Page 204 – Good Times

From the Desk of Editor, Brad Kava

Editor’s Note

June 20, 2023

Santa Cruz California editor of good times news media print and web — Brad Kava | Good Times Editor

I am saddened by the death of Daniel Ellsberg last week. I got to know the man who was a hero to liberals, intimately. We were handcuffed together and jailed briefly in 1978 at a protest at the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant in Colorado.

Ellsberg, who died at 92, was a former military analyst who became a symbol for the peace movement in 1971 when he released documents exposing lies about the Vietnam War to the press. His effort was documented in the movies The Pentagon Papers and The Post.

After working for newspapers in Santa Cruz (Good Times and the Independent), I moved to Boulder, Colo. to work for a book publisher owned by a former CIA agent. After reading my share of horror stories there, I decided to join the movement protesting the transport of nuclear materials by train around the Rocky Mountains, and joined hundreds of people blocking the tracks.

As one of the older and more conservative looking people in a troupe of beautiful, wild and tie-dyed hippies, I got lumped in with Ellsberg through the arrests and later the federal trial.

For me, this was sort of a spring vacation, but for Ellsberg it was a serious job. He was a symbol for the movement and a voice of rationality among the patchouli crowd. He reminded me of a young Paul Newman and his words were gold and brought peace to a crowd that could have gotten angry and ridden off the rails, literally (see Jan. 6, 2021).

It’s hard being arrested, handcuffed and tossed around by scowling federal officers, but overall they were civil and we did everything we could to be polite and peaceful. The ones who got really ugly were the government’s prosecution team.

I didn’t know this until after the trial, but prosecutors relentlessly called and threatened my parents back in New York, trying to get them to have me not go to trial. They couldn’t stand the fact that they would have a clean shaven guy in a jacket and tie on the witness stand.

They told my parents they would make my life hell and I would never get a job again and they would throw me in jail for a long time. I will always thank my parents for not telling me this until after the trial, and for not trying to influence me.

I was found guilty and got probation for a first offense, but I felt like I did my part. The arsenal was eventually closed down. I managed to find jobs afterwards.

The lesson I learned was just how evil the government can be. They never threatened me, but they chose my weakest point–my parents. Why harass those poor people? It was just plain underhanded and malicious.

But it opened my eyes as a journalist to be sympathetic to those who protest, to question authority, and to know that sometimes conspiracy theories are real.

And I’ll always think fondly of Ellsberg, who showed us that peaceful actions can speak louder than words.

The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.
Theodore Roosevelt

Things to do in Santa Cruz for the Week of June 21 – 27, 2023

Things To Do This Week

Brad Kava

June 20, 2023

Things to do in Santa Cruz for the Week of June 21 – 27, 2023

Arts & Music

DIRTY CELLO San Francisco singer and cellist Rebecca Roudman has to make a serious choice. She channels Janis Joplin when she sings, and we don’t draw that comparison lightly. Then, when she bows her large stringed instrument, it’s pure Nirvana, one of the last bands to really rock the cello on tour. While we aren’t huge fans of cover bands, this one makes each song sound new, with a setlist that includes Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones and Janis Joplin. We saw them at the free Sunday afternoon concerts at Seascape Resort and here they are again, for free at the Capitola Twilight Concert, Wednesday 6-8 pm on the Esplanade (120 Monterey).

Paul Thorn & Band with Mira Goto opening

Thorn is a troubadour in the best sense, a traveler who brings his story/songs around the world. In contrast with earlier work that riffed on short-term love affairs, as well as “kissing the right one good-bye,” the writing on Thorn’s latest release, “Never Too Late To Call” features music from a man who is with the “right one” and is happy to be there. In the case of what is arguably the CD’s most tender composition, “Sapphire Dream,” Thorn teamed up with his daughter Kitty Jones, who co-wrote the song and accompanies her dad on vocals. Much has been written about Thorn’s early years performing in his father’s Pentecostal church and later coming under the tutelage of his Uncle Merle, a pimp and small-time hustler. Plenty of material to draw from for a great songwriter. The show is Friday, 7:30 to 10pm at the Rio Theatre 1205 Soquel Ave. Tickets are $32-$40.

