Things to do in Santa Cruz

THURSDAY 6/5

R&B

RINI

Before he was Rini, or perhaps it’d be more accurate to say along the path to becoming Rini, Justerini Sandoval busked for tips on the busy streets of Melbourne. When the singer and guitarist started sharing the sultry R&B covers on YouTube, he quickly found an international fan base, and they’ve stuck with him as he began recording his originals in the same soulful style. Warner Brothers came calling, and now he’s touring in support of Lucky 7, his second full-length on the label. KEITH LOWELL JENSEN

INFO: 8pm, Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $35. 713-5492.

AMERICANA

ROGER STREET FRIEDMAN & GARRISON STARR

Roger Street Friedman is a Long Island–based folk rock and Americana singer-songwriter. Friedman left the business world for music in his 50s. His first half century provided fodder for lyrics about love, loss and resilience. His albums have earned him respect and critical acclaim, and he’s been the subject of profiles in major music publications, including No Depression, Relix and American Songwriter. Sharing the bill with Friedman is Garrison Starr, whose alluring vocals have earned much kudos. She’s toured with Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin and the Indigo Girls. BILL KOPP

INFO: 7pm, Santa Cruz Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center St., Santa Cruz. $35-$45. 479-9421.

FRIDAY 6/6

PHOTOGRAPHY

SEVERAL PATHS TOGETHER

Several Paths Together is a photography exhibit by San Francisco artist and musician Billy Gomberg. It focuses on the beauty of the Bay Area. Recognizing that the land is the “occupied, unceded ancestral homeland of the Me-Wuk and Ramaytush Ohlone peoples,” Gomberg took pictures around the Marin Headlands, Point Reyes and Bolinas areas. The result is a set of 10 photographs of the same locations, taken from the same vantage points on different days and in different weather conditions, giving the viewer a perspective of its beauty in the constantly changing state of nature. MAT WEIR

INFO: 5pm, Indexical, 1050 River St., #119, Santa Cruz. Free. (502) 627-9491.

PUNK

FRIGHTWIG

Since 1982, these San Francisco trailblazers have been playing white-hot noise rock, packed with razor-sharp wit and unapologetic attitude. Celebrated for cult classics like My Crotch Does Not Say Go and newer anthems like Aging Sux, Frightwig brings personal, evolving lyrics, which challenge the status quo of womanhood. With a formative influence from bands like Bikini Kill, L7 and Hole, Frightwig have been called “the true grandmothers of Riot Grrrl.” It’ll be a transformative evening of glass-ceiling-shattering vocals and politically charged anthems. SHELLY NOVO

INFO: 8pm, Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, $10. 429-6994.

SATURDAY 6/7

AMERICANA

BONNY JUNE & BONFIRE

Commanding a stage is an art in itself. When it comes to local music trio Bonny June & Bonfire, it’s almost second nature. That’s why they’re described as “Americana meets Vaudeville” with their flair for storytelling, comedic anecdotes and dynamic music. Fronted by vocalist Bonny June, with bassist Craig Owens (from Lacy J Dalton’s group) and guitarist Ken Kraft (known for his riffs in Snail and the White Album Ensemble), this band is an old school soul of Santa Cruz. This will be the third time Bonny June has celebrated her birthday at a show at The Ugly Mug, and hopefully, there will be many more to come. MW

INFO: 7pm, Ugly Mug, 4640 Soquel Dr., Soquel. $25/adv, $30/door. (408) 499-9441.

SUNDAY 6/8

HOEDOWN

BARN DANCE

Barn Dance could very well be the ironic name of a hip new electronic duo from Belgium, and maybe it is, but that’s not the point. This Barn Dance being promoted at the University of California, Santa Cruz on Sunday is an honest-to-goodness, old-timey, irony-free barn dance featuring callers who will use gender neutral language, so that everyone feels welcome and invited to do-si-do to their heart’s content. Singles are welcome to come down and find a partner to dance with. KLJ

INFO: 3:30pm, Kretschner Plaza (Next to the Music Dept.), UC Santa Cruz. Free.

LITERARY EVENT

ABRAHAM VERGHESE

The Covenant of Water was an instant New York Times bestseller, an indie bestseller and an Oprah book club pick. This immersive story by Abraham Verghese takes place between 1900 and 1970, and discusses the way families in India were impacted by colonialism and technological and medical advancements. With the paperback release, author Abraham Verghese will discuss the book with Rose Feerick. The event will conclude with a book signing. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE

INFO: 6pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $30. 423-8209.

