A booster shot of the coronavirus vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech increased the level of neutralizing antibodies against both the original version of the virus and the omicron variant in a small trial of children age 5 to 11, the companies announced on Thursday.
If the companies’ claims of a strong immune response pass muster with federal regulators, the government could broaden eligibility for booster doses to include 28 million more children.
The study by Pfizer and BioNTech, which the companies described in a brief news release, included 140 children who received a booster six months after their second shot.
The children showed a sixfold increase in antibody levels against the original version of the virus one month after receiving the booster, compared with one month after receiving a second dose. Laboratory tests of blood samples from a subgroup of 30 children also showed 36 times the level of neutralizing antibodies against the omicron variant compared with levels after only two doses, according to the news release and a Pfizer spokeswoman.
The study did not show how long the antibodies last, or test effectiveness against COVID. The data was not published or peer-reviewed.
Antibodies are the immune system’s first line of defense against infection. They are expected to rise after an additional dose; how rapidly that protection wanes has been an enduring concern for vaccine experts, regulators and manufacturers.
The companies said they would ask the Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization of a booster for 5- to 11-year-olds “in the coming days.” The agency has typically acted within a month of receiving such requests.
Currently, Americans 12 and older are eligible for at least one booster, and about 30 million people age 50 or older are eligible for a second one. Studies suggest that 5- to 11-year-olds may particularly need a booster.
Researchers in New York state recently found that while two Pfizer shots protected children in that age group from serious illness, they provided virtually no protection against symptomatic infection, even just a month after full immunization.
“I think a bottom line is that in order to protect from the omicron, we know from studies and from adults and adolescents that you need three doses,” said Dr. Kathryn M. Edwards, a pediatric vaccine expert at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “So I think the FDA will likely approve the third dose for the 5- to 11-year-olds.”
The companies’ announcement comes as new U.S. virus cases are again ticking up slightly after two months of sustained declines. The upswing has been particularly noticeable in the Northeast, where the omicron subvariant known as BA.2, now the dominant version of the virus in the United States, first took hold.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, warned in recent days that the nation could see a significant increase in infections over the next several weeks. But he has said the rates of hospitalizations are unlikely to rise in tandem because so many Americans have a degree of immunity, either from vaccines or prior infections.
Several hundred children age 5 to 11 have died of COVID since the pandemic began, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but pediatric shots have been a hard sell for many parents. Only about 28% of children in that age group have received two doses and would be eligible for a booster. Roughly 7% have received just one dose, the agency’s data shows.
There was an initial rush for shots after they were first offered for that age group in November, but the increase in the vaccination rate then slowed to a crawl.
Edwards said some parents feel that the chances are low that their children will get seriously ill, while the shots are an unknown. She said some research indicates that 45% of children who get infected have no symptoms at all.
“The problem is that we can’t predict who is going to get sick and who is not,” she said. And among those who do, “there will be kids that are going to be hospitalized, and there will be a few deaths.”
The share of children age 5 to 11 with at least one dose varies starkly by region, according to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Five of the top 10 states with the highest vaccination rates were in New England, while eight out of the 10 states with the lowest rates were in the South.
The study done by New York researchers, posted online in late February, found that for children age 5 to 11, the Pfizer vaccine’s effectiveness against infection fell to 12% from 68% within 28 to 34 days after the second dose. That was a steeper decline than for older adolescents and teens who received a much stronger dose.
Another study by the CDC stated that two Pfizer doses reduced the risk of omicron infection by 31% among those ages 5 to 11, compared with a 59% reduction in risk among those ages 12 to 15.
Pfizer’s vaccine is so far the only one authorized for those younger than 18.
The Watsonville City Council appointed Rene Mendez, the current chief executive for the city of Gonzales, as Watsonville’s new city manager during its Tuesday meeting.
Mendez has three decades of experience in state, county and city government and has spent the last 17 years as the top admin with the city of Gonzales.
Gonzales Mayor Jose L. Rios says that Mendez will leave an exemplary legacy highlighted by economic growth, investment in energy independence, youth development and community involvement.
“It’s our loss and Watsonville’s gain,” Rios says. “I seriously doubt that anyone is going to be able to fill those shoes.”
Rios said that Mendez, a first-generation Mexican American who holds a master’s degree in public policy from Duke University, told the city council of the move last week. The city made a counteroffer in hopes of retaining him.
“It was a lucrative deal, I think,” Rios says. “But it wasn’t about the money. It was about the challenge.”
Watsonville not only has more than five times the population of Gonzales—55,000 compared to 9,000—but it also comes with issues that the small Monterey County city does not. Santa Cruz County’s southernmost city has seen a recent increase in homelessness and crime—issues that only worsened during the pandemic—and it has struggled to quickly build enough housing and improve its economic vitality to help its residents keep up with the ever-increasing wage gap.
In addition, come November Watsonville voters will be faced with the decision of whether or not they will extend Measure U, a ballot measure approved in 2002 that put growth restrictions on the city in an effort to protect surrounding agricultural land.
The city council unanimously recommended his appointment. They received 27 applications for the position and interviewed five candidates.
On Tuesday, many on the council said that Mendez’s community involvement and his award-winning health in all policy initiative helped him rise above the other candidates.
“I think that we, by far, got a great candidate,” Watsonville Mayor Ari Parker said. “I’m very excited about what the upcoming year is going to look like with Rene.”
He was not in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting. Parker said that he was in Portland at a prior engagement.
Mendez signed a five-year deal with a base annual salary of $240,000. Also included in the contract: A six-month $2,000 monthly housing allowance, so long as Mendez relocates to within city limits within the first year of the deal.
Rios says that he’s excited to see what Mendez will accomplish in Watsonville. He said that he was instrumental in convincing agricultural industry giants Taylor Farms and Mann Packing to set up in Gonzales. He also led efforts to create the city’s microgrid project, a local 35-megawatt energy source that will help solve issues with rolling blackouts when it is completed later this year.
