Don’t worry, California youth, Gov. Gavin Newsom and his army of regulators are looking out for you in at least one way: thanks to them, you are in less danger of getting a mild buzz from a can of cannabis-infused soda.
In April, Newsom’s office announced a crackdown on companies that are peddling products containing THC isolates derived from hemp, which are illegal in California, but are widely available both online and in retail stores across the state (though generally not in licensed cannabis dispensaries, which sell the good stuff).
This month saw the first enforcement action, if it can be called that: the Department of Public Health warned the public not to drink hemp-based beverages sold under the Mary Jones Soda brand. This is despite the fact that, in nearly all cases, the people who purchased those products knew exactly what they were getting. The DPH also said it was working to get the products removed from store shelves.
In recent years, a whole industry has sprung up for products made from hemp that are meant to get consumers high. Hemp in its natural state doesn’t contain enough THC to cause intoxication. But it does contain some, and it can be isolated and concentrated to create products like those made by the Seattle-based Jones Soda company and a slew of others around the country, many of them far more dicey than Jones.
The products might be beverages, edibles, vapes or tinctures. They exist in a legal gray area because of the way hemp legalization was written into the 2018 farm bill: it specifies that hemp products cannot contain more than a tiny amount of delta-8 THC, which is the kind found much more abundantly in most cannabis products. But that law says nothing about delta-9 THC, which is what these companies derive from hemp to make these products. In other words, the feds left a gigantic loophole.
California allows the sale of industrial hemp, but bans the sale of hemp products containing THC isolates.
The crackdown is all about protecting the youth, if you go by how often and how prominently variations of the word “youth” are found in the government’s various announcements. “California Takes Action to Protect Youth from Illegal Hemp Products” was the headline on the initial announcement from Newsom’s office in April.
The California Department of Public Health went even more hog-wild with its youth-protecting language when it issued the warning about Mary Jones Soda on May 30. “The state,” the CDPH declared, “seeks to ensure compliance with existing law to protect Californians, particularly youth, from mislabeled and potentially harmful hemp-infused, particularly youth, from mislabeled and potentially harmful hemp-infused products.”
To be clear, some of the delta-9 products really are potentially harmful, though that seems highly unlikely in the case of Mary Jones Soda, which is made by Jones Soda, the Seattle-based maker of popular, fruity soft drinks.
Jones Soda has been around since 1995 and it distributes its main product lines throughout the country and in Canada. It introduced cannabis-infused drinks in 2022. Some of them are made from marijuana and are sold, perfectly legally, in licensed dispensaries. The products in question are infused with hemp-derived delta-9 THC and run afoul of state law.
There are lots of operators out there making potentially dangerous products from hemp-derived delta-9, and it’s not like the state can let some off the hook just because they have better reputations than some sleazebag making delta-9 vapes in his garage. Illegal is illegal, and there’s a good reason for the law banning such products: they go untested and unregulated and, especially in the case of vapes, might well cause harm, even if the Mary Jones products are almost certainly perfectly safe.
Some states and the federal government are working on closing the delta-9 loophole, which will likely eventually bring an end to the market for hemp-derived THC products. Until then, the best bet for consumers is to get their cannabis products from a licensed dispensary. That might not help the youth get high, but the youth generally have way better access to way better weed anyway.
The magic moment for one of Santa Cruz’s most innovative companies came when its founder rolled the dice and bet big at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics trade show.
Kyle Doerksen had been pulling all-nighters for days on end putting the final tweaks on a prototype of what is now known as a Onewheel, an electric skateboard with—you guessed it—only one wheel. The neuroengineering and mechanical engineering wizard was taking his own leap of faith on his creation, entering the 2014 CES for a chance to show it to the world.
He almost didn’t make it.
It was 5:55pm on the second day of CES—he missed the first day—and Doerksen was running through the convention center with his prototype in hand, trying to make it to a 6pm press event.
“That was the make-or-break moment. I don’t know if there was a Plan B, but that was certainly Plan A,” Doerksen says.
Plan A worked out after all.
“It was incredible—no one had seen anything like it,” his then-new partner, Jack Mudd says. “It was featured on all the ‘Best of CES’ things and everyone wanted to come ride it.”
Now it’s 2024 and the pair are sitting at the massive Future Motion headquarters in Santa Cruz, laughing at their almost-misadventure. Doerksen is the founder and CEO, while Mudd has elevated his marketing title to that of Chief Evangelist. The company and its flagship product, the aptly named Onewheel, are marking a milestone in their mission to make the future rad.
The Future of Motion
Doerksen grew up in Calgary, Canada, and moved to the U.S. in the early 2000s to attend college. While doing his undergraduate studies in neuroengineering at Stanford University, he discovered his passion for the hands-on aspect of the field and left college with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. After an eight-year stint with IDEO, a Palo Alto firm that developed products like Apple’s first mouse, Doerksen helped found electric bike company Faraday Bikes.
“Through that experience I got to see the birth of what is now called micro mobility,” Doerksen says. “After tinkering in my garage for a while, I managed to get an early Onewheel prototype going.”
