If cuts to food assistance programs proposed under President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” are approved by the U.S. Senate, it would cripple the food distribution system that local organizations have spent decades building, and upon which thousands Santa Cruz County residents rely.
That was the message Monday from Pajaro Valley Collaborative, a group of nonprofit organizations that gathered at Second Harvest Food Bank (SHFB) for a “call to action” to the community, asking everyone to call their elected leaders and demand that they fight passage of the bill.
“The proposal before the Senate is not just a budgetary decision, it’s a moral one,” said Community Bridges spokesman Tony Nuñez.
The bill, Nuñez said, would mean that more children would go to school hungry, affecting their ability to perform well in school.
“It means that more parents would face the impossible choice between paying rent and buying groceries, and homelessness will increase,” he said.
The U.S. House of Representatives has already approved $300 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), called CalFresh in California. The Senate is currently debating it. It would be the largest cut in the program’s history, said SHFB CEO Erica Padilla-Chavez.
Its passage would further burden a human services system already straining at the seams.
“Programs like SNAP and CalFresh are the first lines of defense against food insecurity in our community,” she said. “Your food bank is the second line of defense.”
SHFB distributes food to more than 71,000 people monthly, with one in three county residents considered food insecure.
If the bill passes—and an estimated 44,400 people lose their CalFresh benefits in Santa Cruz County—it will put more strain on the food bank, in addition to programs such as Meals on Wheels and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program run by the California Department of Public Health, Nuñez said.
“SNAP is the foundation that supports the rest of our food system,” he said. “When that structure is stripped away, the entire structure weakens.”
And that would have a ripple effect on those programs.
“And we may be forced to take the unthinkable step of dis-enrolling seniors who currently depend on us,” Nuñez said. “Food should not be a privilege. Nutrition is a human right.”
Padilla-Chavez said that opposing the proposed cuts is a way to show appreciation and compassion for the people whose work makes up the backbone of the local economy.
“The diversity of our community is what’s been making us strong,” she said. “And that includes immigrants. And nourishing individuals that are providing for our care, that are picking our crops, that are taking care of our hospitality industry and help our economy be what it is in Santa Cruz County is a moral imperative.”
Born and raised in Shanghai and originally trained as a sushi chef, Fiona Zhang’s path to eventually opening her own restaurant began in Montana in 2019. Starting as a cashier at a ramen house there, when the pandemic made staffing scarce, she became the general manager and learned how to run the entire business, including how to cook the food. Over the next two years, she helped open other franchise locations. When her husband got a job offer in the Bay Area, they moved to Santa Cruz and Zhang capitalized on her knowledge and experience to open Hokkaido Ramen House.
She describes the ambiance as clean, bright and spacious with a red/black color scheme and pronounced fortune-cat-themed décor. She says the menu is mainly Japanese cuisine with touches of Chinese influence and the recommended starter is chicken karaage, a deep-fried chicken thigh with Japanese mayo dipping sauce. Other faves are poke bowls and katsu curry rice. But the ramens headline, with 12 different types including pork bone broth garlic tonkotsu, chicken bone broth miso ramen and Chinese-inspired beef ramen. Boba tea highlights the beverage offerings and desserts include macha tiramisu and black sesame cheesecake.
What inspired your immigration?
FIONA ZHANG: The reason I moved to Montana from Shanghai at age 18 was to be more independent and create my own path in life. And I loved that Montana was a great place to enjoy nature and was totally the opposite of Shanghai, a very busy and crowded city. I targeted Santa Cruz when my husband and I relocated because it reminded me a lot of Montana, with a small-town setting where I could really get to know my customers.
How did your passion for ramen evolve?
During my student life in high school and college, I ate a lot of instant ramen. And when I first began cooking in Montana, I found that I really enjoyed it and was especially inspired by learning to create authentic and healthier ramen. Done this way, it is very nutritious and has so many healthful ingredients like bone broth, veggies, and meat and eggs for protein. Much of our menu is very traditional Asian cuisine, but we also adapt to local eating preferences and habits by offering gluten-free and vegan options.
1901 Mission St., Suite 102, Santa Cruz, 831-439-2021; hokkaidoramen.life
The City of Santa Cruz joined forces with the U.S. Coast Guard and Power Engineering Construction Company on June 6–8 to remove heavy equipment and wood debris from the seafloor at the end of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. The material was torn loose from the wharf during a powerful storm in December.
Work had been delayed as crews waited for a window of calm sea conditions, community relations specialist Joyce Blaschke said.
Throughout the operation a large crane was visible from miles around working the scene from atop a huge barge, plucking various items from the ocean, including a mid-sized crane that has been sitting on the ocean floor for more than six months. Hoisting the white crane into the sky and placing it on the barge in one piece brought a huge wave of applause from onlookers clustered in the end of the wharf.
