Best of Santa Cruz: Shopping and Services

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Best of Santa Cruz: Shopping and Services

Best Adult Store

CAMOUFLAGE

Silver Medal

FRENCHY’S LOVE BOUTIQUE

Bronze Medal

GOOD VIBRATIONS

Best Alternative Health Services

SANTA CRUZ INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE

Silver Medal

SANTA CRUZ NATUROPATHIC MEDICAL CENTER

Bronze Medal

POINTS FOR WELLNESS

Best Antiques

CENTER STREET ANTIQUES

Silver Medal

ATTILIA’S ANTIQUES

Bronze Medal

SHEN’S GALLERY

Best Arts and Crafts

LENZ ARTS

Silver Medal

PALACE ARTS & OFFICE SUPPLY

Bronze Medal

BEVERLY’S

Best Auto Dealer

SANTA CRUZ TOYOTA

Silver Medal

SANTA CRUZ SUBARU

Bronze Medal

OCEAN HONDA

Best Auto Dealer – Watsonville

CHEVROLET OF WATSONVILLE

Silver Medal

WATSONVILLE FORD LINCOLN

Bronze Medal

WATSONVILLE GMC

Best Auto Repair

SPECIALIZED AUTO

Silver Medal

BOBBY’S PIT STOP

Bronze Medal

CHANDLER AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR

Best Bank (Credit Union)

BAY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

Silver Medal

SANTA CRUZ COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION

Best Bank (Local Non-Credit Union)

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BANK

Silver Medal

MECHANICS BANK

Best Barber

WAVES & FADES BARBERSHOP

Silver Medal

GET FADED BARBERSHOP

Bronze Medal

MONTGOMERY’S BARBER SHOP

Best Blinds/Shades

INTERIOR VISION FLOORING & DESIGN

Silver Medal

ADVANCED BLINDS AND SHADE

Bronze Medal

MCCARTY’S WINDOW FASHIONS

Best Bookshop (new)

BOOKSHOP SANTA CRUZ

Silver Medal

TWO BIRDS BOOKS

Bronze Medal

BAD ANIMAL

Best Butcher

SHOPPER’S CORNER

Silver Medal

FREEDOM MEAT LOCKERS

Bronze Medal

POINT BUTCHER SHOP

Best Car Wash

WHALERS CAR WASH

Silver Medal

SPLASH CAR WASH

Bronze Medal

CRUZ CAR WASH

Best Carpet Cleaning

QUALITY CARPET CARE & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING

Silver Medal

PEACHY KLEEN CHEM-DRY

Bronze Medal

CARPET KING

Best Children’s Day Care

SIMCHA PRESCHOOL

Silver Medal

DISCOVERY PRESCHOOL

Bronze Medal

ROCKING HORSE RANCH

Best Computer Repair

CLICK AWAY

Silver Medal

PLEASURE POINT COMPUTERS

Bronze Medal

USER FRIENDLY COMPUTING

Best Consignment Clothing

THE CLOSET SHOPPER

Silver Medal

CROSSROADS TRADING CO.

Bronze Medal

JET SET BOHEMIAN

Best Contractor

TALMADGE CONSTRUCTION

Silver Medal

TESTORFF CONSTRUCTION

Bronze Medal

THE BUILDERS COLLECTIVE

Best Crystals/Rocks/Stones

MOUNTAIN SPIRIT

Silver Medal

MOON KISSED

Bronze Medal

WORLD OF STONES AND MYSTICS

Best Custom Framing

LENZ ARTS

Silver Medal

YORK FRAMING GALLERY

Bronze Medal

FRAME CIRCUS

Best Dry Cleaners

MASTER CLEANERS

Silver Medal

CLASSIC VAPOR DRY CLEANERS

Bronze Medal

ALMAR CLEANERS

Best Eyewear

EYE Q OPTOMETRY

Silver Medal

PLAZA LANE OPTOMETRY

Bronze Medal

SITE FOR SORE EYES

Best Fabric

HARTS FABRIC

Silver Medal

BEVERLY’S

Bronze Medal

SANTA CRUZ VAC & SEW

Best Feed Store

MOUNTAIN FEED AND FARM SUPPLY

Silver Medal

WESTSIDE FARM AND FEED

Bronze Medal

PET PALS DISCOUNT PET FOOD & SUPPLIES

Best Financial Planner

JACOB YOUNG FINANCIAL SERVICES

Silver Medal

RACHEL WEDEEN, MORGAN STANLEY

Bronze Medal

MARK A. GERBER, EDWARD JONES

Best Flooring

INTERIOR VISION FLOORING & DESIGN

Silver Medal

BAY AREA FLOORS

Bronze Medal

SAMAYA’S FLOORING & DESIGN

Best Flower Shop

THE FLOWER SHACK

Silver Medal

FERRARI FLORIST & GARDENS

Bronze Medal

SUSI’S FLOWERS

Best Furniture

SC41

Silver Medal

COUCH POTATO DISCOUNT SOFA WAREHOUSE

Bronze Medal

NATURAL SELECTION FURNITURE

Best Garden Supply/Nursery

SAN LORENZO GARDEN CENTER

Silver Medal

DIG GARDENS

Bronze Medal

THE GARDEN COMPANY

Best Gift Shop

ZINNIA’S GIFT BOUTIQUE

Silver Medal

BOTANIC AND LUXE

Bronze Medal

DIG GARDENS

Best Green Business

SHOPPER’S CORNER

Silver Medal

ETHOS

Bronze Medal

STAFF OF LIFE

Best Grocery Store (local)

SHOPPER’S CORNER

Silver Medal

STAFF OF LIFE

Bronze Medal

DELUXE FOODS OF APTOS

Best Grocery Store (natural)