In 2008, the most notable personal electric vehicle was Dean Kamen’s Segway, a two-wheeled transporter that arrived in 2001 and was by then decidedly uncool in the cultural zeitgeist.
Doerksen wanted to build something that simulated the feel of snowboarding, but on pavement. A self-balancing board to glide you away into serenity.
“So in the early days, it was just me trying to make something for myself and was not a commercial project,” Doerksen says. “Then I had a couple of friends that were like, ‘Whoa, this is a really cool experience, can you build one for me?’”
Fitted with a go-kart wheel, a wooden deck and metal sidings, Doerksen says, the early prototype was ahead of its time—before lithium batteries and wheel hub motors—and he had to put it on hold for a few years.
“In the intervening years the technological building blocks got a lot better and that’s when I was able to say ‘Okay, you can make something that is thin and reasonably light and could have decent range and would be this sort of integrated and refined product.’”
In May, Onewheel uploaded a 25-minute documentary to its YouTube channel titled “Ten Years of Onewheel.” The footage follows Doerksen from a young 20-something tinkering on his rough, chain-driven prototype and through the various stages of development, from late-night lithium battery tests, to surfing legend Kelly Slater dropping into Doerksen’s Palo Alto shop to ride an early model. The prototype evolved from a wood and metal plate Frankenstein to a sleeker, smoother ride.
By 2013, the Onewheel was ready to roll out commercially. Earlier on that January day in 2014, Doerksen had enacted the second part of his Plan A. He launched a Kickstarter campaign for Onewheel, asking for $100,000 to get the project going. But the success of the campaign hinged on one thing—a standout showing at CES.
The buzz was immediate. Critics and fans raved, setting off a media frenzy over the new “hoverboard.” Within three weeks, the Kickstarter amassed thousands of backers and topped out at $630,000. Now, Doerksen and Mudd had to make good on their promise and build hundreds of Onewheels. The race was on.
THEN AND NOW Kyle Doerksen (left) and Jack Mudd with different incarnations of the Onewheel. Photo: Tarmo Hannula
If You Build It, They Will Ride
After the Kickstarter launch in 2014, the small team had to get to work. Doerksen set a timeline of eight months to complete the preorders. All of the Onewheels were going to be built right in the San Francisco Bay Peninsula, where the prototype was hatched, instead of exporting production overseas. The first model was simply called the Onewheel. It had a battery range of 4 to 6 miles and a top speed of 13 mph. Then came the Onewheel+, with a slightly better range of 5 to 7 miles and speeds of up to 19 mph.
As the board began to take off, Mudd took off as well. He traveled for months introducing the Onewheel to America. Within a few years it became a cultural phenomenon. To date, he’s gotten some big names to ride it.
“I’ve actually been lucky to ride with all kinds of people. I rode with Steph Curry. Who else? Jimmy Fallon over at 30 Rock in New York City,” Mudd says. Adam Savage of Mythbusters fame is also a fan, he adds.
The company has produced seven iterations of the Onewheel, ranging from the smallest versions (Pint and Pint X) to the newer, beefier GT series. The latest to join the family is the GT S-Series, which is a high-performance model with double the battery voltage of the GT series and a top speed of 25 mph. They range in price from $1,050 for the Pint, up to $3,200 for the GT S-Series.
The boards are controlled by the rider’s body weight, accelerating as the rider leans forward. The faster the lean, the faster it goes. To stop, you just lean back. An accompanying phone app helps customize the experience with “Digital Shaping,” which is comparable to shaping a surfboard for different riding styles.
The Future Motion headquarters sits at the end of Schaffer Road on the western edge of Santa Cruz. Large palm trees dot the parking lot leading up to the big, arched entrance of the two-story building emblazoned with the company’s wordmark.
Doerksen and his crew traded the tech-heavy Mountain View for Santa Cruz in 2015. He says that being next to the Google headquarters made everything more expensive and, plus, everyone wanted to be by the beach. The first SC location was at the Wrigley building, the former gum factory turned business park just down the road from the current base. Santa Cruz Bicycles and LifeAid were neighbors. They moved their production to north San Jose to meet the increased demand and employ dozens of workers at their factory.
My photographer, Tarmo, and I visited the sprawling Santa Cruz facility on a sunny Wednesday in May. The building serves as the hub for the engineering, marketing and customer support operations. After winding down a hallway, one comes to a wall shouting the company mantra: “Make The Future Rad.” As Doerksen pointed out all the memorabilia around us, Mudd rode up on his board: “Are we gonna get you on some Onewheels today?”
As we sat down to chat, the question lingered in my mind. I found myself more excited than I had anticipated at the prospect of riding a board for the first time.
But I also had questions that weren’t as fun to contemplate. So, after a while of relaxed banter, I addressed the “elephant on the Onewheel.”
“Let’s talk about the lawsuits and the safety concerns.”
Pushing the Limits
Future Motion and Onewheel made headlines in late September 2023 when, at the behest of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the company recalled 300,000 units due to safety concerns.
