PACIFIC AVENUE, SANTA CRUZ. I don't dare guess a year (maybe 1969??) because there are too many cars that will pinpoint it exactly and I don't know cars. BUT this is just before Pacific Avenue became the Garden Mall. That's Leask's Department store with the decorative grid on the left and it's the Regal 9 Cinema nowadays. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

WHOLE FOODS MORE & MORE LIKE WAL MART. Read the entire article from AlterNet by Rob Smart http://www.alternet.org/story/142229 . In it he says, "When you consider Whole Foods in this light, you see yet another national, multi-billion dollar corporate giant entering regional markets, amassing market share through lower prices (leveraging economies of scale from its large-scale distribution partner, United Naturals Food Inc.), chronically injuring or killing off local and regional businesses, and exporting massive financial value out of each region. Do they care that regional farmers and food processors are stuck having to find new channels to market or entirely new markets? Difficult to say, but smaller suppliers don't work well within Whole Foods' centralized distribution system, which clearly favors large-scale sustainable food suppliers, many of which are now owned by the world's largest food processors, e.g., Stonyfield Yogurt, Kashi, Muir Glen (more).

The unfortunate part of all this is that most people associate Whole Foods with organic and sustainable food, which is deserved for the good work the company has done over the years, but less so when you consider the overall sustainability of the large-scale, nationally-controlled food system that Whole Foods is now part of. In my book, Whole Foods is only slightly better than Wal-Mart or Krogers, respectively the first and second largest supermarkets in America, which is what the debate should really be focused on".

GROCERY STORE DEBATE. (forum)  Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Savemarts, Nob Hills, huge Safeways, Raleys, national and international chains ("food casinos")- learn how the David vs. Goliath legend plays out in Santa Cruz as local groceries function in the shadow of mega-chains.  What are the effects of big box stores holding a portion of space for products which local growers and bakers provide?  Join us Tuesday September 15th at 7 p.m. at the Quaker Meeting House, 225 Rooney St. (at the end of Morrissey) to hear representatives of local grocers (Staff of Life, New Leaf, Food Bin ) discuss how they are standing firm in the face of corporate food giants - and how we can support those local businesses which are supporting our community. With New Leaf's six stores where do they fit? Whole Foods just had one in Austin when they began. This forum is being presented by the Santa Cruz Chapter of WILPF the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.

SHOCKING CHART. One of the links above takes you to this amazing chart showing the commercial and producing connections of what we might consider healthy food to the worlds biggest processors. Take for example, Hain Celestial, WestSoy, Cascadian Farm, Alexia Foods, Dagoba, Boca Foods....who can we trust???...

COUNTY FOOD INSPECTIONS.  It's amazing that with more than 46 pages of food handling inspections there aren't very many of our favorite places that got even little dings. Places like the Buttery, Carpos, Chocolate, El Paisano, Fuji Buffet, Gabriella's, Hoffman's' and Kelly's just got minor zingers like hand washing warnings...and most of them have been taken care of. Check them all out - it's better reading than those restaurant lists when you're trying to figure where to eat.

EVERY DAY I HAVE THE BLUES

GABRIELLAS GAB FEST. Paul Cocking owner of Gabriella's restaurant sends out little epistles every so often....here's his last one I titled "Verbatim whipped with a light Brio". "Went to my first downtown association meeting in years today...LOTS of talk about how to do a locals night once a week...LOTS of talk about what to call it...i suggested DOWNTOWN TUESDAYS...might stick...talked about closing pacific avenue like every other coastal town does regularly...too much opposition from terrified shop keepers like me who lose money with ...hope...talked about EVENTS...someone mentioned the lack of a central square or PLAZA to host events...i suggested some MUSIC or  MEET THE MAYOR (isn't it always cynthia or ...okay...mike...or katherine)...is ryan mayor now?...i told micah posner at the market last week i would make him TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR a la blageovich if he would get me elected supervisor on the I NEED A JOB WITH LIFETIME BENEFITS platform...he asked if i really thought neal was doing that bad a job...do we really want a 120 grand a year leader who needs a gastric bypass to stop gorging himself?...all those dinners with developers?...am i angry that you and everyone else cooks swiss chard  at home in this town...no...i just should have opened a bar or a sushi joint or a tacqueria...christina did say we were the best in town last week...too bad nobody eats here...nobody has any money...saw norm shorenstein who bought the old bookstore property in the new bookstore (thanks neal) and asked whas happening ....REALLY TRYING TO GET IT GOING AGAIN  he said...nobody has any money...you would think canfield and swenson would take pity and put an  outback there...anchor tenant in flatiron leaving...or is it jamba juice...the iconic invitation to quirky downtown santa cruz?" (end of Paul Cocking's epistle)

WOMAN RUNNING FOR JUDGE TOO. Many folks sent in news that Rebecca Connolly is running for judge too. Check out her website http://www.rebeccaforjudge.org
Very odd endorsement group...Marilyn Liddicoat, Barbara Sprenger, Tim Morgan, Gayle Ortiz, Sue Raney, Paul Elerick, Chris Finnie, Stephanie Harlan, Karen Hibble, Sister Julie Hyer, Pat Liberty, Emily Maloney, Anthony Calciano, Lorette Wood, and she's worked for the Grunsky Law firm for many years. We'll find out more later.

JEFF TOWLE DIED LAST SUNDAY. Jeff Towle was a minister, a genuine Shakespeare enthusiast, gentle, empathetic, good singer, and he had a massive heart attack after being treated for a hernia the week before. Jeff along with Don Young led our Shakespeare Study Gang in Aptos for the last eight or more years. "The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes". " Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow". There will be a service next Saturday (September 5) at 2p.m. at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church 2402 Cabrillo College Drive, Aptos 95073.

PATTONS PROGRAM. Gary talks about ground water and future planning. The devilish details behind the incorporation of Carmel Valley are laid out. He explains the Simitian Bill SB211 and why it's being held back a year. Then there's the Monterey Coastkeeper which we should know about and Gary wonders why this attorney attacks Mark Stone's new job on the Coastal Commission. Nope, Gary doesn't mention the Arana Gulch decision. (Gary Patton is "Of Counsel" to the Santa Cruz law firm of Wittwer & Parkin, which specializes in land use and environmental law. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton's.)

KSBW DOES KISSY POO WITH DAVE POTTER. Pat Matecjek sent this KSBW editorial saying that Dave Potter got a raw deal when he was ousted from the Coastal Commission...and was replaced by Supervisor Mark Stone. Read it and snicker and then decide how far apart KSBW is from the Sentinel's editorial policy is and they call it a liberal press!!!! http://www.ksbw.com/asseenon/20606359/detail.html

WATERS WEIGHS IN. Christina claims she'll be chatting up the gorgeous Eduardo Carrillo show at MAH, plus unpeeling a few choice dry-farmed tomatoes and more on Wagner in Seattle. All at http://christinawaters.com

TARANTINO on FRESH AIR INTERVIEW. To hear Quentin Tarantino describe his directing secrets for Inglourious Basterds with Terry Gross for 45 minutes is an amazing experience. Aside from saying I. Basterds is a fairy tale using Spaghetti western techniques to poke fun at WWII films is ingenious. Hear it, then see Inglorious Basterds again. I did, and loved it even more.

EAGAN'S DEEP COVER. Check out Tim's sage advice on the dangers of early neighborhood warming...scroll down to the end of this week's and every week's column.

LANDAU'S PROGRES. Saul Landau writes about Moby Dick, China, and Typhoons. Read it here
Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow whose films are on DVD from Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow whose films are on DVD from roundworldproductions@gmail.com

EXTRACT. A miserable film about a guy who runs an extract factory ( like vanilla extract), and everybody in this mess is incapable of making an intelligent decision. So if you like laughing at some real misfits go see it...but go warned.

