Plan to Purchase 38 Acres for South County Park Approved

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Plan to Purchase 38 Acres for South County Park Approved

SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors at its Tuesday meeting unanimously approved a plan to purchase a parcel of land in Watsonville, with the hopes of one day converting it into a public park.

The 38.5-acre parcel at 188 Whiting Road—located adjacent to the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds—is currently zoned for commercial and agricultural uses. It is valued at just over $3.1 million.

The plans are far from complete. County officials must still find funding, secure permits and complete environmental impact studies.

But county officials envision the property as one day offering space for recreational activities, a one-mile nature trail and a 15-acre demonstration and educational berry farm, whose profits could help fund the annual maintenance costs for the park.

“I am truly excited,” said Department of Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services director Jeff Gaffney. “This is a very robust piece of land with lots of opportunities. It checks all the boxes for the needs of the community.”

The board gave credit to 4th District Supervisor Greg Caput who they said tirelessly advocated for additional park space in South County, which falls far under the many national per capita recommendations for parks space.

FDA Authorizes Pfizer Boosters for 16- and 17-Year-Olds

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FDA Authorizes Pfizer Boosters for 16- and 17-Year-Olds

By Sharon LaFraniere, The New York Times

Federal regulators Thursday authorized booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for 16- and 17-year-olds, six months after they received their second shot of that vaccine. The move clears the way for several million teenagers to receive an additional shot.

All adults have been eligible since Nov. 19 to receive a booster six months after their second shot of Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccines, or two months after a Johnson & Johnson shot. Nearly 50 million Americans — or one fourth of those fully vaccinated — have gotten the additional shots.

The Food and Drug Administration broadened Pfizer’s authorization to cover the younger age group on an emergency basis. The other two coronavirus vaccines, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, are authorized for use only for adults.

The agency’s decision, which was expected, comes as an initial spate of laboratory tests have suggested that the new fast-spreading variant, omicron, seemed to dull the power of two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

“Since we first authorized the vaccine, new evidence indicates that vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 is waning after the second dose of the vaccine for all adults and for those in the 16- and 17-year-old age group,” said Dr. Peter Marks, who oversees the FDA’s vaccine division. A booster “will help provide continued protection against COVID-19 in this and older age groups,” he added.

Pfizer and BioNTech said Wednesday that tests with blood samples from people who had received only two doses showed much lower levels of virus-fighting antibodies against omicron than against an earlier version of the virus. Antibodies are the immune system’s first line of defense against the virus, and the results suggest that two doses may not be sufficient to protect against infection, officials from the companies said.

With a booster, the level of antibodies working to neutralize the omicron variant were comparable to those combating the original variant after two doses, the companies said.

Senior administration health officials have said omicron, which contains dozens of mutations never seen before, is even more reason for everyone eligible for a booster to get one. More than 200 million Americans — over 60% of the population — have been fully vaccinated.

Although the U.S. vaccination rate overall is still well behind that of some other countries, the discovery of omicron has driven many people to get shots, even as much remain unknown about the variant.

According to federal data, roughly 3 million 16- to 17-year-olds in the United States got their second shot of Pfizer at least six months ago and would be eligible for a third shot this month.

Said Dr. Ugur Sahin, the chief executive of BioNTech, Pfizer’s German partner: “In the current situation, it is important to offer everyone a booster, particularly against the background of the newly emerging variants such as omicron.” And Dr. Albert Bourla, the chief executive of Pfizer, called the expansion of booster shots “a critical milestone.”

Pfizer is supplying booster doses to the U.S. government under an agreement negotiated months ago.

“The companies do not expect that today’s news will impact the existing supply agreements in place with governments and international health organizations,” a statement released Thursday by Pfizer said.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Artist’s ‘Gift to the Community’ Resumes After Dispute

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Artist’s ‘Gift to the Community’ Resumes After Dispute

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville artist Augie WK for two years has dreamt of bringing a humpback whale to life at the Marinovich Community Center.

It was 2019 when the upstart muralist was approached by Watsonville Environmental Science Workshop coordinator Darren Gertler and asked if he’d be interested in using his talents to splash some art onto the downtown park.

The plan, WK says, was to paint a 50-by-54-foot mural of a humpback whale on a basketball court at the park. The art piece, he says, would not only highlight ocean conservation but the migratory path that the whales take along the California coast and down into Mexico—a parallel to some of the city’s residents that is not lost on WK and his partner Jessica Carmen, who was born and raised in Watsonville.

After gaining approval from the Watsonville Parks and Recreation Commission in mid-October, it seemed like his dream would come true. But for more than a month, he and Carmen had to cease work on their project as they awaited administrative approval of their proof of liability insurance—a stipulation that they say was not made clear when they submitted their application.

WK says they submitted their paperwork to the city on Nov. 11. They received approval to resume work last week and restarted painting on Dec. 3.

Before the work stopped, the mural was less than a quarter of the way done. And without a coat of sealant, the winter weather and typical wear and tear took their toll on some two weeks of work they had sunk into the project—work that they were initially not being paid for, even though they were first told by Gertler they would likely be compensated.

“When they said they wouldn’t pay us for it, I just said this would be our gift to the city, our gift to the community,” WK said during an interview on Nov. 8. “Even then, we’ve hit a ton of hurdles.”

Comeback story

Parks and Community Services Department Director Nick Calubaquib says that the situation at the park is a result of miscommunication between the city and the artists. WK and Carmen, Calubaquib says, began their work before the two parties had an agreement—and proof of insurance—in place. Because of this, the city told the artists to cease work.

“When we first received their insurance, the name on the certificate of insurance did not match the names used on the agreement, so we had to make adjustments,” Calubaquib said in an email. “There was also some confusion regarding artist and materials fees that we have since clarified. We are waiting on a final approval signature from the City Manager’s Office and they will be good to go. We are looking forward to seeing the final product.”