Santa Cruz City worked with the California Coastal Commission, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, California State Parks, the County of Santa Cruz, the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and the Santa Cruz Harbor in completing the operation.
More than 40 volunteers spent hours Saturday refreshing the massive Black Lives Matter street mural that is sprawled along Center Street in front of Santa Cruz City Hall.
Traffic, weather, vandalism and wear-and-tear has left the five-year-old bright yellow mural faded and chipped.
The mural was originally painted as part of a series of nationwide protests for racial justice and police accountability after George Floyd, a Black man, was killed by Minneapolis Police in 2020. The officer, Derek Chauvin, who was found guilty in the murder of Floyd, was sentenced to more than 22 years in prison.
Headed up by Santa Cruz Equity Collab, the day-long effort drew in Elaine Johnson, president of the NAACP Santa Cruz County Branch and executive director of Housing Santa Cruz County, alongside dozens of people across a spectrum of ages. Abi Mustapha, one of the artists who worked on the original mural along with roughly 500 community members, was among the restoration crew. Also there were local activist Curtis Reliford and Erika Rosendale of Watsonville, a big name in outdoor murals around the Central Coast.
“It’s all about group effort,” Rosendale said. “It’s a lot of work and it’s about the third time we’ve come out to restore that amazing mural.”
For NAACP president Johnson, the repainting event was a reminder of the importance of everyone working together.
“It was an opportunity for the community not just to come together, but to continue to collectively support each other as a community,” she said. “Don’t just come together when we’re celebrating something. It’s how we show up with each other afterwards.”
The mural was painted in September 2020 by Mustapha, with help from Arts Commission Vice-Chair Sean McGowen, artist Taylor Reinhold and Yoga for All Movement Founder Shandara Gill.
But while intended to be a symbol of community support and anti-racism, it has twice been thrust into the news: the first time in 2021, when two men left skidmarks across it, and the second in 2024, when a man splattered it with paint.
Suspects have been arrested in both cases.
“I know there are people in this community and this world that don’t align with the Black Lives Matter mural, but the only thing we can do is not buy into those narratives and the stories of what it means and what it doesn’t mean and who we’re leaving out,” Johnson said. “Because the intention is not to leave anyone out.
“You don’t invite people to the table to change their mind,” he added. “you invite them to the table to engage in a dialogue so they can change their own mind.”
Center Street was closed to motor traffic throughout the day to allow for the project to unfold.
Here in Santa Cruz, summer is more than a season—it’s a lifestyle. The marine layer may linger in the mornings, but once it lifts, locals are out soaking up the sun, salt air and all the ways this coastal paradise invites us to get moving.
Beyond gym memberships and rigid routines, this summer’s fitness trends are about blending wellness with play, community and connection to nature. Whether you’re committed to shaping up, improving well-being or just trying to keep up with your kids, here are some of the most inspiring ways to stay active this season—Santa Cruz style.
Beach Workouts with a View—There’s nothing like starting the day with your feet in the sand and the sound of waves in your ears. Sunrise fitness classes are popping up on local beaches, offering everything from high-energy bootcamps to gentle strength circuits. Twin Lakes and Cowell’s are local favorites for group classes, and some even include breathwork or meditation. It’s movement with a mood boost built in.
The E-Bike Revolution—The e-bike scene has exploded across town, and love it or hate it, it’s here to stay. But instead of resisting the current, why not ride it? E-bikes make it easier than ever to embrace an active lifestyle, even when the hills get steep or the schedule gets packed. You can coast to your morning surf check without breaking a sweat, glide past traffic on your commute, or take on the upper trails at Wilder without feeling like you need a nap afterward.
Yoga + Sound Healing Under the Sky—Santa Cruz has always had a thing for yoga, but this summer, it’s about taking the practice outside. Natural Bridges, Arana Gulch, and even Depot Park host regular outdoor sessions, often blending movement with mindfulness. Sound baths, breathwork, and cacao ceremonies are showing up at the end of class, creating a space to stretch, breathe, and truly drop in.
Pickleball for the People—Once considered a retirees’ game, pickleball is now the hottest court sport in town. With new courts popping up from Capitola to Harvey West, players of all ages and skill levels are getting in on the action. It’s low impact, high energy, and surprisingly social—a perfect summer gateway into fitness for people who “don’t do sports.”
Cold Water Plunges Are the New Espresso—Inspired by Wim Hof and a growing number of local wellness groups, ocean plunges are becoming a go-to reset ritual. Whether it’s post-run, post-surf, or just a wake-up dip, locals are swearing by the mood-lifting, inflammation-reducing effects of a brisk ocean soak. Cowells has very tame waves relative to the rest of the Westside – hop in right there at the foot of the Dream Inn.