MONDAY 6/9

JAZZ

JARREAU & BEYOND

During his lifetime in music, versatile jazz singer-songwriter Al Jarreau won ten Grammy Awards and was nominated for 19 more. His time in the spotlight spanned from 1968 to his passing in 2017, at the age of 76. Paying tribute to Jarreau’s artistry, jazz vocalist and songwriter Nicolas Bearde teams up with award-winning pianist and singer Tammy L. Hall. The duo honors and creatively explores Jarreau’s expansive catalog, a body of work filled with timeless classics like “We Got By,” a vocal interpretation of “Take Five,” “Teach Me Tonight” and the theme from Moonlighting. BK

INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $35. 427-2227.

TUESDAY 6/10

FOLK

FRUITION

Known for their stacked vocal harmonies and collaborative approach, Portland’s Fruition brings an energy that embraces imperfections while perfectly blending resonator guitar, mandolin and upright bass. How to Make Mistakes, the band’s first studio album in four years, reveals an evolution of style, aligned with changes in the members’ personal lives after a year apart in 2020. Electrified arrangements that stoke fires, and twinkly finger-plucking that takes you under the stars, Fruition invites audiences to lean in and enjoy their melting pot of rock, soul, folk and pop. SN

INFO: 8pm, Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $24. 704-7113.

Hope Floats

Monterey Bay remains synonymous with great seafood. But that reality grows more fragile.

When the local salmon season was cancelled for the third year in a row this spring, this is how I put it for a piece on behalf of the nonprofit Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust: “If pondering the extinction of the California salmon fishery sounds dramatic, or premature, perhaps you’re not paying close enough attention.”

Things like poor river conditions for juvenile salmon (like low water levels and high temperatures), prolonged drought and iffy water management decisions all contribute to salmon’s precarious position, but I’m less concerned about their survival than local fishermen’s.

Salmon, after all, have shown eye-popping resilience I’ve witnessed with my own eyes: Last year, when the Klamath River was undammed after 100 years, tens of thousands of robust adults rallied upstream, speed-wriggling across shallows like thick silver snakes.

That’s on my mind for a few reasons. 1) I love seafood; 2) MBFT just hosted an awesome pop-up at Other Brother Beer Co. in Seaside (and hopefully will do similar things at OBBC’s forthcoming Aptos outpost, debuting this year or next in the former Doon to Earth tasting room); 3) This June 9-15 presents Week of Seafood Giving.

The fundraising drive does a double helping of helping out, as a $25 donation to the Trust’s Community Seafood Program helps buy fresh local seafood from fisherfolk that’s then distributed to the food insecure area residents through local food pantries.

And for 2025’s push, anonymous donors have pledged to match each $25—which provides 15 meals—so the win-win doubles too.

On top of that, upcoming Get Hooked! Dinner Series installments visit this side of the bay this summer, with Colectivo Felix at Madson Wines July 17 and over at Pete’s in Capitola Sept. 18.

More on those dinners, dock sales and how you can help—including other local species to prioritize, from halibut to rockfish to sand dabs, and how to cook them like a pro—via montereybayfisheriestrust.org.

MORE GOODER

Speaking of opportunities for positive impact, three more await. As Congress continues federal budget negotiations, SNAP/CalFresh—the nation’s most effective anti-hunger program—is at risk, despite the fact $1 spent on it results in as much as $10.64 in health care costs avoided. Learn more and access an advocacy toolkit at savesnaped.org. Over at Homeless Garden Project, meanwhile, harvest and pickup of for its Feed 2 Birds campaign has enjoyed abundant harvests and passionate partners, while tickets are going fast for the annual July 19 Sustain Supper, with Chef Katie Reicher and keynote speaker/author Manjula Martin, whose Fruit Trees for Every Garden won the 2020 American Horticultural Society Book Award. homelessgardenproject.org. And on top of that, Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship’s third annual National Trails Day with 19 volunteer trail work projects, friends, food, drinks, prizes, live music and a huge afterparty happens Saturday, June 7, act.santacruztrails.org.

