EDITOR’S NOTE
Santa Cruz has long been a big fanbase for underground hip-hop artists, and many rappers who are famous now—Del the Funky Homosapien, E-40, the entire Living Legends crew—packed clubs here back when they were up and comers. Those are touring acts, though—hometown rappers haven’t had as much luck breaking big around here.
That’s why Eliquate’s success seemed to come out of left field. Elliot Wright’s smart lyrics and his band’s high-energy sound was a potent combination that could affect your mind and body at the same time. And then, as quickly as he had arrived, Wright was gone, after a fateful show at the Santa Cruz Music Festival in 2015.
In our cover story this week, Aaron Carnes explains what happened at that show, and why Wright disappeared. Eliquate the band is now Eliquate the solo rapper, and this is the story of that journey—one of addiction and recovery, losing and rediscovering the creative spirit.
STEVE PALOPOLI | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Read the latest letters to the editor here.
All Fur Nothing
Your article on dog policy in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (“When in Roam,” GT, 3/8) is a disservice to your readers. It serves simply to give adulatory publicity to what is merely one perspective—albeit the loudest and best-connected—on what I know as a reader of the San Francisco Chronicle is a complex issue. Of course, the National Park Service cannot comment once it is in litigation. But with a little research, your reporter could have included the voices of others—not only environmental groups, but also other recreational users of the GGNRA. Even (maybe especially) in a time when individual activism is so crucial, it’s an important journalistic value to provide light as well as heat.
Carol Freeman
Ben Lomond
Single-Payer for California
Once again, we in California have the opportunity to create a single-payer, universal health care system in our state through SB562. If the last month has taught us one thing, it’s that our health care will continue to be a political tug-o-war in Washington, D.C. Here in California we have the infrastructure and talent in our diverse population to make single-payer a success, and just need the political will to make it happen. Read about it at healthycaliforniaact.org. Get involved; fight for healthy communities in California!
Stefanie Kaku
Carmel
Online Comments
Re: Community Radio
Good luck to them. But if fundraising and crowdsourcing doesn’t work out, I hope that they will consider starting small and informal and cheap and low-power, and build organically from there. If possible. See KBCZ in Boulder Creek (kbcz.org).
— Jim Jones
Great article! Yes, we all deserve a true community radio! To donate, please visit the crowdfunding website youcaring.org and search for Central Coast Community Radio.
— Linda Burman-Hall
Re: Dogs and Parks
A pet’s place is in your yard or in your home. That’s it! Our state parks, beach communities, and local property owners shouldn’t have to deal with your pets on our local beaches or parks, period! If you don’t have a place for your dog at home, then you do not deserve a dog! There should be laws restricting pet ownership from idiots, and those who want a dog need to pass a simple common sense and IQ test, my god! Keep us free from your pet and stay home!
— Melvin
HIGHWAY SHUTDOWN
I chanced to ride my bicycle from Felton to Santa Cruz on Highway 9 the other weekend. What a joy to ride without all the frantic and insane gas-guzzling trucks, motorcyclists, cars and monster SUVs almost running me down.
The peace and tranquility of passing children on tricycles, old folks with their dogs and other bicyclists just enjoying nature and the redwood forest while passing through was absolutely thrilling!
So, let’s just keep Highway 9 shut down to all internal combustion vehicles and turn the road into a gigantic nature trail park.
Those people who need to get to the Highway 17 god of Santa Cruz can get there by other means … as they already are now doing.
Highway 9? Who needs it! I say shut her down!
Kenneth Mills | Felton
Corrections
Good Idea (4/12) incorrectly stated the location of Atlantis Fantasyworld. It is on Front Street. Also, the headline for last week’s dining column should have referenced the forthcoming Kitchen at the Octagon rather than the long-running Kitchen at Discretion. We regret the errors.
PHOTO CONTEST WINNER
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GOOD IDEA
PAGE TURNER
The new book Santa Cruz’s Seabright goes on sale Saturday, April 29 at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. The book, written by Randall Brown and Traci Bliss, benefits the museum. It documents some of the neighborhood’s luminaries and milestones, including the fabled history of Scholl-Mar Castle on Seabright Beach and creation of the harbor at Woods Lagoon.
GOOD WORK
MOUNTAIN STRONG
The Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) announced last week that it was giving an award to Scotts Valley. The Public-Private Partnership Award recognizes the city of 12,000 people, as well as the 1440 Multiversity project for working together to create a new learning center that offers teachable skills. MBEP believes the project will create local jobs, while creating peaceful, healthy living.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“People are so confused about race and hip-hop that people didn’t even consider the Beastie Boys one of the greatest rap groups of all time because they were white.â€
– Chuck D
