Page 285 – Good Times

Community Foundation Donors Help Close Gap for Hospital Purchase

Local News

-

August 5, 2022

Community Foundation Donors Help Close Gap for Hospital Purchase

Earlier this year, Santa Cruz County was tasked with raising $67 million to purchase and save Watsonville Community Hospital (WCH).

Since the February 2022 formation of the Pajaro Valley Health Care District (PVHCD)—an organization aiming to advocate for community-led, nonprofit health care services by purchasing the hospital—hundreds of donations of varying amounts have been made. Donations have come from government agencies, businesses and organizations, as well as several local families and individuals.

On May 22, Community Foundation Santa Cruz County formed the Watsonville Community Hospital Fund following Driscoll’s announcement of its own $1.75 million matching gift. And now, thanks to donors who recently contributed more than $5 million to the Community Foundation’s fund, PVHCD is $6 million away from reaching its fundraising goal and completing the purchase of the hospital.

“This entire project is an extraordinary testimony to the generosity of our community and the strength of our region’s leaders,” said Susan True, CEO of the Community Foundation. “From Senator John Laird’s heroic work on Senate Bill 418 to establish the new health care district to County Administrative Officer Carlos Palacios pulling together a team and resources, to Salud Para La Gente CEO Dori Rose Inda’s ongoing work to keep all the pieces together, to Steven Salyer’s work to run the hospital and so many more. It has taken many hands.”

PVHCD has until Aug. 31 to complete the purchase of the hospital.

WCH has been called a “safety net hospital” by local health providers for its ability to offer care to patients regardless of their ability to pay. Donor and Community Foundation board member Kirk Schmidt highlighted the importance of the South County hospital, which provides a range of services to roughly 70,000 residents in the Pajaro Valley and delivers more babies than any other hospital in the county.

“Everyone knows that a community the size of the Pajaro Valley needs a full-service hospital,” Schmidt said. “With a new nonprofit structure, exceptionally competent management and a local board of directors, we will be able to have a successful hospital for many years to come.”

Fellow board member and donor Janet Heien agreed.

“A hospital is such a vital part of any community,” Hein said. “I was born and raised in Watsonville, and the hospital has a lot of good and sad memories for me from when my own family members and friends were patients. As an employer, it’s a critical part of the life of your employees and their families to meet their needs for healthcare and well-being.”

Donate to the Community Foundation’s Watsonville Community Hospital Fund at cfscc.org/PajaroValleyHealth. Learn more about PVHCD at pvhcd.org.

Watsonville Event Brings Mental Health Resources to Youth

Local News

Johanna Miller

-

August 5, 2022

1

Watsonville Event Brings Mental Health Resources to Youth

On Aug. 12, United Way of Santa Cruz County’s Youth Action Network and Jóvenes SANOS will host a pop-up event in Watsonville to connect youth with mental health resources in their community.

The event is part of Youth Action Network’s ongoing pop-up series, which has had the group working with local partners to hold events across the county throughout the Spring and Summer. The organization has so far held events in Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Live Oak and Watsonville.

“We’ve been hosting lots of events across Santa Cruz County this year,” says Amanda Gamban, a coordinator for Youth Action Network. “This last one in Watsonville is important … it will focus on mental health.”

Youth Action Network is a local initiative aimed at providing opportunities for local youth in community-based research, civic engagement, and leadership development. Jóvenes SANOS focuses on increasing healthy eating and active living—and, recently, the group has been shifting its focus to address mental health.

Lizabeth Garcia Lopez, a junior at Watsonville High School and member of Jóvenes SANOS, said that mental health support is vital to her and her peers’ well-being.

“A lot of high schools don’t teach about mental health,” Lopez says. “It’s hard for people to talk about. But they have to learn about it sooner or later, and it’s better to know at an early age. This will be a fun activity to engage students, teach them more about mental health, like ways to cope with stress at school.”

Hosting the event in Watsonville is especially important, she says.

“Being raised here in Watsonville, I didn’t have these types of resources,” she says. “They were not spoken about, in school or with my family. Mental health is not really spoken about in Hispanic culture. But I think it’s important to teach people that to be healthy, you must have good mental health. I want younger generations to have that support.”

Community impact coordinator Pamela Velazquez said that the organization has benefited from its partnerships with the Youth Center, where they have held events many times. She also highlighted Jóvenes SANOS’ work in organizing the upcoming pop-up.

“Throughout the summer, we held planning meetings with local youth to decide what this event was going to be,” she said. “We asked our partners to identify what their programming offers and what is still needed in the community.”

Several local organizations will be on hand at the Aug. 12 pop-up, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Community Action Board’s Luna y Sol Family Center, County Park Friends, Digital NEST, Envision Fitness, Friday Night Live, Food What?!, Monarch Services, Youth Center Yoga for All Movement and many more.

The event will include a raffle, games and activities, a community mural painting, food and live music.

