Plus Letters To the Editor
I noticed something very interesting while researching my cover story this week on the opening of the new Colligan Theater at the Tannery: the people that are being celebrated the most for making this new performing arts center happen are not doing all that much celebrating themselves. Julie James, roundly anticipated to be the best possible manager for the theater after watching over her Jewel Theatre Company so carefully, barely has time to celebrate, as she’s consumed with the new and different challenges of making this theater a success. And Ceil Cirillo, who first envisioned this theater (as well as the whole Tannery), is so focused on continuing to get nonprofits involved that I’m not totally sure she even considers this project completed yet.
But make no mistake, their work ethic and that of other people who became involved at various points in its development is the reason the Colligan Theater is completed. And the quote that sticks with me the most from this story is the one in which Bud Colligan explains the effect he hopes the opening of the theater will have on the general consensus about what can be achieved in Santa Cruz. I hope you’ll read the story, and dream big.
STEVE PALOPOLI | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Dear Editor-
Please consider printing the attached letter (also pasted below)
Best regards, Tamyra and Ben Rice
Time to Act onClimate Change

As a follow-up to your great article on El Niño (GT, 11/11): World leaders are meeting at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Paris this December to decide what may very well be the fate of our planet. Virtually all scientists say we have about 15 years to seriously curb our CO2 emissions to avoid catastrophic results. All over the globe, people are organizing marches and rallies during the last two weeks in November to demand the implementation of strategies that already exist to avert a climate crisis. Marches and rallies are happening in Santa Cruz (meet downtown at the Calvary Episcopal Church with a rally at San Lorenzo Park at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 22), in Watsonville (at Ramsey Park entrance at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28), and in Oakland for the Northern California gathering (at Lake Merritt Amphitheatre at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21). Check out details at 350.org. We cannot assume that world leaders will act in time to save our planet. Let’s unite and demand it.
Tamyra and Ben Rice, Santa Cruz
Health Care Mission
Thank you for highlighting transgender medical health care in your recent article (GT, 11/4). As mental health professionals and gender-specialists, we wanted to ensure that individuals and families are able to access additional information about gender-specific therapy and support groups, as well as referrals to gender-related medical care. We are members of the Santa Cruz Transgender Therapist Team, a consortium of mental health clinicians, including trans and non-binary identified clinicians, whose mission is to provide excellent, gender-competent, accessible, and affordable care to transgender and non-binary individuals. Our information is online at sc-transonline.org.
Daniel A. Blumrosen, MA LMFT | Ben Geilhuffe, MA PCCI | Finn Gratton, MA LMFT | Shane Hill, Ph.D | Jennifer Hastings, M.D.
Bernie’s Best
Bernie Sanders represents the aspirations of not just the American left, but of all Americans who are tired of Wall Street and the Multinationals writing the rules of the game. Be it with the TPP (which is not as much about trade as it is about creating a corporate-run court), or ALEC (the American Legislative Council), hacks of the biggest corporations are tasked with writing the laws for our legislators who are handily too busy raising money—from them—to do the people’s work!
 The fix is in, folks! Bernie represents the struggle to regain our representative democracy: of, by, and for the people—not a handful of billionaires who have stolen our representative democracy. Bernie has always been about what’s best for you and me.
Jaime Garfield, Santa Cruz
Letters Policy
Letters should not exceed 300 words and may be edited for length, clarity, grammar and spelling. They should include city of residence to be considered for publication. Please direct letters to the editor, query letters and employment queries to le*****@gt******.com. All website-related queries, including corrections, should be directed to we*******@gt******.com.
STORM WATCH Rain gear at the Capitola Pier. Photograph by Joe Downie.
FULL PLATE
Holistic Veterans’ inaugural Community Healing Project event at the Vets Hall brought together experts to talk about different approaches to being well. Before the Nov. 11 fundraising shindig, organizer Paul Damon got a phone call from New Leaf Community Markets saying that they saw GT’s story on the nonprofit and decided to re-think their discount on the dinner. Instead, Damon says, they donated it all for free.
WORTH A STRIPE
Broadway in midtown Santa Cruz has long been a transportation artery, whether for cars, bikes or pedestrians. And yet the busy thoroughfare has always been disappointingly devoid of crosswalks. That could be about to change. The city’s Transportation and Public Works Commission just looked at a plan to add crosswalks to the corners of Cayuga Street, Pennsylvania Avenue, Pine and Caledonia streets. Bike Santa Cruz County, once known as People Power, is lobbying hard in support.
The most powerful force ever known on this planet is human cooperation—a force for construction and destruction.— Jonathan Haidt