FINAL DESTINATION IN 3D. I went to Watsonville's Green valley Cinema to see this in 3D. The 3D is as good as it gets but the movie is terrible. Clichés stack up rapidly, no discernible acting, amateur photography...a waste.

BIG MOMMA THORNTON

HALLOWEEN 2. Rob Zombie who's' real name is Robert Cummings (no relation) directed this and it looks it! Real professionals have created great visual treats, incredible blood and gore, neat editing, the acting fits the necessary tension. It's as good as any of the Halloween series, and better than some.

UNIVERSITY GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:30-8:30 p.m. I host University Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer at  WWW.KZSC.ORG. This Tuesday September 1^st Wendy Mayer-Lochtefeld from the Capitola Book Café will tell us what's new in the book business and attorney Patrick Reilly will reveal the secrets behind Intellectual Properties and the legal side of the internet world. Later on like September 29^th activist Frank Bardacke will discuss problems centering on The Watsonville Adult School. On September 15^th Jane Lazzereschi and Tom Eklof from the TM organization will tell us about what's happening with them. On October 6^th Assemblyman Bill Monning will be my guest and later Congressman Sam Farr will reveal what's new in the State and Nation's Capitol. Later we'll talk to Supervisor Mark Stone about County Politics and probably swimming. 

QUOTES. "The difference between divorce and legal separation is that a legal separation gives a husband time to hide his money", Johnny Carson. "We sleep in separate rooms, we have dinner apart , we take separate vacations. We're doing everything we can to keep our marriage together", Rodney Dangerfield. "I like only two kinds of men---foreign and domestic", Mae West. "After we made love he took a piece of chalk and made an outline of my body", Joan Rivers.

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PACIFIC AND COOPER STREETS 1894. We're looking at the Pacific Wave County Bank north east corner just after the fire. The fire burned down all the wooden buildings so they re-built them of brick and mortar. Those came down in the E'Quake of 1906 and the FEMA disaster of 1989. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

STEVE WRIGHT RUNNING FOR JUDGE!!! Go to www.stevewrightforjudge.org
See all the support Steve Wright has for becoming Superior Court Judge in 2010. Luis Alejo, Paul Burdick, Kit Landis, Austin Comstock, and Enda Brennan are some of the many attorneys that support Wright. Lots of educators are listed and Debra Foster is the treasurer for the campaign. Santa Cruz has never had a Criminal Defense Attorney as Superior Court Judge...this will be the time. Read Steve's statements on gang violence and about the importance of electing the best Judge.

FELTON NOT QUITE FLOWING. After Felton's long and incredibly successful battle to get back their own water rights you'd think it would be over and everybody would be happy. Nope! Now for some odd reason the San Lorenzo Valley High School Board has decided NOT to pay their share of the tax bill. They say they don't have to. The school was saved maybe $30-32,000 per year by this water buy out and they're not paying...what kind of community based school move is that??

DE-SAL PLANTS, SANTA CRUZ WEEKLY, ALDO GIACCHINO. Aldo wrote a letter under the heading "Desal Talk A Waste" to the Santa Cruz Weekly reacting to what the Water Districts wrote in the Weekly earlier..."Let us put the desal process in the right context. The message from the Water Districts, in the August 5-12 issue of Santa Cruz Weekly, completely sidesteps the issue of adapting ourselves to a changed climate condition.

The State has just issued the 2009 Climate Adaptation Strategy Report which summarizes the tremendous cost of global warming to all of us here at home. The Report makes it clear that we must reduce dramatically greenhouse gases and we must take all steps possible to avoid any new activities that make the problem worse. So, Reduce and Avoid are the two imperatives that form the core of the strategy.

But instead of Reduce and Avoid, the solons who run our water agencies are proposing just the opposite – increase water supply through desalination. The desalination process consumes a huge amount of energy to run the sea water at high pressure through the filters, to pump the filtered water to the treatment center, to pump the water all the way from Santa Cruz to Soquel, and pump all the brine residue from the desalination process to the sewage treatment plant and then out to the ocean. A huge amount of electricity will be used to do all this filtering and pumping, and the creation of the necessary electricity will create more greenhouse gases. This is not Reduce and Avoid, it is just the opposite.

Even though we are in the third year of drought, we are living quite happily with the current mandatory conservation measures that have reduced consumption by over 15% without causing any appreciable difficulty on anyone. So much more conservation is possible without significantly harming anyone. Conserved water is FREE WATER. There is no cost to it and it fits the mandate to Reduce and Avoid further damage to our environment and all the costs associated with that damage. If we do not follow the Reduce and Avoid path, we will have to bear the huge cost increase of desal plus the increased cost of environmental damage. Let's get with the program, Santa Cruz and Soquel Water Districts. Stop wasting huge sums on a plan that runs counter to the State's strategy and that will ultimately run into huge popular opposition", ALDO GIACCHINO. Aldo's head of the Local Sierra Club Chapter, and SCRP.

UCLA Squirrels. Watch this extra cutesy about cute squirrels and cute students at play.

THAT UGLY PLAIN SANCTUARY CENTER!!! Judy Riva writes to say she
The artist's rendering of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center to be built in Santa Cruz as pictured in Friday's Aug 21^st Sentinel (Page B1) looks pretty awful. Nondescript - it could be a lighting showroom. Or something similar, for its apparent lack of any stylistic elements that relate to a theme of water or sea life. Maybe it will look nicer from inside...The rendering shows a parking lot with no landscaping. Yuck! Surely this design was available for the public to review prior to its approval, but I guess I missed that. Judi Riva". I agree, why do we have to have such plainness, such a lack of imagination....and this is supposed to attract tourists? It looks more like a 1942 Civic Toilet Building. Who designed it? Was it approved by any sort of aesthetic group?

PATTON ON POLITICS. Gary Patton wrote a foreword to Bill Domhoff's book, The Leftmost City. I had a link to Gary's addition here 2 weeks ago. I got to read it a few days ago...it is for me, an absolutely excellent summation of where the progressive movement was, is, and will be in Santa Cruz City and by definition Santa Cruz County. If you ever wondered about local politics and where Gary and a huge number of us are coming from read this over....it says a lot. You can link up with Gary's complete "augmentation" here.

I've included some of the HOT Points (salient issues) Gary makes: "I think that Santa Cruz politics during the period from the mid-1970's through the mid-1990's is of exceptional importance. The genuine political revolution that took place in Santa Cruz County during the period from the mid 1970's to the mid-1990's was definitely a countywide phenomenon, although political actors from the City of Santa Cruz definitely played key roles, and the "progressive" accomplishments of Santa Cruz politics are quite correctly associated with the City. I end up being convinced that our local politics does largely reflect the accuracy of the "growth coalition" approach to understanding urban power.

There is often considerable opposition to expansionary projects advanced by local power structures when these project proposals affect neighborhoods. I absolutely agree that "neighborhood" opposition often drives opposition to the projects of the "growth coalition", as residents become activated around the need to protect and preserve a place they care about. It should also be remembered, though, that while the growth coalition always claims that their proposed projects will have economic payoffs for the community at large, many if not most of such proposals are really seeking community subsidies of various kinds. Resistance to these projects is also a kind of "economic resistance" to business elites, in an effort to deny them subsidies that actually undermine the quality of life of current residents. Whether consciously or unconsciously, I think that kind of resistance has played a part in our community struggles to deal with the projects of the "growth coalition."

