Just over 10 years ago, reporting by The New York Times and ABC News revealed that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration had for several years been collecting billions of American phone records. The government was paying AT&T to do the work.
The DEA and other agencies could then collect whatever information they wanted through an “administrative subpoena,” meaning that they didn’t need a court’s permission. At that point the DEA had free access to records dating back to at least 1987. The data indicated when calls were placed, by whom and for what duration.
There was, of course, a huge outcry. The Obama White House insisted that the program, called Hemisphere, did not raise privacy concerns, which led the American Civil Liberties Union to observe that perhaps “one reason for the secrecy of the program is that it would be very hard to justify it to the public or the courts.” In any case, President Obama withdrew funding from the program soon after it was revealed.
But now it’s back, according to Sen. Ron Wyden, Democrat from Oregon, a longtime proponent of drug-policy and criminal-justice reform, and a leading proponent of legal cannabis. Wired magazine obtained a letter Wyden sent on Nov. 19 to Attorney General Merrick Garland saying he had “serious concerns about the legality” of the program—now named Data Analytical Services and managed through the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Wyden noted in the letter that he’s received “troubling information” about it that is considered “sensitive but unclassified,” meaning that he, as a senator, cannot reveal it to the public, though doing so would pose no national-security risks.
The program was resurrected under the Trump administration. The Biden administration then paused it, according to Wyden, but then resurrected it yet again. Of particular concern is the fact that law-enforcement agencies around the country can tap into the data, and Wired reports that requests have come from police departments in Oakland, Daly City and San Jose.
What’s more, the data collected includes that of people who are not suspected of any crime, including people whom criminal suspects have talked to and, in turn, phone calls between those people and others. The program does not involve wiretapping. Despite being run by drug-enforcement agencies, the data can, and is, used for all manner of criminal investigations.
According to Wyden’s letter, AT&T collects 4 billion records every day, though the actual number of calls involved is likely substantially less than that because a record is created on each side of a given call.
Referring to the program by its former name, Wyden wrote in his letter that “the scale of the data available to and routinely searched for the benefit of law enforcement under the Hemisphere Project is stunning in its scope.”
Given the continued illegality of cannabis at the federal level and in many states, it’s conceivable the program has been and still could be used to enforce cannabis laws.
Earlier this month, before sending the letter, Wyden and three colleagues from both parties in both the House and Senate introduced the Government Surveillance Reform Act to shore up privacy protections. Passage of the bill would likely effectively end DAS and would tie the hands of officials who are still making use of other programs—some of them technically illegal already—that pry into Americans’ personal business, often without a court-obtained warrant.
Many of those programs were created by panicked legislators in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, and were meant to strengthen our defenses against terrorism. But they have since often been used for purposes that have nothing to do with terrorism, and reforms so far have failed to adequately protect Americans’ civil rights, Wyden said.
“Our bill,” the lawmakers said in introducing the proposal, “continues to give government agencies broad authority to collect information on threats at home and abroad, including the ability to act quickly in emergencies and settle up with the court later. But it creates much stronger protections for the privacy of law-abiding Americans and restores the warrant protections that are at the heart of the Fourth Amendment.”
To get an idea of how widespread the problem is, just take a look at the bill: It’s 200 pages long.
There’s gold to be found in the car culture of the Central Coast. It offers a wealth of stories and histories, told by endearing people, generous with their time—in addition to being a feast for the eyes, with a myriad of lovingly restored treasures on wheels. Our car culture spans demographics and geographic location, and car lovers embrace the old and the new.
In a different time, every car had a very distinctive look. A kid could name every car as it passed on the street—the elegant Lincoln Continental, the exciting Jaguar XKE, the comical Edsel.
As a teenager, I lived in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley. “The Valley” depicted in movies like Fast Times At Ridgemont High, and most importantly, American Graffiti, George Lucas’s pre-Star Wars ode to ’60s car culture, featuring a young Harrison Ford as a daring Hotrodder. Central to Lucas’ story is cruising night, and as I grew up, among the most distinctive cruisers were the Lowriders.
Now a transplanted Santa Cruzan, my memories of cruising nights were awakened every time I would pass a beautiful bright red convertible Chevy Impala lowrider, immaculate, with a pristine white interior, always parked at the same place, on my drive home. I knew that I had to know the story of this gem. But before I did, making some wonderful friends in the process, I was bound to visit a local mecca of the local car scene–an early-morning gathering of the faithful at my local mall.
REVELATIONS
There’s an apocryphal story from the days of the Soviet Union about a Russian émigré who visits an American department store, and faints dead away upon seeing aisle after aisle filled with an overwhelming array of treasures to be had.
I imagine I felt a similar sense of wonder when I entered the parking lot of Santa Cruz County’s Capitola Mall and stared, wide-eyed, at row after row of the most beautiful—no, dazzling—cars of all descriptions. It was a revelation, and it was where I learned that the people who own these marvelous machines are a source of oral histories—social and personal—that I invite everyone to discover.
These are the stories of some of the hundreds of car enthusiasts on the Central Coast.
A BLAST FROM THE PAST
Tom and Pam Standen are the proud owners of one of the most iconic cars of all time, a 1962 Corvette, similar to the one immortalized in the TV show Route 66.
Tom, 70, from Midpines, is a former earth-moving contractor turned designer, now retired. Tom and his wife Pam, 68, have shared a passion for cars since they were married in the 1970s.
Tom’s first car was a ’67 Ford Mustang coupe that he and Pam dated in. He helped her repair her ’67 Wildcat, and has been into cars ever since. Tom and Pam were married in 1974 when she owned a ‘72 Ford Pinto. He put a 289 V8 engine into it. He says it was one of the fastest cars he ever drove.
While buying a ‘56 Chevy Bel Air to restore, Tom found his prize Corvette in a barn buried underneath a pile of newspapers—with a little piece of a bumper showing. Tom recognized the bumper and he wanted the car. But the owner was saving it for his daughter as a graduation present.
One day he called and said, ‘My daughter doesn’t want it, she wants a BMW. Bring back that Bel Air and some money and I’ll trade.’