“With Covid, we’ve been stuck at home for so long,” Gamban says. “We hope this will be a good reason for them to get out and connect. It’s just going to be a safe space for students to come and find help and get connected with each other.”

The Watsonville pop-up event happens Friday, Aug. 12, 4-7pm. Gene Hoularis and Waldo Rodriguez Youth Center, 30 Maple Ave., Watsonville. sccyan.org. Learn more about Jóvenes SANOS at unitedwaysc.org/jovenes-sanos.

Scotts Valley Library to Reopen Saturday

Local News

Drew Penner

-

August 5, 2022

0

Scotts Valley Library to Reopen Saturday

It’s happening a few months later than initially hoped, but now, literacy fans and community boosters can rejoice—the Scotts Valley Branch Library is coming back to life.

The grand reopening will go from 10am-2pm on Saturday at its 251 Kings Village Road location. But former borrowers may find it unrecognizable.

“I know the community is excited,” says Yolande Wilburn, the Santa Cruz County Public Libraries director. “We’ve heard from the community members about how much they use the library and how much they depend on it.”

The event will feature guest speakers, a refreshment café hosted by the Friends of the Scotts Valley Library, storytime for children with Librarian Kari and craft-making.

The library even tapped magician James Chan—a teenager—to help unveil the space.

It’s the result of a June 2016 countywide initiative approved by voters called Measure S that secured approval for $67 million in financing to update branches system-wide.

Felton’s library rework was completed in February 2020 (although most of the community didn’t experience it until after coronavirus restrictions were loosened).

Boulder Creek’s branch reopened in May, and Wilburn urges people to have a peek up there when they can.

“If you have not been to see it, I highly recommend you go,” she says, highlighting the uniqueness of its children’s room. “It’s almost like you’re in a treehouse.”

On Wednesday, landscapers were planting the final ornamental grasses at the Scotts Valley site.

Narissa Karthy-Dundas, a library aide, and Paul Williams, a library assistant, emptied the outside return bin of titles such as The Shamans of Prehistory and Dylan Thomas: The Collected Stories.

Some shelves remained empty. But they’d already stocked most of them.

“I just started a couple weeks ago,” Karthy-Dundas says. “It’s very exciting to be able to bring the resources that the community needs back to them.”

Interim Branch Manager Heather Pereira, who’s working here since her Aptos branch is under construction, says she appreciates the retro aesthetic that serves as a throw-back to the building’s roller rink days.

Resident Helen Youmans says she’s happy to see plans coming to fruition after months of construction.

“My daughter uses the online version a lot,” she says. “We used it a lot when the kids were little.”

Her parents, who live in the U.K., even purchased a brick in honor of her daughter during an earlier library promotional drive years ago.

“I’m excited it’s reopening,” she says.

RTC Moves Forward with Rail Study

Local News

Todd Guild

-

August 5, 2022

0

On Thursday, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission unanimously agreed to release a request for proposals (RFP) for an engineering study of the county’s rail line, the first step in what will be a multiple-year project to establish a passenger rail system.

The study, estimated to cost $17 million, will give the RTC a picture of what a light electric rail system would look like, including the number of stops and frequency of trips, as well as what it would take to get the 32-mile system of track, trestles, and bridges ready.

It would also include an environmental impact report for segments of the track between Rio del Mar Boulevard and Lee Road and between Beach Street and the Pajaro Junction.

The study will cover the 22-mile stretch between Pajaro Junction in north Monterey County and Natural Bridges Drive in the City of Santa Cruz.

The cost of the study would be paid partly from the competitive State Rail Assistance Program. However, that funding will likely require a 20% local match, said RTC Senior Transportation Engineer Sarah Christensen.

The move is the first major step since the landslide defeat in June of Measure D, the initiative that would have signaled to the RTC to end plans to create a rail/trail system and required the county to focus on a trail-only model.

Christensen said that the study would allow the organization to do much of the “heavy lifting” before beginning the rail project.

“We really want to focus on this first step,” she said.

In 2021, the RTC identified electric passenger rail as the locally preferred alternative.

RTC officials have said it could cost as much as $60 million to make the needed improvements on the track, even before a rail system can be considered.

Getting Capitola trestle operational is estimated to cost between $15 and $30 million, Christensen said.

Several people addressed the commission, most speaking in favor of the RFP.

Sally Arnold said that the defeat of Measure D—79% of voters rejected it—gave the clearest message yet that the time is right to move forward.

“We’re really pleased to see that the RTC staff have clearly been working hard on this over the summer,” she said.

But Brian Peoples of Trail Now—one of the organizations that supported Measure D—says that the California Coastal Commission and California Transportation Commission have rules that would prohibit a new fixed-rail system along the Santa Cruz Coastal Corridor. Those organizations also restrict funding for such projects, Peoples says.

“These California policies clearly show that the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission will not be eligible to receive state funding for a new fixed rail system that travels along the Santa Cruz Coastal Corridor,” he said.