It is not the first time WK and Carmen have had a dispute with the city over an art piece. Two years ago, they got into a quarrel while painting a mural on the side of Don Rafa’s Supermercado off Riverside Drive. The issue then was that they began painting without a permit, and without any approval from the city—they say they contacted the city multiple times about the project but did not receive any response. That disagreement was eventually resolved, and the “Sabor” mural at the Mexican food market shines brightly to this day.

When asked why they would come back to paint another mural after their first experience with the city, Carmen says that the work the Watsonville City Council has done to promote art gave her hope that their second project would run much smoother. An employee with Arts Council Santa Cruz County, a nonprofit that promotes art and distributes thousands of dollars in grants to local artists, Carmen says that the “behind the scenes” movement that she had seen in her hometown was promising.

“I was like, ‘Great. They’re all on board. We’re all moving toward the same goal of having the arts be a pillar of the community,’” Carmen said. “In my head, I was like ‘there’s no way they’re going to hinder us this time because this is what they want.’ When this happened, I was like ‘Woah, I thought we were on the same page.’”

Action plan

The behind the scenes action Carmen was referring to is the city’s public art program. The first phase of that initiative was approved by City Council just a few months after their squabble with the city over the “Sabor” mural. There are two phases to the program. The first phase dealt with public art funded by private companies, grants or donations, and it established an approval process that artists would need to follow to lawfully showcase their work.

Calubaquib says the first phase of the program has been an overwhelming success. He estimated that the Parks and Recreation Commission has approved one or more art projects per month since the program was introduced. On top of that, having artists present their work to the commission in a public meeting has given the community an opportunity to have a say about the art that is showcased in their city.

Calubaquib highlighted the ongoing “Watsonville Brillante” mosaic on the Civic Plaza parking garage, the newly-installed murals honoring disabled athletes at Ramsay Park and the strawberry mural on the intersection of East Lake Avenue and Brennan Street as success stories.

“It’s neat to see how things have grown in certain ways,” he said.

Phase 2 of the program, Calubaquib says, is where things get “really exciting.”

The city plans to set up a sustainable funding source for public art—both visual and performing—by establishing a “percentage for the arts” fee. Calubaquib says that staff is proposing developers pay 1.5% of their overall project costs into an account with the sole purpose of funding city-initiated public art. If the fee is greater than $75,000, Calubaquib says, the developer could choose to add a public art piece to their project in lieu of paying the fee.

The fee would require City Council approval. It is unclear when the item would go before the elected leaders for consideration.

If approved, Calubaquib says the funds raised could help spur an art revolution in Watsonville. Along with funding singular projects and paying artists to perform the work, the money could also help create a public art master plan, or provide funding for a community-run arts center.

Calubaquib says that these fees are nothing new. Other cities have for years charged developers this fee and reinvested those dollars into their arts community. While developers might see the fee as another hurdle to completing their projects in an already pricey construction market, Calubaquib says that fees that go toward public art, “unlike any other fee, really have an impact on quality of life.”

“I’ve always been appreciative of art but I’ve really become an even bigger supporter of public art through this whole process,” Calubaquib said. “Public art really helps to create spaces and create an atmosphere where our community voices can be heard and seen in a way that you can’t do in any other way.”

Art-conomics 

Carmen and WK say they wholeheartedly agree with Calubaquib on the power of art, and they hope that the city will follow through on the second phase of its public art program sooner rather than later. They also hope the city will refine its approval process, and hire someone to deal specifically with artists looking to create public art.

“And, at the end of the day, they should pay artists,” Carmen said.

She says that investing in the art community could be an economic catalyst for the city. Along with pointing to large tourist hubs like Austin, Texas, Los Angeles and San Francisco, Carmen also highlighted a recent mural festival in Sand City that reinvigorated a mostly barren area of the small municipality.

“It’s proven that art creates economic growth,” Carmen said. “Watsonville is a little bit behind on that … It’s starting to catch up a little bit, but Watsonville is like the last city on Central Coast that’s catching on to the idea that the arts can bring prosperity, it can build community, it helps people in underserved and neglected communities … That’s kind of our whole thing. Yeah, we want to paint the murals but we also want people to actually understand the impact that murals have on the community and on a community’s identity.”

On top of that, WK says, they want to show young Watsonville residents that they, too, can become artists. Born in Salinas and raised in Gonzales, WK says that he was inspired to become a muralist when he came across an art piece in Gonzales. To this day, he does not know who created the mural that “spoke to” him, but he said that he knew immediately that he wanted to be an artist because it gave him a chance to give back to the community and “live forever.”

“If I had that moment of seeing a muralist at work as a child, I think I would’ve started sooner,” he said. “It happens all the time. Little kids get really inspired [when they see us painting] and it’s really heartening.”

For information about the city’s public art program, visit cityofwatsonville.org/1854/Public-Art. To see more art from Augie WK, visit his Instagram page: @augiewk. 

[This story has been updated to show that the artists are indeed being paid for their work. — Editor]

County Approves Large Affordable Housing Project

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County Approves Large Affordable Housing Project

WATSONVILLE—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved the construction of an 80-unit affordable housing complex between Atkinson Lane and Brewington Avenue that could break ground early next year.

The project, a part of a multiphase development plan approved some two decades ago, is spearhead by nonprofit developer MidPen Housing. It will consist of three 3-story buildings, an open gathering space and some 137 parking spaces. It will be built over a vacant grassy ravine on unincorporated land near Watsonville’s city limits.

It is the second phase of the Pippin Orchards development that was completed off Atkinson Lane in 2019, and like that project, every unit will be deed-restricted under the county’s affordable housing policies. Of the 80 units, 39 of them will be deed-restricted to farmworker families, 37 would be filled through vouchers from the county’s Housing Authority and all of them would be listed between 30-60% of the area’s median income.