SIZZLE REEL

Crow’s Nest (2218 E Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz) has launched into its inspired beach concert series 5:30-8:30pm Thursdays through Aug. 28, with ribs, chicken, prawns, burgers, beer, wine, cocktails, free admission and upcoming acts including The Cruzers (June 5), Wolf Jett (June 12) and Harry & the Hitmen (June 19), crowsnest-santacruz.com…Hop’N Barley returns to Skypark in Scotts Valley on July 12, hopnbarley.com…RIP, nostalgic ice cream: Rite Aid filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced a slew of closures, including more than 20 locations in California…A closing line-caught thought from Mark Twain: “When you fish for love, bait with your heart, not your brain.”

Playing Nice

A thoroughly French café with undertones of California vibes, Emilie and the Frenchies was opened recently by Mary Jane Dean and her childhood friend and business partner, Céline. They originally met as teenagers when Céline stayed with Dean’s family as a foreign exchange student, developing a special friendship and a shared passion for Santa Cruz’s café culture.

Pen pals who visited each other periodically, they hatched a plan to open a French-style café together as a counterpoint to a successful American-style café in Nice, France, where Céline is the owner and executive chef. That plan came to fruition less than two months ago in Aptos and is run by Dean, who was born and raised locally.

She describes the space as decidedly French chic with an open kitchen, striped wallpaper and plentiful pops of artichoke green and floral pink colors. The menu is hand-crafted southeastern French-inspired salads, sandwiches and pastries. The salad highlight is a classic niçoise, and they also offer the pan bagnat (“bathed bread”) sandwich, essentially a niçoise salad named so because it’s served between two slices of tomato-rubbed bread. Pastries include madeleines (a light, buttery cookie/cake hybrid), the gluten-free financier (perfect with a cup of coffee) and the vanilla-flavored Nutella muffin with chocolate hazelnut spread spiraled throughout. Artisan coffee offerings track with French espresso beans and French flavors.

What’s your role at Emilie and the Frenchies?

MARY JANE DEAN: First off, as a local liaison that knows not only the town and the people, but also the importance of community. My background in retail management in large cities has taught me the level of excellence that you should have as a successful business, and my community-minded upbringing in Santa Cruz has brought me back to a community that I love supporting. Céline and I are excited, honored and grateful to share her authentically French cuisine.

Describe your business goals.

We make fresh food that is not fussy and generously portioned, healthy and primarily made with local ingredients. For us, we really focus on our specialty items that you can’t find anywhere else, made in-house authentically and intentionally French in every way. We want our café to be like a mini vacation to Nice, France, and to show our guests the real warmth and kindness of French people and their food.

7564 Soquel Drive, Aptos, 831-661-5139; emilieandthefrenchies.com

Beautiful Pair

PIERCING ACIDITY Winemaker Matt Dees says the Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay is ‘precise and full of energy.’ PHOTO: The Hilt Estate

Sharing a bottle of wine over some excellent pizza at Shadowbrook Restaurant in Capitola is the way to go.

My husband and I met up with a couple of friends in Shadowbrook’s Rock Room for an overdue get-together. One of the more famous restaurants on the West Coast, Shadowbrook never fails—both in ambiance and quality of its cuisine. And the bottle of the Hilt Estate’s 2022 Chardonnay, which I brought with me, was an ideal pairing with the restaurant’s flavorful pizzas.

Hilt winemaker Matt Dees says this Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay ($50) is ripe and enticing—with notes of mango, green melon, honeysuckle and wet gravel. “It’s precise and full of energy,” he says, “with sunlight shining out of the glass.” With its “piercing acidity,” this elegant fruit-driven chardonnay is worthy of pairing with delicious food.

The Hilt also makes pinot noir, syrah and a beautiful sparkling wine made with pinot noir and chardonnay grapes.

The Hilt Estate, 2240 Santa Rosa Road, Lompoc, 805-564-8581. thehiltestate.com.

Sip for Second Harvest

If supporting Second Harvest Food Bank by drinking wine sounds good, then go right ahead. Enjoy local wines, light hors d’oeuvres and live music—complete with splendid ocean views. The event is at Seascape Beach Resort in Aptos from 1-4pm on Sunday, June 22. Tickets are $75, or $125 for VIP. thefoodbank.org

High in the Sky

From its breathtakingly high elevation, Muns Vineyard will be showcasing some of its beautiful wines on June 15, 28 and 29. Proprietors Ed Muns and Mary Lindsay will pour estate pinot noirs and syrah at their “Vineyard in the Sky.” For more info and to make a reservation, visit munsvineyard.com.

