I fell in love with her when I read Ginger Shulick Porcella’s quote in Christina Waters’ cover story, saying “But truly, I think I fit in in Santa Cruz because I don’t really fit in anywhere.”
I felt like she was describing me and so many of the people I know who have fallen in love with our town and county.
If you don’t live here, I don’t think you can ever understand Santa Cruz. Are we misfits? Well, maybe so in the way that we don’t really fit as well anywhere else. But we are appreciated here.
I always took pride in the whole “Keep Santa Cruz Weird” logo because, yes, this place has so many weird people and ideas, not the least of them being that we should enjoy life, support culture, and celebrate diversity and equality.
Those aren’t necessarily weird ideas, but as I see so much of the rest of the country bleeding red, crushing so many of our ideals (like democracy and equality!), they seem out of place for a big part of the U.S., the ones who call us the land of fruits and nuts.
Porcella also won me over with the music she chose for the Museum of Art & History’s 30th anniversary gala: Meat Beat Manifesto and DJ Spooky, far, far from household names, but performers who had an impact greater than record sales. They aren’t new performers, but they are outside the realm of so much gala music, which is too often just greatest hits of the Motown generation.
She did what a progressive museum should do: she found experimental works, which I expect she’ll do for the rest of her gallery. The best art should surprise us; history, too.
Elizabeth Borelli’s Wellness column takes on a big issue: why is it so hard sometimes to be happy? This being mental health month, it’s a good time to take stock and figure out what’s turning your brain down the wrong path. She’s got some tips to get you on the right track.
Sean Rusev profiles an event this week at Woodhouse Blending & Brewing put on by UCSC’s Center for the Middle East and North Africa. The free show by the world music band, AZA, is to raise awareness about the struggles of funding language studies at the school and the whole UC system. Cost-saving measures are putting those classes online instead of in person, not the greatest way to learn the subtleties of a new language.
Much to readers’ delight, John Koenig’s Street Talk column is back, after some time off. The question this week is ‘What should we be talking about more?” And, man, I could give some long answers to that one, but then there’d be no room here for anything else.
You can always send your answers to ed****@*****ys.com and I’ll try to print them.
Thanks for reading.
Brad Kava | Editor
PHOTO CONTEST
SUN BURST This photo depicts the sun bursting through redwood branches in Nisene Marks State Park. Photograph by AnneMarie Miles
GOOD IDEA
Staff of Life Natural Foods, one of the original organic pioneers in Santa Cruz County, will celebrate the 57th anniversary of its Santa Cruz store with a three-day community celebration May 15–17, 2026, featuring food samples, wine tastings, raffle prizes and special savings throughout the weekend. As the only locally and family-owned full-service natural foods market in Santa Cruz, Staff of Life continues its longtime commitment to natural and organic foods, local agriculture and community connection.
GOOD WORK
Watsonville Community Hospital has earned an “A” grade in the Spring 2026 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade ratings — the highest possible designation — representing one of the most significant safety turnarounds among community hospitals in California. The grade was released this week by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit organization that evaluates hospital safety and quality on behalf of patients and healthcare consumers. Improvements included: more doctors; bar codes for medication; reduction of falls; lowered infection rates and improved patient satisfaction.