Community

Bubble Magic What kid doesn’t love bubbles? If you find one, don’t bring them to this. Buuuut if your wee ones love the floating soap you must, must, must bring them to see long time Santa Cruz personality Tom Noddy, who will blow their minds with his bubble blowing skills.

You’d better arrive early to grab a spot at the Capitola Library’s Ow Family Community Room for the 2-3pm performance, Thursday. The beautiful new branch is at 2005 Wharf Road, Capitola.

Kid-friendly, family friendly, things to do in Santa Cruz, events — Tom Noddy’s Bubble Magic. Photo courtesy: Tom Noddy

Take a Hike and Learn Something This 90-minute, behind-the-scenes hiking tour takes visitors into Younger Lagoon Reserve adjacent to the Seymour Marine Discovery Center. The lagoon has diverse coastal habitats and is home to birds of prey, migrating sea birds, bobcats, and other wildlife. Come and see what scientists are doing to track local mammals, restore native habitats, and learn about the workings of one of California’s rare coastal lagoons. A tour is offered on selected Thursdays and Saturdays of each month beginning at 10:30 AM, including this Saturday. Space is limited to 18 participants. Call 831-459-3800 or sign-up online. Seymourcenter.ucsc.edu

Nerdville 831 OMG, the Silicon Valley Comic Con is gone, so Nerdville 831 on Sunday is your best local shot for all things nerdy, cool, colorful, fun, creative, artistic, modern and did I say cool. It’s so great that the city of Watsonville is keeping fantasy alive, when San Jose has given it up. The Friends of Watsonville Parks and Community Services Department sponsors this fun and family-friendly day of anime, cosplay and collectables.

This year it honors the ANIME community in Watsonville with vendors and artists, local and from afar, making available homemade anime-related crafts and collectables.

This 10am-5pm event is free to all Pajaro Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) students with proof of current 2022-2023 student ID card. The event is also FREE for youth under the age of 5.

Tickets: $20 for adults and $10 for non-PVUSD students/youth (6-17).

It’s at Watsonville High School’s new gymnasium 250 East Beach Street and yes, the GT editor and his 7-year-old son will be there proudly showing the colors.

The Boys Are Back in Town

Music

Stuart Thornton

June 20, 2023

It’s the night before Mother’s Day, and audience members of the near capacity crowd at The Crepe Place jockey for a place to see Santa Cruz’s long running Dusted Angel begin their first show with new guitarist Ed Gregor. Condensation frosts the windows of the intimate venue as singer Clifford Dinsmore notes that “sometimes all of us are more tortured than we want to be.”

With that pronouncement, the music begins slowly with shimmering cymbals and guitars slowly building like a wave. In the crowd, cell phones go up and start filming as the jagged metal riffs of “The Thorn” overtake the room.

By the band’s second song, “Plastic People,” the bald and baseball capped heads of the crowd move rhythmically up and down like pistons. Next up, “Sensory Obliteration” is a thick heavy metal assault with a slowed down midsection that roars back to life again with Steve Ilse’s drums erupting like fireworks.

After a handful of songs in the crowded room, what is most obvious about the band—besides its impressive playing—is its connection to the audience. Though Dusted Angel has only played sporadically since forming around 2008, there’s definitely an appetite for their music in Santa Cruz.

A few weeks after The Crepe Place show, Dinsmore—who was the vocalist in legendary Santa Cruz hardcore band Bl’ast—explains how Gregor joining the band has reinvigorated Dusted Angel. “It really brought us back to that super two guitar crush, which is such an important factor in our band,” he says. “It’s just the best yet.”

A longtime friend of the band, Gregor has played in the Santa Cruz ‘90s act Hedgehog and in the popular Sunnyvale punk group No Use for a Name. “No one makes more sense,” Dinsmore says of his new bandmate. “Not to mention the fact that he is one of the best guitar players we have ever seen. He just knows what Dusted Angel is.”

