Page 124 – Good Times

41st Ocean Breakfast and Grill

Foodie File

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April 10, 2024

MADE FROM SCRATCH 41st Ocean’s chicken fried steak. Photo: Tarmo Hannula

A family-run diner located on the north end of its namesake avenue, 41^st Ocean Breakfast and Grill opened six months ago captained by general manager Gil Mendoza.

Mendoza’s uncle, a general contractor, leased the space and built it out; Mendoza’s task was to get the place off the ground, leaning on his 12-year industry experience. Mendoza says he combines vintage diner feel with beachy décor and a menu of traditional American breakfasts with Italian and Mexican-influenced lunches.

Breakfasts feature classic omelets, as well as biscuits and gravy, eggs benedict and chicken fried steak. Specials include menudo and breakfast burritos. For lunch, the burgers are juicy and customizable, and some of the best sandwiches are the BLT, barbecue chicken and calamari steak. There is also ravioli with red meat sauce and pesto and calamari. Open every day from 8am-2pm; dinner service is just beginning with options like Saturday night tacos.

Tell me about your industry journey?

GIL MENDOZA: I’m a typical Santa Cruz kid. My first job was at the Boardwalk, and I became a store lead at 16. After that, I worked at a pizza place and worked my way up to manager and eventually multi-store manager. I’ve also worked at multiple large-chain coffee retailers. All this experience has taught me time management as well as how to work with and manage a team. And most importantly, keep my cool and not go crazy when problems arise, which they always do in the industry.

What’s next for the restaurant?

GM: We are currently working on changing our lunch menu by adding more burger and sandwich options, as well as some new pasta dishes. We are also planning to add some new items to our breakfast menu such as a veggie benedict. And some customers from Texas gave us the idea to add cheese and grilled onions to our potatoes, which they say is a big thing there.

2623 41^st Avenue, Soquel, 831-316-7021; 41stoceangrill.com

West Peak Sparkling Spirits

Dining Reviews

Mark C. Anderson

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April 10, 2024

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Martinis in Calcutta. Ouzo in Cypress. Ales in Tasmania. Single malts on the Orkney islands.

A number of elements helped launch the surprising local brand that is West Peak Sparkling Spirits, an antidote to a hard seltzer market dominated by Big Beverage.

But to hear Santa Cruz mom and pop behind the canned cocktails tell it, itinerant drinking lies at the heart of their efforts.

“Each can…is an inspired cocktail that will transport you to bars, dance halls, and cantinas across the globe,” they write on the website. “We believe life is…a calling for adventure.”

For Jamie and Nick Sanyal, it also helped that they spent careers in corporate marketing and supply chain logistics with the likes of Tradin Organics, SunOpta and Moss Landing’s Sweet Earth Natural Foods, learning how to develop what Nick calls “a category challenger.”

From there they observed two things. One, beer was making them feel sluggish. Two, the seltzers and canned cocktails on the market left something to be desired as far as taste and packaging.

“Not just the liquid, but from a branding perspective, the tall white skinny cans void of personality didn’t feel right,” Nick says. “We realized a brand that captured the energy and uniqueness of Santa Cruz would be embraced by like-minded people up and down the coast and beyond.”

West Peak’s four flavors—Palo Madre Paloma (my go-to of the group), Fathom Falls Cooler, Saddle Creek Spritz and a Buscadero Bay Punch—clock in at 6% ABV, and enjoy a balance between effervescence and fruit with a legit spirits backbone.

The result is neither seltzer or cocktail, and a nice alternative in other ways, too.

“People know the beverage industry is mostly dominated by corporate and celebrity-owned brands,” Jamie says. What most people find surprising is that a small family-owned company such as ours is starting to break through.”

drinkwestpeak.com

YES PLEASE
Hook & Line (105 Walnut Ave., Santa Cruz) aims to open in the former Soif as soon as Thursday, April 11. Chef Santos Majano and business partner Leija Borovac have reinvented the look and feel with a more integrated bar area, added seats and a 15-seat parklet. The bar will do a few craft cocktails, and sustainable seafood will shine on the menu, in keeping with the name. Preliminary menus feature hot smoked trout, wild striped bass, halibut ceviche, marinated scallops, slow-cooked whole snapper and a raw bar, instagram.com/eathookandline.

CLASSY CLASSES
From the Education is Tasty File: “The Perfect Pair: A Cabrillo Culinary and Wine Showcase” unfurls April 27 courtesy of Cabrillo College Culinary Arts department and wineries from the Santa Cruz Mountains. First the historic Sesnon House hosts two wine tutorials (“Sensory Evaluation” and “Taste the Terroir”) led by Deborah Parker Wong, global wine editor for The Tasting Panel and professor of Wine Studies at Cabrillo College. Then comes a “walk-around tasting, wherein, keeping with the theme, 11 teams of students pair with 11 wines by SCM wineries try to pull off the best complementary combos, all benefitting Cabrillo College Foundation, winesofthesantacruzmountains.com.