Paddleboard, Please—The Santa Cruz Harbor, Elkhorn Slough, and even the open ocean (on calm mornings) are perfect spots for paddleboarding. SUP is a full-body workout disguised as a leisurely float, and for the balance-curious, yoga-on-the-board classes take it to the next level. Expect wobbles, laughter, and a killer core workout.
Family Adventure Days—Summer with kids can put a hold on your workout schedule. But with a little creativity, you can tap into options that work for everyone. I’m remembering back to the days of family hikes at Pogonip and Wilder Ranch, biking through the UCSC campus forest, . These playful adventures get everyone moving—and having fun—in the process.
The trend across all these activities? Movement that feels good. In Santa Cruz, we know wellness isn’t just about reps and routines—it’s about rhythm, community, and joy. Whether you’re riding waves, trails, or the sweet momentum of summer, there are countless ways to move your body and lift your spirit.
So forget the treadmill and step into the rhythm of a Santa Cruz summer—where movement meets magic and wellness feels like play. Whether you’re riding the e-bike wave, finding your breath on the beach, or dancing your way through the forest, this season is all about connecting with your body in ways that bring joy, not judgment. Fresh air is your gym, the coastline is your track, and every trail, wave, and sun-drenched sidewalk is an invitation to move. This summer, let go of the grind and say yes to the kind of fitness that fuels your spirit.
Elizabeth Borelli is a longevity coach and wellness guide. Find wellness tips and recipes at ElizabethBorelli.com.
When a Scottish punk band played the Veterans Hall in Santa Cruz in March, there were howls of protest because Wattie Buchan, the lead singer of the Exploited, had a swastika tattooed on his left arm. It caused controversy in this most liberal town and some people said the show should have been canceled.
Therein lies the problem with permanent body markings. Like the lovers who have broken up with their mates after permanently inking their hearts on their sleeves, wearers are branded for life, regardless of whether their feelings have changed.
Walking around the beaches or downtown and seeing colored ink all over bodies, it’s hard to believe that tattooing was illegal in Santa Cruz from 1964 to 1986. Tattoos are on full display, literally, from head to toe and spaces like faces once reserved only for the most dangerous Japanese gang members.
There are some 30 ink shops around the county today. Santa Cruz has widely accepted tattoos among its latest trends for surfers and yoga moms alike. Since the turn of the century, new art trends and styles have been found among the average local, making tattoos more acceptable than they once were.
Local tattoo artist Keeli Sandberg has worked in and out of the county over the past 25 years and has noticed the societal shift in tattoos today.
“Back then, you would come in with an idea, and the artist would make it,” he said. “Nowadays, people usually have things on their phones that they want.”
He also noted the increasing popularity of neck and hand tattoos: “Nobody used to get that done. It was crazy back in the day.”
Traditionally, these placements were reserved for ex-convicts or tattoo artists themselves. “It trips me out seeing 20-year-olds with that today. It’s a lot more acceptable now, which is both good and bad.”
Each tattoo artist I interviewed said they wouldn’t do swastikas today and they avoid gang pieces.
“I’ve covered up many swastikas,” Keeli says. “I try not to judge them; it’s a different world in [prison].” He’s had plenty of clients come in to cover up bad or offensive body art. Coverups are typically done on a case-by-case basis, often replacing bad stick-and-poke tattoos or gang-related pieces, he says.
Laser removal, though effective, is costly—celebrity Pete Davidson reportedly spent over $200,000 to erase half of his tattoos as part of what he called a “health glow-up,” according to TMZ.
For those seeking a less expensive alternative, cover-ups provide a solution. Keeli has done several cover-ups over the years, emphasizing that nearly any tattoo can be covered if the client collaborates with the artist.
“I like doing them,” Keeli says. “People appreciate them. Not only do they get a new tattoo, but they get rid of a shitty one.”
Keeli’s passion for tattooing began in his teenage years at New Brighton Middle School, where he recalls doing stick-and-pokes beneath desks. Inspired by his war veteran grandfather, whose body was adorned with classic 20th-century art, Keeli knew early on that he wanted to be a tattoo artist. After leaving town for a while, he returned to Santa Cruz after working in Southern California and found a job as an artist in 2008. That shop was Watsonville’s first legal tattoo shop, Freedom Tattoo.
Freedom Tattoo
Geoff Wells, the owner of Freedom Tattoo, didn’t plan on being in the tattoo business, let alone having to sue the city of Watsonville to open one. Back then, Wells, a certified Harley-Davidson technician, owned a motorcycle shop, “Motor Cyco,” in Watsonville. When the economy crashed in 2007 Wells struggled to stay afloat. One day, an idea sparked for him when he realized something was missing in the community: a tattoo parlor.