“When he told us [about the move] he said it wasn’t anything against Gonzales, but he felt he needed a challenge,” Rios says. “He said, ‘I’m 57 years old and I can’t help but wonder if I can do it in a bigger city? I want that challenge.’ I think he’s ready for it.”
So, too, does President/CEO of United Way of Monterey County Katy Castagna, who spoke glowingly of Rios’ efforts to help youth in Gonzales. Like Watsonville, about a third of Gonzales’ residents are 18 years or younger. Castagna says that Rios served as a conduit between the city, the community and the youth-serving nonprofit on several initiatives.
That includes the Family, Friends and Neighbors program that worked with informal childcare providers throughout the city to teach them how to correctly develop and educate the children they look after.
Mendez has served on the board of United Way of Monterey County for the past five years.
“Any time [Mendez’s] at the table, he’s a tremendous contributor because he’s always challenging us to think bigger,” Castagna says. “I’m excited for Watsonville.”
Castagna also lauded Mendez for his response during the pandemic. Under his leadership, Gonzales was able to quickly and effectively run mass food distributions and convince the vast majority of its residents to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
Rios says that Gonzales is the lone South Monterey County community that holds a 100% vaccination rate for people who are eligible for the vaccine.
“It’s really amazing how many people truly, truly care about the community,” Rios says.
That is, in part, because of Mendez’s effort to brand the city, Rios says. The Gonzales Way is an initiative that began under his tenure that urges residents to embrace three words while they raise their kids: Love, care and connect. Rios also highlighted Mendez’s creation of a youth council that represents the city’s young people at city council and school board meetings. The program has become so successful that other cities around Monterey County are beginning to replicate it.
“And [the council is] starting to pay off,” Rios says. “[Our young people] are going off but they’re also coming back and working in their community.”
Mendez’s involvement with Gonzales doesn’t end with his work as the city manager. He has also served as the tennis coach at Gonzales High School for more than a decade. He also had two sons who were star athletes at Gonzales High. The youngest, Gabe, is graduating this summer and has a scholarship to play football at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash. lined up.
Gonzales High Athletic Director Margie Daniels says that when she first arrived at the school eight years ago as a track and field and cross country coach and teacher she only knew Mendez as a tennis coach. But when she moved to Gonzales three years ago, she was able to see everything else he does for the youth outside of coaching.
“He’s a great mentor as a coach and as city manager he’s been way more than that,” she says. “He goes above and beyond to help the [school] district … He really involved the schools in city activities. He’s a huge part of the community. This move, I’m kind of shocked right now … Watsonville better treat him right because we’ll take him back in a heartbeat.”
Rios echoed Daniels, adding that Mendez was also a part of the local Rotary club and that his wife even started a folklórico group.
“He has really embraced Gonzales,” Rios says. “I know he’s going to do the same in Watsonville.”
The Watsonville City Council approved a new developer fee that it hopes will jump-start an arts renaissance in a city that has for decades struggled to find funding and space for the arts.
If approved at an upcoming second reading, the fee will require developers—both commercial and residential—to pay 0.75% of their estimated total construction costs, with a cap of $75,000. The proceeds will go into a Cultural Fund the city will use to create a public art master plan that will serve as a roadmap for Watsonville’s artists to follow in the years to come.
The city council approved the fee unanimously after making significant alterations to staff’s original recommendation to implement a 0.25% fee with the ability for developers to opt out by creating their own public art piece, donating artwork or incorporating a cultural facility into their projects.
Councilman Jimmy Dutra led the effort to nix the opt-out option, and Councilwoman Rebecca Garcia made the motion to increase the fee percentage.
Garcia first moved to increase the fee to 1.5% after seeing that other local jurisdictions, such as Capitola, charge developers 2% to fund public art projects. In addition, the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission recommended the fee be set at 1.5%. But after hearing Community Development Department Director Suzi Merriam say that the fee would create an onerous hurdle for developers, Garcia sliced her proposal in half.
City Attorney Samantha Zutler added a stipulation to the council’s final motion, saying that Tuesday’s decision will be dependent on if the changes to the original ordinance are legally sound and if the increased percentage is deemed feasible by city staff.
More than three dozen people, many of whom are deeply entrenched in Pajaro Valley’s art community, spoke in favor of the fee, saying that public investment in arts is overdue.
“As performing arts organizations, as individual artists, we’ve all had to fight for the same pot of money and we’ve all had to scrape the barrel as much as possible in order to survive,” said Watsonville native Alex Santana, a visual and performing artist. “We have very limited funding and very limited opportunities for resources.”
Gabriel Barraza and his family, including his two kids who were dressed in Folklorico attire, said that the art fee would help the city address several economic barriers that many families face when trying to expose their children to the arts.
“Supporting the arts is crucial to so many people because it’s a way that they can express themselves,” Barraza said. “There has been, historically, a concentration of art into the hands of people who can afford to do it. To a lot of people, art is a commodity. But it is not a commodity. It is an expression of the human spirit.”
A handful of speakers got emotional during their comments as they reflected back on how art has impacted them. That included Watsonville Film Festival Executive Director Consuelo Alba-Speyer, who this year brought back the celebrated local film fest to an in-person format for its 10th anniversary—it moved to a virtual format the past two years because of the pandemic.
“I get emotional because there has been so little support from the city to do this incredible work for generations, and in spite of that here we are celebrating this beautiful community and all their wonderful contributions,” Alba-Speyer said. “This is a very, very exciting opportunity … It’s the best investment the city can make into its community.”
The fee is part of phase 2 of the city’s Public Arts Program. The first phase, approved by the council in 2019, established an approval process for community-initiated public art that has been implemented several times over the past three years. The second phase covers the art funded—either fully or partially—by the city.
