She’s done it again! Santa Cruz author Leslie Karst is about to launch the fifth book in her Sally Solari series—The Fragrance of Death. Once again, the restaurateur-turned-sleuth gets into a pickle as she tracks down the perp of a murder at the annual Artichoke Cook-Off.
Problemo: Solari has lost her sense of taste and smell. Once again, jumping into the bouillabaisse with her can-do protagonist, Karst, who will be reading from and discussing the new book at Bookshop Santa Cruz on Thursday, Aug. 4, spoke to me about how this latest—could it be the last? —Solari murder caper came into existence. How will she cope while still tracking down the murderer?
You’ve written Sally Solari mysteries dealing with all of the five senses. This book focuses on the sense of smell. Which one of the senses gave you the most challenge in terms of plotting?
LESLIE KARST: I’d have to say that Murder from Scratch, which focuses on the sense of touch, presented the most challenges. In that fourth book in the series, Sally’s younger, blind cousin Evie comes to live with her after her mother is found dead in their home, and through Evie’s heightened sense of touch, she’s able to discover clues that Sally might otherwise have missed. But writing a blind character was not easy. I wanted her to be a real, fully fleshed-out character, which meant—being sighted myself—that I had to do serious and detailed research. For instance, I visited our local Vista Center for the Blind on several occasions, and they graciously introduced me to various clients who were happy to discuss with me their experiences being blind. And I was also lucky enough to spend a weekend with a blind friend and have her show me all the cool adaptive technology and apps that now exist—and she even cooked a delicious dinner for me, too!
You write what are called ‘cozy’ mysteries. How do they differ from, say, the mysteries written by Louise Penny?
The term “cozy” was coined in the 1980s to describe what was then becoming a hugely popular subgenre of murder mysteries—those in which there is no graphic violence or explicit sex and where the sleuth is someone not involved in law enforcement but is nevertheless sucked into investigating the crime. Cozies generally take place in a small town, which makes it more believable for the protagonist to know or have access to all the suspects and tend to feature “everyday” occupations such as crafting, bookstores, dog groomers, wedding planners, or—as in my series—restaurateurs. I like to think of my Sally Solari books as “snarky cozies” since they have an edgier tone than many others in the subgenre and often touch on serious subjects such as sustainable food practices, drug abuse, immigration, and the macho environment prevalent in so many commercial kitchens.
Why do you think readers enjoy this particular sub-genre?
In these stressful times, when virtually every news story makes you want to run to the medicine cabinet for a dose of Prilosec, it’s wonderful to know that if you crack open the pages of a cozy mystery, you’re in for an enjoyable puzzle with a satisfying conclusion. Yes, they are about murder—not a particularly “happy” subject—but more importantly, cozies are stories of how the average person has the power to restore justice and normalcy to a community which has been thrown into upheaval and chaos by the crime. In a way, it’s all about providing to the reader a sense of order in a world that seems to have spun out of control.
How does writing in the first person add energy to the books? Does it create speed bumps in the overall plotting process?
A first-person vantage point definitely adds a certain energy to stories, as the reader learns things in real-time, along with the protagonist. If Sally is creeping down a hallway, following the sound of a strange voice in her living room, so are we, the readers, and we experience her fear and excitement right along with her. A first-person narrative thus brings a sense of intimacy to the story and allows for empathy and identification with the main character.
First-person can be tricky to write, however, because you can only be in your protagonist’s head. Since I can’t step outside of Sally’s mind, I have to find other ways to make the secondary characters come alive solely through her observations and thoughts. But the most difficult aspect of writing a first-person mystery novel comes from the rule of fair play: since the readers discover relevant clues along with Sally, I can’t have her withhold crucial facts from them. In other words, the reader should be able to solve the mystery at the same time as she. Thus, playing fair while maintaining the tension until that final “ah-ha!” moment is, for me, the key to a compelling first-person story.
Is this the end of the Sally Solari mystery series?
It is not! In fact, I just recently finished the draft of number six in the series, to be published in August of 2023. In this book (working title, A Sense for Murder), the dining room manager of a restaurant cum culinary-themed bookstore is found murdered on the night of a benefit dinner, and the primary clue is the simultaneous theft of a boxed set of signed first editions of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. As you can guess, the sense involved in this book is the “sixth sense.”
Leslie Karst Reading and Signing happens Thursday, Aug. 4 at 7pm. Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave.,Santa Cruz. bookshopsantacruz.com.
(CANCELED) STEVE KIMOCK & FRIENDS There aren’t many who can wield a guitar like Steve Kimock. He’s been at it for over four decades, but he’s not after fame. Kimock’s a musician’s musician—Jerry Garcia once said of Kimock, “He’s my favorite unknown guitar player.” The Grateful Dead connection ironically yielded notoriety through tours with Bob Weir’s bands Kingfish and RatDog. Additionally, Kimock has been involved with several post-Grateful Dead collectives, including the Other Ones, Phil Lesh & Friends and the Rhythm Devils (featuring Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann). $34 plus fees. Thursday, Aug. 4, 8pm. Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. feltonmusichall.com.
COFFEE ZOMBIE COLLECTIVE For over a decade, CZC has built a vigorous, sweaty repertoire of semi-obscure covers and “karaoke barn-burner hits.” As the local outfit continues to evolve, they mix original tunes with warped acoustic renditions of pop hits like Lorde’s “Royals”—they also play rocking classics, including Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades.” You’ll never experience the same show twice. All boardwalk concerts happen on the Colonnade Stage, on the beachside of Neptune’s Kingdom—the dance area is in front of the stage. Free. Thursday, Aug. 4, 8:30pm. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, 400 Beach St., Santa Cruz. (Free Movie at the Beach presents Trolls on Friday, Aug. 5, 9pm). beachboardwalk.com.
ANDERS OSBORNE The New Orleans singer-songwriter’s vocals emit directly from his heart, radiating with a style that is uniquely his own. Since his 1989 debut, Osborne co-wrote tunes that appeared on Keb Mo’s Grammy Award-winning Slow Down. He also penned Tim McGraw’s “Watch the Wind Blow By,” which reached No. 1 on the charts. Everyone from Brad Paisley to Trombone Shorty to Kim Carnes has covered Osborne’s songs. There’s always new material coming. Armitage’s intimate outdoor venue—on a peak overlooking the winery’s sprawling vineyards (usually closed to the public)—boasts unobstructed views of the Monterey Bay. Attendees must be 21 and over. Proceeds benefit the partnership between the Scotts Valley Boys & Girls Club and the Scotts Valley Farmers Market. (Read story). $106 ($10/valet parking). Friday, Aug. 5, 7:30pm (doors 6:30pm). Armitage Winery, 705 Canham Road, Scotts Valley. tiny-winery-concerts.constantcontactsites.com.