Peoples also rejects the notion that the Measure D results signal a local desire for a passenger rail system. Instead, he says, the county should explore a “transit and trail” solution.

“We need timely and cost-effective investment in building the Santa Cruz Coastal Trail, and this RFP is more delay in constructing the trail,” he said.

Commissioner Mike Rotkin called the June 7 vote a “watershed moment” in the storied history of the controversial project.

“I am so excited about what your staff has brought us today,” he said. “I am so pleased about what we have in front of us.”

Commissioner Greg Caput agreed.

“We’ve done 2-3 years of talking, and now we’re actually deciding,” he said. “The only way to go forward is to approve this proposal.”

Commissioner Manu Koenig, who had been an outspoken skeptic of plans for a rail system and publicly touted Measure D, doubled down on that doubt but said he would vote to approve it because it was the will of his constituents.

He added that he would be “overjoyed” if proven wrong.

“I want nothing more than to see carbon-free effective transport in this county,” he said.

RTC staff is expected to present its recommendation from the RFP in the fall.

The Brothers Comatose to Play Three Nights at Moe’s Alley

Music

Adam Joseph

-

August 4, 2022

0

The Brothers Comatose to Play Three Nights at Moe’s Alley

“A lot of people call it bluegrass, but it’s not traditional bluegrass,” says Ben Morrison, multi-instrumental co-founder of the Brothers Comatose. “It’s folk and bluegrass with a little bit of rock and roll thrown in there too.”

Since 2009, Petaluma-born brothers Ben and Alex Morrison (vocals, guitar and banjo) and their classically trained buddy Philip Brezina (violin) have been touring nonstop. These guys don’t phone it in; their shows, which do incorporate all the aforementioned musical genres, are sweaty singalong romps that often last more than two hours.

In addition to the notoriously high-energy live performances, BC’s slew of original tunes has helped build a worldwide fanbase that continues to grow. Since the early years, their material comes straight from their hearts and never holds back. “Scout” is an unapologetic portrait of the Morrisons’ grandfather.

“[My grandfather] was a great guy, but he had that mean streak to him,” Ben explains. “I didn’t even mean it to come out like that, but I guess the song somehow took that turn in the middle. My family knows what it’s about and can relate to it too.”

Meanwhile, “Morning Time” is a gentle ballad—the album version of the song features Nicki Bluhm on vocals. Other musicians, just like fans, gravitate to BC’s music.

Meanwhile, the grind of the working musician doesn’t get easier, no matter how long you’ve been at it.

“Doing business and art is a struggle,” Ben says. “You have to be a business guy, and you have to be artistic minded too. You’re working two different sides of your brain, but you must force yourself to do it because that’s how bands do it these days. No one’s going to come along and do it for you. You must book shows, keep track of everything and do call-backs and emails, and it’s not about the money. We do okay when we’re out on the road, but we all haven’t quit our day jobs just yet. We are getting a little closer, so that’s cool. You must love what you do and love the people you’re doing it with.”

After going nonstop for more than a decade, the pandemic was like a reset for the band.

“We didn’t know what we were going to do moving forward,” says Ben, who recently became a father. “But it turns out when it all falls apart, you figure your shit out, and you find a new path.”

The Brothers Comatose’s sixth record, aptly titled When It All Falls Apart, was released in the spring of 2022. After that much-needed “reset,” the band is back on the road and following a new path with a couple of new members, Steve Height and Greg Fleischut.

The outfit is experimenting with different forms of media and looking forward to more unexpected collaborators. They are also planning on releasing a live album sometime this year from a three-night run that will be recorded during their Moe’s Alley shows, kicking off on Thursday, Aug. 11.

Check out one of the band’s new songs, “Hole in My Pocket.”

The Brothers Comatose perform Thursday, Aug. 11, 8pm; Friday, Aug. 12 and Saturday, Aug. 13, 9pm Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $30/$35 plus fees. moesalley.com.

Openers:

Thursday: Wolf Jett

Friday: The Sam Chase

Saturday: The Good Bad

Leslie Karst Discusses her Latest Mystery Ahead of Bookshop Santa Cruz Reading

Literature

Christina Waters

-

August 3, 2022

0

She’s done it again! Santa Cruz author Leslie Karst is about to launch the fifth book in her Sally Solari series—The Fragrance of Death. Once again, the restaurateur-turned-sleuth gets into a pickle as she tracks down the perp of a murder at the annual Artichoke Cook-Off.

Problemo: Solari has lost her sense of taste and smell. Once again, jumping into the bouillabaisse with her can-do protagonist, Karst, who will be reading from and discussing the new book at Bookshop Santa Cruz on Thursday, Aug. 4, spoke to me about how this latest—could it be the last? —Solari murder caper came into existence. How will she cope while still tracking down the murderer?

You’ve written Sally Solari mysteries dealing with all of the five senses. This book focuses on the sense of smell. Which one of the senses gave you the most challenge in terms of plotting?