STAFF OF LIFE

Silver Medal

SHOPPER’S CORNER

Bronze Medal

NEW LEAF

Best Guitar Store

SYLVAN MUSIC

Silver Medal

THE STARVING MUSICIAN

Bronze Medal

JANSEN MUSIC

Best Hair Salon

URBAN GROOVE HAIR SALON

Silver Medal

LAVISH SALON & SPA

Bronze Medal

PHOENIX CAYTON HAIR

Best Hardware Store

OUTDOOR SUPPLY HARDWARE

Silver Medal

APTOS ACE HARDWARE

Bronze Medal

SAN LORENZO LUMBER AND HOME CENTERS

Best Headshop

PIPELINE

Silver Medal

TREEHOUSE

Bronze Medal

KINDPEOPLES

Best Home Decorating

WARMTH COMPANY

Silver Medal

BOTANIC AND LUXE

Bronze Medal

STRIPE DESIGN SERVICES

Best Hotel

DREAM INN

Silver Medal

HOTEL PARADOX

Bronze Medal

CHAMINADE RESORT & SPA

Best House Cleaner

MAXIMA’S CLEANERS

Silver Medal

CLEAN SPACE CLEANING

Bronze Medal

MERRY MAIDS

Best House Painter

PEPE LOPEZ PAINTING

Silver Medal

RON HUFF PAINTING

Bronze Medal

MACHADO BROTHERS PAINTING

Best Hydroponic Supplier

GROWGENERATION

Silver Medal

MOUNTAIN FEED AND FARM SUPPLY

Bronze Medal

SPECIALTY GARDEN SUPPLY

Best Insurance

LYDIA HARVILLE, STATE FARM INSURANCE

Silver Medal

NAOMI ALBOR, HUIZAR-ALBOR INSURANCE AGENCY

Bronze Medal

ALESE GREENE, STATE FARM

Best Interior Design

LORI HANNUM, SC41

Silver Medal

MOSELLE MADESKO, COPPER DESIGN

Bronze Medal

STRIPE DESIGN SERVICES

Best Jewelry

DELL WILLIAMS

Silver Medal

MOUNTAINSIDE

Bronze Medal

SUPER SILVER

Best Jewelry Repair

DELL WILLIAMS JEWELERS

Silver Medal

STEPHAN’S FINE JEWELRY

Bronze Medal

TREASURES

Best Kids’ Clothing

HOPSCOTCH

Silver Medal

MINI MINT

Bronze Medal

HOPES CLOSET

Best Kitchen Store

TOQUE BLANCHE

Silver Medal

OUTSIDE-IN

Bronze Medal

SANTA CRUZ KITCHEN & BATH

Best Landscaper/Landscaping

TERRA NOVA ECOLOGICAL LANDSCAPING

Silver Medal

K & D LANDSCAPING

Bronze Medal

QUILICI GARDENING

Best Laser Hair Removal

PACIFIC COAST AESTHETICS

Silver Medal

JODY WORK, BEAUTY LOUNGE MED SPA

Bronze Medal

REJUVENATE MEDI-SPA & WELLNESS

Best Lawyer

FINE POINT LAW

Silver Medal

DINA HOFFMAN

Bronze Medal

TANYA M. RIDINO

Best Life Coach

CAMILLE ELLIS

Silver Medal

SANDY JACQUARD

Bronze Medal

NICOLE DUKE

Best Lighting

RIVERSIDE LIGHTING & ELECTRIC

Silver Medal

ILLUMINÉE

Bronze Medal

OM GALLERY

Best Lingerie

CAMOUFLAGE

Silver Medal

AMOUREUSE

Bronze Medal

ROMANTIC NIGHTS FOR TWO

Best Mani/Pedi

TRACY NAILS

Silver Medal

OPAL SPA & BOUTIQUE

Bronze Medal

RED CARPET SALON

Best Massage School

FIVE BRANCHES UNIVERSITY

Silver Medal

CYPRESS HEALTH INSTITUTE

Bronze Medal

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL MASSAGE

Best Men’s Clothing

PATRICK JAMES

Silver Medal

BERDELS

Bronze Medal

STRIPE

Best Men’s Shoes

SOCKSHOP AND SHOE COMPANY

Silver Medal

BECK’S SHOES

Bronze Medal

PATRICK JAMES

Best Mortgage Brokerage

CROSS COUNTRY MORTGAGE

Silver Medal

SANTA CRUZ LENDING GROUP

Bronze Medal

REVEST HOMES, INC

Best Music Instruction

MOUNTAIN MUSIC SCHOOL

Silver Medal

EVERYONE’S MUSIC SCHOOL

Bronze Medal

MUSICALME

Best Musical Instruments

SYLVAN MUSIC

Silver Medal

THE STARVING MUSICIAN

Bronze Medal

JANSEN MUSIC

Best Outdoor Furniture Dealer

AMERICAN LEISURE PATIO

Silver Medal

OUTDOOR SUPPLY HARDWARE

Bronze Medal

SCARBOROUGH GARDENS

Best Pet Grooming

BED & BISCUITS GROOMINGDALES

Silver Medal

PAWSITIVE STYLES MOBILE GROOMING

Bronze Medal

ANIMAL HOUSE

Best Pet Sitting

BED & BISCUITS GROOMINGDALES

Silver Medal

WOOFPACK

Bronze Medal

PAULA’S PET PALS

Best Pet Store

PET PALS DISCOUNT PET FOOD & SUPPLIES

Silver Medal

APTOS FEED & PET SUPPLY

Bronze Medal

PET EMPORIUM

Best Pharmacy

HORSNYDER PHARMACY

Silver Medal

FRANK’S PHARMACY

Bronze Medal

WESTSIDE PHARMACY & MEDICAL SUPPLY

Best Photo Developing

BAY PHOTO LAB

Silver Medal

LENZ ARTS

Best Piercing Studio

AMORY BODY ARTS

Silver Medal

STAIRCASE TATTOO & PIERCING

Bronze Medal

BLACK PEARL

Best Plumbing Company

EXPERT PLUMBING

Silver Medal

DUNCAN PLUMBING

Bronze Medal

BELLOWS PLUMBING, HEATING, COOLING & ELECTRICAL

Best Portrait Photographer

DEVI PRIDE PHOTOGRAPHY

Silver Medal

ALICIA TELFER, MIDTOWN CREATIVE STUDIO

Bronze Medal

JANA MARCUS PHOTOGRAPHY

Best Pre-Owned Auto Dealer

THE ARGUS COMPANY

Silver Medal

ALOHA MOTORS

Bronze Medal

AUTO ONE

Best Produce

SHOPPER’S CORNER

Silver Medal

STAFF OF LIFE

Bronze Medal

SUNNYSIDE PRODUCE

Best Real Estate Agency

DAVID LYNG REAL ESTATE

Silver Medal

BAILEY PROPERTIES

Bronze Medal

STROCK REAL ESTATE

Best Real Estate Agent

LOREN MORSE, EXP REALTY

Silver Medal

SHEMEIKA FOX, FOX REALTY GROUP

Bronze Medal

TOM BREZSNY, BREZSNY ASSOCIATES

Best Real Estate Team

GRO REAL ESTATE

Silver Medal

BREZSNY ASSOCIATES

Bronze Medal

STROCK REAL ESTATE TEAM

Best Record / CD Store

STREETLIGHT RECORDS

Silver Medal

REDWOOD RECORDS

Best Roofers

KNOX ROOFING

Silver Medal

TURK THE ROOFER

Bronze Medal

DADDARIO ROOFING

Best Seafood (Market)

H&H FRESH FISH CO.

