thank you, Paul Elerick, for your coverage of Poor Clare's in the latest issue of brattononline.com  and for bringing up this issue with the Sierra Club, Santa Cruz Group of the Ventana Chapter who agreed to write a letter to the county opposing any rezoning of Poor Clares!
Subject: No Senior Housing Guarantee for Poor Clares
At our April 1st Community Meeting several people were in favor of senior housing.  What would it take to ensure that the high-density development would be limited to seniors?  We asked the Planning Department and here is their answer.(repeat from above)

"The County cannot put any restrictions on the land other than the use and the density (residential, 20 units per acre). The developer of the property will decide what population they want to serve in developing the property. If Dominican is the developer, they can restrict the eligible residents to seniors, the disabled, or any other population if they choose to. If Dominican sells the property to a developer, they would have the choice to negotiate the use of the property with the developer during the sale. "

We were also told that the property would be worth less as a senior housing complex! There is no legal senior restriction once it is rezoned.

The petition pavement pounders will be out in force this weekend.  Go team!  We still need help on Poplar, Coates, Searidge, Park, LaVerne, Gertrude and Margaret.  If you live on one of these streets and have a couple of hours to spare this weekend, please consider helping, just let me know.  If you want to sign a petition and no one has visited you, send me an email and we'll arrange to get your signature.

The county has begun to receive some very solid letters (their words) from us regarding the Negative Declaration Initial Study.  Mentioning the traffic problem, including lack of access to Seacliff State Beach, losing the trees and habitat for monarch butterflies is important information for the Coastal Commission, so please consider including these as a part of your letter.  Your letters are very important! Don't forget the deadline is April 15th, so please mail them by Monday, the 13th. Thanks, Nikki Derby.

RE: SEARLES SALVO LAST WEEK. M.L. Anderson writes "This is also why South County Housing Co. was wrong about Felton:
1. 5500% more growth than the SLV had seen in 20 years.
2. Suburbia style "planned community" did not reflect the desire of the community
3. General plan changes would have been made to suit the developer.

PATTON'S PROGRAM.  Attorney Gary Patton is "Of Counsel" for Wittwer &  Parkin. He produces the following as his script for his KUSP "Land Use Report".
Gary talks about The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors and working on a pro developers Planned Unit Development scheme which needs more public exposure. Then he discusses how we should be learning about the Aptos Village Plan now in the works. Supervisor John Leopold is requesting a local elected official be allowed on the State Coastal Commission...and that would sure be a new idea!!! There's a water usage meeting coming up in Monterey (details on Gary's link) and he closes by saying we could learn a lot by joining the League of Women Voters in Monterey County who do a great job of keeping tabs on water issues.

EAGAN'S DEEP COVER. Tim reveals "The Seven Stages of Grief....Republican Style" scroll down about three pages.

LANDAU'S PROGRES. Saul rips apart "The Surge" in his article titled "Iraqi dead join us optimists to extol success of surge" Read it here

PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC CLUB MEETING. John Laird will be talking about State Finances, there'll be discussions about the Special election May 19 and there's even some (nearly historic) data on the earliest of PDC meetings. The monthly meeting of the PDC will be this Thursday April 16 at 7p.m. in the Democratic Headquarters which are in The Galleria building over on Front Street.  Click here

"MOVIES, MOVIES EVERYWHERE...AND NONE TO MAKE YOU THINK".

ALIEN TRESPASS. This is a loving tribute to the 1950's Science Friction films where Space aliens cause heat by rubbing us the wrong way. Not a Mel Brooks funny take-off film it's simply a re-creation complete with same old plot, same old hair do's , and guys in rubber suits. Go only if you liked those films, I do and I laughed a lot.

PHOEBE IN WONDERLAND. Read the reviews... this little fable starring Dakota Fanning's sister Elle is about her having Tourette's Syndrome. It's no romp in anyone's park. It's poorly directed, amateurishly acted, and very confusing and even Felicity Huffman in a cheesy wig, Patricia Clarkson acts extra spacey and she's working from a terrible script and Bill Pullman kept doing his best to be stranger than ever can't save this mess. Warning Don't bring the kids, and you shouldn't go either...if you know what's good for you.

SKILLS LIKE THIS. It probably isn't proper to tell this but Lisa Jensen, Morton Marcus, Dennis Morton and I tried hard to outdo each other in who hated this movie the most. I do not remember when the four of us at any screening had ever agreed as much on a film. It isn't funny, not clever, and miserable acting, poor camera work, very unlikable characters (even the leads). Just try to forget it even exists. Warn your friends while you're at it. Friends don't let friends see Skills Like This.

HUGE BAROQUE CONFERENCE. Who knew??? There's a special two day conference titled "Unfolding the Baroque" happening all day this Friday and Saturday. The conference has scholars from near and far talking about deep phases of the Baroque. Go to http://vps.ucsc.edu/unfolding/vps.html for details, and there's lots of them.

SANTA CRUZ BAROQUE FESTIVAL Their next performance and probably part of aforementioned conference is "Listening to Nature - Musique Plein Air". What that means is Sheila Willey (soprano) and Matthew Auerbach (harpsichord). With Linda Burman-Hall (harpsichord) and Amy Brodo (viol & violoncello).They'll be playing Music of color, featuring Bach's Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, Couperin's Les Dominos (a suite of color-matched baroque emotions) and his sunny Musettes for two harpsichords, joined by vocal works inspired by light and its absence. A meet-the-artist reception follows for donors and subscribers. Tickets at UCSC Ticket Ofc (831-459-2159), SC Tickets (www.santacruztickets.com), Civic Center Box Office. Or go to SC Baroque Festival (www.scbaroque.org, 831-457-9693. It's all happening Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 7:30 PM ~ UCSC Music Center Recital Hall.

UNIVERSITY GRAPEVINE. See above details. We've moved the weekly radio interview program that I host to Tuesday night 7:30-8:30. That's on KZSC 88.1 fm of course. This week Nancy Lingemann will be telling us stories about the tango and her history with that unique dance. In the second half hour Joan Gilbert Martin, Stan Stevens and Paul Figueroa will bring us up to date on all the events happening at the Museum and that "Pathways to the Past" book.

QUOTES. "So be conscious of your feet and perhaps they will lead you on the Wayless Way", Chloe Scott. "Stained glass, engraved glass, frosted glass; give me plain glass", John Fowles. "Five fingers...one hand," Red Auerbach.

Deep Cover

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Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.

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CAPITOLA 1895. This would be the year that the second Camp Capitola Hotel opened. You can see it sort of top center. This was before the trolley line (ie Public Transit)was connected in 1904. This bridge was the wagon bridge, not to be confused with the railroad trestle. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

COMMUNITY STUDIES PROGRAM TO BE AXED.