KICKS “Get your kicks on Route 66” sang a pop music hit of the time. The Standen’s 60s era Corvette embodies the freedom of cruising the nation’s highways. Photo: John Koenig
Tom bought it in 1993 and has restored it twice, with a 5-speed transmission, and rack and pinion steering.
“I took out all the old stuff to make it drivable,” he says. “Back in the day it drove like an old truck, but now it drives like a new car.”
Tom and Pam put it on the show circuit for a time, and finally brought it to the beach, because, as he says, “it’s a beach car.”
Oh, and the Standens also own a 1934 Ford Cabriolet coupe, like the one made famous in the “Legs” music video by the band ZZ Top, parked beside the Corvette.
“It’s got suicide doors,” Tom explains, showing how the doors are hinged to open backwards toward the rear. “Back in the day they would play chicken.” A prominent scene in the James Dean film Rebel Without a Cause depicts young hot rodders “playing chicken,” driving head-on toward each other, with predictable results.
IT’S GOT LEGS A ZZ Top music video made this car an icon of pop culture. The Standens display its distinctive “suicide doors.” Photo: John Koenig
Tom looks back on the unique car culture of the Yosemite area where he grew up.
“In high school, we put V8s in 1950s Chevrolets. We would take them to the airport and race beside the runway, on a road we called the “quarter mile stretch.” Back then there were only two highway patrolmen, and my dad was one of them, back when you’d get strangled for smoking cigarettes. It’s completely different now.”
BACK TO THE FUTURE
At the opposite end of the spectrum, but equally crazy for cars are Kathleen and Dennis Griggs, arriving in a 2021 mid engine Corvette. The sleek, futuristic car would seem out of place, but for the sheer variety of designs on display.
“I always loved cars,” says Kathleen. “I’m a child from the 50s and early 60s. Cars were it!”
Kathleen and Dennis Griggs are devoted ‘Vette lovers, with his-and-hers Corvettes. Photo: John Koenig
Kathleen, 68, has driven the Corvette as fast as 118mph. “I was up to 100 without realizing it,” she says.
“Top is 150 miles per hour or something, but I wouldn’t go that fast, that’s kinda crazy.”
She learned to drive in an old Dodge station wagon, and grew up all over the world as an Army brat, exposed to the cars of many countries.
“Best cars are here, American made,” she says.
Dennis had corvettes all his life, and in 2004 she got her first Corvette, fell in love with it, and upgraded in 2008 and 2016.
“If I could have a 63 Corvette that would be nice. Best corvette, you couldn’t do better unless you spend a couple hundred grand on a Ferrari.”
FROM JUNK TO JEWEL
Dennis Gagne (pronounced gahn-yay) was raised on the family apple orchard on Corralitos, and started driving at the age of nine. He learned to love cars and machinery from his dad, who worked on all sorts of cars and built his own tractor. His first car was the ubiquitous Chevy Impala, followed by a British MG Midget, a car that he says spent less time on the road than off in repairs.
He loved the 1951 Ford F-1 pickup truck with the iconic bullet-front ever since seeing one on “Sanford and Son,” a 70s TV show about a grouchy junk dealer.
He finally found one, in dire condition, and trailered it back to Scotts valley where it took six years to strip down to the frame and get it back up. The strength and thickness of the metal from that era required a professional body shop to bend, and the rotted wood and rails of the bed were replaced. The lime green paint it was found with was replaced with an original factory color called Sheridan Blue, deep and dark.
With all that, Dennis seems most excited to show the smallest of items. The original, tiny key, and the original log booklet that its first owner had meticulously filled with dates of tune-ups and fill-ups–70 years ago. [Dennis and his F-1 are seen in this issue’s cover photo]
Although the bullet-nosed Ford is currently Dennis’s only vintage car, he recently restored a 1989 Airstream.
A GOLDEN ERA
Garrett Gettleman served the community as a probation officer for many years, before retiring to head his own business in the solar energy sector. A common theme among members of these senior car collectors is a tendency to have had careers in public service, whether in government or private practice.
Garrett’s passion is for American muscle cars, vintage 1970 and earlier, ’70 being the last year of the high-powered car.
Gettleman owns a Pontiac Firebird, a GM stablemate of the Chevy Camaro, and a Plymouth Fury, the car featured as a murderous machine in the Stephen King movie Christine.
“I grew up with these cars. The golden era of GM spending big bucks on car design, making Firebird and Camaro different,” he says.
He explains how the necessity for smog regulations in 1971 “killed the party” after a decade in which General Motors spent heavily to make each of their car brands distinctive and competitive.
“1970 was the highwater mark for American performance cars. It was the last chance for automakers to do it all. 70 was a wild year.”
FIREBIRD SWEET Garrett Gettleman with his high-performance Pontiac Firebird, one of the “pony cars” that followed in the market niche of the Ford Mustang. Photo: John Koenig
SUNSET OF THE WONDERFUL WOODIE?
Dave Welles, 75, has a long history of fond relationships with vintage cars. He remembers the nights cruising on summer nights with the windows rolled down in his hometown of Riverside.
His dad had a couple of Model A automobiles, one for street and one for racing on the flats at Bonneville. He had his first car, a ‘31 Chevy roadster, at 15 yrs old. Because he was a surfer, his next car was a 57 Ford ranch wagon two-door, and a string of VW buses came after that.
He always wanted a Woodie, but they were always more than he had saved up. He finally found one that needed everything in a garage in the hills of Ben Lomond. He tore it apart, spent four years on it, and as of today, it’s logged 50,000 miles.
Welles is a member of the Santa Cruz Woodie Club, well versed in the lore of the Woodie and its place in surfing history. He explains how the first of their kind were built out of necessity when the state of manufacturing technology didn’t allow for metal panels big enough to assemble a practical delivery truck. Steel chassis were sent from the car factory to shops that previously built wooden carriages where they were finished in the desired length.
HIGHWAY HYBRID An original woodie: half 19th century coachworks and half steel automobile. Photo: Santa Cruz Woodies
By the time the wood-paneled Woodie had become unfashionable and undesirable because of its need for maintenance, it was cheap enough to be the perfect surfboard-carrier.
“Surfers saved the woodie,” he says, but he fears their days may be numbered.