Silver Medal

STAGNARO BROS.

Bronze Medal

SHOPPER’S CORNER

Best Senior Home Care

LIFESPAN

Silver Medal

SAFE AT HOME SENIOR CARE

Bronze Medal

VISITING ANGELS LIVING ASSISTANCE SERVICES

Best Senior Residential Community

DOMINICAN OAKS

Silver Medal

AEGIS LIVING APTOS

Bronze Medal

BROOKDALE SCOTTS VALLEY

Best Solar Company

SANDBAR SOLAR & ELECTRIC

Silver Medal

ALLTERRA SOLAR

Bronze Medal

SOLAR TECHNOLOGIES

Best Tattoo Studio

F/U-TATTOO

Silver Medal

BLACK PEARL

Bronze Medal

FOG CITY TATTOO

Best Thrift Store

THE ABBOT’S THRIFT

Silver Medal

GOODWILL

Bronze Medal

CAROLINE’S

Best Tires

LLOYD’S TIRE & AUTO CARE

Silver Medal

BIG O

Bronze Medal

PRIORS TIRES

Best Toy Store (kids)

CHILDISH TOY SHOP

Silver Medal

WONDERLAND TOYS & CLASSROOM RESOURCES

Bronze Medal

HOPES CLOSET

Best Video Game Shop

LEVEL UP VIDEO GAMES

Silver Medal

GAMESTOP

Bronze Medal

GAME VAULT

Best Vintage Clothing

Moon Zooom

Silver Medal

TOMBOY

Bronze Medal

JET SET BOHEMIAN

Best Waxing

EUROPEAN WAX CENTER

Silver Medal

SUE BELL, SIMPLY SKIN ESTHETICS

Bronze Medal

WAX BY COCO

Best Women’s Clothing

PACIFIC TRADING COMPANY

Silver Medal

THE CLOSET SHOPPER

Bronze Medal

AMBER MOON

Best Women’s Shoes

SOCKSHOP AND SHOE COMPANY

Silver Medal

BUNNY’S SHOES

Bronze Medal

BECK’S SHOES

Talk Nerdy to Me: Surf City Comic Con Debuts April 20

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Talk Nerdy to Me: Surf City Comic Con Debuts April 20

Growing up, I was often ostracized by my peers for being a nerd. Comic books, action figures and collectibles fueled the flames of isolation but provided escape. The asthma, glasses and failure at any sport involving running, a ball or the sun didn’t help.

Fast forward to today, and society has finally caught up with the nerds.

Entertainment studios create entire cinematic universes around extraordinary humans in capes and spandex. Long-running franchises like Star Wars and Doctor Who have millions of fans around the world, with new content constantly pumping out of the studios. In the United States alone there are more than 1,000 different comic conventions a year.

And this weekend the Central Coast will host one of its own.

On April 20, the inaugural Surf City Comic Con takes over the old 38,000-square-foot Sears building at the Capitola Mall from 10am to 6pm. Admission is $10, but children under 10 get in for free. And collectors who want first dibs can pay $15 for an early entrance of 9am.

“Art is a central theme, be it comics, toys or video games,” George Tegenkamp says.

In addition to owning and operating Hadbro Toys—the collectibles store in the Capitola Mall—Tegenkamp is known to attendees of the 2022 Capitola Collectacon. But organizers want to make one thing clear: This is a whole new convention and not affiliated with the past.

For starters, Tegenkamp—a Soquel native—has teamed up with Aaron Alden, Aptos born and raised. Owner of a catering company by day, Alden is an avid comic collector and seller with a staggering personal collection of around 85,000 books.

“I’ve been going to Joe Ferrara at Atlantis Fantasy World since 1978, and I’ve had a pull box [a box comic shops keep for customers with weekly or monthly subscriptions] since I was 12,” Alden exclaims.

Friends for over a decade, Tegenkamp and Alden first met—where else—at a flea market scouring to find hidden gems. After five years of talking about starting their own convention, the two decided now was the time.

“San Diego, L.A., San Jose, Bay Area—they all have their own,” Tegenkamp says. “We wanted to bring something to the Central Coast.”

Of like mind is Thomas Brookins, a photographer, Hadbro Toys customer and avid Star Wars collector who converted his garage into what he calls a “Star Wars Museum.”

“There’s nothing from Santa Cruz all the way down to Santa Barbara,” Brookins says. “Collectors can’t find squat.”

This weekend, however, fans of all ages will find plenty to buy, salivate over and do.

The Surf City Comic Con features 120 different vendors from across the state selling everything from comics, toys and video games to tabletop games, art and more. Hadbro Toys will have a special G.I. Joe and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles display for sale.

Local horror collectible company Trick or Treat Studios, which is also one of this year’s sponsors, will be present with plenty of goodies. Other sponsors with booths include retro video game sellers Game Vault and tabletop board game shop Sword and Board Games, both located in the Capitola Mall.

Alden hints he’lll be selling a cache of Golden Age and pre-code horror comics at the Surf City Comics booth. Pre-codes—comics printed before the creation of the Comics Code Authority in 1954—might look tame by today’s standards, but they shocked and startled early-20th-century fans with images of ghouls and killers in titles like Haunted Tales, Shock SuspenStories and Chamber of Chills.

Attendees who purchase from the Surf City Comics booth will automatically be entered into a raffle to win a mystery comic, graded and slabbed (in a protective plastic casing), with a $250 value.

“We’re also really pushing local artists,” Alden says.

Tegenkamp agrees.

“Abraham Roman—who is just a fabulous artist—will be there with his work along with Milo Halperin, who did our banner. We’ll also have Leah [Smith] from Altered Panels, who does a lot of collage work, and Randomize, a store here [in the mall] that makes things like their own stuffies.”

Guests will include Glenn Cotter, creator of the hit board game Fickle, as well as a digital and visual effects artist whose résumé includes Super 8, Pacific Rim, and the original X-Men from the 2000s.