Free Will Astrology

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ARIES March 21-April 19

You have had resemblances to cactuses in recent days. It hasn’t always been pleasant and cheerful, but you have become pretty skilled at surviving, even thriving, despite an insufficiency of juicy experiences. Fortunately, the emotional fuel you had previously stored up has sustained you, keeping you resilient and reasonably fluid. However, this situation will soon change. More succulence is on its way. Scarcity will end, and you will be blessed with an enhanced flow of lush feelings.

TAURUS April 20-May 20

I foresee abundance emerging from modest sources. I predict breakthroughs arising out of your loving attention to the details of the routine. So please don’t get distracted by poignant meditations on what you feel is missing from your life. Don’t fantasize about what you wish you could be doing instead of what you are actually doing. Your real wealth lies in the small tasks that are right in front of you—even though they may not yet have revealed their full meaning or richness. I invite you and encourage you to be alert for grandeur in seemingly mundane intimate moments.

GEMINI May 21-June 20

It’s time for your Uncle Rob to offer you some fundamental advice for living. These tips are always worthy of your contemplation, but especially now. Ready? Being poised amidst uncertainty is a superpower. You may attract wonders and blessings if you can function well while dealing with contradictory feelings, unclear situations and incomplete answers. Don’t rush to artificial closure when patience with the unfinished state will serve you better. Be willing to address just part of a problem rather than trying to insist on total resolution. There’s no need to be worried or frustrated if some enigmas cannot yet be explained and resolved. Enjoy the mystery!

CANCER June 21-July 22

Acclaimed Cancerian poet Lucille Clifton published 14 books and mothered six children. That heroism seems almost impossible. Having helped raise one child myself, I know how consuming it is to be a parent. Where did she find the time and energy to generate so much great literature? Judging from the astrological omens, I suspect you now have access to high levels of productivity comparable to Clifton’s. Like her, you will also be able to gracefully juggle competing demands and navigate adeptly through different domains. Here’s my favorite part: Your stellar efficiency will stem not from stressfully trying too hard but rather from good timing and a nimble touch.

LEO July 23-Aug. 22

One of the seven wonders of the ancient world was the Colossus of Rhodes, located on a Greek island. Symbolizing power and triumph, it was a towering statue dedicated to the sun god Helios. The immediate motivation for its construction was the local people’s defeat of an invading army. I hereby authorize you to acquire or create your own personal version of an inspiring icon like the Colossus, Leo. It will symbolize the fact that the coming months will stimulate lavish expressions of your leonine power. It will help inspire you to showcase your talents and make bold moves. PS: Be alert for chances to mobilize others with your leadership. Your natural brilliance will be a beacon.

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s biggest structure built by living things. Lying beneath the Coral Sea off the east coast of Australia, it’s made by billions of small organisms, coral polyps, all working together to create a magnificent home for a vast diversity of life forms. Let’s make the Great Barrier Reef your symbol of power for the next 10 months, Virgo. I hope it inspires you to manage and harness the many details that together will generate a robust source of vitality for your tribe, family and community.

LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22

One of my favorite poets, Arthur Rimbaud, wrote all of his brilliant work before he became an adult. I suspect that no matter what your age is, many of you Libras are now in an ultra-precocious phase with some resemblances to Rimbaud from age 16 to 21. The downside of this situation is that you may be too advanced for people to thoroughly understand you. You could be ahead of your time and too cool for even the trendsetters. I urge you to trust your farseeing visions and forward-looking intuitions even if others can’t appreciate them yet. What you bring to us from the future will benefit us all.

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21

Blacksmiths still exist. They were more common in the past, but there are many 21st-century practitioners. It’s a demanding art, requiring intense heat to soften hard slabs of metal so they can be forged into intricate new shapes. The process requires both fire and finesse. I think you are currently in a phase when blacksmithing is an apt metaphor. You will need to artfully interweave passion and precision. Fiery ambition or intense feelings may arise, offering you raw energy for transformation. To harness it effectively, you must temper your approach with patience, restraint and detail-oriented focus.