Ricky Gervais talks about Humpty Dumpty

The book indicates that members of what is described as a "use-value" coalition agree that they are brought together by concerns with their quality of life, not profits. Again, I have no basic disagreement. However, I see the political involvement of the kind of coalitions you describe as actually being much more of an effort to realize a deeply sought ability to make what I call "self-government" work. In other words, from a political theory framework, these coalitions are not mainly motivated by either "profits" or by the desire of various individuals to defend their current "quality of life." They are motivated; instead, mostly by a community desire actually to have the community decide, for itself, as a community, what it will make happen, as opposed to letting things simply "happen to" the community.

To my mind, "politics" is how we act together, in communities, to create the world we want. That's what politics is all about. Politics, thus, is "generative" and not "derivative." The economic or social realities of any particular community (and the "theories" which delimit and describe those economic and social realities) cannot, in my view, ever really capture the truth of politics, since while such economic and social realities are, by definition, "real," the practice of politics is always "utopian" in its ambitions. Politics always holds out the promise that we can make a better world, together, and can accomplish, together, what we collectively want. The recent Obama campaign is a great example of how politics practiced correctly presents itself as an opportunity for community "change," and as the instrument of informed and active community "hope."

Mostly, communities do not actually practice "politics" as I define it above. Events unfold, and those with money and power do what they want, more or less. The community never mobilizes itself as a community to debate and discuss alternative futures, and then to decide and implement a community conclusion. But in Santa Cruz County, during the period from the mid-1970's to the mid-1990's, the community actually did practice politics in just this way. That is why our local political history is so important".

For me, the point to be drawn from the history of the era studied in The Leftmost City is that "government" in Santa Cruz County is now largely seen as a way for the community to do what it wants, and to chart its own future. This is a concept of government that doesn't exist most other places, and that didn't exist in Santa Cruz County before the mid-1970's. This is the concept of government that makes Santa Cruz County "progressive."

Measure J, the county growth management measure adopted by a countywide vote in June 1978, is perhaps the prototypical example of this kind of progressive, democratic self government. At the very same election that Santa Cruz County voters helped enact Proposition 13, and in an election in which two progressive members of the Board of Supervisors were recalled, County voters enacted a set of policies that has fundamentally changed the development of the County, vastly lowering the value of thousands of acres of agricultural land, which were reserved for agricultural use alone, and inaugurating in this county the kind of "smart growth" principles that weren't even called that till almost twenty years later. How that was done, at the political level, using initiatives and referenda and other techniques of community based politics to help the community understand that its own democratically adopted decisions can in fact determine the future of the community, is a history well worth studying, and a story well worth telling"

BOB HALL HAS LEFT THE CITY. If we can ever get over losing the original Cooper House to the greedy developers we should get over the loss of Bob Hall on Pacific Avenue. He died three weeks ago. Bob was part of the M.C. Hall Insurance Company family that insured at least half of early Santa Cruz, but he didn't like to admit it, and the Hall family never liked to admit Bob either...it was mutual. Bob was kind and gentle to a fault and wrote 100's of letters to every editor of our newspapers trying to improve things. There'll be a Memorial for Bob Sunday, September 13^th at 6 p.m. in room 23 at Vet's Hall, by the Post Office. Bob was a real believer in the Bill Motto Post. Harry Meserve of Veterans for Peace will preside as post Chaplain, and you know what that means. I'll meet you there.

ELERICK'S INPUT.
We have a new Coastal Commissioner – 5^th District Supervisor Mark Stone
For the first time in decades, Santa Cruz County will be represented on the California Coastal Commission, a position that has been given to Electeds from Monterey County in the past. Please take time to drop a "thank you" note to Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, maker of this appointment, who no doubt was lobbied heavily to re-appoint Dave Potter, holder of the central coast position for the past 12 years.

If you followed Coastal Commission actions over the years, you know that Potter was a staunch supporter of coastal development projects like the Pebble Beach/ Del Monte Forest plan, a desalination plant at Moss Landing and other housing developments along sensitive areas of the coastline.

For those of us who were here in 1976 when California voters approved the Coastal Initiative, we have been amazed how pro-development Coastal Commissioners have infiltrated the Commission.

One particular pre-Coastal Commission project that was built in our area was Pajaro Dunes, the large condo development built on the coastal dunes west of Watsonville. This one was enough to draw a large local vote in support of Proposition 20, the Coastal Initiative that would prevent any more of these things to happen.

So there's reason to celebrate Mark Stone's appointment. He'll be on the Coastal Commission when several critical developments within Santa Cruz County's coastal zone come up for review, like the rezoning of Poor Clares in Seacliff. It's a breath of fresh air to know we'll have fair representation on this important appointed public agency. Congratulations Mark! ( Paul Elerick is an Aptos resident, active in mid-county political issues, member of Nisene 2 Sea, Seacliff Improvement Association, Aptos Neighbors Association, and the countywide Campaign for Sensible Transportation).

PYNCHON'S NEW BOOK "Inherent Vice". Back in September 2006 I wrote in this space..."THOMAS PYNCHON IN SANTA CRUZ. The literary world changes on November 21, according to Amazon.com. That's when Thomas Pynchon's new book "Against the Day" is released. Pynchon's been working on it for ten years, and each of his book releases is talked about world- widely. I enjoy relating as often as possible that I met Pynchon when he lived here. He has a good friend who lives in Santa Cruz. This mutual friend has known Pynchon as a friend a very long time. This friend emailed me last week relating to Pynchon's excerpt on Amazon's book order page. That as famous an author as Pynchon has been able to remain elusive all these years in the face of such scrutiny and deep investigation, says a lot about his friends and his own integrity. Sure, I'm going to read it. But I won't tell anything more about Pynchon either, ever or never". Now Pynchon's new book "Inherent Vice" is out and of course is number one on the N.Y Times lists. It's shorter than most of his books and canters on LA in the '60's. I honestly don't know if Pynchon has visited here since those early years, I'll ask.

The Big Dipper in case you missed it this summer.

BRATTONONLINE SUBSCRIPTIONS & SPAM FILTERS. Patrick Casey tells me that probably the main problem with subscribing to BrattonOnline is that your SPAM Filters send the weekly email notice to SPAM. You need to check your email Monday nights and physically re-route and label that BrattonOnline notice "Not Spam". Nope, I'm still not sure how many readers we have...but it's growing rapidly, and will continue to grow IF you subscribe and follow through...thanks.

CORRECTIONS, REDUX. Stalwart and longtime Sentinel reporter Len Klempnauer caught this one he emails..."Elerick's Input" in your Aug. 17 column referred to AVP Coach Jeff "Alvina." His name is Jeff Alzina, a native Santa Cruzan, 1986 graduate of Soquel High and coach of one of America's men's beach volleyball teams at the 2004 Olympics. Jeff is the son of the late Jack Alzina, also a native Santa Cruzan, Santa Cruz High graduate, teacher first at SCHS and then Soquel High and varsity basketball coach at both schools. Jack's and Jeff's ancestor, Francisco Alzina, born in 1821 in Minorca, Spain, was Santa Cruz County's first sheriff, serving from 1850 to 1853. The Alzina House on Sylmar Avenue is Santa Cruz's oldest wood-framed house. Francisco Alzina died in 1887. -- Len Klempnauer, Capitola

PATTON'S PROGRAM. (from Gary's daily KUSP radio program) Gary and just about everybody else who cares about the environment congratulates Mark Stone and his appointment to the Coastal Commission. He talks about the Supervisors in San Luis Obisbo and about the ongoing problem of mobile home parks changing ownership. He closes his broadcast week by discussing IRWMP. Not everybody deals with IRWMP the way Gary Patton does, so look into IRWMP right here. (Gary Patton is "Of Counsel" to the Santa Cruz law firm of Wittwer & Parkin, which specializes in land use and environmental law. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton's.)