Attendees are welcome to cosplay. Golden Gate stormtrooper garrison—the 501st Legion—will be scouring the halls, but rebel scum can hide out with local Steve Mead. Also known as “R2-Steve,” Mead builds life-size, exact and working models of famous droids from a galaxy far far away, which he has named Artoosc (R2-SC) and ChopperBC (for Boulder Creek) to avoid copyright infringement.

Despite all the treasures that will be for sale, the push to represent the Surf City community extends beyond commercialism.

“We wanted to make it more interactive and not just about buying things but about community,” Tegenkamp explains. “And why is it a community? Because we all love this shit.”

With that mantra in mind, Sword & Board will host a Warhammer 40k tournament with Game Vault hosting a Super Smash Brothers tournament. There will also be card game tournaments during the day and a lounge area for attendees to kick back, relax and play various games with friends as well.

As an added bonus, the first 50 general-admission customers through the door will receive a free, “good” comic from Alden’s personal collection.

“Also, all kids will be able to come to my table, Surf City Comics, and get to pick a free, kid-appropriate comic,” he states.

No convention or festival is complete without something tasty to nosh on, so Surf City Comic Con has invited a smorgasbord of different food trucks. Gooey cheese melts will be provided by Epoch-Eats along with tacos by Taquezas Gabriel and mouth-watering meat from House of Smoke BBQ. And there will be sweet pick-me-ups from Kona Ice and Sugar Bakery.

And on top of all this, Surf City Comic Con will have one of the rarest goods in town: free parking.

“We’lll have something for everybody and you don’t have to spend any money except to come in,” Alden says. “So if you just want to check something out, you’ll have a lot of fun.”

’Nuff said!

Surf City Comic Con takes place April 20, 10am-6pm, at 1855 41st Ave, Capitola. $10 general/$15 early bird admission/kids under 10 free. Tickets through Eventbrite.

Fall Creek Hike

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Fall Creek Hike

It’s dawn and I’m the first to park in the Henry Cowell State Park parking lot up Felton-Empire Grade Road. I had to use my phone alarm to wake up. I hope hiking will get my circadian rhythm in alignment with the sun and moon, but for now my circadian rhythm is in alignment with Netflix and my bladder. My left knee cramps and my phone says its 40 degrees. I thought hell would be warmer.

From damaged to managed

If you are a beginning or casual hiker, this column may be for you. If I can walk these trails, you can too. I hike every week, but I am not good at it. I have knee issues, I have endurance issues, I have mental issues. That’s why I hike. Does this hiking column have the legs to find an audience? Do I have the legs? At my age I don’t have time not to hike. I plan to open a store called Forever 71. It will sell trekking poles and shoes.

TIMBER Fallen trees on the Fall Creek Hike Fall Creek Hike to the Limestone Kiln. PHOTO: Richard Stockton

Two years ago, I wanted to get in the best shape of my life. And I wanted to do it quickly (I hope you are enjoying the coming train wreck.) I started running. My first time I was a wheezing mess in two minutes, four months later I was doing thirty minutes at a stretch.

I became a master of how slow you can go and technically still be jogging. I ran like I was playing soccer underwater. One afternoon I did my thirty-minute jog and felt like my feet were not even touching the ground. I stopped listening to my body and sped up. At 44 minutes I heard a pop in my left knee and limped home. I tried to fix it with more exercise but overdid that and hurt both knees. I walked with crutches all winter. I had to rest, and backed off all leg work to let my menisci heal. It took months for the pain to subside. I started working with a physical therapist and began to recover. Toe lifts, squats, lunges… but what really got my legs strong was riding a stationary bike. Rode it all spring. Never got far.

Leonard Cohen says that we are but “a brief elaboration of a tube.” I will take care not to spring a leak. Two years ago, I tried running. Now, I will try walking. Every day I exercise… caution.

I stand at the trail head with my staff, water bottle, with a Go Pro video camera attached to my chest harness and my left knee cramps hard. I’m standing here in the parking lot staring at the trail head feeling the damn knee throb. Am I making this pain happen psychosomatically? Did I come this far just to come this far? I stand on my right leg and stretch my left. The pain backs off and the only thing to do is to take the next step.

The Fall Creek trail head begins with a gentle descent. Maybe my left knee will warm up.

I’m hiking alone this morning; it is so still even the trail becomes thoughtful. The morning fog covers this land that was once under water, part of an ancient ocean, uplifted to form the Santa Cruz Mountains about three million years ago. The silt, sand, and mud that had been deposited in that shallow sea compressed into the shale, sandstone, and mudstone that make up the Santa Cruz mountains today. We’re headed to the stone remains of the Limestone Kiln. “Limestone is a sedimentary rock commonly composed of tiny fossils.” (scparks.com)

I’m a mile or so in. It’s seven-thirty and a shaft of light breaks through and mist rises over the trees to clear a path for more sunrays to stream into the forest making more moisture airborne. Spiraling dewdrops swirl upwards, and the sunlight breaks into a million promises.

My left knee is tender descending. Ah, the joy of hiking uphill. But as the heat from the rising sun burns the midst off, the trail burns off the tightness in my leg. By keeping my muscles fired from toes to nose like we learn to do in yoga, my body forms a union of support, and I can take the next step. If you walk in nature up and down hills, your legs will get stronger and you will get a rock-hard derriere.

“I’m gonna search and find a better way to walk…” Billy Joe Shaver
I’m Just An Old Chunk Of Coal (But I’m Gonna Be A Diamond Someday).

Long time hikers seem to gravitate towards trekking poles. Poles can give you an upper body workout, even with a single staff. Got a trick left knee? Try the staff in your right hand. Physical therapist Dr. Morgan Fielder says, “If you’re like me, your knees can hurt on the downhills. Trekking poles may help you tackle the downhills with more confidence and reduce the forces on lower body joints.” I need to heed the good doctor and get into poles.

The Fall Creek Trail feels like it was created by J.R.R. Tolkien. Surely, I am in Middle Earth.

You’ve got a lot of choices to go shorter or longer. I’ve discovered that since I became unemployed, anywhere on earth is within walking distance.

Made it! My heavy legs made it back out. I am in an altered state… this parking lot looks familiar. Think Richard, think. Did I bring my wife’s car or mine? When I find my car, I use my hands to pull my legs up under the wheel like they’re carry-ons. If I do yoga tonight, tomorrow I will move like a dancer. Did my journey answer the question, “Will hiking keep me alive?” Maybe it will keep you alive. Did we come this far just to come this far? It’s all about the next step.

I invite you to join me here https://youtu.be/1LBhF3vN2GY to take a two-minute time-lapse video of the trail, or by phone.