Since last Thursday and over the weekend UCSC students and many involved department members have been working like crazy to save the Community Studies program and have formed the Coalition to Save Community Studies. Few of us in the community can realize how much over the years the thousands of UCSC interns have worked for free in and around the county to help our local organizations survive. This is the bulletin that I sent out to all BrattonOnline subscribers over the weekend.

UCSC's Dean of Social Studies Sheldon Kamieniecki announces elimination of Community Studies Department by July 1^st of this year.

There'll be no faculty left and no administration staff left either in the 40 year old UCSC's Community Studies Department in an announcement spread around the campus in the last few days. In an effort to cut back $1.3 million dollars UCSC Dean of Social Studies Sheldon Kamieniecki has decided to eliminate the Community Studies Department. This story on Community Studies first began developing on campus last Tuesday March 31 but there's been nothing in The Sentinel and apparently not even the 350 students with a Community Studies major will know about it until Tuesday April 7^th.

Fact checkers and spies of all known genders and persuasions are working on this and I'll be adding and subtracting as necessary.

Community Studies is arguably one of the most popular majors on campus and certainly the most talked about major in our community. Folks like Mike Rotkin and Mardi Wormhoudt are lecturers for Community Studies. There's no other UC campus with a major like Community Studies. So far it appears the administration may change it to a minor not a major..

This is what UCSC's own declaration says about the Social Sciences Division....

"The division is the intellectual home of nearly half of all UCSC undergraduates and almost one-third of the campus's graduate students. Our faculty is engaged in cutting-edge research on some of the most pressing topics of the day, from politics and economics to education, community studies, and environmental conservation and policy, and they are making their mark: A national study showed that UCSC's social scientists are setting the standard for their peers at campuses across the country (Graham and Diamond)".(from the UCSC Social Science Website).

Community Studies is part of Social Sciences. Now we can wonder aloud about a cut in Economics, or Politics, Psychology or Environmental Studies all part of Social Sciences...instead they just axed Community Services!!! Then too rumors are rampant about  cutting Feminist Studies and American Studies. Please check out the Admin Flow Chart for Social Sciences which was just updated January 12, of this year.

Why "they" didn't make maybe a 5% cut across the board instead of this cruel scuttling may be explained later...but it's a great question that needs asking...and answering.

Read here to learn how UCSC had a five year plan for the future...and how it tells that some studies or concepts may be dropped....is this happened to Community Studies?

Dean Kamieniecki wasn't in when I called but a "shy" (her word) member of his support staff said, "faculty aren't being fired, no jobs are being eliminated" and the program is not scheduled for elimination". She went on to read a statement saying "drastic and unpleasant choices are being contemplated" and that "they are keeping an eye on public response". The shy person assisting the Dean also said that "the cutbacks are in development stages". "There's no news, no concrete information" she added. She suggested I call the Public Information Office I did and left a message (and the topic) no return phone call...yet. 

When I asked one participant in the Community Studies Department (Friday early afternoon) if they had heard about they stated," Yes, I got the news this morning (Friday) and I'm sick about it.  It seems to me a very sad commentary on the priorities of the University.  I hope it can be stopped".

Later in the day (still Friday) Mike Rotkin responded and said, "Yes, it is for real. Opposition is organizing as I write. Thanks for getting on it and spreading the word. Mike." He and I have spoken a few times since to keep up on what's happening.

Dean Sheldon Kamieniecki just sent these statements to the press Monday night April 6th...

"I very much regret the cuts that I am considering for Community Studies and every other area of the division. In fact, the scale of our cuts has left me with no easy choices.""Since I am still in the process of discussing with faculty and staff my ideas for balancing the division's budget, it is premature for me to detail specific cuts that I am proposing." "The Community Studies cut I am contemplating, while sizable, represents approximately 15 percent of the division's $1.3 million cut." "On UC campuses, decisions to add or eliminate undergraduate majors are made by faculty within those divisions and in full consultation with the campus's Academic Senate. Such decisions cannot deny currently enrolled students who have declared that major, current students who have proposed declaring that major, or incoming students who have declared that major with the opportunity to earn a degree in that discipline."

Be sure to read www.BrattonOnline.com next week for follow-up In the meantime facts and opinions will come in and will be added to BrattonOnlineBulletins

Subscribe now to BrattonOnline.com and get any/all bulletins...it's always free and confidential.

4-20 TERRIBLE MARIJUANA AND UCSC TRADITION. Just to show they're good sports the administration at UCSC just released a reminder that 4-20 (which some folks say is a legal police code number for marijuana use) but is also 4/20/09, well April 20th (just a week from Monday) will be the biggest day of the year at the UCSC campus.

So, if you have "valid reasons for being on campus on the afternoon of April 20 plan accordingly", says

Campus Provost/Executive Vice Chancellor David Kliger...read his very hip invitation...

April 6, 2009

Message to faculty and staff re: "4-20"

Dear Colleagues,

On a number of college campuses each April 20, people gather—often in very large numbers—to smoke marijuana. In recent years, our campus has become the site for a large "4-20" gathering.

This is an unsanctioned and unwelcome activity on our campus:

* Marijuana use violates federal and state laws.

* This event in the past has brought throngs of people—many of whom have no affiliation with UCSC—to the west side of our campus at a time of day when students, faculty, staff, and visitors are on their way to and from classes, labs, offices, residential areas, and other campus-sponsored activities.

* The presence of large numbers of people can disrupt the normal operation of the campus and jeopardizes the safety of pedestrians and drivers as they make their way across the west side of campus.

This situation creates multiple challenges for the campus in terms of management and enforcement. Campus resources are limited; our efforts must be focused on ensuring safety, minimizing impact to normal operations, and discouraging participation. The following measures will be in place on Monday, April 20:

* The West Entrance to campus will be closed to inbound vehicular traffic, beginning at 3 p.m. It will remain closed until traffic personnel determine that it is appropriate to reopen.

* Metro buses and campus shuttles, including the "loop" vehicles, will be rerouted away from the west side of campus, beginning at 3 p.m. Metro buses will enter campus through the Main Entrance only, travel up Coolidge, and loop back to the Main Entrance via Hagar. Metro buses during this period of time will only make one stop in the campus core: on Hagar, between Quarry Plaza and OPERS.

* A reduced number of campus shuttles will continue to connect the east and west sides of campus—following the normal "core" route west, before turning uphill on Heller, and returning along McLaughlin to the east side of campus. (Disability van service, with the possible exception of delays caused by traffic congestion, will be unaffected by these changes.)