The sound of the band encompasses punk rock, doom metal, and stoner rock. While the music is heavy and the band members play with the energy and intensity of hardcore, it is still approachable. “It’s almost classic rock on steroids,” Dinsmore says.

For a band that has been playing off and on for 15 years, Dusted Angel have only released a single album, 2010’s Earth Sick Mind. Dinsmore is hoping that changes soon, especially with the addition of Gregor. “Now we have our mind really set on recording,” he says.

Dinsmore believes that the band’s scarcity of recorded material and infrequent shows has meant that every performance they do is an event. “We have nothing that you can buy,” he says. “It’s rare that we have anything for sale. We don’t play a lot. You can’t really go listen to the music or buy a record. It almost works for us in a way because it maintains that mysterious element of like holy shit if Dusted Angel comes around you better see it because who knows when it will happen again?”

Dinsmore is not only excited by the new energy in Dusted Angel, but he is also stoked on the current state of the Santa Cruz music scene, which is saying something since he has been performing locally since 1983. A big reason for his enthusiasm is that Chuck Platt of Santa Cruz punk band Good Riddance now owns the Crepe Place, while longtime rocker Brian Ziel (Enemy of My Enemy, Suckerpunch) runs Moe’s Alley. In addition, part of the team behind The Catalyst bought the Felton Music Hall.

All of the new developments in the local music scene cause Dinsmore to make a big announcement. “[The Santa Cruz music scene is] the best it’s ever been in history,” he says, “in my opinion.”

Dusted Angel, The Freeks, and Blackwulf perform Sunday, June 25, 4pm. $15/advance, $20/day of the show. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. https://moesalley.com

Juneteenth March

Local News

Lia Prusha and Tarmo Hannula

June 20, 2023

Around 300 people joined the peaceful “March Towards Love and Courage” Monday evening from the London Nelson Community Center to City Hall as part of Juneteenth.

“The goal of the event is bring awareness of the last three years of the Black Lives Matter movement since the George Floyd tragedy and reflect on the current state of the Black Lives Matter movement in Santa Cruz,” event organizer and Capitola resident Thairie Ritchie says. “Today we march for unity, education and policy change.”

The marchers chanted slogans and waved signs such as, “Black and Asian Solidarity,” “We Must Stand Together,” and “Yellow Peril Supports BLack Power,” as they walked to City Hall where a rally unfolded.

Ritchie organized the first Juneteenth march back in 2020, in response to police murdering George Floyd. About 500 people showed up to march compared to this year’s 300, despite Juneteenth becoming a Federal holiday in 2021. Nationwide, BLM engagement has fallen since 2020: according to a Pew Research Report published last week, 51% of Americans support Black Lives Matter compared to 67% in 2020.

Ritchie says that while organizing both events, he has found himself having to reassure “predominantly white spaces” that the march will be peaceful.

For non-Black locals who want to become more engaged, he advises, “It’s not enough to just support the painting of a mural and take a knee and post on your social media feed. It’s a commitment to making sure we uplift Black lives. This looks like making things more accessible, more affordable, and supporting legislation to those effects.”

Racism is still prevalent in the county, as is evidenced by the Santa Cruz City Hall street mural that was defaced in 2021. The rally centered around that mural, which still has heavy skid marks across the length of the sprawling mural, evidence of the hate crime. A mural repainting rally is set for Saturday.

In Capitola, another BLM mural, on Pleasure Point, has been repeatedly vandalized since its unveiling in 2020.

Ritchie, who passes by on his bus ride to work, saw the mural defaced and restored several times before being taken down.

“There have been some successes within Santa Cruz city limits, but outside of Santa Cruz, around the entire county, I don’t feel that Black Lives Matter is fully embraced,” says Ritchie.

He hopes to see a re-ignition of the conversation about public safety and re-imagining policing, an issue that came up in 2020 that has lost urgency since former Santa Cruz Chief of Police Andy Mills resigned.