PROGRESS IS REAL

The rescheduled Cesar Chavez Day of Service with Homeless Garden Project is 9:30am-2pm this Sunday, April 14, homelessgardenproject.org/…Cal Native Plant Society, Santa Cruz County Chapter works its healing magic with your help at Quail Hollow Habitat Restoration, 10am-1pm April 20, message Linda Brodman, re*****@pa*****.net…Santa Cruz Permaculture has all sorts of cool stuff going on, including a Herbalism & Medicine-Making course beginning April 13, and its Strawberry Festival at the SCP Farm on Highway 1 in Davenport Saturday, May 18—face painting, scavenger hunt, farm tours, strawberry shortcake and parfait, strawberry lemonade, persimmon lassi, quinoa veggie bowls, and other farm goodies for sale, $5/adult, $1/kids, https://santacruzpermaculture.com.

Take a Hike with Richard Stockton

Cover Stories

Richard Stockton

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April 10, 2024

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The French supercentenarian Jeanne Louise Calment was not just alive at 122, she thrived.

“I’ve only got one wrinkle and I’m sitting on it,” she said.

Today I hike with my French connection Laurence Bedford, songwriter Rick Zeek and our El Jefe, the 85-year-old Sleepy John Sandidge.

Sleepy John says, “Dying is not an option. I don’t have the budget.” Sleepy John is a hiking inspiration to celebrate age pride. He says, “Aging is not contagious, everyone’s got it.”

Rio del Mar Trail, get your Vitamin Sea

This is a beach walk, and you’ll appreciate it if you remember to bring shades or a hat. The sun gives life, and it takes it away. I used to wear sunblock to keep from getting wrinkled. Now I wear sunblock to keep from looking homeless.

Synchronicity strikes when my three boys decide to hike the Rio del Mar Beach, because I follow the shenanigans of the Rio del Mar Homeowners Association, who have illegally blocked off the public path in front of their rental houses so they can advertise that they offer a private beach. We park in the free parking spaces in front of The Pixie Deli.

I always thought that as I aged, I would become more of an activist. Turns out I just get crankier. My tee shirt should say, “I’m flabby on the outside, crabby on the inside.” Friedrich Nietzsche said that hiking is a political act. Today his idea turns out to be a little too on the nose.

We start walking south, right past the disputed public walkway that the Rio del Mar HOA is trying to rip off. The rental houses look empty, we’re the only ones on the path. The boys walk ahead of me and then head to the surf. I’m meandering along the pathway, snapping photos of the erosion from the last flood, taking pictures of the real estate rental signs. I hear someone behind me.

“Who are you?”

I turn to see a well-dressed, 60-something lady. She is livid. Eyes red. She hisses,

“Who are you?”

“Oh. Hi. I’m Richard Stockton.” I extend my hand.

She does not look at my hand. She steps closer.

“Who are you?”

I am pretty sure I had covered that but get the idea she means something different. She takes a step closer.

“Who are you and what do you think you’re doing here?”

“I’m walking on a public path.”

“This is a private path. That’s why there are barriers.”

“You mean the barriers that the California Coastal Commission ordered the HOA to take down. Why do you think you can deny my use of this path?”

“It’s in the judgment.”

Of course. My new Karen friend is talking about a 2022 civil court ruling that said the City of Santa Cruz does not own the path. However, as Lisa Haage of the Coastal Commission pointed out, “It’s not relevant who owns the walkway.”

Indeed, since the California Coastal Act of 1972, the Coastal Commission has the state-mandated power to make sure everyone has access to the beach. I attended that December 14,2023 Commission hearing when the board adopted all five resolutions by the staff by unanimous vote and ordered the Rio del Mar HOA to cease and desist with the encroachment of the pathway and pay $4.8 million in penalties.

My Karen snaps, “Where do you live?”

“I live in Santa Cruz. Where do you live?”

She takes a deep breath and steps back. Of course, she’s an out-of-town investor.

“So, you don’t live here.”

“I am an owner.”

“And you’re mad that I’m using this public pathway.”

“It’s not public. What are you doing here?”

“I write for Good Times Weekly Santa Cruz.”

She flinches and takes a step back. I am emboldened.

“I’m just doing my job… to report why you think I can’t walk here.”

“It’s in the judgment.”

“OK. I’m sure you want me to disappear, but we both know that’s not going to happen. What should I do here? How do you want me to do my job?”

She takes another step back, her lips tight, fists clenched.

“Read the judgment.”

“I have read the court’s judgment, and it does not refute the Coastal Commission’s authority to keep this path open. If you really believe that I am trespassing, let’s call the police.”

I hold up my phone. The woman glowers, spins away and stomps off.

When I catch up with the boys, they ask me who my new friend is. We discuss how the mechanics of capitalism works to take away our very access to the ocean. We have been pushed to the left edge of America, as far as we can go. We have no choice, this is where we make our stand. This beach is our Normandy.

I say, “But I will not denigrate the intelligence of the Rio del Mar housing investors who claim that the California state beach access law does not apply to them. Denigrate means ‘to put down.’”

Laurence Bedford gets excited about investigating the people who own these rental houses and we form a detective agency. That night Laurence texts me that of every house owner he has tracked so far, none lives in Santa Cruz.

Things to do in Santa Cruz

Things To Do This Week

GT Staff

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April 10, 2024

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THURSDAY

SOUL

ORGONE

Orgone is a band that has been around forever because they’re so good at what they do. On tour for the release of their latest album, Chimera, they bring the funk to every song—most of which are instrumental jams. There’s something mythological happening on this album, with one track titled after a legendary creature (“Basilisk”), a collaborator named Mermans Mosengo and the title itself named after a lion-goat-serpent hybrid. Chimeras comprise many disparate animal parts, which is a perfect metaphor for this band and the music they create. It’s the stuff of legends! JESSICA IRISH

INFO: 9pm, Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $25/adv, $30/door. 479-1854.

