Nobody should be a one-issue voter in 2024 unless that one issue is preserving democracy and the rule of law (or, perhaps, destroying those things if that’s your bag). But even if you insist on voting solely on cannabis reform, you have to vote for Kamala Harris.
Last week, Harris included legalizing adult-use (she used the word “recreational”) weed in a statement right alongside her other top priorities, reiterating what she has said in recent interviews and signaling that she sees legalization as being right up there with clean-energy initiatives, expanding Medicare and protecting reproductive rights.
The list contains 14 items in all. In presenting it on social media, Harris said, “Trump has an enemies list. I have a to-do list.”
Advocates of cannabis reform had previously been nervous about Harris, given that she had prosecuted people for cannabis. On the other hand, most of those people had committed other crimes. And after all, weed was illegal, and her job was law enforcement.
She came out in favor of federal legalization when she became a U.S. senator, and that’s been her position ever since. But advocates’ nervousness returned when she became vice president, and basically clammed up about the issue, no doubt mainly because her boss, President Joe Biden, was ill-disposed to the idea. But as he has on several issues, Biden finally came around to favoring at least decriminalization, and indicating his openness to legalization.
Once she hit the campaign trail in July, she put pot reform back squarely on her agenda. About 70 percent of Americans now support legalization, and Harris knows that for a not-tiny number of them, it’s an important issue.
That’s particularly true of younger voters, who might look askance at Harris’s positions on issues like Israel’s war on Gaza or her conservative-leaning border policies. Championing pot reform is kind of a no-brainer, and Harris is the candidate in this race with a fully functioning brain.
But what does this mean for the chances of actual reform? That depends on the congressional races. If Democrats take both houses of Congress, it seems likely that weed will be legalized within a matter of months. But at the moment, that seems unlikely (though perhaps less so than many seem to think, now that “the Republican Party is fascist” has in recent weeks become something like conventional wisdom).
The consensus among election forecasters, many of whom like it when there’s a tight race (and some of whom are just downright goofy), say the Democrats’ chances of taking over the Senate are pretty low. And even if they win the Senate back, they almost certainly won’t have a filibuster-proof majority, which means the Republicans will get to put the kibosh on any legalization bill that comes before them, just as they’ve been doing throughout the Biden administration. Harris has talked about filibuster reform, but at this point, there’s nothing for anyone to hang their hopes on.
In the meantime, states across the land are continuing to legalize. If voters approve any of the legalization initiatives in North Dakota, South Dakota or Florida, at least half the states will have legal, adult-use weed next year (the count is currently 24), while 38 states (and possibly Nebraska, which has medical-pot measures on its ballot this year) will have legal medical marijuana. Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania state legislature is weighing a bill to legalize by statute.
The Florida measure is interesting for a couple of reasons. Foremost, it requires a “yes” vote of at least 60%. Recent polls indicate that the measure is likely to pass (one has 66% of respondents favoring it). Also, the measure, Amendment 13, is notable for inspiring Florida man Donald Trump to weigh in on cannabis policy. He says he’ll vote yes. Which, good, but Trump tends to capitulate to Republicans, so his vote will mean nothing if he wins the presidency and legalization lands on his desk.
We know for a fact, however, that President Harris would sign such a bill.
WriterRay Bradbury once said that evil only has the power we give it.
But admit it, no matter how skeptical you are, there are times you get chills and awe looking at things some people see as haunted and ghostly.
GT sent our writers out to find Santa Cruz’s most haunting places and we’ve come up with a fun list for you to check out this Halloween week. Some are mysterious and scary (not as scary as the upcoming election). Others are fun. We’d love to hear your reactions to the ones you venture to.
A few things of note in the story: Don’t underestimate the power of the Boardwalk’s Fright Walk. In other words, don’t be tempted, as I was, to bring a kid who was too young to handle it. I didn’t think anything at an amusement park could be that scary for him. It was.
And definitely check out the houses locals have decorated for the holiday. Our yearly tradition is to venture up to Chris Zephro’s place, which has inspired a whole neighborhood to up their game. We’ve written about Zephro before. He owns Trick or Treat Studios, which makes masks and props and has a big warehouse in Live Oak.
He is famous internationally but keeps a relatively low profile here. Except on Halloween!
With mysteries and suspense as our theme this week, you will want to check out the story about author Jen Ghastin, a UCSC grad who sets her new novel on the campus and explores secrets of the city on the hill.
Kudos to her for doing a reading Friday at the Homeless Garden Project, where she’ll also sign copies of her book, The Sun-Greeters.
Who knew Firefish Grill has roots in China? You’ll know when you read this week’s Foodie File, where chef and GM Lance Haggard talks about his dozen years in Asia and his experience starting restaurants there. Now’s a great time to check it out, as the seasonal tide of tourists recedes on the Wharf.
Have a great week, and let’s hope our biggest fears don’t come to be.
Thanks for reading.