“We need to see your response as not just advocates and empathizes, but we need your support in helping as well as uplifting that light and the Black community in these times,” Ritchie says.

Weed Reads: Legal Pot Industry May Face ‘Extinction Event’

Cannabis

Dan Mitchell

June 20, 2023

Weed Reads: Legal Pot Industry May Face ‘Extinction Event’

California’s legal pot industry has struggled since it began in 2018. High taxes, burdensome regulations, the refusal of many local governments to issue licenses and the continued dominance of the illicit trade have all kept what should be a large, thriving business from reaching its potential.

The crisis moment might have been delayed by the pandemic, when cannabis was deemed to be an “essential” business and thus continued to operate even when most other businesses were closed during the lockdown. As that was happening, demand for weed grew, thanks in part to a lot of people staying at home with not much to do. That likely allowed many stores to remain open and many growers to keep growing, even as they continued to struggle and even as many of their peers left the business or went back to serving the illicit market.

But now, the industry might be facing an “extinction event,” as some in the industry and the media have put it. That of course overstates things, though not by much. The industry isn’t going to disappear, but it’s already shrinking fast and in danger of becoming much, much smaller and of being dominated by a few big players. Industry consolidation is something many industry advocates started warning about even before voters approved Prop 64 in 2016, which authorized legalization.

The California cannabis industry now faces its greatest challenge. “Perfect storm” is a horrible cliché, but it fits the current circumstance.

First, there isn’t enough money, despite all the dollars consumers spend on legal weed. Retailers have worked with ultra-thin margins and dispensaries have taken on large amounts of debt. That problem became worse this year when the tax law was changed to make retailers responsible for paying the state’s cannabis excise tax which puts a heavy burden on cash-strapped dispensaries.

One report toward the end of last year put the total amount of debt among dispensaries at about $600 million. Whatever the real number is, it has likely ballooned this year already.

The deadline for dispensaries to pay the state’s excise tax was May 1, and more than 13% failed to do so by that date, according to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. That represents 265 shops that now face penalties of 50% of what they owe. That could be a “death blow” for many of them, as SFGate recently put it.

Meanwhile, pot growers continue to flee the legal market in droves, thanks again to costs as well as persistently low wholesale prices. The state’s “canopy”—the total acreage devoted to growing weed—shrank by about 23% since January of 2022, according to one analysis. During the same period, 1,766 cultivation licenses went inactive, 845 of them just this year, according to the California Department of Cannabis Control.

As if all this weren’t enough, a pathogen has spread to nearly all of California’s pot plants. The disease, HLVd (hop-latent viroid), doesn’t kill the plant, but it reduces the weight of buds by nearly a third and it reduces THC content, making every plant grown less valuable than it otherwise would be.There are solutions to the pathogen problem, mainly involving testing and removing infected plants. But it’s one more burden for an industry that can’t take any more.

Copal

Foodie File

Andrew Steingrube

June 20, 2023

Copal General Manager Brittany Harrison exudes passion for executive chef Ana’s traditional generational Oaxacan cuisine and the bar program headlined by an extensive mezcal selection. The food and drinks are served in a space splashed with a colorful palette and Oaxacan art, set amidst a big city modern Mexico vibe.

Chapulines, grasshoppers sautéed with chile and lime, are a classic Oaxacan street food and make for an authentic start to a meal. Other appetizer favorites include Molotes (deep-fried chorizo and potato fritters) and Garnachas (bite-size tostadas filled with rich and flavorful beef). Entrée highlights include four types of moles and Tlayuda, another regional street food specialty, an enormous tostada eaten by hand with Oaxacan cheese and topped with chorizo, tasajo (wagyu steak) and cecina (pork adobo). Dessert options include flan and thinly sliced fried plantains with lechera drizzle. Hours are Wednesday-Sunday from 11:30am-8pm (Fri/Sat until 9pm). GT asked Harrison about the origins of Copal and her love for mezcal.

How did Copal come to be?