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21

Jean-Paul Sartre and Simon de Beauvoir were two feisty, independent, strong-minded French writers. Beauvoir was a trailblazing feminist, and Sartre was a Nobel Laureate. Though they never officially married, they were a couple for 51 years. Aside from their great solo accomplishments, they also gave us this gift: They proved that romantic love and intellectual equality could coexist, even thrive together, with the help of creative negotiation. I propose we make them your inspirational role models for now. The coming months will be a favorable time to deepen and refine your devotion to crafting satisfying, interesting intimate relationships.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19

Over 2,600 years ago, ancient Babylonian astronomers figured out the highly complex cycle that governs the recurrence of lunar and solar eclipses. It unfolds over a period of 18 years and 11 days. To analyze its full scope required many generations of researchers to carry out meticulous record-keeping with extreme patience. Let’s make those Babylonian researchers your role models, Capricorn. In the coming months, I hope they inspire you to engage in careful observation and persistent investigation as you discover meaningful patterns. May they excite your quest to discern deep cycles and hidden rhythms.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18

I invite you to try this visualization exercise, Aquarius: Picture a rosebud inside your body. It’s located in your solar plexus. Imagine it’s steadily and gently opening, filling your body with a sweet, blissful warmth, like a slow-motion orgasm that lasts and lasts. Feel the velvet red petals unfolding; inhale the soft radiance of succulent fragrance. As the rose fully blooms, you become aware of a gold ring at its center. Imagine yourself reaching inside and taking the ring with your right hand. Slip the ring onto your left ring finger and tell yourself, “I pledge to devote all my passionate intelligence to my own well-being. I promise to forever treat myself with tender loving respect. I vow to seek out high-quality beauty and truth as I fulfill my life’s mission.”

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20

I foresee the arrival of a living fossil, Pisces. An influence you thought was gone may soon reappear. Aspects of your past could prove relevant to your current situation. These might be neglected skills, seemingly defunct connections or dormant dreams. I hope you have fun integrating rediscovered resources and earmarking them for use in the future. PS: Here’s a lesson worth treasuring: While the world has changed, a certain fundamental truth remains true and valuable to you.

Homework: What is the best surprise gift you could give yourself right now? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

© Copyright 2025 Rob Brezsny

Tragedy + Time

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It’s said that comedy is tragedy plus time. In Aaron Foster’s case, it’s also depression, anxiety, grief, two restaurants, a defunct sports nutrition brand and a stint as an HGTV host—all seasoned with gallows humor and served under the banner Mostly Jokes.

The show, which lands at the Actors’ Theatre on June 4, is a one-man dive into the deep end of mental health with nothing but a mic as a flotation device. Foster, who returned to stand-up after a 15-year hiatus, has crafted an autobiographical act that confronts—with harrowing hilarity—his family trauma, career detours and the garden-variety existential dread that festers behind curated Instagram smiles.

“The first time I told a joke about my brother committing suicide, it did not go well, to say the least,” he told me. “But, one person (one) found me after the show and said their brother had done the same thing and that it was the funniest joke they’d ever heard. That was enough reason to stick with it.”

Dark? Yep. But ultimately cathartic (for both the performer and the audience) and, above all, funny. 

“I don’t think there is such a thing as ‘too dark,’ but there is definitely such a thing as ‘not funny,’ and that’s the ultimate measuring stick,” Foster said. “When you’re starting out and audiences don’t know you, it’s not always ideal to open with five (or 15) minutes about clinical depression, so you’d better figure out a way to make that stuff really funny and relatable.”

Foster does. And he’s earned his black belt in emotional jujitsu, flipping pain into punchlines with finesse honed over years—years of therapy.

“My life is pretty fantastic on paper. Unfortunately, in my head, it’s a whole different thing,” he said, candid about his ongoing bouts with imposter syndrome and a tendency to catastrophize. “An hour on stage in front of 100 strangers is more comfortable to me than 10 minutes at a cocktail party.”

Comedy is where chaos and control share a safe-word. And Foster’s set is a masterclass in owning the narrative. From strained family dynamics (a bipolar father, a schizophrenic brother, among other issues) to the psychic wounds of the career complexifier known as Hollywood.

“Turning a breakdown into material might be easier than turning it into a breakthrough, unfortunately. Unless turning a breakdown into material is the breakthrough?” he noted. 

It might be. At least it’s honest. And in a culture over-attuned to performative vulnerability on TikTok and Instagram, the real deal is damn near revolutionary. That said, Foster is not deluded about the odds. Hollywood loves a comeback story—but it’s hard to get it to notice.

“Sure, it’s late in the game, but it ain’t over ’til you’re dead and buried, so you might as well keep swinging,” he said. “It’s probably as long a shot as doing it the other way, maybe longer, but at least it’s mine.”