DEMOCRATIC DIALOGUE. The Democratic Dialogue this Thursday featuring Congressman Farr and Assembly member Monning will now be held at the Santa Cruz High School Auditorium - it is still 7:00 pm and free/open to the public. Feel free to pass the change along to your networks. Hope to see you all there! Entitled "Health "Care Reform", this discussion is jointly sponsored by the Santa Cruz Democratic Party and the Democratic Women's Club and will feature our own Congress member Sam Farr and California Assembly member Bill Monning who will explore the

Opera Star Hildegard Behrens died. Here's an interview with her, Placido Domingo and Franco Zefferilli about Tosca that is fascinating

healthcare reform proposals before Congress and the California State Legislature. This timely forum will explore critical issues such as funding, the public option, and the role of various interest groups trying to shape the legislation. These discussions with local experts and local political leaders are open to the public and will be a wonderful opportunity for us to "meet the experts" and engage in important dialogue.
When: Thursday, August 27, 7-9PM
Where: Santa Cruz High School, 415 Walnut Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Contact: Glen Schaller, 831-325-8575, glenschaller@gmail.com

LETTER TO THE EDITOR. From Lee Quarnstrom former San Jose Mercury/Watsonville Pajaronian reporter....
"Your column and the attached map with photos, etc., have finally made the scope of the fire clear. It's been difficult to get details in the two papers I read down here in La Habra, but -- surprisingly to folks up there, I'd imagine -- the Orange County Register has done a much better job of providing wire-service coverage than has the LA Times (which only seems to give space to news when the story is written by one of its own reporters, not by the Associated Press). Your map provided the best picture, by far! Re. the "bulls' balls" item: Yes, the Farm Bureau may be conservative by Santa Cruz standards, but I learned during my 19 years as a reporter for the Mercury News and nine years with the then-great Register-Pajaronian that the Santa Cruz County branch of the group is so liberal by statewide standards that Farm Bureau members elsewhere in California worry that their Santa Cruz County compatriots are dangerous radicals. And regarding the big testicle festival, don't you think that cooking and eating bulls' balls is a grand example of recycling, of not wasting resources?" Lee Quarnstrom

EAGAN'S DEEP COVER. Scroll down about two pages worth to pick up Mr. Eagan's view of freedom being just another word...etc.

WATERS WEIGHS IN. Christina's back from Seattle and a week of opera, with gushing Wagner comments, plus a review of Nora Ephron's Julie & Julia, some wine news and a few dining ideas. All at http://christinawaters.com.

LANDAU'S PROGRES. Read the latest issue of Progreso Weekly, especially where Saul Landau talks about Paul Jacobs and The Nuclear Gang...Click here!
Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow, whose films are on DVD from roundworldproductions@gmail.com

CABRILLO FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC SCOREBOARD. I asked Ellen Primack the exec. Director of the Festival how the financial results of this year's festival looked so far. She said, "It went fabulously well...we're in the black... everybody came through for us AND we came through for everybody. We had a great time". That's wonderful news.

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS. I can't say often enough that this is one grand film. Quentin Tarantino has fulfilled his and our cinema dreams with this satire/tribute to war films. Glorious filmmaking, and his best yet. See it on the big Locally Owned screen.

DISTRICT 9. I have now seen this Sci Fi film 2 1/2 times. I like it very much, it's excellent and it took me that many times just to pick up on the subtlety (or missing plot points). Forget that idiocy of the metaphor of the space aliens to the Blacks in South Africa, just see it on the biggest locally owned screen possible.

JULIE & JULIA. This is just a re-plug for this well made film and for Meryl Streep's portrayal of the Goddess of the Gruyere. But be sure to check out KQED, KTEH and any other PBS stations you link to. They are playing many of the original Julia Child shows and comparing her to Meryl is great fun....all over again.

TAKING WOODSTOCK. After Crouching Tiger and Brokeback Mountain it's nearly impossible to believe that this foolish, pointless, failing comedy was directed by the same Ang Lee. There's no music in it, it's all back-story about staging Woodstock. Forget it, go see District 9 or Inglourious Basterds at least one more time.

FLYING KARAMAZOV BROTHERS & TOM NODDY SHOW. Consider this advance warning for the show at the Catalyst on Saturday October 24^th at 7:30. It's a benefit for the Tattoo Removal program. More later but tickets now at www.catalystclub.com

UNIVERSITY GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:30-8:30 p.m. I host University Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer at WWW.KZSC.ORG. This Tuesday August I'll be talking about Pleasure with Amy and Janis Baldwin from Pure Pleasure next to the library...it's a great place!! After that retired UCSC Professor Bill Friedland will continue his earlier appearance discussing his research on Santa Cruz homeless back in the 1980's. Later on and TBA will be a return of activist Frank Bardacke relating his Watsonville political theories. In September Jane Lazzereschi and Tom Eklof from the TM organization will tell us about what's happening with them. On October 6^th Assemblyman Bill Monning will be my guest and later Congressman Sam Farr will reveal what's new in the State and Nation's Capitol. Later we'll talk to Supervisor Mark Stone about County Politics and probably swimming.

QUOTES. "When you're driving hard out on the limit and the true love of speed comes over you, you don't want to slow up. You know you ought to maybe. But you're locked onto something so big that you can't let go. It's always the same—the faster you go the less you care about being able to stop. Ever", Sam Posey, racing driver.

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NEW STAFF OF LIFE BUILDING LOCATION !!! This old Safeway Store on the 1200 block of Soquel Avenue between Morrissey and Seabright near Poplar st. (shown here on June 12, 1953) will be where Staff Of Life will re-locate somewhere in the next couple of years. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

SWANTON FIRE SATELLITE VIEW. Daughter Jennifer Boulanger sent this
she says and proves, "This really shows you the area, and w/photos you can click on .

Trust her...it's the best of all the online ways to check out up to date fire damage.

SWANTON-"BONNIE" DOON FIRE. Having spent the first years of my Santa Cruz County living on Swanton Road (1970-1983) and the next 10 years in Bonny Doon the fire assumes a big part of my thoughts. Jodi Frediani has kept many of us up to date on the battle. She quotes the San Jose Mercury article
"Despite Lockheed fire, legendary logging family stays put" by Paul Rogers About the McCrary's of Swanton Road "In the past seven decades, they have stood firm against floods, fires, lawsuits, environmental activists, recessions and earthquakes." And replies...

"Actually, I thought the McCrary's were the ones who initiated the lawsuits, or at least petitions. Against San Mateo County when they tried to prohibit logging. Against NMFS over their listing of Coho salmon. Against Santa Cruz County when they used their zoning code to decide where logging could take place. Standing firm...yes, prevailing... no!!

" "Look at this tree. It's 900 or 1,000 years old. It was just going like a blowtorch last night. But it should survive," he said. Even those parts of Big Creek property that are burned probably won't be lost to timber production. Fires take out the younger, spindly redwoods, McCrary noted, leaving the older ones, whose bark is nearly fireproof."

Glad to see Bud admits the truth after he and his foresters have repeatedly claimed that they need to log to stop fire. I also find it interesting that half of the burn area (according to this story) is on lands of Big Creek Lumber. I would assume that most of the redwood forest has been logged repeatedly. Guess logging doesn't stop fire after all. In fact, CAL POLY's own fire expert has studied the effects of selection logging on fire risk and concluded that such logging actually increases the threat of fire for several years post logging". Jodi .

GREY HAYES WRITES. Grey Hayes who lives near Molino Creek and who's fought so many fights to save our area's tar plant and other living things and was living in the fire area writes..."It's laying in thick and sooty. We hear the choppers dropping water in the distance - the very distant Distance, such that you have no idea where they are beating back the flames.