“There’s not a generation behind us that cares about them.”
LOWRIDER LOVE AND BUG BUGGIES
From where car culture meets the surf of the Santa Cruz coast, I headed to my final destination, to visit a hub of Latino car culture, a culture with deep roots from Watsonville to San Jose.
It was where I had first seen my dream lowrider, the Impala in red.
I discovered that she is owned by Edwin Landeros at Central Coast Audio and Tint, a family run business. Not only is Edwin an active participant in lowrider culture, but he’s also a leader of a club for VW Bug devotees, and enjoys restoring vehicles of all kinds.
Edwin hails from Mexico, where his mother ran a yogurt business. The family owned several “bugs” that they used for deliveries, VWs being very popular in Mexico for their affordability. It was here that Edwin learned how to work on cars.
When the big earthquake of 1985 destroyed his grandmother’s dentistry business in Mexico City, the family moved to America, where Edwin learned the business of installing car stereos. After years of hard work and determination, he built his successful business–now run by his son, Edwin Jr.
His eccentrically restored vintage bug can often be seen displaying its stenciled hand flashing a peace sign on the door. It’s a bug with a colorful history, as Edwin tells the story.
“I gave it to my dad, and he told me ‘You gave me a piece of shit! This thing’s all rusted!’”
Edwin was undeterred. “I took it home, rebuilt the engine, and I didn’t want to put money in it, so I sanded it and I clearcoat it, so all the dents and rust and patina still show. My daughter Jasmine, 13 years old, falls in love with it. She says, ‘You can’t sell it, you’re gonna give me this car.’ She was offered $20,000 and she won’t get rid of it.”
Too young to drive it for several years, Edwin says, “She’s tried!”
NO SALE 13 year old Jasmine loves her Bug, and no offer to buy it is enough for her to part with it. Edwin Jr’s Mustang is parked behind. Photo: John Koenig
His generosity didn’t stop with his daughter, as he has given something special to his loved ones in the event of his passing–a vintage Ford lowrider named “Bambita” to his wife, a restored Mustang to his son Edwin Jr, and coming soon, a ‘64 Impala for son Brian.
“Everybody’s gonna have a car so if I ever pass away, they will have something that I built,” he said. “You can give money, or anything, but something like this, they know that I put my hands on it, and they’re never going to forget that.”
Edwin enjoys driving all of the family cars and chooses them to fit the moment.
“In Watsonville I’ll bring the Bombita, and in Santa Cruz I’ll bring the bug. In Scotts Valley I’ll take the Mustang. Everyone likes their different flavors, you know?”
At gatherings of Latino car clubs, whether Bugs or Lowriders, the presence of families is a noticeable difference compared to the vintage car gatherings of Anglo seniors, where a common refrain is that the kids spend more time indoors with games and devices.
Asked about it, Edwin explains why.
“We don’t give the kids a choice,” he says with a laugh. “We say, get in the car, we’re going! And they have a great time.”
LA BAMBITA Edwin Landeros customized this vintage Ford lowrider as a gift to his wife. Photo: John Koenig
JOINING IN
The gatherings of car enthusiasts in the Central Coast are some of the most unsung (and free) opportunities for families to spend time together while appreciating some of the most beautiful historic artifacts to be found outside of a museum. The stories of passion and persistence to be told by vintage car owners could be a valuable lesson for young people whose future is already dominated by apps, A.I. and virtual reality.
The opportunity may not last long either, as the generation that grew up in the Golden Age of car culture passes on without an heir. Like the kids uninterested in maintaining the labor-intensive Woodies, their peers aren’t learning the art of classic car maintenance from their parents as the Boomers did.
For those who dream of joining the ranks of classic car owners, the price of admission can be low or very high, depending on one’s ability and patience. A restored 1955 Chevy will cost between $50,000 and $100,000. Most owners bought their beauties cheap as rusty relics and restored them slowly, investing time and money over the course of years, ultimately, putting more money into the restoration than they will ever get back by selling.
The cars of the 21st century still spark the excitement of the open road, and inspire creative customization and modification–but there’s something special, a kind of class and elegance and creativity in the design of the cars of yesteryear. We can rejoice that they still roam the streets, still inspire delight at a rare glimpse of them, and still gather for all to witness and admire while their owners remain.
As this story goes to press, there is good news for a revival of the ritual of cruising. California Assembly Bill 436 that prohibits anti-cruising ordinances and lowrider bans was enacted on Jan. 1, and cars and clubs were quick to take to the streets to celebrate.
So much more might have been shared in this issue if space permitted. The tale of the local dentist who chased the car of his dreams for years until chance brought them together; the wonderful lady of Capitola who collects Fiats and arrives in one so rusty it’s wrapped in caution tape; the lore of the post-WWII cars made in Germany by Messerschmitt that look like fighter planes on wheels.
These stories and more await those who spend a morning with the motorists of our Central Coast car culture.
LOCAL CAR EVENTS
Woodies on the Wharf, June 24, Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf https://www.santacruzwoodies.com/wow-2022-june-23rd-26th/
Ronnie’s Morning Get Together is a car show in San Jose on every second Saturday of the month at the Starbucks on Hillsdale Ave. FREE COFFEE & DONUTS
Cars & Coffee convenes every Saturday, 7:00–10:00 am, Rain or Shine Capitola Mall Parking Lot (near Starbucks) at 41st and Clares St
17th Annual Hot Rods on the Green July 6th, 2024 – 9 am to 4 pm A fun event at Twin Lakes Church for the whole family.
San Jose Classic Chevy Club @ sanjosechevys.org
United Lowrider Council of San Jose @ ulcsj.com
BEFORE STAR WARS George Lucas depicted “cruising night” in his hometown of Modesto. Suzanne Somers was the elusive “Blonde in T-Bird,” driving a pink beauty seen here at the 2023 Cops and Rodders gathering. Photo: Tarmo Hannula LEARN BY DOING An essential skill for many vintage car owners is replacing an entire car engine, like the one in this early 60s Ford Ranchero, a DIY philosophy learned in their teens. Photo: Tarmo HannulaROAD READY Restored to their original glory, bigger new engines are must for driving modern highways. Photo: Tarmo HannulaCADDIE CHROME Chromed metal was popular until the 70s when issues of weight, cost, and safety led to plastic and rubber bumpers. Photo: John KoenigDREAM MACHINE This ’57 Cadillac looks like it was made to be a lowrider. Photo: John KoenigTHE END The trunk of this 53 Cadillac rivals the size of some Santa Cruz apartment rentals. Photo: John Koenig
When my 5-year-old son gouged his head on a park bench, we sat outside Dominican Hospital’s emergency room for four hours waiting to be treated.