Brad Kava | Editor
PHOTO CONTEST
HEAVENLY SKIES Included is a photo I took Oct. 14 at the Walton Lighthouse with Comet A3 in the night sky. Photograph by Dalas McCown
GOOD IDEA
Three finalist candidates for the executive director position at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH) will give community presentations via Zoom from 11am to noon on Nov. 12, 13 and 14. Each candidate will have one hour to share their vision for the museum and engage with community members. Join these sessions, and afterward provide your feedback on the candidates to the MAH’s Board of Trustees. Details on the MAH’s website: santacruzmah.org/events/2024/11.
GOOD WORK
Did you know that you can submit a complaint at any time asking the Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury to explore your concerns?
Residents can ask the Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury to investigate their questions about county or city departments, special districts (fire, water, road maintenance), or the officers and personnel within them. You may submit a Complaint Form describing incidents of governmental misconduct, inefficiency or perceived mistreatment. Search Santa Cruz Grand Jury complaint form.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“A politician thinks of the next election. A statesman, of the next generation.” —James Freeman Clarke
From the Victorian mansions of Beach Hill to film locations for Hollywood thrillers, Santa Cruz has long been a destination of paranormal possibilities and rich history.
CREATURE FEATURES Ghosts or not, Rispin Mansion would be a great site for a horror film. Photo: Kristen McLaughlin
RISPIN MANSION
2000 Wharf Road, Capitola
Is Capitola’s historic Rispin Mansion cursed? Located along Wharf Road high above Soquel Creek, the mansion was built between 1919 and 1921 by oil entrepreneur and developer Henry Allen Rispin with intentions to develop Capitola as a resort. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the mansion is a three-story, 9,000-square-foot, 22-room Spanish Colonial Revival/ Mediterranean-style estate. Rispin lost his investments to creditors by the end of the decade, and in 1941 the mansion was sold for $90,000 to St. Joseph’s Monastery for use by the Poor Clares, a cloistered order of nuns. The Poor Clares lived in the mansion until 1959, while Rispin lost all of his money and was eventually buried in a pauper’s grave.
Visitors to the mansion have reported eerie sensations and unexplained cold spots in its lower floors.
On a recent visit, construction crews noticed lights turning off and on for unknown reasons. “There were two caretakers who passed away there at different times,” said Deborah Osterberg, curator of Capitola Historical Museum for the past four years. Both were elderly men who died of natural causes, but the stories persist. Ghost Adventures on the Discovery Channel filmed at the mansion in August for an upcoming episode (expected to air in early 2025). “One lady dressed up as a nun,” Osterberg said. “They spent at least one night there.” (KM)
THE BIRDS OF CAPITOLA
Over Monterey Bay, from Santa Cruz to Watsonville
Famed horror-thriller author Alfred Hitchcock lived in Scotts Valley in the early 1960s and his film The Birds commemorated a real event in Capitola. In August 1961, a huge flock of sooty shearwaters ransacked Capitola Beach and Pleasure Point, allegedly biting people and crashing into cars and buildings. “It took them a decade until they figured out what it was, probably a toxic algae,” Osterberg said. Hitchcock combined the Capitola incident with an adaptation of a 1952 Daphne Du Maurier novel about killer birds to write the screenplay for The Birds, released on Universal Pictures in 1963. (KM)
HELLHOLE
UCSC campus
While the aptly named Hellhole appears like the entrance to a sewer, the entry slot actually leads a winding network of narrow caves and grottoes, some of which plunge 50 feet straight down, according to one anonymous spelunker. “You have to slide in a way,” said the source. “It’s a lot of work.”
If you can squeeze through “the mailbox” entrance slot and land the initial 5-foot drop, a subterranean labyrinth awaits, with tunnels and chambers such as the Birthing Canal, the Party Room and the eerie Hall of Faces. All who enter should have experience with basic caving and double rope techniques, bring two headlamps and water bottle. “The air is thick,” the source said.