Unlike the first phase, however, the entrance to the new development will come off Brewington Avenue. In addition, there will be no through traffic from Brewington Avenue to Atkison Lane.

That came as a relief for 4th District Supervisor Greg Caput, who represents the area. Although he voted to approve the project, Caput was reluctant to support the rest of the development plan OK’d by several agencies more than a decade ago. That initiative, called the Atkinson Lane Planned Unit Development, has a subsequent phase that would add another 90 units of affordable housing to the east of the development approved Tuesday.

That phase, however, won’t come before the board for several years, as that property won’t be converted into housing until agriculture operations on those farms are deemed no longer feasible.

“Phase three is something down the line that will come years from now, for probably the next generation, so I don’t have to worry about it,” Caput said before he asked staff multiple times to remove language in the staff report that mentioned phase 3. “We haven’t had neighborhood meetings on phase 3. I don’t want my name used in the future where someone can say, ‘Yeah, Supervisor Caput said it was OK.’”

Although the rest of the board was largely supportive of the project, one elected leader spoke in opposition of it: Watsonville Mayor Jimmy Dutra. The representative for Watsonville’s 6th District, which oversees that area of the county’s southernmost city, said during public comment that he had concerns about the increased traffic flowing through Brewington Avenue and the quiet, upscale neighborhoods of single-family homes off that street. He also said that the project would likely not benefit Watsonville residents.

“If this housing was only going to serve South County residents then that would be fine, but that’s not how it happens,” he said. “There are lists that everyone from the county gets on and people will move into these properties from all around.”

Only one other person spoke in opposition to the development during public comment.

Another 11 callers all voiced support for the project, including several nonprofit leaders and farmworker housing advocates who say the state of housing for the region’s farmworkers is forcing many to flee the area or live in unsafe conditions.

When the first phase of the Pippin Orchards development was completed in 2019, some 2,500 people applied for the 46 units available “illustrating the extraordinary need,” said Land Trust of Santa Cruz County Executive Director Sarah Newkirk.

“[This project] won’t solve our farmworker housing but it will have a meaningful impact,” she said.

Supervisor Zach Friend said the project is an example of why the county—and the greater state of California—is in the thick of a housing crisis.

“This has been a 20-year process, there’s been litigation, it’s been through LAFCO, it’s been through city and county discussions, Measure U, I think it’s hard to imagine a project … that’s going through a longer process just to make its way toward completion,” said Friend, whose 2nd District oversees some areas of Watsonville.

The project received a unanimous recommendation for approval from the county’s planning commission in late October, and the city of Watsonville approved an agreement with the county that laid out who—the county or city—would be responsible for the services provided to the development and who would collect certain fees.

The city, according to the agreement, would collect more than $1 million in impact fees in exchange for providing its services such as police, fire, water and solid waste. The agreement also states that the city would annex the property when completed.

The project would be the third affordable housing development greenlit in the Atkinson Lane area, including the aforementioned first phase of Pippin Orchards and the 53-unit complex on the corner of Atkinson Lane and Freedom Boulevard recently approved by the City Council.

Watsonville Film Festival Launches Fellowship for Local Filmmakers

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Watsonville Film Festival Launches Fellowship for Local Filmmakers

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) will soon celebrate its 10th anniversary, and to commemorate the occasion it has launched a fellowship to support local up-and-coming Latinx filmmakers. 

The Cine Se Puede fellowship will support five emerging filmmakers from Santa Cruz County and the Pajaro Valley in producing short film projects. It will assist with funding of up to $1,000 per project. Selected participants will learn to pitch stories and projects, improve film proposals, budgets, marketing and distribution plans. 

Fellows will also have a chance to pitch their projects to industry experts at the 10th annual festival on March 11-20, 2022. 

“For almost 10 years we have been supporting local filmmakers by providing them a platform to share their work,” said Consuelo Alba, co-founder and executive director of WFF.  “This fellowship is the next step in that mission.”

The fellowship, Alba said, is meant for artists who are currently creating work (producers, directors). It is an opportunity for them to connect with the industry and help bring their art to “the next level.”  

“WFF has cultivated numerous contacts with filmmakers, distributors, editors,” she said. “Through this fellowship we are providing a network of support.”

Brenda Avila, who screened her first film with WFF in 2013, has been volunteering and working part-time with the organization for eight years. She emphasized the importance of having this kind of support when getting started in the industry. 

“Sometimes you have to pay fees. If you’re lucky you’ll be invited to a festival, someone will pay your way,” Avila said. “But often that’s not an option. Filmmaking is about love and talent, but it’s also about connections. You’re not guaranteed to get a paycheck or be successful. Not everyone is going to understand your vision. We wanted to be mindful about that disconnect.”

Alba said that WFF had been looking into creating the fellowship for years, but there was a lack of funding and resources. Now, the organization is finally in a position to take on such an ambitious project.

Funding for the fellowship comes from Rise Together, a Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County initiative aiming to advance racial equity throughout the county. 

“This project involves a lot of people,” Alba said. “It has been a long, complex process. But we are beyond excited to provide this opportunity.”

She added that giving opportunities to Latinx filmmakers, in particular, is vital to their success.

“We do not have enough representation,” she said. “Our stories are not told and seen as much as others. So we are super excited that this [fellowship] is now a reality. It is a commitment from us to keep promoting these stories.”

Added Avila: “I’m excited about the relationships that will be formed, or strengthened through this. It’s really important for us filmmakers to get to know each other and our work.”

Filmmakers must submit their applications online through Dec. 22.  Avila encouraged interested filmmakers to send in their applications, and not be discouraged if they are not chosen. 

“It really is important to us that people give it a shot,” she said. “Get your feet wet. Test it out, and stay tuned—even if you don’t get into the fellowship, there will still be community events related to it happening throughout the year.”