“Future Motion has received dozens of reports of incidents involving the electric skateboards, including four reported deaths between 2019 and 2021 and traumatic brain injuries, concussions, paralysis, upper-body fractures, lower-body fractures and ligament damage. The reported deaths resulted from head trauma and, in at least three of those incidents, the rider was not wearing a helmet. Future Motion and the CPSC encourage all riders to wear personal protective equipment while riding,” read a statement on the CPSC website.
In some cases, Onewheel riders were jettisoned from their board after it abruptly stopped in mid-motion or it no longer self-balanced.
Like any new technology, Onewheel “has an extra layer of scrutiny on it, right?” Doerksen says. “And people are trying to figure out what the product can do, what is the responsibility of the owner and operator. I think it’s fair to say that that’s what we’re in the process of figuring out.”
“It is a board sport,” Mudd adds. “I think people come into it with different sets of expectations. Some people understand that immediately. I snowboard and I understand that when I go snowboarding, if I’m not careful or not doing proper technique, I can fall and get seriously hurt. And I’m okay with that, because the benefits I get from this lifestyle that I live are tremendous.”
The CPSC recall affects the Onewheel GT, Onewheel Pint, Onewheel Pint X and the Onewheel+ XR. The same day the recall was announced, Future Motion introduced a firmware update called “Haptic Buzz” for the models in question in order to address the issues.
All Onewheel models already had a “Pushback” feature, which automatically lifts the nose of the board to alert the rider when they are pushing the device’s limits. Haptic Buzz is a tactile and audio alert modeled after similar alert systems used in the automotive and aviation industries. The board will vibrate and blare out a warning sound when the rider is pushing their Onewheel’s speed limit; accelerating rapidly and exerting considerable torque; or when the battery is low.
In a video uploaded to the Onewheel Youtube channel, Mudd explains the new feature to their 100,000 subscribers.
“Ignoring Pushback or Haptic Buzz can result in serious injury or death,” Mudd says at the end of the clip.
As of June 2024, there were 66 lawsuits relating to Onewheel injuries that had been consolidated into multi-district litigation. Similar to a class action lawsuit, the litigation will bring all the cases to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in front of Judge Beth Labson Freeman later this year. Future Motion might have to settle for a still-undisclosed amount of money as part of the process.
While Doerksen and Mudd can’t comment on the pending litigation, Mudd says that in light of the lawsuits, riders from all over the world penned letters of support for Future Motion.
“We had 5,000 letters from riders in our community explaining what value it brings to them in their daily life. It’s crazy. And this is thousands of people saying ‘This has done so much for my mental health,’” Mudd says.
While some people have had tragic experiences on a Onewheel, others are using the device as a way to heal trauma and improve their state of mind.
PRO GRADE Professional riders use the top line of Onewheels, fitted with heavy tread and shaped for maximum power. Photo: Onewheel
Shred The Pain Away
Aaron Knowles has only ever known military life. Both his parents served in the U.S. Air Force, moving the family from base to base. It was a given that he would also follow that path, and at age 19 he enlisted in the U.S. Army. It was the early 2000s, after 9/11. First came the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Then, within two years, the larger, more costly invasion of Iraq.
Knowles was deployed to Iraq and was almost killed when an improvised explosive device blew the vehicle he was in off the road. He sustained major injuries and has suffered from PTSD ever since.
“I have physical and mental and emotional wounds that I’m still and forever going to be trying to heal,” Knowles said in a phone interview.
In 2017, Knowles found himself stationed in Florida, feeling overwhelmed and disconnected. He saw someone riding a one-wheeled electric skateboard, and it brought him back to his time skateboarding as a child—he knew he had to chase that feeling again.
After determining that the board was a California-made device called a Onewheel, Knowles went to a local surf shop and tried it out. He was hooked. He saved up, bought his board and started riding. At first, he enjoyed just getting outdoors. Then, when he was re-stationed to Germany, he had to get rid of his Onewheel. He soon discovered he yearned for the feeling of freedom riding the board gave him. After returning to the U.S., he went out and bought a new Onewheel.
“As soon as I get on this board and get outside and ride, ride among these groups of riders and have a good time, why is it that I’m just automatically in a better headspace?” he muses.
What Knowles was experiencing is what scientists call the “flow” state.
According to neuroscience researchers, flow is a state of full task engagement accompanied by low levels of self-referential thinking. Flow has been found to relate to mental well-being and physical performance.
“Flow is often associated with athletes, artists, or scientists who are fully task-absorbed in order to achieve peak performance. Yet, flow-like states also occur in more mundane situations, such as when engaging in certain tasks during work or leisure time,” states a 2021 study published by Dutch and South African researchers. “Experiencing flow is accompanied with a sense of accomplishment, meaningfulness and positive mood states.”
After observing his own mood improving the more he rode, Knowles posted in a Onewheel group on Facebook and asked if others were experiencing the same thing. The answer: a resounding “Yes.”
“I just had an immense amount of people interact with it and 99.9% of them were like ‘Absolutely, this is totally Onewheel therapy.’ And that’s when I knew that I could use this tool and other tools like it to help other service members,” Knowles says.
That’s when Shred the Stress was born. Knowles acquired another Onewheel, and with two boards in tow, set out to give military service members and their families a unique therapeutic experience. He connected with more people on Facebook and started showing up at official Onewheel events to spread the word about his nonprofit. Eventually, Knowles caught the attention of Future Motion. The company donated three boards for his cause; in 2022, he was invited to a demo event in Austin, Texas.