FRIDAY

AUTHOR EVENT

ERNEST CLINE
Genuine connection is challenging but necessary when one has constant access to a virtual world of escapism. It’s a struggle Ernest Cline explored in his hit sci-fi Ready Player One. Now, Cline’s plumbing the depths of connection again in his latest middle-grade book, Bridge to Bat City. The story centers on Opal, a young girl who befriends an orphaned colony of bats—bats that love music. Opal and this eccentric group of bats have a tough time fitting in, but they’re determined to find out where they belong., together, of course. Cline will read from Bridge to Bat City and sign (and personalize!) one book copy for each customer. AARON CARNES
INFO: 5pm, Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. Free. 423-0900.

MUSEUM

SOWING SEEDS

After four years of research, the exhibition Sowing Seeds: Filipino American Stories from the Pajaro Valley opens this weekend at the Solari Gallery of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History. A collaboration between community members, UCSC students, scholars, the Tobera Project and curators with Watsonville is in the Heart (WIITH), the exhibit sheds light on the untold stories of the 100,000 Filipino people who migrated across the Pacific to fill low-wage agricultural jobs at the US government’s behest in the early 1900s. An engaging mixture of oral history, visual art and family archival materials make this an engaging educational activity for the whole family. ADDIE MAHMASSANI

INFO: Noon, Solari Gallery, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. $10. 429-1964.

COUNTRY

JESSE DANIEL

Hot diggity-damn!! Jesse Daniel returns to the Catalyst this Friday for what’s promising to be another sold-out show. And why shouldn’t it be? The San Lorenzo prodigal son’s star has risen rapidly in recent years. Through blood, sweat, tears and tunes, he—and the lovely Ms. Jodi Lyford, his partner in all things—released all of their music themselves so they can make the music they want without some Nashville corporate suit breathing down their necks. And it’s paid off. Daniel’s latest single, “Workin’ Hard (Day and Night),” is on Dusty Slay’s new Netflix comedy special. His story is just getting started, and it won’t be long until the world says, “Jesse Daniel plays ‘My Kind of Country.’” MAT WEIR

INFO: 9pm, The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $27/adv, $32/door. 713-5492.

SATURDAY

AMERICANA

FOX AND BONES

For fans of Americana artists like ZZ Ward and Lake Street Dive, Fox and Bones is a must-see duo. Scott Gilmore’s twangy grit meets Sarah Vitort’s gorgeous tones in clear-eyed, nostalgic songs. This band has been on a roll, winning first place at the 2023 Tucson Folk Festival songwriting contest and founding Portland’s Folk Festival in their hometown. All the hard work doesn’t mean they’re not having fun; a single off their upcoming fourth album, “Digital Wasteland,” comes with a music video in which an enormous gorilla sneaks into their kitchen while they’re preoccupied with scrolling on their phones. AM

INFO: 8pm, Lille Aeske Arthouse, 13160 Highway 9, Boulder Creek. $25/adv, $30/door. 703-4183.

FOLK

GONE GONE BEYOND

Gone Gone Beyond invites audiences to slow down and dance along as they listen to the folk music of the future—acoustic music fused with electronic elements that blend the traditional with the new. Their sound expands the definition of folk and shoots it out into the cosmos, exploring emotion and experiences via comets and stardust. Show attendees describe their live performance as a spiritual experience as Gone Gone Beyond requests the audience to “slow down, tune in and dance into the stars.” ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE

INFO: 7:30pm, Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy 9, Felton. $27/adv, $32/door. 704-7113.

ROCK

COSMIC CRUZ DEAD FEST

A Venn diagram of Deadheads and Santa Cruz County citizens would have a very meaty center. No town has a more devoted community of Grateful Dead fans, many of whom had the good fortune to meet Jerry Garcia before his ascension from this physical plane of existence. The Cosmic Cruz Dead Fest is the stuff of dreams for such fans, featuring R & B jam band Nugz and two Grateful Dead tribute bands, Aardvark and Dead Roses. It’ll be a night full of peace, love and rock ‘n’ roll—a groovy time for all, with the potential for a little temporary ascension built right in. JI

INFO: 5pm, Veterans Memorial Building, 846 Front St., Santa Cruz. $25/adv, $30/door. 454-0478.

MONDAY

JAZZ

DONNY MCCASLIN QUARTET

One of the most entertaining, surprising acts at the 2023 Monterey Jazz Festival was Santa Cruz native Donny McCaslin and his non-traditional quartet. McCaslin, pianist Jason Lindner, drummer Nate Wood and bassist Tim Lefebvre all made heavy use of electronic effects to stretch their sounds and explore new sonic realms. When McCaslin returns to familiar turf at Kuumbwa, he’ll bring a similar band, with electric bassist Jonathan Maron replacing Lefebre. His career has been on a steady upward arc since his earliest jazz days as a 14-year-old sitting in with his dad, Don McCaslin. McCaslin peaked fame-wise with a shared Grammy win for David Bowie’s final album, Blackstar. But jazz is a lifetime study; McCaslin’s star is burning bright. DE