LESLIE KARST: I’d have to say that Murder from Scratch, which focuses on the sense of touch, presented the most challenges. In that fourth book in the series, Sally’s younger, blind cousin Evie comes to live with her after her mother is found dead in their home, and through Evie’s heightened sense of touch, she’s able to discover clues that Sally might otherwise have missed. But writing a blind character was not easy. I wanted her to be a real, fully fleshed-out character, which meant—being sighted myself—that I had to do serious and detailed research. For instance, I visited our local Vista Center for the Blind on several occasions, and they graciously introduced me to various clients who were happy to discuss with me their experiences being blind. And I was also lucky enough to spend a weekend with a blind friend and have her show me all the cool adaptive technology and apps that now exist—and she even cooked a delicious dinner for me, too!

You write what are called ‘cozy’ mysteries. How do they differ from, say, the mysteries written by Louise Penny?

The term “cozy” was coined in the 1980s to describe what was then becoming a hugely popular subgenre of murder mysteries—those in which there is no graphic violence or explicit sex and where the sleuth is someone not involved in law enforcement but is nevertheless sucked into investigating the crime. Cozies generally take place in a small town, which makes it more believable for the protagonist to know or have access to all the suspects and tend to feature “everyday” occupations such as crafting, bookstores, dog groomers, wedding planners, or—as in my series—restaurateurs. I like to think of my Sally Solari books as “snarky cozies” since they have an edgier tone than many others in the subgenre and often touch on serious subjects such as sustainable food practices, drug abuse, immigration, and the macho environment prevalent in so many commercial kitchens.

Why do you think readers enjoy this particular sub-genre?

In these stressful times, when virtually every news story makes you want to run to the medicine cabinet for a dose of Prilosec, it’s wonderful to know that if you crack open the pages of a cozy mystery, you’re in for an enjoyable puzzle with a satisfying conclusion. Yes, they are about murder—not a particularly “happy” subject—but more importantly, cozies are stories of how the average person has the power to restore justice and normalcy to a community which has been thrown into upheaval and chaos by the crime. In a way, it’s all about providing to the reader a sense of order in a world that seems to have spun out of control.

How does writing in the first person add energy to the books? Does it create speed bumps in the overall plotting process?

A first-person vantage point definitely adds a certain energy to stories, as the reader learns things in real-time, along with the protagonist. If Sally is creeping down a hallway, following the sound of a strange voice in her living room, so are we, the readers, and we experience her fear and excitement right along with her. A first-person narrative thus brings a sense of intimacy to the story and allows for empathy and identification with the main character.

First-person can be tricky to write, however, because you can only be in your protagonist’s head. Since I can’t step outside of Sally’s mind, I have to find other ways to make the secondary characters come alive solely through her observations and thoughts. But the most difficult aspect of writing a first-person mystery novel comes from the rule of fair play: since the readers discover relevant clues along with Sally, I can’t have her withhold crucial facts from them. In other words, the reader should be able to solve the mystery at the same time as she. Thus, playing fair while maintaining the tension until that final “ah-ha!” moment is, for me, the key to a compelling first-person story.

Is this the end of the Sally Solari mystery series?

It is not! In fact, I just recently finished the draft of number six in the series, to be published in August of 2023. In this book (working title, A Sense for Murder), the dining room manager of a restaurant cum culinary-themed bookstore is found murdered on the night of a benefit dinner, and the primary clue is the simultaneous theft of a boxed set of signed first editions of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. As you can guess, the sense involved in this book is the “sixth sense.”

Leslie Karst Reading and Signing happens Thursday, Aug. 4 at 7pm. Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. bookshopsantacruz.com.

Things to Do: Aug. 3-9

GT Staff

-

August 3, 2022

0

ARTS AND MUSIC

(CANCELED) STEVE KIMOCK & FRIENDS There aren’t many who can wield a guitar like Steve Kimock. He’s been at it for over four decades, but he’s not after fame. Kimock’s a musician’s musician—Jerry Garcia once said of Kimock, “He’s my favorite unknown guitar player.” The Grateful Dead connection ironically yielded notoriety through tours with Bob Weir’s bands Kingfish and RatDog. Additionally, Kimock has been involved with several post-Grateful Dead collectives, including the Other Ones, Phil Lesh & Friends and the Rhythm Devils (featuring Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann). $34 plus fees. Thursday, Aug. 4, 8pm. Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. feltonmusichall.com.

COFFEE ZOMBIE COLLECTIVE For over a decade, CZC has built a vigorous, sweaty repertoire of semi-obscure covers and “karaoke barn-burner hits.” As the local outfit continues to evolve, they mix original tunes with warped acoustic renditions of pop hits like Lorde’s “Royals”—they also play rocking classics, including Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades.” You’ll never experience the same show twice. All boardwalk concerts happen on the Colonnade Stage, on the beachside of Neptune’s Kingdom—the dance area is in front of the stage. Free. Thursday, Aug. 4, 8:30pm. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, 400 Beach St., Santa Cruz. (Free Movie at the Beach presents Trolls on Friday, Aug. 5, 9pm). beachboardwalk.com.