How To Get There: the day-use area of Fall Creek State Park Trail is in the Santa Cruz Mountains south of downtown Felton on Highway 9. From Highway 17, take the Mt. Hermon Road exit. Follow Mt. Hermon Road until it ends at Graham Hill Road. Or take Graham Hill Road up to Felton Highway 9, go across the intersection and up the Felton-Empire Grade Road for a mile and the Henry Cowell State Park lot is on your right.

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park: with 20 miles of trails and skyscraping, old growth redwoods that are accessible from the day-use side of the park. There is grassland, river, sandhills as well. You’ll see banana slugs, black-tailed deer, coyotes, bobcats, and now at the Felton Fish Ladder, steelhead trout and coho salmon.


COMING SOON: The Felton Fish Ladder Hike

Special thanks to my contributing editor Julie Flannery.

Letters

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Letters

RESPONSE TO DON’T BLAME THE DEMS LETTER

I’m a longtime SC resident of 25 yrs. A main reason I worked so hard to get here was because SC was so “liberal“ and free thinking, out of the box and so very unique, like I was.

I am mostly not political, but consider myself proud to have been what used to be traditional basic liberal values– NO war, freedom of speech, press, sovereign individuality, freedom of religion, the individual above corporations…a few biggies like that.

It’s been a long slow process, but I have watched what once were “Liberal” values, morph over to being conservative. Believe me, no one could be more surprised. (I don’t label myself either party now)

Big tech, big corporations, censorship and new laws daily are curtailing and giving over our freedoms. Most of my old “Liberal” friends (and sorry to say) and most liberals in general, have not kept up with these insidious changes over time.

I don’t treat politics like a sport, or cling to it like a religion…

Maybe that’s why my eyes have been able to be open to new changes of reality.

MARKUS MAC

NO MORE KARENS, PLEASE

Reading Richard Stockton’s new column, I was pleasantly surprised at the level of depth he has gone into about the very local politics of his featured hike.

However I choked on my tuna fish sandwich when he twice called a confrontational woman a “Karen.” Aren’t we past using gross stereotypes to convey meaning?

While the woman in question appears to be acting in an entitled and aggressive manner, name calling instead of describing the specifics of her behavior fails to inform the reader. Please try to do better.

Thank you for considering my point of view, or at least letting your eyeballs get to this part of my email.

KRISTEN PRESTRIDGE

CLOCKTOWER PROPOSAL

Tim Gordin of Workbench, spokesperson for the proposed 18-story “Clock Tower” development project, neither understands nor appreciates the culture, history, and ambiance that makes Santa Cruz the place people are drawn to. In fact, he seems to scorn our small-town ethos.

The proposed project does not fit in style or scope with the surrounding neighborhood, and will bring hundreds of new residents to an intersection already heavily impacted by traffic. The Town Clock, the centerpiece of the area, will be virtually invisible.

The opponents of Measure M (financed in great part by real estate interests including Workbench) did not focus on the height issue, for good reason.  They focused their disinformation campaign on the 25% affordability requirement. Had that not been part of Measure M I believe it would have passed. It appears the opponents of Measure M believed that too.

People don’t want to come here just to live in a box in the sky. They can do that where they are now. People come here because Santa Cruz has a decidedly different look and vibe than other cities. Housing projects should complement existing surroundings, and reflect our history, culture and charm. Instead, they seem intent on wiping it out and turning us into another Any City USA.

Shelly D’Amour | Downtown Santa Cruz Resident

The Editor’s Desk

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The Editor’s Desk
Santa Cruz California editor of good times news media print and web
Brad Kava | Good Times Editor

What do Earth Day and 4/20 have in common? Well, they both celebrate plants, for one thing.

We juggled both this issue with Richard Stockton’s cover story about the surprising history of growing cannabis in Santa Cruz, starting back in the dark ages (not that long ago, really) when it was illegal.

Richard writes about our own “Johnny Appleweed,” who spread seeds of a high potency strain of weed that you can still find today.

So how do you water your weed? Gardening expert Jillian Steinberger lets us know about greywater and how to use it safely.

The ebb and flow of California life is constant. We go from floods to droughts and too often manage to forget the one we’re not in. Saving water even when you’ve had a wet winter is still a great thing.

We lost a great alternative market and gain a midtown restaurant open on Mondays. Check Mark Anderson’s dining column for details.

Feeling musical? We’ve got Johnny Copeland’s daughter in town, Shemekia and Christina Waters previewing a Dance of the Living Composers to name two local concerts.

Our former county clerk and now state representative Gail Pellerin is pushing a bill to make the banana slug our state slug. Who knew we had a state slug? It’s a way to get kids interested in government and the environment, she says.

And, no, Blossoms Farmacy isn’t spelled incorrectly. It’s a play on the fact that these growers use herbs for wellness. Read it in Elizabeth Borelli’s weekly Health and Wellness column.

The teen fashion show is a teen now. It shows this weekend. Check out Morgan Guerra’s story about the latest version.

Should West Cliff be one way? Apparently not, according to the city council. Check Josué Monroy’s story for details.

Next week we will take on the elephant in the room, the giant proposed complex planned by the clock tower, which could be the county’s tallest building. Our mailbag is already filled with people who hate it. You’ll get the full story here.

Thanks for reading.

BRAD KAVA | EDITOR

PHOTO CONTEST

ROLLIN’ ON Behind the scenes, S.C. Boardwalk Ferris wheel gets refurbished for its seasonal performance. Photograph by Ali Eppy

GOOD WORK

On April 17, Watsonville Prep, a Navigator School, will open its doors to the community to host its inaugural Mental Health Fair. “A Walk Towards Mental Health,” which will spotlight mental health resources and services in the Watsonville community. The event is open to the public and will feature raffles, prizes and fun for the whole family. The event is 4- 5:30 p.m, 407 Main St Floor 2, Watsonville.

GOOD IDEA

If you are sad that San Jose’s Comicon shut down, there’s good news. We have a local Surf City Comic Con Saturday at Capitola Mall 10am-6pm with 70 booths and all the comic stuff you love. Great to see that giant empty block of the old Sears building being used for something. Tickets are $10 at Eventbrite.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life.”
—ROBIN SHARMA

Food as Medicine

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Food as Medicine

Master gardener Delmar McComb’s first job out of college changed the course of his life forever. While working with a former apprentice of the legendary horticulturist Alan Chadwick, he learned the dirty secrets of conventional gardening.