INFO: 7:30pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $42/adv, $47.25/door. 427-2227

WEDNESDAY

BENEFIT

BE NATURAL MUSIC SHOW

When it comes to the future of local music, look no further than Be Natural Music. For 26 years, they’ve taught young musicians classical and jazz theory fundamentals, tablature and chord recognition, improvisation and more. They’re kicking off their 2024 donation season with a doubleheader this year. On April 17 and April 25, from 4pm to 8pm, some of Be Natural’s best student rock and jazz bands will lay down the perfect tunes for drinking, dining, and dancing. Appetizers and desserts are encouraged, as Pono will donate 15% of the proceeds to Be Natural Music. For the school to receive the donation, patrons must let the register know they are present for the event. MW

INFO: 4pm, Pono Hawaiian Grill, 120 Union St., Santa Cruz. Free. 621-7448.

Chloe Xtina Watching the Watchers

Film

John Malkin

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April 10, 2024

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Chloe Xtina will be shooting a new short film titled “Arcadia” in Santa Cruz in mid-May and hopes to include locals in the production. The 25-year-old theater and film writer/director grew up in Oakland and often visited Santa Cruz.

“Santa Cruz has always been this dark, magical place to me,” Xtina says, “but it also has this very timeless feel that’s slow moving, warm and welcoming.”

Xtina ran a theater company in high school and studied playwriting and film at UCLA. She now lives in Brooklyn, and last summer her play Joan of Arc in a Supermarket in California had a successful Off-Broadway debut.

The 2023 Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellow previously directed two short films: “Ghost of You” (2023) and “The First Taste” (2020). “Arcadia”—the story of a young woman’s “sexual awakening infused with the precarity of climate collapse”— will feature Logan Miller, Lucy Urbano, Alaska Reid and Maria Dizzia. More information can be found at Chloextina.com.

Tell me about “Arcadia.”

Chloe Xtina: “Arcadia” is a short film about an 18-year-old girl. The summer before she leaves for college, she joins a prestigious theater troupe in the Santa Cruz Mountains. She’s on the hunt for sexual power, and there’s a blurring of the lines between prey and predator.

The film is really about these blurred spaces of being a young woman in an art space, where you’re grasping for your own sexual autonomy, but also dealing with what could be determined as grooming. The lines blur between sexual power and power being abused, but also the autonomous power of a young woman and her sexuality.

I set the story during a dark, rainy summer in Santa Cruz, to have the feel of an ’80s thriller. We’re shooting on 16mm film, which adds to the effect. The dark nostalgia in the film is inspired by these really gritty feminized worlds like that of directors Karyn Kusama, Andrea Arnold and Catherine Hardwicke.

I read that your stories explore “psychosexual gazes, desire and California’s climate crisis through a magical realist lens.”

Throughout my adolescence I was very hypersexualized and a lot of rage built up, nonverbal stuff. It wasn’t in the cultural canon to talk about the feelings or experiences I was having. I realized I could use fantasy and magic as a tool to represent unspoken feelings of rage. I’m really interested in these tiny, isolated moments that happen in a young woman’s life that will forever impact her and blow up into a very sinister effect. So, I started exploring magical realism as a tool to talk about these things.

The climate crisis is also an important part of your stories.

All of my work deals with California’s climate crisis as a backdrop. My last project (“Ghost of You”) took place during fire season and a heatwave. I found the climate crisis is a strange mirror for my own coming of age and my relationship to psychosexual gazes. California is as much a character in my work as the literal characters. This mirror of chaos reflects the experience of not being able to control this gaze upon you as a young woman, and not being able to control the world around you.

When you say “psychosexual gaze,” I’m thinking you mean the way that (mostly) men communicate with you, and the way media sexualizes women to sell products and ideas.

A lot of conversation about the male gaze is about the way women are perceived, but what I’m fascinated with is the way that gaze becomes internalized by women. My last film was about a 16-year-old girl who’s playing at a creek and photographed by a strange man, and she starts having these visions of a ghost in a bedsheet watching her. She manipulates that gaze to try to feel empowered, or to feel like maybe she’s attracted to the ghost.

That was based on my own experience as a teenage girl where I was always picturing men watching me and then being so confused as to why I pictured men watching me. I thought I was crazy. As I spoke more about it, I found it’s a very common phenomenon. Margaret Atwood talks about male fantasies of women literally picturing the voyeur watching them. You’re always thinking about the way you’re being perceived. In “Arcadia” the psychosexual gaze is explored through the main character Juliet, who takes in the sexual exploitation around her and kind of craves it.

Tell me more about the local production of “Arcadia.”

We’re shooting in Santa Cruz May 19 to the 22nd. We’re shooting at Monty’s Log Cabin in Felton for our dive bar scenes and we’re in search of unconventional theater spaces and also a farmhouse. We’re interested in bringing on locals to our project; filmmakers with grip, gaffing or sound experience. We’ll need lots of extras, too. During the pandemic, I reevaluated my work as a filmmaker and created my own model of success. I just want to have a community that I’m proud to have created or impacted, and work I’m proud of.

I like that you have your own model of success. I often wonder how to measure success in feminism in this consumer-driven world that is still white, male dominated? Is it beneficial that women become CEOs of corporations and can now be in combat roles in the US military?