BRITTANY HARRISON: It started with the owners Noelle and Stuyvie meeting chef Ana while she featured her family’s recipes at different spots in town in pop-ups, competitions and large parties. Stuyvie grew up in Mexico City and traveled to Oaxaca with Noelle and their daughter often, so they wanted to combine their love of mezcal with her recipes and food to truly honor Oaxacan cuisine in Santa Cruz. Copal is a perfect collaboration of what they love and what she creates.

How did your affinity for mezcal develop?

I started off as an adult not liking alcohol at all. But through working with the owners and being educated on the origins of mezcal, I grew to realize and appreciate the diversity of flavors and how its history adds to my enjoyment. We have over 250 varieties of mezcal here, and I’m still trying to find my favorite one.

1203 Mission Street, Santa Cruz, 831-201-4418; copalrestaurant.com

Free Will Astrology for the Week of June 21

Astrology

Rob Brezsny

June 20, 2023

Free Will Astrology for the Week of June 21

ARIES (March 21-April 19): When I was still an up-and-coming horoscope columnist, before I got widely syndicated, I supplemented my income with many other jobs. During one stretch, I wrote fortunes for a line of designer fortune cookies that were covered with gourmet chocolate and sold at the luxury department store Bloomingdale’s. The salary I got paid was meager. Part of my compensation came in the form of hundreds of delicious but non-nutritious cookies. If you are offered a comparable deal in the coming weeks and months, Aries, my advice is to do what I didn’t do but should have done: Ask for what’s truly valuable to you instead of accepting a substitute of marginal worth.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): My mentor Ann Davies said that of all the signs of the zodiac, you Tauruses are most likely to develop finely honed intuition. At least potentially, you can tune in to the inner teacher better than the rest of us. The still, small voice rises up out of the silence and speaks to you clearly and crisply. Here’s even better news: I believe you are entering a phase when your relationship with this stellar faculty may ripen dramatically. Please take advantage of this subtly fabulous opportunity! Each day for the next 14 days, do a relaxing ritual in which you eagerly invite and welcome the guidance of your deepest inner source.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): New College in Oxford, UK has educated students since 1379. Among its old buildings is a dining hall that features beams made of thick oak trees. Unfortunately, most oak wood eventually attracts beetles that eat it and weaken it. Fortunately, the 14th-century founders of New College foresaw that problem. They planted an oak grove whose trees were specifically meant to be used to replace the oak beams at New College. Which they are to this day. I would love you to derive inspiration from this story, Gemini. What practical long-term plans might you be wise to formulate in the coming months?

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In the Northern Hemisphere, the astrological month of Cancer begins with the sun in its greatest glory. Our home star is at its highest altitude, shining with maximum brightness. So then why is the sign of the Crab ruled by the moon? Why do the longest days of the year coincide with the ascendancy of the mistress of the night? Ahhh. These are esoteric mysteries beyond the scope of this horoscope. But here’s a hint about what they signify for you personally. One of your assets can also be a liability: your innocent openness to the wonders of life. This quality is at the heart of your beauty but can also, on occasion, make you vulnerable to being overwhelmed. That’s why it’s so important that you master the art of setting boundaries, of honing your focus, of quaffing deeply from a few cups instead of sipping from many cups.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The coming weeks will be a delicate time for your spiritual unfoldment. You are primed to recover lost powers, rediscover key truths you have forgotten, and reunite with parts of your soul you got cut off from. Will these good possibilities come to pass in their fullness? Maybe, maybe not. It depends on how brave you are in seeking your healing. You must ask for what’s hard to ask for. You’ve got to find a way to feel deserving of the beauty and blessings that are available. PS: You ARE deserving. I will be cheering you on, dear Leo.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Whether or not you have been enrolled in a learning institution during the past 12 months, I suspect you have been getting a rigorous education. Among the courses you have almost completed are lessons in intimacy, cooperation, collaboration, symbiosis, and togetherness. Have you mastered all the teachings? Probably not. There were too many of them, and they were too voluminous to grasp perfectly and completely. But that’s OK. You have done well. Now you’re ready to graduate, collect your diploma, and apply what you have learned.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): History has provided contradictory reports about Isabeau of Bavaria, who served as Queen of France from 1385 to 1422. Was she a corrupt, greedy, and indecisive fool who harmed France’s fortunes? Or was she a talented diplomat with great skill in court politics and an effective leader during the many times her husband, King Charles VI, was incapacitated by illness? I bring these facts to your attention, Libra, hoping they will inspire you to refine, adjust, and firm up your own reputation. You can’t totally control how people perceive you, but you do have some power to shape their perceptions—especially these days.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The next four weeks will be an excellent time to create and celebrate your own holidays. I recommend you dream up at least four new festivals, jubilees, anniversaries, and other excuses to party. Eight or more would be even better. They could be quirky and modest, like Do No Housework Day, Take Your Houseplants for a Walk Day, or Write Bad Poetry Day. They could be more profound and impactful, like Forgive Your Parents for Everything Day, Walk on the Wild Side Day, or Stay Home from Work Because You’re Feeling So Good Day. In my astrological opinion, Scorpio, you should regard playful fun as a top priority. For more ideas, go here: tinyurl.com/CreateHolidays . . . tinyurl.com/NouveauHolidays . . . tinyurl.com/InventHolidays