ANDERS OSBORNE The New Orleans singer-songwriter’s vocals emit directly from his heart, radiating with a style that is uniquely his own. Since his 1989 debut, Osborne co-wrote tunes that appeared on Keb Mo’s Grammy Award-winning Slow Down. He also penned Tim McGraw’s “Watch the Wind Blow By,” which reached No. 1 on the charts. Everyone from Brad Paisley to Trombone Shorty to Kim Carnes has covered Osborne’s songs. There’s always new material coming. Armitage’s intimate outdoor venue—on a peak overlooking the winery’s sprawling vineyards (usually closed to the public)—boasts unobstructed views of the Monterey Bay. Attendees must be 21 and over. Proceeds benefit the partnership between the Scotts Valley Boys & Girls Club and the Scotts Valley Farmers Market. (Read story). $106 ($10/valet parking). Friday, Aug. 5, 7:30pm (doors 6:30pm). Armitage Winery, 705 Canham Road, Scotts Valley. tiny-winery-concerts.constantcontactsites.com.

LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS There aren’t many who naturally exude soul music. 71-year-old North Carolina native Lee Fields is one of the rare exceptions. Unfortunately, the disco era kicked him to the curb by 1980—Fields was forced to work in real estate for several years to support his family. Thanks to a soul renaissance in the early 2000s and labels like Daptone Records—sparked by nearly undiscovered talent like Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley—Fields could return to doing what he was meant to do. In addition to bigtime hip-hop newbies, including Travis Scott and J. Cole, sampling Fields’ early material, the soul icon’s making new records—most recently, It Rains Love—inspired by something the world can use a lot of right now: love. (Read story). $25/$29 plus fees. Friday, Aug. 5, 8pm. Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. feltonmusichall.com.

PREZIDENT BROWN WITH REGGAE ANGELS Straight out of Oracabessa, in the Parish of St. Mary, Jamaica, Prezident Brown’s unique approach to deejaying, which he calls “the chanting style,” is characterized by writing songs through chanting melodies and lyrics. “I apply music to what I want to say,” Brown told United Reggae. “The melody carries the words, and I use words to express myself. If I’ve nothing good to say, I better shut up.” $20/$25 plus fees. Saturday, Aug. 6, 9pm. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. moesalley.com.

(POSTPONED) OUTDOOR COMEDY CORRALITOS Richard Stockton and Dan St. Paul will deliver an “early evening of standup comedy and music that celebrates the joy of where we are right now.” Stockton’s set features a musical component as he riffs on everything from Hi-Fi to Wi-Fi and hippies to hip replacements. Meanwhile, St. Paul has been described as delivering “sharp, clean wit with an outstanding talent for creating characters; what sets Dan apart is that he doesn’t just tell jokes, but rather creates a series of comedic events.” $15. Sunday, Aug. 7, 5pm. El Vaquero Winery, 2901 Freedom Blvd., Corralitos. elvaquerowinery.com.

TERENCE BLANCHARD FEATURING THE E-COLLECTIVE & TURTLE ISLAND QUARTET Five-time Grammy Award-winning trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard’s Absence celebrates the musician’s mentor, Wayne Shorter. The 2021 record features compositions written and inspired by the now 88-year-old sax legend, who Blanchard credits for “influencing his ever-expanding amalgam of music and storytelling.” Blanchard will be joined by his acclaimed band, the E-Collective, featuring Charles Altura on guitar, Fabian Almazan on piano and synth, Oscar Seaton on drums and David “DJ” Ginyard on bass, with the Grammy Award-winning Turtle Island Quartet. $63-68.25; $34/students. Monday, Aug. 8, 7pm. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. kuumbwajazz.org.

‘CANDIDE!’ With a score from the unrivaled Leonard Bernstein and lyrical contributions from the legendary Stephen Sondheim, Hugh Wheeler’s book is transformed into a fast-paced emotional roller-coaster of a musical. Things can’t get worse for Candide (the bastard cousin of Baron Thunder-Ten-Tonck): He’s expelled from his home, forced into the Bulgarian army, brought before the Spanish Inquisition, swindled out of his fortune, shipwrecked on a desert island—and separated from his true love, Cunegonde. (Read review). $25-60. Thursday, Aug. 4, Friday, Aug. 5, and Saturday, Aug. 6, 7:30pm; Sunday, Aug. 7, 2pm (runs through Sunday, Aug. 14). Cabrillo College’s Crocker Theater, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos. cabrillostage.universitytickets.com.

COMMUNITY

UCSC FARMSTAND You will find an abundance of tasty organic vegetables, fruit and herbs—there are stunning flowers, too. Everything is grown at the UCSC Farm & Garden. Open twice weekly through November 2022. Free. Wednesday, Aug. 3, noon-5pm and Friday, Aug. 5, 11am-3pm. Cowell Ranch Hay Barn, 94 Ranch View Road, Santa Cruz. calendar.ucsc.edu.