I’m not complaining. I understand things take time and there were higher priorities than a face that needed seven stitches. But as I waited, I would have paid anything to jump ahead of the line.
I think of that when I see that the struggling Watsonville Hospital is asking for a $116 million bond measure to keep its emergency room and bring its services to the highest level possible. The money will come from South County homeowners at a rate of $24 a year for every $100K for which their homes are valued.
It’s not a bad request even at a time when dollars are hard to come by. The value we’d get as a community is worth far more.
How many times have your lives and health been saved in a local emergency room? Mine has been more than a few times and I’m grateful for the work they did every time. I wouldn’t be writing this without the nurses and doctors who treated me. I’d bet most of you have also been there and done that.
The numbers are staggering: 32,000 people came through the emergency department in Watsonville, a number that is now inching toward 35,000, according to a great article by Todd Guild in Good Times Jan. 3.
That’s compared to 52,000 at Dominican Hospital and 60,000 visits at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.
The idea of losing that South County life-saving service is frightening and should be enough to convince you to vote for the bond during the March 5 primary election.
Some other benefits of the bond include the purchase of the building, saving $3 million of rent; and expanding the building for additional state-of-the-art services, making it a top hospital.
You don’t have to wait to vote in person.
County election guides will be mailed out to all active voters by Feb. 5. Some 90 percent of voters mail back those ballots. In person voting starts then at two locations, the County Clerk’s office and the Watsonville City Clerk’s office. On Feb. 24 three more locations open, the Scotts Valley Library, Temple Beth El and the community room at the sheriff’s office. On March 2, 13 more locations open and four more on March 5. There are fewer locations than the 140 in the past, but there are more days to vote.
Thanks for reading.
Brad Kava
Photo Contest
DOG DAY AFTERNOON Chula on a West Cliff car ride. Photo by Zoe Garcia
Good Idea
Cabrillo College has been selected to receive funding under the U.S. Department of Education’s Basic Needs – Supporting Student Success Program. The three-year grant of $633,334 will help support programs that address students’ basic needs and improve graduation and transfer outcomes.
The grant will help the Nourishment and Essential Supports Team (NEST) Resource Center improve students’ social, emotional, academic, and career development by creating a more deliberate and centralized navigation system for students to connect with resources for food, housing, transport, and technology, as well as health and wellness services.
Good Work
At noon Saturday Jan. 20 Santa Cruz’s Romero Institute and its Lakota People’s Law Project will join UCSC’s American Indian Resource Center to host a free screening of Oyate at the Del Mar Theater. Oyate is a powerful documentary which features activist attorney Chase Iron Eyes, who will join filmmaker Brandon Jackson for a Q&A following the screening. The entire event will be live-streamed to viewers around the world. The Santa Cruz community is invited to participate in this free event (donations welcome; tickets available here).
Quote of the Week
“It was a place where some people have two houses and some people have two jobs.” from the Netflix show, Outer Banks.
Since 2020, the Speak For Change podcast has been a local go-to for everything from self-help tips on navigating life to critical analyses of race and culture in modern America. This Thursday, host Thomas Sage Pedersen helms a live concert and discussion with local musician Summer Red, a lifelong musician and the owner and lead producer for Sonivore Studio. Red is also an Event Coordinator on staff at UC Santa Cruz, where he creates conversations about art and community by featuring local voices across different mediums. Thursday’s event at the Tannery Art Center’s Indexical venue will focus on the role of music in modern culture, promising a night of stimulating conversation and song. MAT WEIR
INFO: 7:30pm, Indexical, 1050 River St., Santa Cruz. $5-$20. 475-9600.
FRIDAY
BLUES
COCO MONTOYA
California-based singer-songwriter and guitar slinger Coco Montoya learned from the best when he played drums behind Telecaster master Albert Collins several decades ago. A southpaw guitarist, Montoya has taken Albert’s high-energy “play what you feel” approach to heart, winning the Blues Music Award for Best New Artist with his debut 1995 album. In 2019, Alligator Records released his most recent album, Comin’ In Hot, which showcases his steadily improving songwriting and road-dog grit. DAN EMERSON
Born in Georgia and based in Nashville, singer-songwriter Molly Parden croons sweetly through life with her guitar in hand. Her 2020 EP Rosemary is a vulnerable postmortem of a relationship, featuring devastating lines like, I hardly ever think of you/ Only when I use my legs to walk/ Only when leaves do somersaults. Her 2023 follow-up, Sacramented, brings elements of her Christian upbringing into her present. With heroes like Chet Baker and folk rockers of the past, Parden has an indie sound reminiscent of Feist, Faye Webster and Phoebe Bridgers. ADDIE MAHMASSANI
What would Santa Cruz be like without the Fungus Fair? The annual event, copresented by the Museum of Natural History and the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz, took a three-year hiatus but is back and better than ever for its 50th anniversary. This beloved tradition is a weekend-long celebration of all things fungi: speakers share their thoughts, local foragers display their finds, enthusiastic volunteers lead kids and adults through fungus-themed arts and crafts and vendors sell their spore-born treasures. More than one red amanita hat will be seen floating through the crowd; its white polka dots like a beacon of the weirdness and wonder of the natural world. AM
INFO: Fri 2pm, Sat-Sun 10am, London Nelson Community Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz. $10/Fri, $15/Sat-Sun. 420-6115.
