Trust winemaker Randall Grahm to come up with an eye-catching label for his 2022 Clairette Blanche. It’s a picture of an eye – which Grahm describes as a “wide-open optical aperture.”
Named “Perfect Clairetty,” this 100% Clairette is “lightness captured in a glass.” Clairette is an ancient variety originating from southern France. Crisp and clean, it is definitely an “Old Skool cépage,” and “delightfully démodé,” says Grahm, who is never stuck for words! This lithe and agile wine ($30) has a primary taste impression of pome fruit – along with citrus, lemongrass and anise. Grapes are from Beeswax Vineyard in Monterey.
Nicole Walsh, winemaker for Grahm’s brand of Bonny Doon, owns and operates Ser Winery. She and Grahm share a tasting room in the center of Aptos Village, next to the Bay View Hotel. Bonny Doon Vineyard, 10 Parade St., Suite B, Aptos, 831-612-6062. Bonnydoonvineyard.com
An Evening with Friends – Hospice Fundraiser
Many local wineries have donated to the upcoming Hospice of Santa Cruz County fundraiser, An Evening with Friends – Silver Mountain Vineyards, Alfaro Winery, Stockwell Cellars, Ser Winery, Sarah’s Vineyard, Integrity Wines, Hallcrest Vineyards, and Equinox Sparkling Wine. These wonderful wineries are well worth a visit. An Evening with Friends is 4:30-8:30pm, Sunday, Oct.8 at Seascape Golf Club. Tickets and info: ev****************@ho**************.org or call 831-430-3084.
Chez Mima Redwood Retreat Camping & Cooking Mima Lecocq is an alum of one of this country’s most famous restaurants – Chez Panisse in Berkeley. She is now doing cooking classes in a most unusual setting – outdoors under the redwoods on her own private property in Corralitos. Accommodations are available in a rustic cabin or tent for a night or a weekend – and you can take your own food and wine! chezmimaculinary.com
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries photographer Wynn Bullock had a simple, effective way of dealing with his problems and suffering. He said, “Whenever I have found myself stuck in the ways I relate to things, I return to nature. It is my principal teacher, and I try to open my whole being to what it has to say.” I highly recommend you experiment with his approach in the coming weeks. You are primed to develop a more intimate bond with the flora and fauna in your locale. Mysterious shifts now unfolding in your deep psyche are making it likely you can discover new sources of soulful nourishment in natural places—even those you’re familiar with. Now is the best time ever to hug trees, spy omens in the clouds, converse with ravens, dance in the mud, and make love in the grass.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Creativity expert Roger von Oech says businesspeople tend to be less successful as they mature because they become fixated on solving problems rather than recognizing opportunities. Of course, it’s possible to do both—untangle problems and be alert for opportunities—and I’d love you to do that in the coming weeks. Whether or not you’re a businessperson, don’t let your skill at decoding riddles distract you from tuning into the new possibilities that will come floating into view.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini author Fernando Pessoa wrote books and articles under 75 aliases. He was an essayist, literary critic, translator, publisher, philosopher, and one of the great poets of the Portuguese language. A consummate chameleon, he constantly contradicted himself and changed his mind. Whenever I read him, I’m highly entertained but sometimes unsure of what the hell he means. He once wrote, “I am no one. I don’t know how to feel, how to think, how to love. I am a character in an unwritten novel.” And yet Pessoa expressed himself with great verve and had a wide array of interests. I propose you look to him as an inspirational role model in the coming weeks, Gemini. Be as intriguingly paradoxical as you dare. Have fun being unfathomable. Celebrate your kaleidoscopic nature.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): “Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.” Cancerian author Henry David Thoreau said that. I don’t necessarily agree. Many of us might prefer love to truth. Plus, there’s the inconvenient fact that if we don’t have enough money to meet our basic needs, it’s hard to make truth a priority. The good news is that I don’t believe you will have to make a tough choice between love and truth anytime soon. You can have them both! There may also be more money available than usual. And if so, you won’t have to forgo love and truth to get it.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Before she got married, Leo musician Tori Amos told the men she dated, “You have to accept that I like ice cream. I know it shows up on my hips, but if you can’t accept that, then leave. Go away. It is non-negotiable.” I endorse her approach for your use in the coming weeks. It’s always crucial to avoid apologizing for who you really are, but it’s especially critical in the coming weeks. And the good news is that you now have the power to become even more resolute in this commitment. You can dramatically bolster your capacity to love and celebrate your authentic self exactly as you are.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The Virgo writer Caskie Stinnett lived on Hamloaf, a small island off the coast of Maine. He exulted in the fact that it looked “the same as it did a thousand years ago.” Many of the stories he published in newspapers featured this cherished home ground. But he also wandered all over the world and wrote about those experiences. “I travel a lot,” he said. “I hate having my life disrupted by routine.” You Virgos will make me happy in the coming weeks if you cultivate a similar duality: deepening and refining your love for your home and locale, even as you refuse to let your life be disrupted by routine.