Staff said that if the original recommendation of 0.25% was in place in 2021, the city would have raked in $416,500 last year.
The fee will apply to all new residential development of five or more units (including affordable housing) and all commercial and industrial developments with a building valuation of $500,000 or more and all remodels with a valuation of $250,000 or more.
Tuesday’s approval also included the creation of a Public Art Advisory Committee appointed by the parks commission and approved by the city council.
The council also reviewed documents in closed session from Pajaro Valley Arts regarding the purchase of the historic Porter Building on downtown Main Street. Zutler said there was nothing to report out of closed session.
PV Arts has said it hopes to turn the Porter Building into a haven for artists by creating gallery exhibits, art retail space and a multipurpose room for performances, meetings, events, workshops and additional special exhibits.
The Pajaro Valley Healthcare District Board of Directors told the Santa Cruz County Supervisors Tuesday that they still have to raise more than $15 million by Aug. 31 to complete the $61.7 million sale of the Watsonville Community Hospital.
The board has a steep mountain to climb and faces a looming deadline.
County Administrative Officer Carlos Palacios said the Pajaro Valley Healthcare District Project—the nonprofit formed late last year to purchase the hospital—has “high expectations” if it thinks California will foot the $15.2 million bill.
Additionally, the project needs another $2.5 million for monthly operations and a $10 million reserve for working capital. Supervisor Zach Friend added that supporting the hospital is necessary for the long-term health of the county.
“This is a very essential leg in the healthcare system here, and if this falls, the rest of the county will collapse along with it,” Friend said. “This hospital can turn around, and it will turn around, and we will be very successful.”
The new Board of Directors, which took their oath of office on March 24, has appointed County Counsel Jason Health as its legal counsel and Auditor Controller-Treasurer Tax Collector Edith Driscoll as the District’s Interim Treasurer.
The Board also retained Walnut Creek-based law firm Best Best & Krieger LLP to provide legal services in connection with the structure and operation of the newly formed District. (BBK charges $425 per hour and requires a $25,000 retainer).
Funding will initially come from the County Administrative Office.
It was Jeff Nordahl of Jade Nectar who named the seeds Grandpappy Skunk. Jeff squinted in the noon sun on the mountain top at his Boulder Creek farm, grinned and said, “Those seeds you gave me that Wayne froze in 1978, they are the grandfathers and grandmothers of the first Skunk.”
Within 24 hours of my article “Skunk City” hitting the cannabis dispensary shelves in December’s Cannabis Chronicle, I started getting emails from people who wanted to grow out these seeds that had helped to change the world of cannabis in the late 1970s—and that I wrote about discovering and cultivating after they’d been in a deep freeze for more than 40 years. Even the seed’s breeder, Sam the Skunkman, emailed me from the Netherlands. And yes, it appears that they are the grandparents of the world-famous strain Skunk No.1 that Sam developed in the ’80s.
The emails kept coming—from geneticists and backyard farmers, from women with names like Señorita Groovy and Mary Jane, until finally I said, “Enough! If Wayne’s dream is to distribute these seeds that have made him happy and creative, it’s time for these folks to get Wayne’s seeds in the ground.”
I emailed back more than 40 people and told them to meet me at the Corralitos Farmers Market. To their credit, these backyard farmers were so adamant about getting these seeds that they walked up to me while I was playing the banjo. That is dedication. I gave away 12-seed packets and talked for hours with this motley crew of passionate growers. Everyone vowed to share their growing experience, and our Grandpappy Skunk community was born. Within a week, Señorita Groovy and Mary Jane reported a 100% germination rate.
They inspired my new “Grandpappy Skunk Song” (to the tune of “Railroad Bill”): “I smell Grandpappy Skunk everywhere I turn/Grandpappy Skunk is a growing concern/Grow, grow, grow, grow.”
When Jeff Nordahl learned of the forming community of Grandpappy Skunk growers, he contacted us about doing a limited seed release through dispensaries with the seeds we had given him a few years ago. Grandpappy Skunk seeds are now available at Santa Cruz Naturals in Aptos and Pajaro for anyone who wants to grow Grandpappy Skunk this season.
Jeff is making the seeds part of his Jade Nectar Cannabinoid Public Domain Project, dedicated to saving and preserving heirloom cannabis seed stock for public use. Jeff tells me, “Our Cannabinoid Public Domain Project is an effort to free all of the cannabis genetics and cannabis compounds so everyone has equal access to this amazing plant that was created by the universe. Jade Nectar encourages everyone to grow their own cannabis and make their own cannabis medicines. Perhaps there is no better way to celebrate your freedom these days than growing cannabis under an American flag in your backyard.”
As for me, my 420 comedy show this year will be on Saturday, April 23at the Corralitos Cultural Center, 127 Hames Road. We gather for the Grandpappy Skunk Comedy and Story Hour, which will benefit the Corralitos Cultural Center and food for Ukraine. Entrance by donation. Exit by ransom.
When I began loosely experimenting with cannabis like most 16-year-olds, cannabis culture naturally came with it. And the ringleaders, Cheech and Chong, reign supreme, whether you indulge, previously indulged or simply enjoy comedy. At the time, I wasn’t sure what category my dad, who was a lawyer for over 40 years, fell into; all I knew was there aren’t many things that bring my dad to tears from laughter, but the “Maui Wowie-Labrador” scene from Cheech and Chong’s most adored movie, Up in Smoke, was one of those things.
It goes like this: while Cheech is driving, he takes a couple of puffs from a massive joint passed to him by his new buddy Chong.
Cheech: “Hey, what’s in this shit, man?”
Chong: “Mostly Maui Wowie, but it’s got some Labrador in it.”
Cheech: “What’s Labrador, man?”
Chong: “It’s dog shit. My dog ate my stash, man, so I had to follow him around with a little baggy for three days. It really blew the dog’s mind.”