‘THE CZU FIRE IN THEIR OWN WORDS: FIGHTING FIRES, LOSING HOMES AND REBUILDING COMMUNITY’ Director Peter Gelblum uses actors to relay the words of the people who fought the August 2020 fires and those who lost their homes and possessions, illuminating the shared experiences—the evacuations, battling with insurance companies and getting local support. The film also uses family photographs donated by several local photographers, Shmuel Thaler and Steve Kuehl. Mountain Community Theater produced the movie as a gift to the community. Free (all donations will be split between local volunteer fire departments and the Fire Recovery Fund of the Community Foundation). Sunday, Aug. 7, 1pm. Park Hall, 9400 Mill St., Ben Lomond. in**@******ws.org.

GROUPS

WOMENCARE ARM-IN-ARM This cancer support group is for women with advanced, recurrent or metastatic cancer. The group meets every Monday and is led by Sally Jones and Shirley Marcus. Free (registration required). Monday, Aug. 8, 12:30pm. WomenCare, 2901 Park Ave., A1, Soquel. 831-457-2273. womencaresantacruz.org.

OUTDOORS

SANTA CRUZ SANDHILLS TOUR Experience Santa Cruz’s most sensitive ecosystem, the sandhills, during a two-mile guided walk. Learn about the habitat’s formation and the unique plants and animals adapted to the area. Meet at the campground amphitheater off Graham Hill Road and journey through a breathtaking setting in the mountains. Free ($10/daily use parking fee). Sunday, Aug. 7, 9-11am. Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, 101 North Big Trees Park Road, Felton. thatsmypark.org.

Anders Osborne Goes Wherever Music Takes Him

Adam Joseph

-

August 3, 2022

0

Anders Osborne Goes Wherever Music Takes Him

When Anders Osborne was 19 years old, he sat next to an older man at a bar, waiting to perform. The man turned toward Osborne and asked, “You call yourself a music man or a musician?”

“I had never been asked that question before,” Osborne says. “After giving it some thought, I said, ‘I think I’m a music man.’”

He then looked back at the old man and asked, “What’s the difference?”

“He said, ‘A music man shows up when he’s needed—he plays at weddings, funerals, birthdays, random events when music is needed; a musician shows off,’” remembers Osborne. “I’ve kept that close to my heart. I always try to remember, ‘Be a music man.’”

There’s no arguing that Osborne is a “music man.” The infinite touring, the performing, the composing—it’s who he is. Osborne needs music to live the same way he needs oxygen to breathe.

Born in Uddevalla, Sweden, Osborne moved to the Crescent City as a teen, and it’s been home ever since. On a muggy New Orleans day, I catch him as he’s walking through City Park. More than a place where he’s lived for most of his life, the Big Easy has been most of Osborne’s musical education.

“There are very few places I’ve experienced where you can play music for the sake of playing music—in the moment, not thinking about [performing] as a big show,” he says. “I saw how spontaneous music could be, growing up [in New Orleans]; the brass bands, the traditional jazz, the funk of the Neville Brothers and Dr. John. [Music] is so deeply ingrained in the culture that it never felt like we were going to shows—it was just part of life.”

Osborne recalls living in a small studio apartment on Chartres Street, close to a hub where musicians gathered and innovated.

“A bunch of musicians would go to Jackson Square and just play, jam out,” he says. “The Dirty Dozen Brass Band were the founders of this whole brass band wave that started in the ’70s. That music hit me hard. That’s when I first heard something created in the moment. Kermit [Ruffins] and [Trombone] Shorty became part of [the scene]—and eventually, Rebirth [Brass Band].”

Osborne lived in California for about 10 months, just outside of Solvang—he brings it up because it marks another moment that expanded his musical vernacular. One night, he borrowed a friend’s 1970 puke green Cadillac de Ville. The Grateful Dead’s “Black Muddy River” came on the radio as Osborne ascended a winding, backwoods road.

“I was like, ‘What the hell is this?’ he says. “I have always had an affinity for heartfelt ballads—especially ballads that are so explosive and vulnerable. The sensitive nature of Jerry is just so delicate, so beautiful.”

Whether it’s one-of-a-kind jam sessions at Jackson Square or feeling the magic of the Grateful Dead for the first time alone in Central California, Osborne soaks up every musical note he hears. It wasn’t until he kicked a prolific drug habit 13 years ago that he began to see success with his Alligator debut, American Patchwork. His 2010 follow-up, Black Eye Galaxy, which Osborne co-produced with Stanton Moore and Warren Riker, earned more acclaim. Led by the autobiographical slide guitar heater “Black Tar,” the record is raw, candid, soulful and has no boundaries. Osborne displays more musical versatility with 2019’s Buddha and the Blues, an acoustic folk collection far removed from his earlier raucous gems. But he doesn’t leave out his trademark, scorching honesty. Listen to the beautifully finger-picked “Smoke & Mirrors” for a stiff middle finger aimed at Trump.