Closer, echoing pops of exploding trunks purcuss from deep in the redwood/Douglas fir forest. How far away are those? No more sizzle and roar of groves of trees 'torching off'. Now, mostly cinders and soot, and lung fills of smokey air. Mostly like the pre-smoking ban bars, but sometimes more like a smokehouse.

Some big trees were weakened enough to crash down with huge new piles of fresh, green needles, creating smoldering hell and filling the bowl-like landform of our land.

The leading fierce edge of the fire is far above and below us today. Big tankers replaced insufficient helicopters down where our watershed meets the coast. High up near the highest ridge of Ben Lomond Mountain at Thayer Lane, firefighters were successfully snuffing spot fires thrown 100's of feet across their fuel break - the triggering point for the original mandatory evacuation of Bonny Doon.

Bulldozers scraped a 20' wide swath from west of the wedding knoll to the coast highway, which Cal Fire hopes will contain the fire to the north, adding to the overall 30% of the fire's edge that has been either 'dozed' or no longer has sufficient connectivity to fuels that pose a hazard.

And so, our position has stabilized with 2/3 of the land's boundary having been burned, and with each end of those burned flanks being 'tied in' to the long and wide bulldozer swaths that disappear into the far distance.

Crews have been chopping up brush and trees with chainsaws throughout the day in various attempts to create bounds to the big wildfire or smaller back burns that will eliminate fuel along the fire's side and arrest it's uncontrolled advance. The more skilled take out smoldering trees, bury smoldering wood, and limb up trees near smoldering hot spots deep in the forest. All that smoke is slow to be put to rest.

We're back to @70 firefighters this evening- the 'yard' shines from the flashlight beam reflecting off of a well spaced line of safety suited fire fighters. Some snore, others mutter greetings as I take a round inspecting the fire's status. I will sleep much longer and deeper this evening. Thanks everyone for your kind words and well wishes. A few more days of this, I think". Grey.

Bill Findlay who lives in the little town of Ayer in Scotland supplied a vial of water from the original Loch Lomond to our local Loch Lomond Reservoir when it opened back in the fall of 1960. Bill writes, "Sorry to hear and see the terrible fires raging in the Santa Cruz area. We here will be thinking and praying for the citizens of Bonnie Doon, a place that has long been special to me. Please convey my best wishes through your column to everyone affected by this terrible tragedy. Best wishes, Bill. Bill and I have never met but we email a lot.

ERRORS CORRECTED . Patricia Snyder says, "It's Julia Child, not Childs". And John Nicol said I also erred in naming Walnut Street as Lincoln Street in an ancient photo. David Bolam said I saw Patty Gallagher play Winnie in The Rogue Theatre production of Beckett's Happy Days up at UCSC in May not last Fall...he's right on too!!! Those corrections are great, I love them. It shows you care....and so do I.

HISTORICAL PHOTO NUMBER TWO, BOOKSHOP SANTA CRUZ BASEMENT March 27, 1976. We'll have to ask Neal C. but the Bookshop basement in the old location housed many attempts to draw crowds. On the right is late '60's radical Jerry Rubin addressing a bunch of locals. (photo courtesy of Eric Fingal's private collection)

INSIDE THE RITTENHOUSE MAUSOLEUM . A friend went inside the Louis Rittenhouse Mausoleum Building at Church and Pacific for some kind of workshop last week and sent this report.. Well, it has a nice veranda up there on the fourth floor and a decent view of downtown. Who ever moves in has a huge expense since there is no wiring to the outlets that would and should be in the wall (if they were there), and there is no lighting at all aside from the men and women's bathroom. The men's bathroom DOES NOT have waterless toilets???? I was shocked!!! How could the City Planners and City Council NOT REQUIRE waterless toilets installed in a new building? The Regal Cinema Nine installed them after they already had the typical water types....there's no false ceiling and no lights up...it is going to cost the first tenant a lot to finish out the inside of that building. One extension cord on the floor covered nearly the entire perimeter to power laptops and such. Amongst those other things needed to start occupancy in the Rittenhouse Mausoleum they would have to put in flooring as the sub floor is now exposed." end of spy report. Sounds to me like we should force the City Council to have their meetings in there to make them pay for what they forced on our city...and we could have had a beautiful Plaza in the same location!!!

UPDATE ON LEFTMOST CITY . Re my last week plug for Gary Patton's update on Bill Domhoff's book on Santa Cruz City politics Bill emailed to add "Thanks for the plug on the Patton piece, and for stirring up controversy RE Mike Rotkin, but just for the record, Rittenhouse is quoted more than Rotkin, 3 to 2, and Mike was on the council from 79 to 88, and then back on in 92, and involved in the quake stuff when off the council thru VSC, so he is in fact the most involved over time, what with Van Allen losing and Kathy Beiers not on the council until 89, etc. And his dissertation provides more detail on NAM and Westside Neighbors than any other source, so naturally we quoted him. None of the other activists have provided written accounts of what went on. I much like Gary's piece, and the county is part of the large story, but our book is a critique of rival theories of city power structures, so as we said, we focused on the city level". Good to know Bill D. quoted Louis Rittenhouse more than Mike Rotkin, which sure is refreshing and vital and academic too.

BOYCOTT WHOLE FOODS. I can't include all the folks who sent in this Boycott Whole Foods piece from Common Dreams and thanks. http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/13-0 It tells how Whole Foods CEO John Mackey is a Right wing Libertarian, anti single payer health insurance, a union buster, and how Whole Foods is a liberal democratic yuppie hangout.

Anthony Walton sent this link to Fox News about that boycott...amazing and real!!!
Another Boycott Whole Foods article in Huffington Post Want Ben Wyskida's more reasons to boycott Still more of Ethan Nichten's reasons for Boycotting Whole Foods

LOCAL WHOLE FOODS AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD !! Jodi Frediani emails once again to ask "Does Santa Cruz have a sign ordinance, or a mobile sign ordinance? I'm assuming there is a bill board ordinance since we have none. I was down on West Cliff to eat my lunch today and there was a giant mobile bill board parked on the street advertising Whole Foods new local stores. Nothing like blocking the view with advertising for the latest out-of-town business to set foot in our little city-by-the-sea. I have a call into City Code Enforcement, but no response yet. The company Whole Foods has hired is Mobile Outdoor Promotions USA 1-800-835-ROLL. The driver sat in his rig listening to music. Hook your advertising to a truck and drag it around town. Good for keeping down one's global foot print. If it's not illegal, it sure should be".

PATTONS PROGRAM. Gary discusses why we should think about curtailing any more homes being built in our forest lands. He talks about The Chanticleer Park in Live Oak, and about dogs going leash free in Ocean View Park. Fred Keeley's California Forward has made several issues very important. Gary relates concepts about Lot Line adjustment, and Land Use and the Coastal Act... (Gary Patton is "Of Counsel" to the Santa Cruz law firm of Wittwer & Parkin, which specializes in land use and environmental law. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton's.)

EAGAN'S DEEP COVER . Scroll down at least 3 pages to catch Tim's take on vox populi...as we live it!!!

LANDAUS PROGRES . Read Saul Landau's article on Obama taking on Health Care. Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow whose films are on DVD from Saul Landau is an Institute for Policy Studies fellow whose films are on DVD from roundworldproductions@gmail.com

CASEY'S COMPUTER COMMENTARY. Long time friend Patrick Casey has been involved with technology development and computer support for 25 years; several years with Seagate and several more years with Apple and various other companies both large and small. He's been focused on providing computer support to individuals since 2002. Figuring that having trouble with your computer is now one of the most frustrating things in life I asked him to supply us with an insider's bunch of hints, tips and useful knowledge. Here's his first "COMMENTARY"...