*Campus parking regulations will be strictly enforced.

* Sections of Empire Grade, uphill from the Arboretum, will be designated as a tow-away zone. Extra patrols will be on duty to enforce this restriction, and vehicles will be ticketed and towed at owners' expense.

This early notification is intended to help students, faculty, staff, and guests with valid reasons for being on campus on the afternoon of April 20 plan accordingly. Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

David Kliger
Campus Provost/Executive Vice Chancellor

MEMORABLE PROSE. You know how once in a great while you'll be reading along and a phrase will be so perfect, so strong, so meaningful you are just stopped in your tracks? Jondi Gumz in last week's Sentinel wrote..."Mervyn's department store has been stripped to the studs". She deserves some kind of "special cloud in newspaper heaven" for that line.

SINCERE APOLOGY. A few weeks ago I wrote here that "CASTROVILLE'S CENTRAL TEXAN BBQ TO CLOSE". More than that, I wrote"the owner has some health problems". After many attempts at telephoning The Central Texan BBQ pleaded with me to simply say none of that was true. They aren't closing and no-one is in poor health!!! Wow, I depended entirely on a long time friend's email, without checking and we are both sorry about it. Whether someone was just joking at the restaurant we'll never know. Apologies to all concerned. The restaurant with all your BBQ favorites is alive and very well at 10500 Merritt Street, in Castroville. (phone 831 633-2285). The only positive thing from this is that Chris at the Restaurant told me they had been swamped with reactions to the mention in BrattonOnline.

PATTON'S PROGRAM. Gary talks about mobilehomes and rents in Marina and how it all applies to Santa Cruz too. He says more about Atkinson Lane and development problems and how we should get involved with projects early on. Then he writes about water usage and overdraft and agriculture. In Thursdays program he tells about how he'll be on University Grapevine that afternoon 4-4:30 to talk about water usage and growth in Santa Cruz and how so far we are regarded as being independent in our water sources. He end sby telling about the Agriculture workshop in Salinas at Hartnell.

ABOUT GEOFF MORTON. To say Geoff Morton is an artist, a painter and a printmaker is like saying Verdi was a song writer. Geoff and his wife Jenny moved to Santa Cruz from England just six years ago. Since then Geoff did a bunch of excellent acting roles with various companies and as an artist became a strong voice in changing our cultural reputation. Plus he gained many, many friends. So did Jenny whose ceramic pieces are now in collections everywhere. Geoff just found out some terrible news and wrote the following."  Just recently I began to notice stiffness in my left side, leg, arm and face and began to lose basic coordination skills together with slurred speech.

I hoped it was only muscle strain and that it would improve - unfortunately it worsened on 18th March and was taken to the emergency room at Dominican Hospital. Tests were taken and the diagnosis revealed a brain tumor the pressure of which had affected the left side of my body. A brain biopsy showed a malignant tumor which is now being treated with radiation therapy to be followed by chemotherapy. I have been in the Acute Rehabilitation Unit at Frederick St. Santa Cruz where I received the most amazing physiotherapy, care and support which enabled me to walk with a frame and regain some movement in my hand and arm. I am now home with my family near La Selva Beach.

This is just a brief outline of my situation and more importantly I want to express my gratitude to all the Doctors, Nurses, Therapists and staff at both Dominican Hospital and ARU (Frederick St.). Their commitment, kindness and care will always be in my heart".(End of Geoff's email)

Call (831) 763-2541 if you can think of a way you'd like to help Geoff, or just get a message to him or plan on a visit.  Medical expenses are severe and if you've ever thought of owning a Geoff Morton painting or print now would be a great time to buy one.

EAGAN'S DEEP COVER. Tim hammers out an Anvil Chorus to help us through these troubled times....scroll down about 2 pages.

LANDAU'S PROGRES. Read Saul Landau's excellent comparison of how Nixon and Joe Biden were treated in Latin America and what a difference Biden could make if he listens. Read about General Hubris and read Saul's take on what has become our Latin American foreign policy.

WATERS WEIGHS IN. Christina's back from the desert and has a few choice tales to tell about Las Vegas, the good, the bad and the tacky. Also some cool wines and a recipe for Peeps carpaccio.  All at  www.christinawaters.com

NEWS RE CUBA AND EMBARGO. Senator Richard G. Lugar the Republican senator from Indiana – is urging President Obama to talk to the Cuban government and change policy. Sam Farr said that removing the restrictions on travel for all Americans – an effort that Sam has  been instrumental in getting to the floor of the House. It's just a first step toward major changes in Cuba policy. Lugar is doing this to pave the way for Obama changing the U.S. stance on Cuba membership in the OAS before he travels to an OAS meeting later this month. Here's Lugar's letter to President Obama explaining his position.

FAST AND FURIOUS #4. It is embarrassing but this Vin Diesel numb and dumb action fiction car crapper film beat box-office records. The opening gas-hauling-trailer-jacking sequence was clever and well edited. But don't think of seeing this even at home when no-one else is watching. 

12 NOT SO ANGRY RUSSIAN MEN. Be sure to see 12 now at the Nickelodeon. It's an excellent film that requires attention and is absorbing....so it won't be there very long. It is the very Russian version of 12 Angry Men. It's also a completely different take on the same subject, so try not to compare the two. It's more like a contemporary view of what Russia is like now after the break-up of the states.

NUREMBERG READER. Don Owen long time Santa Cruzan (a very long time Santa Cruzan) emailed from Nuremberg, "I enjoy BrattonOnline it keeps me up to date with what is really going on in Santa Cruz. Oh how I miss dear old Santa Cruz.

My hobby is researching WWII history. I ran across a story tonight about a Santa Cruz  resident CPL. Charles Hiram Street who was one of 133 POWs who was shot in the last days of the War (1945) in the Philippines. A trench was dug, filled with gasoline and set on fire. Any of the POWs who tried to escape were shot. Only 11 out of the entire group survived. CPL Street did not. This story was in the movie "The Raid".

Do you have any recollection of a NAVY DAY, I believe it was? The year was 1946 or 1947. A big storm came up. The destroyer(s) that was being boarded and toured by Santa Cruz citizens was ordered to leave, citizens and all. The beach around the Arcade was strewn with LCVPs.(that would be Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel) It was like D Day but no gun fire. The kids, including me crawled around the boats and had the time of our lives" (Editors note: Do any of you online readers know of Charles Hiram Street or that Navy Day back in the late 40's??).