After talking to Knowles and hearing him buzz with excitement at all the doors the board opened for him, I had to bring back The Elephant.
When asked about the lawsuits and recall, Knowles says that, as with any other devices and equipment, there are responsible and irresponsible ways to use the Onewheel. He added that all of the participants in his program wear helmets and protective gear.
“Long story short, I do consider the boards safe and especially so if you follow those guidelines and wear safety gear. Dress for the ride.”
The Future Is Rad
I’m floating through the parking lot and it feels like my brain disappeared from my skull. Well, for a moment.
“See, you were thinking about it,” Mudd says as I start to wobble on the Onewheel.
He was leading me down a slight incline and I started to think if I should accelerate or slow down; if I should lean forward or lean back. Despite that, he said I did pretty well.
After The Elephant left the room at the end of our interview, Doerksen and Mudd grabbed some boards and helmets to give us our own private demo.
I’ll admit, when I used to see people riding Onewheels around town, a reflexive side-eye usually followed. I mean, this was Santa Cruz, home to skateboard innovators NHS, a place where locals grow up gatekeeping against Silicon Valley techies.
I was never a great skater anyway, but I found myself wanting to get back on the Onewheel as soon as I got off. Next thing I know, Tarmo is zooming by on another board, being led by Mudd.
Now I’m talking to Bodhi Harrison, Onewheel’s first team rider for the Onewheel Racing League, which has solidified the phenomenon into a board sport. Doeksen and Mudd tell me he is the future of the sport.
“I got into the Onewheel way back in the day right after the Kickstarter launched,” the 25-year-old says.
The Colorado native borrowed money from his dad and bought his first board at 16 and quickly saw the potential of it as a sport: “I saw a future with racing and tricking in films similar to a lot of board sports that already exist.”
Harrison didn’t just want to ride Onewheel, he wanted to live and breathe it. He moved out to Santa Cruz four years ago to work with Future Motion and has taught clinics, made instructional videos and brought ideas on how to make the products better. In 2017, he was the winner of the inaugural Float Life race in North Carolina. Now, he is pushing the boundaries of the sport.
Professional riders like Harrison use the top line of Onewheels, fitted with heavy tread and shaped for maximum power. Races take place on mountain trials and dirtbike tracks, a synthesis of multiple extreme sports.
“The progression that’s happened in the last few years… it really feels like we’re on this tipping point where it’s about to explode and some serious progression with some of the new technology we have to work with,” he says.
In addition to the racing league, a huge online community of freestyle riders has emerged. The Float Life YouTube channel, which is all about customizing and pushing limits of Onewheels, has over 72,000 subscribers.
“It’s really, truly a medicine and a healthy escape from the heaviness that is life, and it brings you into an amazing community and provides you an opportunity to get outside in a fun and really active way,” Harrison says.
Many years before the team at Onewheel moved to town, Santa Cruz was a skateboard mecca. In addition to an internationally known brand, Santa Cruz Skateboards, the town is blessed with a wealth of venerable skate shops. In advance of Go Skate Boarding Day, a holiday for shredders everywhere, Good Times checked in with the team at Bill’s Wheels Skateshop to find out what skateboarding means to them.
“It’s one word: freedom,” says Shane Scoffone, one of the floor managers for Bill’s Wheels. In January, Scoffone will have worked at Bill’s for two decades.
Scoffone isn’t alone when it comes to being in the double-digit club. Ralph Mendoza, who deems himself a jack of all trades, has also been grinding at the shop for two decades. “I started off riding for the team,” he says, “and then somebody bailed on working at the shop, so I was just happy to be here and filled the position.”
Mendoza expressed that he doesn’t know anything besides skateboarding, especially since he started skating at 3 years old. It means everything to him.
Though he’s only been at Bill’s Wheels for three years, Derek Finch is just as passionate about the sport of skateboarding. It’s “happiness and joy, but also anxiety and anger. It’s a good therapy session,” says Finch, who has been skating since 1998.
Finch says his favorite part of working at Bill’s Wheels is connecting with new people and discovering what’s new in the industry.
The man behind the store’s name, Bill Ackerman, got his start in sporting goods with a job stringing tennis rackets at Freedom Sports in 1975. Things took a turn when the store decided to start a skate shop, and store manager Colt Robb chose Ackerman to run it.
After Freedom Sports closed in 1977, the 19-year-old Ackerman opened Bill’s Wheels’ first location in a tiny building he rented for $125, on East Lake Ave in Watsonville.
“I did it because I loved skating, and I was working in a sports shop that was selling skateboards,” he said. “I just said, you know what, I’m gonna try to find some little place and do this. It was all just for fun, and I was living at home,” Ackerman says.
Before deciding to open his own business, Ackerman was originally going to follow in his dad’s footsteps to become a police officer. “I did police science and got my AA degree at Cabrillo College. The next step would have been to go to the academy to become a cop,” he says. “But during that whole time, I was at the sports shop, selling skateboards.”