An informational webinar about Cine Se Puede will be held Dec. 15 at 6pm. To register, and for more information about the fellowship and WFF visit watsonvillefilmfest.org.

Things To Do in Santa Cruz: Dec. 8-14

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Things To Do in Santa Cruz: Dec. 8-14

A weekly guide to what’s happening.

ARTS AND MUSIC

AN EVENING WITH BRUCE COCKBURN 50TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT! Bruce Cockburn celebrates 50 years in music with his 50th Anniversary Concert Tour and a stop in Santa Cruz! Come celebrate this achievement with us on December 8th at the Rio Theatre. Tickets available at pulseproductions.net. Come celebrate Bruce’s 50 years in music with us. Wednesday, Dec. 8, 8pm. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz.

BYRON WESTBROOK & ALEX PELLY & VOLVO 240DL LA-based artists Byron Westbrook and Alex Pelly present a live audio/visual collaboration using electronics and modular video synth. The project expands from their online performance created earlier this year for the cathartic and damaged compositions on Distortion Hue, Westbrook’s recent LP with Hands in the Dark. This live iteration features Pelly’s colorful and dynamic audio-reactive images activated by Westbrook’s sonics made with analog and digital synthesizer, computer and processed cassette tape. Volvo 240DL is a collaborative project between multidisciplinary artist and maker, Grace Cofrancesco and composer and artist Albert Peacock. The duo was born out of a shared desire for cathartic expression that culminated in an impromptu performance between the artists at a local gallery show in Santa Cruz. Since, they have come together to explore what years of anxious energy has inspired in their individual artistic ventures, as a pair. Their performances examine, deconstruct and recreate narratives of decay, destruction, piety and pain through absurdism, humor and often a litany of repeating images and sounds. Friday, Dec. 10, 8pm. Indexical, 1050 River St #119, Santa Cruz. 

CELTIC TEEN BAND PROGRAM Teenage musicians ages 12-19 play in an ensemble, developing musicianship, flexibility, and musical creativity. Participants work on music from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, Norway, Sweden and the United States, in addition to modern and more quirky pieces. Instruments welcomed include fiddle, viola, flute, tin whistle, pipes, cello, upright bass, guitar, mandolin, banjo, dulcimer, autoharp, ukulele, Celtic harp, accordion and percussion. Students must have at least two years of experience on their instrument and must be able to read sheet music and chord symbols. The group meets twice a month Wednesday afternoons from 3:30-5pm at the London Nelson Center with fiddle teacher John Weed. Cost is free-$10 per session on a sliding scale. Potential students are welcome to come for a session and see if they like it—no obligation! More information and registration at CommunityMusicSchool.org/teenband. Wednesday, Dec. 8, 3:30pm. London Nelson Community Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz.

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE MOVIES Film buffs are invited to join us online every Wednesday night at 7pm. to discuss a currently streaming movie. For more info, please visit our webpage: https://groups.google.com/group/LTATM.

PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES Filled with an exuberant mixture of country/pop/rock and musical theatre tunes, Pump Boys is a slice-of-life show about some down-home folks who run the local gas station and diner in a rural southern town. This cast of characters and their straightforward take on life, love and music will leave you tapping your foot and smiling from ear to ear. Thursday, Dec. 9, 7:30pm. Friday, Dec. 10, 8pm. Saturday, Dec. 11, 2pm, 8pm. Sunday, Dec. 12, 2pm. The Colligan Theater, 1010 River St., Santa Cruz.

COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY PILATES MAT CLASS Come build strength with us. This very popular in-person community Pilates Mat Class in the big auditorium at Temple Beth El in Aptos is in session once again. Please bring your own mat, small Pilates ball and theraband if you have one. You must be vaccinated for this indoor class. Suggested donation of $10/class. Thursday, Dec. 9, 10am. Tuesday, Dec. 14, 10am. Temple Beth El, 3055 Porter Gulch Road, Aptos.

CUÉNTAME UN CUENTO Acompáñanos para una hora de cuentos, actividades y canciones en español. Este programa es para niños de 0-8 y sus familias. La hora será miércoles a las 4:30pm. Nos reuniremos en el porche exterior. Cuéntame un Cuento se llevará a cabo en Capitola durante el período de construcción de Live Oak. En caso de mal clima, se cancelará la hora de cuentos. Join us for Spanish Storytime, activities, and music! This program is best suited for kids ages 0-8 and their families. Storytime takes place on Wednesday at 4:30pm. We will meet on the outside porch. Storytime will take place at Capitola during Live Oak’s construction period. In the event of bad weather, storytime will be cancelled.  Wednesday, Dec. 8, 4:30pm. Capitola Library A Santa Cruz City County Public Library Branch, 2005 Wharf Road, Capitola.

DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ ANTIQUE FAIRE The Santa Cruz Antique Faire is on the second Sunday of every month from 8am-5pm. Vendors offer an eclectic blend of antiques and unique items, vintage clothing, collectibles, LPs, clothing, furniture, memorabilia, home decor and more! Sunday, Dec. 12, 9am-5pm. Downtown Santa Cruz Antique Faire, Lincoln St. between Pacific and Cedar, Santa Cruz.

FARLEY’S CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND From Saturday, November 27  to Friday, December 31 (except when it’s raining), Farley’s Christmas Wonderland will be open. A walk-in Christmas display located in the midtown of Santa Cruz, this exhibit is very traditional: lots of Christmas trees, garlands, sleighs, an elf village, a miniature village, and a log cabin that Santa uses for his rest stops. There is also a fairy grotto with two waterfalls and fairies that can be viewed on special nights. Also, on those special nights, it even snows! Donations are welcome. 108 Seaview Ave., Santa Cruz. farleys-christmas-wonderland.com.

