A group of local officials and community members gathered under a small mid-county parking lot located near Hwy 1 Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the groundbreaking of a massive construction project. The multi-million dollar project is expected to transform the corridor and revolutionize travel countywide.
Construction on phase 1 of the Watsonville–Santa Cruz Multimodal Corridor Program is set to begin this week. It includes widening Hwy 1 and laying the groundwork for the bus-on-shoulder lanes from 41st Ave. to Soquel Drive.
The project also includes a bicycle and pedestrian bridge at Chanticleer Ave.
An artist’s drawing shows what a new pedestal/bicycle over crossing to Hwy 1 at Chanticleer Ave. in Live Oak would look like.
Phase 1 is the start of a $100 million program that will make similar upgrades along the busy highway, which moves some 100,000 people per day.
Phase 2 will stretch from the Bay/Porter exit to State Park Drive, while Phase 3 will run from State Park Drive to Freedom Blvd.
The long-awaited project is expected to ease traffic on Hwy 1, encourage ridership of the county’s public transportation system and reduce greenhouse gas output.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission Executive Director Guy Preston. “It’s a monumental effort, and we have so many more projects coming after it.”
All three phases include bicycle and pedestrian bridges. They also include a bus-on-shoulder lane along Hwy 1, which keeps buses separate from personal vehicles, allowing traffic to move more quickly.
METRO CEO Michael Tree said that the agency aims to increase ridership to 7 million per year and to purchase a fleet of zero-emission buses.
In addition, Soquel Drive will also see improvements such as traffic signal upgrades and buffered bike lanes.
Santa Cruz County Supervisor Board Chair Manu Koenig said he has heard many constituents ask when the county will fix the highway.
“Well, here we are, finally doing just that,” he said. “This is truly a fantastic transportation project and it’s thinking about our transportation facilities in a new way.”
“This truly is a linchpin for transportation in our community,” Koenig said. “If you’re driving north, you get stuck here. If you’re driving south, you get stuck here. So this project will improve flow through the heart of our community, the middle of our county. It’s going to help people going in both directions.”
Capitola Vice-Mayor Kristen Brown, who also serves as vice-chair for both Santa Cruz METRO and the County Regional Transportation Commission, said her positions give her a unique perspective on the benefits the highway improvements will have for the community.
“These projects will bring about substantial improvements in traffic and safety operations, reduce cut-through traffic on our local streets and neighborhoods–which is something that has been happening in Capitola for quite some time–and enhance bicycle and pedestrian safety for active transportation users.”
•••
Funding for Phase 1:
$3.3 million from Measure D
$35.3 million from various sources: the State Transportation Improvement Program, Senate Bill 1 and the Cal Trans Highway Infrastructure Program.
Three California assembly members on Tuesday introduced a newly minted bill which, if it becomes law, would bring financial assistance to storm and flood victims who are ineligible for state and federal assistance.
Assembly Bill 513, also known as the California Individual Assistance Act, was authored by Assembly members Freddie Rodriguez and Robert Rivas, and co-sponsored by Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria.
Introduced April 10, the bill aims to provide relief to residents who are ineligible for government assistance because of their immigration status, a group made up largely of farmworkers.
“At the end of the day, these workers are essential workers as we designated during Covid, and so we should be treating them as such,” Soria said during a brief press conference.
The bill on Monday passed unanimously out of the Assembly Committee on Emergency Management, the first step in a multi-week process that will likely include several subcommittees in both Assembly and Senate.
It has been given an urgency clause, however, meaning it would take effect soon after Gov. Gavin Newson signs it, as opposed to Jan. 1 of the following year.
If approved, it would be administered by the California Office of Emergency Services.
That agency would provide funds to local agencies and nonprofits for repairs that are not covered by insurance or by governmental financial assistance programs.
Rodriguez said that aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) remains out of reach for many of the people affected by the series of winter storms and flooding.
“All too often, FEMA and CAL OES have been unable to provide assistance to the most vulnerable communities when the disaster survivors have few paths to recovery,” he said.
In a letter to Sen. Alex Padilla and Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a group of elected and nonprofit leaders called the situation in Pajaro Valley a “humanitarian crisis” and asked for the lawmakers’ help in keeping the residents and businesses afloat.
An estimated 1,500 families are out of work because of damage to local fields. According to the letter, many of these people are now homeless because of the recent flooding.
Rivas said the proposed law would give the state “another tool” in helping people affected by natural disasters.
“A tool for the state to use to assist communities that are devastated by major disaster events like flooding, wildfires and many others,” he said.
The bill would be retroactive to 2022 disasters, including the Dec, 20 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Humboldt County, and storms from Dec. 27-Jan. 31.
The legislation is all the more important, Rivas said, as climate change is expected to bring increasing numbers of natural disasters.
“It’s clear that we must do everything in our power here in California, at the state level, at the local level, to help affected communities recover and rebuild,” Rivas said.
“Happiness is a Warm Gun” is my favorite Beatles song. It might be my favorite song of all time. In less than three minutes, you get three distinct sections—each could work as its own song, opening with a nitrous oxide daydream that sounds like it was plucked from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The tune closes with a 1950s doo-wop-flavored sexual innuendo with a chorus of “bang bang shoot shoot.” “Happiness is a Warm Gun” never gets old and makes me happy whenever I hear it. It’s the perfect introductory ambassador for the BeatlesWhite Album, a scattered musical collage that shouldn’t make sense. From the children’s cowboy sing-along “The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill” to the prepunk screecher “Helter Skelter,” the Fab Four’s 93-minute creative melting pot is an unsolvable riddle.
Maybe that’s why 20 years ago, a group of local professional musicians, including Dale Ockerman, Ken Kraft and Richard Bryant, were determined to learn every tone, mismatched rhythm and abrupt chord change spanning the White Album’s 30 tracks. It was a challenging archeological dig that took over half a year. They pulled it off live in front of an audience—several times—with an eight-piece band and other iterations, including collaborations with complete symphonies and orchestras. I’m not sure if the Beatles themselves would have been able to do it without a lot of assistance. The White Album Ensemble went on to do the same thing with all the Beatles’ post-1966 work. This rotating collective of musicians is not just another cover band or tribute; these are musical anthropologists who have dedicated two decades to sharing their love of the Beatles with the community. By now, every music fan in the region knows WAE. And everyone knows they are guaranteed to have a good time if they attend their shows, which is why every concert is a sell-out.