SMOKEY HOSTETTER'S HOT STUFFF . It's been a very, um, interesting week here in Bonny Doon, but things are settling down. And I've had enough downtime inside the house (avoiding the bad air) to finally catch up on this page, which I recommend you consult right now. A number of other things in the offing over the next few days and months, I'll add them as soon as the smoke clears.

OPINION OFFSHORE. CUBA. I asked a trusted friend who knows and experiences our USA offshore politics firsthand to write for us when possible....here's the second installment.
OFAC: Obama's real "death panel" by Yaineris Martinez

OFAC, or the Office of Foreign Assets Control, is the entity charged with enforcing the economic embargo against Cuba^[i], which due to its extraterritorial nature is more commonly and accurately referred to as a blockade. U.S. companies or their subsidiaries in other countries and foreign companies with subsidiaries in the U.S. risk fines if they are found to be selling most goods to Cuba, although there are complex and stifling exceptions for medical supplies and food products. Nevertheless, OFAC holds supreme control over whether any good, of which more than %5 of its components are of U.S. origin, is available or not to Cubans for import, including medical supplies and food products.

For example, in 2004 the Chiron Corp was fined $168,500 for shipping vaccines to Cuba for infants and children from its plants in Germany and Italy. The vaccines included those for polio, haemophilus influenza, flu, rabies and a vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella. Also that year, OFAC fined Alpha Pharmaceutical Inc. $198,711 for exporting pharmaceuticals to Cuba.^[ii] Many had hoped that this policy that has been maintained by 11 U.S. presidents against now 2 Cuban presidents would be eased or even ditched altogether by the Obama administration in keeping with his promise to restore the U.S. reputation in the world and give up its hegemonic attitude toward the rest of the Americas. But, already the Obama administration has collected more than $365,000 in fines from companies who have engaged in sales to Cuba.

One of these is Philips Electronics of North America Corporation, which just paid $128,750 for "an employee's travel to Cuba in connection with the sale of medical equipment by a foreign affiliate" that took place between the years 2004-2006. Philips is a multinational originating in Holland that has affiliates in 60 countries. Likewise, Lactalis USA, Inc., a subsidiary of a French cheese company paid $20,950.38 for selling milk to Cuba. Randy Alonso, a Cuban TV personality stated in a recent article^[iii] that this policy that blocks the sale of even medical equipment and food "has caused the premature death or the deterioration of the quality of life of the Cuban people." So is it an exaggeration to call OFAC a "death panel"? I don't think so.

Let me tell you a personal story...

A few years ago, I was visiting a friend in Havana whose mother had always been so warm and welcoming to me. Although we saw each other rarely, we had developed a sweet bond and I cared about her deeply. She had survived breast cancer and complete mastectomy and had spent a couple of years feeling well. On this occasion she had traveled to Havana from her home province to undergo a test to see why she was having so much pain in her chest. When I arrived the family was in an uproar because the machine used for the test was broken and she would have to travel to the other end of the island for the test. They were especially upset because this was the second time she had come to Havana in hopes of a diagnosis, but the time before the machine was broken too.

I had just read an article about all the Venezuelans getting cataract surgery in Cuba for free and this set me off on a rampage about why the Cuban government would spend money on these surgeries instead of on getting this damn machine fixed. The room fell quiet, everyone knowing there was a gringo in the room, and my friend's mother said sheepishly, "It's not that we don't have the money, it's that the machine is made in the U.S. and they will not sell us the parts to repair it. We will have to buy another machine on the black market to replace the broken one."

It turns out that she had cancer again and it had become systemic by the time it was diagnosed. She died weeks later. That day was the last time I saw her. Now perhaps in this particular case an earlier diagnosis would not have mattered. But what about others who needed this type of screening while the machine was out of order? How many early diagnoses were missed? And how many others died? Have they yet to replace the machine three years later? It could be that the employee of Philips Electronics was going there to sell them a "new" one. Ok, so Obama did not invent OFAC, but he has inherited it. It is now HIS monster. HIS "death panel" that decides what foods, medicines, vaccinations, and medical equipment will be sold to Cuba. Come on— Obama, manda el bloqueo al carajo ya!"

^[1] For details OFAC's Cuba Sanctions see http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/programs/cuba/cuba.shtml
^[1] ii List of OFAC fines by month and year can be found at http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/civpen/index.shtml
^[1] http://granma.co.cu/2009/08/07/interna/artic06.html

WATERS WEIGHS IN. Richard Wagner's four opera (16+ hours) The Ring is an experience. Christina went to her first Ring in Seattle and said it was a journey. A pilgrimage. A transformation. Also a marathon of physical
endurance. Yeow"...she also said "Officially, I'm back from Seattle with a few dining stories and a great meal at Bonny Doon Winery's Cellar Door as my re-entry into the non-Valhalla world of Santa Cruz. At http://christinawaters.com.

AWARD WINNING HEATHER McDOUGAL. If you've never visited Heather McDougal's website you should it's called Cabinet of Wonders..it's right here... what's extra great news is that she's won another award and her story The Candy Store is included in an anthology or as she says,..." August 29th, the Writers of the Future awards ceremony (I got second place for my story The Candy Store) is going to be an enormous bash because it is the 25th anniversary of the award. All kinds of notables are expected. I'll be there, receiving the award and signing afterwards and generally trying not to look too horrible in an evening gown thingie; and I believe they have a book signing the next day at some so-far unspecified book store, probably in Hollywood somewhere. Although it's been in Pasadena and elsewhere around L.A., so there's no knowing. I'll post it when I know". And I'll pass it on too.

MICHAEL JACKSON IN THE CLOUDS . Just proving the old adage, "Wash Me"

BULLS BALLS LUNCHEON BY FARM BUREAU . There's something wrong with our right wing conservative Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau serving bull's testicles as a fund raiser http://www.ksbw.com/entertainment/20372295/detail.html ..or is it just me?

DISTRICT 9 . If you like L. Ron Hubbard you'll love this sci-fi masterpiece. Tough to follow Brit Australian dialect set in South Africa, and the plot gets a mite holy as in holes but it's new and different and well done. Intelligent amazingly touching and worth seeing.

ADAM. The young lead has Aspergers Syndrome which adds a genuine heart to this coming of age film. The acting is very good; it's a feel goodie with soul. Not at all important but well done nevertheless.

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS. If you had any doubt that Quentin Tarantino could direct anymore I Basterds proves he's one of the most creative directors working today. Brad Pitt takes the lead and this film is pure movie fans heaven. Funny, clever, smart and everything you wanted in a film. Its 2 1/2 hours long but you'll want more go for it by any/all means.

G.I.JOE. There's nothing more to say about this than it opens with a huge HASBRO logo spread across the screen!!

FELTON SILENT FILM NIGHT. Friday night at 6:30 and again at 8p.m. historian Randall Brown will again present a free screening of a locally filmed Silent Film in Barbara Sprenger's Satellite Telework Center 6265 Highway 9 in Felton. He's showing Rubber Tires (1925) starring Bessie Love. Remember it's free and the place was jammed the first night I went there so arrive early.

JULIUS CAESAR @ APTOS GRANGE. After you see Shakespeare Santa Cruz's version in the Glen you'll want to see Bob Kilgore perform a new monologue that explains Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and its relevance to organizing today. On August 22 at the Live Oak Grange, union organizer Bob Kilgore will perform his new monologue, "Caesar's Autopsy", a unique analysis of Shakespeare's historical tragedy Julius Caesar. Kilgore draws on his decade of organizing experience to explain the inner workings of the political conspiracy to kill Roman Emperor Julius Caesar. His recitations of key scenes from the play provide vivid examples of what to do (and what not to do) when you're organizing people to take power into their own hands.