GREY BEARS BROWN BAG LINE Grey Bears are looking for help with their brown bag production line on Thursday and Friday mornings. Volunteers will receive breakfast and a bag of food if wanted. Be at the warehouse with a mask and gloves at 7am. Call ahead for more information: 831-479-1055, greybears.org. Thursday, Dec. 9, 7am. California Grey Bears, 2710 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz.

HOLIDAY LIGHTS TRAIN A seasonal tradition returns to Santa Cruz with the Santa Cruz Holiday Lights Train. Vintage excursion cars, adorned with thousands of colorful lights, roll through city streets past homes of Santa Cruz. First-class private coach cars can also be reserved for groups up to 50 people. Availability is limited so book in advance. Roaring Camp Railroads, 5401 Graham Hill Road, Felton. Runs through Dec. 23. Schedule and tickets at roaringcamp.com. 

HOLIDAY LIGHTS 2021 The Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Foundation and the Agricultural History Project presents Holiday Lights 2021 at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. Holiday Lights is a half-mile drive-through experience at the fairgrounds of spectacular lighted holiday displays. See giant Christmas trees twinkling with lights, Santa, reindeer, snowmen, lighted tunnels and more. New this year are two evenings of walk-through holiday lights on Friday, Dec. 3 and Saturday, Dec. 4 in conjunction with the Heritage Holiday Craft and Gift Fair. Tickets will only be available at the gate for these two evenings, and ticket gets you admission to Holiday Fair Shopping, too. For drive-through tickets (Thursday, Friday, Sunday), go eventbrite.com/e/holiday-lights-tickets.

VEGAN ARTISAN CHOCOLATE AND WINE PAIRING CLASS Greetings Chocolate & Wine Lovers! Join me for a delightful afternoon celebrating the holiday season and enjoying the beautiful art of Vegan Artisan Chocolate Making and Wine Pairing at the lovely FlipJack Ranch in Bonny Doon nestled in the magical Santa Cruz Mountains! In this delicious and fun vegan artisan chocolate and wine pairing class; you’ll make exquisite chocolate arts with Valrhona France Manjari 64 percent Dark Chocolate and incredible selections of organic ingredients such as herbs, flowers, chocolate covered cacao nibs, freeze dried raspberries, candied orange, dried fruits, nuts and fleur de sel. I will provide a name badge and an apron for each student, a delicious Provence lavender-infused French roast coffee, a tantalizing fruity red rooibos tea and a decadent Chocolate Persimmon Lavender Tart before the start of class and gourmet vegan tapas throughout the class. It’s an experience you’ll savor from beginning to end. This delicious class makes a beautiful gift to yourself and your loved ones for birthdays and anniversaries too! Please note: As a safety precaution for everyone, all registered students in my culinary and wine pairing classes must be fully vaccinated. Saturday, Dec. 11, 1-5pm. Flipjack Ranch, 4600 Smith Grade, Santa Cruz.

WEST CLIFF HOLIDAY OUTDOOR MARKET 2021 Come enjoy our holiday outdoor market with unique artisans and food trucks while taking in the spectacular view of the ocean. This one of a kind market will be held in two parking lots along West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz. This is always a popular spot for locals and tourists, as it overlooks the famous Steamers Lane surf spot. The market will feature handcrafted gifts and a chance to do some holiday shopping before the rush. There will also be live music and admission is free. We will also be giving away free tokens every hour to random shoppers. The tokens can be used towards any vendor of your choice. So come down and get your free gift! See you on the cliffs! Saturday, Dec. 11, 10am-4pm. Lighthouse Point Park, West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz.

COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS OF SANTA CRUZ As of Fall 2021, all meetings are still online. Please see our website for current info and to join our email list for meeting links. Parents of a child who died at any age, from any cause, any length of time ago, are invited to join The Compassionate Friends of Santa Cruz for our monthly grief support meeting. Opening circle followed by smaller connection groups. Sharing is optional. Grief materials available. Bereaved grandparents and adult siblings are also welcome. Non-religious. Monday, Dec. 13, 7-8:30pm. 

ANTIRACIST PSYCHOTHERAPY WORKSHOP Join renowned author David Archer for a workshop focused on the topic of antiracist psychotherapy. For care providers of all types, you will receive interactive training on how racial trauma influences us in our work with clients, and for all community members, you will receive fresh information on how we can shift the narrative on race and racism which impacts all of us. This is a virtual event, for more information visit bookshopsantacruz.com/david-archer. Friday, Dec. 10, 9am. 

ENTRE NOSOTRAS GRUPO DE APOYO Entre Nosotras support group for Spanish speaking women with a cancer diagnosis. Meets twice monthly. Registration required, please call Entre Nosotras 831-761-3973. Friday, Dec. 10, 6pm. WomenCARE, 2901 Park Ave., Suite A1, Soquel.

S+LAA MENS’ MEETING Having trouble with compulsive sexual or emotional behavior? Recovery is possible. Our small 12-step group meets Saturday evenings. Enter through the front entrance, go straight down the hallway to the last door on the right. Thursday, Dec. 9, 6pm. Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center, 2900 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz.

WOMENCARE ARM-IN-ARM WomenCARE Arm-in-Arm Cancer support group for women with advanced, recurrent, or metastatic cancer. Meets every Monday, currently on Zoom. Registration is required, call WomenCARE at 831-457-2273. All services are free. For more information visit womencaresantacruz.org. Monday, Dec. 13, 12:30pm. 

WOMENCARE TUESDAY SUPPORT GROUP WomenCARE Tuesday Cancer support group for women newly diagnosed and through their treatment. Meets every Tuesday currently on Zoom. Registration required, call WomenCARE 831-457-2273. Tuesday, Dec. 14, 12:30-2pm. 

WOMENCARE WRITING CIRCLE Writing Circle for women with a cancer diagnosis. Meets on the 2nd Saturday every other month from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Registration Required: WomenCARE (831) 457-2273. Saturday, Dec. 11, 10am-1pm. WomenCARE, 2901 Park Ave., Suite A1, Soquel.