Hi Rob, we met briefly decades ago when a friend lived with you in Marin. My partner, Doug, and I now live on a small Portuguese island in the Madeira archipelago off the coast of Africa. Day after day, I am grateful for your “friendship” on this often contentious Book of Faces, as I also am a devotee of chronic ecstatic states. I feel that through this connection, I can float with and dive into the most inspiring insights as if we were still living in Santa Cruz or San Francisco from our peaceful, gorgeous island on the other side of the planet. —Beverly Frederick
Hi Rob! As I read the excerpts of the interview, along with similarities with Buddhism, I couldn’t help seeing how similar some things you say are to what St. Francis of Assisi also believed. It is just more evidence that human-made “religions” are exactly that: made by humans, and that REAL reality is so much more, and so much more AWESOME (in the original definition of the word!) than we can ever imagine! Thank you for being YOU! —Leon
PHOTO CONTEST WINNER
The Cement Ship Pier nears final demolition at Seacliff State Beach on April 2, 2023. Photograph by Kim Steinhardt.
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GOOD IDEA
Library week is almost upon us, and Santa Cruz Public Libraries will join the celebrations. Yes, libraries offer a wealth of books, but it doesn’t stop there: our libraries hold weekly game nights, book clubs, movie nights and more. And did you know that they offer streaming services and audiobooks? Stop by one of your local libraries from April 23-29 to partake in library week and see what your library offers. santacruzpl.org
GOOD WORK
The opioid epidemic is a nationwide crisis, and youth are increasingly vulnerable to overdoses. To try and give people the tools they need to prevent overdoses and save lives, SafeRx Santa Cruz County, the Santa Cruz County Office of Education and partners are hosting a Drive-Thru Naloxone (NarcanR) event this Saturday, April 22. Teen opioid overdoses have tripled nationally in the past two years, and NarcanR is an opioid overdose reversal tool. hipscc.org/saferx
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Each song they brought to me was a gem. I’d say to them, ‘That’s great, now give me a better one.’ And they did.
One of the unsung heroes of the effort to save Watsonville Hospital is outgoing CEO Steven Salyer. While the public was focused on the successful campaigns for emergency legislation, a bankruptcy court bid and raising the $65 million necessary for the sale, CEO Salyer was an effective behind-the-scenes partner.
As CEO, Salyer made sure there was financial transparency, worked to keep staff members from leaving, helped set up the new board and, after the transfer, he renegotiated provider agreements to help move the hospital toward the sustainability it is on path to achieving. He has been a true leader.
I am sad that he is leaving. But I have a mother who is on the verge of her 99th birthday, and I understand the tug of family needs that must be his first priority.
These letters do not necessarily reflect the views of Good Times.To submit a letter to the editor of Good Times: Letters should be originals—not copies of letters sent to other publications. Please include your name and email address to help us verify your submission (email address will not be published). Please be brief. Letters may be edited for length, clarity and to correct factual inaccuracies known to us. Send letters to le*****@*******es.sc
DUSTBOWL REVIVAL WITH GA-20 After spending years on the road, Dustbowl Revival never stopped making their joyful, booty-shaking soul songs and cut-to-heart folk-rock ballads that lift their transcendent live shows. After celebrating over a decade of sonic adventuring, playing thousands of shows in 10 countries and counting, the group collected a devoted fanbase coast-to-coast. After throwing five of their own virtual Sway-At-Home festivals during the shut-down, featuring nearly forty artists, the constantly evolving group of string and brass players led by founding members Z. Lupetin, Josh Heffernan and Ulf Bjorlin are excited to welcome a new wave of talent to the band, after emerging from a pandemic touring hiatus.$25/$30 plus fees. Thursday, April 20, 9pm. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. moesalley.com
COCO MONTOYA In a career that spans almost four decades, Montoya has gone from drumming for blues icon Albert Collins to holding the lead guitar spot in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers to leading his own band and touring worldwide. Coco Montoya’s fifth Alligator album, Coming In Hot, is full of everything that has made Coco an international blues icon—soaring, searing guitar, rich, soulful vocals and songs that combine power and intensity with eloquence and melodicism. The tracks range from blistering, hard-rocking blues to potent shuffles to fervent, moving ballads. Montoya’s unpredictable guitar playing and soulful vocals blend seamlessly with a backing band featuring bassists Bob Glaub (Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Jerry Lee Lewis) and Mike Mennell (Jimmy Buffett, John Fogerty), keyboardist Mike Finnigan (Jimi Hendrix, Etta James, Taj Mahal), rhythm guitarists Billy Watts (Eric Burdon) and Johnny Lee Schell (Bonnie Raitt) and drummer Tony Braunagel. $25/$29 plus fees. Thursday, April 20, 8pm. Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy 9, Felton. feltonmusichall.com
LARRY & JOE Larry & Joe is the duo of Joropo maestro Larry Bellorín (Monagas, Venezuela) and Grammy-nominated bluegrass and old-time star Joe Troop (Winston-Salem, North Carolina). These two virtuosic multi-instrumentalists fuse their respective Venezuelan and Appalachian folk traditions on the harp, banjo, cuatro, fiddle, upright bass, guitar and maracas to prove that music has no borders. Based in the Triangle of North Carolina, both men are versatile multi-instrumentalists and singer-songwriters on a mission to show that music has no boundaries. The bilingual program features a distinct blend of their musical inheritances and traditions, and storytelling about how music and social movements coalesce. $27/$42. Friday, April 21, 7:30pm. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. kuumbwajazz.org
THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS After finally being in the same room for the first time in six months, the Infamous Stringdusters seized the moment for their revealing new album, Toward the Fray. Inspired by self-reflection and a strong sense of solidarity, the project documents the Grammy Award-winning group’s remarkable growth as instrumentalists and songwriters. Released on their label, Americana Vibes, the collection firmly establishes the band’s stature in the modern acoustic music landscape. They’ve built a solid and enduring fan base among traditional and progressive audiences. Travis Book (bass), Andy Falco (guitar), Jeremy Garrett (fiddle), Andy Hall (Dobro) and Chris Pandolfi (banjo) wrote the songs on Toward the Fray separately, sending simple phone demos to each other during lockdown. Fueled by friendship and a mastery of their instruments, the 13-track collection feels live, but not necessarily loose, due to a synergy developed over the last 16 years of playing sheds, clubs and festival stages nationwide. $40/$44 plus fees. Saturday, April 22, 9pm. Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy 9, Felton. feltonmusichall.com
SEIZED UP WITH WESTERN ADDICTION AND THE VAXXINES Santa Cruz’s beloved Seized Up erupted as a loud blur, courtesy of Bl’ast singer Clifford Dinsmore, Fast Asleep guitarist Danny B., Good Riddance bassist Chuck Platt and the Distillers/Nerve Agents drummer Andy Granelli. The supergroup was inspired after Fast Asleep had stopped performing, and Dinsmore was eager to start something new with the guys, knowing it would be a great mix. A flashback of what all members are into, and that’s driving hardcore punk. Seized Up worked with Paul Miner at Buzzbomb Recording to record 11 songs for their full-length debut. People have demanded more since making their live debut in December 2019. Sometimes, wishes do come true.$15. Saturday, April 22, 8pm. The Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. thecrepeplace.com
‘THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME’ Based on Mark Haddon’s acclaimed novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time was originally adapted for the stage by Simon Stephens. The story follows Christopher, a young man with an extraordinary mind: he knows every prime number up to 7,057, every country and capital in the world and that yellow and brown are to be avoided like the plague. When someone murders his neighbor’s dog, Christopher is driven to discover the culprit. He embarks on an investigation that unwittingly uncovers family secrets that shatter his reality and launch him onto a path into the unknown. The original London and New York productions won multiple awards, including a Tony Award, Olivier Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama League Awards. $19.50; $17.50/students. Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm; Sundays at 2pm through April 30. Black Box Theater (inside the Crocker Theater), Cabrillo College, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos. cabrillo.edu/vapa
POPPY CHAMPLIN WITH PATTI MAXINE Poppy Champlin has a career that spans three decades. Her television appearances on Oprah, Joan Rivers, Comics Unleashed, LOGO, Comedy Central and Showtime are proof of her hard work and longevity. She has opened for numerous comics on her climb to headlining. Rosie O’Donnell, Paula Poundstone, Bill Maher, Ray Romano, Caroline Rhea, Richard Belzer and Bruce Vilanch, just to name a few. Champlin is always full of hot topics, fresh perspectives and solid punchlines. As an openly gay comedian, Champlin says she can now talk honestly about her relationships with women, but since she is not in one at the moment, she’s not focusing on that. Joining Poppy is the incomparable lap steel virtuoso, Patti Maxine. $25 plus fees. Sunday, April 23, 5pm. Greater Purpose Brewing Company, 21517 E. Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz. theneighborspub.org/events
TECH N9NE WITH KUNG FU VAMPIRE Rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor and entrepreneur, Tech N9ne does it all. In 1999, he and business partner Travis O’Guin founded the record label Strange Music. He has sold over two million albums and featured his music in film, television and video games. In 2009, he won the Left Field Woodie Award at the mtvU Woodie Awards. His stage name originated from the TEC-9 semi-automatic handgun, a name given to him by rapper Black Walt due to his fast-rhyming Chopper style. Yates later applied a deeper meaning to the name, claiming that it stands for the complete technique of rhyme, with “tech” meaning technique and “nine” representing the number of completions. San Jose’s Kung Fu Vampire began breakdancing at six and taught himself to rap and sing as a hobby. At 12, his aunt began taking him to see concerts and introduced him to a goth. He never looked back. $37/$42 plus fees. Sunday, April 23, 9pm. The Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave.,Santa Cruz. catalystclub.com
Cheech and Chong won’t be in attendance this year, but KindPeoples’ 420 Stash & Bash: A Celebration of Cannabis, Community & Creativity will radiate with blazing festivities, kicking off on April 15.
But THE day, April 20, is the day you won’t want to miss: far-out food truck fare (PANA Venezuelan), goodie stash bags (free for the first 200 customers) and live music from local favorite Pacific Roots (3pm). In addition to activations from Kiva, Cann, Pacific Stone, Jetty, local artists and vendor popup shops, KindPeoples’ 420 specials will blow your mind. While Tommy Chong’s products are currently out of stock (damn!), KindPeoples will boast tons of killer 420-only bargains from Big Pete’s Treats, Buddies, Camino, Claybourne, Fig Farms, Heavy Hitters and Lost Farms.
Puff, puff, but please make sure not to pass on The Hook Outlet’s “blazing hot 420 deals” filling the elegantly presented and curated shelves of Capitola’s and Watsonville’s now-iconic discount cannabis emporium. The self-proclaimed “Most Affordable Cannabis in Santa Cruz County,” The Hook’s core collection of popular canna brands, including Heavy Hitters, Cookies and Jungle Boys, are already sold for a dizzying 30-50%-plus less than other local dispensaries. On 420, the discounts will go even deeper—check out the deals on coveted canna creations from influential and esteemed cannabis growers like ExpendaFarms, established by popular local reggae rockers the Expendables.
Soquel’s TreeHouse Dispensary—three-time runner-up for “Best Dispensary in Santa Cruz County”—has blossomed into a top-tier cannabis destination. It’s not just the artsy vibes, comfy gathering spaces, vibrant community events and knowledgeable staff that make TreeHouse a hit with local cannabis enthusiasts. It’s the top-tier herb and Higher Edibles offerings, including Canna-Corn Nuts—guaranteed to bring old-school snacking nostalgia to anyone needing a salty, bliss-inducing snack. On 420, TreeHouse has a host of fun planned alongside the bevy of deals. Groove to live music from El Pecado de Juana (4-5:30pm) and DJ Ay Que Linda (5:30-7pm), and have fun with Caricatures by Miggy, Face Gems with Tia McCord and Hair Tinsel with Tinsel Chick. Plus, there will be munchies on hand, courtesy of Chubbs Chicken, Las Mini Frescas, Laurel Bakes and more.