Good Times does not endorse or recommend caving in Hell Hole; enter at your own risk. (KM)
EMPIRE CAVE aka PORTER CAVE
Behind Porter Dining Hall on UCSC campus
This cave was likely formed hundreds of thousands of years ago by geological forces. As of August 2023, it was closed to the public to protect its biodiversity, including rare spiders, scorpions and other non-human creatures. (KM)
POGONIP LIMEKILNS
Close to UCSC’s Stevenson College
They might look like strange little dungeons, but these cage-like structures are actually historic limekilns used in commercial production of lime, which began during the California Gold Rush. It is believed that lime first produced at the kilns in the 1850s was used to make mortar and plaster, which is more resistant to fire than wood. Today, Pogonip is one of 14 remaining kiln sites in Santa Cruz County. There are three ways to get there. Curious visitors can begin at Spring Street and follow the Spring trail up to the Spring Box trail, which leads into the mountains for a roughly four-mile round-trip trek. You can also hike from Stevenson College on the UCSC campus and cross the road to the Rincon trail for a roughly 1.5-mile round-trip excursion. Or start from Highway 9 and hike up the U-Conn trail to the lime kiln trail for a roughly 2.5 miles roundtrip. (KM)
MARK ABBOTT MEMORIAL LIGHTHOUSE
700 W Cliff Dr., Santa Cruz
Lighthouses are full of scary stories, and Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse is no exception. Originally built in 1948 and demolished that same year, the current lighthouse was built in 1964, and some say it is haunted by drowning victims. It’s located in northern Santa Cruz at Steamer Lane. (KM)
SUNSHINE VILLAS
80 Front St., Santa Cruz
Speaking of Hitchcock, 80 Front St. is the former McCray Hotel, whose 1910 façade supposedly inspired the Bates Mansion in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. It is now named Sunshine Villas Assisted Living and Memory Care. Over the years, employees are said to have reported inexplicable cold spots and ghostly voices, and the Hotel McCray was variously associated with hauntings, eerie lights and even Satanists. (KM)
THE MURDER HOUSE
999 Rodeo Gulch Rd., Soquel
In October 1970, this mid-century modernist estate in the hills above Soquel was the site of a five-person murder. Victims were wealthy Santa Cruz eye surgeon Dr. Victor M. Ohta, 45; his wife, Virginia, 43; their sons, Derrick, 12, and Taggart, 11, and the doctor’s secretary, Dorothy Cadwaller, 38.
After they were shot to death, their bodies were dumped into the swimming pool at the mansion. The home and its 11-acre hilltop estate were recently listed for $4 million, which includes the free-form salt-water pool on a stone terrace, a tennis court and impeccable gardens and glades, top-flight ocean views, a wine cellar and, of course, ghosts. (KM)
LIQUID COURAGE NEEDED Some say there’s a bartender’s ghost in the Jury Room. Photo: Mat Weir
THE JURY ROOM
712 Ocean St., Santa Cruz
The Jury Room is the home away from home for some, including the spirits. For well over half a century this local haunt has served as a hangout for regulars and a stopping point for tourists. However, bartenders have often experienced strange happenings.
Before he retired earlier this year, bartender Tim Hall would tell of the time he was closing by himself and walked to the front doors to lock up after everyone was gone. As he did, he heard three distinct—loud—knocks on the bar as if someone was slamming down a shot glass, asking for another round.
More recently, barkeep Megan Arnett was opening up in the morning when the lights began to flicker individually. By the time the doors opened, the flickering stopped and hasn’t happened since. “It was maybe a week and a half after (bartender) Marv Easterby passed,” she says. “So I’ve always thought it was him.” The local watering hole was also a favorite of infamous serial killer Edmund “Big Ed” Kemper, which adds to the macabre. (MW)
BOCCI’S CELLAR
140 Encinal St., Santa Cruz
Although the business that bore the name Bocci’s Cellar has closed, the building itself still stands and has since about 1888—and is thought to be the oldest restaurant in the city. In 1933 then-owners the Urbani family raised their home and built the floor room underneath as a local restaurant, hangout and illegal wine cellar (during Prohibition) for Santa Cruz’s Italian community.
Longtime bartenders and staff reported many spooky sightings over the years, such as phantom shadows passing through or hanging pictures falling off the wall or going askew for no reason. Several ex-employees even recall multiple times when single glasses would fall off the backstock rack or sometimes even appear to be thrown when no one else was around. (MW)
BROOKDALE LODGE
11570 Hwy. 9, Brookdale
The historic haunted Brookdale Lodge has numerous, deliriously scary tales. “One of our guests came down to talk to me early one morning about something that happened to her the night before,” recalled the old manager. “She said that she woke up at 3:33am and there was a young girl sitting on her bed, playing with her hair. The girl kept saying ‘Have you seen my dog?’” The GM looked at his nearby Ring home camera and scanned back to 3:33am, and a dog ran past the house, but turned to look at the camera before disappearing from view. (DNA)
EL VAQUERO WINERY
2901 Freedom Blvd., Corralitos
Vintner Bob Prikazsky named his winery for a ghost. He mentioned to a Cabrillo classmate that he was looking for a house on Hazel Dell Road. The classmate said he used to live in that house and recounted seeing a vaquero, dressed in black leather from head to toe, with steely blue eyes.
The classmate, Mike Lefevre, attended a gathering at an estate that used to own the whole Spanish land grant that included Hazel Dell. Above the fireplace there was a portrait of that same vaquero, steely blue eyes and all. Lefevre’s host said that was his great-great-grandfather, the vaquero who had originally owned it all.