Traditional agriculture relies heavily on a non-renewable and finite energy source for crop cultivation, leading to soil depletion and nutrient loss in food over time.

Searching for answers McCombs turned to a book, Thomkins and Bird’s Secrets of the Soil that completely shifted his thinking. He learned about a method developed one hundred years ago in Germany by Dr. Rudolf Steiner, the founder of the modern biodynamic movement.

Turns out even then, industrial farming was on the rise and organic methods were being replaced in the name of science, efficiency, and technology.

Biodynamic farming represents an alternative, a regenerative approach that honors the interconnectedness of all life, and it sparked a redirect Delmar knew he had to follow.

Meanwhile in a small village in Switzerland, Carin Fortin packed up to leave her family of naturopaths, including her grandmother, who founded a hydrocolonic wellness spa in 1928 in the Swiss pre-alps. Her exposure to spa guests from all over the world had sparked a travel bug.

Fortin found her way to New York City where she went to school and worked as a designer. A decade later a midlife crisis sent her packing again, this time across the country to Esalen in Big Sur where she found her way back to her roots as an herbalist and teacher.

This set the stage for the founders of Blossom’s Farm Shop to meet and  bond over a shared belief in farming as a sacred act, and growers as stewards of the land. That was 14 years ago in Bonny Doon, when they built their first homestead.

Sustaining the business model led to three moves over the past 10 years, each to a farm they “cultivated” to biodynamic practice. Eventually with help of angel investors and a farm link they found their home in Aromas. What started on a quarter acre has eventually grown to 45 acres of biodynamically grown medicinal plants and herbs cultivated and served up as Blossom’s signature product line.

At first glance product names like Inner Balance and Inner Light sounded windy, but then a bright green sign caught my eye. It had the word Ashitaba splashed across the top. For a seasoned wellness geek, it’s unusual to find an unfamiliar herb. After hearing the benefits, it sounded amazing but pricey enough to require a bit more research. 

I learned 95% of the herbs used in Blossom’s products are biodynamically grown on their farm. And that Ashitaba is an herb to watch. Native to the Japanese Pacific region where it’s been cultured for centuries for its healing properties, both the leaves and stems are associated with health benefits.

Indeed there are over 450 studies posted on Google Scholar examining every aspect of this herb, most too complicated to easily sink your teeth into.

Carin described an herb known as a beautiful vine with heart shaped leaves and a teardrop root. Dioscera Batatas, also known as the Chinese Yam or Lightyam, is used in traditional Chinese medicine to impart light to the body. Even Rudolf Steiner called it “uniquely beneficial to modern humans”.

The following week I returned to the market to treat myself to some ashitaba. I bought a small bag I’ve already started adding to my green tea. It certainly tastes nutritious.

As Carin says, “Food is medicine”. By working in harmony with nature, biodynamic farmers produce foods and herbal medicines imbued with vitality, flavor, and nutritional value.

Look for Bloom Farm store’s open house every Friday and Saturday 9am-noon, www.blossomsfarm.com

High Fashion Trash

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High Fashion Trash

Glitz and Glam are swapped with empty bottles and food wrappers in this upcoming Santa Cruz fashion show at The Rio on Friday. 

 Santa Cruz teens will take the runway dressed in recycled chic, embracing their creative expression through the FashionTeens program. In this program, students design and construct a garment over several weeks and present it in a fashion show open to the general public. 

A Loofah gown, crushed iPhone corset, and soda can vest are some of the outlandish pieces that will take the stage. Every piece showcased will be made from upcycled materials, with the focus on sustainability.

Kathleen Crocetti, a Mission Hill Middle School art teacher, started the program 13 years ago, teaching students sewing skills and creative problem-solving. She is also responsible for having students make all of the mosaics over the bridges leading to downtown Santa Cruz and the big murals in Watsonville.

“We partnered with Goodwill, my students and I would walk down there, and they’d give us one item of clothing for free, then we would spend weeks and weeks deconstructing and remaking those items,” says Crocetti.

After crafting something new from the old, they would hold a fashion show at the school, displaying what they’ve learned. The fashion shows got the word spread, and FashionTeens took flight.

“We couldn’t hold it at the school anymore. We didn’t have enough space for the audience that was coming,”says Crocetti. “I would have 100 to 112 students participating.”

While Crocetti hung up her scissors and measuring tape this past June, FashionTeens expanded to include all of Santa Cruz County with Crochetti’s legacy living on.  Thirteen schools now offer the program run by teachers, parents and volunteers. 

Students in 6th-12th grades are given full creative freedom to make their outfits (as much as you can have for a school-sanctioned event, of course), and the products of their hard work are visually exciting and have social and societal implications at times. 

Zuki Tanaka-Kopp,15, is in her third year of FashionTeens, and is jumping into the deep end with her piece called “The Poison of Propaganda”. It consists of a white bedazzled mini dress covered in circuit board shards, old wiring bent into swirls across the breast, shells of iPhones past cinched around the bodice and a computer mouse dangling around the neck.

“It’s supposed to be about the influence of not only TV and Social media, but the government using social media and TV as a tool for propaganda” says Tanaka-Kopp.

The nature of the show isn’t to sell to a consumer or show off the predicted trends of tomorrow, it’s to showcase the hard work of the creative minds and their influential messages. Gehena Rivera, 17, in her first year of FashionTeens, is working on her piece “The Waste We Carry”. A  set of upcycled outfits connected by an umbilical cord of her trash has arguably more meaning than any high-fashion piece on the runway now.

“The concept of it is everything and nothing,” says Rivera. “ We’re all connected, which is both a positive thing and a negative thing”

Nyaumi Candelaria, 16, has been in the program since 6th grade. Growing up in the program, her eyes were opened to critical issues that her peers decided to cover.

“I’ve learned a lot from everyone who takes social justice approaches to their outfits,” Says Candelaria. “Everyone is so passionate about a different subject, and they all incorporate it into their pieces and I think that’s so wonderful that we can learn a lot from each other” 

While the students turn their artistic visions into reality, sewing skills, and new subjects are not the only thing they’re learning. They learn social skills, creative problem-solving, confidence and eco-consciousness.

Audrey Sirota, Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator for the Santa Cruz County Office of Education has witnessed first hand the positive effects that the program has on the children. 

“Exploration of complex social issues, creative problem solving, which is so important in today’s world, and gaining confidence and valuable life skills,” she says.

“It takes a bit of engineering to construct because not all these kids can sew, ” says Tina Brown, a fashion stylist who has worked with FashionsTeens for 10 years.