LEE FIELDS & THE EXPRESSIONS There aren’t many who naturally exude soul music. 71-year-old North Carolina native Lee Fields is one of the rare exceptions. Unfortunately, the disco era kicked him to the curb by 1980—Fields was forced to work in real estate for several years to support his family. Thanks to a soul renaissance in the early 2000s and labels like Daptone Records—sparked by nearly undiscovered talent like Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley—Fields could return to doing what he was meant to do. In addition to bigtime hip-hop newbies, including Travis Scott and J. Cole, sampling Fields’ early material, the soul icon’s making new records—most recently, It Rains Love—inspired by something the world can use a lot of right now: love. (Read story). $25/$29 plus fees. Friday, Aug. 5, 8pm. Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. feltonmusichall.com.
PREZIDENT BROWN WITH REGGAE ANGELS Straight out of Oracabessa, in the Parish of St. Mary, Jamaica, Prezident Brown’s unique approach to deejaying, which he calls “the chanting style,” is characterized by writing songs through chanting melodies and lyrics. “I apply music to what I want to say,” Brown told United Reggae. “The melody carries the words, and I use words to express myself. If I’ve nothing good to say, I better shut up.” $20/$25 plus fees. Saturday, Aug. 6, 9pm. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. moesalley.com.
(POSTPONED) OUTDOOR COMEDY CORRALITOS Richard Stockton and Dan St. Paul will deliver an “early evening of standup comedy and music that celebrates the joy of where we are right now.” Stockton’s set features a musical component as he riffs on everything from Hi-Fi to Wi-Fi and hippies to hip replacements. Meanwhile, St. Paul has been described as delivering “sharp, clean wit with an outstanding talent for creating characters; what sets Dan apart is that he doesn’t just tell jokes, but rather creates a series of comedic events.” $15. Sunday, Aug. 7, 5pm. El Vaquero Winery, 2901 Freedom Blvd., Corralitos. elvaquerowinery.com.
TERENCE BLANCHARD FEATURING THE E-COLLECTIVE & TURTLE ISLAND QUARTET Five-time Grammy Award-winning trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard’s Absence celebrates the musician’s mentor, Wayne Shorter. The 2021 record features compositions written and inspired by the now 88-year-old sax legend, who Blanchard credits for “influencing his ever-expanding amalgam of music and storytelling.” Blanchard will be joined by his acclaimed band, the E-Collective, featuring Charles Altura on guitar, Fabian Almazan on piano and synth, Oscar Seaton on drums and David “DJ” Ginyard on bass, with the Grammy Award-winning Turtle Island Quartet. $63-68.25; $34/students. Monday, Aug. 8, 7pm. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. kuumbwajazz.org.
‘CANDIDE!’ With a score from the unrivaled Leonard Bernstein and lyrical contributions from the legendary Stephen Sondheim, Hugh Wheeler’s book is transformed into a fast-paced emotional roller-coaster of a musical. Things can’t get worse for Candide (the bastard cousin of Baron Thunder-Ten-Tonck): He’s expelled from his home, forced into the Bulgarian army, brought before the Spanish Inquisition, swindled out of his fortune, shipwrecked on a desert island—and separated from his true love, Cunegonde. (Read review). $25-60. Thursday, Aug. 4, Friday, Aug. 5, and Saturday, Aug. 6, 7:30pm; Sunday, Aug. 7, 2pm (runs through Sunday, Aug. 14). Cabrillo College’s Crocker Theater, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos. cabrillostage.universitytickets.com.
COMMUNITY
UCSC FARMSTAND You will find an abundance of tasty organic vegetables, fruit and herbs—there are stunning flowers, too. Everything is grown at the UCSC Farm & Garden. Open twice weekly through November 2022. Free. Wednesday, Aug. 3, noon-5pm and Friday, Aug. 5, 11am-3pm. Cowell Ranch Hay Barn, 94 Ranch View Road, Santa Cruz. calendar.ucsc.edu.
‘THE CZU FIRE IN THEIR OWN WORDS: FIGHTING FIRES, LOSING HOMES AND REBUILDING COMMUNITY’ Director Peter Gelblum uses actors to relay the words of the people who fought the August 2020 fires and those who lost their homes and possessions, illuminating the shared experiences—the evacuations, battling with insurance companies and getting local support. The film also uses family photographs donated by several local photographers, Shmuel Thaler and Steve Kuehl. Mountain Community Theater produced the movie as a gift to the community. Free (all donations will be split between local volunteer fire departments and the Fire Recovery Fund of the Community Foundation). Sunday, Aug. 7, 1pm. Park Hall, 9400 Mill St., Ben Lomond. in**@******ws.org.
GROUPS
WOMENCARE ARM-IN-ARM This cancer support group is for women with advanced, recurrent or metastatic cancer. The group meets every Monday and is led by Sally Jones and Shirley Marcus. Free (registration required). Monday, Aug. 8, 12:30pm. WomenCare, 2901 Park Ave., A1, Soquel. 831-457-2273. womencaresantacruz.org.
OUTDOORS
SANTA CRUZ SANDHILLS TOUR Experience Santa Cruz’s most sensitive ecosystem, the sandhills, during a two-mile guided walk. Learn about the habitat’s formation and the unique plants and animals adapted to the area. Meet at the campground amphitheater off Graham Hill Road and journey through a breathtaking setting in the mountains. Free ($10/daily use parking fee). Sunday, Aug. 7, 9-11am. Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, 101 North Big Trees Park Road, Felton. thatsmypark.org.
When Anders Osborne was 19 years old, he sat next to an older man at a bar, waiting to perform. The man turned toward Osborne and asked, “You call yourself a music man or a musician?”
“I had never been asked that question before,” Osborne says. “After giving it some thought, I said, ‘I think I’m a music man.’”
He then looked back at the old man and asked, “What’s the difference?”
“He said, ‘A music man shows up when he’s needed—he plays at weddings, funerals, birthdays, random events when music is needed; a musician shows off,’” remembers Osborne. “I’ve kept that close to my heart. I always try to remember, ‘Be a music man.’”
There’s no arguing that Osborne is a “music man.” The infinite touring, the performing, the composing—it’s who he is. Osborne needs music to live the same way he needs oxygen to breathe.
Born in Uddevalla, Sweden, Osborne moved to the Crescent City as a teen, and it’s been home ever since. On a muggy New Orleans day, I catch him as he’s walking through City Park. More than a place where he’s lived for most of his life, the Big Easy has been most of Osborne’s musical education.
“There are very few places I’ve experienced where you can play music for the sake of playing music—in the moment, not thinking about [performing] as a big show,” he says. “I saw how spontaneous music could be, growing up [in New Orleans]; the brass bands, the traditional jazz, the funk of the Neville Brothers and Dr. John. [Music] is so deeply ingrained in the culture that it never felt like we were going to shows—it was just part of life.”