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): My hitchhiking adventures are finished. They were fun while I was young, but I don’t foresee myself ever again trying to snag a free ride from a stranger in a passing car. Here’s a key lesson I learned from hitchhiking: Position myself in a place that’s near a good spot for a car to stop. Make it easy for a potential benefactor to offer me a ride. Let’s apply this principle to your life, Libra. I advise you to eliminate any obstacles that could interfere with you getting what you want. Make it easy for potential benefactors to be generous and kind. Help them see precisely what it is you need.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In your history of togetherness, how lucky and skillful have you been in synergizing love and friendship? Have the people you adored also been good buddies? Have you enjoyed excellent sex with people you like and respect? According to my analysis of the astrological omens, these will be crucial themes in the coming months. I hope you will rise to new heights and penetrate to new depths of affectionate lust, spicy companionship, and playful sensuality. The coming weeks will be a good time to get this extravaganza underway.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Is it ever morally permissible to be greedily needy? Are there ever times when we deserve total freedom to feel and express our voracious longings? I say yes. I believe we should all enjoy periodic phases of indulgence—chapters of our lives when we have the right, even the sacred duty, to tune into the full range of our quest for fulfillment. In my astrological estimation, Sagittarius, you are beginning such a time now. Please enjoy it to the max! Here’s a tip: For best results, never impose your primal urges on anyone; never manipulate allies into giving you what you yearn for. Instead, let your longings be beautiful, radiant, magnetic beacons that attract potential collaborators.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Here’s a Malagasy proverb: “Our love is like the misty rain that falls softly but floods the river.” Do you want that kind of love, Capricorn? Or do you imagine that a more boisterous version would be more interesting—like a tempestuous downpour that turns the river into a torrential surge? Personally, I encourage you to opt for the misty rain model. In the long run, you will be glad for its gentle, manageable overflow.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): According to the Bible’s book of Matthew, Jesus thought it was difficult for wealthy people to get into heaven. If they wanted to improve their chances, he said they should sell their possessions and give to the poor. So Jesus might not agree with my current oracle for you. I’m here to tell you that every now and then, cultivating spiritual riches dovetails well with pursuing material riches. And now is such a time for you, Aquarius. Can you generate money by seeking enlightenment or doing God’s work? Might your increased wealth enable you to better serve people in need? Should you plan a pilgrimage to a sacred sanctuary that will inspire you to raise your income? Consider all the above, and dream up other possibilities, too.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Piscean author Art Kleiner teaches the art of writing to non-writers. He says this: 1. Tell your listeners the image you want them to see first. 2. Give them one paragraph that encapsulates your most important points. 3. Ask yourself, “What tune do you want your audience to be humming when they leave?” 4. Provide a paragraph that sums up all the audience needs to know but is not interesting enough to put at the beginning. I am offering you Kleiner’s ideas, Pisces, to feed your power to tell interesting stories. Now is an excellent time to take inventory of how you communicate and make any enhancements that will boost your impact and influence. Why not aspire to be as entertaining as possible?
Homework:For three days, love yourself exactly as you are. Don’t wish you could change yourself. Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com
Promoter Michael Horne has put on 4,000 concerts in 40 years around Santa Cruz, but you probably don’t know his name.
His company, Pulse Productions (with partner Steve Wyman of Boulder Creek Brewery), is putting on its ninth Mountain Sol Festival this weekend at Roaring Camp with some of the top names in folk, rock, jam bands and reggae, including Jewel, Ben Harper, Railroad Earth, Samantha Fish and a long awaited return of Burning Spear.
“Artists love that space,” he says of the vintage train park. “It’s funny how they react when the steam whistle goes off. One year, Ani Difranco modulated her song to the note as the train went by.”
Horne, 65, started a long and varied music career in the San Lorenzo Valley where he moved from Palo Alto right out of high school. He started a natural foods store, People’s Natural Foods, before succumbing to his passion for music.
He opened a record store called Feltunes on Highway 9 and blasted travelers with music from his outdoor speakers. Then, he opened Blue Rhythm Records in Capitola, which was named for his grandfather’s jazz band. Next stop was Palookaville, a live music venue in Soquel that was known for bringing big names to a small place. In his first 60 days, he brought in Ray Charles, Al Green and James Brown to town, and in his first 10 days at Palookaville charged $5 a night to see Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, Mavis Staples, Zap Mama, Paula Poundstone, Peter Rowan and Jerry Douglas.
“I thought, man, I’m in the game,” he says. Horne began booking shows at Cocoanut Grove, the Veteran’s Hall and the Civic, as well as bringing reggae artists down the coast to San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara.
He also studied music in the West Indies and as a steel drum player headed the band Santa Cruz Steel in the 1980s, while owning a record label specializing in Caribbean music. He also DJ’ed at KUSP-FM.
“Every year I say it’s my last year,” he says. “I’m following in (retired concert promoter) John Sandidge’s footsteps. It’s keep going, keep going man, until you drop.”