Geoff wasn’t a tattoo artist but he had been building makeshift tattoo machines and getting tattooed since he was a young teen. He had several friends who were tattoo artists and already had experience as entrepreneurs but due to a city-wide ordinance that made tattooing illegal, opening a shop in Watsonville would not be easy. Fortunately for Geoff, his mother, Kathleen Wells, was a civil rights attorney. Kathleen used her resources and legal knowledge to determine whether or not this was a battle worth fighting.
“She told me we could beat the law and that’s all I needed to hear.”
From there, the two decided to pursue the case. Their battle would take a year and a half, where they fought for the First Amendment in countless court appearances and City Council meetings.
All the hard work paid off when they finally won and changed the law to allow tattooing in Watsonville.
“I couldn’t have done it without my mom.”
As soon as he could, Geoff jumped on the first spot available on Freedom Blvd in 2008, marking Watsonville’s first legal tattoo parlor.
From there, Geoff began putting together a team of amazing artists. His hand-picked crew has changed over the years, including top-notch artists like Nolan Hatton, Rudy Hooven and Keeli Sandberg, but Freedom Tattoo’s mission has remained the same: To provide quality tattoos in a customer-based shop where all are welcome.
After 10 years, Freedom Tattoo eventually moved in 2018, becoming the first shop in Aptos. After 17 years in business, Freedom Tattoo was awarded Best Tattoo Parlor in Santa Cruz County with a silver medal for Best Piercing Studio from Good Times magazine.
Geoff praised his crew for the win and said, “It’s a true testament to the talent of our crew and the loyalty of our amazing clientele. Real customer service works. When people are treated right and walk away with a great tattoo they come back.” Today, Geoff still does motorcycle mechanics as a hobby, but his number one priority is continuing the legacy of Freedom Tattoo.
The shop is committed to growing apprentices into artists. Reyna Segura Gallardo is a tattoo artist brought in by Geoff in 2022 as an apprentice. Before starting her career, Reyna tattooed out of her garage as a side hustle. After finishing her apprenticeship, she is now a resident artist specializing in Chicano fine line art.
Chicano fine line art typically reflects a culturally rich style that emerged from the Mexican-American communities of California, particularly during the 1970s. Originating as a single-needle practice in prisons, Chicano Fine Line evolved into a celebrated art form known for its precision, symbolism and emotional depth.
Reyna considers herself lucky to be accepted by the shop and continues to learn new techniques and styles.
Abraham GarduNo (a.k.a. A-bomb) shared a similar beginning in tattooing. Before his start at Freedom in 2020, his passion began after purchasing a tattoo machine from Amazon. After doing art on his friends for fun, word went around his community that he was doing tattoos. A-bomb had expanded his work to a side hustle. After a few years an artist named Rooster at Freedom Tattoo offered to take A-bomb under his wing as an apprentice. Now he is a full-time artist specializing in black & grey and traditional tattoos.
Lights Out Tattoo
LIGHTS ON Lights Out Tattoos is lit up for the fine line work. Photo: Alesandro Manzella
Because fineline is so popular today, shops such as “Lights Out” in Aptos specialize in it and have loyal clientele to back their work. The shop also specializes in blackwork, realism, illustrative, and surrealism, “but we can handle anything that comes in the door.”
The owners, Drew Nelson, and Domonique Nevarez, took an educated approach to their work. Both art graduates, Drew at UCSC and Domonique at Azusa Pacific in LA, met at Triton Tattoo shortly after graduating.
The two eventually left the shop to run their joint.
“Many artists (in general) don’t have a good way to make a living here,” said Drew. “I think tattooing is a great way to make a living in Santa Cruz.”
Dominique mentioned the discouragement of other shop owners and friends, suggesting there were already enough shops in town.
“But we wanted to do it anyway,” Dominique said. “We had our clientele follow us and back us up.”
“Clientele go to shops not for the place but for the artist; we were lucky to have that,” Drew said.
The opening of Lights Out in 2021 didn’t take the legal battles that the pioneer tattoo shops in Santa Cruz had. Though the shop is small, the two plan to expand next door, hoping to expand in size to combat its three-month-booked schedule.
Mission Street Tattoo
ART GALLERY Mission Street Tattoos has body art on the walls. Photo: Alesandro Manzella
Known for its diverse artwork, Mission Street Tattoo features artists hand-selected by its owner, Ron Nelson.
Opened in January of 2014, the shop’s inauguration was a collective of four different owners, including Nelson, who formerly were artists at Staircase Tattoo (permanently closed as of this year).
When Covid-19 happened, the shop lost three of the four original owners and ceased piercings, leaving Ron as the sole owner. Despite the loss of the original crew, Nelson has maintained each artist’s independence to allow creativity to flow naturally.
Prior to scheduling an appointment to get inked, the client schedules a consultation meeting with one of the artists to collaborate on the piece that best suits the client.