I grew up in a feminist Marxist household and my belief is that capitalism and racism can’t mix with feminism. All the systems intersect. It’s so fascinating you bring this up because I was thinking about how sometimes female directors are encouraged to be more masculine, in order to be taken seriously. I have feminine and masculine qualities and my femininity is really helpful. As a director, it allows me to tap into people and make sure I’m taking care of them. That’s also a huge factor in my model of success; I don’t think I’m successful unless the community I’m working with feels heard, seen and taken care of. But I don’t think female CEOs are the answer.

Listen to this interview on Thursday at noon on KZSC 88.1 FM / kzsc.org on “Transformation Highway.”

Donny McCaslin returns home

Music

Dan Emerson

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April 10, 2024

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As an elite-level saxophonist and composer, Donny McCaslin plays in many different jazz clubs and other venues all over the world. But Kuumbwa Jazz Center, where he and his quartet will perform on April 15, is the place that inspired him to spend his life playing and writing music.

His return to his hometown should bring back a flood of memories.

All of his blood family—with the exception of his wife and children—still live around Santa Cruz, including a brother, a sister and their spouses and kids. They are paying their own way into the nonprofit Kuumbwa, he noted proudly.

“Kuumbwa is a very special place for me; I was fortunate to have access to it as a child, so much great music; seeing (drummer) Elvin Jones and the Jazz Machine and McCoy Tyner, a couple weeks later, really changed my life. I really appreciate Tim Jackson and his vision for that place, and how it’s grown. It’s very special to step on that stage and play in front of the community that I grew up with.”

Memories like the weekly gigs his dad, Don McCaslin, would do at the Cooper House—“helping him set up and then sitting on the bandstand all day.” Donny started learning the saxophone at 12, and by 14 was sitting in with combos led by his dad, who was at the center of a jazz scene from the ’60s to the ’90s.

McCaslin, 57, attended Aptos High School and got an early start with the school’s jazz program, led by veteran musician Don Keller. After high school he attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music and after getting his degree, he joined vibraphonist Gary Burton’s band for four years. In 1991, he relocated to the jazz mecca—New York City.

His career got a boost in 2014 when orchestra leader Maria Schneider recommended him to the late David Bowie. Bowie’s people came to hear McCaslin’s combo play in a Manhattan club “and the next day he emailed me asking to record some music.” In November 2014, McCaslin played saxophone on Bowie’s single “Sue (Or in a Season of Crime).” After that, he played on and contributed arrangements to Bowie’s 2016 swan song album, Blackstar, which won five Grammys.

Bowie’s influence was a major factor in McCaslin taking a major, stylistic turn, when he decided to try foot-pedal-controlled electronics effects to shape his saxophone sound. This effect evolved into being the main thrust of McCaslin’s live shows. “It’s become another tool to expand my sound. I imagine that sound now when I am writing. So, [Bowie] was very prescient.”

McCaslin says the music the band plays this time at Kuumbwa will largely consist of tunes from his most recent release—last year’s I Want More.

Last March, he played Kuumbwa as part of a 40-year reunion of the salsa band he played with as a 16-year old, Los Schleppos Tipicos.

This summer he’ll be playing several festivals overseas, and at the Kennedy Center in NYC with the Bowie tribute orchestra, with 75 pieces and his combo.

“The Bowie experience had a profound effect on my own music,” McCaslin says. “Suddenly, everything felt possible in a way it hadn’t before—hybrid concepts, how to put influences together…everything felt more possible.”

Lately he has also been touring with another iconic pop star, Elvis Costello. Hardcore jazz purists might not appreciate the nontraditional effects pedals, but being confined by genre “rules” is unhealthy for any creative musician. And McCaslin’s words pretty well sum up what the original creators and movers of jazz roaming the earth have always done, moving the music forward, preventing it becoming a sort of aural museum artifact. Donny McCaslin plays at Kuumbwa Jazz Center at 7pm. Tickets $47.25/$42 adv/$23.50 students. 320-2 Cedar St, Santa Cruz. kuumbwajazz.org

changed this to plural from Tipico

Free Will Astrology

Astrology

Rob Brezsny

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April 10, 2024

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ARIES
March 21-April 19

Now is a favorable time to make initial inquiries, ask for free samples and enjoy window shopping. But it’s not an opportune time to seal final decisions or sign binding contracts. Have fun haggling and exploring, even as you avoid making permanent promises. Follow the inklings of your heart more than the speculations of your head, but refrain from pledging your heart until lots of evidence is available. You are in a prime position to attract and consider an array of possibilities, and for best results you should remain noncommittal for the foreseeable future.

TAURUS
April 20-May 20

Author Betty Bender said, “Anything I’ve ever done that ultimately was worthwhile initially scared me to death.” Painter Georgia O’Keeffe confessed she always harbored chronic anxiety—yet that never stopped her from doing what she loved. Philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Anyone who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life.” I hope these testimonials inspire you to bolster your grit, Taurus. In the coming days, you may not have any more or less fear than usual. But you will be able to summon extra courage and willpower as you render the fear at least semi-irrelevant.