"There are many lessons organizers can learn from Shakespeare," Kilgore says. "It's fascinating to see how Cassius, Brutus and the others come together to take Caesar down. They make some big mistakes, too--in fact they all wind up dead--so I draw some conclusions from that side of it as well." "Caesar's Autopsy" looks at the potential for organizing social change in the U.S., in these times of having a former community organizer for President and incredible social technology at our fingertips. Yet it demonstrates that there are certain fundamental elements to organizing that have remained constant for millennia.

"I think of the show as honorable yet dangerous," says Kilgore. "It's worthy to share the secrets of agitation, but it's also a little nerve-wracking. When you organize you unleash tremendous energy for change—you don't know what can happen when people get together and decide to alter their relationship with the powers that be. It's risky and exciting, and I think Shakespeare captures that thrill perfectly." Admission is Free

"Caesar's Autopsy" Saturday August 22 at 8:00 pm. Live Oak Grange, 1900 17th Avenue, Santa Cruz ...it's a benefit for the Fund for Union Democracy.

Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music Friends San Juan Bautista Mission Gardens August 16,2009 L to R: Bruce Bratton (BrattonOnline.com), Phyllis Rosenblum, Bruce Rosenblum (Santa Cruz Sentinel), Scott MacClelland (Santa Cruz Weekly)

UNIVERSITY GRAPEVINE . Each and every Tuesday from 7:30-8:30 p.m. I host University Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer at WWW.KZSC.ORG. This Tuesday August 18^th Nutritionist Cin Martino returns to say more about eating well and then atheist Howard Burman will talk about no god even in Santa Cruz!!! On August 25^th I'll be talking about Pleasure with Amy and Janis from the Pure Pleasure Shop next to the library...it's a great place!! After that retired UCSC Professor Bill Friedland will continue his earlier appearance discussing his early research on Santa Cruz homeless back in the 1980's. Later on and TBA will be Supervisor Mark Stone about County Politics and probably swimming, and sometime after that like October 6^th Assemblyman Bill Monning will be my guest and later Congressman Sam Farr will reveal what's new in the State and Nation's Capitol.

QUOTES. "Pity is for the living, envy is for the dead", Mark Twain. "The only antidote to mental suffering is physical pain", Karl Marx. "The thought of suicide is a great consolation: with the help of it one has got through many a bad night", Friedrich Nietzsche".

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PRE-COOPER HOUSE CIVIL DEFENSE FALL OUT SHELTER DISPLAY 1961 These local high school girls show how easy it was to protect ourselves from nuclear fallout. Just $35 worth of sandbags (it says) and no problem. That is the County Court House behind them about eight years before it became Max Walden's Cooper House. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com

NEAL COONERTY NEW ENDORSEMENTS. Neal got me a list of his newest endorsements in his run for re-election to the County Board of Supervisors. I listed a bunch in BrattonOnline.com in the June 15-21 column and probably left out and repeated a bunch but check it out. He added Sam Farr, Bill Monning, Fred Keeley, Katherine Beiers, Don Lane, Lynn Robinson, Ann Parker,  Bonny Hawley, Brian Murtha, Bruce Van Allen, Caleb Baskin, Celia and Peter Scott, Connie Unsicker, Carol Fuller, Dan Haifley, Ed and Pat Manning, Emily Bernard, Emily Maloney, Francisco Sernas, Gary Griggs, Gary Patton, Geoff Dunn, Glen Schaller, Harriet Deck, Ian McFadden, Jack O'Neill, Jeremy Neuner, John Shultz, Kaitilin Gaffney, Karen and Darrell Darling, Karen Cogswell, Kris Reyes, Les Gardner, Laura Kasa, Les Gardner, Linda Wilshusen, Matt Farrell, Michael Breden, Mike Rotkin, Noel Bock, Pat Shand, Paul Elerick, Rabbi Rick Litvak, Roland Rebele and more yet. Neal said he still hasn't heard of anyone else running for 3^rd District Supervisor.

WATER STREET BRIDGE CELEBRATION. The City of Santa Cruz has postponed the big celebration again. They were going to give a free weekend at the lovely but lonely 2030 North Pacific Luxury Homes http://2030northpacific.com to the tenth person to actually cross the new Water Street Pedestrian Bridge!!! But apparently it'll take a few months to reach that number. Meanwhile many citizens are suggesting a plaque be placed on the bridge with the City Council member's names that are responsible for allowing that bridge to nowhere be built. It's neatly odd and if you go to that 2030 No. Pacific link you'll read its tagline, "Life is Good here". We need another contest to change it to include something about "death being present here".

R.O.M.A. CONSULTANTS. No telling where this rumor came from but some secret person told me that when Santa Cruz hired the ROMA consultants group for past projects they never knew that R.O.M.A stood for "Right Out of My Ass". Snicker, snicker.

EARTHQUAKE'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR. Obviously 2009 is the 20^th anniversary year of our big earthquake. What's happening by way of ceremonies??? The Santa Cruz Downtown Association had one meeting so far, and Chip says he's planning something in Louis Rittenhouse's' empty building for October. Sandy Lydon is planning a genuine commemoration out at the epicenter in Nisene Marks. Sarah Yahm's Community Studies program from UCSC has been working on an audio documentary. We'll just see what really transpires after all, we have just about 60 days before that eventful day of October 17^th.

CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES, SO FAR. It's always exciting to hear about possible candidates for our city council race happening next year. It's assumed that Lynn Robinson will run for re-election. In addition there's talk about Emily Reilly running but there seems to be a question about her health. Then there's Ron Pomerantz, Debbie Elston, but David Terrazas did say he'll be running, Ed Porter may or may not, then there's always the fear that Scott Kennedy may try it again, but quien sabe?

SANTA CRUZ WOMAN MADE FAMOUS ON YOU TUBE. Don't keep wondering who that woman is who made such a world wide hit as she addressed our City Council on May 13, 2008,and has been the subject of about 1 billion emails so far. Rambling on from pesticides to pollution she seemed hilarious and somehow Pure & Weird Santa Cruz. After checking with a few city officials turns out she's a mite off balance-disturbed-challenged-etc. So leave that topic alone....don't go there anymore.

RANDALL KANE DIDN'T "GIVE BIRTH TO" THE CATALYST. That crazy Sentinel keeps getting it wrong...the recently departed Randall Kane only bought the up and running Catalyst from its original owners back in 1969. Patty Di Ludovico along with hubby Al managed the Catalyst for years. She remembered that those owners were a co-operative and are a who's who of early Santa Cruz movers and shakers. Byron Stookey helped start the co-op and got Phil Harry, Ralph Abraham, Paul Lee, Leon Taboury, Warren Penniman, Ian McPhail, Roland Hall, Chuck and Elizabeth Moore, John Dizikes, John Stenovich, Sam Bloom, Bob Ludlow, T. Mike Walker, Austin Comstock, Arn Ghigliazza, Todd Newberry, Dent Snyder, Bill Domhoff, Mike Johnston, Marv Namen, Bob Kraft, Joe Miller, Bruce Rosenblum, were all involved either as co-op members or very regular patrons. It was a genuine Catalyst for UCSC people merging with attorneys and townsfolk. Patty went on to say that Marilyn Liddicoat sang there, Tim O'Leary did a reading there and lots more special events.  There was a UCSC Campus branch of the Catalyst called "The Kite" which later became "The Whole Earth Restaurant". Randall Kane came in years later and bought the economically failing co-operation and made it more commercial. He moved it to the present location in April 1975 and it was the opening article in the first issue of Good Times vol.1, #1. Randall got all his money from his wife's Underwood typewriter fortune. John Tuck and I bought the first beers in the new Catalyst by the way, starting a tradition. We also bought the first beers in the Poet and Patriot and in Clouds, thank you very much.