“If the design is ready to go, there’s a chance that it could be done that day,” Nelson said, “But if you’re trying to do something unique or special, we set up a consultation to go over the design and set up a time.”
Ron’s background and perspective on tattoo art live on from his early days tattooing during the punk rock era in the 1990s-2000s. At the age of 15, he realized he wanted to be an artist, beginning with a homemade tattoo machine. He elaborated that “the doors were closed” in the field then, as apprenticeships were hard to come by. So, he began designing, painting, pinstriping, doing commercial art and airbrushing when he lived in Florida.
By his early 20s, Nelson had gotten his first gig at a tattoo shop and had moved to New Orleans.
Having worked in two separate regions of the United States doing tattoos, he shared that tattoos were once regional.
“You used to be able to see a tattoo and tell which part of the country it was from,” Nelson said. “Folky traditional Americana, that’s probably Brooklyn. Fine line, black and grey, that was probably Southern California. Nowadays, because of social media, I’ll see a tattoo that looks like it was done by an artist in LA, but it might have been done from someone in Italy.”
He also witnessed a change in societal rules regarding tattooing over time, suggesting that it changes more and more as each year passes. “Tattoos used to be for nonconformists and those rebelling against society,” he said.
Back then, lots of shops had rules that you shouldn’t do visual tattoos if the customer didn’t already have one. He compared that style to today.
“It’s crazy seeing what the kids get today,” he said, “but it’s normal; normal people can have tattoos, too.”
He explained that there also used to be a lot fewer tattoo artists. And, they often had a reputation for being unfriendly. He compared that to today, where a better attitude toward customer service exists.
“We welcome everyone at Mission Street Tattoo,” he said.
The shop has unique artists who specialize in their own field of work:
Pat Damlos specializes in American and Euro traditional, which is often a thinner and detailed version of American.
Kristie Crowl specializes in neo-traditional, which is a modern twist on traditional but with vivid colors and at times bold lines.
Patrick Blackstorm does black-and-grey illustrative tattoos, using black ink and shading to create a visually appealing, often detailed, and somewhat realistic designs without relying on color.
Ant Sith also does black and grey illustrative but specializes in the Japanese style.
Zion Zahir specializes in bold American traditional.
Ron intentionally designed a diverse team to allow anybody to come in and get what they want and to teach new styles of art within the shop. Overall, each artist, including Ron, can do anything he says, especially cover-ups.
From an ornate back piece to correcting for loss of pigmentation or just a needed cover-up, Mission Street Tattoo specializes in taking time to match the right artist for every client, giving them something that they will love, whether it’s their first piece or a cover-up.
An Accident Turned To Art
ART FOR LIFE Drew Nelson is the owner of Lights Out Tattoo. Photo: Tarmo Hannula
Cover-ups aren’t just for bad tattoos; some find scars or birthmarks recreated into art. Laurence Bedford, owner of the Rio Theatre on Soquel Ave., had an accident that turned into art, thanks to the help of a professional artist.
In 2000, Bedford was mauled by a spooked dog, resulting in 42 stitches on his right hand. Bedford had collaborated with an artist in tattooing a honeycomb over his scar with bees swarming up his arm.
He referred to the tattoo as a bandage over tragedy:
“Instead of watching blood come out, I had a vision of bees.”
That was his first tattoo, and since then, Bedford has had five more tattoos added to his body’s canvas. Each tattoo represents something personal that happened to him.
From rebellious roots to modern expression, tattooing in Santa Cruz has undergone a radical transformation since its legalization. What was once seen negatively is now a thriving, respected art form embraced by people from all walks of life. Pioneers artists in town helped carve out space—both legally and culturally—for today’s diverse, inclusive tattoo community. Whether used to express identity, cover up past mistakes or make trauma into art, tattoos have ingrained itself into the county’s culture. What was once deemed a “job stopper” now reflects the community itself.
Body art is so ubiquitous it’s hard to believe tattooing was illegal in Santa Cruz until 1986. Our cover story takes a look at some of the latest trends in tattoo art, artists and clients as the body icons are growing in size, location, color and artistry.
We’ve recently come across two people who had the ashes of loved ones mixed in with the ink to keep a piece of art in their hearts and on their bodies. We’ve seen an entire image of Aptos’s concrete (sorry, it’s really not cement, despite the misused name) ship on a body.
We’ve also, sadly and sickeningly, seen swastikas and white supremacist symbols embedded (even on a current cabinet member).
That’s partly what prompted Alesandro Manzella’s story: people were objecting to a Nazi symbol tattooed on a visiting punk performer. Are people conscious of the fact that a skin-absorbed message can be forever, unless one has a lot of money for removal, like Pete Davidson, said to have spent $200K erasing his ink.