WOMENCARE: LAUGHTER YOGA Laughter yoga for women with a cancer diagnosis. Meets every Wednesday, currently via Zoom. Registration is required, please call WomenCARE at 831-457-2273. Wednesday, Dec. 8, 3:30-4:30pm. 

OUTDOOR

HISTORIC RANCH GROUND TOUR Discover what life was like a century ago on this innovative dairy ranch. This hour-long tour includes the 1896 water-powered machine shop, barns and other historic buildings. The vehicle day-use fee is $10. For more information, call 831-426-0505. Spaces are limited and early pre-registration is recommended. Attendees are required to self-screen for Covid-19 symptoms when pre-registering. Masks and social distancing are also required at all programs. Saturday, Dec. 11, 1-2pm. Sunday, Dec. 12, 1-2pm. Wilder Ranch State Park, 1401 Coast Road, Santa Cruz.

SoCal Folk Duo Mapache to Unleash a Bevy of New Tunes at Moe’s

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SoCal Folk Duo Mapache to Unleash a Bevy of New Tunes at Moe’s

The last time I spoke with Sam Blasucci and Clay Finch, the duo behind Mapache (Spanish for raccoon), was the day before their full-length debut dropped, and a few days before they performed at the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur. Barely 21 years old at the time, the twosome had just finished a yearlong tour and already had grown a notable fanbase, including the late Neal Casal, Jonathan Richman and Chris Robinson, who invited them to sit in with him during a few of his shows.

“That seems like ages ago,” Finch says. “I think we [sound] totally different now, but who knows?”

Mapache’s 2020 release From Liberty Street does show the duo moving in a slightly different direction from the bright and airy Laurel Canyon-coated folk that fueled their music that came before. While the song “Cowboy” is reminiscent of Sweet Baby James-era James Taylor, the tune “Liberty Street Blues” represents the duo’s musical growth and fearlessness as songwriters. In theory, pairing melodica—from prolific L.A. multi-instrumentalist Farmer Dave Scher—and pedal steel is as unnatural as a fox nesting with a hen, but the ballsy move pays off bigtime. Aside from a few Fleet Foxes-like ethereal harmonies, the song is all instrumental and plays more like a spaghetti western score than a folk tune.  

“[‘Liberty Street Blues’] started as this wordless jam, and we just kept jamming on it,” Finch explains. “It felt complete before we had any words for it, so we kept it that way.”

Whether Mapache’s sound is vastly different now compared to their debut may be in the ears of the beholder, but one thing is for sure, there’s been a lot of personal growth since our first interview a few years back. They sound different now; they exude more confidence, a sign of experience and extended time out on the road, constant promotion and all the other routines that become embedded into the lives of full-time musicians.  

“We still love a lot of the same stuff—living in California and playing music together,” Blasucci says. “That hasn’t changed, but we’ve seen a lot of what the world can be like, so that’s made us grow up.”

Finch adds, “[Personal growth] happens first, and then musical changes come out of that. Whatever is going on with us comes out in our music—during the pandemic, we tried to play as much as possible and stay busy in the studio.”

After the band’s extensive 2020 tour was canceled, the pair began recording their third LP, 3; the all-covers album was released a couple of weeks ago. From an instrumental, psych-folk interpretation of Stevie Wonder’s “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” to a slower-paced version of Old and in the Way’s “Midnight Moonlight” that glistens with a two-part harmony chorus, 3 is one of the more eclectic cover albums out there.

“We didn’t put much thought into the range of artists we wanted to [cover],” Finch explains. “We took a handful of songs that we are really into and wanted to play together—we also wanted to cover some of our friends’ music—Allah-Las and Little Wings—something more contemporary.”

Mapache also recorded a second album during the pandemic, Roscoe’s Dream, featuring original compositions. Blasucci says the musical arrangements and the record’s overall sound differ from anything the band has previously done. The record—to be released sometime in Spring 2022— is even more meaningful since it is named after Finch’s Boston Terrier. 

“[Roscoe] has been a big part of all of our recording sessions over the last few years,” Finch says. “He’s even on the record.”

Meanwhile, it was only recently that Mapache was able to get out of the studio and back out onto a stage for a live show in front of an audience.

“It felt like there was a lot of excitement [for the audience] to be back at a show,” Blasucci says of their show at Gold Diggers Bar in East Hollywood. “Or maybe we were just so excited and projecting it onto everybody else. There was this high energy in the room, like it was new to be back at a show again, which was nice. It was like getting exercise after not exercising for a long time.” 

“Or eating real food after eating junk food for so long,” says Finch. “It felt really good. It was like, ‘Wow, that’s what I needed.’”

Mapache is readying to embark on a tour—bringing them up to Santa Cruz—that’s structured a bit differently than usual: Each night, the group will open with an all-acoustic set and close with an electric set.

“We like to change the structure of our shows whenever we can,” Finch says.

Mapache plays Moe’s Alley at 8pm Monday, Dec. 13. 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. 8pm; $16-20. Proof of vaccination or negative Covid test (taken within 72 hours) and masks required. folkyeah.com.

Aaron Sorkin’s ‘Being the Ricardos’ Dives into 1950s America

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Aaron Sorkin’s ‘Being the Ricardos’ Dives into 1950s America

Nicole Kidman may not be the first person you’d think of to play the role of beloved TV comedy icon Lucille Ball, but she gives a smart, splendidly nuanced performance in Aaron Sorkin’s Being the Ricardos. This entertaining backstage look at the classic TV comedy series I Love Lucy is also a sharply observed portrait of 1950s America filtered through the lens of a show we now think of as quintessential to its era, though it was considered weirdly iconoclastic at the time.

