This is one of my favorite issues of the year. We asked people to contribute their visions of Santa Cruz’s future and the answers are eye-opening, fun and serious.
We have so many great talents here in Santa Cruz and they took the time to share their sci-fi-like visions. They remind me that science fiction has so often become reality. I think this is an exercise everyone should try. Where will we be as a community in the future and where do you want us to be and how will we get there? (Hint…drop us your answers and we can include them in upcoming letters pages.)
Check some of our contributors’ ideas: there’s a regular submarine tour of the Monterey Bay; cleaner beaches because people will be more thoughtful; a bustling downtown filled with artists and shops; a new library as the center of town; augmented smart glasses; serious research defying aging; controlling earthquakes; a spread of beach towns like San Diego…
Those are some of the possible futures. But wait, there’s more. Check out that cover story and jot down your own predictions for us.
Who would have thought even 20 years ago that cannabis would be sold in stores legally?
Speaking of a half-century of progress, that’s what Alice Waters talked about in her interview with Elizabeth Borelli. Waters’ future includes healthy, locally grown school lunches, something she compares to the growth over the years of farmers markets, helping farmers and helping people eat fresh and healthy foods.
For an uplifting piece of theater, check out Mathew Chipman’s article about the new work at Cabrillo Stage: “Metamorphoses feels like the antidote to Sweeney Todd,” says artistic director Andrea Hart. “Todd gives into the realities of darkness and injustice. This is the opposite; these are very personal stories, even though they deal with very large issues pertaining to the individual.”
It may not be too late to get your face done before Halloween (see the phone number in Lucille Tepperman’s story). Or you can get it done at the farmers market by a real pro after Halloween.
People on the street give you their opinions of what Santa Cruz will be like in 50 years in John Koenig’s beloved Street Talk column. As usual, there are intelligent, thoughtful answers.
Don’t forget to vote Nov. 4 or earlier with a mail-in ballot. This election is small in topics but will have a huge effect on the national front.
Thanks for reading.
Brad Kava | Editor
PHOTO CONTEST
SUNSET DRIVE Taken amongst the happy people enjoying the sunset at West Cliff, Oct. 17. Photograph by Paul Titangos
GOOD IDEA
The Valley Women’s Club Environmental Committee will host the 24th Annual Environmental Town Hall 1–3pm Nov. 8 at Felton Community Hall. The event will feature Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, who will provide an update on current environmental legislation and issues affecting the San Lorenzo Valley and the greater Santa Cruz County area.
Attendees can also connect with 21 local agencies and organizations, including Friends of Quail Hollow County Park, County Mosquito & Vector Control, the Santa Cruz Climate Action Network, the SLV Native Habitat Restoration Program, California Native Plants, and the Sierra Club Santa Cruz Group. Admission is free, and light refreshments will be provided.
GOOD WORK
With the rise of families being split up and deported, Community Bridges is stepping in to support local families with Puentes Para Familias, a new Emergency Family Aid Fund. The fund, created with generous seed funding from Sunlight Giving, provides up to $2,500 per household to help families bridge financial gaps while they reorganize and make longer-term plans.
“The detention of a parent or caregiver creates havoc for the entire family. Children face disrupted schooling, caregivers struggle to pay rent, and households lose the very person who provided for them,” said Raymon Cancino, chief executive officer of Community Bridges. “Our goal isn’t to replace every dollar lost—we can’t—but we can alleviate some of the immediate worry while families regroup.”
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
‘No one man can terrorize a whole nation,
unless we are all his accomplices.’
—Edward R. Murrow