Osborne recalls living in a small studio apartment on Chartres Street, close to a hub where musicians gathered and innovated.
“A bunch of musicians would go to Jackson Square and just play, jam out,” he says. “The Dirty Dozen Brass Band were the founders of this whole brass band wave that started in the ’70s. That music hit me hard. That’s when I first heard something created in the moment. Kermit [Ruffins] and [Trombone] Shorty became part of [the scene]—and eventually, Rebirth [Brass Band].”
Osborne lived in California for about 10 months, just outside of Solvang—he brings it up because it marks another moment that expanded his musical vernacular. One night, he borrowed a friend’s 1970 puke green Cadillac de Ville. The Grateful Dead’s “Black Muddy River” came on the radio as Osborne ascended a winding, backwoods road.
“I was like, ‘What the hell is this?’ he says. “I have always had an affinity for heartfelt ballads—especially ballads that are so explosive and vulnerable. The sensitive nature of Jerry is just so delicate, so beautiful.”
Whether it’s one-of-a-kind jam sessions at Jackson Square or feeling the magic of the Grateful Dead for the first time alone in Central California, Osborne soaks up every musical note he hears. It wasn’t until he kicked a prolific drug habit 13 years ago that he began to see success with his Alligator debut, American Patchwork. His 2010 follow-up, Black Eye Galaxy, which Osborne co-produced with Stanton Moore and Warren Riker, earned more acclaim. Led by the autobiographical slide guitar heater “Black Tar,” the record is raw, candid, soulful and has no boundaries. Osborne displays more musical versatility with 2019’s Buddha and the Blues, an acoustic folk collection far removed from his earlier raucous gems. But he doesn’t leave out his trademark, scorching honesty. Listen to the beautifully finger-picked “Smoke & Mirrors” for a stiff middle finger aimed at Trump.
In between records, EPs and compilations, many of which garnered awards, Osborne’s musical journey has been a perpetual cyclone of touring, festivals and collaborations with the likes of Toots and the Maytals, Warren Haynes and various members of the Grateful Dead, which he holds close to his heart.
“I got to hear how [the Dead] composed their odd meters and strange arrangements,” he says. They mix styles and personalities in a very personal way. They’re not trying to be something. They just become something as they repeat it. And that’s very New Orleans.”
Along with his alliances with members of the Dead, Osborne teamed up with the North Mississippi Allstars (who performed at Armitage last year) on a project dubbed North Mississippi Osborne; he also collaborates frequently with Jackie Greene. Somehow, he finds time to produce for Tab Benoit, Johnny Sansone and, most recently, jam band favorite Railroad Earth’s new record.
So, how the hell does he have time for everything? (He’s also a fine artist whose paintings sell for thousands). Osborne says refraining from alcohol and drugs is essential, but it takes more; it’s about understanding that “spirituality is a fundamental truth.”
“There are no interpretations that can be made,” he explains. “It’s just a matter of fact. As human beings, we interpret it differently as we travel through life. It extends to everything I do. Some days it’s a huge struggle, and some days, it’s pretty easy.”
Anders Osborne plays Friday, Aug. 5 at 7:30pm (doors 6:30pm). $106 ($10 for valet parking). Armitage Winery, 705 Canham Road, Scotts Valley. tiny-winery-concerts.constantcontactsites.com.
After three years of restraint, it was a pleasure to laugh myself silly at the endless delights of Twelfth Night, the second of Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s 2022 offerings.
“If music be the food of love, play on!” says Orsino, the Duke of a mythic island called Illyria. Some backstory: Orsino (M.L. Roberts ) is mad for the Countess Olivia (Jennie Greenberry), who has vowed to shun suitors during a long period of mourning for her dead brother. Enter a young woman, Viola (Safiya Harris), shipwrecked on the coast of Illyria who thinks her twin brother Sebastian has drowned in the storm. Disguised as a boy, Viola finds employment with Orsino, who presses her into service to woo Countess Olivia on his behalf. Great, except Viola (dressed as a young man called Cesario) has already fallen in love with Orsino herself. When she meets the Countess and extols the virtues of Orsino, the Countess promptly falls in love with him/her.
Echoing this gender-bending love triangle is a partying trio—the perennially drunk and aptly named Sir Toby Belch (Mike Ryan having more fun than is legal), his clueless sidekick Sir Andrew Aguecheek (played by our future Artistic Director Charles Pasternak, who stole this show over and over), and their bawdy conspirator Maria (Patty Gallagher, about whom I’ve written, and will continue to write—over-the-top praise). These three—Belch (the Countess’ ribald uncle), Maria (her maid) and Aguecheek (the witless, aristocratic sidekick of Belch)— cavort, prance, drink, dance, sing and plot to humiliate the Countess’ vain and puritanical servant Malvolio (played to the hilt by the astonishing Lindsay Paige White). Think of it as three little worlds of romance, hilarious camaraderie and intensely coiled mischief, all ingeniously knit together by the brilliant Cedric Lamar as Orsino’s cagey fool, Feste (okay, he really DID steal the show).
If you think this is convoluted, it is. But it’s not confusing, and that is thanks to director Paul Mullins and his cast, as talented a group of professionals as ever gathered at the Audrey Stanley Grove. In each bit of juicy and cross-gendered repartée, every single person on that stage stole the show. More than once!
Let me also praise costumer B. Modern, whose uncanny sense of what each character requires, and what each mood demands, filled this production with limitless visual magic. The opening, in which all actors are dressed in shades of black, raising black umbrellas at the same exact moment, is definitive stagecraft. Brava B. Modern, never better, endlessly inspired. And bravo to actor Ward Duffy (see The Formula), who stepped into a small but crucial part literally hours before last weekend’s matinee. He made it work, even clutching a script, which he managed to make look like it was part of the staging. The show must go on, and Duffy was a genuine trooper.
There’s so much to love in this brisk comedy—considered Shakespeare’s comedic best—that the audience can barely breathe. Mullins not only understands how to ignite the full flavor of some of Shakespeare’s most wicked puns and risqué metaphors, he has also kindled genuine understanding in his actors (aided by barely visible amplifying head pieces). As a result, we can hear and understand every word. There is no yelling. No word is dropped. The audience is enfolded in each one of the play’s outrageous schemes to outwit adversaries and win affections.
The flames of slapstick are fanned by the dazzling Lamar as the fool Feste, whose vocal impersonations and musical abilities power much of the mood and mayhem of Twelfth Night. Music punctuates many scenes and scene changes in this production, from blues to Jerome Kern—kudos to music master Rody Ortega.
