Across the street from a strip mall and the Scotts Valley Middle School, and right next to brand-new townhouses, another development is set to rise.
That’s because Scotts Valley City Council recently approved its latest housing project, “The Encore at 4104,” in the beating heart of the community.
“We received a lot of positive feedback about it,” Mayor Derek Timm said. “It’s not something we really have in our inventory now.”
Located on the southeast side of Scotts Valley Drive, just up the hill from Mt. Hermon Road, the 16 condominiums, from Apple Homes Development, Inc., will stand 35 feet and three stories tall.
The Planning Commission approved the project unanimously at its Aug. 12 meeting.
square feet. Council took up the issue Sept. 1.
Eight of the units are to be 1,134 square feet. The other eight units are to be 1,080 square feet.
All of the condos are to have either private balconies or patios.
Two of them are to be sold at an affordable price point for people in the “low-income” category.
Apple Homes is also the developer behind The Terrace at Scotts Valley townhomes next door.
It has promised to use recycled water and spray a biodegradable chemical to reduce dust and protect the surrounding ecosystem during construction.
According to a W-Trans, Inc. traffic analysis, conducted April 5, the development will likely add six morning trips during the peak 7-9am period, and seven during the evening peak 4-6pm period, but “will not cause nearby intersections or street segments to operate below their current level of service.”
Taylor Bateman, the City’s community development director, said this was one of several projects contract planner Kim Tschantz had worked on for Scotts Valley over the years.
“Kim came back out of retirement to help us with this one,” he said. “So, thank you, Kim.”
Tschantz said the project required approval of a tentative subdivision map, a use permit, and the design review, but noted it’s located in a wooded area designated as “medium residential” in the General Plan, zoned RM-6, meaning it’s meant for multi-family housing.
“Normally, on a project site of this size—1.49 acres—the residential density would be 13 dwelling units,” he said. “But the project also includes two affordable dwellings, and therefore, under both state law and Chapter 17.42 of the Municipal Code, a density bonus is allowed.”
Encore is clearly an “urban infill” project because it’s surrounded by prior developments, Tschantz said.
Chris Perri, the applicant with Apple Homes, said this year marks his third decade of property development, 23 of which have been exclusively in Scotts Valley.
“They’ve been the best years, in my mind,” he said. “We’ve done over 60 homes in Scotts Valley.”
One of the things that was important to keep in mind when dreaming up Encore was to try to distinguish it aesthetically from The Terrace, he said.
“We’ve been able to do that by doing a very different product than we’ve ever done before, which is this smaller, two-bedroom kind of product that is accessible, and that Scotts Valley has very little of,” he said. “It’s going to be very exciting.”
The idea was to create something that’s both “sensitive” and “sensible” for the growth of the city, Perri said.
“Since this will be, probably, our last development, I think that we’re going to hopefully do that one more time,” he said. “I look forward to driving by in my retirement to see how everything fills in.”
Vice Mayor Jim Reed was surprised to hear this might just be Perri’s swan song.
“I didn’t realize we were getting bad news with this presentation, that is going to be the last Apple Homes project we have planned in Scotts Valley—I certainly hope that’s not the case,” he said. “I can’t think of another developer who has put so much effort in every one of their projects into two things that developers don’t do often enough: One talking to the neighbors—really engaging with them … And the other part is you put such an emphasis on the natural landscape, on preserving trees, on making your projects recharge more water into the ground than was happening naturally.”
Encore is exactly what Scotts Valley needs since birth rates have been declining and the population continues to age, Reed said.
During the public hearing, the comment of one resident, who lives nearby and is in favor of the development, was read out into the Zoom meeting by Mayor Timm.
A man, who said he recently purchased a unit with his wife at a neighboring project, spoke highly of the Encore plan.
A representative of Affordable Housing Now also chimed in to support the project.
Another neighbor spoke of Perri’s “excellent” approach to community outreach.
One resident said he felt lucky to move into a home next door, thanks to an affordable housing unit Perri built.
The developer will also contribute about $150,000 to the city’s affordable housing fund.
Only Randy Johnson voted against the project because he wished the units had been planned as apartments.