Some of the acts he’s most excited about this year are Jewel, who makes her local debut; Keith Greeninger, with whom he sits in on percussion; Samantha Fish, who is a breakout blues star and plays to huge audiences; The Nth Power, a funk and soul band fronted by drummer Nikki Glaspie, who played with Beyonce for five years and with the New Orleans outfit, Dumpstafunk. They do an Earth, Wind and Fire tribute.
Some of Horne’s career highlights:
James Brown: “He busted my chops backstage. I was so green and he knew it.”
Al Green for two nights at Flint Center and Cocoanut Grove. Green asked for a limo and Horne rented the car and a suit, and became his driver.
The Moby Grape reunion at Palookaville. He contacted an agent who told him that the bad news was that bassist Bob Mosely was living under a bridge in L.A.–but the good news was “I know which bridge.” The reunion brought tears to the crowd’s eyes and captured the magic of one of the biggest bands to break out of Santa Cruz.
Johnny Cash at the Civic: Horne was so excited to meet longtime road manager Lou Robin, and the two gabbed so much backstage that he only got to hear the last two Cash songs. When he finally met Cash after the show, the legend said, “Thanks for the work, son.” Recalls Horne: “He was old school, a class act.”
Fela Kuti at the Civic: the African star accompanied by a troupe of wives and musicians, wrapped his feather boa about Horne and led him around the venue smoking and talking to people like they were old pals. “Don’t call my agent anymore,” Kuti said. “Next time, call me direct.”
He also brought Bill Cosby to town a few times. “Sometimes you meet your heroes and they are better left in the bubble,” he says.
The future is always relevant: after a decade-long dormancy, two animated satires of futurism re-emerge like cicadas.
Season 11 of Futurama continues The Simpsons’ co-creator Matt Groening’s brash vaudeville about a trio of working stiffs a couple of eons from now.
Fry (voiced by Billy West) was a minimum-wage Buck Rogers who was flash-frozen and thawed out to find a strange new world of aliens, robots, mutants and celebrity brains in jars. TV stalwart Katey Segal plays Leela, dressed in a husband-beater shirt, one eye eclipsed by a peekaboo haircut. Thanks to corporate takeover, this rough and ready cyclops is now a Disney princess.
Their friend without loyalty is a metal-clad trickster figure called Bender Rodriguez, alcohol-fueled and always with a stealthy claw on your wallet. In one great 1999 episode, Bender was sentenced to robot hell for impiety towards a church similar to the Scien-t-l-gists. As voiced by Dan Castellaneta (the larynx of Homer Simpson) Robot Satan sang out the charges: “Fencing diamonds, fixing cockfights, publishing indecent magazines…”
The first episode of Hulu’s reboot alludes to the four times Futurama was canceled– a satisfyingly modest approach to resurrection. And the dead theatrical actor Calculon indeed is sprung from robot hell to star in a revival of a centuries old soap opera, “All My Circuits” on the streaming network Fulu.
“All My Circuits” becomes a matter of life and death, since Fry foolishly quested to watch every television show ever made and may now cack from the ordeal. Professor Farnsworth (named in honor of the San Francisco-based inventor of TV, Philo Farnsworth) gives his diagnosis: “Fry will be dead by lunch. I’m having ham salad.” The show is a little unlimber after its 10-year nap, but between the reliable characters and the first episode’s piquant gags about TV writers on the brink, it’s possible this new Futurama will brush off the cobwebs, rise and shine.
The difference between DC and Marvel in the 1960s was that the former sold stories that ended in no more than about two issues, returning the colorful characters to square one. By contrast, Marvel was a pop-culture Iron Mole, drilling deeper and deeper into a cranium-addling Hyperborea.
Similarly, Futurama is something you can pick up on fast. However, Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick’s The Venture Bros is a real labyrinth. The show is resurrected in the fragrantly-titled full-length feature Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart.
There’s a very pretty speech at the end of Baboon about ‘complications,’ a watchmaker’s term for the extra dials and hands on an expensive chronometer. After 10 seasons and 10 dead years, the show is loaded with complications, gears within gears, and increasingly Pynchonian references.
The show is an elaborate war of trust funders. The theme is a generation feeling like peewees compared to their globe-bestriding fathers. Yet the show has a never-disguised horror of the criminally vicious things those mid-century titans did to dominate the world.
The anemic protagonist Doctor Rusty Venture–well-known as a coaster on his super-scientist father’s legacy–single-parents his likable beta-male sons Dean and Hank. Opposing the Ventures is the fiendish Monarch, a butterfly-obsessed supervillain whose love life and labor troubles make him a study of resounding failure. Even the most capable man around, secret agent Brock Sampson, is stuck in 1973, with a mullet, muscle car, and a Swan Songs records tattoo. Brock is voiced by Patrick Warburton in a manner best described as “What would John Wayne sound like if he was really macho?”
In Baboon, Hank goes nomad after learning of his brother’s betrayal; he’s plagued with multiple personalities as he crosses the country in search of his long-lost mom. In New Jersey, The Monarch is recruited by ARCH, an efficient new player on the ‘antagonist solution resource’ scene. Its CEO is a supervillainess challenging the century-old Guild of Calamitous Intent, which has been ineptly regulating super-criminal behavior ever since Fantomas terrified Paris in the 1900s.