In between records, EPs and compilations, many of which garnered awards, Osborne’s musical journey has been a perpetual cyclone of touring, festivals and collaborations with the likes of Toots and the Maytals, Warren Haynes and various members of the Grateful Dead, which he holds close to his heart.

“I got to hear how [the Dead] composed their odd meters and strange arrangements,” he says. They mix styles and personalities in a very personal way. They’re not trying to be something. They just become something as they repeat it. And that’s very New Orleans.”

Along with his alliances with members of the Dead, Osborne teamed up with the North Mississippi Allstars (who performed at Armitage last year) on a project dubbed North Mississippi Osborne; he also collaborates frequently with Jackie Greene. Somehow, he finds time to produce for Tab Benoit, Johnny Sansone and, most recently, jam band favorite Railroad Earth’s new record.

So, how the hell does he have time for everything? (He’s also a fine artist whose paintings sell for thousands). Osborne says refraining from alcohol and drugs is essential, but it takes more; it’s about understanding that “spirituality is a fundamental truth.”

“There are no interpretations that can be made,” he explains. “It’s just a matter of fact. As human beings, we interpret it differently as we travel through life. It extends to everything I do. Some days it’s a huge struggle, and some days, it’s pretty easy.”

Anders Osborne plays Friday, Aug. 5 at 7:30pm (doors 6:30pm). $106 ($10 for valet parking). Armitage Winery, 705 Canham Road, Scotts Valley. tiny-winery-concerts.constantcontactsites.com.

Paul Mullins’ Rendition of ‘Twelfth Night’ is a Riot

Christina Waters

-

August 3, 2022

0

Paul Mullins’ Rendition of ‘Twelfth Night’ is a Riot

After three years of restraint, it was a pleasure to laugh myself silly at the endless delights of Twelfth Night, the second of Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s 2022 offerings.

“If music be the food of love, play on!” says Orsino, the Duke of a mythic island called Illyria. Some backstory: Orsino (M.L. Roberts ) is mad for the Countess Olivia (Jennie Greenberry), who has vowed to shun suitors during a long period of mourning for her dead brother. Enter a young woman, Viola (Safiya Harris), shipwrecked on the coast of Illyria who thinks her twin brother Sebastian has drowned in the storm. Disguised as a boy, Viola finds employment with Orsino, who presses her into service to woo Countess Olivia on his behalf. Great, except Viola (dressed as a young man called Cesario) has already fallen in love with Orsino herself. When she meets the Countess and extols the virtues of Orsino, the Countess promptly falls in love with him/her.

Echoing this gender-bending love triangle is a partying trio—the perennially drunk and aptly named Sir Toby Belch (Mike Ryan having more fun than is legal), his clueless sidekick Sir Andrew Aguecheek (played by our future Artistic Director Charles Pasternak, who stole this show over and over), and their bawdy conspirator Maria (Patty Gallagher, about whom I’ve written, and will continue to write—over-the-top praise). These three—Belch (the Countess’ ribald uncle), Maria (her maid) and Aguecheek (the witless, aristocratic sidekick of Belch)— cavort, prance, drink, dance, sing and plot to humiliate the Countess’ vain and puritanical servant Malvolio (played to the hilt by the astonishing Lindsay Paige White). Think of it as three little worlds of romance, hilarious camaraderie and intensely coiled mischief, all ingeniously knit together by the brilliant Cedric Lamar as Orsino’s cagey fool, Feste (okay, he really DID steal the show).

If you think this is convoluted, it is. But it’s not confusing, and that is thanks to director Paul Mullins and his cast, as talented a group of professionals as ever gathered at the Audrey Stanley Grove. In each bit of juicy and cross-gendered repartée, every single person on that stage stole the show. More than once!

Let me also praise costumer B. Modern, whose uncanny sense of what each character requires, and what each mood demands, filled this production with limitless visual magic. The opening, in which all actors are dressed in shades of black, raising black umbrellas at the same exact moment, is definitive stagecraft. Brava B. Modern, never better, endlessly inspired. And bravo to actor Ward Duffy (see The Formula), who stepped into a small but crucial part literally hours before last weekend’s matinee. He made it work, even clutching a script, which he managed to make look like it was part of the staging. The show must go on, and Duffy was a genuine trooper.

There’s so much to love in this brisk comedy—considered Shakespeare’s comedic best—that the audience can barely breathe. Mullins not only understands how to ignite the full flavor of some of Shakespeare’s most wicked puns and risqué metaphors, he has also kindled genuine understanding in his actors (aided by barely visible amplifying head pieces). As a result, we can hear and understand every word. There is no yelling. No word is dropped. The audience is enfolded in each one of the play’s outrageous schemes to outwit adversaries and win affections.