It’s such a guilty pleasure watching this many grown men and women having this much fun dressing up and behaving like silly children—think Monty Python, or SNL. Especially Charles Pasternak as the dapper, dumb-as-a-post Sir Aguecheek, determined to learn (if not understand) a few words of French, and duel with a much-better-trained opponent. Not only was the scene in which the acrobatic Pasternak leaps across pianos, romps up stairways, and pirouettes with abandon riotous, it was made even richer by the actor obviously having so much fun with his perfectly timed frolic. About the magnificent White as Malvolio I will say little. I don’t want to spoil your fun.
A full-on comedic romp, Twelfth Night will make you laugh more than you have since The Formula. Don’t you dare miss it!
‘Twelfth Night,’ directed by Paul Mullins, runs through Aug. 28 at the Audrey Stanley Grove at DeLaveaga Park. santacruzshakespeare.org.
“Everything that we do on Earth is meant to be,” Lee Fields tells me over the phone.
It’s the first time I’ve spoken to the soul singer, and we’re already talking about the meaning of life.
Technically, I’m supposed to be asking him about his show this week at Felton Music Hall with his band the Expressions. However, I’m not one to pass up a deep, existential conversation.
“We all have a time when we’ll expire and we’ll do it at the exact time we should. Whether it’s an accident or by natural causes,” says Fields. He pauses for emphasis before adding, with a smile, “But I’ll tell you one thing: I’m having a good time while I’m here!”
At 72, Fields is an entertainer on and off the stage. One minute he’s breaking down the facts of life, tapping into a deeper emotional realm, and the next he’s wrapping up a funny anecdote with a carefree laugh.
It doesn’t just make him a great interview; it’s also part of what makes his music so good.
While popularized in the 1960s, soul music has a certain timelessness.
“In the beginning, most soul singers were actually gospel singers,” Fields says. “And—like gospel—it’s changed a bit. But a good soul song, people can feel that.”
When it comes to soul greats, several names always pop up (and rightfully so): Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, James Brown and more. It might be time we added Fields to that list. Along with classic artists like Bobby Womack and Betty Wright, he’s worked with many of the new, neo-soul or soul revival players who have solidified their places among the greats. Names like the late Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley, both whom he considered close friends.
It all started when Fields was just 13 years old.
“I wanted to be a businessman, but I got into music when a friend dared me to go on stage and sing at a talent show,” he says, recalling a transistor radio he would bring with him on his daily paper route.
“I knew all of the songs [on the radio] and I always liked to sing. So I took the dare, the girls went crazy and the band hired me that night!”
With an origin story like that, it’s hard not to believe his music career was meant to be, especially after he almost gave it up 40 years ago. By that time, Fields had already cut multiple singles, beginning in 1969, and finally debuted his first full-length, Let’s Talk It Over, in 1979. But he also noticed that the music–and the culture–was different.
“Music changed,” he says. “I had put so much confidence in the music, and when disco and dancing came around, I thought I was doomed.”
During that period, Fields got into real estate and even almost opened a fish restaurant at one point. It was a hard time for him, but Fields credits the Bible (which he also claims as the source of his love for language) and his wife (who talked him out of opening the restaurant) for getting him through.
“She said, ‘You need to stick to what you do,’” he remembers.
It’s a good thing he did. In 1993, his song “Meet Me Tonight” became an underground hit and Lee has been at the forefront of the soul revival ever since.
The prolific musician is currently wrapping up his newest album, a follow-up to 2019’s It Rains Love. It will be released on Daptone Records, which Fields has recorded for in the past. At the beginning of the year, he signed a four-record deal with the label.
“I’m hyped on a bunch of new songs we want to try live, see what the people think about it,” he says. “There’s a lot of emotions in the new album, I’ll put it like that.”
Lee Fields and the Expressions perform Friday, Aug. 5, at 8pm at Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy 9, Felton. $25/$29 plus fees. feltonmusichall.com.
Lynn Rennshaw’s letter to the editor (GT, 7/20) corrected several errors in Ms. Moya’s story. Unfortunately, Ms. Moya’s response contained even more errors.
Without acknowledging her error, Moya tacitly agreed with Rennshaw’s correction that the EHT requires all homeowners—not just landlords—to file an annual affidavit (under threat of criminal penalty) swearing to occupancy. This has nothing to do with being a landlord or owner-occupier. However, Moya made numerous other errors and other misleading assertions.
Ms. Moya falsely states that the tax applies to “Airbnbsunoccupied for at least 120 days” (i.e., occupied for 8 months). This is untrue for several reasons:
1. EHT Section 3.38.040(G)(1)(h) exempts all registered short-term rentals regardless of the number of days of occupancy.’
2. Properties do not owe the tax if they are occupied for at least 120 days/year, not if they are “unoccupied for at least 120 days.”
3. About half of the city’s STRs are so-called “hosted,” which by definition means that the owner lives in them at least half the year. That itself would make those STRs exempt from the tax regardless of the other exemptions I describe.
4. Properties that are unregistered vacation rentals are already in violation of city ordinance, and the city has been actively enforcing this ordinance for years. Regardless, if there still are any that exist, they would not be in violation of the EHT even if they’re rented unlawfully and otherwise occupied for at least 120 days/year. If Ms. Moya is referring to these properties (if there even are any) she certainly doesn’t make that clear in her story. Furthermore, these property owners are already defying the city’s laws and could hardly be expected to comply with the EHT.
As Lynn Rennshaw pointed out, Ms. Moya used the term “empty vacation rentals” several times, when it does not apply to them. Perhaps she was confused about this because many of the EHT proponents also incorrectly believe that the EHT applies to vacation rentals when it does not.
Eric Grodberg
Santa Cruz
RESPONSE:While the original article explained the regulation accurately, Eric is correct. The phrase “unoccupied for at least 120 days” in our reporter’s response should have been “if they are not in use for at least 120 days per year, or empty for more than 8 months.” We regret the error. — Editor
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Perhaps, like me, you’ve followed the local music scene for a long time. Perhaps, like me, you’re familiar with the success of the band Sound Tribe Sector 9, which has seen its devoted following swell to the level that people are starting to talk about it the way they do Phish, or even the Grateful Dead. You still, like me, probably had no idea that STS9 has been a Santa Cruz band for more than 20 years.
This is not how things usually work. In the rare instance that a Santa Cruz band finds national success (or, let’s face it, even significant regional success), it’s usually a huge deal here. True, STS9 are transplants, but so were (for instance) the members of The Devil Makes Three—and local music fans lost their minds when that band got national attention in the late ’00s. Good Riddance’s critical acclaim and huge legion of fans around the world have been a source of civic pride for two decades. Hell, Snail got some nationwide notice in the late ’70s, and we’re still talking about it. Maybe it’s because we’ve seen so many great local bands regularly pack the Catalyst, seem primed for bigger things, and then … never quite make it. We can’t help but stan hard for the ones who do.