Forgotten ‘60s starlet Bobbi St. Simone (voiced by Jane Lynch) is key to the riddle.
Baboon serves up filial love, as well as a little note about putting away childish things during
this era of superhero glut. Yet it doesn’t stint on jaw-clenching, ripsnorting adventure.
What a coincidence, the two beloved shows returned simultaneously. Maybe the elders were right when they said our heroes would come back from the grave during the End Times.
ROAR It’s hard to describe Roar musically. It helps to understand that they are based out of Phoenix, Arizona. The scene there is eclectic and the bands all seem to hang out—groups like emo-rockers Jimmy Eat World, video game math rockers Minibosses, folk-punkers AJJ and nerdcore rapper Mega Ran are all best buds. Roar fits into this hodgepodge scene nicely with an interesting take on psych-pop that never feels retro and certainly has the spirit of the desert emanating from the tunes. Band leader Owen Evans even drummed for AJJ for a six year period. Roar’s weird production and hyper catchy hooks fit in with the current era of internet “everything is available to everyone” distribution. The band even had their song “I Can’t Handle Change” go viral on TikTok, because of course they did. AARON CARNES
PERSON2PERSON What does one get when they cross two of the world’s premier saxophonists with the same last name? The smooth, cool jazz sounds of Person2Person featuring Eric Person and Houston Person (no relation). The two first joined forces on stage 14 years ago in Rochester, NY and had such a good time–and great response–they’ve continued the collaboration ever since. Eric and Houston are musicians’ musicians, two widely acclaimed players in the jazz world who have performed or recorded with the likes of McCoy Tyner, Chico Hamilton, Lou Rawls, Horace Silver and many more. MAT WEIR
INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St.,Santa Cruz. $36.75/adv, $42/door. 427-2227.
FRIDAY
FOLK-ROCK
IAN GEORGE Often compared to the Australian crooner Matt Corby, Minnesota-born singer-songwriter Ian George declares on his website, “We are all in this thing together. I love you.” His songs follow this kind and open ethos, though he is “inclined to be difficult every once in a while,” as he admits in his latest single “Grassy Knoll.” He’s from the land of a certain mythic songwriter whose sneering face happens to grace the Crépe Place stage, and his voice (unlike that other guy’s…) is to die for: give Ian George a serious shot this Friday. ADDIE MAHMASSANI
INFO: 8:10pm, The Crépe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10/adv, $12/door. 429-6994.
THEATER
SOMETHING ROTTEN! Mountain Community Theatre anticipates Spooky Season with a month-long run of the witchy and riotous musical Something Rotten! Set in 1595 (and written, for the record, in 2015), the Tony-winning show follows two brothers striving to live their theater-making dreams in a landscape dominated by the one and only William Shakespeare. When a local soothsayer predicts that the men will achieve success by setting a theatrical narrative to music, the first musical is born. This over-the-top comedy, originally conceived by Broadway luminaries John O’Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick, has won countless fans in less than a decade and shows no sign of slowing down. AM
INFO: 8pm, Park Hall, 9400 Mill St., Ben Lomond. $30/adv, $35/door. 336-4777.
SATURDAY
POP
KPOP NIGHT KPop is the ultimate form of pop music. The groups take influence from any and every genre and refine it into the hyper-catchiest, danciest earworms that have ever existed. Certainly BTS, and all the individual members of the “army” get lots of attention, rightfully so, but there are a ton of great KPop artists that have mastered the craft of engineering the best pop music that has ever existed on planet earth. Party company You Had To Be There is bringing an infectious night of KPop to Santa Cruz this Saturday. And the only thing they request is that everyone come dressed in their favorite KPop threads. Oh, they also demand that everyone dance their asses off. No ifs ands or buts about it! AC
RUSS RANKIN Punk’s not dead but it definitely has changed. Take this Saturday’s acoustic punk show at the Blue Lagoon. Featuring four punks normally known for their loud music (Nick Machado from The Hit System, Chon Travis from Love Equals Death, Ben Perdition from Stumbling for Miles and Santa Cruz’s own Russ Rankin of Good Riddance), this night will showcase the guys’ softer, quieter, acoustic sides. Rankin is sure to play some of the songs off his 2022 acoustic album, Come Together Fall Apart, and audience members might even be blessed with a couple of new tracks if they’re lucky. This show is proof that punk hasn’t lost its heart. MW
INFO: 9pm, The Blue Lagoon, 923 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 423-7117.
SUNDAY
JAZZ
SUN RA ARKESTRA Esteemed promoter (((folkYeah!))) brings Afrofuturist pioneers The Sun Ra Arkestra to town for a concert of dreams. At 99-years-old, alto-saxophonist Marshall Allen, who has been a member since 1958 but isn’t traveling with the band, leads the famed group through its 60+-year sojourn across swing, rock and blues. The 2020s have proven productive for the musicians, with 2020’s Swirling soothing pandemic blues and 2022’s Living Sky helping to revive the world. Go see this oracle of a band. AM
INFO: 8pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz. $31.50. 423-8209.