SATURDAY
COUNTRY
Jenny Don’t and the Spurs
JENNY DON’T AND THE SPURS
Take two teaspoons of Neko Case’s vocals, measure out a cup of spaghetti western guitar licks, sprinkle in a pinch of rockabilly attitude, and season to taste with cowboy boots. This recipe created the sounds of Jenny Don’t And The Spurs, a western cow-punk band based in Portland, Oregon. Their songs would not be out of place in a Clint Eastwood classic, but perhaps they’d be better suited in a Kill Bill-style western. If the Bride ever rides again, she’ll be driving along to the tune of “Fire on the Ridge,” a honky-tonk number about blazes, lightning and chasing home. JESSICA IRISH
Following a setlist that includes classic bluegrass and old-time standards, as well as original songs by banjoist Don Mackessy and multi-instrumentalist S. T. Young, the Post Folk Revivalists pay tribute to the music that has formed the American landscape. They recognize the folk legacy that lives on, even in contemporary hits, and perform them accordingly, interpreting bluegrass favorites through a new lens. Leland and Caleb Mackessy round out the band on mandolin and bass, fingerpicking and jamming like the folk legends that came before them. They may not be performing at a coffee shop in Greenwich Village, but the sound is close. JI
Pulitzer Prize Proxies, part of the path-breaking New Music Works 2024 season, provides choice virtuosic chamber music by Pulitzer Prize-winning composers, each the first of their race, gender, ethnicity or age to be awarded contemporary music’s top honor. The event features work from the first Native American Pulitzer recipient, Raven Chacon, music by the first Latin American woman recipient, Tania León and the first Asian Pulitzer winner, Zhou Long. Du Yun was the first Asian woman awarded the prize, and George Walker was the first African American to win. This will be an eclectic musical evening of live contemporary music—an evening of firsts! Exactly what you’d expect from NMW. CHRISTINA WATERS
INFO: 7pm, UCSC Music Center Recital Hall, 1156 High St., Santa Cruz. $20-35. 459-2292.
WEDNESDAY
AMERICANA
RAINBOW GIRLS
There are many ways to describe the Rainbow Girls; however, their Facebook page says it best: A gang of sweet angels punching you in the heart. Initially formed in Isla Vista in 2010, the Rainbow Girls was a collective group of sorts, performing with a rotating cast of musicians. Their core has remained strong with Vanesa Wilbourn, Erin Chapin, and Caitlin Gowdey at the center, who have performed everywhere, from farmers’ markets and open mics to venues and festivals. Since their 2013 debut album, The Sound of Light, the Rainbow Girls have taken their audience on an audible journey through folk, country and more. Now, their latest album, last year’s Welcome to Whatever, dives deep into an underground indie rock sound. MW
The great Gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt invented a style that influenced generations of musicians and spawned tribute bands in almost every major city. One of the most authentic is Quebec-based Django a Gogo, led by virtuoso guitarist-composer Stephane Wrembel. Wrembel has recorded over a dozen albums’ worth of impeccable Gypsy jazz in the past 20 years. Django a Gogo also has a blood connection to the Gypsy genius in the person of Simba Baumgartner, another peerless six-stringer who is the great-grandson of Reinhardt. The band also features French violinist Aurore Voilque, who performed with the Sinti (French Gypsies) and classical orchestras before starting her own Aurore Quartet in 2003. DE
INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $36.75/adv, $42/door, $21/student. 427-2227.
Does anyone else notice it’s the same few die-hards who keep opposing the construction of the popular Coastal Rail Trail? One day they are worried about cost. Another day it’s trees. Then it’s fences. Next it’s obscure CalTrans statistics. Their relentless complaining creates the illusion of controversy when in fact, this is the most popular infrastructure project in the county!
An election, polling, and comments to the Regional Transportation Commission, all show consistent support of 70-80% in favor of building this bike and pedestrian trail next to the tracks. It’s the fastest way for us to get a high quality active transportation corridor across our county while reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.
Russell Weisz
We Are Still Here
Thank you Good Times for the excellent article on the original inhabitants of the Monterey Bay. The Ohlone practiced a lifestyle which existed in harmony with their surrounding and abundant natural resources, and still offers a perspective that we would be wise to follow today. Fishing, hunting and gathering supported them, but it is the spiritual attachment to each other, their ancestors and the physical world that truly sustained their culture and the communities they formed.
Many thanks to people like Linda Yamane, Valentine Lopez and Robert Cartier in keeping the rich history of the Ohlone alive today. I might add that the well-researched local historical novel, “Five Hundred Moons” offers an entertaining and informative account of Ohlone society when first confronted by the Spanish colonizers of the late 17th century.
Annette Filice
Rail Fail
If you went to the meeting about the rail trail and heard the guy talking about losing his home and then heard the lady come up afterwards and say sorry but it’s not our fault, maybe you wouldn’t post the same heartless ladies propaganda.
The truth is that keeping the tracks for a train that can only go one way at a time, that stopping every half mile for 30 miles is gonna take two hours and then two hours back, so the train can run every four hours in one direction. No one in their right mind is gonna be planning their day around this especially if they have to walk to it and carry all their things.
To pave five miles of track it could cost $1 million and be done in a week with eight people working. Then people could ride their electric bikes on their own schedule, and everyone would be happy except the developers who are intent on raping Santa Cruz.
“It’s hard to be in the gray of things, that’s what I’m finding,” Joe Clements says after a thoughtful pause.“Everyone wants absolutes. It’s either this way, or it’s that.”
The singer for Santa Cruz hardcore acts, Fury 66 and The Deathless, is his usual calm and collected self. A punk turned spiritual teacher, Clements is open about his musical uncertainty, despite being a veteran in the scene.
“Talking about Buddhism, [self-doubt] is one of the hindrances that keeps us from liberation and freedom of the mind,” he explains. “I used to hide in humility, but it was really self-doubt.”
It’s this sort of raw honesty that he and his fellow bandmates bring to their new project–a ‘90s alt-rock/post-hardcore inspired five piece called Hot Lung. On Sunday, Jan. 14 they will open for desert rockers Fatso Jetson and local metal act, Dusted Angel in the second of a new series of Sunday matinee shows at Moe’s Alley.
“I’m stoked!” vocalist Kelly Dalbeck says of the show’s 3pm start time.
“I’m 36. I have a routine, I get tired,” she laughs. “And I think a lot of our friends who are coming are going to be happy too. We need sleep!”