The Prikazskys bought the house and moved in. One day Bob had his back to the garage and felt someone behind him. Thinking it was his wife, Dean, Bob turned around to see a figure in a shimmering blue-black veil. He knew it was the vaquero. Others would hear whistling at night where they could see no one. Bob’s daughter Alex said she saw a shadowy, human-sized figure and could feel its presence. (RS)
GOLDEN GATE VILLA
599-501 Cliff St., Santa Cruz
Towering over the heart of Santa Cruz atop Beach Hill stands the Golden Gate Villa, a grand Victorian mansion with a peculiar feature: a “door to nowhere” appearing on the cliffside that hints at a darker history beyond its mundane purpose—originally for removing manure from the stables. Built by Major Frank McLaughlin in 1891, the Villa once played host to Theodore Roosevelt and Thomas Edison. But it’s the mysterious door at that dizzying height that has sparked intrigue in addition to whispers of haunting.
In 1907, Agnes McLaughlin died at the hands of her father, who was suffering from severe depression at the time. The major murdered his adopted daughter with a revolver before poisoning himself with cyanide. According to local legend, Agnes’s ghostly figure has been seen roaming the halls, and visitors have reported unexplained noises and eerie sensations of being watched. (JK)
FRIGHT FLIGHT You won’t get a refund if you leave the Boardwalk’s Fright Walk early. Photo: John Koenig
FRIGHT WALK
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
The Boardwalk has been creating dark and scary places to thrill and chill for over 80 years. It all began in 1932 with a spooky ride called “Dante’s Inferno—A Trip to Hades.” In the 1950s, the ride became Pirate’s Cove, until ghosts and ghoulies returned to inhabit the Haunted Castle we know today, a kid-friendly attraction. Fright-making got serious from 1996 to 2001 with a Halloween season walkthrough called “Terror on Beach Street.” Erected in the parking lot, it featured zombies emerging from graves and enacted executions by decapitation and electric chair. It featured live actors as the monsters, and fewer mechanical effects, creating more eeriness and jolts, with no blood and less gore.
The Boardwalk’s “Fright Walk” opened in 2004. It’s a walk-through journey into darkness with jump-scares, mazes, and shocking scenes throughout. Lurking near the entrance to the park and guarded by menacing gargoyles, it moved in 2017 into the larger subterranean dungeon it occupies today. Be forewarned not to walk face-first into a wall! You might be grateful for a smartphone flashlight app, or even bring a mini flashlight to dispel the gloom. (But do you really want to?) No costumed “Fright Walk” workers will scare the jeepers out of you—it’s all effects and animatronics.
But make no mistake; the Fright Walk is not recommended for pre-teens. If your monster-loving middle-schooler can’t be talked out of entering, be warned: there’s no refund for the faint of heart. The Boardwalk dark rides are open on Saturday and Sunday, admission is $8. Check beachboardwalk.com for hours. (JK)
DEM BONES No bones about it, these skeletons and their spooky house are dressed to impress! Photo: John Koenig
GETTING INTO THE SPIRIT
2320 West Cliff Dr., Santa Cruz
East Cliff Drive at 33rd Avenue, Pleasure Point
At the lonely corner where West Cliff Drive meets Natural Bridges, frightening figures fill the yard. Find the Wicked Witch of West Cliff clinging to her broom, the Headless Horseman with his Jack-o’-Lantern, a Skeletal Scarecrow and more, with eerie lighting and sounds for a blood-chilling tableau.
A special treat for the kids is the Skeleton House, where an ever-growing, bony brood celebrates Halloween in style, costumed as children’s favorites, including Spiderman, Beetlejuice, Chewbacca and dozens more. “Ghost hosts” Susan and Roy display their creepy collection to delight the little ones, while welcoming trick-or-treaters.
Mask maker Chris Zephro’s Aptos home becomes a really scary graveyard on Halloween, maybe a bit too frightening for little ones. Creatures rise up from the tombs, and you can’t tell which is real. There’s an amazing array of haunting, from someone who has worked on Hollywood movies and has designed costumes for the likes of Ozzy Osbourne. His neighbors have followed suit making Vienna Woods a must-see that night. Start at 3823 Vienna Dr., Aptos.(JK)
DNA, John Koenig, Richard Stockton and Mat Weir contributed to this article.
Kristen Brown has the experience and heart to represent We The People of the Second District of Santa Cruz County. Kristen has a wealth of on-the-job experience as well as a long list of credible endorsements from working people, unions, fire, police, sheriff’s departments and many, many others. There are Santa Cruz county commissioners who ignore the will of the voters and cater to the whims of wealthy benefactors who back their campaigns. They care little for the working citizens of this county and for the critical needs of the working people of this area. As Second District Supervisor, Kristen will bring her wealth of experience, honesty and ability to get things done to the job. She will honestly represent the working people of Santa Cruz County.
Don Redmon | Watsonville
ONLINE COMMENTS
RE: MONSTERS AMONG US
Thank you, Mat Weir, for your brilliant Good Times cover story “Monsters Among Us,” Oct. 15, 2024. Your preview of Dr. Michael Chemers’ Festival of Monsters presents tools for self-discovery in the freshest way. What a fascinating idea that matting a monster onto others will lead to atrocities, but “if you look at the monster and see yourself, then you are on the threshold of some really powerful self-discovery.” You got me wondering, how much of the monster I fear is actually a reflection of me? Great article.