When Bill’s Wheels first opened, skating in Santa Cruz was very different than it is today. Ackerman says back then Santa Cruz County didn’t have as many skate parks as it does now. “If you wanted something to skate, you built it, like people building ramps or anything to make it seem like you’re surfing,” he says.
“It was more like you were sidewalk surfing back then, going on ramps and pretending you’re on a wave. As time’s gone on, it’s totally split. There’s thousands of skaters that don’t surf but almost all surfers seem to skate.”
Asked about highlights from his career, Ackerman reflects on meeting Danny Way, one of his favorite professional skateboarders.
“He came here for a demo/signing, and we had a big storm at the time, but he was driving up with his girlfriend, and the road washed out along the Big Sur area, and he chartered a helicopter and flew it to the Watsonville airport,” Ackerman recalls.
He thought it was awesome that Way could make the event regardless of the trouble it was to get there.
But besides meeting one of his favorite pros, he appreciates the energy and excitement kids have when they skate. “I was that person at one point when I was younger, so it’s really great to see and watch,” he says.
In observance of the holiday, Bill’s Wheels Skateshop will have an event from 1 to 5pm on June 21 with live music, a barbecue, and access to skate obstacles, such as ramps, rails and fun boxes.
I live near the Food Bin and can’t imagine any more congestion on Mission Street during the construction project and in the future. Most people have a car out of necessity—has anyone really heard of going to pick up your grandkids on the bus? It’s complex enough even with your own car! So, more cars on the street.
I also recommend that they reconsider all the expansion of the University—it is currently out of control and the traffic on Mission Street is sometimes backed up all the way to PAMF with at least a 30-minute wait to get to the intersection to get on the freeway.
I don’t think any of this construction going on which is mandated by the state is leaning toward an environmentally friendly future.
Sue Andre
A STONE UNTURNED
Wow, thanks for the great story about Sandy Stone. Incredible. I just made my transition from clueless to mindblown.
Steven Robins | Felton
TRUMPED
It’s official: After making secret hush money payments to an adult film star 11 days before the 2016 election and falsifying official filings to hide the truth from the public, Donald Trump has been found guilty by a New York jury.
Trump’s conviction in New York should remind us all that no one—including a former president—is above the law. It should also remind us of the danger that Trump still poses to our democracy.
In the final weeks of the 2016 election, Trump covered up his affair with Stormy Daniels to dupe voters and improve his chances of winning the election. As it turns out, this would only be his first foray into undermining our elections. The New York trial may be over, but Donald Trump still faces three additional indictments and 54 criminal charges for a litany of crimes, including federal charges for his efforts to incite violence and overturn the will of voters after he knew he’d lost the 2020 election.
This is a pattern. The jury has done their job to hold Trump accountable. Now, it’s time for the American people to do our part and hold him accountable at the ballot box.
You’ve got to love America’s tinkerers. Throughout history their pet projects have helped us race to the future.
Being fascinated by birds and bicycles, the Wright brothers solved the problem of how to get a machine to fly; 66 years later, not only were people traveling the world by plane, but some of them reached the moon.
Let’s add Santa Cruz’s Kyle Doerksen to the list. He was working for a company that made electric bikes, but he wanted something cooler, something locked into West Coast culture, an electric skateboard. He started over the hill, but moved to Santa Cruz…like all of us who know how great life is here. Now his invention is all over, sampled in our cover story not just by our young turk reporter, Josué Monroy, but by septuagenarian photographer Tarmo Hannula. They both loved it. How cool is that?
It’s almost impossible to see one and not want to try it. The craziest thing I’ve seen on a Onewheel is a guy who carries his young kid to school on one in Aptos. Inventions like this are helping get us out of our cars, something that makes for a brighter future.
Now, if only our government would catch up and require all these new housing developments to be solar powered, we could really wean off the carbon teat that is sucking the life out of the planet. Companies are already making progress on building batteries powered by salt!
Not to be left in the past, boarder Ruby Lee Schembari checks out Bill’s Wheels, one of the original skateboard shops and a Santa Cruz landmark.
Who doesn’t love farmers markets? They’ve changed the landscape and are one of the great modern and retro developments, like those free libraries outside people’s homes. Mark C. Anderson pays tribute and steers you to fresh, locally grown eats.
Oops. I almost forgot myself. I always tell my writers, please try and keep yourself out of the story. No one cares about what the writer thinks…they want to hear about the main characters, the stars, the subjects of your profiles.
But I snuck one in, hopefully with good reason. For 24 years I’ve been playing and writing with one of the biggest bands in Mexico, El Tri, a band many compare to the Rolling Stones. They are playing in San Jose Saturday and I’m going to be sitting in. It’s the highest high I know and I tried to share that with you in my arts story. Imagine you are a street musician and one day the biggest band you know asks you to share the stage with them. I often have to pinch myself and make sure I’m not dreaming.
I hope I’m not. I’m really not sure. But I promise you this: whatever language you speak, this Spanish rocking band is one of the best in the world and you will enjoy it as much as I do.
Thanks for reading.