Formed only early last year, the band is a who’s-who of Bay Area musicians. Along with Clements on guitar and Dalbeck (ex-Daxma) on vocals it features Dustin Roth(Thanks Buddy) on drums, Brian Lonsdorf (Lucas Lawson/Coal Fired Bicycle) on bass and Jon Jamieson (Crucial Unicorn) also on guitar.
Roth, Jamieson and Clements have all played in various projects together for “at least 15 years.” But for Hot Lung, Clements wanted something new where he could take a step back from the mic and play guitar. He and Jamieson threw around different styles and influences they wanted to incorporate along with what sort of voices they wanted to highlight.
“We really wanted a female vocalist, a different voice than what we’ve had,” he says.
Clements knew Dalbeck through local mindfulness practices around town and the greater Bay Area spiritual community. Lonsdorf was a friend of Jamieson’s and joined shortly after. In the last year they only played five shows but released a track on Bandcamp.com, “Never Home.” They’re currently finishing their debut EP, a seven song banger in the exploration of the more vulnerable side of rock, set to be released later this Spring.
“When we first started I wanted to lean more towards the punk side of things like scream,” admits Dalbeck.
“But Joe and the other guys pushed me to sing more, be a little more gentle. It’s turned into a really cool mix of all of our styles, and they’re all very different.”
“It’s this grunge meets post-hardcore kind of stuff,” describes Clements.
It’s the differences in style and their open vulnerability that makes Hot Lung so good. Musically, they’re a mix of Fugazi and Quicksand sprinkled with elements of The Smashing Pumpkins and Alice in Chains. Lyrically they are raw and visceral. Sometimes brash, other times gentle and accepting.
Take “Never Home,” which is also the first track on the EP. Along with emotionally gripping riffs, lyrics like “Use your voice/open your mouth/heartbreaker you can’t make it alone” and “If I can eat away/at all my skin and bones/nothing left to show/I would get small and fade away”show the brutal honesty the band brings to the table.
The track’s name–and the ending lyrics of “This house is a dangerous place/this house was never home”–might convey domestic abuse or neglect but the meaning is much deeper for Dalbeck.
“It’s about being a woman in general and never really feeling like you have complete agency over your own body,” she says.
“You’re never the one in complete control of it, there’s always some other factor going on. My experience has been that as women we sometimes disassociate from our own bodies, too.”
Then there are songs like “El Dorado”, what Dalbeck describes as a “letter to myself. . .because in the past I’ve had a tendency to disappoint myself.”
But if there’s one message Clements would like listeners to take away from Hot Lung, it would be passion.
“Don’t do something just because it’s cool or popular,” he states. “This is what I want to play, I want to try different stuff.”
He pauses another moment before perfectly summarizing with three simple words, “Follow your heart.”
What is your dream car—and what is your real-time, good-time car memory?
Sienna Beringer, 20, UCSC Astrophysics major
A Rimac Nevera, it’s a really cool electric car that costs about two million dollars. When I was younger, I always loved going for a drive with my siblings, going between our parents’ houses. —SIENNA
Drew Arroyo, 25, Union commercial plumber
An old VW bus that barely goes 50 uphill, to cruise around and enjoy the scenery. I love the one with a bunch of small, upper windows. Growing up, my friend’s grampa had an old Mercedes station wagon with a seat way in the back facing backwards. —DREW
Raychel Melville, 23, High School teacher
I’ve always liked the old, vintage Chevy Scottsdale pickup. It’s simple, nothing flashy about it. We had a horse ranch, and we would sit in the bed of our pickup while my dad would drive us around the ranch. —RAYCHEL
Dave Nordgren, 69, Musician / Tax preparer
My new Prius is a dream car. I looked at it and said,’Whoa,that’s like a Batmobile!’ Back in the day, my girlfriend and I picked up 11 hitchhikers in my ‘56 Ford pickup. I remember the flashing lights of the cop car that stopped us. —DAVE
Whitney Guenther, 33, Office manager
Mustang, ’65 fastback. They’re really cool cars, I love the body style. My favorite memory is driving up to Don Pedro Lake, near Modesto, to look at the stars —WHITNEY
Ralph Gomez, 34, Business owner
My car would be a ‘63 Bel Air wagon. I used to have one that my dad gave to me. He asked for it back and sold it for like $500 or something. I always wanted that wagon. My fun memory is going to the drive-in theater. —RALPH
Deadly and delicious. Magic and mouthwatering. Ubiquitous and mysterious.
Welcome to the world of the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz, whose love language for mushrooms includes all of the above and the taglines like “Keeping the fun in fungus” and “When it rains, it spores.”
Now that the mainstream holiday activities have passed, the FFSC is settling into the real celebration, and this year marks a biggie. After springing forth back in 1974, the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair is now in its 50th—yes, five zero—installment, happening Jan. 12-14 at London Nelson Community Center.
The re-created woodland forest that displays hundreds of wild mushrooms remains a main draw, but there’s a lot more going on than that. Three days overflow with seminars, demonstrations, speakers, vendors and activities (and tickets are only $5, under 12 free).
A peek at the lineup proves tantalizing. Some talks that tingle my shroom senses in particular: “The Magic Mushroom Class,” “Exploring the Unknown: Cryptic Mushroom Diversity In Your Backyard,” and “Medicinal Mushrooms – Traditional Usage and Modern Science.”
Meanwhile Chef Chad Hyatt oversees the 10th After Hours Mushroom Dinner with wine pairings by Frank Virgil of De Vincenzi Cellars.
More at ffsc.us.
EAT UP THE INFO
Bonus mushroom news, arriving right on time: The recent passage of Assembly Bill 261 means the California golden chanterelle is officially CA’s state mushroom, joining the likes of the California redwood (official state tree) and the golden poppy (state flower). The bill itself is actually a pretty fun read, announcing in part, “Long loved by Californians, scientists recently recognized it as a unique endemic species. Thus, Cantharellus californicus is a symbol of the rich and special biodiversity of California.”