Marley Bachtel,16, has been in the FashionTeens program since 6th grade. Her skill set has grown, both metaphorically and literally.

“I’ve learned a lot of sewing skills and crafting skills in general, but I’ve also learned a lot of social skills doing this,” says Batches. “With FashionTeens comes a lot of community and trying to navigate through social interactions.

FashionTeens highlights fashion as an art, mode of self-expression, and vessel for change. The youth of Santa Cruz gets to show off all that they have worked for this Friday, at The Rio Theatre.

A Vote For California’s State Slug

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A Vote For California’s State Slug

Gliding across the California redwood, a 10-inch slimy and bright yellow slug has weaved its way into the 2024 California legislative session with Assembly Bill 1850, which would make the banana slug the official state slug. 

A banana slug is a member of the Ariolimacidae family and can be found up and down the California coast from San Diego to Del Norte and, of course, Santa Cruz. They are most prominently found within California and are very beneficial to the state’s plant life.   

The goal of recognizing the banana slug as the official state slug is to help preserve the species. By naming the banana slug the official state slug, California hopes to enhance education, appreciation and research of the banana slug, according to the bill’s text.   

AB1850, authored by Gail Pellerin, (D-Santa Cruz), was introduced in January.  

 “I see this bill as a way of demystifying government and making that connection with civic engagement from a young age,” Pellerin said.  “A lot of kids in our district and actually around the state have been really interested in this bill and kind of following it through the government process and the legislative process.”    

  All over Santa Cruz, the banana slug is a prominent figure; it can be found within the redwood forests and on the UCSC campus. 

  The banana slug is so sacred to the University of California Santa Cruz, that they have made it the campus mascot for more than 25 years, naming it Sammy the Banana Slug.

It is known by pronouns “they/them,” said Scott Hernandez-Jason, UCSC assistant vice chancellor of communication and marketing.

“I think this bill is another way to draw attention to the amazing biodiversity of our state and also at the same time teach people about why the banana slug deserves to be our state slug,”  said Hernandez-Jason.

Unlike some garden slugs, the banana slug is very helpful, said nursery technician at the University of California Davis, Marlene Simon.  “They’re almost kind of like the recyclers and composers of the forest. They’re the good slugs,”  said Simon.

There are multiple species of banana slugs all ranging in size and color.  

“You can find banana slugs all over the redwood forest and it’s really interesting because they eat a little bit of everything, ”said scientist Laura Lalemand of Save the Redwood League. “They’ll eat dead animals, they’ll eat dead vegetation and plant material, and they’ll even eat plants, but they do not eat redwoods.”  

They clean up the environment as they go by nourishing the forest trees by breaking down and composting waste on the forest floors.  Banana slugs can be bright yellow, brown, white and green. In Santa Cruz, yellow is the most common color. 

The state tree of California is the redwood and around California the banana slug can often be found in the nook and crannies of the tree’s branches. They are also known to eat the competing young shoots that go against the redwood species.   

Without banana slugs, there would be no thriving redwood trees and without the moist redwood forest environment,  there would be no slugs.   

“Redwood trees create this nice moist environment that allows the banana slugs to thrive and move around while finding mates,” Lalemand said. “Besides the moisture part of it all, all those nook and cranny places to hide and store food are what make the redwood a great habitat for the banana slug.”  

The banana slug would join other state symbols including the state bat, the pallid bat, and the state mushroom, the Californian Golden Chanterelle. 

Dance and Music Share Stage on Night of the Living Composers

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Dance and Music Share Stage on Night of the Living Composers

New music, new moves, what better way to celebrate spring? NewMusicWorks and Tandy Beal & Company join together for an extraordinary coupling of music and movement featuring premiere scores by seven living composers, plus new choreographies by Tandy Beal—guaranteed to swing and surprise.

On board are world premieres by Philip Collins, Michael McGushin, Cary Nichols and Stan Poplin, and near-premieres by Hyo-shin Na and Matthew Schumacher, plus a vintage 1990s classic by Jon Scoville.

Hats, a suite by composer Jon Scoville commissioned and premiered by NMW in 1997, was written for clarinet, alto and soprano saxophones, violin, cello, double Bass, piano and percussion. Scoville’s luscious creation is described by impresario/composer Phil Collins as “a five-movement suite of infectious jazziness, celebrating styles from the Caribbean to Harlem. With dances choreographed by the one and only Tandy Beal.”

We checked in with local legend Tandy Beal about her ideas for this new and refreshed choreography. “The heart of the project is an insouciant arc of music that Jon made,” Beal responded, “funny, phat, boisterous, with one beautifully lyrical section. Each of these sections takes its name from a particular style of hat.” It all came about, Beal explained, since “we had all been hibernating through Covid. So I opened the invitation to some other wonderful Santa Cruz dancers to share the joy, to remember who we all are and, once again, to be able to share the skills we have. So these are new and tailored to fit the dancers and this music. Nancy and John Lingemann will do one of their gorgeous tangos to Borsalino, for example, and Karl Schaffer directs MoveSpeakSpin with one of his great prop dances with Jane Real, Laurel Shastri and himself.”

Beal said she has “updated a few repertoire works to delight people—hopefully! In these uneasy times,” she mused, “we need a moment to remember the bearable lightness of being, and that an ebullient spirit is what gets us through.”

Musically, this concert is filled with sizzle starting with a stunning piece by Philip Collins for two soprano voices. Another new work combines the incredible chemistry between Stan Poplin’s double bass and Cary Nichols’ electric guitar. Michael McGushin’s world premiere of The World showcases soprano, clarinet and string quartet. Satellites by Matthew Schumacher features piano and electronics. Domestic Counterpoint is a 2024 world premiere by Philip Collins, who describes the work as “a new octet, composed in memory of Judy Foreman” for orchestral ensemble. Many Paradises, a 2024 work by Hyo-shin Na was written for violin, cello and piano. And two more world premieres, one by Michael McGushin for soprano and piano, with text by poet Jane Hirshfield, and another by Philip Collins for two sopranos with text from a Sappho fragment.

And then the house will rock with the movement of Scoville’s Hats, illustrated by Beal’s choreography. The dances include Trash Can Lid, choreographed by Tandy Beal and performed by Keith Cowans and Jane Real; Skimmer, choreographed by Beal, and performed by Raina Sacksteder and Nicolette Kaempf; Mad Cap, performed by MoveSpeakSpin, Jane Real, Karl Schaffer, Laurel Shastri and directed by Karl Schaffer;Borsalino, choreographed and performed by John and Nancy Lingemann; and Flat Hat, choreographed by Tandy Beal and performed by Keith Cowans, Raina Sacksteder, Nicolette Kampf, Jane Real and Saki. Gorgeous stuff for all the senses.