Reefside Dispensary is one of the first cannabis spots most out-of-towners see—it’s difficult to miss—on their way to the Boardwalk or the beach. The first thing you’ll notice about the downtown Santa Cruz dispensary is it’s very, very green. Its ridiculously monotone color scheme makes sense, though. The eye-catching green façade is like a subliminal beacon, screaming, “Buy weed here!” repeatedly. During the family-owned dispensary’s upcoming “420 Bash,” the green scheme won’t be needed to attract local and visiting cannabis fans. Not only will there be a food truck, but for every $20 spent, customers will receive a free taco. Score! Reefside’s slew of discounts and deals, including a sale on its delicious and popular “Sour Blue Raspberry Hi-Burst” infused fruit chew edibles (Indica 10 Pack – 100mg, $18). Have a happy and safe 420!
In 1968, the Beatles released a 30-song double album unlike any other record in their repertoire—and really, unlike any other rock album that came before it. The Beatles White Album is a template for creativity; the soundtrack for a movie that was never made and never will be made is driven by an unspoken concept: When it comes to art, there is no right or wrong, just infinite possibilities.
That unspoken concept that John, Paul, George and Ringo conjured to power the songs on the White Album inspired Santa Cruz musician/stringed instrument repairman/teacher Rick McKee to do something that not even the Beatles had done: perform the White Album live, in its entirety. McKee knew it would be challenging, especially since the Fab Four had in-studio assistance, a master producer, skilled engineers and pretty much everything they needed to create whatever sound or effect was required.
There really hadn’t been any other band to attempt this feat. While the jam band Phish had famously performed the album during their 1994 Halloween show in Glens Falls, New York, it wasn’t what McKee envisioned. As impressive as Phish’s vision of the Beatles’ masterpiece was, it was just that, an interpretation. The Vermont quartet took many liberties. Most notably, they doubled the speed of “Don’t Pass Me By,” and they sang the “I’ve got blisters on my fingers” conclusion to “Helter Skelter” in barbershop quartet harmony. Also, for the album bookend, “Good Night,” Phish simply played the Beatles’ studio recording over the PA.
McKee wanted the performance to be a note-for-note rendition of the record. Something that hadn’t been done, to his knowledge, before. Luckily, most of his friends are musicians, so he didn’t have trouble gathering a group of some of the Central Coast’s most talented names.
THE BEGINNING
Dale Ockerman (keys, guitar, electric sitar, trumpet) was among the first people McKee enlisted. The Santa Cruz musician spent several years playing lead keyboardist, touring with Doobie Brothers and is a longtime music teacher. Richard Bryant (Paul McCartney vocals) and Ken Kraft (guitar and George Harrison vocals) were also brought on board.
“We were never shooting for anything like Beatlemania or anything,” WAE multi-instrumentalist Dale Ockerman (pictured) says. “There is no attempt to be a look-alike or tribute band; this is more like a symphony performing Bach or Mozart. PHOTO: Tarmo Hannula
The White Album Ensemble was officially formed as an eight-piece band with one goal: to carry out McKee’s vision. The group rehearsed two to three nights every week in the Aptos Hills for over five months. When they weren’t rehearsing, they were researching, diving deep into the White Album, and they did it all without sheet music or tablatures. The WAE was booked to debut at the Rio Theatre in May 2003—for two nights.
“When Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic would do ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ by George Gershwin, it wasn’t a tribute, and they didn’t wear suits,” Ockerman explains. “It was just some really good players who performed [‘Rhapsody in Blue’] really well. And we wanted [the WAE] to be entertaining because it’s great music, and people would appreciate it. That’s what we were shooting for, as opposed to being like Beatlemania; we didn’t want to go down that road.”
Kraft adds, “Our idea was to recreate [The White Album] as it was, not just play the music but recreate it as closely as possible to the record itself. I’ve heard Phish’s version, and it’s not like that. We didn’t know of anyone who had done the whole album live the way we did. So, we were bound and determined to do it. We got really inspired. We got a self-education going. This stuff is amazing and more intricate, soulful and fulfilling than I ever imagined. We’d never delved into it so deeply.”
Ockerman reiterates how vital every single detail was—the handclaps in “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”; the harpsichord sound in “Piggies”; the faint toe-tapping and prerecorded birds chirping in “Blackbird”; the intermittent tambourine in “Glass Onion”; how Lennon’s vocals reverberate in the second verse of “Yer Blues” that begins, “My mother was of the sky, my father was of the earth/ But I am of the universe, and you know what it’s worth!”; and the oscillator used to create the guitar sound on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”
“Happiness Is a Warm Gun” is considered the most challenging of all the tunes—Ockerman cites the various time signatures as the element that makes it such a beast. But the WAE nails it.
“We did every detail we could possibly do,” Ockerman says. “That’s why we started out with eight guys, not four, and two keyboard players to have organ and piano.”
In addition, the stacked lineup features two guitar players, so one player can handle the rhythm duties while the other player focuses on the lead harmonies. Also, the singers can focus only on the vocals and not worry about playing guitar simultaneously. Ockerman explains that’s how the Beatles did it, but since it was in the studio, they could just overdub all the parts. Making it happen live is exponentially more difficult because it was never intended to be played live—at least by the Beatles.
WHITE ALBUM ENSEMBLE MANIA
The first two performances at the Rio 20 years ago sold out.
“We could just tell how good it sounded and how much people enjoyed it,” Ockerman says.
Ockerman, Bryant and Kraft—the three WAE constants—knew after those first two shows the project was bigger than they expected. It was more than just a straightforward concert, too.
“It was like a theater piece,” Bryant says. “There was video involved; there was dance. It was a presentation that was almost like a multimedia thing. That’s how it was initially done. We figured, well, we’ll do this kind of like a play, and it just went on from there.”