WATSONVILLE—Mexican Independence Day is Sept. 16, and the Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) is teaming up with two Bay Area organizations to bring a celebratory event to the community.
Celebrando La Cultura, to be held Sept. 15-18, will include film, music and dance. It begins with a virtual screening of the award-winning documentary “Linda and the Mockingbirds” and a showcase of seven other films created by the Los Cenzontles Cultural Academy (LCCA) from San Pablo. A virtual conversation with filmmakers will be held Sept. 16 at 6pm.
On Sept. 17 from 6-7:30pm, LCCA’s band, known simply as Los Cenzontles (“mockingbirds” in the Nahuatl language), along with Los Originarios del Plan, and Watsonville’s Estrellas de Esperanza youth Folklorico group, will hold a concert in the City Plaza in honor of farmworkers. The event is organized in partnership with the McEvoy Foundation for the Arts in San Francisco.
Consuelo Alba, executive director of WFF, said she was familiar with LCCA long before its founder and director Eugene Rodriguez approached her about doing a project together. They had screened one of the organization’s short films two years ago at their annual festival.
“I was very aware of their trajectory, the work they’ve been doing,” Alba said. “When Eugene asked us if we’d be interested … Of course we were! All of our organizations … our values align. We are all very excited to bring this program to the community.”
Rodriguez founded LCCA in 1989, first as a youth group before incorporating it as a nonprofit in 1994. The organization is a band, a music academy and a gathering space for youth and families; it has become a hub for Latinx artists across the Bay Area.
LCCA researches traditional music, creating work and documenting as they go, often working with alumni of the program.
“It’s been a way to understand my own Mexican routes and share that with my students,” Rodriguez said. “As it turned out, they have become my musical collaborators over the years. Thirty-two years later, we are still teaching kids and continuing our mission.”
LCCA previously worked with the McEvoy Foundation on “Linda and the Mockingbirds” and other projects. Together, they began brainstorming about how to work with more groups.
Celebrando La Cultura will be the first time the foundation is involved in an event outside of the Bay Area.
“This will help expand the [McEvoy Foundation]’s reach,” Alba said, “and it will put Watsonville on the map.”
“Linda and the Mockingbirds” follows well-known singer Linda Ronstadt as she travels through Mexico with Los Cenzontles. Together, they visit Ronstadt’s grandfather’s pueblo, learning about her history and culture.
“Linda is so famous, but a lot of people don’t know about her Mexican heritage,” Alba said. “Bringing [Los Cenzontles] along to connect with her roots in Mexico … It’s wonderful. We are proud to present this film.”
Rodriguez said that Ronstadt had been working on a different documentary before bringing on the producer of that film to finance and direct most of “Mockingbirds.” It was a challenging yet exciting experience, he said.
“Adding in that Hollywood element … we weren’t used to it,” he said. “But ultimately we created an authentic piece with high production values. It was an amazing experience.”
“Linda and the Mockingbirds” premiered at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco in July. The Watsonville event is an extension of that premiere, Rodriguez said.
“I feel very proud that our work is being recognized by such an established film festival as [WFF],” he said. “I’m so glad we can build these partnerships—not only with our music allies but also wonderful organizations like them and McEvoy.”
Celebrando La Cultura is both WFF and Los Cenzontles’ first in-person event since the pandemic began.
“[Los Cenzontles] hasn’t performed in almost two years,” Alba said. “Us hosting them here … it’s a big responsibility. Thankfully, we have a great team to make this happen. We are so glad to present this event, to celebrate Mexican Independence Day, and honor our farmworkers.”
Alba said that WFF will be following all Covid-19 health protocols at the concert. In addition, Salud Para La Gente will be on hand with a pop-up vaccine clinic and information.
“It is very important to us, to keep people safe, while providing a place of joy,” Alba said.
WATSONVILLE—Santa Cruz METRO has taken a big step in combating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with the launch of two new electric buses, which will operate on a new route through the city of Watsonville.
On Tuesday METRO staff, along with city officials, representatives from electric vehicle technology manufacturer Proterra and other community members gathered at the Watsonville Transit Center to celebrate the unveiling of the new buses.