So how has STS9 slipped under the radar as a Santa Cruz success story? Adam Joseph finds some answers in this week’s cover story, and also explains why the group’s two nights of shows at the UCSC QuarryAmphitheatre this week are a sort of coming-out party for STS9 as a Santa Cruz phenomenon—complete with festivities. Read on!
STEVE PALOPOLI | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ONLINE COMMENTS
We All Suck
A recent letter writer (GT, 7/27) spent her time trashing the “fossil fuel industry” while conveniently ignoring her—and by extension, our—contributions to climate change. I wonder, does she drive? Does she turn on her lights, watch her TV, power up her computer, heat and cool her house? Does she buy any pre-packaged food, or indeed any food at all at the supermarket? What about the clothes she wears? Are they made from petrochemical fabric? I could go on and on, but the truth is obvious and impossible to refute: We all suck at the teats of Big Gas, Bil Oil and Big Coal, and to blame the FFI exclusively is like the addict blaming the pusher for all his woes. If we held up a mirror to the real villain in this dystopian nightmare, I’m afraid he would look a lot like us.
SUPER CONDUCTOR Maestro Cristi Macelaru and the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music Orchestra made a triumphant return to the Civic Auditorium last month after a two-year hiatus from live music. Photograph by Don Eggers.
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GOOD IDEA
SOMETHING DOESN’T STINK
The UCSC corpse flower, which emits a decaying stench when it blossoms and was set to bloom Friday night, was declared an actual … well, corpse, after it failed to bloom at the UCSC Arboretum over the weekend. The flower’s cause of death will be investigated during an autopsy this Wednesday at 10am at the Arboretum. More details about the flower’s mysterious death to come.
GOOD WORK
WHERE’S WINNER?
After hiding Waldos around downtown Santa Cruz throughout the month of July, Bookstore Santa Cruz will be hosting a Grand Finale Party this Saturday, where whoever found the most Waldos will be deemed the grand prize winner. The jackpot might not be a billion dollars like last week’s Mega Millions, but Waldo himself will be there. Find details at: bookshopsantacruz.com/waldo-grand-finale.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.”
How do you describe the music of Sound Tribe Sector 9, aka STS9, to someone who’s never heard it? Sometimes their songs morph into lengthy grooves that enter the jam band zone. At others, the group unleashes unpredictable jazz-fusion tangents informed by Weather Report and Return to Forever. There are elements of trip-hop, acid jazz and electronica—dubbed “livetronica” or “post-rock dance music”—that fuel full-on dance parties among audience members. It’s a soundtrack to a movie that has yet to be made. I can go on. But really, the music that STS9 has spent a quarter of a century making is something you have to hear for yourself—preferably live.
For a quarter of a century, the Georgia natives have been creating something more extensive than a signature sound; they’ve cultivated a one-of-a-kind experience. Thousands of fans follow them nationally and beyond—it’s a phenomenon akin to Phish or even the Grateful Dead. These fans know it’s not just a concert, it’s an all-encompassing intergalactic experience.
STS9’s songs don’t have vocals, but guitarist/keyboardist Hunter Brown, drummer Zach Velmer, bassist Alana Rocklin, keyboardist David Phipps and percussionist Jeffree Lerner are storytellers. Wistful soundscapes intertwine with the vibrant colors and optical illusions provided by masterful lighting designer Tiberius Benson—the quintet considers him their sixth band member.
“When you’re playing live, there’s a microscope when you’re in the studio, there’s a microscope when you’re rehearsing, and you can stop and be like, ‘Oh, look at this or look at that,’” drummer Zach Velmer says. “When performing live, you play through [mistakes], but you learn so much about yourself, the process and the musical conversation you’re having with your brothers and sisters. Then when you’re recording, and you’re under a microscope, it’s all about what the conversation and the music need, so it’s all very dynamic. Each part just plays on itself, so magically.”
One of the keys to the band’s dynamic connection is their ability to get out of their own way, especially during improvisational journeys. Everyone knows when a tune has run its course—the story has been told, and the song is ready to end.
“When we’re in the moment, it’s a feeling we all get,” Velmer says. “It goes beyond using a period just because it’s grammatically correct.”
Bassist Alana Rocklin adds, “I think there’s a flow to it. On Sunday, we did a Wave Spell set, which is a completely improvised set of music for the fans. Wave Spell started in our studio. Instead of just rehearsing and writing songs, we started to feel a need to play whatever was in our hearts and communicate with each other. Wave Spell took on a life of its own through our recordings. We got together and happened to record it, and when we listened to it, we were like, ‘Wow, we should share this.’ Then we started doing it live. In this last set we did, there was this one improvisation, and I didn’t know the end was coming, but Zach played this thing, and because we were listening so intensely, we all just stopped, and that was the end of it. For me, it was one of the best musical moments of the weekend because we were listening so carefully, and I think I looked at him, then I looked at Hunter, and we were all like, ‘Yup, that’s it. It’s done.’ Then, we just laughed.”
“It’s like having this amazing conversation back and forth,” Velmer says. “And you’re feeding off each other’s energy. That’s what it feels like anyway. We just changed the trajectory of the energy in this macro moment. It’s pretty cool.”
Hiding in Sight
For more than 20 years, Sound Tribe Sector 9 has called Santa Cruz home. It’s where the band members live with their families. It’s also where they have their studio. Santa Cruz is their “sacred space.”
“We keep a low profile, but it’s not secretive,” Velmer says. “We love our community. When we’re home, we work in our studio or spend time with our family. Our roots are definitely from the East Coast, but most of our time has been spent here in [Santa Cruz].”
In the summer of 2000, guitarist Hunter Brown drove from his West Athens, Georgia home to Santa Cruz to visit a friend. He dug the area so much that he stayed, and convinced the band to join him. Brown was 22, and at that age life changes like that are pretty easy without families or any real responsibilities. Before hitting it big, the group lived in a dilapidated home in Watsonville.
Sound Tribe Sector 9 outside Days Market in Seabright. Despite their international success, even many locals who know their music don’t realize the band has lived in Santa Cruz for over 20 years.
“I think we’ve always had a difficult time promoting ourselves outside of the music, and the art that comes from the music,” Brown says. “Maybe that’s why nobody really knows we’re here. But Santa Cruz is our favorite place in the world. We’ve been here for almost most of our lives at this point, which is crazy. [Santa Cruz] has been a crucial part of our development as a creative force. We can’t say enough about what this place means or has done for us.”