Since Up in Smoke, Tommy Chong has been in more than 40 movies—he directed four of the Cheech and Chong films, and co-wrote and starred in all seven with his comedy partner Cheech Marin. He even crossed over to Disney, voicing the scruffy but enlightened Yax in Zootopia in 2016. Additionally, he has more than a dozen television credits, including his recurring role as “Leo” on That ’70s Show—he appeared in 65 episodes.
Chong has also racked up six Grammy nods in the Best Comedy Recording category and won with Cheech Marin for their 1973 hit, Los Cochinos (The Pigs). He actually began his career in showbiz as a musician—in 1965, Chong was in a short-lived band, the Vancouvers, who signed with Motown Records’ subsidiary Gordy Records. He even co-wrote “Does Your Mama Know About Me,” which reached No. 29 on the “Billboard Hot 100.”
Now in his 80s, Chong has survived two bouts with cancer and nine months in prison for selling bongs through the mail. He spoke to me before a recent visit to Santa Cruz to promote his new cannabis brand—a visit which revealed a fanbase that has grown exponentially over multiple generations. (Chong returns to KindPeoples in Santa Cruz on Friday, this time with Marin.) His comedy will always be relevant, and his enthusiasm is contagious.
What have you been up to?
TOMMY CHONG: I’m looking at yacht books, you know, the books that sell yachts and private planes. I smell incredible wealth in my future.
You have been a part of my life since I was a sophomore in high school when my dad, who was a lawyer for over 40 years, introduced me to Up in Smoke.
You know, we replaced that sex talk that everybody used to have. Now, when kids come of age, [parents] give them a Cheech and Chong record or a movie.
That scene when you and Cheech smoke the blend of Maui Wowie with “Labrador” still brings my dad to tears.
We had so much fun. Cheech and I got together yesterday for a photo shoot, and it becomes another event. People just stand back and record because once we get together, it’s all over. I’ve actually been with Cheech longer than I’ve been with my now-wife. I’ve watched him grow up. I’ve watched him grow into an old man.
You tweeted about the Super Bowl halftime show this year and how much you enjoyed it.
Well, I love the fact that Dr. Dre paid for the sets. They were little houses in East L.A. and South Central. And they performed on the roof of the houses. And then when the cameras went down to the houses themselves, that’s where the dancers and other singers and other performers were. It was introducing the world to reality, because rap has taken over the music industry. What used to be rock is now rap, so it was like watching a Phoenix rise out of the ashes. Think about it: South Central, the ghetto and Death Row Records? They’re the biggest acts in the world. Dr. Dre is almost a billionaire—from earphones.
You and Snoop Dogg are buddies, right?
Oh, yeah! We’ve known each other for a long time. I was in Snoop Dogg’s and Dr. Dre’s movie The Wash. In the bit, I was giving the weed out for free, but I was charging for the bongs. And then I end up going to jail for bongs.
I read that you recently got into the Grateful Dead and even consider yourself a Deadhead. What took you so long to embrace them?
Because I was working at the same time they were. I had the same kind of trip going on in Vancouver. Maybe a little longer. I started before the Beatles. I started at the beginning of rock and roll. I started playing country—I was a guitar player for a fiddle player. It was just for a neighbor—our farm area.
I knew about the Dead when they were the Warlocks. Then they went kind of country or bluegrass. Yeah, Jerry was a bluegrass player, and that’s why he became such a great guitarist. He could single-pick any tempo, and then he started playing the blues and tried all these different things to see what worked.
I was already playing music like that—I guess it was a little of everything. But the Dead were jamming, and they’re in the moment. And people were doing acid, so you had the light show—marijuana was always there, but it was mostly acid, and acid is such a spiritual trip for everybody, whether they know it or not.
I was never a fan because I was always a performer. That’s why I never really connected with the Dead. I was basically doing the same thing. Now I’m a fan. When you get out of music, playing it, you can listen, so I never really had a chance to sit down and take in a Dead experience.
Now, I love everything they did; I love their whole approach to music. [The Dead] were always such good musicians. I always respected the fans. They always played for the fans; the fans were more important than the music. I grew up with that same outlook. We could take a Motown song and play it for hours if we wanted to. Music is continuous. You may stop playing, but the music never stops. I’ve always had that mindset, especially with the acid in those days.
Talk about Cheech & Chong’s Takeout cannabis delivery service.
We figured that we have a product, but we need a way to get it to you without leaving your house. We’re going to do the customers a great service. We came up with it during the pandemic. Weed was considered essential during the pandemic—they never shut down the weed shops because it’s medicine for so many people. And now, as everything opens up again, we’re going to be able to spread the love because love is in a joint or a capsule or a gummy bear. It’s a lot of love. And that’s what we’re selling everywhere. Love.
Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong at a press conference to announce the “Cheech and Chong Light up America…” Comedy Tour. Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA. 07-30-08
What else do you have going on?
We’ve got a documentary movie that’s gonna kick butt. We started four or five years ago. We’re waiting to release the documentary at the right time, which might be in a few years. But that’s the great thing about what we’re doing.
Eventually, [weed] will be legal around the world. I think it’s nature or karma; it’s just how the world works. And nothing happens that quick. It seems to take forever until it’s there, like legalization. People got 20 years in jail, or life and all that stuff. Now we’re working on getting those people out of jail because they don’t belong there. It’s all growing. Authorities are adjusting from the forfeiture law, where they could take your house or car if they found a joint in your possession or something. Now, weed is essential during the pandemic. We need the weed.
One of my biggest sellers is Tommy Chong’s Good Vibes CBD. We also sell the sublingual strips and the tincture. And the Nice Vibes and Nice Dreams CBD oil.
I started rolling my own joints again. I love the factory-rolled joints, but I don’t want to lose the touch.
You have prerolls, too?