METRO CEO Alex Clifford said that the introduction of the fleet has been years in the making. In 2018, the agency received funding for four e-buses for the county—two of which would be used in Watsonville.
But as the deal was being made, a new generation of Proterra buses was unveiled. The new vehicle had a much more efficient charging time, with the capability of traveling between 205 and 329 miles per charge.
“Our aspiration is to always have as long a range as possible,” Clifford said. “Once we pull out that bus in the morning, we want it to run all day. So this was a blessing.”
Since 2002, METRO has been ahead of the curve with adopting sustainable bus fleets. This began with moving to buses that use compressed natural gas, followed by hybrid vehicles. The agency was awarded a federal grant in 2015 for its first three electric buses, which are now in use on the Highway 17 Express service.
In 2017, the agency adopted a goal of achieving a fully zero-emissions fleet by 2040—one full year before the state mandated the same.
“The buses provide an opportunity for METRO to further explore the use of zero-emission vehicles,” said Donna Lind, a member of the METRO board who also serves on the Scotts Valley City Council. “The project will contribute to sustainable transportation, reducing miles traveled, GHG emissions and congestion.”
Lind thanked the Regional Transportation Commission, CalTrans, the California Air Resources Board, METRO’s grant team, her fellow board members and other local and state partners for securing funding for the project.
Proterra’s Regional Sales Director Mark Hollenback called the moment a “historic day” for Santa Cruz County. The company, which designs, engineers and manufactures entirely in the United States, is headquartered just over the hill in Burlingame.
“It’s great to be here, in our home turf in Northern California, to help Santa Cruz and the city of Watsonville mark the deployment of your new buses,” he said.
Hollenback alluded to the importance of green technology, and counties like Santa Cruz that are taking action to utilize it. Every time a Proterra e-bus replaces an e-bus, he said, about 230,000 pounds of carbon pollution are avoided each year.
“We’ve witnessed, just in the past few weeks, the growing signs of climate change,” he said. “The importance of zero-emissions transportation has never been clearer.”
Watsonville Mayor Jimmy Dutra has been a member of METRO’s board since 2014. He and others lobbied for years, locally, statewide and to the federal government to procure the buses and the infrastructure for them.
“We told the stories of Watsonville … from our farmworkers, who depend on this as their only mode of transportation,” he said. “To our seniors using this to go to their doctor’s appointments and get their medication. Or our students, who use this to go to Cabrillo and UCSC … The only way they can get an education is to use this bus system.”
The buses will run on a new route known as the circulator, which will connect the Watsonville transit center with primary retail and medical destinations within the city, both clockwise and counter-clockwise. It will roll along Main and Lincoln streets, Green Valley Road and Freedom Boulevard, connecting commuters with other bus routes.
Clifford called the new route “very unique,” referring to how it runs both clockwise and counter-clockwise.
“We don’t do anything like this anywhere else in the system,” he said. “It’s very new for us. We’re so excited to start the circulator.”
The service begins Sept. 16 and will run seven days a week with 16 daily round trips. For the first year of operation, rides on the circulator will be free of charge. This, said Clifford, is to encourage as many people as possible to use it.
“We’re hoping to build ridership fast, and keep it going,” he said.
Added Dutra: “We envision this route becoming a critical link for our community.”
For information about the circulator route, visit scmtd.com.
The hubbub at the Santa Cruz County Courthouse Tuesday morning was so loud a sheriff’s deputy had to tell the 50-plus Bonny Doon community members to pipe down.
They were awaiting a hearing on whether or not convicted rapist Michael Cheek would be allowed to move in, upon release from a state psychiatric institution, and they were united.
“He just doesn’t belong in the neighborhood,” said John Ancic, a 74-year-old Bonny Doon resident of the Pine Ridge area, on the concrete steps outside the courthouse. “It’s just not a place for him to be.”
Reminiscent of an airport checkpoint, the metal detector line snaked out to the courtyard.
Outside Department 6, 60-year-old Stephanie Jessen, who’s lived in Bonny Doon for 40 years, said the crowd size surprised her—but not because so many showed up.