According to a Pew Institute survey, 32 percent of Americans have at least one tattoo. Walking down Pacific Ave or on the beaches, that figure seems low. I would love, love, love to have a regular Good Times feature featuring tattoos and their bearers.
For now, check out Alesandro’s story and get the latest on our 30 ink shops.
On another note, the Pride Parade was such a joy, I wish there was a celebration like that every week. The range of participants and watchers drew from all over our county, from officials to kids, celebrating equality during a time when it is seriously under threat.
GT posted dozens of photos, and sadly, my phone beeped all night with hate messages. WTF is wrong with people? The main theme seemed to be that Pride is grooming people’s sexual orientation, a bizarre concept some reilgions seem to indoctrinate their followers with.
I would argue it’s spreading the message religions preach if they don’t necessarily practice, that treating others as you would like to be treated is what’s important. Love for everyone is the answer. Isn’t that the basis for religion?
Plus it was nice to see a host of enlightened churches and synagogues welcoming everyone at the parade.
What’s the most asked question around town these days? What are those red lane marks on Highway 1? Check out our news section for the answer. And drop us a line about whether you thnk they are a good idea. Someone does, apparently.
Thanks for reading and enjoy this issue.
Brad Kava | Editor
PHOTO CONTEST
THRILL RIDE A red-shouldered hawk and the Boardwalk: It rhymes! Photograph by Jo Koumouitzes
GOOD IDEA
County residents can now get a hard copy of the 2025 Fair Exhibitor’s Entry Guide. The printed Entry Guide books are available at local libraries and feed stores. Check santacruzcountyfair.com. You can also grab an Entry Guide at the Fair Office, located on East Lake Avenue (Highway 152) in Watsonville. There are many exciting divisions: Livestock, AgHort, Amateur Wine, Fine Arts, LEGOs, Photography, Poultry, Floriculture, Collections and Home Art, just to name a few!
GOOD WORK
The City of Santa Cruz has been awarded $30 million from the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to support the construction of the Santa Cruz Coral Street Substance Use Disorder Treatment Center, a facility that will provide 24-hour, nonmedical, recovery-focused services for adults with substance use disorders.
It will include 50 beds, helping to address a severe shortage in local care. It will serve vulnerable populations, including individuals experiencing homelessness, older adults, veterans, people with disabilities, and those involved with the justice system.
I’ve got a medical heads up for those of you who may have read my May 7 Good Times story about how to get a good night’s sleep, “Sleeping Your Way to the Top.” In the story I talk about how I use a sleep drug called Unisom (doxylamine) when I have trouble sleeping on the road. Now I read studies that suggest, while the drug doesn’t directly cause dementia, if you use it long enough, it might. Yikes! Apparently, Unisom blocks acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter important for memory and cognitive function.
I ran the safety of Unisom by my doctor and had gotten the green light, but now I ask you to please research the drug’s safety for your own peace of mind before you use a lot of it. I haven’t thrown my bottle of Unisom away, but I do notice that I haven’t used it since I started reading the dementia studies. Let’s stay strong, stay sharp—health is our freedom. Sleep well.
Richard Stockton
POWER ON
Summer is almost here, and with it will come deadly heat waves supercharged by the climate crisis. Yet in 27 states, it’s perfectly legal for utility companies to shut off electricity on the hottest days of summer, leaving individuals and families without air conditioning in extreme temperatures and threatening their health and safety.
Shutting off power can have life-or-death consequences. We need to shine a spotlight on this critical issue and raise our voices to demand change.
Utility companies and local leaders must act to end utility shutoffs on the hottest days of summer.
Margaret Galli
OPERATION: VETS HALL
We are trying to raise $5,300 to replace our failed boiler pump, then go beyond to fund the purchase of an AED, medical training, and critical maintenance support.
At the Santa Cruz County Veterans Memorial Building, we are more than a historic venue—we are a forward operating base for community, healing, and honor. Every day, our team holds the line to ensure veterans and their families have a place to gather, connect, and be served.
But the facility that supports them now needs YOUR support.
Our boiler’s recirculation pump—a vital component that keeps the building heated—has failed. Without it, our space is going cold. This is especially dangerous as colder months will be here sooner than we realize. We’ve already secured $1,000. We need $5,300 more.
While we receive operational funding from the County, the amount hasn’t increased in years. We’ve stretched every dollar, but this time we need our community to step up.
When the British ska movement launched in the late ’70s, great ska/rock-steady acts like the Skatalites, Prince Buster and Desmond Dekker were founding influences. Inspired by the rebellious nature of the nascent punk scene, a generation of youth fused the former genre’s aggression with the sounds of their ska forebearers to address and defuse racial tensions in Thatcher-era Britain. Among the predominantly multiracial acts leading the charge at the time were the Specials, the Selecter, Madness and the Beat (known as the English Beat in the States).