We have a one-gram “Hashtronaut” and hash-infused prerolls. For a while, I was doing suppositories.
Really?
I had prostate cancer, so I was treating the area with suppositories; it reminds me of a joke. There was a guy who took Preparation H suppositories for about a year but for all the good it did him, he might as well have shoved them up my ass.
Yes, I’ve tried all entrances. I don’t know if it helped, but it got me really high. It was a good way to do it. But I’m okay now, as far as cancer goes.
What would surprise people most about you?
That I’m as old as I am—83 and 99 tenths; almost 84. I find out how good I look when I meet some old guy and ask, “How old are you?” And he says, “I’m 64.” Or, “I’m 71.” I don’t tell him how old I am because it’s embarrassing. They’re hobbling along.
The weed helps me stay young and talk to people like my surfer son, who refuses to let me grow. He says, “No, dad, you can’t [grow old].”
It’s genetics, too. My dad was Chinese, my mother was Scotch, Irish, English and Native [American]. So, I got a mix of everything in me. But I learned the secret of staying young: Weightlifting, bodybuilding.
I’ve noticed your arms in a couple of your movies, and I always think, “Man, how is a pothead so ripped?”
I did that on purpose. Cheech and I both wanted to show people that potheads can look good.
You went to prison about 20 years ago on a bogus paraphernalia charge and had to leave ‘That ’70s Show’ and your family. How did you deal with the anger of getting locked up for essentially no reason?
I was very lucky. Everything that happened to us during that time became a challenge. Our life was going too well, and then that came up, and we had to make some changes in our life. First of all, my wife was super. My wife could always make money. That’s what attracted her to me—my ambitious nature. I wasn’t just a musician; I owned the nightclub we played in, and we got discovered by Motown. I was going for broke, and she recognized that fact. So, when I went to jail, we immediately turned it into a plus for both of us. As soon as I realized that there was no way out and I was going to go to jail, we changed. She started planning on her life without me, and I was looking forward to my time in prison because I’m a celebrity. I was embedded with the troops, and everybody loved me. The only time the prison got down on me was when they said, “Okay, Tom, no more pictures with the visitors.” The visiting room was getting too crowded on weekends because you got to take a picture with Tommy Chong.
Are you going to seek a pardon?
I turned down a pardon from Obama. Cheech met Obama—he was awarded some Chicano thing and mentioned to Obama that his partner was in jail. And Obama said, “Do the paperwork, and I’ll sign it.” But I didn’t want the pardon because it’s like admitting that you did wrong. I never did anything wrong, so I want to appear before the judge and change my plea. You can do that. It’s not very common, but you can appear before that judge or another judge and change your plea. Because it is already my time, but if I change my plea and get a not-guilty plea, they got to give me back the $100,000 or whatever it was that I had to pay in fines. And then they confiscated money that had nothing to do with the pipes. So yeah, that’s what I’m doing. I’m gonna wait until the right time. And then I’ll get a really good lawyer and go in there before the same judge, which is in Pennsylvania, and change my plea.
That would be great, if it works.
I think it can. It’s very simple. Just get before the judge and bring out all the papers and the report because I got railroaded. They were going to put me in jail regardless. Everybody else got house arrest or probation. They knew it was a bogus charge.
They’ve always known that marijuana is more like medicine than anything. That’s why the government tried to take out a patent on weed many years ago, but you can’t patent a plant. They did the next best thing: They made it illegal, and that was during the ’30s. Part of the reason they made it illegal was to combat prohibition, but they found out that there were many revenue wars and cops with no jobs when they ended prohibition. And so, they needed some substance to keep the DEA, so that’s what they did. When you think about it, all drug laws are stupid.
They’re all connected to the freedom to put whatever you want in your body. They’re talking about vaccines and worried about vaccines, but what about heroin or morphine or cocaine or any of those drugs? Yeah, they’re bad for you. Cigarettes are bad for you, but they’re still legal. Come on with that shit. It’s just people making money off these prohibitions. You can’t fight that because it’s an industry. You fuck with their industry, and you’re fucking with their livelihood. That’s why a lot of DEA people are in the weed business, because they know it so well.
You have a graphic novel coming out soon, ‘Cheech & Chong’s Chronicles: A Brief History of Weed.’ How did that come about?
I have a friend of a friend, and her niece was raw. She’s a writer, a comedy writer. And she suggested it. So, they went ahead and did it. We helped as much as we could, and now it’s getting out there. I think they’re selling it to networks to see if they want to animate it. It looks good because we’re not the young Cheech and Chong, and we’re not the old Cheech and Chong. We’re somewhere in the middle. I love comic books. Anyway, I grew up with comic books. And this is a graphic novel. It’s more like I’m looking at a stack of novels on my desk right now. My dad used to have a saying, “One of these days.”
Folks of all generations lined up to meet Tommy Chong during his KindPeoples appearance a little over a month ago. On Friday, April 15, expect a longer wait to meet both Cheech and Chong, appearing 1-4pm at the Ocean Street location. PHOTO: Erin Malsbury
What’s the most recent book you read?
I have books read to me because I’ve got bad eyesight. I read spiritual books more than anything. I have to be hooked up with God. I go right to the top man. You don’t mess around. I want to go to the big guy. And you can; there’s no problem, all you have to do is think about it.
Happiness is being able to control your thoughts. You adjust everything, so it’s just right. It’s all in your mind. You can accomplish anything that you desire. If you want it bad enough, you will get it no matter what. It’s just controlling your thoughts. By controlling your thoughts, you’ll never get angry. You control your anger. I ride with people all the time. If someone cuts them off, changes lanes, or is too slow to move, they get angry. It’s such a waste of energy. It’s hard on your body when you get angry. Your body goes into all sorts of weird trips because there’s a fight or flight thing. When you get angry, you stop stuff from working—circulation, breathing, all that stuff, so if you can control your anger, that’s when forgiveness comes in. You asked me earlier about jail. I forgave everybody—the cops, the judge, the lawyers, everybody. Clean the slate every chance you get.