Brad Kava | Editor
PHOTO CONTEST
DUCK WALK This lucky duck hits up a parking lot looking for free food. Photograph by Jo Koumouitzes
GOOD IDEA
As the nation celebrates Pride Month, Dignity Health is honored to announce that Dominican Hospital has been recognized in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2024 Healthcare Equality Index (HEI).
The HEI is the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey of healthcare facilities on policies and practices dedicated to the equitable treatment and inclusion of LGBTQ+ patients, visitors and employees. The HEI evaluates Non-discrimination and Staff Training; Patient Services and Support; Employee Benefits and Policies; Patient and Community Engagement, and Responsible Citizenship.
Of 1,065 participants, 384 received the top score of 100, earning the “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation.
GOOD WORK
The Volunteer Center’s Empowered Aging Division recently received a significant grant from the Central California Alliance for Health to support the expansion of its evidence-based falls prevention program, A Matter of Balance. This expansion will enable the program to offer the no-cost classes in Spanish, and in underserved areas such as Pajaro Valley and San Benito County.
The program is designed to reduce the fear of falling and increase activity levels among older adults. It emphasizes practical strategies to manage falls, addressing fear of falling, setting goals for increasing activity, making changes to reduce fall risks at home, and promoting exercises to increase strength and balance.
There are two sessions this summer. For info, contact Bridget Walcott at 427-5070 x118, or br*************@***************er.org.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“If necessity is the mother of invention, urgency is the uncle of change.” — Nell Scovell —
On the count of three, shout your favorite thing about greater Santa Cruz.
One…two…three…FARMERS MARKETS!
Yes, judges will also accept Santa Cruz Mountain Pinot, surfing, tacos, craft beer and Bookie’s mushroom-nettle pizza with porcini white sauce.
But still, show me somewhere—anywhere—with as many vibrant, diverse and deep farmers markets, from Watsonville to the Westside.
The best way to honor them (and your own happiness) is to frequent them. But there’s another interesting new angle to do so, which is what inspires this note.
American Farmland Trust is currently hosting a 2024 Farmers Market Celebration, now through July 31, wherein Cruzers can geo-locate their fave markets using an interactive Google heat map and submit a vote, with $15,000 in prizes on the line for market organizing angels with the most grassroots/root vegetable support.
Because I’m all for recent winners like North Tonawanda City Market in New York and Overland Park Farmers Market in Kansas getting some shine on their squash.
And I’m ready for Santa Cruz to claim its crown. markets.farmland.org
VALID POINT
An outstanding summer tradition—Good Times readers have voted it Best Street Fair—hits a landmark this week as the annual Pleasure Point Street Fair turns 10. Come Saturday, June 22, more than 100 vendors fill Portola Drive (between 41st and 38th avenues) with arts, crafts, local services, food, beverages and a beer/wine garden. Plus local bands appear on two stages, the kids zone kicks in, Santa Cruz Boardroom oversees a skateboard contest, and all proceeds underwrite the nonprofit Live Oak Education Foundation. pleasurepointstreetfair.com
LEVELING UPWARD
Fresh Chaminade Resort & Spa leadership, including new Director of Food & Beverage Chance Van Cleef, translates to an inventive summer cocktail menu with pours like the pollen-infused pisco Pollinator and the chamoy lollipop Muchas Luchas. Director of Culinary Avram Samuels says the inspiration comes from Santa Cruz’s “local organic bounty, rich earth, seasons and a clientele who demands excellence,” adding drinks like The Santa Cruz Verde with Codigo tequila infused with cilantro, cucumber and jalapeno 1) seem preordained for the view of the Monterey Bay on the patio; and 2) benefit from tech techniques like using their sous vide machine to extract and meld ingredient essence. “It allows us to really accelerate the flavors exponentially,” Samuels says, “without having to reduce or use concentrates [and while using] fresh, local and sustainable produce.” chaminade.com
THINGS AND THANGS Alderwood’s new executive chef Mikey Adams has assembled a mouthwatering menu featuring things like ice-cold California Kumamoto oysters, glazed kampachi, black truffle squid ink rigatoni, grilled trout with smoked roe, alderwoodsantacruz.com…“It’s a Thursday Thing!” for both its Aptos and Santa Cruz outposts, Venus Spirits Cocktails & Kitchen announces, it being New England Lobster dinner specials, with pound-and-a-quarter bugs, coleslaw, Old Bay chips and drawn butter, for $40, 5pm till sellout, venusspirits.com…Woodies on the Wharf returns June 22, with free admission, more than 200 woodies, music, woodie goodies and prize drawings, santacruzwoodies.com…The Homeless Garden Project hosts Sustain Supper July 20, and it’s a doozie. Chef Reylon Agustin, culinary director at Big Sur’s singular Post Ranch Inn, conjures magic with locally sourced ingredients—many grown on site—UCSC Environmental Studies professor and Union of Concerned Scientists chair Anne Kapuscinski keynotes, and farm tours, local wines, live music and a special kombucha brewed from farm-grown inputs flow, homelessgardenproject.org…Happy solstice, Earthlings.
Zee Sanchez, aka “the happy cashier,” has worked at Redwood Sandwich Company in Scotts Valley for the past four years. Her nickname fits like a glove; she exudes genuine and passionate customer service that is rare and loves making people feel at home.