MONDAY
POP
G Flip gets percussive at the Catalyst Atrium on Monday night
G FLIP Fans of power ballads and dance beats will find a reason to go out on a Monday night! Yes, G Flip is the spouse of Netflix reality star Chrishell Stause of Selling Sunset, but they are also talented in their own right, featuring the complex percussion that kicked off their musical career on every song on their latest album, Drummer. With lyrics that span topics from gender identities to big love stories, G Flip’s songs are full of joy, humor, and a tinge of melancholy. This is pop music for the queer kids! JESSICA IRISH
GONDWANA For nearly four decades reggae act, Gondwana, have been bringing the irie vibes to audiences around the world. Because of this, they are one of the most internationally known Chilean bands playing today and recognized as one of the leaders in the Latin Reggae movement. Formed in 1987, they rose from the underground music scene during the brutal reign of dictator Augusto Pinochet and have continued their message of love, universal unity and praise ever since. This Tuesday they are joined by local act, Santa Cruda, for an uplifting night of celebration and life. MW
CH CH CH CHANGES It’s disheartening our community has wasted so much energy enraged over a name change. San Franciscans didn’t go into such a tizzy when their International Airport’s name became ‘Harvey Milk’. Nor was there an uproar when UCSC’s College 8 become Rachel Carson College. Those in a snit should take a breath and consider that northern California was the most populated area in all of USA.
Removing Cabrillo’s name will benefit everyone. Names are powerful. This is especially true for names of colleges, team mascots, and institutions of higher learning. Clearly those riled up fear historical record. The very land you stand, live, and work on was stolen by force from biodiversity experts who had miraculously learned to live in harmony with nature for over 15 thousand years. This acknowledgement must deeply embarrasses the naysayers.
Indigenous people engaged in commerce, travel, politics, botany, healthcare, economies, artistry, drama and more. Much of our Declaration of Independence came from Iroquois people. The greed of white male leadership has brought humanity to the brink of extinction. Encouraging students and teachers to celebrate the past, present, and future of Native Americans is key. We teach one another by removing from prominence “Cabrillo”, a known “murderer, slaver and a sex trafficker,” according to many historians.
The trustees are elected and they should alone determine this issue. A public vote would cost more than a name change. At a recent public gathering with Cabrillo Trustees, a man stood claiming he would pay the school a million dollars not to change it. I suggest he move to Florida where his ignorance and inability to acknowledge and heal from his ancestor’s actions are welcome. Ann Simonton
OIL RIGGED We could blame the big oil companies but the truth is they wouldn’t be drilling for oil if they didn’t have a market for it. The big V8 Ford F150 pick up is the best selling vehicle in the US. People refuse to “Look Up.” The day will come when our children/grandchildren will come to us and say, “But you knew. Before it was too late to do something you knew and you did nothing. Why?” All we be able to say is something like, well there were some very wealthy people who didn’t want us to do anything so we didn’t. No extra credit for me. Michel Funari
WOKE Jim, as one of the leaders to rename our community college, I am honored when my detractors call me “woke”. I am proud to be woke; better woke than comatose, being aware of local history means I do not have to say I am sorry because I did not know. Why? I did some reading and talked to people about local history. Having lived in this county since 1998, and having also served on the Santa Cruz city school district board of trustees in the last decade, I feel I know this place pretty well. Doing research about Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo has paid off. That is why people get so pissed off at me: as a former history teacher of 36 years, I did my research. Try it, Jim. Steve Trujillo
I think it’s ruining some of the charm of Santa Cruz. But then again, I like “old.” Maybe they should figure out a way to do it on the outer limits. The people should definitely have a say-so, that’s how it should work.
Maya B, 17, student
They should find another place to do it. Taking out small personal businesses for a big building is not that cool. It’s our city, so we should have an opinion and vote to approve it.
Kaleo Kaluhiwa, 60, psychotherapist
My initial opinion is to take it to the voters. This town is changing so much, and the rate of change is accelerating, it’s massive. Given the way parking and traffic already is Downtown, how is it even possible?
Marissa Arslan, 44, Restaurateur, Arslan’s Turkish Street Food
I support affordable housing, so if gets people off the streets where they can live peacefully, I support that. But it’s a matter of infrastructure, and how it will impact the quality of life in the area. In general, I want people to vote, but will it really sway things? Can we get the population to vote as it should?
Ron Castellon, 39, Business owner, Hammydownz vintage retro and funky finds
If there’s a limit of 5 to 8 stories high, they should stay with that. The problem is that they will build up but it still doesn’t make housing more affordable. It’s good in theory to put more people in a taller building, but where are you going to park all those cars?
Amy Krauss, 40, Asst Professor Feminist Studies, UCSC
The most important thing is affordable housing, so maybe 25% isn’t enough to warrant building so tall. My thing isn’t to keep things the way they are necessarily, but that we take care of each other better. I was surprised that the Empty Homes Tax failed, so I’m not sure I trust Santa Cruz voters to do what they need to do.