Tommy Chong returns to Santa Cruz—this time joined by Cheech Marin—on Friday, April 15, 1-4pm, at KindPeoples’ Ocean Street location in Santa Cruz. Meet the ganja comedy gurus and pick up a free signed poster. You can gain VIP access to the meet-and-greet by spending $50 or more on Cheech’s Stash, Tommy Chong Cannabis or Cheech and Chong’s Cannabis products. (Paper receipt required). Tommy Chong’s Cannabis products are available at KindPeoples, 533 Ocean St. and 3600 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. kindpeoples.com. tommychongshemp.com.
‘THE CONDUCTOR’ Austrian filmmaker Bernadette Wegenstein’s documentary The Conductor takes audiences into the life of internationally known conductor Maestra Alsop. Intimate interviews, footage from her personal life, concert scenes and never-seen-before archival material featuring Alsop with her mentor, Leonard Bernstein, equates to an unforgettable cinematic musical journey. A conversation with Alsop and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Martha Mendoza will follow the screening. (Read April 7 story). $5-25. Thursday, April 14, 6:30pm. Cabrillo College Crocker Theater, 6500 Lower Perimeter Road, Aptos. Proof of vaccination or negative Covid test required. cabrillovapa.universitytickets.com.
THE STONE FOXES WITH BRAND NEW TRASH It’s been two years since the Stone Foxes have been on the road, and they have a burlap sack full of new music they’re itching to unleash in front of live audiences. The San Francisco rockers have been at it for a long time—their self-titled debut, which opens with the call-and-response pop-punk favorite “Beneath Mt. Sinai,” hit the streets in 2008. The outfit has made some famous fans, including David J of Love and Rockets and Bauhaus. $20/$25 plus fees. Thursday, April 14, 8pm. Felton Music Hall, 6275 CA-9, Felton. Proof of vaccination or negative Covid test required. feltonmusichall.com.
THEE SACRED SOULS It usually doesn’t happen so quickly. Still, the San Diego trio’s mix of obscure Chicano soul music from lowrider culture and straightforward Marvin Gaye-coated soul earned them slews of sold-out shows a month after forming in 2019—and a record deal with the highly regarded neo-soul label, Daptone Records (Charles Bradley, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings). $20/$25. Friday, April 15, 9pm. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. Proof of vaccination or negative Covid test required. folkyeah.com.
BEYOND THE GRAVE: A PERFORMANCE SERIES Indexical Executive Director Andrew C. Smith’s concoction features artists as a medium connecting the living with the dead. In this series, Madi McGain explores the idea of Evergreen Cemetery as a “silent place, using the spatial geography of the site and minimal sonic accompaniment to inform her work.” Meanwhile, Departure Duo will perform “Evil’s Peak” by composer Mikhail Johnson, a work that “explores the equalizing force of death in the context of the colonization of Jamaica and the integration of church and state.” Aja Bond closes with a meditation on dirt, decomposition and how the bodies of the living return to the earth to nourish new life. $12/$20. Friday, April 15, 6pm and Saturday, April 16, 1pm and 6pm. Evergreen Cemetery, 261 Evergreen St., Santa Cruz. santacruzmah.org.
ELVIN BISHOP For nearly 60 years, Rock and Roll/Blues Hall of Famer Elvin Bishop has been touring the world delivering original countrified blues highlighted by his rowdy style of guitar playing and blue collar-inspired lyrics. The legendary musician’s 2021 100 Years of Blues, a collaboration with bluesman Charlie Musselwhite, was nominated for a Grammy and won a pair of Blues Music Awards, including “Album of the Year.” $35/$39 plus fees. Saturday, April 16, 8pm. Felton Music Hall, 6275 CA-9, Felton. Proof of vaccination or negative Covid test required. feltonmusichall.com.
JOHN SCOFIELD: YANKEE GO HOME The versatile guitarist is credited with over 40 recordings and has won a trio of Grammys. There’s nothing Scofield can’t do with the guitar he wields so effortlessly. “I’m reconnecting with a lot of my teenaged rock and roll roots—naturally colored by my 50 years of jazz practices,” Scofield said of Yankee go Home, his latest project, featuring Jon Cowherd (keys), Vicente Archer (bass) and Josh Dion (drums). 7pm ($47.25/$52.50/$26.25 students) and 9pm $36.75/$42/$21 students).Monday, April 18. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. Proof of vaccination or negative Covid test required. kuumbwajazz.org.
TECH N9NE WITH JOEY COOL, X RAIDED AND ¡MAYDAY! 2021’s Asin9ne marks studio album 23 for Tech, and it’s chock full of prominent guests, from Dwayne Johnson to E-40 to Lil Wayne. It’s currently No. 41 on the Billboard’s “Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.” The hip-hop star often notes the versatility of his musical influences, including Outkast and Metallica—Tech contributed “Shine,” a song for Jaco, the 2015 documentary about the legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius. $35/$40 plus fees. Tuesday, April 19, 8pm. The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave,. Santa Cruz Proof of vaccination or negative Covid test required. catalystclub.com.
COMMUNITY
DOWNTOWN FARMERS MARKET The “largest and oldest” market always has a variety of local artisans, yummy baked goods and unique grab-and-go options for lunch and dinner. And it helps support local farms. Note: cafe seating, bike valet and veggie valet programs are on hold until further notice. Free. Wednesday, April 13, 1-5pm. Between Cedar and Lincoln Streets, Santa Cruz. santacruzfarmersmarket.org.