“When you feed people, that’s a way of showing love,” she says.
Redwood’s bread is delivered fresh daily and everything else is scratch-made in-house. The ambiance leans rustic with redwood accents. And the menu is customizable: “if you can imagine it, we can create it.”
Headlining sandwiches include the Club with turkey, thick-cut bacon, avocado and Jack cheese, and the Barbeque Tri-Tip piled with grilled onions and cheddar cheese. They also serve rotating soups like bacon/potato, split pea/ham and chicken/veggie, and the salads are all big, made-to-order and customizable with myriad lettuce, protein and dressing options. Hours are 10am-7pm every day.
What’s your philosophy on customer service?
ZEE SANCHEZ: Always treat people how you would want to be treated and always make them feel at home. It’s also important to always greet guests with a big smile, and explain everything on the menu with passion and in detail. I feel that treating people with kindness and love, making them feel like they’re right at home, will make them want to come back. We have so many regulars here, and knowing their name and usual order really makes them feel special.
How does Redwood Sandwich Company stand tall?
The fact that we make everything from scratch and with love, and always make sure guests leave with a full belly. Our proteins, like the turkey, tri-tip and meatballs, are all done in-house and so are all the spreads, like our pesto and chipotle sauces. We also encourage people to try our sides and other food items before buying, which makes them really happy. When people tell us they love our food, it means a lot to us and really rocks our world.
Like several other artists, Oklahoma native Gracee Shriver used a spot on NBC’s The Voice as a springboard to her music career. Since then, she has become a formidable singer-songwriter with a dozen albums to her credit and has toured with several major country artists. CMT chose Shriver for its Belmont Showcase Series, and she’s also participated in Oklahoma’s Women of Song Project. Her most recent song is featured on Spotify’s Women of Country playlist. DAN EMERSON
It’s a bit of an oversimplification to categorize Weapons of Mass Creation as hip hop; the 9-piece collective from Anaheim brings a dynamic fusion of R&B, Afro-Latino, soul, funk and cumbia to the stage, along with progressive lyricism that’s rooted in their experiences growing up in immigrant families. The group was formed in 2014 when Josh and Enrique Quiñonez joined forces with the six-sibling Franco family and the producer HiiKu. Upon releasing their 2019 record, Labor of Love, OC Weekly named them the best hip hop act of the year. Also note: Salinas legend Flaco el Jandro will be making an appearance. ADDIE MAHMASSANI
Anthony Jeselnik’s comedy is not for everyone, and that seems intentional; his brand of humor pushes the envelope, leaning in on sensitive topics. Jeselnik is a master of adding a surprising twist at the punchline, often ending with jokes about his callousness toward others. The comedian seems to have crafted a persona for the stage that emphasizes his lack of political correctness as a quality worth flaunting. In an era when comedians are constantly discussing where boundaries should lie, Jeselnik clearly falls on the side of wherever the comedian wants them to be. JESSICA IRISH
INFO: 7pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $57. 423-1854.
GARAGE
Davila 666 Photo: Adelaida Ortiz-Chiques
DAVILA 666
Davila 666 are rockers from Puerto Rico who combine heavy guitar licks, serious percussion and a chorus of shout-singing to create songs embodying the true spirit of rock ’n’ roll. Already popular in PR, Davila 666 are ready to take on the mainland with foot-thumping bangers and killer guitar solos. Most of their songs are in Spanish (think seis-seis-seis, not six-six-six) and evoke a revolutionary energy. Some are indie-influenced, sounding like a Devendra Banhart/Black Keys collab. All of their music is intoxicating. With seven band members, the sonic landscape of their partnership is complex, electric and oh-so-tasty. JI
When it comes to death metal (the first metal to use guttural, growling vocals, heavy distortion, low tuning and lots of speed), few bands are as influential as Florida’s Death. In fact, most people attribute the genre to the band, particularly founder, guitarist and vocalist Chuck Schuldiner, who named the band to process his brother’s death. Throughout the ’90s, Death heralded underground metal until Schuldiner’s own tragic death in 2001 at the age of 34 from a brain tumor. Past bandmates have teamed up with Cynic vocalist Max Phelps to create Death To All, an uber-band playing fan favorites from every Death album. This is seriously not to be missed for any headbanger, hesher or hellion. MAT WEIR
Google “Illusence,” and a few things pop up, like a four-piece metalcore project that some sites claim is from Vancouver, Washington, while others declare Portland, Oregon, as the group’s home. No worries—this melodic quartet delivers a clean, carefully crafted sound no matter where they lay their heads in the Pacific Northwest. This June, they dropped their new album, Permanence, with the single “No Way Out” surpassing 10k views on YouTube in only three weeks. To celebrate the new album, the boys are taking their metal/punk/mathcore fusion on the road with fellow friends Toarn. This Monday, they’ll slay brains and earholes at the Blue Lagoon with dark ambient players Sacred Void. MW
INFO: 9pm, Blue Lagoon, 923 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 423-7117.