Vito Dettore pulls his car up next to the Boulder Creek Pharmacy on a hot mountain afternoon—but he’s not here to pick up a prescription.
Dettore, like many area residents, has stopped to stock up on clean water from a tank next door to the pharmacy.
He pulls out two gallon-size jugs from his back seat and walks up to a four-spigot fill station set up like an outdoor water bar. The service is being provided by the San Lorenzo Valley Water District free of charge.
“My wife’s got some issues with her health, and, yeah, nobody wants to get sick from bad water, right,” Dettore said.
Big Basin Water Company (BBWC) customers have relied on this water for weeks after having their drinking water service interrupted. While some of the supply has been restored, there are ongoing concerns about the water’s quality and of recurring interruptions throughout BBWC’s service area.
The private utility company’s ongoing infrastructure problems have created a water and sewer service crisis for its roughly 1,200 customers. Most of these customers live in the Big Basin Redwoods Subdivision, about three miles from downtown Boulder Creek.
Earlier this year, the State Water Resources Control Board (water board) stepped in to refer BBWC to a public receiver—a court-appointed official charged with handling the company’s finances and operations–-due to its multiple violations spanning years. The issues with the company’s sewer plant forced Santa Cruz County’s Department of Community Development and Infrastructure to enact a moratorium on building permits within BBWC’s service area in April 2023.
Since then, the company partnered with a potential buyer, Missouri-based Central States Water Services (CSWS), to help upgrade and manage the plant. CSWS then subcontracted Cypress Water Services to run operations at BBWC. Cypress is based out of Prunedale in Monterey County.
Local media outlets reported on Aug. 17 that BBWC’s sewer plant was close to being operational. New homeowners and residents rebuilding after the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire ravaged the area seemed one step closer to returning.
However, the latest struggle in the community’s ongoing fight for a safe and consistent supply of drinking water has residents feeling like they’ve been hung out to dry.
Boiling Point
On Aug. 8, the owners of BBWC notified the state water board’s Division of Drinking Water of a break in the main line supplying water to customers.
BBWC distributed a precautionary boil notice and the leak was reported fixed on Aug. 9, according to the water board. Boil notices are common for customers due to the deteriorated state of the system’s supply pipes.
Since then, water outages have persisted and on Aug. 25, Cypress Water Services issued a system-wide boil notice.
Shandra Hunt is a customer of BBWC and member of the group Customers of Big Basin Water. The group is composed of customers and residents frustrated with the condition of the water and sewer service. They run a website and Facebook group to keep each other informed, and have been sharing photos of discolored water coming out of their kitchen faucets and bathtubs.
“I’ve got several pictures of dirty water and cloudy water. People are being told to boil it to make it safe. They’re not even willing to boil it because it looks so bad,” Hunt said.
Residents have complained that, in the past, BBWC’s boil notices did not reach everyone and some customers were still using potentially contaminated water. In response, some neighbors have taken to putting up handwritten roadside signs all over to inform the community of an active boil notice.
“Several people didn’t know for weeks that they were supposed to be boiling their water,” Hunt explained.
Vito Dettore said BBWC needs to do a better job of notifying customers so they don’t have to resort to handmade signs.
“I had to physically get out of my car, walk up and go ‘What does that say there?’” Dettore said. “You mean I’ve been drinking the water for a week?”
While some customers are getting at least limited service—even if they have to boil water—others are struggling to get any service at all.
TAKING ACTION: Residents are informing each other through social media and homemade signs about ongoing water issues.
Feeling the Pressure
The BBWC system is made up of an array of pumps that service different swaths of its service area. Residents hooked up to the China Grade pump have complained of getting low-pressure, discolored water.
On China Grade Road, just a few miles from Highway 236, a wooden shed houses one of the pumps that helps provide water service to the neighborhood. A rudimentary line of PVC piping stretches from the pump house, across the creek below, and continues on the opposite bank towards nearby homes.
Hunt said that this setup has been in place since the winter storms earlier this year washed out part of BBWC’s supply line. The problem now, she said, is that the pump is leaking and may be contributing to some of the water outages.
“The main concern is that it’s leaking, because they’re telling us that these leaks are what’s causing the outages. Because it doesn’t pressurize the system,” Hunt said.
According to a state water board compliance report from 2019, the existing sedimentation tank for the system is in poor condition and shows signs of corrosion. This tank, which fills all auxiliary tanks, was drained due to the leak in mid-August.
According to Hunt, she was told by an official that, as of Sept. 7, the Jamison tank had drained again after having been supplied with water over the Labor Day weekend.
Tapped Out
Damian Moore, former BBWC operations manager and son of owner Thomas J. Moore, said on Sept. 8 that the leaks have been repaired and that the system’s water quality will be tested in the coming days.
“These leaks have been repaired, service restored and storage is recovering,” Moore said.”A system wide boil water notice was issued as it is for any and all outages in all public water systems. Testing will begin [the week of 9/11] to confirm water quality so we can lift the boil water notice.”