The WAE followed up the first two performances with four more sold-out shows at various venues throughout the Central Coast.
“It was more fulfilling than I ever could have imagined,” Craft says. “We’d never delved into something so deeply. So, then we came up with the idea that we should put as much time and energy and thought and preparation into doing another album, but that wouldn’t be long enough since the White Album is as long as two albums, so we decided to do two albums with an intermission.”
“How would the Beatles have approached this as a live performance?” The WAE members ask themselves whenever they add new tunes to their repertoire. Guitarist Ken Kraft pictured. PHOTO: Tarmo Hannula
Bryant explains that the WAE decided to perform Beatles material from 1966 on after the band stopped touring. They began with “Rubber Revolver,” which included a performance of Rubber Soul in its entirety, followed by Revolver. Then, “Let Abbey Road Be,” featuring Abbey Road and Let It Be and the immensely popular show that included Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour.
“After we exhausted the albums, it started to ramp down a bit, and the only thing we could add was Across the Universe, the movie, which features rearrangements of Beatles songs with other people singing,” Craft says.
WAE began featuring guest vocalists like James Durbin and Tammi Brown and collaborating with full orchestras, including the Monterey Symphony and the Santa Cruz Symphony, which raised money for the youth symphony. The charts were made by Barry Phillips, the ensemble’s Grammy Award-winning local cellist/producer, who has played with Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney and produced late sitar master Ravi Shankar.
Ockerman says it’s difficult to hear all the parts when rehearsing with 16 people, especially without multi-track recording, so in these situations, the WAE employed “sectionals” using keyboards. The strings would assemble independently and break down symphonic charts into string quartets. The horns would do the same, using charts to break down into manageable sections for trumpet, tenor sax, trombone, etc.
Ockerman likens the process to “preparing for a feast.” You start with many ingredients, then check the recipe and clean and chop the vegetables.
“Then you start cooking,” he says. “We do a full band and orchestra run-through on stage, soundcheck and make sure everyone can hear what they need [to hear].”
After all the rehearsing and prep, it’s time to eat the feast or perform it live for an audience.
“The fun is getting up and playing for the audience, and looking at the smiling faces, the lips singing along with favorite songs,” Ockerman says. “It’s easy [at that point] but easy to tear up and forget the next note.”
The WAE has become a beloved entity in the region. Every show they perform has sold out, and they’ve raised over $200,000 for nonprofits along the way. Everyone who has ever been involved with the group has standout moments. Craft recalls a stripped-down acoustic show WAE performed about 12 years ago at Kuumbwa Jazz.
“We were doing ‘A Day in the Life,’ and I noticed a father and son in the audience holding each other and weeping,” he says. “It really affected me, so at the end of the night, I found the father and asked him what made him [so emotional]. He said he lost his wife recently, and it was their song. He thanked us. Then I thanked him.”
AND IN THE END
On a Sunday, a little over a week before the WAE performs two shows at Santa Cruz’s Rio Theatre, they are rehearsing in a space they’ve never played before, a place that used to be a dance studio.
After their two-decade run, which initially started as a challenge to perform the White Album live in 2003, the rotating collective of the area’s most gifted musicians, none of whom would say they’re in it for the money, are adept when it comes to adapting; these guys are experts at making any musical situation work. For this rehearsal, there’s a shared feeling amongst the eight performers that their final shows must be otherworldly, especially since it will be the WAE’s last two shows.
“Space and hearing are always a challenge with large ensembles,” Ockerman notes. “High volume schmears things up. Coffee helps. Beer or doobage don’t! These complex arrangements only work with listening, hearing and showing up.”
WAE rehearsals have been refined many times over the last 20 years. They are now a pleasurable but serious musical run-through of every song, ensuring all the little quirks are addressed. These guys are musical archeologists like Alan Lomax.
They note everything: For example, some songs, like “Get Back,” have many versions; the movie, the album and the single—all have different endings.
“Across the Universe” was initially televised on a BBC special, a live broadcast benefiting the World Wildlife Fund. The Beatles played with members of the London Symphony and a choir in one key.
The Let it Be album had a studio-enhanced version, a single with a lot of Yoko Ono and female vocals, and a Mellotron (an early, pre-synthesizer keyboard that featured a key that, when pressed, played back the tape of a symphony note.)
“You realize it’s the sound of the feeling of a version that feels best,” Ockerman explains. “It’s arts played by heart.”
These final concerts will feature Bryant, Drew Harrison, Kraft, Stephen Krilanovich, Ockerman, Trey Sabatelli, Endre Tarczy, with special guest appearances from former Lennon vocalist Alan Heit and Will McDougal on keys. There will be a horn section featuring Dan Young, Jim Hannibal, John Hensley and Steve Wilson and a string quartet featuring Priscilla Whitcomb, Renatta Bratt, Lydia Davis and Rebecca Dularte-Corbin.
Over the years, WAE has raised $200,000 for school music programs, youth symphonies and local nonprofits, including Guitars Not Guns. Bassist Endre Tarczy pictured. PHOTO: Tarmo Hannula
The same program is planned for Friday and Saturday night. The WAE will perform the album Let It Be, which was initially named Get Back—filmmaker Peter Jackson used Get Back as the name of his brilliant eight-hour documentary, a master class in creativity. The rooftop performance showcased in Get Back was the Beatles attempt at playing live for an audience, something they had not done since 1966 at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park. Get Back is appropriate for the occasion. It marked the final time the Beatles ever performed together live.
The second set will be Abbey Road, the Beatles’ final album—and for many, their favorite—a fitting musical statement.
“Those two hours that we get to play this music, we are all 15 years old again,” Bryant says. “It stops time. It’s really beautiful.”
Many moments resonate with the WAE players. It’s what’s kept them going for 20 years. But Ockerman says it’s important to know when to say goodbye—time to throw in the towel.
“It’s been 20 years, and we’ve done it all,” he says. “We’ve had a great run and want to go out with a bang.”
The White Album Ensemble performs Friday, April 21, and Saturday, April 22, at 8pm at the Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $35-50. tix.com; tickets are also available at Streetlight Records, 939 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz.