GEMINI
May 21-June 20

Richard the Lionheart (1157–1199) was a medieval king of England. How did he get his nickname? Scholars say it was because of his skill as a military leader. But legend tells an additional story. As a young man, Richard was imprisoned by an enemy who arranged for a hungry lion to be brought into his cell. As the beast opened its maw to maul the future king, Richard thrust his arm down its throat and tore out its heart, killing it. What does this tale have to do with you, Gemini? I predict you will soon encounter a test that’s less extreme than Richard’s but equally solvable by bursts of creative ingenuity. Though there will be no physical danger, you will be wise to call on similar boldness. Drawing on the element of surprise may also serve you well.

CANCER
June 21-July 22

Will the adventures heading your way be unusual, amusing and even unprecedented? I bet they will have at least some of those elements. You could encounter plot twists you’ve never witnessed or imagined. You may be inspired to dream up creative adjustments unlike any you’ve tried. These would be very positive developments. They suggest you’re becoming more comfortable with expressing your authentic self and less susceptible to the influence of people’s expectations. Every one of us is a unique genius in some ways, and you’re getting closer to inhabiting the fullness of yours.

LEO
July 23-Aug. 22

At least for now, help may not be available from the usual sources. Is the doctor sick? Does mommy need mothering? Is the therapist feeling depressed? My advice is to not worry about the deficiencies, but rather shift your attention to skillful surrogates and substitutes. They may give you what you need—and even more. I’m reminded of The Crystal Cave, a novel about the Arthurian legend. The king, Ambrosius Aurelianus, advises the magician Merlin, “Take power where it is offered.” In other words: not where you think or wish power would be, but from sources that are unexpected or outside your customary parameters.

VIRGO
Aug. 23-Sept. 22

The rest of the story is not yet ready to emerge, but it will be soon. Be patient just a while longer. When full disclosure arrives, you will no longer have to guess about hidden agendas and simmering subtexts. Adventures in the underworld will move above ground. Missing links will finally appear, and perplexing ambiguities will be clarified. Here’s how you can expedite these developments: Make sure you are thoroughly receptive to knowing the rest of the story. Assert your strong desire to dissolve ignorance.

LIBRA
Sept. 23-Oct. 22

In the coming weeks, you can ask for and receive more blessings than usual. So please be aggressive and imaginative about asking! Here are suggestions about what gifts to seek out: 1. vigorous support as you transform two oppositional forces into complementary influences; 2. extra money, time and spaciousness as you convert a drawback into an asset; 3. kindness and understanding as you ripen an unripe aspect of yourself; 4. inspiration and advice as you make new connections that will serve your future goals.

SCORPIO
Oct. 23-Nov. 21

Read the two help-wanted ads below. Meditate on which appeals to you more, and treat this choice as a metaphor for a personal decision you face. 1. “Pedestrian, predictable organization seeks humdrum people with low-grade ambitions for tasks that perform marginally useful services. Interested in exploring mild passions and learning more about the art of spiritual bypassing?” 2. “Our high-octane conclave values the arts of playing while you work and working while you play. Are you ready and able to provide your creative input? Are you interested in exploring the privilege and responsibility of forever reinventing yourself? We love restless seekers who are never bored.”

SAGITTARIUS
Nov. 22-Dec. 21

What is a gourmet bargain? What is a discount marvel? How about an inspiring breakthrough that incurs no debt? Themes like those are weaving their way into your destiny. So be alert for the likelihood that cheap thrills will be superior to the expensive kind. Search for elegance and beauty in earthy locations that aren’t sleek and polished. Be receptive to the possibility that splendor and awe may be available to you at a low cost. Now may be one of those rare times when imperfect things are more sublime than the so-called perfect stuff.

CAPRICORN
Dec. 22-Jan. 19

“There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in,” wrote novelist Graham Greene. For me, it was three days near the end of third grade when I wrote a fairy tale about the unruly adventures of a fictional kid named Polly. Her wildness was infused with kindness. Her rebellions were assertive but friendly. For the first time, as I told Polly’s story, I realized I wanted to be an unconventional writer when I grew up. What about you, Capricorn? When you were young, was there a comparable opening to your future? If so, now is a good phase to revisit it, commune with your memories of it and invite it to inspire the next stage of its evolution in you.

AQUARIUS
Jan. 20-Feb. 18

Even when you are your regular, ordinary self, you have a knack and fondness for irregularity and originality. And these days, your affinity for what’s unprecedented and uncommon is even higher than usual. I am happy about that. I am cheering you on. So please enjoy yourself profoundly as you experiment with nonstandard approaches. Be as idiosyncratic as you dare! Even downright weird! But also try to avoid direct conflicts with the Guardians of How Things Have Always Been Done. Don’t allow Change Haters to interfere with your fun or obstruct the enhancements you want to instigate. Be a slippery innovator. Be an irrepressible instigator.

PISCES
Feb. 19-March 20

Below are truths I hope you will ripen and deepen in the coming months. 1. Negative feelings are not necessarily truer and more profound than positive ones. 2. Cynical opinions are not automatically more intelligent or well-founded than optimistic opinions. 3. Criticizing and berating yourself is not a more robust sign of self-awareness than praising and appreciating yourself. 4. Any paranoia you feel may be a stunted emotion resulting from psychic skills you have neglected to develop. 5. Agitation and anxiety can almost always be converted into creative energy.

Homework: What’s your best method for dissolving bad habits? Tell me so I can benefit from your wisdom! Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

Healthy, Not Boring

Elizabeth Borelli

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April 3, 2024

2

For the first time since 2019, Santa Cruz VegFest returns to the Cocoanut Grove on April 6, attracting more than 80 exhibitors dedicated to environmentally conscious cuisine.