During one intense week in the production of the show, writer-director Sorkin explores the larger story of Lucy’s romance, marriage, and professional partnership with Desi Arnaz, the charismatic Cuban bandleader who became an improbable American TV star when he and Ball played Ricky and Lucy Ricardo in I Love Lucy. Desi is played with impressive panache by Javier Bardem; he doesn’t look much like Arnaz, but Bardem captures Desi’s vivacious public persona as well as his darker complexities. He and Kidman make a prickly, seductive, bittersweet dance of Lucy and Desi’s relationship.

Set against the frenzied anti-Communist “Red scare” witch-hunting of the late 1940s and ’50s, the plot is launched with a Walter Winchell radio broadcast slamming Lucille Ball as a card-carrying Communist, leading to what participants recall as the worst week in the show’s production history. While the writers, producers, network and sponsors brace for the fallout next day at rehearsals, a concurrent story in the scandal sheet Confidential claims Desi is cheating on Lucy with another woman.

As if the show’s weekly production schedule wasn’t tense enough, the writers and showrunner also have to clear everything with the sponsor’s rep at the first read-through. Co-stars Vivian Vance and William Frawley (Nina Arianda and J. K. Simmons, both terrific)—who famously hated each other in real life—snipe constantly in rehearsals as neighbors Fred and Ethel Mertz, and the director of the week is a hack nobody respects.

It’s great when Lucy envisions the gags during the initial script read-through in black-and-white snippets that recreate some of the show’s most beloved scenes—like Lucy stomping grapes barefoot at an Italian vineyard. (In these moments, Kidman replicates Lucy to an astonishing degree.) She fights with quiet determination when the writers sacrifice logic to get a laugh, and she and the one female writer on the show (a notable Alia Shawkat) wrangle to give the actress plenty of business to show off her genius for physical comedy without letting the character appear stupid or infantile.

Lucy admits to joining the Communist party at age 20 to please her grandfather, but has not so much as attended a meeting—let alone embraced the ideology—since. Desi also has an explanation for the scandalous Confidential photo that Lucy knows is true, but she also knows the temptations of a musician’s life on the road are often irresistible.

So when Lucy, dropped from her B-movie contract to segue into a successful radio domestic comedy, is approached to take the show to TV on the fledgling CBS network, she refuses unless the part of her husband is rewritten for Desi. Sorkin shows the passionate fury with which they met and married while both contract players at RKO Studios, then gives Kidman a wistful monologue about the Ricardos’ apartment set providing the cozy stability she craves in real life. In that context, Ricky’s famous catchphrase, “Lucy, I’m home!” becomes freighted with meaning.

For sheer entertainment, there’s Bardem in a fluffy shirt playing the conga drum and singing “Babalu,” and the unilateral freakout of the brass when Lucy and Desi insist her real-life pregnancy be scripted into the show—for fear of tainting the Ricardos’ perfect domestic bubble with even a suggestion of the messy biology by which pregnancy occurs. Rescuing the show and its creators from the realm of comfy nostalgia, Sorkin celebrates a surprisingly radical moment in American pop culture.

BEING THE RICARDOS

(***)

With Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem. Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin. An Amazon Studios release. Rated R. 125 minutes.

Rising Indie Rocker Bartees Strange Comes to Felton

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Rising Indie Rocker Bartees Strange Comes to Felton

Recently, indie musician Bartees Strange has become friends with Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds, toured with Lucy Dacus and created a fan out of New Pornographers singer/songwriter A.C. Newman—who tweeted two months ago that he loves Strange’s record.

“When artists that I’ve loved forever, who I have made music because of, share my stuff, I’m just like, ‘How is this real, man?’” Strange says.

Strange is currently on tour with acclaimed indie-rock singer/songwriter Courtney Barnett. He headlines Felton Music Hall on December 11, the day before he opens for Barnett at the Fox Theater in Oakland. It’s one of two smaller headlining club gigs he’s doing on this run.

After he released Live Forever in October 2020 to much acclaim, there’s been a slow but consistent trickle of people discovering his music and falling in love.

“The music’s circulating, which is cool. It’s cool to know that’s how people still find things,” Strange says.

When he released Live Forever, he had no idea it would catch on. A few months prior, he released Say Goodbye To Pretty Boy, a beautifully re-imagined collection of quietly intense covers of songs by the National. The record didn’t blow up, but it led some local punk and indie bands to hit him up to produce their record. Strange hoped that Live Forever would bolster his burgeoning producer career.

The reason Say Goodbye To Pretty Boy was recorded so well was a result of Strange trying to fulfill his own unique creative visions. He’d played in bands in nearly every genre—country, hardcore, jazz—and always tried to convince them to push the limits of these genres.

“They weren’t too down for it, which made a lot of sense, because they probably weren’t the best ideas at the time. But once I quit those bands, I focused on Live Forever,” Strange says.

His vision involved incorporating elements of indie-rock, hip-hop, emo, jangle-pop, R&B and literally any style he could imagine. He found it challenging to find others that gave helpful recording advice.

“There’s not a lot of Black people that are producing rock music. And I found myself in a lot of situations where I was the only person in this room that knows what I want to do with this song,” Strange says. “So, I began the multi-year journey of teaching myself how to engineer my own sessions and produce my own stuff. Once I got that, I kind of was unstoppable in my mind.”  

Live Forever’s first single, the synth-heavy emo-rocker “Mustang” did well, but it was his second song, the total hodgepodge “Boomer,” that got attention. With rap verses and various 2000s indie rock subgenres competing for space, it was almost too weird. He nearly didn’t record it.

But part of Strange’s philosophy is to think differently. There are elements of hip-hop culture he took that he feels other rock musicians should borrow.

“Maybe it’s because I’m Black that I feel with hip-hop, that I have this window to it,” Strange says. “All the great hip-hop acts, like all the great rock bands, it’s the same bravado. The same gravitas that made Pink Floyd cool makes Travis Scott cool. They’re both larger-than-life creatures. Somewhere along the way, rock and roll got sadder and more demure, and hip-hop got grandiose and honestly hopeful. People listen to hip-hop because it’s uplifting. It makes you hype.”