Aaron Foster performs his solo show, “Mostly Jokes,” at 8pm on June at Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center St., Santa Cruz. Tickets: $15. santacruzactorstheatre.org

AIDS Ride Hits Finish Line

Just over three decades ago, a group of people set out on a 545-mile bicycle journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles, a weeklong trek that took them along rugged coastlines, through verdant agricultural fields and along vast stretches of highway.

Then called the California AIDS Ride, the annual event evolved in 2002 to the AIDS/LifeCycle. It is the world’s largest annual HIV/AIDS fundraiser, and benefits the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center. 

With 2,067 cyclists and about 800 road crew participating in this year’s event—and more than $300 million raised since its inception—few would question either its success or its allure. 

Despite this, crossing the finish line on June 7 will have bittersweet significance for the riders, since the event is ending its 31-year run this year.

Tyler TerMeer, San Francisco AIDS Foundation CEO, said the event has seen a decline in participation, despite record-breaking attendance after the Covid-19 pandemic.

After decreases in 2023 and 24, organizers saw shifts in the way people participate in their communities.

“They were hanging out in smaller groups, not going to large events,” he said. “But also people’s jobs changed, the way they were able to raise money changed, the amount of time they could take off work changed, and this ride was a very large commitment.”

And so, as costs of producing the event increased as revenues decreased, organizers wanted to make sure they were being good stewards of their donors’ funds.

“At the end of the day, we wanted to make a really thoughtful decision for the participants of the AIDS/LifeCycle community,” TerMeer said. “And if we were going to end the ride, to do so in a way that would allow them to feel closure to something that has been so meaningful to so many people for so many years.”

TerMeer, who has been living with HIV for more than two decades, said he found the ride about 17 years ago, a discovery that changed his life.

“I found some of the people I consider my closest friends and chosen family on this ride,” he said. “I learned about real community and real leadership, and I cannot imagine my life up until this point without it. I know that I will always carry so much of what I learned, so many of the people, so many of the stories forever. This community is just so magical; it is what we want the world to look like every day.”

The announcement that this year would be AIDS/LifeCycle’s swan song drew an immediate response, TerMeer said.

“When we announced the final ride, we saw an immense amount of love for our community,” he said. “We sold out very quickly. We just have so much love out on the road right now.”

TerMeer stressed that the organizations that have heretofore benefitted from the ride will still be engaging their missions, and that they still need donors. 

And more events are in the works, including a three-day cycling event from San Francisco through Sonoma wine country, and the return of a running event called the Big Gay 10K, TerMeer said.

“LifeCycle has always been more than the miles we ride,” he said. “It’s about the movement that we have been committed to, not only the HIV movement, but the movement of our bodies and the movement of the stories that we’ve collected and the movement of the people that we carry in our hearts. And I think that we’re really committed to figuring out how the heart of AIDS/LifeCycle continues into the future.”

Seeing Red? Highway 1 Bus Lanes Explained

It’s probably the most-asked question in the county today. Large swaths of Highway 1 lanes between Soquel Drive and 41st Avenue have been painted bright red as part of the ongoing Bus-On-Shoulder project but what do they mean? How will they work? Are the third lanes along the freeway edges for buses only?

We reached Amin Abuamara, the director of capital projects for the Regional Transportation Committee, who gave us the answers in a way we could understand (which up to now nothing else has).

  1. The new auxiliary lanes on the edges of the freeway can be used by buses or cars. They are designed for cars going from one exit to the next. They will be built in three stages from Soquel Drive to Freedom Boulevard.
  2. The first stage from Soquel Drive to 41st Avenue should be finished by July 30.
  3. The red boxes, which are a new concept called Bus-On-Shoulder lanes, are, as it says, only for buses getting on or off the exits. They are meant to speed up buses and make them more desirable. Cars aren’t allowed on them, thus the red warning. Those boxes won’t be operational until the second segment is finished.
  4. The next segment, Bay/Porter to State Park Drive, won’t be finished until fall 2026. That one is funded and the segment after that, which will go to Freedom Boulevard, is awaiting funding. That last segment is 95 percent designed and could be finished in two or three years, said Abuamara.

So, cars will have what appears to be an added third lane, but it won’t really increase traffic capacity much, said Abuamara. It should make it easier for drivers who want to only go from one exit to the next.

But what about drivers who want to jump onto the auxiliary lane and then cut back into the left two lanes of traffic?

“People will realize that’s not our way of driving,” the director said. “With time, people might think that’s not the proper way to do it.”