Fast forward to 2025 and Dave Wakeling’s English Beat has carried on his band’s legacy (albeit with a number of detours along the way). Following the release of 1982’s Special Beat Service, the last album by the original group, myriad offshoot groups emerged, including General Public, Fine Young Cannibals, the Beat featuring Ranking Roger and the Beat starring Dave Wakeling. With Ranking Roger having passed in 2019, and with Beat founding members Andy Cox and David Steele creatively M.I.A., Wakeling has continued to wave the English Beat banner. Demand for the English Beat has been unwavering despite the last album featuring the original lineup being four-decades-plus old. Wakeling finds this reality gratifying.
“I’m shocked that on Sirius/XM, there are something like 10 or 12 of our songs spread all over the channels between [the English Beat and General Public],” he said in a mid-April interview. “It’s probably more like 16 or 20 songs if you include Fine Young Cannibals. That’s really quite remarkable to achieve. And that people still come and still remember the words even though their knees aren’t as flexible as they used to be, they can still move them in time to our tunes. It is a lovely feeling really.”
When one thinks about the impact the English Beat had on third-wave ska outfits that commercially blew up in the ’90s (Mighty Mighty Bosstones, No Doubt, Reel Big Fish), it’s hard to believe the former’s original run was only from 1978 to 1983. Wakeling, whose roots lay in being a successful competitive swimmer and water polo player, recalls how quickly things came together once he pivoted from the pool to music and started writing songs when he was about 17. It was during this time the core members—Wakeling, bassist Steele, guitarist Cox and drummer Everett Morton—came together. Toaster Ranking Roger and legendary ska saxophonist Saxa were later recruited.
Between myriad UK hits (“Mirror in the Bathroom,” “Save It for Later” and a cover of “Tears of a Clown”) and the band’s infectious live show, they were an in-demand support act for a number of high-profile acts, including Talking Heads, the Police, the Clash and the Pretenders.
Touring/recording burnout caught up with the English Beat and as new-time parents, Wakeling and Ranking Roger chose to form General Public in 1983 (Steele and Cox re-emerged with vocalist Roland Gift a year later as Fine Young Cannibals). In the end, geography proved to be General Public’s downfall with Wakeling decamping to California and Ranking Roger remaining in the UK.
“With Roger living in England and me in America, it cost $10,000 just to do a rehearsal,” Wakeling explained. “The timing and scheduling were really difficult.”
Nowadays, the English Beat enjoy the kind of nostalgia-fueled success new wave acts ranging from Duran Duran and Squeeze to Depeche Mode and OMD are experiencing on the road. And in having the combination of longevity and a rich catalog to pull from, Wakeling has found the perfect cross-generational presentation that keeps fans repeatedly coming out to shows.
“Generally, at a concert you want to keep them moving and keep up the enthusiasm,” he said. “Quite often, the audience chooses what song they want to hear next. We have a set list, but we also keep an eye on the crowd. Do they want something a bit faster? Do they want something a bit slower? Are they starting to flag and need a break? Everyone is going through really testing times at the moment. You can see it in people’s faces. They feel relieved to have a nice dance within your own peer group, go home, and nothing controversial or outrageous happened.”
The English Beat performs at 8pm on June 6-7 at Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. Tickets: $40. feltonmusichall.com
Levitating with clever ideas, Opera Project won us over in April with a cabaret version of Bach’s saucy Coffee Cantata, performed by three singers and a trio of instrumentalists in the intimate (i.e., small) space of the Mariposa Coffee Cafe. Happily packed into the darkened interior, we joined a standing-room-only crowd for a master class in opera made relevant. A salon, an edgy live performance for invited friends. The delightfully staged story of a woman hooked on the new coffee fad, might have been 1900 era Vienna. Except perhaps for Sheila Willey, in tattoos and tank top, rattling off the joys of her new caffeine habit while we in the audience sipped designer espresso drinks.
Her long-suffering dad, Edward Tavalin, made his case heroically, but was no match for his sassy daughter. Willey’s incredible acting skills allowed her to disappear into her role, as she sang fast and furious arpeggios and trills all the while serving coffee, clearing tables and transforming herself from UCSC Opera program director into a petulant rebel high on caffeine. Narrating the action was Opera Project co-founder Lori Schulman, while Shannon D’Antonio’s violin, Kristin Garbeff’s cello and music director Daniel Goldsmith’s keyboard kept the Bach track shimmering. Andrea Hart of Cabrillo Stage handled the stage direction brilliantly. It was an incredible amount of delicious singing, espresso and fun.