BIG NEWS BREWING
Female-powered Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing Company started making Westside proud with its organic ethics and progressive instincts way back in 2005, before the city’s now thriving craft beer scene was a thing. Now it’s been sold. Which scared me at first blush, until I learned the new leadership will involve Adair Paterno of internationally celebrated Sante Adairius Rustic Ales and Brad Clark of Private Press Brewing.
SCMBC co-founder Emily Thomas, who describes the brewery as her third child, has been friends and colleagues with Paterno for a solid decade. “We believe that Adair and Brad will innovate, expand our reach and continue providing our loyal customers with exceptional craft beers,” Thomas says.
NOTES AND NUGS
Early returns from late December debut The Midway from chef Katherine Stern are good, thanks to farm-to-fabulous dishes like crispy Fogline Farm pork belly with pickled vegetables, jalepeño, herbs and brown rice.
Eat for the Earth screens Forks Over Knives, which explores the disease-preventing powers of a plant-free diet, for free (please RSVP), Jan. 22 at Sundean Hall, eatfortheearth.org.
The Dry(ish) January grind is real here. My recent taste test rankings amid the so-called “sober-curious” drink market, in ascending order: 3) Lagunitas NIPA; 2) Sierra Nevada Hop Splash; 1) Athletic Run Wild IPA…An awesome connective hub awaits at Environteers.org, where locals can plug into helpful updates and great opportunities to volunteer/hang/participate in Santa Cruz-centric and eco-savvy happenings, which often involve foodie-friendly side effects…
A final mushroom update: Yours truly will be down at the Big Sur Foragers Festival Jan. 20-21 serving as a judge at the Fungus Face Off. Happy mushrooming.
Juan Diaz lived the ultimate restaurant version of the American dream, going from dishwasher to owner. Diaz says he learned a little from every place he worked, gaining valuable industry knowledge along the way. Originally born in Aguas Calientes, Mexico, he came to Santa Cruz in 1995 to find consistent work and a better life.
When he saw a “for lease” sign at a perfect location in Watsonville 16 years ago, he seized the opportunity to open Cowboy’s Corner Café, the name inspired by his kids. The Western theme runs throughout, including the décor (much of it donated by the customers themselves).
Breakfast favorites include classic homemade biscuits and gravy, chicken-fried steak and made-from-scratch “best in town” buttermilk and blueberry pancakes. For lunch, daily specials include Wednesday’s chicken stir-fry, as well as daily picks like hamburgers on an onion bun, club sandwiches, a variety of melts and the Fiesta Salad. Closed Mondays, hours are 6am-2pm every other day.
Tell me about your immigration?
JUAN DIAZ: I came here at age 12 looking for a better life just like many others. I was scared because I was leaving my family behind, but many of my friends said there were lots of jobs here. So that inspired me to take the journey, and I knew that if I worked really hard that I could create a better life for myself. Now that I look back, I’m glad I made the choice to come here. I like to take chances and that’s how I got to where I am.
What was it like starting your own business?
JD: In the beginning, I was a little nervous because there were a lot of things to put together in order to open. But I had a few friends who gave me really good advice on what to do and how to get started. On our first day of business, we had many people waiting outside and we were busy from day one. Even though that was 16 years ago, I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember being really proud of myself, because even right in the middle of a recession, we were able to do it and be successful.
Tell me about your immigration?
JUAN DIAZ: I came here at age 12 looking for a better life just like many others. I was scared because I was leaving my family behind, but many of my friends said there were lots of jobs here. So that inspired me to take the journey, and I knew that if I worked really hard that I could create a better life for myself. Now that I look back, I’m glad I made the choice to come here. I like to take chances and that’s how I got to where I am.
What was it like starting your own business?
JD: In the beginning, I was a little nervous because there were a lot of things to put together in order to open. But I had a few friends who gave me really good advice on what to do and how to get started. On our first day of business, we had many people waiting outside and we were busy from day one. Even though that was 16 years ago, I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember being really proud of myself, because even right in the middle of a recession, we were able to do it and be successful.
946 Main Street, Watsonville, 831-761-8996; cowboycornercafe.com
ARIESMarch 21-April 19 Why do birds sing? They must be expressing their joy at being alive, right? And in some cases, they are trying to impress and attract potential mates. Ornithologists tell us that birds are also staking out their turf by chirping their melodies. Flaunting their vigor is a sign to other birds of how strong and commanding they are. In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you Aries humans to sing more than ever before in 2024. Like birds, you have a mandate to boost your joie de vivre and wield more authority. Here are 10 reasons why singing is good for your health: tinyurl.com/HealthySinging.
TAURUSApril 20-May 20 Which zodiac sign is most likely to have a green thumb? Who would most astrologers regard as the best gardener? Who would I call on if I wanted advice on when to harvest peaches, how to love and care for roses as they grow, or how to discern which weeds might be helpful and useful? The answer, according to my survey, is Taurus. And I believe you Bulls will be even more fecund than usual around plants in 2024. Even further, I expect you to be extra fertile and creative in every area of your life. I hereby dub you Maestro of the Magic of Germination and Growth.
GEMINIMay 21-June 2 Research I’ve found suggests that 70% of us have experienced at least one traumatic event in our lives. But I suspect the percentage is higher. For starters, everyone has experienced the dicey expulsion from the warm, nurturing womb. That’s usually not a low-stress event. The good news, Gemini, is that now and then there come phases when we have more power than usual to heal from our traumas. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, the coming months will be one of those curative times for you.
CANCER June 21-July 22 At their best, Libras foster vibrant harmony that energizes social situations. At their best, Scorpios stimulate the talents and beauty of those they engage with. Generous Leos and Sagittarians inspire enthusiasm in others by expressing their innate radiance. Many of us may get contact highs from visionary, deep-feeling Pisceans. In 2024, Cancerian, I believe you can call on all these modes as you brighten and nurture the people in your sphere—even if you have no Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Leo, or Pisces influences in your astrological chart.
LEOJuly 23-Aug. 22 Here are my wishes for you in 2024. 1. I hope you will rigorously study historical patterns in your life story. I hope you will gather robust insights into the rhythms and themes of your amazing journey. 2. You will see clearly what parts of your past are worth keeping and which are better outgrown and left behind. 3. You will come to a new appreciation of the heroic quest you have been on. You will feel excited about how much further your quest can go. 4. You will feel gratitude for the deep inner sources that have been guiding you all these years. 5. You will be pleased to realize how much you have grown and ripened.