For Strange, Live Forever was the moment he let go of trying to play by other people’s genre rules, and he recorded an album that he wanted to hear, even if it jumped around all over the place in a way that was out of step with current indie rock. Somehow, his weird vision caught on.

“There’s no way I could just make one type of music. It’s so counterintuitive,” Strange says. “It’s harder to just make a record that sounds like a standard indie rock record than to do something that’s explorative. Like, look at how all this shit works together. It’s a good reminder that all of it’s super connected, which people forget. We have a lot more in common than we think we do.”  

Bartees Strange performs at 8pm on Saturday, Dec. 11 at Felton Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton, $14/adv, $17/door. 831-704-7113.

Letter to the Editor: Sacred Ground

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Letter to the Editor: Sacred Ground

Thank you for Erin Malsbury’s cover article “Tall Wonder” (GT, 12/1). The Amah Mutsun helping in Big Basin’s revisioning process is vital. Please check out our Santa Cruz Gives portal (https://santacruzgives.org/nonprofit/amah-mutsun/) to help educate our community, students and tourists about the many amazing contributions local Indigenous People have to offer us—if we can learn to listen. We want to create a “talking” (QR codes and website) art mural on Mission Street with individuals like Chairman Val Lopez and youth members deciding content. Honoring the earth is life-enhancing for all ages and all who reside on this sacred ground. The new mural will help accomplish this and many other goals we have in mind. Happy Holidays!

Ann Simonton | Media Watch

This letter does not necessarily reflect the views of Good Times.To submit a letter to the editor of Good Times: Letters should be originals—not copies of letters sent to other publications. Please include your name and email address to help us verify your submission (email address will not be published). Please be brief. Letters may be edited for length, clarity and to correct factual inaccuracies known to us. Send letters to le*****@go*******.sc.


Plan to Purchase 38 Acres for South County Park Approved

SANTA CRUZ—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors at its Tuesday meeting unanimously approved a plan to purchase a parcel of land in Watsonville, with the hopes of one day converting it into a public park. The 38.5-acre parcel at 188 Whiting Road—located adjacent to the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds—is currently zoned for commercial and agricultural uses. It is valued...
Read more

FDA Authorizes Pfizer Boosters for 16- and 17-Year-Olds

By Sharon LaFraniere, The New York Times Federal regulators Thursday authorized booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for 16- and 17-year-olds, six months after they received their second shot of that vaccine. The move clears the way for several million teenagers to receive an additional shot. All adults have been eligible since Nov. 19 to receive a booster six months...
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Artist’s ‘Gift to the Community’ Resumes After Dispute

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville artist Augie WK for two years has dreamt of bringing a humpback whale to life at the Marinovich Community Center. It was 2019 when the upstart muralist was approached by Watsonville Environmental Science Workshop coordinator Darren Gertler and asked if he’d be interested in using his talents to splash some art onto the downtown park. The plan, WK says, was...
Read more

County Approves Large Affordable Housing Project

WATSONVILLE—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved the construction of an 80-unit affordable housing complex between Atkinson Lane and Brewington Avenue that could break ground early next year. The project, a part of a multiphase development plan approved some two decades ago, is spearhead by nonprofit developer MidPen Housing. It will consist of three 3-story buildings,...
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Watsonville Film Festival Launches Fellowship for Local Filmmakers

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) will soon celebrate its 10th anniversary, and to commemorate the occasion it has launched a fellowship to support local up-and-coming Latinx filmmakers.  The Cine Se Puede fellowship will support five emerging filmmakers from Santa Cruz County and the Pajaro Valley in producing short film projects. It will assist with funding of up to $1,000 per project. Selected...
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Things To Do in Santa Cruz: Dec. 8-14

A weekly guide to what’s happening. ARTS AND MUSIC AN EVENING WITH BRUCE COCKBURN 50TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT! Bruce Cockburn celebrates 50 years in music with his 50th Anniversary Concert Tour and a stop in Santa Cruz! Come celebrate this achievement with us on December 8th at the Rio Theatre. Tickets available at pulseproductions.net. Come celebrate Bruce’s 50 years in music with...
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SoCal Folk Duo Mapache to Unleash a Bevy of New Tunes at Moe’s

The last time I spoke with Sam Blasucci and Clay Finch, the duo behind Mapache (Spanish for raccoon), was the day before their full-length debut dropped, and a few days before they performed at the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur. Barely 21 years old at the time, the twosome had just finished a yearlong tour and already had...
Read more

Aaron Sorkin’s ‘Being the Ricardos’ Dives into 1950s America

Nicole Kidman may not be the first person you’d think of to play the role of beloved TV comedy icon Lucille Ball, but she gives a smart, splendidly nuanced performance in Aaron Sorkin’s Being the Ricardos. This entertaining backstage look at the classic TV comedy series I Love Lucy is also a sharply observed portrait of 1950s America filtered...
Read more

Rising Indie Rocker Bartees Strange Comes to Felton

Recently, indie musician Bartees Strange has become friends with Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds, toured with Lucy Dacus and created a fan out of New Pornographers singer/songwriter A.C. Newman—who tweeted two months ago that he loves Strange’s record. “When artists that I’ve loved forever, who I have made music because of, share my stuff, I’m just like, ‘How is this real,...
Read more

Letter to the Editor: Sacred Ground

Thank you for Erin Malsbury’s cover article “Tall Wonder” (GT, 12/1). The Amah Mutsun helping in Big Basin’s revisioning process is vital. Please check out our Santa Cruz Gives portal (https://santacruzgives.org/nonprofit/amah-mutsun/) to help educate our community, students and tourists about the many amazing contributions local Indigenous People have to offer us—if we can learn to listen. We want to...
Read more
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