Richard Stockton
RE: BAN ON CIGARETTE FILTERS
First I read this sentence early on in the article, “ban the sale of filtered cigarettes in unincorporated areas of the county.” Later on, there is a comment in opposition by Sherry Dang, who owns stores in Santa Cruz and Watsonville, not in unincorporated areas. Supervisor Koenig says all county residents should celebrate, but a limited ban means very little, except maybe a bit of discrimination to the unincorporated residents who favor smoking. Was that first line correct, the ban is only in unincorporated areas of the county? What am I missing?
Connie FIsh
EDITOR: Yes, the ban is just for the unincorporated areas, governed by the Board of Supervisors. The individual cities make their own laws.
RE: REVIEW OF “A TWISTED TALE”
Such excellence in acting from both Andrew Davids and Martin Sampad Kulchek! Tour de force performances! As a writer, guessing the outcome was actually a fun experience for me even when the play was on a very serious note. I won’t say more. A riveting evening. I recommend.
I love Ghostbusters. It’s classic and I love the acting in it and it’s nostalgic of the movies that were made in that time period. And I like Poltergeist. I watched it when I was nine, and it scared me.
Ace Meyer, 20, Disability Resources, UCSC
JUN
I really like the Annabelle series with the creepy, possessed doll—or The Conjuring movies—or The Babadook, that’s the most disturbed I’ve been after a movie.
Jun Qin, 19, Ecology and Evolution Major, UCSC
JASMINE
My favorite is the Casper the Friendly Ghost movie. I like how there were different kinds of ghosts—like, there was a bully ghost—and they are all animated differently.
Jasmine Rocha, 20, Radiology Major, Cabrillo College
TIM
What comes to mind is Coraline, like more of a kids’ Halloween movie. Maybe not exactly the scariest movie, but it’s quirky. It’s a little unsettling and they did that well. I liked that.
Tim Johnstone, 37, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, UCSC
CHLOE
I like Ghost—it’s the ’90s one. The guy dies, he gets stabbed, and he turns into a ghost. I like that it was so intense, how his friend was two-faced and tried to steal his girl, and how the ghosts come and get him.
Chloe Perez, 20, Surgical Tech Student, Carrington College
CASEY
I’ll go with The Others. I liked the fact that it was a twist. It’s always a good time when a movie’s got a good twist.
With mail-in ballots already sent out by the Santa Cruz County Clerk, early voting for the Nov. 5 election has begun. Included in the mail-in voting kits are a sample ballot, an official ballot and a voter guide. There are 22 ballot drop box locations across the county where you can leave your ballot if you don’t want to mail it.
Aptos
Aptos Branch Library, 7695 Soquel Dr.
Polo Grounds near the dog park, 2255 Huntington Dr.
Cabrillo College Parking lot R by the stadium, 2372 Cabrillo College Dr.
Capitola
420 Capitola Ave., City Hall parking lot
Mall near the old Sears, 1855 41st Ave.
Public Library, 2005 Wharf Rd.
Corralitos
Corralitos Women’s Club, 33 Browns Valley Rd.
Davenport
Fire Station, 75 Marine View Ave.
Santa Cruz Mountains
Highlands Park, 8500 Highway 9, Ben Lomond
Boulder Creek Community Church, 12465 Highway 9, Boulder Creek
Covered Bridge Park, at Mt. Hermon and Graham Hill roads, Felton
Summit Store, 24197 Summit Rd., Los Gatos
Santa Cruz
701 Ocean St. in front of the County Government Center
Sheriff’s Crisis Center, 5300 Soquel Ave.
212 Church St. in the public parking lot
UCSC Quarry Plaza
Trescony Park, end of Trescony Street
Scotts Valley
1 Civic Center Dr. in the City Hall parking lot
Watsonville
316 Rodriguez St., municipal public parking lot 14
County Health Center, 1430 Freedom Blvd.
County Building at Westridge, 500 Westridge Dr.
Additionally, early voting centers are open 8am–5pm Mon.–Fri. at the following locations:
● Santa Cruz—Santa Cruz County Clerk/Elections, 701 Ocean St., Room 310
● Watsonville—Watsonville City Clerk’s Office, 275 Main St., 4th Floor
● Watsonville—Westridge County Building, 500 Westridge Dr.
Due to Santa Cruz’s status as a vote center county, you can cast your vote at any of the 24 locations open from Nov. 1–5 listed on the map at votescount.gov, meaning you don’t have to go to a specific site to cast your ballot.
Though online registration closed Oct. 21, you can register on or before election day at any of the previously listed polling sites by filling out a yellow same-day registration form.
If you are a student at UCSC and received a ballot from your home county anywhere across the state, you can drop it off at any Santa Cruz drop box and it will be safely transported to its county of origin.
As concerns over voter fraud have increased in recent years, the voter hotline remains open at 800-345-8683.