The flames of slapstick are fanned by the dazzling Lamar as the fool Feste, whose vocal impersonations and musical abilities power much of the mood and mayhem of Twelfth Night. Music punctuates many scenes and scene changes in this production, from blues to Jerome Kern—kudos to music master Rody Ortega.

It’s such a guilty pleasure watching this many grown men and women having this much fun dressing up and behaving like silly children—think Monty Python, or SNL. Especially Charles Pasternak as the dapper, dumb-as-a-post Sir Aguecheek, determined to learn (if not understand) a few words of French, and duel with a much-better-trained opponent. Not only was the scene in which the acrobatic Pasternak leaps across pianos, romps up stairways, and pirouettes with abandon riotous, it was made even richer by the actor obviously having so much fun with his perfectly timed frolic. About the magnificent White as Malvolio I will say little. I don’t want to spoil your fun.

A full-on comedic romp, Twelfth Night will make you laugh more than you have since The Formula. Don’t you dare miss it!

‘Twelfth Night,’ directed by Paul Mullins, runs through Aug. 28 at the Audrey Stanley Grove at DeLaveaga Park. santacruzshakespeare.org.

Lee Fields Leads the Ongoing Soul Revival

Mat Weir

-

August 3, 2022

0

Lee Fields Leads the Ongoing Soul Revival

“Everything that we do on Earth is meant to be,” Lee Fields tells me over the phone.

It’s the first time I’ve spoken to the soul singer, and we’re already talking about the meaning of life.

Technically, I’m supposed to be asking him about his show this week at Felton Music Hall with his band the Expressions. However, I’m not one to pass up a deep, existential conversation.

“We all have a time when we’ll expire and we’ll do it at the exact time we should. Whether it’s an accident or by natural causes,” says Fields. He pauses for emphasis before adding, with a smile, “But I’ll tell you one thing: I’m having a good time while I’m here!”

At 72, Fields is an entertainer on and off the stage. One minute he’s breaking down the facts of life, tapping into a deeper emotional realm, and the next he’s wrapping up a funny anecdote with a carefree laugh.

It doesn’t just make him a great interview; it’s also part of what makes his music so good.

While popularized in the 1960s, soul music has a certain timelessness.

“In the beginning, most soul singers were actually gospel singers,” Fields says. “And—like gospel—it’s changed a bit. But a good soul song, people can feel that.”

When it comes to soul greats, several names always pop up (and rightfully so): Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, James Brown and more. It might be time we added Fields to that list. Along with classic artists like Bobby Womack and Betty Wright, he’s worked with many of the new, neo-soul or soul revival players who have solidified their places among the greats. Names like the late Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley, both whom he considered close friends.

It all started when Fields was just 13 years old.

“I wanted to be a businessman, but I got into music when a friend dared me to go on stage and sing at a talent show,” he says, recalling a transistor radio he would bring with him on his daily paper route.

“I knew all of the songs [on the radio] and I always liked to sing. So I took the dare, the girls went crazy and the band hired me that night!”

With an origin story like that, it’s hard not to believe his music career was meant to be, especially after he almost gave it up 40 years ago. By that time, Fields had already cut multiple singles, beginning in 1969, and finally debuted his first full-length, Let’s Talk It Over, in 1979. But he also noticed that the music–and the culture–was different.

“Music changed,” he says. “I had put so much confidence in the music, and when disco and dancing came around, I thought I was doomed.”

During that period, Fields got into real estate and even almost opened a fish restaurant at one point. It was a hard time for him, but Fields credits the Bible (which he also claims as the source of his love for language) and his wife (who talked him out of opening the restaurant) for getting him through.

“She said, ‘You need to stick to what you do,’” he remembers.

It’s a good thing he did. In 1993, his song “Meet Me Tonight” became an underground hit and Lee has been at the forefront of the soul revival ever since.

The prolific musician is currently wrapping up his newest album, a follow-up to 2019’s It Rains Love. It will be released on Daptone Records, which Fields has recorded for in the past. At the beginning of the year, he signed a four-record deal with the label.

“I’m hyped on a bunch of new songs we want to try live, see what the people think about it,” he says. “There’s a lot of emotions in the new album, I’ll put it like that.”

Lee Fields and the Expressions perform Friday, Aug. 5, at 8pm at Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy 9, Felton. $25/$29 plus fees. feltonmusichall.com.

LATEST ARTICLES

LATEST ARTICLES

LATEST ARTICLES

LATEST ARTICLES

You’ve written Sally Solari mysteries dealing with all of the five senses. This book focuses on the sense of smell. Which one of the senses gave you the most challenge in terms of plotting?

You write what are called ‘cozy’ mysteries. How do they differ from, say, the mysteries written by Louise Penny?

Why do you think readers enjoy this particular sub-genre?

How does writing in the first person add energy to the books? Does it create speed bumps in the overall plotting process?

Is this the end of the Sally Solari mystery series?

ARTS AND MUSIC

COMMUNITY

GROUPS

OUTDOORS