A CAPPELLA
Take 6 Photo: John Abbott
TAKE 6
Since making their major-label debut in 1987, the vocal sextet Take 6 has blazed an influential trail across multiple music genres, becoming the most awarded a cappella group in history. Their crystalline harmonies, funky, syncopated rhythms and irresistible grooves have won them 10 Grammy awards, 10 Dove awards, a Soul Train award and membership in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. The great Quincy Jones famously lauded the six as “the baddest vocal cats on the planet.” Take 6 has collaborated with all the greats, including Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Brian Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald and Whitney Houston. DE
INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $73.50/adv, $78.75/door. 427-2227.
WEDNESDAY 6/26
FOLK
MARISSA NADLER
Now a prolific and decorated songwriter, Marissa Nadler began turning heads on the East Coast folk scene in the early aughts. With all her nine albums, from 2004’s Ballads of Living and Dying to 2021’s The Path of the Clouds, she has wowed crowds with her capacity for gothic storytelling. The songwriter’s latest offering comes from her experiences during the pandemic, when she moved to a new home in Nashville, experienced writer’s block, learned to play piano and watched hours upon hours of Unsolved Mysteries. The result of that strange period is Nadler’s first self-produced album—one inspired by true crime. AM
Anything made by Frank Family vineyards is all right by me! This historic winery, established in 1884, has made fine wines over the years—but it blossomed even more when former Disney Studios executive Rich Frank took over what was Larkmead Winery in 1992. He and his wife, Leslie Frank, have created a much-respected business “where family and community are at the heart” of their enterprise. And the winery offers superb tasting experiences.
Their 2022 Carneros Chardonnay ($40) holds up to the Frank Family’s high standards with its notes of Meyer lemon, yellow apple and salted butterscotch. “Concentrated layers of spices and creamy vanilla meld with well-integrated oak and elegant waves of fresh acidity on the palate,” say the folks at Frank Family Vineyards. “The wine is a testament to the Carneros region.”
Lobster lovers will be thrilled with this king-of-crustaceans extravaganza. Martin Ranch Winery is serving up lobsters galore at their beautiful estate in Gilroy. The event is noon to 4pm on June 23, and included is a welcome pour. Tickets are $145. For info and reservations visit martinranchwinery.com.
Forks, Corks & Kegs
The Kaiser Permanente Arena in downtown Santa Cruz is the location for the wonderful Forks, Corks & Kegs celebration. Hosted by the Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce, this fun event showcases local wine, beer, food and more on June 29 from 3 to 7pm. Visit santacruzchamber.org for info and tickets.
Bathing Beauty
Just in time for summer, a lovely little swimwear store has opened in Aptos—with an abundance of styles and sizes. Pelican House also sells jewelry. Find the shop at 8044 Soquel Drive, Suite B, Aptos. pelicanhouse.com.
The Affordable Connectivity Program, a federal program that provides internet access to low-income families, has ended after Congress failed to reach an agreement to keep funding it. Over 23 million households will no longer receive federal subsidies for cheap internet access.
In Santa Cruz County, out of 40,454 households eligible for the benefit, 11,322 are enrolled.
However, numerous internet service providers have committed to continuing to offer low-cost plans for the rest of 2024.
The program provided up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households, and up to $75 for eligible households on tribal lands. The end of the ACP means uncertainty for low-income students needing to stay connected to the internet, some of whom had to camp outside businesses to do their school work during the pandemic.
The ACP was created in 2021, when Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which allocated $14.2 billion for the Federal Communications Commission to create a program to help bridge the “digital divide.”
After the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns in 2020, schools switched to remote learning, which highlighted disparities in internet access for low-income families.
In January, elected officials across the U.S. sent a letter to Congress raising the alarm over the imminent end of the ACP and urged them to act. In a Jan. 16 letter to Congress, the U.S. Council of Mayors urged senators and representatives to continue funding the ACP.
“Having quality and affordable broadband has become essential in America,” says the letter. “High-speed internet is a necessity for almost every American, connecting people to educational opportunities, telemedicine, and of course, opportunities for work and entrepreneurship.”
But in February, the program stopped accepting new applications and enrollments. Households that were already approved and enrolled would continue to receive the federal subsidy only until the funding dried up. After months of uncertainty, the Biden administration put out a statement on May 31 announcing the official end of the program.
“Today […] is the final day that households will receive any benefit from the Affordable Connectivity Program on their internet bills. Without Congressional action to extend funding for the program, millions of households are now at risk of losing their internet connections. President Biden is once again calling on Congress to extend funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program, so tens of millions of Americans can continue to access this essential benefit,” the statement said.
The release pointed to the commitment of over a dozen ISP’s as a safety net for households in the absence of a federal program. Among these companies are AT&T, Comcast, Cox, Spectrum and Verizon.
The magic moment for one of Santa Cruz’s most innovative companies came when its founder rolled the dice and bet big at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics trade show.
Kyle Doerksen had been pulling all-nighters for days on end putting the final tweaks on a prototype of what is now known as a Onewheel, an electric skateboard with—you guessed it—only...
When it comes to death metal, few bands are as influential as Florida’s Death. In fact, most people attribute the genre to the band. Sunday, 6/23 @ The Catalyst