After five years, work is almost finished on the Watsonville Brillante mosaic, splashed across the otherwise dull concrete walls of the six-floor parking garage on Rodriguez Street. A ribbon-cutting street party is set for Oct. 26 to celebrate, says lead artist Kathleen Crocetti.
“We’re planning on closing down Rodriguez Street to make way for the celebration,” Crocetti says. “The community is invited to come meet all the amazing volunteers and artists that helped make this project happen.”
Entertainment will be provided by the Watsonville Community Band, Taiko drummers, White Hawk dancers and Esperanze del Valle folkorico dancers. Plus, there will be food trucks, work by local artists and booths for local nonprofits.
Many of the tiles used in the Watsonville Brillante project were donated by the Aromas-based company Fireclay.
Each phase of the project took six months and featured hundreds of mosaic panels that showcase cultural designs from countries around the globe. Tours of the project will run on the hour in English and on the half-hour in Spanish.
Crocetti said she won the Rydell Fellowship, which provided $20,000 through the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County.
“I used the money to travel to Europe where I got to see the architectural work of Antoni Gaudí,” she said. “When I came back I decided I wanted to create some kind of monumental artwork in Watsonville. I drew up a plan over the next year and half and presented it to the city. Then I created a nonprofit and secured donations to develop Watsonville Brillante.”
About 80% of the overall project includes ceramic tiles donated by the Aromas-based company Fireclay.
The free event runs 11am–5pm on Oct. 26 at the corner of Rodriguez and Second streets.
A hike is not about completion. It’s about discovery.
The Henry Cowell Observation Deck Loop Trail is 5.3 miles that includes a hill, sand, rocks and an observation deck with a 360-degree view of Monterey Bay and surrounding mountains. On a day as beautiful as today, the loop might take you to another world.
Ask these guys.
Sleepy John Sandidge, Ben Rice, Laurence Bedford, Sven Davis and I are hardly touchy-feely. We could wear T-shirts that say, “Wrinkled on the outside, cranky on the inside.” All five of us squeeze into Ben’s Tesla; the three of us in the backseat are so jammed together we can’t put our seatbelts on, but we’re packed in so tight we feel we don’t need to.
At the beginning of the car ride to the trailhead the talk is pragmatic; we share information about a water bucket rat trap Sleepy John has discovered called Drop in the Bucket, of how to keep our kitchens from turning into ant farms, our problems with meniscus knee issues, girlfriend issue and memory issues. I learn that a nicotine patch could improve my memory. I never had much luck with nicotine patches. It’s so hard to keep them lit.
No doubt our need to share survival information comes from the heaviness of the times. The upcoming Nov. 5 election that puts us on the brink of patriarchal fascism can make it hard to breathe. Walt Whitman contended that the gravest weakness of democracy is the artificial, culturally manufactured inequality of the genders, “a corruption of nature.”
But there is also a smell in the air of a robotic American empire in the making, a future defined by AI neuro-chips in brains where we simply feel what we want, and a computer will give us exactly that. Maybe in a year or two I’ll write about these hikes when we’re joined by one of the new Tesla robots, carrying our lunch, our water, and lighting our joints for us on the trail. But with a hiking robot we’d never get lost enough to wander, trailblaze and discover. We would lose so much.
We step out of the car—yes, a Tesla—on the east side of Graham Hill Road, just past Rollingwood Drive. The day and the forest are so beautiful our humanness feels restored. We’re alive. I begin to sense that, like me, the boys are hoping for a moment of transcendence on the trail.
Sleepy John’s name is an intentional misnomer; at 85 he has more energy than the law allows, or at least more than they can apprehend. After our 30-minute ascent from the Graham Hill entrance up to the trail toward the Henry Cowell Observation Deck, Sleepy John stops inside a circle of redwoods. “Guys, gotta take a blow.” We look up to find a natural cathedral, the trees point to the heavens like the red roofline of an In-N-Out Burger, maybe the closest any of us get to a church experience.
We tend to walk in the footsteps of Friedrich Nietzsche, who wrote, “I cannot believe in a God who needs to be praised all the time.” Furthermore: “I can only believe in a God who wants to dance.”
Sleepy John flops down on his back, stares straight up and says, “Oh, my god, the redwoods look like they are holding up the sky.” In a way, they are. Redwoods are stellar at capturing CO2 and producing oxygen. I turn to see my four supine friends, all staring straight up.
OUT OF BODY—BACK IN 10 MINUTES: Without saying a word, my companions look to the sky and go into a trance.
Though not a word is uttered about searching the sky for meaning, my four companions coalesce into a group meditation on the heavens. They breathe together. They don’t blink. My crankier-than-thou friends are sky gazing and redwood forest bathing.
It turns out that sky gazing is an established form of meditation that moves you out of your thoughts into space and emptiness. There is a social psychology study from the University of Toronto that finds that sky gazing can even make you a nicer person (“Awe, the Small Self, and Prosocial Behavior,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology). The study says that sky gazing helps us feel “diminished in the presence of something greater than oneself … we realize how insignificant our problems are.”