Don went on..."I watched CNN today and the moderator was asking people about the animosity that Europeans have for the USA because of the economic crisis. Living here I can tell you there is no animosity. They are so glad that Obama was elected. They love him. The night he was elected, the restaurant owner and his wife came up and danced and asked us, "Are you glad about Obama. We are!!" People love America in Europe and have HOPE for the first time in a long time!!!" Thanks Don.

GOOD TIMES TURNED 34 LAST WEEK. I have no idea why but Good Times didn't even brag last week about having been in print for 34 years as of April 1. It's a success story no matter how you look at it. That issue contained my very first local column and did so off and on for many years to follow. Congratulations.

THE HOT WIRE. Maria Gaura sent this email last Friday "Dear Friends and Readers,
We would like to introduce SantaCruzWire.com, a local news site for Santa Cruz and the Central Coast. After four months of fine-tuning our site, we are officially launching SantaCruzWire.com today, April 3, with some new features and a slate of new stories.
* Peggy Townsend writes about the last big stimulus package, approved during the Great Depression, and the changes it brought to Santa Cruz.
* Maria Gaura writes about grass-fed, natural and organic beef, what the
labels mean, and where to buy it in Santa Cruz.
* Tara Leonard writes about the Human Care Alliance, and how social
service providers band together during hard times to keep the safety net
intact.
* Jennifer Pittman writes about how the Santa Cruz tech community keeps
networking and dreaming big despite the economic slowdown.
Please check out our free subscription service, which allows us to notify you by email when we post a new story on SantaCruzWire.com. We promise that your contact information will not be shared with, or sold to, anyone. Come and check us out at http://santacruzwire.com/ SantaCruzWire.com is your connection to local life!

MURAL IN PARADISE. Former Santa Cruzan Peter Bartczak who did the Dancing Locals on the Beach with Dog mural in SCOPE Park (by the Town Clock) and the aerial view of Santa Cruz on the Upper Crust Pizza on Mission Street has finished a new mural up in Paradise, California where he's lived for lots of years. He calls it, "Finished Salt" .

When I asked him why the title he emailed to tell us, "It's actually headed for the Northwest Recreation and Community Center in Salt Lake City. I will be delivering and installing it (it's 16'x5' and is on two wooden panels) sometime this summer.  Attached to it is a rough bit of writing that will turn into a novel length account of my cancer adventure. It's very rough and disjointed but I caught the right voice". That's Peter lying down on the job.

Peter also just emailed again to say that, "I'll be painting a 20 foot x 15 foot mural on the back of the Fox Theatre in Watsonville (see attachment) April 18-24^th". See right for a preview of the Admiral Dewey- P.N. Lettunich label.

APRIL IN SANTA CRUZ FREE FEST. The first two concerts in this year's April in Santa Cruz were wonderful. The rest I can almost guarantee will be just as great.

April 15 – YARN/WIRE

New York Piano/Percussion Quartet featuring works of Luciano Berio, Ben Carson & Hi Kyung Kim [Wed 15 April  – 7:30 pm – Music Center Recital Hall]free

April 19 – CONTEMPORARY MUSIC ENSEMBLE

from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music featuring works of Harbison, Imbrie, Messiaen

Jean-Michel Fonteneau, conductor [Sunday 19 April – 7:30 pm – Music Center Recital Hall] free

April 29 – PREMIERES & DEBUTS

UCSC's Percussion Ensemble, Honors String Quartet & Woodwind Quintet including works by John Cage, "Blue" Gene Tyranny, and others. [Wednesday 29 April – 7:30 pm- Music Center Recital Hall] free

UNIVERSITY GRAPEVINE. Every Thursday from 4-5 pm I host University Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. This Thursday former County Supervisor and political activist Gary Patton and I will talk about local politics. In the second half Donna Mekis and Kathryn Mekis Miller will talk about their new book on the Croatians in Pajaro Valley titled Blossoms into Gold.

QUOTES."How is it possible for a man not to be material; the whole body is material", Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. "May my hands proclaim that my eyes have loved", Haynes Bok. "Anyone can hate, it costs to love", John Williamson.

Deep Cover

Mail This Column to a Friend

Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.

CAPITOLA 1895. This would be the year that the second Camp Capitola Hotel opened. You can see it sort of top center. This was before the trolley line (ie Public Transit)was connected in 1904. This bridge was the wagon bridge, not to be confused with the railroad trestle. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

COMMUNITY STUDIES PROGRAM TO BE AXED.

Since last Thursday and over the weekend UCSC students and many involved department members have been working like crazy to save the Community Studies program and have formed the Coalition to Save Community Studies. Few of us in the community can realize how much over the years the thousands of UCSC interns have worked for free in and around the county to help our local organizations survive. This is the bulletin that I sent out to all BrattonOnline subscribers over the weekend.

UCSC's Dean of Social Studies Sheldon Kamieniecki announces elimination of Community Studies Department by July 1^st of this year.

There'll be no faculty left and no administration staff left either in the 40 year old UCSC's Community Studies Department in an announcement spread around the campus in the last few days. In an effort to cut back $1.3 million dollars UCSC Dean of Social Studies Sheldon Kamieniecki has decided to eliminate the Community Studies Department. This story on Community Studies first began developing on campus last Tuesday March 31 but there's been nothing in The Sentinel and apparently not even the 350 students with a Community Studies major will know about it until Tuesday April 7^th.

Fact checkers and spies of all known genders and persuasions are working on this and I'll be adding and subtracting as necessary.

Community Studies is arguably one of the most popular majors on campus and certainly the most talked about major in our community. Folks like Mike Rotkin and Mardi Wormhoudt are lecturers for Community Studies. There's no other UC campus with a major like Community Studies. So far it appears the administration may change it to a minor not a major..

This is what UCSC's own declaration says about the Social Sciences Division....

"The division is the intellectual home of nearly half of all UCSC undergraduates and almost one-third of the campus's graduate students. Our faculty is engaged in cutting-edge research on some of the most pressing topics of the day, from politics and economics to education, community studies, and environmental conservation and policy, and they are making their mark: A national study showed that UCSC's social scientists are setting the standard for their peers at campuses across the country (Graham and Diamond)".(from the UCSC Social Science Website).

Community Studies is part of Social Sciences. Now we can wonder aloud about a cut in Economics, or Politics, Psychology or Environmental Studies all part of Social Sciences...instead they just axed Community Services!!! Then too rumors are rampant about  cutting Feminist Studies and American Studies. Please check out the Admin Flow Chart for Social Sciences which was just updated January 12, of this year.

Why "they" didn't make maybe a 5% cut across the board instead of this cruel scuttling may be explained later...but it's a great question that needs asking...and answering.

Read here to learn how UCSC had a five year plan for the future...and how it tells that some studies or concepts may be dropped....is this happened to Community Studies?