Dance of the Living Composers Saturday, April 20, 7pm, Peace United Church of Christ, newmusicworks.org Tickets: $35 general; $30 seniors; $15 students.

Shemekia Copeland — Soul Truth-Teller

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Shemekia Copeland — Soul Truth-Teller

Shemekia Copeland isn’t sure what to make of the Blues Music Award for Instrumentalist Vocals that she received recently.

Does it mean she’s the best singer in blues, male or female? Or was it another way to honor her after she’d already won 14 BMAs in categories from the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year (the top prize), to Album of the Year and Contemporary Blues Female Artist.

She said she was shocked with the award. “I feel like I’m more of a storyteller than a singer. The one thing I can say is I don’t sound like anybody else. My voice is different. That’s one thing I appreciate about myself,” Copeland said.

Widely considered today’s Queen of the Blues, Copeland is back playing shows this year, bringing her songs and vocals to fans around the country.

But she won’t be playing straight-up traditional blues, at least in terms of subject matter.

“In order for anything to grow, it kind of has to evolve,” Copeland said from her California home in a recent interview. “That’s kind of been what I’ve done for a long time—evolve and grow as an artist so my music can do the same. That’s very important for me.”

That evolution can be heard on Done Come Too Far, Copeland’s album from 2022, which is the final installment of a trilogy that also includes 2018’s America’s Child and 2020’s Grammy-nominated Uncivil War—records that find her reflecting on Black America’s past, present and future.

“It’s always been important to me to sing and talk about things that others don’t,” she said. “I want to be different and I want to talk about what goes on in the world. I’m very much trying to bring people together.”

That’s the aim of searing history-based songs like “Too Far To Be Gone” which addresses the Civil Rights movement with allusions to Rosa Parks, John Lewis and Martin Luther King, Jr., and “Gullah Geechee,” which looks at the ongoing impact of slavery.

When it comes to facing difficulties and having burdens to bear, Copeland believes people should recognize we’re all the same. 

“It shouldn’t be ‘my ancestors went through something worse’ or anything like that. That’s one of the things that gets lost,” she said. “We should all be aware of what others had to endure and be sympathetic. Not just ‘screw you.’”

There are other topical songs on the album as well, like “Pink Turns to Red,” on which she decries the country’s gun violence epidemic, and “The Talk,” about a Black mother talking to her son about an encounter with police—something Copeland will soon have to do with her boy, Johnny.

Done Come Too Far isn’t all serious. There are also a pair of funny songs, a zydeco number and a torch song, “Why Why Why,” that’s a stunning showcase for her voice.

Plus, there’s Copeland’s version of her late father Johnny “Clyde” Copeland’s “Nobody But You,” which can only be heard as a loving nod to her past.

At 8 years old, Shemekia joined her father on stage at New York’s famed Cotton Club and spent her teenage years learning the blues and the business with her dad.

Signed to Alligator Records at 18, Copeland immediately became a blues and R&B sensation, hailed for her vocals, performance and personality. Her 2000 album Wicked garnered the first of her four Grammy nominations and 2005’s The Soul Truth earned eight Blues Music Awards, establishing her as one of the genre’s top artists.

With 12 albums and decades of performing now under her belt, the 44-year-old doesn’t feel like all that much is different decades after she began singing with her dad.

But she said she’s grown up.

“I love that. Aging has been the best thing that’s happened to me. Age and acceptance have been wonderful for me,” she said.

Perhaps the biggest change for Copeland came six years ago, with the birth of Johnny, who’s named for her father. She said wants her son to have confidence, to be himself and love himself unconditionally.

“I really want to make the world a better place for him,” Copeland said. “I want to be the best version of myself I can be for him.”

Her husband, Brian Schultz, who makes the new album on the semi-autobiographical “Fell in Love With a Honky,” grew up in Nebraska, in Scottsbluff. But she said the move has been great for her family and her husband, who says “he’s never going back anywhere it snows.”

Copeland is a steady presence on the live music scene, but maintains a schedule more akin to country acts than hard-touring rock or blues musicians, who commonly play five or six shows a week on tours that last a couple of months or so at a time.

“I don’t consider myself a touring musician,” she said, noting she likes performing on weekends, rather than being out on long tours.

“I love going out and performing. I’m a weekend warrior,” she said.

Best of Santa Cruz: Shopping and Services

outdoor supply hardware, santa cruz california
Santa Cruzans voted for their favorite boutiques, specialty shops, banks, service providers and more in the 2024 Best of Santa Cruz readers survey.
Read more

Talk Nerdy to Me: Surf City Comic Con Debuts April 20

Two men holding up comics at toys in a collectibles shop
Santa Cruz County natives Tegenkamp and Aaron Alden think California’s Central Coast should have its own comic con—so they started the Surf City Comic Con.
Read more

Fall Creek Hike

Sign in the forest listing different trails
If you are a beginning or casual hiker, this column may be for you. If I can walk these trails, you can too. I hike every week, but I am not good at it.
Read more

Letters

fingers typing on a vintage typewriter
I’m a longtime SC resident of 25 yrs. A main reason I worked so hard to get here was because SC was so “liberal“ and free thinking...
Read more

The Editor’s Desk

What do Earth Day and 4/20 have in common? Well, they both celebrate plants, for one thing. We juggled both this issue...
Read more

Food as Medicine

Master gardener Delmar McComb’s first job out of college changed the course of his life forever. While working with a former apprentice of the legendary horticulturist Alan Chadwick, he learned the dirty secrets of conventional gardening. Traditional agriculture relies heavily on a non-renewable and finite energy source for crop cultivation, leading to soil depletion and nutrient loss in food over...
Read more

High Fashion Trash

Teens turn garbage into new styles
Read more

A Vote For California’s State Slug

The banana slug glides its way into legislation
Read more

Dance and Music Share Stage on Night of the Living Composers

This concert is filled with sizzle starting with a stunning piece by Philip Collins for two soprano voices. Another new work combines the incredible...
Read more

Shemekia Copeland — Soul Truth-Teller

Widely considered today’s Queen of the Blues, Shemekia Copeland is back playing shows this year, bringing her songs and vocals to fans around the country.
Read more
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