Here’s the cool thing: “it may encourage people to forgo strict self-interest to improve the welfare of others.” Looking into the sky is where our empathetic imagination can roam free. There is hope for me and my hiking buddies yet; wrinkled on the outside, empathically cranky on the inside.
We climb the trail to the Henry Cowell Observation Deck where I try observational comedy: “Hiking is just walking where it’s OK to pee.” Damn those crickets.
The trail up to the Observation Deck is steep enough and long enough to test us a bit. On an ascent we bend toward the mountain, it’s how we compare ourselves to the earth. We hike silently, the uphill trail makes our usual banter turn into sucking in all the oxygen we can.
The Observation Deck is awesome. The view across Monterey Bay goes all the way to Fremont Peak. We marvel at the majesty of the old, dead Woodpecker Tree and the ancient geology surrounding us, and then the future of humanity rides up the trail.
From the Observation Deck we see a stunning mare, her black coat shining in the sunlight, carry a young woman up the trail; two spirits in feminine form who are separated only by a thin English saddle, moving as one with strength and beauty.
My disturbing ruminations about robots and patriarchal fascism evaporate with this arrival of new, fresh air. I see them as the future of humanity with promises of peacefulness and self-restraint. I ask the confident young woman on the black mare if I can take her picture. She smiles gently and says, “Of course.”
A vision for a powerful feminine future, embodying peacefulness, strength and self-restraint. Nice future. The way down on Pine Trail descends sharply and we feel lucky to not be walking uphill in sand.
When you make love, even though you and your partner know it’s going to be good, you never can really remember just how wonderful it feels until you do it. That is how we feel about today’s hike on the Henry Cowell Observation Deck Loop Trail.
To go back to Nietzsche, “Sit as little as possible; do not believe any idea that was not born in the open air and of free movement in which the muscles do not also revel. All prejudices emanate from the bowels. Sitting still is the real sin against the Holy Ghost.”
You can begin the trail at the Henry Cowell State Park Headquarters (where the circle is) or you can park along Graham Hill Road past Rollingwood Drive to walk the Observation Deck Loop. To get to the Observation Deck, go up Powder Mill Road, it becomes Ridge Road and then Pine Trail.
I remember being terrified that Santa Claus would find me awake when he came, so I hid under the covers. And I was scared of ghosts. Our mother would iron a white shirt at night and hang it on the door. From my bed I’d see the shirt moving and I was so scared that it was a ghost.
Lynn Gilham, 68, Retired
ALEX
It was the episode of Are You Afraidof the Dark where they got into a pool and there was an invisible monster in the pool. They eventually revealed that it was a red, seaweed-covered skeleton that looked like it had been under the ocean for a while. It gave me nightmares.
Alex Rowan, 35, Software Engineer
VENUS
It was an animated rendition of The Telltale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe. And something about the milky eye and the beating heart—it had music to it and it was really scary. I was maybe 5 or 6 and it absolutely terrified me.
Venus Rasmussen, 26, Good Vibes and Camouflage on Pacific Avenue
ELIE
I was afraid of ghosts. Where I came from in Africa, they have some ghosts. Like real ghosts. You can feel different feelings in your body, you just feel it, like this person is not real. He’s dead. And I was afraid of the dark, a dark place, I was like, oh God, get me out of here!
Elie Mabanza, 42, Singer/Musician
CLAIRE
My sister was into scary movies, and the first scary movie I watched with her was The Ring. That girl came out of the TV, and that image—I was having nightmares about that for months. In the movie you’re cursed if you see the VHS tape, and technically I’ve seen the tape, so…
Claire Rowan, 28, Nanny
AMY
I was scared of Chucky the doll. And La Cucaracha because my dad would make it seem scary, like it was going to get me.
Amy Arzua, 20, sociology major at UCSC
ARTIN
I was afraid of clowns after I saw a scary clown movie from the ’80s. I was scared for a long time after.
Artin Saffarnia, 19, electrical engineering major at UCSC
As local voters prepare to fill in their ballots for the Nov. 5 election, they are faced with a large array of candidates and local ballot initiatives that can seem daunting. We attempt to demystify the local ballot. For more information, visit Santa Cruz County’s election website at votescount.santacruzcountyca.gov.
Scotts Valley City Council
Seven candidates are vying for three seats:
Corky Roberson, 53, Food Sales
Mercedes Molloy, 24, CEO of Safe Squad Mobile App
Dustin Lopez,24, UC Santa Cruz student
Steve Clark, 60, Retired Santa Cruz Police Deputy Chief
Krista Jett, 37, Nurse at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital
John Lewis, 45, Information technology contractor and stay-at-home dad
Donna Lind (incumbent), 74, Retired Scotts Valley Police sergeant
Capitola City Council
Enrique Dolmo Jr., 49, Athletic director, campus security and transportation officer at New Brighton Middle School
Gerry Jensen, 56, Capitola Planning Commissioner, general contractor.
