The week of August 30, 2023
PARKS FOR ALL
I would like to thank you for your excellent story, Parks for All, about the effort to build a universally accessible playground at the centrally located and popular Jade Street Park in Capitola. Like the well-used LEO’s Haven playground at Chanticleer Park, children with disabilities can play alongside friends, neighbors and family members, experiencing joy.
LEO’s Haven has become one of the most heavily used playgrounds in the county, which isn’t surprising since one in every ten children have a disability, as do two out of every ten people in the general population. Universally-designed playgrounds clearly show that when public spaces are designed with all abilities in mind, children, parents, grandparents and caregivers benefit.
County Park Friends is working to raise $1 million for the playground from the community and the City of Capitola will fund the balance of the estimated $1.79 million project. Fundraising has begun, and if you’d like to learn more or to contribute, please visit countyparkfriends.org/jadestpark. You can help to make this dream a reality. Thank you.
Dan Haifley, campaign volunteer
STREET TALK’S HERE TO STAY
I’ve been a reader for about 30 years.
I am glad to see the return of Street Talk. Rather than have people fear expressing their “politically incorrect” reply to possibly controversial questions, maybe allow them to do so anonymously.
I think there could be a few more Letters included each week. Two or three letters is not enough.
I have found recent cover stories of little interest to me personally. More useful than coverage of some local band, Grateful Dead followers, or other topics like that, would be coverage of what is going on in local planning and government. There are BIG proposals under way or coming in the near future, and a lot of locals have no clue. They either haven’t heard about it or they have false information. Lookout covers it but they are clearly biased, in favor of development.
So maybe Good Times could balance “lifestyle” stories (entertainment, food, surf scene, new local businesses) with a regular report on upcoming City Council, County Board of Supervisors agendas.
Maybe ask the library or Bookshop Santa Cruz to do a regular column on a few good books.
Personally, I could care less about wines. Or beer. I didn’t even know there was a cannabis column. What is the purpose?
How about a story on the food truck “scene”? It seems very limited to me. Not much variety. Why? Ask some food truck owners if they think local regulations make it difficult to operate. What could be done to have a more “robust” food truck scene, and attract maybe some from over the hill, where there is a wider range of “ethnic” cuisine (Korean, Burmese, Oaxacan, Vietnamese, etc.)
What I’ve been wanting for years is for the Good Times to not just publicize local concerts at local venues ahead of time, but to publish REVIEWS of the shows.
Surely there are knowledgeable music lovers who could write a short piece about a show they saw, whether it’s at the Kuumbwa, Moe’s, Felton Music Hall, the Civic, or the Rio. It could be about a major act who plays here, or a lesser known one. It would be great if the review was honest. If the show was disappointing, say so! If it was great, people may be more likely to buy a ticket next time the act comes around. How about someone writing a piece after the Mountain Sol Festival in September?
You could also publicize what shows and music festivals are coming to the Bay Area beyond Santa Cruz. Provide links to the upcoming San Jose Jazz Festival. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Other annual festivals (Sausalito, Mountain View, etc.) Monterey Jazz Fest, of course. (Review that)
Reviews of art exhibits would be ok, like when the MAH has a new exhibit.
How about a “post-Covid downtown” issue, with updates on whether the Nickelodeon is ever going to re-open. Why the city still thinks it needs a new garage when there are hundreds of available parking spaces in the existing garages.
Reporting on the efforts to re-design San Lorenzo Park. Reports on what happens at different city Commissions, like the Parks & Rec Commission, Planning Commission, Water, Downtown Commission, and Library Advisory Commission.
County Planning Commission.
So balance the “fun stuff” with more “serious” reporting.
Thanks.
Judi G.
ONLINE COMMENTS
TOUGH COOKIE
Kerri is the hard-working “cookie lady” and a very good neighbor. Many small businesses did not survive the economic hardship that was created for the small businesses. She is one of the few who has dedication for excellence and never forgets hard work and so far, survived it.
I do not think she will ever sign up for the Universal Basic Income; self-employed people have different genes.
Zoltan l Santa Cruz
CALIFORNIA EXODUS
Does the city collect funds from other counties to take their homeless? And people wonder why we pay more taxes than any other place in the country. Probably the whole world leaves hard working local people with zero retirement and zero savings with a fat side of exploding property tax. Sales tax, DMV and business license fees are the most expensive. Failing infrastructure of the electrical grid, too. I know the agenda here is to drive me out of Cali and turn it into a mega ranch. Look at the success in San Francisco. Drove them out by the thousands.
Thurston Keneddy III l Santa Cruz