Throughout the last 20-plus years that Sound Tribe has lived in Santa Cruz, they’ve gone from club act opener to selling out three-night runs at Colorado’s famed Red Rocks Amphitheater, which holds about 10,000. Around the time they released their masterpiece, Artifact, in 2005, Sound Tribe began regularly filling Santa Cruz’s venues, including the Catalyst, the now-defunct Palookaville and headlining the Santa Cruz Civic Center. Santa Cruz is where they started 1320 Records, a niche label for artists—they now have a roster of more than 40—making similar music.
Hello, Alana
Regarding personnel, Sound Tribe hasn’t changed much over the years, which has helped their musical conversations remain consistently fluent. In 2014, when one of the band’s founders, bassist David Murphy left, Alana Rocklin came on board. Rocklin had known and sat in with the group since 2000, so the transition was seamless.
“From the moment we had our first rehearsal, it was an amazing vibe,” Rocklin recalls. “Knowing the music, loving the music, being friends and already loving each other as people made that transition super natural. We’ve just kept it going.”
“It was as effortless as possible,” Velmer adds.
As someone who was initially on the outside, Rocklin can perfectly convey what the band is all about.
“How you are as a human being comes out in the music,” Rocklin says. “Whatever you’re going through in your life, whatever path is happening is reflected in what you’re playing. Coming home after you play and seeing your family and everything that we’ve had to go through, even the pandemic, has been an exciting experience that’s brought us closer and influenced our creativity, and made us want to just get back to the roots of playing music at the most basic level, just like improvising together. One of the most beautiful things about music is that it reflects who you are as a band; that’s something we love about music, so we try to stay true to that.”
Brown adds, “There was no one else that we considered because we knew Alana was who we wanted. It was natural to fall into this new reality together. It’s been incredible. Thank you, Alana.”
For the Fans
Velmer says STS9 has been a “passion project of storytelling since day one. It’s something that has always been a part of us.” And the band’s 2005 opus, Artifact, is a large part of their story, as mentioned earlier.
“Making music in the state of a Tell-a-Vision nation, this album is an ode to change and preservation,” read the record’s original liner notes.
About two weeks ago, just before STS9’s three-night run at Red Rocks, the band released a 43-minute documentary, Artifacts, via YouTube. The short film documents the band’s 20th-anniversary show in 2017 at Red Rocks when they performed Artifact in its entirety, which they had never done. The complexity and the orchestration of the album’s 20-plus songs made it a daunting task—many of the tunes on the record hadn’t even performed live before.
“I think we got to a place where we were finally comfortable performing that album in a way that we felt paid homage to the original creation,” Brown explains. “It just took us a while to get there, and we genuinely wanted to put our time into making it happen. That was a big part of it.”
Velmer adds, “We usually don’t just go out and play an album. We’re telling these stories, and it’s not just a story of an album; it’s a story of the whole existence of STS9, a story that’s beyond the universe we’re all in and compiled of different records. For many of our fans, that was a gateway album that led to consuming more STS9. There are over 20 fucking songs on it, which helped make it such a good show. We knew it was a fan favorite. [Fans] are a huge part of what we do, why we do what we do and how we do what we do. We’ve had this relationship with fans for decades now, which is weird to say, but we’ve learned and grown together, and we’re constantly trying to give them what they want but also surprise them in new and interesting ways.”
“It always comes back to [the fans] in some way,” Brown says. “Each night is a new story. We’re excited to create a new one for Santa Cruz.”
The Quarry Shows
Sound Tribe has had their eye on UCSC’s Quarry Amphitheatre for a long time. The canopy of towering redwoods caressing the former lime quarry’s layout provides natural acoustics similar to Red Rocks, one of Sound Tribe’s favorite venues. Following the theater’s upgrades, it’s even better. Also, it now seats 2,700, making it Santa Cruz’s largest outdoor venue. They even have close friends that have been a part of its restoration.
“There’s been a magical dream manifesting for years, so we’re ecstatic,” Brown says. “We haven’t played in Santa Cruz for a long time, and to have this be where we play? We were patient with where we wanted to play and how we wanted to do it. This is beyond our wildest imagination. It will be a huge family affair, because that’s what Santa Cruz is. We couldn’t be more excited to finally put on the kind of show in Santa Cruz that we’ve wanted to do for so long.”
“It’s really neat to read online conversations from our fans,” Velmer says. “There is this mystery of, ‘I wonder what they’re going to do in Red Rocks?’ and we just did four nights in Atlanta, and now, [fans] are talking about Santa Cruz. For this kind of event, we like when it’s a little bit of a spectacle for fans not to know what it will be. Since we’re always picking up new things, our shows are never the same thing twice. Even with the lighting effects. You get these people conversing. Like, ‘this one’s called this, and they did this, and the rig lifted like they were pushing the sky. Then they were in the sky, and there were clouds.’ The kids are really into what we’re laying down and the creative side. It’s pretty fucking cool, man.”
Like all Sound Tribe shows, no one will know what to expect until the show starts. All that’s learned: “They will be special shows,” Velmer says.
Also, there may be some new music. Brown says they’re about 90% finished with a new record. He can’t give a release date yet, but it’s so close they’ve already begun to debut some of the songs live.
Following both of Sound Tribe’s Quarry performances, there will be afterparties at the Coconut Ballroom featuring Quadraphonic (surround sound) Funktion, the Chambers Project’s psychedelic art and music from Mr. Carmack, Sunsquabi, Machinedrum and several other acts, all curated by STS9. Additionally, there will be local dance performances, floral displays, crystal and mineral displays, local vendors and much more. It’ll basically be a two-day festival between Sound Tribe’s shows and the after-parties.
Give Back
Since Sound Tribe began in the late ’90s, giving back has always been a big part of what they’re about. Spanning back to helping Hurricane Katrina victims, the band has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of volunteering for multiple organizations.
“We’re a community beyond the five of us and the 20 of our crew members, and we try to do the best we can to help as much as we can,” Brown says. “We’ve been lucky to do a lot of great projects, most that people don’t know about, like local things and places that we love and people that have connected with us. It’s something we will continue to do. Over the past few years, we’ve been inspired to work with the Save the Redwoods League, which fought to save Big Basin. We want to continue to help because we’re devastated by what we see—just the changes we’ve witnessed here in California since we’ve been here. We’re always trying to find ways to be engaged and do whatever we can.”
STS9 provided the original score for ‘#ReGeneration,’ a documentary about the Occupy Wall Street movement featuring Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky, narrated by Ryan Gosling.
The band’s Just Thanks nonprofit is used as an umbrella to support initiatives and organizations they’re passionate about. Sound Tribe teamed up with Save the Redwoods League recently to purchase a piece of property that used to be a logging camp, but has thousands of giant Sequoias on it. According to Brown, the land will be turned into a park connected to a more extensive park system.