VIRGOAug. 23-Sept. 22 Virgo author Eduardo Galeano mourned how our institutions condition us to divorce our minds from our hearts and our bodies from our souls. Even sadder, many of us deal with these daunting schisms by becoming numb to them. The good news, Virgo, is that I expect 2024 to be one of the best times ever for you to foster reconciliation between the split-off parts of yourself. Let’s call this the Year of Unification. May you be inspired to create both subtle and spectacular fusions of your fragmented parts. Visualize your thoughts and feelings weaving together in elegant harmony. Imagine your material and spiritual needs finding common sources of nourishment.
LIBRASept. 23-Oct. 22 According to ancient Greek myth, the half-divine hero Heracles consulted the Oracle of Delphi for guidance. He was assigned to perform 12 daunting feats, most of which modern people would regard as unethical, like killing and stealing. There was one labor that encouraged integrity, though. Heracles had to clean the stables where over a thousand divine cattle lived. The place hadn’t been scrubbed in 30 years! As I meditated on your hero’s journey in the coming months, Libra, I concluded that you’d be wise to begin with a less grandiose version of Heracles’ work in the stables. Have fun as you cheerfully tidy up everything in your life! By doing so, you will earn the power to experience many deep and colorful adventures in the coming months.
SCORPIOOct. 23-Nov. 21 I will name two taboos I think you should break in 2024. The first is the theory that you must hurt or suppress yourself to help others. The second is that you must hurt or suppress others to benefit yourself. Please scour away any delusion you might have that those two strategies could genuinely serve you. In their place, substitute these hypotheses: 1. Being good to yourself is the best way to prepare for helping others. 2. Being good to others is the best way to benefit yourself.
SAGITTARIUSNov. 22-Dec. 21 “Doubt has killed more dreams than failure ever will,” says Sagittarian author Suzy Kassem. Many of us have had the experience of avoiding a quest for success because we are too afraid of being defeated or demoralized. “Loss aversion” is a well-known psychological concept that applies when we are so anxious about potential loss that we don’t pursue the possible gain. In my astrological estimation, you Centaurs should be especially on guard against this inhibiting factor in 2024. I am confident you can rise above it, but to do so, you must be alert for its temptation—and eager to summon new reserves of courage.
CAPRICORNDec. 22-Jan. 19 In 2024, I predict you will be blessed with elegant and educational expansion—but also challenged by the possibility of excessive, messy expansion. Soulful magnificence could vie for your attention with exorbitant extravagance. Even as you are offered valuable novelties that enhance your sacred and practical quests, you may be tempted with lesser inducements you don’t really need. For optimal results, Capricorn, I urge you to avoid getting distracted by irrelevant goodies. Usher your fate away from pretty baubles and towards felicitous beauty.
AQUARIUSJan. 20-Feb. 18 Some people feel that “wealth” refers primarily to financial resources. If you’re wealthy, it means you have a lot of money, luxurious possessions, and lavish opportunities to travel. But wealth can also be measured in other ways. Do you have an abundance of love in your life? Have you enjoyed many soulful adventures? Does your emotional intelligence provide rich support for your heady intelligence? I bring this up, Aquarius, because I believe 2024 will be a time when your wealth will increase. The question for you to ruminate on: How do you define wealth?
PISCESFeb. 19-March 20 “No one can build you the bridge on which you, and only you, must cross the river of life,” said philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Here’s my response to that bold declaration: It’s utterly WRONG! No one in the history of the world has ever built anything solely by their own efforts, let alone a bridge to cross the river of life. Even if you are holed up in your studio working on a novel, painting or invention, you are absolutely dependent on the efforts of many people to provide you with food, water, electricity, clothes, furniture and all the other goodies that keep you functioning. It’s also unlikely that anyone could create anything of value without having received a whole lot of love and support from other humans. Sorry for the rant, Pisces. It’s a preface for my very positive prediction: In 2024, you will have substantial help in building your bridge across the river of life.
Homework: I invite you to redefine what it would look and feel like to be your best self. Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com
Just over 10 years ago, reporting by The New York Times and ABC News revealed that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration had for several years been collecting billions of American phone records. The government was paying AT&T to do the work.
There’s gold to be found in the car culture of the Central Coast. It offers a wealth of stories and histories, told by endearing people, generous with their time—in addition to being a feast for the eyes, with a myriad of lovingly restored treasures on wheels.
When my 5-year-old son gouged his head on a park bench, we sat outside Dominican Hospital’s emergency room for four hours waiting to be treated. I’m not complaining. I understand things take time...
California-based singer-songwriter and guitar slinger Coco Montoya learned from the best when he played drums behind Telecaster master Albert Collins several decades ago. A southpaw guitarist, Montoya has taken Albert’s high-energy “play what you feel” approach to heart
Thank you Good Times for the excellent article on the original inhabitants of the Monterey Bay. The Ohlone practiced a lifestyle which existed in harmony...
The singer for Santa Cruz hardcore acts, Fury 66 and The Deathless, is his usual calm and collected self. A punk turned spiritual teacher, Clements is open about his musical uncertainty, despite being a veteran in the scene.
What is your dream car—and what is your real-time, good-time car memory?
A Rimac Nevera, it’s a really cool electric car that costs about two million dollars. When I was younger, I always loved going for a drive with my siblings, going between our parents’ houses. —SIENNA
An old VW bus that barely goes 50 uphill, to cruise around and enjoy...
Welcome to the world of the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz, whose love language for mushrooms includes all of the above and the taglines like “Keeping the fun in fungus” and “When it rains, it spores.”
Juan Diaz lived the ultimate restaurant version of the American dream, going from dishwasher to owner. Diaz says he learned a little from every place he worked, gaining valuable industry knowledge along the way.
ARIES March 21-April 19Why do birds sing? They must be expressing their joy at being alive, right? And in some cases, they are trying to impress and attract potential mates. Ornithologists tell us that birds are also staking out their turf by chirping their melodies. Flaunting their vigor is a sign to other birds of how strong and commanding...