CULTURAL COUNCIL RUMOR-NO RUMOR. That wasn't a rumor about Alberto Rafols leaving the Santa Cruz County Cultural Council...it's a fact. It was announced a while back in one of their official newsletters...I just missed it somehow. Alberto inherited a lot of money, doesn't need to work and is moving back east.

PATTON'S PROGRAM. (Gary Patton is "Of Counsel" to the Santa Cruz law firm of Wittwer & Parkin, which specializes in land use and environmental law. The opinions expressed are Mr. Patton's.) Gary discusses Inclusionary Housing, local control and coastal zones. He then talks about the Williamson Act and agricultural lands. And about the next Coastal Commission meeting next week in San Francisco and other minor matters that'll change our lives.

EAGAN'S DEEP COVER. Tim shows us an alternative universe in 2075 complete with guess what??? Scroll downwards.

Don McCaslin on vibes and reed man Phil Yost in pre-mural days in front of the Cooperhouse 1972. The rest of the Warmth Band must have been on break...or this was one long solo.

COOPERHOUSE MEMORIES. Gail Cruse of The Jazzbirds fame emails, "Have you ever seen a grown man cry?  Well, try a couple dozen grown men fully sobbing. That's what I experienced through my own tears standing in front of the Cooper House on that miserable day in October or November 1989 when the wrecking ball began to take the Cooper House down forever.  That beautiful building was a wonderful icon of a happier era in Santa Cruz.  Too bad money and its hungry politicians, who care little for architecture, history or art, have any say at all in these critical decisions.   I still have not set one foot in the ugly building that was erected in the Cooper House site.  Just can't do it". BrattonOnline adds...What's even sadder is that Mike Rotkin and other officials still try to justify the destruction of the Cooperhouse by saying that the City hired an outside contractor who said it couldn't be saved. That in spite of contractor Michael Bates who had spent years on creating the Cooper House and also on retrofitted the building before the quake and inspected it afterwards. Bates said it could have been saved. At what price or how much money do Rotkin and those officials require before hurting a community as much as they did by destroying the Cooper House? Must it always be about money for them?? The McCaslin-Yost photo is from ace photographer Eric Fingal of Covello &Covello Photographers.

LANDAU'S PROGRES. (Saul Landau is an award winning author and film maker, and an authority on Latin American Issues). Read Saul's piece titled Egyptian River flows through Washington...

WATERS WEIGHS IN. Christina is in Seattle watching Wagner's Ring. Her reactions should be fun, because I think it's her very first Ring. In the meantime she wants everybody to get out of the house and visit your favorite wineries and 
restaurants. Check her out at http://christinawaters.com she'll return on August 19 and may be older and wiser....Wagner can do that to you.

FUNNY PEOPLE. Adam Sandler can and does occasionally act and he does that for a few minutes in this bizarre script. The plot ambles all over the place, and is crude, rude disgusting and sometimes touching. You get the feeling that all the cast tried hard to make this work...but Funny People isn't very funny. Of course it was the #1 box office hit of last weekend.

THE COVE. Prepare to see this heavily loaded documentary about Japan's continuing slaughter of Dolphins. Yes, Dolphins with their mercury loaded meat and cute smiles are slaughtered and captured on film. Go see it as soon as it arrives at the Nick.

BEVERLY ROBERTS DIED. Beverly Roberts was the co-star of China Clipper died two weeks ago at the age of 95. Her second cousin Christina Baker called last week to tell all of us how much she enjoyed being feted at the re-opening of the Del Mar Theatre back in March 2002. Beverly was not just a fine actress and co starred with greats such as Al Jolson, Humphrey Bogart, Pat O'Brien and George Brent but she was kind, patient and gracious with all us locals who brought her here. Check out Wikipedia; it mentions Santa Cruz and the Del Mar. Someone else was in China Clipper I'd forgotten about....Marie Wilson (My Friend Irma).

CABRILLO FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC. Free rehearsals are now underway at the Civic and with five huge concerts coming up all of which have huge musical excitement....you need to go to the festival website at www.cabrillomusic.org then either order tickets online at Santacruztickets.com  or by phone at 831 420-5260 or in person at the Civic box office. This is an excellent year to hear some excellent music. Tickets are available to all the concerts as of this moment.

MUSICAL SAW FESTIVAL. This weekend is the 31^st Annual International Musical Saw Festival which a bunch of us began as a way to raise money to pay for Marghe McMahon's statue of Tom Scribner now sitting in front of Book Shop Santa Cruz. The press release reads....For great music that's a cut above the rest, come to the 31st Annual International Musical Saw Festival, Saturday and Sunday, August 8 and 9, 2009, in beautiful Santa Cruz County, California.

The cutting edge music starts Saturday, August 8, 2009 at 1:00 PM, with a free acoustic jam near the world's only life-sized bronze statue of a saw player - in front of Bookstore Santa Cruz, located at 1520 Pacific Avenue.  Next comes a free potluck dinner and jam at 6:00 PM in the outer parking lot of Roaring Camp in Felton, just seven miles north of Santa Cruz. The big event happens Sunday, August 9, at Roaring Camp when the world's greatest saw players come out of the woodwork to join other acoustic musicians in a variety of musical performances.  You'll hear bluegrass, country, folk, gospel, blues, classical, and even show tunes (believe it or not, no heavy metal) throughout the day.   Festivities start at 10:00 AM, with spontaneous acoustic jams throughout the day.  There's a Saw-Off competition from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and a Chorus of the Saws at 3:00 PM., with up to 50 saw players trying to play in unison.
And for those who want to learn how to play music that really has some teeth in it, there's a free Musical Saw Workshop at 4:00 PM. The entire event is free, and fun for the whole family.  For more information, check out www.SawPlayers.org , or www.RoaringCamp.com .  Held by the International Musical Saw Association, this event is sponsored in part by KUSP Public Radio and the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County.    Come to the 31^st annual Musical Saw Festival, and say you saw it here first!

SHAKESPEARE SANTA CRUZ REVIEW. Don't mull it over or quibble about it, just go see Shipwrecked. It's one of the very best productions Shakespeare Santa Cruz has ever produced. Every role is brilliantly acted, the plot is as funny as it is meaningful and it's absolutely excellent theatre". Dierk Torsek is the lead; Mike Ryan, Karen Aldridge, and Paul Baird double up and play all the rest of the roles perfectly. Matter of fact it's nearly impossible to imagine anyone else playing these parts....go see it, support live theatre, Save Shakespeare Santa Cruz. I haven't seen Julius Caesar or Midsummer yet.

UNIVERSITY GRAPEVINE. Each and every Tuesday from 7:30-8:30 p.m. I host University Grapevine on KZSC 88.1 fm. or on your computer at  WWW.KZSC.ORG. This Tuesday (August 4^{th)   Audrey S}tanley will discuss Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream and Julius Caesar for obvious reasons. After Audrey, UCSC Professor of Anthropology Adrienne Zihlman will bring us up to date on her recent work on human evolution. Jim Bierman will talk about his play The School for Fiancées on August 11^th.

Thomas Hickenbottom will talk about his brand new book on Santa Cruz Surfing History.  Nutritionist Cin Martino returns August 18^th to say more about eating well. Later on and TBA will be Supervisor Mark Stone about County Politics and probably swimming, and sometime after that Assemblyman Bill Monning and Congressman Sam Farr will reveal what's new in the State and Nation's Capitols and other wide ranging but apt topics and appropriate topics.

QUOTES. "Sex without love is an empty experience, but as empty experiences go, it's a pretty good empty experience", Woody Allen. "All this fuss about sleeping together. For physical pleasure I'd sooner go to my dentist any day", Evelyn Waugh. "It's been so long since I've had sex I've forgotten who ties up whom", Joan Rivers.

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