“We’re focused on women’s rights and getting our healthcare rights back,” Rocklin says. “We also did an initiative for the CZU fires, which affected all of us. We constantly remind ourselves to be engaged because it’s just who we are. And we feel fortunate to be able to play music and have this community of people who share in that love of the earth and people.”
The band has collected thousands of pounds of food donations from fans. Bring canned goods to the Quarry shows and get a poster in return. Also, a portion of each ticket sold for the after-parties will go to benefit GrassRoots Alliance.
STS9 plays Friday, Aug. 12 and Saturday, Aug. 13 at 7pm. One night $47.50/$54.50; $77.50/premium; $37.50/students plus fees. 2-day pass $95; $155/premium; $77.50/students plus fees. Quarry Amphitheater at UC Santa Cruz, 1156 High St., Santa Cruz. quarry.ucsc.edu.
Official STS9 After Parties with Mr. Carmack, Sunsquabi, Potions, Machinedrum and more, 11pm at Cocoanut Grove, 400 Beach St., Santa Cruz. $35 plus fees; 2-day pass/$55 plus fees. 21 and over. sts9.com.
STS9 Free Skate Session on Saturday, Aug. 12, is sold out.
Visit sts9.bandcamp.com to listen to and download all music STS9 releases, plus bonus items from their back catalog.
The City of Santa Cruz is gearing up to disband the Benchlands encampment in San Lorenzo Park, which has drawn controversy and criticism from all corners as its homeless population swelled over the last two years. But even as officials move to relocate the people who reside there, some big questions remain about the city’s plan.
From homeless advocates to city officials to those who have lived in it, most agree that the encampment needs to be closed. But at the same time, some question whether the city has the infrastructure and services to support this closure, and if this move will truly help curb homelessness—or exacerbate an already volatile situation.
Perhaps the only thing generally agreed upon is that after the Benchlands encampment is closed, “people can expect homelessness to become a lot more visible,” says Santa Cruz Free Guide Executive Director Evan Morrison.
Morrison has worked in the homeless sector for the past five years. In his current role, he is helping the city set up a safe parking area for RVs. He says it’s likely that unhoused people will end up in neighborhoods, downtown and on benches—anywhere they can find a place to sleep. It’s not ideal for them or other city residents, he says.
“If we’re dispersing a giant encampment, you’re more likely to see someone who’s homeless while you’re dropping your kid off at school,” says Morrison. “Where can our homeless residents go, and be safe? We’ve never truly answered that question.”
Moving the Benchlands
Santa Cruz City Manager Matt Huffaker announced during a city council meeting in April that the closure of the Benchlands encampment would begin in earnest in July. But the city’s new chief executive backtracked on those plans at a subsequent city council meeting, saying that the closure would happen in “late summer.”
The city is still a few weeks out from starting to move people out of the Benchlands, as it waits to finalize a contract with the Salvation Army that will provide 60 additional shelter spaces at the National Guard Armory. The Armory will also be home to a city-funded 24-hour safe parking program for people who live in their cars.
Currently, the city has an outdoor camp at the Armory Overlook in DeLaveaga Park, where 65 to 75 tents are set up, and another outdoor program with 30 spaces at 1220 River St.
The plan, says Santa Cruz Deputy City Manager Lisa Murphy, is to slowly clear out sections of the Benchlands, ensuring that as they move through the encampment, there will be shelter spaces available for those being moved. As for how long the process will take, there is no official time frame, says Santa Cruz spokeswoman Elizabeth Smith. The move will be put on pause as shelter spaces fill up, or as the city tries to get new programs online, Smith says.
She adds that the city will use a van to transport those interested into shelters,, and everyone will have the opportunity to meet with a case manager who can connect them with the right services.
“The city has not stood up proactive services in this way, in its history,” says Smith. “And so, just in its very nature, the closure is different. Our approach to contingency of the offer of shelter and the focus on case management, it’s different.”
Brent Adams, who operates the Santa Cruz Warming Center, and other homeless advocates, are skeptical that people will take up the offer to go to shelters. This is despite the fact that the shelter at the Armory is low-barrier, meaning it’s open to any gender, people can bring one pet and there will be an option for people to bring their things (as long as the personal items can be stored inside their tent).
Adams believes this will likely be another in a long line of failed encampment closures.
Before the Benchlands, there was the Ross Camp, which began accumulating dozens of tents, clustered between Highway 1 and the Ross discount store on the outskirts of downtown Santa Cruz, in 2018. The city tried and failed to close that encampment for months, and in April 2019, city officials reopened the Benchlands camp in an attempt to direct people away from Ross Camp. Even after the city closed the Ross encampment in May 2019, it reopened as a smaller camp in November. The city once again removed the campers, suggesting the people there move to the shelter options at the Armory.
“The city’s closing it because this is the long slow train that they’ve been doing,” says Adams. “This is the end of a long story—and this is the most ridiculous ending that anybody could have ever imagined.”
Smith says the city knows closing the Benchlands will not “magically cure homelessness.” Homelessness is a systemic issue that needs state and federal intervention, experts say.
But after disbanding the encampment, she says the city will be enforcing its overnight sleeping ordinance to help manage the impacts of closing the encampment. The ordinance, a controversial rule approved by city council in 2021 that allows Santa Cruz to restrict people from sleeping on public property after establishing 150 safe-sleeping sites, will be used on a case-by-case basis, enforced and determined by police.
“There’s no illusion that by creating shelter at the Armory, encampments are magically going to not occur anymore,” says Smith. “These are all tools in this toolbox to help people get housed, people get shelter and to manage the negative impacts that come from encampments, but there’s not one solution that’s going to make encampments go away.”
Where to Go?
Lemon, a woman in her early 30s who asked to have her last name withheld, was hesitant to go to a shelter when she was previously homeless. She says she was concerned for her safety and afraid of having her personal belongings stolen, and was also just embarrassed to go to a shelter. When she decided to seek out a place at a shelter, she says she was grateful to have a roof over her head, but her experience wasn’t all good.
Lemon lived in an individual room that she described as a large metal container shed without ventilation. In the summer, temperatures inside her room would become unbearably hot, so she would spend all day outside, while nights were ice cold.
“It’s pretty miserable in the summer,” Lemon says. “And despite it being a blessing to have it all, it’s still not fit for human habitation … especially [for] people with disabilities.”
While some people working at the shelter were sympathetic to Lemon’s situation, some treated her poorly, she says.
“It seems like [some of] the people who work there are very, very into the cause. And some of the people who work there almost have some sort of stigma or, like, hatred or prejudice against homeless people,” she says.
Asked what the plan is for those who decide to not move to the new shelter, the city asserts that that is an individual decision and “not something the city can comment on.”
In the weeks leading up to the clear-out, officials are working to count the people in the Benchlands, and will try to keep track of them so that case managers can connect them to services.