Thousands of foodies, health enthusiasts and nature lovers will get together under one roof to celebrate a lifestyle that’s not just about what’s on the plate but also about the impact of dietary choices on the planet and our well-being.

VegFest organizers Camilla and Helbard Alkhassadeh, founders of Little Hill Sanctuary animal rescue center, call this event an immersive experience that transcends mere food festivals and delves into the heart of plant-powered living. The festival is the latest evolution in a lifestyle the two have embraced for decades.

The couple opened Little Hill in 2020; today, the nonprofit has become home to more than 100 abandoned animals. Their mission has been gaining momentum in recent years, with more and more people choosing to adopt a plant-based lifestyle. During a recent interview, Camilla and Helbard spoke in depth about the changes driving this trend.

One top reason they cite is the potential benefit to health. Diet-related disease rates continue to rise, even with all the latest interventions, the newest diet plans and whatever the Kardashians are doing. Yet nutrition doesn’t need to be all that complicated.

Plant-based diets are rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, which are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Studies have shown that adopting a vegan diet may lower the risk of certain chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer.

But those who aren’t yet ready to give up cheese fries forever are also welcome.

Helbard says that most attendees are not entirely vegan but are interested in learning more about healthy eating, spurred by recent media coverage about the Netflix series You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment as well as studies on “blue zones,” those regions noted for healthy longevity and plant-based diets.

A Gastronomic Adventure

For the plant-curious, VegFest is a foodie mecca filled with creative vegan dishes, desserts, drinks and samples. Though meat consumption has steadily risen over the past decades, VegFest is ready to help reverse the trend by proving veganism is anything but boring. Local and national faves like Bitchin’ Sauce, Cedar’s, ChocoZero, Foods Alive, GoMacro, Lesser Evil, Love Corn and Teeccino are a few of sponsors that purvey delectable vegan cheeses, sauces, snacks, drinks and desserts.

Old favorites like Charlie Hong Kong, a budget-friendly dining hub that has served local and sustainable food since 1989, intermingle with newcomers like Rock N Roll Donut Bar, the bakery café on Pacific Avenue where the old Starbucks used to be. The latter features a Strawberry Shortcake donut that looks more like a small birthday cake and tastes good enough to make it worthwhile to brave the downtown parking experience.

The culinary adventure doesn’t stop there. Other locals include Honey B Market, a plant-forward cafe and marketplace founded by Funky Bean Tempeh visionary Katie Belanger, and YoSoy Ceviche, providing traditional Peruvian recipes with a twist of fusion. Both offer diverse plant-based options that rival traditional animal-based dishes, demonstrating that veganism doesn’t mean sacrificing taste or variety.

For many people, vegan living is an ethical choice driven by animal welfare concerns. The livestock industry is often associated with animal cruelty, environmental degradation and the exploitation of animals for human consumption.

This was the motivation for vegan leaders like Camilla Alkhassadeh, who even as a kid turned her love for animals into activism. She shares her most memorable Thanksgiving story: the time she pointed to the turkey roast centerpiece and explained why she wasn’t going to eat it. Camilla learned about factory farms in her early 20s, when she met Helbard; they both embraced the same ideals, and together they never looked back.

VegFest also explores compassionate living and sustainable choices with an array of eco-friendly products, cruelty-free cosmetics and ethically-sourced fashion. VegFest offers a glimpse into a world where sustainability is not just a buzzword but a way of life.

Live Music, (Non) Killer Comedy

Enticing as the wares are, Saturday’s festival offers more than conscious consumerism, with five bands and a “vegan comedy show” taking place throughout the day.

Dead Nettle, a band led by Lindsey Wall from American Idol—who recently recorded and released her first album, How I Thought—offers an amalgamation of fierce folk and indie rock songs with a nostalgic grungy edge.

Additional performers range from the skillfully crafted lyrics of soloist Nat Letkof and Snake Oil Road Show, the duo composed of longtime music veterans Adam Stafford and Mr. X, to acclaimed bands Village of Spaces and Cement Ship.

Yes, vegan comics do exist; so far I’ve met two, and both will be performing at VegFest. Regular Good Times readers know DNA as a talented writer and columnist. But they may not know he’s also a vegan comedian with a psychedelic twist who has opened for Moshe Kasher, Janeane Garofalo, Myq Kaplan and most of the Bay Area. An intergalactic performer, DNA uses comedy to bridge the gap between generations, genders, religions and species.

Connoisseurs may know vegan comedian Virginia Jones from her appearances on Portlandia and CNN’s History of Comedy or from her interviews on the LEGENDARY s, Nobody Listens To Paula Poundstone, Call Me Curious, and Jackie Kashian’s long-running masterclass in Dorkdom, the Dork Forest.

Virginia, who has 20K followers on TikTok,, defines a vegan comedienne as “a comedienne who is also vegan.” She doesn’t make jokes about meat eaters normally, but no promises for this session.

And don’t miss DCherry Clown’s Drag Vegan Story time. This local drag performer from Monterey County has been a vegetarian since age 14.

Get Inspired

For those ready to take this lifestyle to the next level, VegFest has a daylong lineup of presentations by leading experts in the fields of nutrition, environmentalism, and animal welfare, such as Lauren Ornelas, founder of the Food Empowerment Project, and Tamearra Dyson, the founder of Souley Vegan.