Earth Day, an annual event held on April 22 in honor of environmental protection, almost didn’t happen this year.
That would have marked the third year that Santa Cruzans missed the event—the first two due to pandemic restrictions.
In prior years, Earth Day has been celebrated in San Lorenzo Park. Because the former Benchlands encampment was situated in that area—which the city cleared out in November of last year—Earth Day organizers were at a loss for where the event would take place until the county, city and local organizations teamed together to create an event unlike anything that came before.
“Originally, we had heard that wasn’t going to happen, we were like, how can we share this work that we’re doing?” says Nikki Patterson, director of communications for the Museum of Art & History (MAH).
Patterson is part of a county environmental committee that discusses initiatives to help achieve a county-wide carbon-neutral status in 30 years. To realize that goal and continue the tradition of Earth Day, Patterson offered the MAH and Abbott Square as spaces to host the event.
“At Earth Day, we can share information, give action items to citizens and guests—the realistic hands-on action items that they can do to make a difference,” Patterson says.
EARTH DAY HISTORY
2023 isn’t the first time Earth Day almost didn’t happen in Santa Cruz, only to be saved last minute by the community and organizers.
Santa Cruz held an Earth Day event the same year the day was officially established nationwide in 1970. The original organizers were a student group at UCSC. When that group dissipated in the early 2000s, Ecology Action, a nonprofit committed to a low-carbon economy, helped take up the reins.
“Everybody was upset that Earth Day wasn’t happening,” says Kirsten Liske, Vice President of Community Programs at Ecology Action. “We hosted a convening of a lot of different environmental groups to look at how we might collaborate, and one of the projects that came out of that was a revival of Earth Day.”
This year, the event is happening during a time when climate change is a reality that has touched most, if not all, of the residents in the county. Santa Cruz County has experienced devastating wildfires in the past few years that destroyed 911 homes and, most recently, incredible storms and flooding that displaced hundreds of people.
Liske hopes we collectively start to call these events what they are: direct results of climate change, not just disasters.
“I hope we can start naming things as climate change,” Liske says. “People call them natural disasters–they are–but they’re kind of unnatural disasters. They’re made worse by climate change and then societal conditions like inequity. And that’s not a natural disaster. But when we don’t name them like that, it kind of lets us off the hook of trying to do more and step up as quickly and as much as we need to.”
This year, she thinks people will be more inspired to take action than in previous years, especially in light of the recent events the county has experienced.
“With the recent fires and extreme storm events and the drought and the hot weather, people are really starting to become more concerned and activated around climate change,” Liske says. “Earth Day is such a great way to think about that and feel like you’re at least sparking awareness and an opportunity to connect on what’s possible.”
BIG BASIN AND CZU DISCUSSIONS
Traci Bliss, author and member of the Santa Cruz Historic Preservation Commission, says that the CZU fires that tore through Santa Cruz over two years ago and burned around 90 percent of the Big Basin state park can tell us something about how to prepare for climate change.
“One of the huge lessons from 2020 is making changes because of climate change, but also making sure state parks have all the resources they need to manage these changes in climate,” Bliss says. “In 1904, Big Basin had a fire similar to the 2020 fire. But they could put out that fire in a very short period. That was because there was this huge outpouring from all these lumbermen and railroad men who rushed to Big Basin to put out the fire.”
But not just the recent fires can show us how to confront climate change. Big Basin has a complex and inspiring history that serves as a lesson for what can happen when the community is activated around a cause.
“Creating the park and what it took for the statewide movement to get to the legislation was a heroic effort,” Bliss says. “But nobody knew that for the next decade, it was going to be one huge challenge after another.”
Bliss is one of the presenters at the MAH on Earth Day, discussing how Santa Cruz came together to establish and save Big Basin. Her talk precedes a panel discussion about the park’s future after the CZU fires.
A former education professor advising teachers, Bliss often encouraged history teachers to “make history come alive” for their students.
“There was this moment in class, and I can remember it so well,” Bliss says. “This story has been passed down in my family my whole life. And if I really believe in making history come alive, I need to pursue this story.”
Throughout her life, Bliss’ family retold a story about how their ancestors helped save Big Basin. What started as an inquiry into the validity of a passed down family fable unearthed a bigger story of how Big Basin came to be and the women instrumental in establishing the state park at the turn of the 19th century.
“Of all the publicity statewide that went into the creation of Big Basin, more than 90 percent was produced by women,” Bliss says. “The newspaper articles, the pamphlets, the journal articles, all done by women. Just the idea in 1900 that women would have equal roles in any kind of an organization was extraordinarily uncommon.”
The common denominator among these women was their commitment to equality: almost all of them, Bliss says, were abolitionists and activists.
Bliss plans on diving deeper into how these women mobilized to declare Big Basin a state park at her upcoming talk on Earth Day. She has given lectures on the history of Big Basin around the Bay Area, but she loves talking about it in Santa Cruz because of the local community’s role in preserving the state park.
“I get to show these old, historic photographs of 123 years ago of how Santa Cruz brought people to Big Basin in these buggies to be able to experience the forest,” Bliss says. “Because Santa Cruzains were saying this is our home, but this forest should belong to everyone.”
The other discussions will touch on the future of Big Basin now that nearly all the structures that once stood around the park are gone; Bliss is curious how the fires might have changed how the park operates.
She hopes the message the audience takes away from the history of the park is that it took dedication and perseverance, but ultimately the community was flourishing.
“They had no idea when they started up the kind of unwavering stewardship that would be required, and yet they stepped up and never gave up,” Bliss says. “I think that’s the biggest message. The idea of just unwavering commitment.”
ENTERTAINMENT
In addition to the discussions on Big Basin, the MAH has the Bay of Life, and History of Santa Cruz County exhibits on display for Earth Day attendees, free of charge.
Peterson says that art and history are powerful tools to inspire reflection and action. The gallery on the history of Santa Cruz touches on everything from the exploitation of the Amah Mutsun, Santa Cruz County’s indigenous tribe, to the timber and fishing industry that has historically played a massive role in Santa Cruz’s economy.