Dean Kamieniecki wasn't in when I called but a "shy" (her word) member of his support staff said, "faculty aren't being fired, no jobs are being eliminated" and the program is not scheduled for elimination". She went on to read a statement saying "drastic and unpleasant choices are being contemplated" and that "they are keeping an eye on public response". The shy person assisting the Dean also said that "the cutbacks are in development stages". "There's no news, no concrete information" she added. She suggested I call the Public Information Office I did and left a message (and the topic) no return phone call...yet. 

When I asked one participant in the Community Studies Department (Friday early afternoon) if they had heard about they stated," Yes, I got the news this morning (Friday) and I'm sick about it.  It seems to me a very sad commentary on the priorities of the University.  I hope it can be stopped".

Later in the day (still Friday) Mike Rotkin responded and said, "Yes, it is for real. Opposition is organizing as I write. Thanks for getting on it and spreading the word. Mike." He and I have spoken a few times since to keep up on what's happening.

Dean Sheldon Kamieniecki just sent these statements to the press Monday night April 6th...

"I very much regret the cuts that I am considering for Community Studies and every other area of the division. In fact, the scale of our cuts has left me with no easy choices.""Since I am still in the process of discussing with faculty and staff my ideas for balancing the division's budget, it is premature for me to detail specific cuts that I am proposing." "The Community Studies cut I am contemplating, while sizable, represents approximately 15 percent of the division's $1.3 million cut." "On UC campuses, decisions to add or eliminate undergraduate majors are made by faculty within those divisions and in full consultation with the campus's Academic Senate. Such decisions cannot deny currently enrolled students who have declared that major, current students who have proposed declaring that major, or incoming students who have declared that major with the opportunity to earn a degree in that discipline."

Be sure to read www.BrattonOnline.com next week for follow-up In the meantime facts and opinions will come in and will be added to BrattonOnlineBulletins

Subscribe now to BrattonOnline.com and get any/all bulletins...it's always free and confidential.

4-20 TERRIBLE MARIJUANA AND UCSC TRADITION. Just to show they're good sports the administration at UCSC just released a reminder that 4-20 (which some folks say is a legal police code number for marijuana use) but is also 4/20/09, well April 20th (just a week from Monday) will be the biggest day of the year at the UCSC campus.

So, if you have "valid reasons for being on campus on the afternoon of April 20 plan accordingly", says

Campus Provost/Executive Vice Chancellor David Kliger...read his very hip invitation...

April 6, 2009

Message to faculty and staff re: "4-20"

Dear Colleagues,

On a number of college campuses each April 20, people gather—often in very large numbers—to smoke marijuana. In recent years, our campus has become the site for a large "4-20" gathering.

This is an unsanctioned and unwelcome activity on our campus:

* Marijuana use violates federal and state laws.

* This event in the past has brought throngs of people—many of whom have no affiliation with UCSC—to the west side of our campus at a time of day when students, faculty, staff, and visitors are on their way to and from classes, labs, offices, residential areas, and other campus-sponsored activities.

* The presence of large numbers of people can disrupt the normal operation of the campus and jeopardizes the safety of pedestrians and drivers as they make their way across the west side of campus.

This situation creates multiple challenges for the campus in terms of management and enforcement. Campus resources are limited; our efforts must be focused on ensuring safety, minimizing impact to normal operations, and discouraging participation. The following measures will be in place on Monday, April 20:

* The West Entrance to campus will be closed to inbound vehicular traffic, beginning at 3 p.m. It will remain closed until traffic personnel determine that it is appropriate to reopen.

* Metro buses and campus shuttles, including the "loop" vehicles, will be rerouted away from the west side of campus, beginning at 3 p.m. Metro buses will enter campus through the Main Entrance only, travel up Coolidge, and loop back to the Main Entrance via Hagar. Metro buses during this period of time will only make one stop in the campus core: on Hagar, between Quarry Plaza and OPERS.

* A reduced number of campus shuttles will continue to connect the east and west sides of campus—following the normal "core" route west, before turning uphill on Heller, and returning along McLaughlin to the east side of campus. (Disability van service, with the possible exception of delays caused by traffic congestion, will be unaffected by these changes.)

*Campus parking regulations will be strictly enforced.

* Sections of Empire Grade, uphill from the Arboretum, will be designated as a tow-away zone. Extra patrols will be on duty to enforce this restriction, and vehicles will be ticketed and towed at owners' expense.

This early notification is intended to help students, faculty, staff, and guests with valid reasons for being on campus on the afternoon of April 20 plan accordingly. Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

David Kliger
Campus Provost/Executive Vice Chancellor

MEMORABLE PROSE. You know how once in a great while you'll be reading along and a phrase will be so perfect, so strong, so meaningful you are just stopped in your tracks? Jondi Gumz in last week's Sentinel wrote..."Mervyn's department store has been stripped to the studs". She deserves some kind of "special cloud in newspaper heaven" for that line.

SINCERE APOLOGY. A few weeks ago I wrote here that "CASTROVILLE'S CENTRAL TEXAN BBQ TO CLOSE". More than that, I wrote"the owner has some health problems". After many attempts at telephoning The Central Texan BBQ pleaded with me to simply say none of that was true. They aren't closing and no-one is in poor health!!! Wow, I depended entirely on a long time friend's email, without checking and we are both sorry about it. Whether someone was just joking at the restaurant we'll never know. Apologies to all concerned. The restaurant with all your BBQ favorites is alive and very well at 10500 Merritt Street, in Castroville. (phone 831 633-2285). The only positive thing from this is that Chris at the Restaurant told me they had been swamped with reactions to the mention in BrattonOnline.

PATTON'S PROGRAM. Gary talks about mobilehomes and rents in Marina and how it all applies to Santa Cruz too. He says more about Atkinson Lane and development problems and how we should get involved with projects early on. Then he writes about water usage and overdraft and agriculture. In Thursdays program he tells about how he'll be on University Grapevine that afternoon 4-4:30 to talk about water usage and growth in Santa Cruz and how so far we are regarded as being independent in our water sources. He end sby telling about the Agriculture workshop in Salinas at Hartnell.

ABOUT GEOFF MORTON. To say Geoff Morton is an artist, a painter and a printmaker is like saying Verdi was a song writer. Geoff and his wife Jenny moved to Santa Cruz from England just six years ago. Since then Geoff did a bunch of excellent acting roles with various companies and as an artist became a strong voice in changing our cultural reputation. Plus he gained many, many friends. So did Jenny whose ceramic pieces are now in collections everywhere. Geoff just found out some terrible news and wrote the following."  Just recently I began to notice stiffness in my left side, leg, arm and face and began to lose basic coordination skills together with slurred speech.