Moore went on to say that dating back to before the 2020 CZU fire, BBWC’s water had not tested positive for the presence of bacteria after issuing boil notices and that he expects the upcoming tests to come back clean as well.
The CZU fire severely damaged BBWC’s infrastructure, accelerating the deterioration of the aging system.
According to a previous statement Thomas J. Moore made to the state water board, upgrading the drinking water distribution system would cost an estimated $2,877,900.00.
Public documents show that BBWC received $497.924.29 from its insurer for damages from the fire. Damian Moore said that the money received has already been used up for various repairs to tanks, pipes and valves within the company’s distribution system.
Moore also emphasized that the company was “making no money during the and after the evacuation period [for the CZU fire]” and that it had to rebuild its customer base since.
In December of 2022, BBWC requested a 55.59% water rate increase to customers to offset its lack of profit.
Water Rescue
On July 10 2023, the state water board’s Division of Drinking Water filed a lawsuit in Santa Cruz County Superior Court to bring BBWC into a public receivership. A court-appointed receiver would then manage BBWC until its drinking water and sewer systems are in compliance with state water quality regulations.
At this time, Central States Water Resources is intending to purchase BBWC, pending approval from state entities.
According to the water board, a new owner must receive approval from both its Division of Drinking Water and the California Public Utilities Commission. They must also demonstrate the “technical, managerial and financial capacity to sustainably own and operate a drinking water system.”
The next hearing for the receivership lawsuit is scheduled for Sept. 29 at the Santa Cruz County Courthouse.
The receivership process may take months—or years—and there is no interim solution in place for the customers’ water woes at this time.
“[Customers] were left literally high and dry, not knowing what to do. So I think that’s the summary of the entire thing,” Hunt said.
This is the second installment of GT’s coverage of the Second District supervisor seat race.
This week’s featured District 2 candidates are political newcomers ready to shake things up.
Tony Crane is an Aptos mortgage broker who is battling against what he sees as county corruption for decisions on a residential mental health facility.
Doug Deitch founded Monterey Bay Conservancy and sees water issues as tantamount among the county’s many responsibilities.
The Second District includes Aptos, La Selva Beach, Seacliff and Rio Del Mar, in addition to parts of Watsonville and Freedom. The candidate who fills the seat will oversee a mix of rural and urban neighborhoods, representing a range of residents from low-income agricultural areas to wealthier enclaves in mid-county and the Aptos area.
Tony Crane
Aptos mortgage broker Tony Crane was inspired to run to help fix a system he says is broken.
Crane holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Humboldt State University. He is also a licensed General Contractor.
In a recent interview, Crane touched on homeless services, transportation, water supply and the housing shortage plaguing the state as key issues he plans to focus on.
The catalyst for his candidacy centers around Second Story Peer Respite, a six-bed residential facility for people with serious mental health problems in his Estates Drive neighborhood.
He says that county leaders and Encompass Community Services, which runs the facility, accepted a state grant for an expansion of the facility they knew was illegal and kept it from the public.
Crane says the facility was already inappropriate for his family-centric neighborhood when it opened in 2010. He claims there have been several incidents that include drunken, violent behavior and residents peering into neighbors windows.
“It’s dangerous,” he says. “It’s a crisis mental health facility. They’re not functioning well in their neighborhood, in their home, and they’re bringing them to our neighborhood.”
The problem worsened in 2017, when Encompass applied for and received a $1.12 million grant from the California Health Facilities Finance Authority (CHFFA) to expand the facility to eight beds.
What followed, he says, was collusion by county officials and Encompass to keep their plans from the public, including not holding a public hearing on the proposed changes.
“This is what drives me,” he says. “I’ve been dealing with this for six years, and it kind of overshadows all the things this county can do as long as this kind of stuff is allowed.”
Crane calls the county’s homeless response “a complete debacle,” saying that he supports the idea of Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Courts, a program supported by a vast majority of the state Legislature and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year.
Under the CARE program, people with untreated severe mental illness can be compelled into housing and treatment.
“You have to manage this,” he says. “You can’t just let people roam the streets. For some people, that’s the last thing they want, but they also are kind of a danger to society.”
Crane also says that the county needs to balance its future housing against potential water use.
With 4,634 housing units mandated under the state’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment, the county faces penalties such as financial sanctions, loss of permitting authority and court receivership if it doesn’t create 4,634 affordable housing units by 2031.
But building that many new housing units, he says, is untenable for already overcrowded Santa Cruz County.
“Why are we succumbing to that level of pressure,” he says.
What is the solution?
“Don’t build,” he says. “There is a maximum number of people that can live here comfortably. I just don’t see how they justify agreeing to 4,000 more units, which is going to completely change the complexion of Santa Cruz County.”
Crane says he supports bike lane expansion, but expressed doubt about the ongoing work on Highway 1.
“They can expand the freeway all they want, it’s still going to be backed up traffic I am fairly sure of that,” he says.
Douglas Deitch
Douglas Deitch describes himself as “the best money can’t buy.” He says that he accepts no political contributions.