APTOS FARMERS MARKET AT CABRILLO COLLEGE There’s a good reason Coastal Living Magazine named AFM one of the best on the coast. Beyond the massive selection, the top-quality goods and specialty foods, the farmers and vendors—there are 90, mostly certified organic—enjoy connecting with their customers. The beloved farmers market also offers grass-fed meats and poultry, sustainable fish, oysters, handcrafted cheeses, locally produced olive oil, fresh pasta and more. Need knives and gardening tools sharpened? That’s offered as well. Free. Saturday, April 16, 8am-noon. Cabrillo College, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos. montereybayfarmers.org.
CORRALITOS FARM AND GARDEN MARKET The open-air market features the tastiest strawberries, blueberries, cherries, lemons, tomatoes, herbs, squash, potatoes, carrots, peas, beets and avocados within a five-mile radius of the area. In addition to produce, find fresh baked goods, potted flowers, handmade natural soaps, jams, preserves and more. Free. Sunday, April 17, 11am-3pm. Corralitos Cultural Center, 127 Hames Road, Corralitos. corralitoscultural.org/farm-and-garden-market.
GROUPS
HARMONY STARTS WITH YOURSELF BREEMA BODYWORK CLASS “To study Breema is to study oneself.” Learn and practice Breema bodywork sequences and self-Breema exercises from the “Nine Principles of Harmony.” “Breema offers perspectives and experiences that can become the foundation of a profound self-understanding with the potential to have a transformative effect on one’s life.” The class is ideal for anyone wishing to increase harmony in their lives, especially caregivers, teachers or health professionals who feel burnt-out or fatigued. $25 class/$80 series (4 classes). Wednesday, April 13, 7-8:30pm. The Breema Center, Hummingbird Valley Retreat, 1690 Glen Canyon Road. Santa Cruz. breema.com/place/us/ca/hummingbird-valley.
WOMENCARE ARM-IN-ARM This cancer support group is for women with advanced, recurrent or metastatic cancer. Meets every Monday on Zoom. Free. Registration required. Monday, April 18, 12:30pm. 831-457-2273. womencaresantacruz.org.
OUTDOORS
OLD-GROWTH REDWOOD TOURS Are there different kinds of redwoods? How do coastal redwoods grow to become the tallest organisms on earth? Why are there so few old growth trees left? Learn the answers to these questions and more from an expert. Free with $10 vehicle day-use fee. Saturday, April 16, noon. Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, 101 N. Big Trees Park Road, Felton. thatsmypark.org.
HISTORIC RANCH GROUND TOUR This groundbreaking dairy ranch is a window back in time. The hour-long tour includes a visit to the 1896 water-powered machine shop, barns and other historic buildings.Free with $10 vehicle day-use fee. Saturday, April 16, 1pm. Wilder Ranch State Park, 1401 Coast Road, Santa Cruz. santacruzstateparks.as.me.
“The U.S.A. has a $768 billion war budget while our cities fall into chaos, violence and disrepair. Vast death and despair will be our constant companions. However, there is one thing that just might make this a little more palatable: the new cheese flavored Doritos! Come get it!”
Ok, so it’s not a real Doritos commercial, but comedian Eddie Pepitone thought it should be. So he made it the opening of the fourth episode of his newest podcast, Apocalypse SoonWith Eddie Pepitone. The commercial is the latest incarnation of a bit he’s perfected over the years on Twitter: blending smarmy corporate ads with hard-hitting facts about war, American plutocracy and the collapse of the ecosystem.
You know, light-hearted stuff.
“I’ve always been a harbinger of doom—not to brag,” says Pepitone with a laugh. “During the pandemic I had a bunch of friends go to me, ‘Are you happy, Pepitone?’ and I’m like, ‘No, no I’m not!’”
It’s this brand of dark comedy he’s bringing to the Kuumbwa Jazz Center on Saturday, April 16th with friend and comedic partner JT Habersaat. It won’t be Pepitone’s first show in Santa Cruz; the comedian—who is also an outspoken vegan—previously performed at the 2018 Santa Cruz Comedy Festival (SCCF).
“Without hyperbole he is the GOAT [Greatest Of All Time],” says SCCF founder and local comedian DNA.
Before Apocalypse Soon, Pepitone previously had his pre-pandemic PepTalks, and mid-pandemic Live From The Bunker,along with appearing on episodes of his friends’ shows like WTF With Marc Maron. But what makes Apocalypse Soon stand out is its late-night show format, complete with parody interviews (like James Adomian doing an absolutely hilarious and uncannily spot-on Bernie Sanders), a fake band leader who is also an anti-vaxxer conspiracy theorist and cut-away segments like the serene “Driving in the Rain.”
“It’s a monologue where I go on about driving through apocalyptic Los Angeles,” he laughs, naming absurdist writer Joe Frank as an inspiration.
While Pepitone might not be a household name, he’s likely your favorite comic’s favorite comedian. He’s appeared on numerous television shows like The Sarah Silverman Program, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Chappelle’s Show, as well as voiced characters for Bob’s Burgers, Rick & Morty and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. He also starred in recurring roles as Eddie on Adult Swim’s Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell, (a show about how the corporate workplace in hell isn’t much different than here on earth), the online cult hit Puddin’ and as the angry New York City Heckler on Late Night With Conan O’Brien and Conan.
Born in Brooklyn and raised on Staten Island, New York, Pepitone is the son of a Sicilian father and Jewish mother. Nicknamed “The Bitter Buddha,” Pepitone is a force to be reckoned with, flowing between heated yelling—where he claims to channel a mix of his father’s rage and Jackie Gleason—and calming, insightfulness and self-deprecation, often switching within the same sentence.
“I’ve always had a real anti-authoritarian sense,” he says. “A lot of comedy is toothless and doesn’t punch up or attack the right people. You want to go after people? Go after the Pentagon, the war machine or the fact America has the largest prison population in the world and corporations use prisoners to do work for them without paying them anything.”
He credits his hatred of plutocracy to reading as a teenager the 1968 book on inherited wealth and its influence on American power, The Rich and the Super Rich,by journalist Ferdinand Lundberg.