I hoped it was only muscle strain and that it would improve - unfortunately it worsened on 18th March and was taken to the emergency room at Dominican Hospital. Tests were taken and the diagnosis revealed a brain tumor the pressure of which had affected the left side of my body. A brain biopsy showed a malignant tumor which is now being treated with radiation therapy to be followed by chemotherapy. I have been in the Acute Rehabilitation Unit at Frederick St. Santa Cruz where I received the most amazing physiotherapy, care and support which enabled me to walk with a frame and regain some movement in my hand and arm. I am now home with my family near La Selva Beach.

This is just a brief outline of my situation and more importantly I want to express my gratitude to all the Doctors, Nurses, Therapists and staff at both Dominican Hospital and ARU (Frederick St.). Their commitment, kindness and care will always be in my heart".(End of Geoff's email)

Call (831) 763-2541 if you can think of a way you'd like to help Geoff, or just get a message to him or plan on a visit.  Medical expenses are severe and if you've ever thought of owning a Geoff Morton painting or print now would be a great time to buy one.

EAGAN'S DEEP COVER. Tim hammers out an Anvil Chorus to help us through these troubled times....scroll down about 2 pages.

LANDAU'S PROGRES. Read Saul Landau's excellent comparison of how Nixon and Joe Biden were treated in Latin America and what a difference Biden could make if he listens. Read about General Hubris and read Saul's take on what has become our Latin American foreign policy.

WATERS WEIGHS IN. Christina's back from the desert and has a few choice tales to tell about Las Vegas, the good, the bad and the tacky. Also some cool wines and a recipe for Peeps carpaccio.  All at  www.christinawaters.com

NEWS RE CUBA AND EMBARGO. Senator Richard G. Lugar the Republican senator from Indiana – is urging President Obama to talk to the Cuban government and change policy. Sam Farr said that removing the restrictions on travel for all Americans – an effort that Sam has  been instrumental in getting to the floor of the House. It's just a first step toward major changes in Cuba policy. Lugar is doing this to pave the way for Obama changing the U.S. stance on Cuba membership in the OAS before he travels to an OAS meeting later this month. Here's Lugar's letter to President Obama explaining his position.

FAST AND FURIOUS #4. It is embarrassing but this Vin Diesel numb and dumb action fiction car crapper film beat box-office records. The opening gas-hauling-trailer-jacking sequence was clever and well edited. But don't think of seeing this even at home when no-one else is watching. 

12 NOT SO ANGRY RUSSIAN MEN. Be sure to see 12 now at the Nickelodeon. It's an excellent film that requires attention and is absorbing....so it won't be there very long. It is the very Russian version of 12 Angry Men. It's also a completely different take on the same subject, so try not to compare the two. It's more like a contemporary view of what Russia is like now after the break-up of the states.

NUREMBERG READER. Don Owen long time Santa Cruzan (a very long time Santa Cruzan) emailed from Nuremberg, "I enjoy BrattonOnline it keeps me up to date with what is really going on in Santa Cruz. Oh how I miss dear old Santa Cruz.

My hobby is researching WWII history. I ran across a story tonight about a Santa Cruz  resident CPL. Charles Hiram Street who was one of 133 POWs who was shot in the last days of the War (1945) in the Philippines. A trench was dug, filled with gasoline and set on fire. Any of the POWs who tried to escape were shot. Only 11 out of the entire group survived. CPL Street did not. This story was in the movie "The Raid".

Do you have any recollection of a NAVY DAY, I believe it was? The year was 1946 or 1947. A big storm came up. The destroyer(s) that was being boarded and toured by Santa Cruz citizens was ordered to leave, citizens and all. The beach around the Arcade was strewn with LCVPs.(that would be Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel) It was like D Day but no gun fire. The kids, including me crawled around the boats and had the time of our lives" (Editors note: Do any of you online readers know of Charles Hiram Street or that Navy Day back in the late 40's??).

Don went on..."I watched CNN today and the moderator was asking people about the animosity that Europeans have for the USA because of the economic crisis. Living here I can tell you there is no animosity. They are so glad that Obama was elected. They love him. The night he was elected, the restaurant owner and his wife came up and danced and asked us, "Are you glad about Obama. We are!!" People love America in Europe and have HOPE for the first time in a long time!!!" Thanks Don.

GOOD TIMES TURNED 34 LAST WEEK. I have no idea why but Good Times didn't even brag last week about having been in print for 34 years as of April 1. It's a success story no matter how you look at it. That issue contained my very first local column and did so off and on for many years to follow. Congratulations.

THE HOT WIRE. Maria Gaura sent this email last Friday "Dear Friends and Readers,
We would like to introduce SantaCruzWire.com, a local news site for Santa Cruz and the Central Coast. After four months of fine-tuning our site, we are officially launching SantaCruzWire.com today, April 3, with some new features and a slate of new stories.
* Peggy Townsend writes about the last big stimulus package, approved during the Great Depression, and the changes it brought to Santa Cruz.
* Maria Gaura writes about grass-fed, natural and organic beef, what the
labels mean, and where to buy it in Santa Cruz.
* Tara Leonard writes about the Human Care Alliance, and how social
service providers band together during hard times to keep the safety net
intact.
* Jennifer Pittman writes about how the Santa Cruz tech community keeps
networking and dreaming big despite the economic slowdown.
Please check out our free subscription service, which allows us to notify you by email when we post a new story on SantaCruzWire.com. We promise that your contact information will not be shared with, or sold to, anyone. Come and check us out at http://santacruzwire.com/ SantaCruzWire.com is your connection to local life!

MURAL IN PARADISE. Former Santa Cruzan Peter Bartczak who did the Dancing Locals on the Beach with Dog mural in SCOPE Park (by the Town Clock) and the aerial view of Santa Cruz on the Upper Crust Pizza on Mission Street has finished a new mural up in Paradise, California where he's lived for lots of years. He calls it, "Finished Salt" .

When I asked him why the title he emailed to tell us, "It's actually headed for the Northwest Recreation and Community Center in Salt Lake City. I will be delivering and installing it (it's 16'x5' and is on two wooden panels) sometime this summer.  Attached to it is a rough bit of writing that will turn into a novel length account of my cancer adventure. It's very rough and disjointed but I caught the right voice". That's Peter lying down on the job.

Peter also just emailed again to say that, "I'll be painting a 20 foot x 15 foot mural on the back of the Fox Theatre in Watsonville (see attachment) April 18-24^th". See right for a preview of the Admiral Dewey- P.N. Lettunich label.