And among the list of authors and activists sharing insights and inspiration, nutritionists Rachel Brown and Dr. Maria Jose Hummel share tips for healthy plant-based eating.

One VegFest sponsor, Vrinda Quintero of local catering company La Areperia 831, was motivated by social justice concerns related to food access, cultural representation and food sovereignty. By promoting plant-based alternatives and traditional cuisine, they aim to address issues of food injustice and empower marginalized communities to reclaim their culinary heritage.

A Call to Action

For Camille and Helbard and the team that made Santa Cruz VegFest happen, the big goal is to raise awareness. They hope attendees leave with a renewed sense of purpose and inspiration to make positive changes in their lives and the world around them. Whether it’s adopting a plant-based diet, reducing their carbon footprint, or starting where they’re at with more conscious sustainable choices, VegFest empowers individuals to be the change they wish to see in the world.

VegFest is more than just a food festival; it’s a celebration of compassion, sustainability, and the power of collective action. Whether you’re passionate about animal rights, environmental conservation or simply enjoy delicious food, VegFest offers something for everyone.

April 6, 10am-6pm, Cocoanut Grove at Beach Boardwalk, 400 Beach St., Santa Cruz. Adults: $5, Children under 12 free. vegfestsantacruz.org

Capitola on the Mend

Tarmo Hannula

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April 3, 2024

1

The Wharf House Restaurant and the Boat and Bait Shop on the Capitola Wharf were torn down and toted away over the past few weeks as part of major repair and rebuilding of the historic landmark.

Construction crews carefully picked apart the buildings, with attention to not let debris get into the ocean.

Officials estimate demolition fees to run about $804,880.

While there is talk of the Boat and Bait Shop being rebuilt, it is unclear if the Wharf House, which featured a deck and dance floor, would come back to life.

“We’re a National Marine Sanctuary and there are some traces of hazardous materials in those buildings,” Capitola Mayor Kristen Brown said. “So we have to be careful in the demolition because we, above all, have to protect the waters and life of the Marine Sanctuary. The buildings just weren’t safe anymore and they found traces of asbestos.”

In October, state and city officials joined around 100 people to kick off repairs after storms last year took a giant bite out of the Capitola Wharf, cutting it into two sections and damaging buildings. That gap has since been replaced.

Attendees spoke about a multi-year journey that led to the groundbreaking ceremony.

“This wharf for 130 years has been an essential part of this community,” said Congressman Jimmy Panetta, who was at the October event. “This wharf has been a cornerstone of this community. But most importantly, it’s a symbol of what we stand for in this community. It represents the resiliency of Capitola.”

Even before the damage and current repairs, Capitola officials were planning to revitalize the wharf.

In 2015, city leaders began discussions on how to make the wharf more resilient and reinforce the structure against high surf and climate events. In 2016, Capitola residents passed tax Measure F, which the city used to update various fixtures of the wharf in the following years.

Following the storms in December 2022 and early 2023 that tore a big section out of the wharf and damaged its buildings, Panetta secured $3.5 million in federal funds for the wharf’s revival. Combined with state money, insurance payouts and Measure F contributions, the city now has more than $10 million to repair and reinforce the wharf.

Separately, a community-founded fundraiser known as the Capitola Wharf Enhancement Project has raised more than $150,000 to help beautify the structure. That money will go toward things such as public art, educational signage, benches and more.

But Brown pointed out that during recent repairs, workers discovered greater damage than was first detected.

“We had to move quickly in tearing the buildings out,” Brown said, “in order to keep hazardous materials from falling into the water.”

Brown said officials were hoping for a reopening of the wharf sometime in October but permits and Coastal Commission approvals take time. She added that she hopes the wharf could once again serve as a venue for live music, dining, dancing, recreational fishing and more.

Street Talk

Street Talk

John Koenig

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April 3, 2024

0

What is something that you love—that your friends just can’t understand?

Metal Music. I’m always going to concerts and it’s hard to get my friends to come along.

Nick Heath, 26, Loan Officer at Santa Cruz County Bank

Sourdough bread. Everyone loves it, but they don’t understand what goes into the outcome of the deliciousness. Like behind the scene. They think it’s very, very simple—or maybe not, maybe the opposite.

Aisha Samon, 32, Trader Joe’s Downtown

Doom metal is my thing, it’s like metal but it’s even more miserable. It’s long and slower, it just doesn’t end, it goes on for even longer like kind of a drone thing. There’s lots of screaming too, yeah. A lot of people hate that.

Ezra Bettencourt, 37, Musician / Tile guy

The Panic In Needle Park, an old art film with Al Pacino. Friends think I’m strange because it’s a downer about drug addiction, but it’s actually a comparison with love. I used to watch it on Valentine’s Day when I was single.

Avery Johnson, 30, Photographer

A film called Hi, Mom, directed by Brian DePalma. It’s DeNiro’s defining movie before Taxi Driver. It’s dark and disturbing and it freaks people out. I’ve watched it multiple times.

Reggie Williams, 49, Philosophy Professor

People don’t get how much I love Star Wars—I have a Star Wars tattoo. And poetry and English literature, like JaneEyre, and Jane Austen’s novels.

Tiffany Dauner, 40, English Teacher

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