There are similar lanes on Highway 680, he said, that have proven to relieve congestion.

Bus drivers will need training to use the red boxes, so they won’t be in use until fall 2026, when 4.5 miles of auxiliary lanes should be finished.

Construction on a bridge over a freeway
ON THE MOVE A new overcrossing to Highway 1 at Capitola Avenue is taking shape. Photo:Tarmo Hannula

The RTC’s website projects the costs of the lanes and bus shoulders in the first phase at $43 million with $98.7 million for the second phase  and $238 million for all three phases up to Freedom, including a pedestrian crossing at Mar Vista Drive and a new bridge at Capitola Avenue. Some of the money comes from Measure D, which voters passed in 2016 and the rest from grants, according to Brian Zamora, assistant transportation engineer.

The contractor is Granite Construction of Watsonville.

On July 30, the RTC is planning to celebrate several completed projects, including the auxiliary lanes. The other is the Chanticleer bike and pedestrian bridge, the one with the whales on it. 

The party is set for 5:30-7pm July 30 at the Chanticleer Overcrossing (it was originally planned for May 14).

Street Talk

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DANIEL

I’d pretend to be Spider Man, swinging on monkey bars at the playground. The neighborhood kids would pretend to be superheroes and jump around. We would randomly pick someone and imagine they are the enemy. Sometimes it got confrontational, so the parents could step in.

Daniel Zeng, 19, Pre-Law Major at Pitzer College


SIENNA

We played house during recess at elementary school. We played in the sand and everyone had their roles, and we had different scenarios, like we would make food with the sand.

Sienna Gibbs, 19, Psychology Major at UCSC


ZACH

My neighbors and I would play Legos and build a whole city with a supermarket. You always want more Legos and it’s fun to figure out what to do with the pile. We would make lots of Lego guys and put them on a Lego airplane so they can fight each other.

Zach Rugee, 21, Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology Major at UCSC


ANTHONY

We had those spiky balls from trees all over. We’d pretend it was a minefield, so if you step on one it blows up or sticks to your bare foot. We built forts with them and threw them like cannonballs. And I’d make paper airplane spaceships like Star Wars and fly them through leaves and bushes like a jungle planet.

Anthony Garcia, 23, Nomad


MELISSA

My friend and I would pick ferns and hide behind them. We would tell my little sister that we were “fern sisters,” like we were made of ferns.

Melissa Lamb, 56, School Psychologist


IVAN

In preschool, I told a girl, “I want a kiss from you.” She said, “I’ll pretend my glue stick is lipstick, so the kiss won’t go away.” When I kissed her, my lips stuck together, and she laughed. She said, “I told you! You’ll never forget me now!” And I never have. I learned then that women are smarter than us.

Ivan Chacon, 52, Finance

Pride Parade Photos

Here are a bunch of shots from today’s parade…

Things to do in Santa Cruz

Frightwig photo featured in Calendar
Since 1982, Frightwig has been playing white-hot noise rock, packed with razor-sharp wit and unapologetic attitude. Friday at Crepe Place

Hope Floats

dining review image
When the Klamath River was undammed after 100 years, tens of thousands of adult salmon rallied upstream, speed-wriggling across shallows like thick silver snakes.

Playing Nice

Foodie File image
At French café Emilie and the Frenchies, the menu is hand-crafted southeastern French-inspired salads, sandwiches and pastries.

Beautiful Pair

Vine and Dine image Matt Dees
Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay is ripe and enticing—“It’s precise and full of energy with sunlight shining out of the glass.”

Free Will Astrology

Astrology, Horoscope, Stars, Zodiac Signs
Week of June 5

Tragedy + Time

Black-and-white photo of a guy backstage with his feet propped up
Aaron Foster’s show at the Actors’ Theatre on June 4 will be a one-man dive into the deep end with nothing but a mic as a flotation device.

AIDS Ride Hits Finish Line

People cycling down a rural road
Just over three decades ago, a group set out on a 545-mile bicycle journey that evolved into the world’s largest annual HIV/AIDS fundraiser.

Seeing Red? Highway 1 Bus Lanes Explained

Lanes of the freeway with one painted bright red
Large swaths of Highway 1 lanes between Soquel Drive and 41st Avenue have been painted bright red. What does this mean?

Street Talk

row of silhouettes of different people
What was your childhood pretend game?

Pride Parade Photos

Here are a bunch of shots from today's parade...
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