APRIL IN SANTA CRUZ FREE FEST. The first two concerts in this year's April in Santa Cruz were wonderful. The rest I can almost guarantee will be just as great.

April 15 – YARN/WIRE

New York Piano/Percussion Quartet featuring works of Luciano Berio, Ben Carson & Hi Kyung Kim [Wed 15 April  – 7:30 pm – Music Center Recital Hall]free

April 19 – CONTEMPORARY MUSIC ENSEMBLE

from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music featuring works of Harbison, Imbrie, Messiaen

Jean-Michel Fonteneau, conductor [Sunday 19 April – 7:30 pm – Music Center Recital Hall] free

April 29 – PREMIERES & DEBUTS

UCSC's Percussion Ensemble, Honors String Quartet & Woodwind Quintet including works by John Cage, "Blue" Gene Tyranny, and others. [Wednesday 29 April – 7:30 pm- Music Center Recital Hall] free

UNIVERSITY GRAPEVINE. Every Thursday from 4-5 pm I host University Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. This Thursday former County Supervisor and political activist Gary Patton and I will talk about local politics. In the second half Donna Mekis and Kathryn Mekis Miller will talk about their new book on the Croatians in Pajaro Valley titled Blossoms into Gold.

QUOTES."How is it possible for a man not to be material; the whole body is material", Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. "May my hands proclaim that my eyes have loved", Haynes Bok. "Anyone can hate, it costs to love", John Williamson.

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Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.

HERB CAEN IN SANTA CRUZ. June 18, 1978. The Chronicle says that this Friday April 3rd would have been Herb's 93rd birthday, and they're running a lot of his special columns all week to celebrate. That's me in the middle (representing Good Times where'd Id been for its first 6 years) talking to Herb on the left. He's 62 there and I would have been 44. The suspicious looking beauty on the right is a Miss California contestant and we're in the ABC Conference room at our Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. This was the only time Herb had been to a Miss California thing. I'd met him a few times at his birthday parties in SF when my trio "The Goodtime Washboard 3" had been hired to entertain. He shared his birthday date and some parties with Jessica Mitford and her friends which made for some amazing celebrating. One of those parties was onboard Walter Landor' s retired ferryboat, Klamath, anchored at San Francisco's Pier 5. Landor was one of the world's foremost design geniuses. Mr. Caen and I were talking about just how much there is to write about in a weekly column or even a daily like he did. (photo by Tim Seidl of KAPU 104.7 fm. from my private collection). photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

THINK LOCAL NOT THINKING AT ALL. I'll bet that Starbucks or Mac Donald's or Trader Joes has more year round local employees than Barry Swenson Developers and no one considers them "Locally Owned". yet according to an email from Think Local and kindly forwarded by Thomas Leavitt...

"Think Local First plans to endorse La Bahia".

The Steering committee of Think Local First met with representatives of Barry Swenson Builders and has come to the conclusion that the La Bahia hotel project is a quintessential local project and deserves our endorsement. Here is the proposed wording. We are soliciting input from our members on this important political stand etc, etc". What in hell is "quintessential local" about Barry Swenson Developers??? What's more suspicious is that we see that Karl Heiman and Peter Beckmann are co-chairs of Think Local Santa Cruz. Karl as we know is owner of Café Pergolesi and Mr. Toots coffee houses and that Peter Beckmann owns Beckmann's Bakery. Somebody better for sure promise that we'll never see Beckmann Bakery products or a Mr. Toots Coffee House or a Café Pergolesi #2 located in the new La Bahia!! Besides that what part of Barry Swenson Developers is locally owned? Go here read about Swenson and Developers it's in San Jose, San Jose, SAN JOSE!!! The Swenson Headquarters are there, their projects are all over California, it's a 3 generation San Jose developer's corporation!! What's "quintessential local". Once again, let's make very sure that Karl Heiman and Peter Beckmann don't have secret promises about opening shops in the La Bahia...for shame on Think Local Santa Cruz. I believed them for awhile there, and attended their meetings and did all I could to support what they said was Thinking Local, sorry.

LYNN ROBINSON NOT TERMED OUT!!! Oops last week I said that Lynn Robinson was termed out of Santa Cruz City Council. She's not of course and has Debbie Elston and her trained neighbors firmly supporting her in this next campaign.

WHOLE FOODS FEEDBACK. Dan Dickmeyer emailed to tell us ":I was told by a Shopper's Corner employee who knows someone in bookkeeping at the Scotts Valley Safeway that they (the Safeway) had their worst day ever the day Whole Foods opened. My impression of the Whole Foods shoppers is that they look and act a lot like Scotts Valleyites and Aptosians (and you know what I mean.)

WHOLE FOODS FEEDBACK, 2. Josh Sonnenfeld took mouse in hand and emailed saying..."I saw your post on Whole Foods and thought you'd be interested in seeing this:
'Written By CEOs, For CEOs': Dems Pan Biz-Friendly Compromise on
Employee Free Choice
Click here.
The article talks about how the CEO of Whole Foods, along with the CEOs of Costco and Starbucks, has entered the battle over the Employee Free Choice Act. They claim to have proposed a 'compromise,' between management and labor, but all it really does is limit workers' rights to organize and enhance company's ability to intimidate employees. The good news is that most Democrats on the Hill have been able to see through their B.S. and reject their plan.

Whole Foods has also been accused of intimidating workers during UFCW union drives a few years ago. Although I don't know what the current status of that is.

Whole Foods, Starbucks and Costco like to think of themselves as 'progressive' companies, but what we've often found is these so called 'progressive' companies can sometimes be the worst around labor and community concerns, such as Whole Foods with the UFCW or Starbucks with the IWW. We definitely see this same thing in Santa Cruz, where the oh-so-holy Locally Owned Businesses went berserk over the proposal to raise the minimum wage. Popular spots such as Walnut Ave. Café fought with its workers over it, while others like the Pacific Cookie Company threatened to leave town.

I'm not suggesting that big corporations like Whole Foods and Starbucks are the same as small businesses in Santa Cruz - just saying that their attitude towards their workers can be similar. Keep up the good work! Josh S.

SELMAN'S PAPERWEIGHTS SELLING BUSINESS. Larry Selman, long time bird photographer, (check out http://selman.com/birds ) has been losing interest in his paperweight business for some time now.(check out http://www.theglassgallery.com) This week he sent out a statement saying..."After more than 40 years of eating, sleeping, and breathing paperweights, Marti and I have decided it is time to pursue some of our other dreams and passions. We feel that, over the years, our efforts have made a big difference in the field of paperweights and paperweight collecting. Your support has certainly added to the unprecedented success of this business. It is now time to pass the torch or to step away.