The Bay of Life exhibit by local photographer Frans Lanting also features intense photographs of the CZU fires and damaged ecosystems.
“It’s basic, looking at where we’ve been to inform our current states and how we can move forward,” Peterson says. “Art is a great vehicle for that, especially our exhibitions on view right now.”
The festival will also have live music from the local band Coffee Zombie Collective, which has headlined many previous Earth Day events.
Nate Lieby, a longtime band member, says that eventgoers can expect to hear an amalgamation of songs across genres: everything from punk rock to pop to classic oldies.
“People can expect a high energy, exuberant, joyous occasion of all your favorites and a bunch of stuff you don’t know,” Lieby says.
He says the band loves playing at Earth Day events because of how the community comes together.
“Climate change is something that, regardless of where you come from, affects you,” Lieby says. “Music is something that helps bring people together; it’s something that we can all share. Similarly, climate change is going to be something that we’re all going to have to come together and figure out together.”
Pajaro/Sunny Mesa Community Services District, the agency providing water to the Pajaro area, lifted a do-not-drink order issued on April 7.
That order came nearly a month after the Pajaro River Levee broke on March 11 and released torrents of water into the town of Pajaro and surrounding farmland, damaging and destroying hundreds of homes and businesses.
The event rendered the water system unusable. When water began flowing to residences and businesses, the agency feared that contaminants from nearby farm fields and other sources leached into the water.
No such contaminants were ever found, says Operations Manager Judy Vazquez-Varela. The order, she says, came out of an abundance of caution.
The water has tested negative for bacteria and meets standards for minerals such as iron and manganese and dozens of pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals.
Still, employees cleaned, repaired and replaced defective equipment and flushed and disinfected the distribution system, Vazquez-Varela says.
“In this situation, it was really important to get that precaution out there because we were not sure if any of the floodwater was in our wells,” she says.
COUNTYWIDE DESTRUCTION
With hundreds of people still unable to return to their damaged homes—or return to the fields in which they work—there is no question that Pajaro bore the brunt of the storms and flooding.
But there were consequences countywide.
On March 14, rising waters destroyed a bridge leading to a small neighborhood in the hills above Soquel, which severed a pipeline bringing water there. That was repaired within days.
The Santa Cruz Water Department (SCWD), which draws its water from the San Lorenzo River during the winter, repaired a broken pipeline that supplies water from the Loch Lomond Reservoir to the Graham Hill Water Treatment Plant.
The damage concerned the department, which serves some 98,000 customers and processes 6-8 million gallons of water daily.
SCWD also contended with having to treat water made murky by the rains.
In early April, Soquel Creek Water District repaired a damaged pipeline that brings water from Loch Lomond—the city’s primary drinking water source—to the Graham Hill Water Treatment Plant.
General Manager Brian Lockwood says that the underground pipelines of Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency, which serves the Watsonville area just to the north, were unaffected.
Lockwood says that workers are still evaluating the turnouts that bring water to farm fields, some of which are still flooded.
The agency will also continue to monitor water quality, he says.
SATURATED FARMLAND
The heavy rainfall has been good news for the drought-stricken region, bringing much-needed moisture to farms, which has meant less overall water use this year.
The billing cycle from December 2021 – February 2022 showed 5,342 acre-feet used. This year’s number was 2,845, Lockwood says.
An ‘acre-foot,’ a commonly used term describing ample water supplies, is about 326,000 gallons.
“Rainfall is doing its job,” Lockwood says. “Farmers are not needing to pump as much water.”
Still, as the rains appear to be over for the year, water resources managers throughout the county have a message for the community: the drought is not over, and everyone should still have conservation in mind.
“With climate change, we can no longer predict what the next year is going to hold,” says Eileen Cross, spokesperson for the Santa Cruz Water Department. “So, it behooves all of us to use water efficiently.”
GROUNDWATER SHORTAGES
While Santa Cruz has enough water in the Ben Lomond reservoir for roughly one year, most of the county relies on groundwater.
Years of drought conditions—and overdraft from the groundwater basins—have drawn salty seawater closer to the shoreline, where it threatens to intrude into the freshwater aquifers, worsened by years of low rainfall to replace the outgoing water.
That would decimate the freshwater wells, says Ron Duncan, General Manager of Soquel Creek Water District.
An aerial survey in 2017 showed that the seawater intrusion has already reached the shoreline, a revelation Duncan calls “jaw-dropping.”
Duncan says this has given the region the unfortunate distinction of being critically overdrafted, along with 20 of the state’s 500 basins.
Reversing this would take decades, he says.
The type of high-intensity, short-duration storms that came this year, he says, are less helpful because most of that water falls so quickly that it runs off into rivers and the ocean before it has a chance to soak in.
Even in ideal rainfall conditions, just 7% of rainwater infiltrates back into aquifers, Duncan says.
“We don’t get much recharge to our aquifers unless it rains at least around a normal rainfall,” he says. “We need a sweet spot, really the opposite of what we’re getting.”
The message, then, is to continue water conservation efforts.
Duncan says county residents have done well with conservation, averaging 50 gallons per day compared to 80 gallons statewide.
“We are using the same amount of water now than we were using in the early ’70s,” he says. “People have been heroes, but here’s the catch: it’s still not enough.”
More efforts are needed to help slow or stop seawater from infiltrating freshwater wells, Duncan says.
HOPE ON THE HORIZON
PVWMA is gearing up to start the College Lake Integrated Resources Management Project. The project will use the naturally-occurring lake—which historically has been drained in the summer to make way for crops—as a permanent source to supply 1,700 acre-feet of water to local growers.
The $68 million project includes a weir structure, a treatment plant and a six-mile pipeline that will convey treated water from college lake to the coastal distribution system.
The purpose of that project, Lockwood says, is to reduce groundwater extraction further to help close the gap in our critically overdrafted basin and stop seawater intrusion.
Construction is expected to begin in the summer.
In Mid-County, SCWD is looking to take a bite out of groundwater overdraft and seawater intrusion with its massive Pure Water Soquel project. That project would repurpose 25% of the water coming from its treatment plant—water that usually flows into the ocean—and instead use it to replenish the aquifer.