“I think that book and my dad turned me onto how we’re getting screwed in the big picture,” says Pepitone. At the same time, he admits nobody can escape it, himself included.
“Meanwhile, I have an iPhone, I’m a sports fan and I’m still a part of the culture. So I’m making fun of myself, too,” he admits. “I tell people I don’t have material, my sets are a cry for help. I am the punchline.”
And people are listening.
The 2012 documentary about Pepitone, The Bitter Buddha—also featuring Patton Oswalt, Zach Galifianakis and others—is still a comedy cult favorite 10 years later, with a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. More recently, the New York Times named his 2020 For the Masses stand-up film as the “Funniest Special” of the year.
So with everything, including the world, appearing to crumble in real-time, is there any hope?
“Maybe. I listen to a lot of Eastern philosophical stuff—Ram Dass, Eckhart Tolle, Alan Watts—and one thing they say is things have to get really, really bad before there’s incredible change,” he states before chuckling. “I don’t know how long we have left, but we definitely can finish up this interview.”
Eddie Pepitone with JT Habersaat perform on Saturday, April 16, 7:30pm. Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Center St., Santa Cruz. $25. kuumbwajazz.org.
The number one issue that our community members bring up to me is homelessness. This was echoed in a recent city poll. No matter how old or young, or where people are on the political spectrum, homelessness is at the top of people’s minds and touches the heart of nearly every resident.
The realities of street homelessness grow harsher as the scourge of fentanyl and methamphetamine continue to ravage our community, literally killing people on our streets and impacting those who are unhoused, housed, in our neighborhoods and in our open spaces.
As a member of the Santa Cruz City Council, I hear the cries for help. They are compassionate about helping those in need and frustrated by the lack of response. I am writing to celebrate that recently we demonstrated a significant shift in how we as a community are approaching this complex and growing issue.
The current council majority of five including myself, Mayor Brunner, Vice Mayor Watkins, Former Mayor Meyers and Councilmember Golder, embarked on an ambitious effort to find effective responses to homelessness that emphasize balancing accountability, management and response to truly address the problems.
Our past approach of pointing fingers and playing the blame game, waiting for the perfect solution—and simply being paralyzed by the enormity of the issue—has done nothing to address the problem. For far too long, our inaction has allowed human suffering and public health and safety impacts to continue unabated for both the housed and unhoused community members.
We are now approaching our work collaboratively with the county and community-based organization partners. As former Mayor and Councilmember Don Lane said during his public comment at this week’s council meeting, this approach demonstrates “an unprecedented sea change.”
Instead of a piecemeal approach, we have embarked on a deeply collaborative citywide effort to create a holistic roadmap. The passing of the Camping Services and Standards Ordinance as well as the Oversized Vehicle Ordinance were the impetus that shaped the now unanimously approved and adopted Santa Cruz City Homeless Response Action Plan. The leadership of our Former Mayor Donna Meyers and our State representatives Senator Laird and Assembly Member Stone have brought in $14.5 million to help us with these efforts. We are also grateful for the tremendous effort put forth by our City staff from across all departments.
These ordinances and the solutions that accompany them are accomplishing the following: fewer people on the streets; fewer large encampments; more people sheltering and receiving basic services; safe parking; fewer vehicles overnight on city streets and neighborhoods; restored parks, including San Lorenzo Park; and ultimately more people housed and in treatment and a greater sense of health and safety for all community members.
We are no longer frozen by the scope of the problem. We are no longer on a path of inactivity that pretends having unhoused people on our streets is humane for the unhoused or the community at large. We are taking action.
I am under no false pretenses that these ordinances and this Homeless Response Action Plan will “solve” our homelessness challenges. But it is a significant effort in the right direction. It is our commitment. It is a “sea change.”
Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson | Santa Cruz City Councilmember
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Ryan Masters’ previous cover story for GT, about the rigors of firefighter training, got a huge positive response from readers. He returns this week with a completely different type of story, focusing on maverick Santa Cruz artist Casey Sonnabend. Sonnabend has been connected to so many underground movements over the last several decades—in the right place at a crazy time—that he’s like the Forrest Gump of the American counterculture. And yet, that description doesn’t do justice to his career as an artist, which he’s approached with passion and integrity. It’s an engrossing tale of a truly unique local figure.
Elsewhere in this issue, in honor of the upcoming 420 you’ll find an insert edition of our Cannabis Chronicle. The cover features an interview by Adam Joseph with weed icon Tommy Chong, who returns to Santa Cruz this week, and Richard Stockton also has an update on his story of heritage Santa Cruz skunk seeds that started a bit of a movement when he wrote about them in our last issue of Cannabis Chronicle.
Lastly, congrats to the Santa Cruz Chorale and its Artistic Director, Christian Grube, who received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from Rep. Anna Eshoo, after she read about their benefit work for Ukraine in Christina Water’s GT story last month.
SIGN LANGUAGE An appeal for peace in Ukraine’s colors at Murray and Seabright in Santa Cruz. Photograph by Ali Eppy.
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GOOD IDEA
Kuumbwa Jazz, Santa Cruz’s historic jazz center that’s been helping Santa Cruz residents get groovy since 1975, will now be offering discounted student ticket prices. The jazz center presents around 130 concerts annually, bringing world-class musicians to Santa Cruz. Students and community members can find tickets here: www.kuumbwajazz.org/ticket-policies.
GOOD WORK
SMART, PERIOD
The County of Santa Cruz launched a free menstrual products program last week; in select county restrooms, you can find menstrual products for those moments when you most desperately need them. The program is intended to especially help low-income residents, and products will be offered at 1080 Emeline Ave., Santa Cruz; 1020 Emeline Ave., Santa Cruz; 701 Ocean St., Santa Cruz; and 1430 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville.