Next up for Opera Project is The Juliet Letters, at MJA Vineyards, taking sophisticated music out of the big halls and to where people like to hang out. It’s one night only—June 13 at 7pm—and $20 gets you a genre-defying song cycle by Elvis Costello and the Brodsky Quartet, plus a glass of wine, stationery and a pen. The theme is the truth we tell in written letters. Marea Ensemble features Shannon D’Antonio, Samantha Bounkeua, Rebecca Dulatre Corbin, Kristin Garbeff and the uncanny soprano vocals of Opera Project co-founder Schulman—who will also be performing with Santa Cruz Shakespeare this season as the Stepmother/Granny in Into the Woods. Tickets on eventbrite.com.
Still planning to seduce our senses with a concert of shamelessly gorgeous music, the restless musicians of Espressivo offer a trio of passionate pieces: Arthur Honegger’s Pastorale d’ été, Georges Bizet’s Symphony in C and, joined by soprano Emily Sinclair, Hector Berlioz’s Les nuits d’été. If your French allows, you’ll get that these works are about sexy summer affairs. Perfect timing. This weekend of Espressivo concerts features guest conductor Daniel Henriks. (And the magic flute of Lars Johannesson.) The concerts are at 7pm on Sunday, June 8 at Peace United Church, Santa Cruz, and 7pm on Saturday, June 7 at First Presbyterian Church of Monterey. espressorch.org
Busy music director Henriks takes the baton on June 13 and June 14 to lead i Cantori di Carmel through Songs of Destiny, a program of Impressionist works by Brahms, Vaughan Williams, Debussy, Ravel and Boulanger. After 40 years, the large choral/orchestral ensemble is enjoying ambitious programming under Henriks, who took the directorship in 2021. Trained at Juilliard, the German-born former opera singer now calls Carmel home. “I was used to working with professional musicians in Europe and so I was pleasantly surprised at the high level of training of the i Cantori singers. They are dedicated and willing to tackle complex music.” The charismatic Henriks incorporates the sort of vocal training he practiced in Europe as part of i Cantori rehearsals. “And the more ambitious the work we program, the more we have attracted highly trained singers.”
VIRTUOSO Guitarist Peppino D’Agostino performs June 14 at Wind River Studios. PHOTO: Contributed
Henriks’ energy is infectious. He believes that there’s plenty of audience in the Monterey Bay area to go around. “Each group is unique. Espressivo is a small chamber group of professional musicians, and i Cantori is a large choral group preparing symphonic works, often rarely performed repertoire. We are building a close-knit network among our best musicians. Everybody’s contributing to the cultural fabric of our region.” Come hear why, at the i Cantori di Carmel season finale at 7:30pm on Saturday, June 14 at the UCSC Recital Hall and 7:30pm on Friday, June 13 at Sunset Center in Carmel. Tickets and info: icantori.org.
Virtuoso guitarist Peppino D’Agostino brings his blazing acoustic guitar back to Santa Cruz for a concert of Italian music on Saturday, June 14 at 6pm. Expect a program of vintage Mediterranean and flamenco influences, as well as original compositions created by D’Agostino for his signature Seagull guitar. D’Agostino knows how to engage with his audience with predictable charm and guitar chops. The atmospheric Wind River Studios in the Santa Cruz Mountains offers exactly the right intimate venue. Tickets are available at brownpapertickets.com.
SEASON FINALE Conductor Daniel Stewart leads Santa Cruz Symphony through works by John Williams on June 7. PHOTO: Contributed
Maestro Daniel Stewart takes the podium on Saturday, June 7 for the Santa Cruz Symphony’s soaring season finale showcasing a pulse-raising pops concert of music by favorite all-American composer John Williams. Yes, you can thrill to music from Star Wars (hum along quietly), E.T., Hook and more. The Symphony Pops Concert starts at 7:30pm, get there at 5 for live music, dancing and food trucks. santacruzsymphony.org.
Best Soirée of Summer: that would be the New Music Works Avant Garden Party, returning to the Live Oak Lagoon (2888 Sandy Lane, Santa Cruz) once again, on Sunday June 8, 2-6pm. The sybaritic setting offers exciting musicales, including AZA’s music from Morocco and North Africa, Singing Wood Marimba Ensemble, the vintage Mediterranean music of Sasupake, Bill Walker’s smokin’ slide guitar and Stan Poplin’s eclectic jazz idioms on double bass. India Joze will whip up a superb al fresco buffet. No-host wine and beer bar. Gorgeous setting, great music, a benefit event to wrap up this year’s fab NMW Season. Find the link to tickets at newmusicworks.org.
The City of Santa Cruz joined forces with the U.S. Coast Guard and Power Engineering Construction Company on June 6–8 to remove heavy equipment and wood debris from the seafloor at the end of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. The material was torn loose from the wharf during a powerful storm in December.
Work had been delayed as crews waited...
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