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In Greek mythology, Prometheus was a god who stole fire from his fellow gods and gave it to humans to help them build civilization. His divine colleagues were not pleased. Why? Maybe they feared that with the power of fire, people would become like gods themselves and have no further need for gods. Anyway, Sagittarius, I hope you’re in a fire-stealing mood. It’s a good time to raise your whole world up to a higher level—to track down and acquire prizes that will lead to major enhancements. And unlike what happened to Prometheus (the other gods punished him), I think you will get away with your gambits.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Let’s discuss magical doorways. Each time you sleep, you slip through magical doorways called dreams. Whether or not you recall those adventures, they offer you interesting mysteries utterly unlike the events of your daily life. Here’s another example: A magical doorway opens when an ally or loved one shares intimate knowledge of their inner realms. Becoming absorbed in books, movies, or songs is also a way to glide through a magical doorway. Another is when you discover an aspect of yourself, a corner of your being, that you didn’t know was there. I bring these thoughts to your attention, Capricorn, because I suspect the coming weeks will present an extra inviting array of magical doorways.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Psychiatrist Myron Hofer specializes in the mother-infant relationship. Among his findings: The first emotion that a newborn experiences is anxiety. Struggling to get out of the womb can be taxing, and it’s shocking to be separated from the warm, nourishing realm that has been home for months. The bad news is that most of us still carry the imprint of this original unease. The good news, Aquarius, is that the coming months will be one of the best times ever for you to heal. For optimal results, place a high priority on getting an abundance of love, support, comfort, and physical touch.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Curious blends and intriguing juxtapositions are in the works—or at least they should be. Improbable alliances might be desirable because they’re curative. Formulas with seemingly mismatched ingredients might fix a glitch, even if they never succeeded before and won’t again. I encourage you to synergize work and play. Negotiate serious business in casual settings and make yourself at home in a wild frontier.

Homework: Is there any area of your life where you are not giving your best? How could you improve? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

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From the Desk of Editor, Brad Kava

Things to do in Santa Cruz for the Week of June 21 – 27, 2023

Arts & Music

Community

The Boys Are Back in Town

Juneteenth March

Weed Reads: Legal Pot Industry May Face ‘Extinction Event’

Aptos Vineyard

Copal

Free Will Astrology for the Week of June 21

Biden Fundraising in Silicon Valley

Paddling for Liberation

From the Desk of Editor, Brad Kava

Things to do in Santa Cruz for the Week of June 21 – 27, 2023

The Boys Are Back in Town

Juneteenth March

Weed Reads: Legal Pot Industry May Face ‘Extinction Event’

Aptos Vineyard

Copal

Free Will Astrology for the Week of June 21

Biden Fundraising in Silicon Valley

Paddling for Liberation