We would like to keep that torch lit, so are reaching out to anyone who may be interested in sharing in this exciting venture that has brought joy to so many wonderful people. If you know anyone who might be interested in acquiring our business, we'd like to talk to them. In the meantime, please feel free to contact us with any ideas you may have. We'd love to talk with you. While our staff has been informed of our plans, we ask that you direct your comments or questions to us personally. As we will be traveling out of state for the next three weeks, please feel free to call my cell phone (831-246-1177) or send your email to marti@paperweight.com

The catalog for our next auction is at the printer. The closing date for initial bids will be April 24th. As usual, we will have a fantastic selection of antique and modern weights. This catalog will be available for $25. Our very best, Larry Selman

LILA DOWNS COMING TO THE RIO THEATRE ON APRIL 6TH. Mexican indigenous singer extraordinaire Lila Downs will be coming to the Rio Theatre on April 6th. She hasn't been back to Santa Cruz County for a couple of years since she last played at the Kuumbwa, but her shows are always worth seeing and are likely to sell out. Downs was born in Oaxaca, Mexico and her mother is of Mexican Mixteco indigenous origin. Her father was a Scottish filmmaker, which is part of her inspiration to blend different sounds of music with an American Indian fusion heard nowhere else. Watsonville has a growing Mixteco indigenous population in recent years, and Downs is a popular figure in that community. The show starts at 8pm and tickets are selling for $25. Don't miss out on this must-see show. Watch this You Tube vision of Lila Downs

PATTON'S PROGRAM. Gary tells us more about Monterey County's Board of Supervisors and Salinas and an AMBAG presentation. He reminds us about last Tuesday's City Council Civic Aud. Meeting about La bahia and says it will tell us just how willing the City Council is to follow Community Rules and Regulations or will they crawl after promised Tax revenues. He tells about The General Plan Housing Element meeting on Wednesday night. He gives us a link www.leginfo.ca.gov to a website he says provides much necessary information.

EAGAN'S SMALL WORLD COMICS. For the real dope scroll down and see where Tim is headed for this week...

LANDAU'S PROGRES. Saul Landau takes on Terrorism, the CIA and future Obama politics in a reading of the Poodunk Times in 2010

HAUNTING IN CONNECTUICT. Virginia Madsen has 79 films in her IMDB bio. She's only 48 years old and she isn't much good in this film either. Haunting is supposed to be based on a real story of a haunted house and what's even worse the kid doesn't just go down the cellar stairs he actually moves into the basement room. There are tons of dead bodies (literally) and for the type film they tried to make... it works. You will watch and be surprised and tense and excited and surprised and what more can you want from a film like this? I mean why else would you go??

12 ROUNDS. It's one of those "let's see if we can sneak a plot in between truck, bus, car, ambulance, speedboat, helicopter, trolley car, crash" movies. If you haven't seen enough "leaping from a tall building and catching onto a helicopter landing gear" films this is your big chance. Besides that the lead actor looks even dumber than Arnold Schwarzenegger, and I don't think he has a name, just sort of a grunt noise. It's a very, very stupid unnecessary movie. (I gave up and am going back to calling them both films and movies.)

LAST CHANCE HARVEY. This film is exactly what you'd expect from Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman, wonderful, brilliant, touching, professional, well told, sensitive, and completely entertaining...for those of you who go to the movies just to be entertained. It's like part #10 of The Graduate. It's only at the littlest theatre at the Nick and won't be there much longer...don't miss it.

ADVENTURELAND. Filmed in Adventureland Park on Long Island this is another coming of age for recent college grads who don't have a clue where they're going or have been. Jesse Eisenberg does his usual great job as a teen ager (he's 25) and everybody's cute, and it's 1987 and the Park owner is just like Charlie Canfield and it sure reminds us locals of The Boardwalk except that Adventureland doesn't import and house European students in La Bahia in the summertime at very low wages.

COSMOS: ART OF THE FUGUE. The Santa Cruz Baroque Festival presents The Galax Quartet playing music of Bach's final masterwork The Art of Fugue (Kunst der Fuge). There's also going to be a visual journey of space photos while the music goes on.

Go to http://www.scbaroque.com/concerts.html#concert3 tickets at the door or by calling 831-457-9693. It's Saturday night April 4^th at 7:30 at UCSC' Music Recital Hall.

NIGHT FLIGHT. The Santa Cruz Chamber Orchestra (soon to be changing its name) presents soprano Rebecca Davis and soprano saxophonist Dale Wolford

Playing music by Kancheli and Vivaldi with dance choreographed by Sharon Took Zozaya. It's 8pm on Saturday April 4^th at First Congregational Church 900 High Street go to www.scmusic.org for details

SPECIAL CRUZIO EVENT. Cruzio is doing a "networking jelly" (some new word) and it's happening April 3^rd. it says, "SANTA CRUZ, Calif. —Cruzio Internet will be opening it's doors for a Networking Jelly on April 3, 2009 from 9 AM to 5 PM at their downtown storefront at 903 Pacific Avenue. What is a Jelly? According to the OKC Collaborative group, "A Jelly is an ad hoc co-working event. It is an opportunity for independent and freelance professionals, as well as corporate workers looking to get
off-site, to work in a shared space for all or part of a day." There's a lot more info so click here (link expands, click again to collapse).

PUN MY WORD. Greg Tarsy and Simon Kelly have to take the blame for these puns. Number 14 really got me...at your risk...

1. The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Circumference.

He acquired his size from too much pi.
2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be

an optical Aleutian.
3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.
4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated in an algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.
5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.
6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.
7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.
8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.
9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.
10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.
12. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, 'You stay here; I'll go on a head.'
14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.
15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.'
16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, 'No change yet.'
17. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.
18. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.
19. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now

a seasoned veteran.
20. A backward poet writes inverse.
21. In democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.
22. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.
23. Don't join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects!

UNIVERSITY GRAPEVINE. I host University Grapevine every Thursday 4-5 pm on KZSC 88.1 fm. This Thursday Ben Carson will be telling us all about April in Santa Cruz Festival of Contemporary Music...five concerts happening in April. Then I'll be talking with Bill Raney founder of the Nickelodeon Theatre and author of "Letters To Zerky", and his appearance at the Nick on Easter Sunday April 12^th .

QUOTES. "May I point out that this is a tragedy, and in tragedies one doesn't snore". Jons (Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal). "All is pretty'," Andy Warhol. "You must go on, I can't go on, I'll go on.", Samuel Beckett.

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Bruce critiques films every Friday on KZSC-FM (88.1) on The Bushwhacker Breakfast Club at 8am.