Deitch, 74, ran unsuccessfully for the Second District seat in 1996, 2000 and 2012. He also mounted a campaign to unseat fellow Democrat Rep. Jimmy Panetta in the 2022 election, where with 5,700 votes he garnered just 3% of the statewide take. He received just over 4% in a 2018 run for the 20th Congressional seat.
An Aptos resident since 1974, Dietch lists community safety, fiscal responsibility, water resources, community development and transportation as his his key priorities.
The founder of Monterey Bay Conservancy, Deitch says that water supply and quality issues are the most important issues facing the Central Coast.
He hopes to use $2.28 billion in state and federal funds to repurpose 22,800 acres of coastal land as wetlands, where both treated wastewater and water from the Pajaro and Salinas rivers would flow, be naturally filtered and then recharge the aquifer.
He also says that the county should utilize a rarely-enforced ordinance prohibiting new well permits when saltwater intrusion is present.
“If they would enforce this law, we would never have any problem,” he says.
An Aptos resident since 1974, Dietch lists community safety, fiscal responsibility, water resources, community development and transportation as his other key priorities.
He also wants to expand UC Santa Cruz into Watsonville.
“We need to be able to maintain water supply in our fire hydrants and our fire system in case the power goes off,” he says.
Deitch would also cap pay for county employees at the level Superior Court judges earn, roughly $195,000.
“I don’t think that anybody in the county should be paid more than a Superior Court judge,” he said.
Deitch attended Stanford University, for both undergraduate and law school, where earned a juris master.
He was also co-chair of the curriculum committee for Pajaro Valley High School.
He says he opposes changing Cabrillo College’s name.
“It’s inappropriate,” he says. “The most important thing about a school is that we should do what’s in the best interest of the kids, and I don’t see anything that compels me to think this in their best interest.”
Zeke Frazier has a lot on his desk, both figuratively and literally.
The new CEO of the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, Frazier briefly stepped away from his paperwork-lined desk to chat about the upcoming fair, which opens on Wednesday.
Last Wednesday, as vendors and performers were arriving, workers were bustling about in equipment-laden golf carts to assemble tents and food booths.
This frenetic bustle is typical in the lead-up to the event, which draws thousands of people to the Watsonville venue.
Frazier was hired as CEO in June and says that everything is on track.
“The biggest thing we want people to know is that we are here and we are ready to do the fair,” he says.
Frazier says that visitors will see beloved favorites such as the All Alaskan Racing Pigs, the cinnamon roll booth and camel rides.
New this year is an exotic bird show featuring condors with 10-foot wingspans, colorful macaws, hornbills and cranes. Also new is “Cartoon Poodles,” a show featuring 11 pink-dyed poodles trained to jump, dance and otherwise clown around for their audience.
“It’s a complete 20-minute show,” says Isabel Abuhadba, whose family has been doing the performances for six generations. “It’s wonderful when we present the show and hear the audience cheering.”
Throughout the fairgrounds, preparations are underway, with art being hung for display and people setting up their entries.
One of these was Jackie Cameron who last year, after a lifetime of attending the fair—and telling herself she would enter the garden competition she loved to see—took the plunge, designing her own garden for entry.
“I thought, you know what? I’m 52 and I’m going to do a gosh darn garden,” she says.
Her entry earned her a best-in-show ribbon and she is hoping to repeat that victory in this year’s fair.
Visitors to the Home Arts display in the J.J. Crosetti Hall can feast their eyes on dozens of different genres, from knotting to sewing to jewelry to quilts.
In the Fine Arts Building, Donna Giubbini, who heads up the art exhibit for the fair, says a new category will highlight professional commercial illustration. Works include locally produced posters, business signs and banners.
“We wanted to make room for this category because there is so much talent in this kind of illustration,” Giubbini says.
Moving forward
Frazier took the reins as CEO in the wake of the termination of former CEO Dave Kegebein. The Fair Board alleged that many expenditures on a state-issued credit card were for unauthorized purchases, including gasoline for his truck.
Kegebein maintains that all his purchases were for work related to the fair. He also paid back $30,000 to the Fairgrounds.
The move angered many community members, who criticized the board for, among other things, not giving Kegebein a chance to ameliorate the situation.
Frazier, who had no involvement in the termination or in the subsequent approval of three interim CEOs, says he wants to focus on this fair and on those in the future.
“It’s in the past,” he says. “I’d love to leave it in the past and move forward. Everyone’s come together to get this fair done, and hopefully it will help us as a community to heal, that’s my hope.”
Santa Cruz County Fair Board Chair Michael Pruger Agrees.
“It’s been a tough year for the fair,” he says. “However I think we’ve gotten past our roughest patch, we’ve hired a great new CEO and we believe we are going to be able to provide a great fair for years to come.
Pruger also tipped his hat to the people who help out every year to help keep the fair going and the fairgrounds running.
“If it wasn’t for the great volunteers that come out every single year we would be in trouble,” he says. “We appreciate their commitment to the fair. We have had nothing but great turnout again, the fairgrounds are in beautiful condition.”
The Santa Cruz County Fair runs from Sept. 13-15. For information, visit santacruzcountyfair.com.
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