Margaux Morgan (incumbent), 37, Personal trainer and restaurant manager
Melinda Orbach, 40, Family nurse practitioner with Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
Watsonville City Council
With three seats up for election, only one is in play, as Eduardo Montesino and Vanessa Quiroz-Carter ran unopposed and will be appointed in lieu of election.
But the race for District 6 will be one to watch, as Trina Coffman-Gomez looks to unseat Jimmy Dutra.
Dutra, who was recently found liable for damages caused by sexual abuse of a minor in 2005, has stopped attending city council meetings in person. He has vowed to appeal the court case, but the situation is likely to affect his reelection efforts.
Coffman-Gomez, a local realtor, previously served on the council from 2012-2020.
Santa Cruz County Supervisor Board of Supervisors District 2
Kim De Serpa, who has served on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees since 2010, is facing off against Capitola City Councilwoman Kristen Brown. Brown is currently the city’s Mayor and has sat on the board since 2016.
Brown got 32.7% of the vote in the March Primary, while De Serpa got 25.2%.
Both women are active in the community, and both would bring a wealth of experience to the table if elected. See bit.ly/4eMleeI for interviews with both.
Santa Cruz County Supervisor Board of Supervisors District 5
Bradford is small business owner and community organizer, while Martinez is the CEO of Encompass Community Services. Martinez garnered 46.43% of the vote in March Primary election, with Bradford taking 21.41%.
This measure proposes levying an $87 yearly parcel tax in the county, raising approximately $7.3 million annually. This ordinance would fund projects that “protect drinking water sources, rivers, creeks, streams, groundwater resources, beaches, and parks,” according to the measure text. Additional projects would be funded to reduce wildfire risks, preserve native wildlife, habitats, working lands and agriculture. The measure has no sunset provision and a citizen committee would oversee the funds, 40% of which would go to the county to dole out for approved projects.
This measure asks county voters to authorize $221 million in bonds to maintain 911 response times, protect local medical emergency and fire protection services and prepare for wildfires, floods and earthquakes by upgrading and repairing equipment and stations.
County homeowners would pay $29 for every $100,000 of assessed value annually, raising $11.6 million per year.
This measure asks district voters to authorize $24.5 million in bonds to improve 911 response times, maintain emergency medical services, strengthen wildfire protection and prevention, and construct a new Erba Lane station, according to the measure text. Area homeowners would pay $17 for every $100,000 of assessed value, generating $1.7 million annually.
This measure asks district voters to approve a special tax to replace the current $68 annual parcel tax. The new tax would be split by parcel size. Vacant parcels less than five acres would pay $50 annually, vacant parcels over 5 acres would pay $100 annually, while residential, commercial and other improved parcels would pay $290 annually. This would raise an estimated $440,000 per year.
In February, the San Lorenzo Valley Water District Board of Directors approved several new water rates. These were a fixed monthly water Service Charge, a fixed monthly capital charge, a fixed monthly private fire line charge and a variable monthly rate based on water usage.
A month later, a successful citizen’s ballot initiative—Measure U—was created to repeal the capital charge and limit future increases of the service charge to 2% per year.
Under Watsonville’s current rules, only registered voters can serve on the city’s Board of Library Trustees, as well as the the Parks and Recreation, Personnel and Planning commissions.
If passed by a majority of voters, Measure V would allow all Watsonville residents to serve in those positions, which are appointed by the city council.
Supporters say the change would allow all residents to have a say what goes on in their city, while opponents say that the important issues considered by the commissions should be left to registered voters.
No argument was filed against Measure W, which would make several non-substantive changes to Watsonville’s City Charter.
This includes revising both qualifications for city manager applicants and responsibilities for the position, and allowing the city to hire attorneys to assist the city attorney.
It would also make the Library Board a commission, and would allow the City Council to receive employment benefits, and allow the mayor to receive 25% more than the other council members.
Scotts Valley is asking voters to tax businesses to help with city services, such as repairing pothole and streets, wildfire prevention programs, maintaining parks/playfields; and other critical governmental services. The cost would raise business licenses from $90 to $150 per business with rates increasing incrementally for larger businesses based on gross receipts, generating approximately $1.1 million a year.
Asks for a quarter percent raise to sales tax expected to net $2.2 million a year for essential city services including public safety and emergency services, including repairing potholes, maintaining streets, sidewalks, bike lanes, beaches, fixing the new wharf, and recreation programs for youth. It currently has a quarter percent tax.
Based on the TV ads, this is a hot and expensive issue. The city is asking for a 2 cents per ounce tax on sweetened beverages claiming it will raise $1.3 million a year for improving parks, providing safe routes to schools, expanding recreational programs and helping fight diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Opponents claim it will make beverages unaffordable.
From the Victorian mansions of Beach Hill to film locations for Hollywood thrillers, Santa Cruz has long been a destination of paranormal possibilities and rich history.