But officials acknowledge these plans might be temporary; the new shelter spaces and the staffing to move the encampment and provide services are being funded with a one-time, $14 million state infusion. With the failure of the sales tax measure in June, which would have provided $80 million in new funding for the city over the next decade, whether or not the city can see this plan through is still to be determined.
“The $14 million has already been programmed out to help with a variety of services that are not one-time services, like the shelters, that are ongoing operations,” Deputy City Manager Murphy says. “So without an ongoing stream of revenue to fund ongoing costs, we have a real problem.”
An ‘Inhumane’ Encampment
“The Wild West.” “A crime haven.” A “drug city.”
These are just a few phrases Adams uses to describe the Benchlands encampment. He provides shower services there once a week, and also walks through the Benchlands nearly every day on his way to work.
“These are spaces where people are allowed to be with no management whatsoever,” says Adams. “So it’s a scenario where the most aggressive people control the space. You can feel good vibes there from time to time. But it’s really focused on fentanyl, methamphetamine and opium, and access to that, so it’s quite desperate.”
In one week alone, Santa Cruz Police have responded to just over 40 calls related to incidents at the Benchlands. Twelve of those calls were related to assaults and overdoses.
“It’s inhumane conditions,” says Adams. He says the encampment needed to close months ago, and the city should have opened transitional shelters like the one on River Street years ago—and with more than 30 spaces.
“Living in the Benchlands is not appropriate for any human being,” says Adams.
When City Manager Huffaker announced that the city had postponed the closure of the Benchlands encampment at a city council meeting in June, he said that disbanding the camp hinges on the city having enough staffing and contract support, as well as police enforcement.
The announcement came around a week after six city vehicles were torched on June 2 at the municipality’s Parks and Recreation yard in Harvey West Park. Along with the fire, which city officials deemed suspicious, police also found spray-painted messages reading “Leave homeless alone” and “Stop sweeping.” These incidents are still under investigation, according to the Santa Cruz Police Department, but Huffaker said that afterward, city employees were concerned for their safety and expressed a desire for more police enforcement.
Security at the encampment has increased, with three officers every day patrolling San Lorenzo Park. Smith says police will be present during the move, and the city is working with the Sheriff’s Department to supplement security. But just how many officers will be available during the move is still unknown.
“We’re not to that level of detail on the plan,” says Smith.
Planning Project
In October of 2021, the county operated 638 shelter beds, in large part thanks to one-time pandemic funding; now, that number is down to 386.
Because of the limited capacity and the restrictions on shelters, homeless advocates say that even the opening of new, city-run shelters is not enough to keep people off the streets. They assert there needs to be a long-term, comprehensive plan that will prevent other unmanaged encampments from arising to fill the gap in services.
Those gaps can be exacerbated when encampments are closed—it becomes much harder for case managers to stay in contact with people they were helping to access services or find housing.
“Even if, or when, folks get settled again, it’s a crapshoot of whether or not service providers will be able to find them,” says Morrison. This is why it’s critical that the city identifies safe, overnight areas that homeless people can rely on for more than a year, he says.
Overall, Morrison says, the city and the community need to work together to help address homelessness if both want to keep people out of the streets and prevent another large-scale encampment. That means saying yes to affordable housing programs, it means education around temporary shelters in neighborhoods and providing services that aim to get people housed, in addition to offering people a safe place to sleep.
“What’s missing? An overall community plan to end homelessness, what the steps are,” says Morrison. “And then, we need to think, ‘Does closing this encampment fit into that plan or not?’”
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission on Thursday will consider releasing a request for proposals (RFP) for an engineering company to conduct a study intended to prepare for electric passenger rail along the county’s 32-mile track system.
The study would cover the 22-mile stretch between Pajaro Junction in north Monterey County and Natural Bridges Drive in Santa Cruz.
With a cost estimated at around $17 million, the study would help county transportation officials define their vision for how an electric rail system would look, including the number of stops, how frequently the train will run and what the potential ridership will be, says RTC Senior Transportation Engineer Sarah Christensen.
Also included will be a detailed study of how to convert the single-track freight line to a rail transit system, Christensen says.
The report would also include an environmental impact report for segments of the track between Rio del Mar Boulevard and Lee Road, and between Beach Street and the Pajaro Junction.
If the Commission approves releasing the RFP, Christensen estimates the RTC will likely vote on possible proposals in November. The study would then take at least one year to complete.
If approved by the Commission, the RFP would be the most significant step on the controversial rail project since the resounding defeat of Measure D in the June 7 election, which would have changed language in the county’s general plan to focus on a trail-only model. It would also likely have resulted in “railbanking” and the removal of much of the track along the line.
More than 73% of voters rejected Measure D, despite a media blitz by proponents powered by more than $300,000 in campaign contributions.
But the idea of a passenger rail system—an end-of-the-rainbow project still far in the future—has divided the county, with dueling utopian visions for the existing countywide rail line. While many hope for a pedestrian-bicycle path to replace the tracks, others see the possibility of a system that could conceivably connect to the greater Bay Area transportation network and help alleviate gridlock traffic on Highway 1.
RTC officials have said it could cost as much as $60 million to make the needed improvements on the track, even before a rail system can be considered.
Last year, SCCRTC Director Guy Preston recommended that the county not pursue a partnership with a company hoping to provide passenger service between Capitola and Santa Cruz, citing the cost and scope of the project.
If the RFP is approved, the project could not be funded entirely by funds from Measure D—a half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2016 that has raised millions for transportation projects countywide.
RTC officials have identified the competitive State Rail Assistance Program funding to pay for the rest, with a required local match of 20%.
Commission staff is recommending that the projects currently under development would continue as separate contracts.
This includes the nearly one-mile stretch currently under construction between the intersection of Bay and California streets and Beach Street in Santa Cruz. When completed in 2023, it will connect with the 1.2-mile trail completed in 2020 that runs from the Bay-California intersection to Natural Bridges Drive, which, the RTC says, serves more than 800 cyclists and pedestrians per day.
Together, they make up Segment 7 of the Coastal Rail Trail, and will create 2.1 miles of the project’s spine between Natural Bridges Drive and Pacific Avenue at the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf.
The RTC will work with the City of Watsonville to determine whether the stretch of the track there—known as Segment 18—will be included in the study.
The SCCRTC will meet Aug. 4 at 9am in room 525 of the County Board of Supervisors Chambers at 701 Ocean St. in Santa Cruz. It will be the commission’s first in-person meeting. Participants can also attend remotely via Zoom at bit.ly/3zIGfFd.
The world-known group has lived and recorded under the radar in the community for over 20 years. Their two-night run at UCSC’s Quarry Amphitheatre will mark an unofficial coming-out party