Duncan says the project was designed to be doubled in scope if another water agency wants to join in the future. Work is underway for the $145 million project.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In English, the phrase “growing pains” refers to stresses that emerge during times of rapid ripening or vigorous development. Although they might feel uncomfortable, they are often signs that the ongoing transformations are invigorating. Any project that doesn’t have at least some growing pains may lack ambition. If we hope to transcend our previous limits and become a more complete expression of our destiny, we must stretch ourselves in ways that inconvenience our old selves. I’m expecting growing pains to be one of your key motifs in the coming weeks, dear Aries. It’s important that you don’t try to repress the discomfort. On the other hand, it’s also crucial not to obsess over them. Keep a clear vision of what these sacrifices will make possible for you.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Satirical Taurus author Karl Kraus defined “sentimental irony” as “a dog that bays at the moon while pissing on graves.” Please avoid that decadent emotion in the coming weeks, Taurus. You will also be wise to reject any other useless or counterproductive feelings that rise up within you or hurtle toward you from other people, like “clever cruelty” or “noble self-pity” or “sweet revenge.” In fact, I hope you will be rigorous about what moods you feed and what influences you allow into your sphere. You have a right and a duty to be highly discerning about shaping both your inner and outer environments. Renewal time is imminent.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In his poem “October Fullness,” Pablo Neruda says, “Our own wounds heal with weeping/ Our own wounds heal with singing.” I agree. I believe that weeping and singing are two effective ways to recover from emotional pain and distress. The more weeping and singing we do, the better. I especially recommend these therapeutic actions to you now, Gemini. You are in a phase when you can accomplish far more curative and restorative transformations than usual.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): After careful analysis of the astrological omens and a deep-diving meditation, I have concluded that the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to indulge in an unprecedented binge of convivial revelry and pleasure. My advice is to engage in as much feasting and carousing as you can without completely ignoring your responsibilities. I know this may sound extreme, but I am inviting you to have more fun than you have ever had—even more fun than you imagine you deserve. (You do deserve it, though.) I hope you will break all your previous records for frequency and intensity of laughter.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In 1886, Vincent van Gogh bought a pair of worn-out shoes at a Paris flea market. When he got home, he realized they didn’t fit. Rather than discard them, he made them the centerpiece of one of his paintings. Eventually, they became famous. In 2009, a renowned gallery in Cologne, Germany, built an entire exhibit around the scruffy brown leather shoes. In the course of their celebrated career, six major philosophers and art historians have written about them as if they were potent symbols worthy of profound consideration. I propose that we regard their history as an inspirational metaphor for you in the coming weeks. What humble influence might be ready for evocative consideration and inspirational use?
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Gliding away from the routine for rendezvous with fun riddles? I approve! Delivering your gorgeous self into the vicinity of a possibly righteous temptation? OK. But go slowly, please. Size up the situation with your gut intuition and long-range vision as well as your itchy fervor. In general, I am pleased with your willingness to slip outside your comfortable enclaves and play freely in the frontier zones. It makes me happy to see you experimenting with AHA and WHAT-IF and MAYBE BABY. I hope you summon the chutzpah to find and reveal veiled parts of your authentic self.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The German word Sehnsucht refers to when we have a profound, poignant yearning for something, but we quite don’t know what that something is. I suspect you may soon be in the grip of your personal Sehnsucht. But I also believe you are close to identifying an experience that will quench the seemingly impossible longing. You will either discover a novel source of deep gratification, or you will be able to transform an existing gratification to accommodate your Sehnsucht. Sounds like spectacular fun to me. Clear some space in your schedule to welcome it.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Most of us have at some time in the past been mean and cruel to people we loved. We acted unconsciously or unintentionally, perhaps, but the bottom line is that we caused pain. The coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to atone for any such hurts you have dispensed. I encourage you to be creative as you offer healing and correction for any mistakes you’ve made with important allies. I’m not necessarily suggesting you try to resume your bond with ex-lovers and former friends. The goal is to purge your iffy karma and graduate from the past. Perform whatever magic you have at your disposal to transform suffering with love.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The blues singer-songwriter B. B. King wasn’t always known by that name. He was born Riley B. King. In his twenties, when he began working at a Memphis radio station, he acquired the nickname “Beale Street Blues Boy.” Later, that was shortened to “Blues Boy,” and eventually to “B. B.” In the spirit of B. B. King’s evolution and in accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to identify areas of your life with cumbersome or unnecessary complexities that might benefit from simplification.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Proboscis monkeys live in Borneo and nowhere else on earth. Their diet consists largely of fruits and leaves from trees that grow only on Borneo and nowhere else. I propose we make them your anti-role model in the coming months. In my astrological opinion, you need to diversify your sources of nourishment, both the literal and metaphorical varieties. You will also be wise to draw influences from a wide variety of humans and experiences. I further suggest that you expand your financial life so you have multiple sources of income and diversified investments.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): It’s challenging to track down the sources of quotes on the Internet. Today, for instance, I found these words attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Plato: “I enjoy the simple things in life, like recklessly spending my cash and being a disappointment to my family.” That can’t be right. I’m sure Plato didn’t actually say such things. Elsewhere, I came upon a review of George Orwell’s book Animal Farm that was supposedly penned by pop star Taylor Swift: “Not a very good instructional guide on farming. Would NOT recommend to first-time farmers.” Again, I’m sure that wasn’t written by Swift. I bring this up, Aquarius, because one of your crucial tasks these days is to be dogged and discerning as you track down the true origins of things. Not just Internet quotes, but everything else, as well—including rumors, theories and evidence. Go to the source, the roots, the foundations.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In accordance with astrological omens, I’m turning over this horoscope to Piscean teacher Esther Hicks. Here are affirmations she advises you to embody: “I’m going to be happy. I’m going to skip and dance. I will be glad. I will smile a lot. I will be easy. I will count my blessings. I will look for reasons to feel good. I will dig up positive things from the past. I will look for positive things where I am right now. I will look for positive things in the future. It is my natural state to be a happy person. It’s natural for me to love and laugh. I am a happy person!”