“I was expecting a little bit more,” she said. “When things come down the pike, we stand together.”
In August 1997, Cheek was committed to the Department of State Hospitals, in Coalinga, and in 2009, was officially deemed a violent sexual predator.
Officials say Cheek has been successfully progressing through the state’s rehab program for sex offenders, and Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Stephen Siegel ordered Cheek’s conditional release on Oct. 7, 2019.
But Bonny Doon residents are outraged about his possible move to the area, particularly given the realities of life in the remote reaches of the Santa Cruz Mountains, where families are still reeling from last year’s devastating fires.
Santa Cruz Superior Court Judge Syda Cogliati ultimately gave Cheek and his representatives until Sept. 30 to address the additional questions raised about the location and set the next hearing for Oct. 14 at 9am. She also ordered the company representing Cheek to seek another home for him, as an additional option.
When Judge Cogliati called Cheek to court via Zoom around 9am, he was nowhere to be found.
“I’m reluctant to go forward,” the judge said.
Rob Cureton, the clinical director of the state’s Conditional Release Program for Sexually Violent Predators (CONREP SVP), said he’d try to reach Cheek.
The judge ordered him to do so and called the opposing lawyers to her chambers.
Around 9:20am, Cureton was able to patch Cheek through.
“OK, I’m on the phone,” Cheek said. “Sorry.”
The judge started by giving those in attendance a heads up that she wouldn’t be dealing with whether or not Cheek should stay locked up in a mental health care facility—that had already been decided (and not appealed to a higher authority) two years back.
And, she said, the same thing goes for his ability to reside in Santa Cruz County, and whether or not the government should have to pay his rent.
What is left to be determined, she explained, was if she should approve Cheek’s proposed move to a Wild Iris Lane address.
Judge Cogliati acknowledged the “hundreds” of messages she received from the community—none of which supported Cheek’s plan to move in.
“I did read, and consider, that public comment,” she said, adding, while it’s “extremely important” she doesn’t allow them to sway her perspective, she said they did raise important points.
“Today’s hearing is about those issues,” she said.
This step was to decide if Liberty Healthcare Corp., the company in charge of CONREP for sex offenders since 2003, could properly supervise Cheek at the remote Santa Cruz Mountains site.
Judge Cogliati had received, within the previous 24 hours, responses to questions about how Liberty might manage Cheek’s release effectively.
“I just want to say there’s still additional issues outstanding,” she said.
One Liberty rep talked up the company’s 24/7 security detail provided automatically during the first month of release, a “GPS dome” that creates a geofence with a 75-foot radius around the house, and video monitoring she could order.
Judge Cogliati asked about the policing response time in the area, which the sheriff’s office has admitted is quite slow, given Cheek’s crimes put him “on the very high, high end” of the sex-predator spectrum.
The Liberty rep said while it’s “not at all ideal,” 35-45 minutes is not out of the ordinary for some of the places they place reforming sex criminals.
Judge Cogliati asked how the company would monitor Cheek if the power went out, eliminating GPS capabilities.
The rep explained there would be a generator on the property Cheek can turn on with the flip of a switch.
A slight gasp was audible from the crowd, where about 20-30 people had squeezed in under modified Covid-19, 3-foot social-distancing rules.
“You’re not in the courtroom to hear the sounds that just went through the courtroom,” Cogliati said, asking for further clarification.
“We believe that Mr. Cheek will comply with the terms and conditions,” the rep said, promising the company would dispatch someone to the location “as soon as there’s an electrical outage,” and pledged they’d establish a line of communication via satellite telephone.
“This is a highly-compliant individual, and a highly-treated individual,” he said.
According to the judge, community concerns not addressed by Liberty’s assessment included a home-based school in the area, a bus stop for school children nearby and the trailhead of a popular hiking route located not far from the residence.
The rep said their investigations turned up no evidence of a school on the street, and said Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park appeared to be quite far away.
Deputy District Attorney Alex Byers asked the rep to confirm that, if Cheek somehow dropped out of the treatment program, “his risk would be high” to reoffend.
“That is correct,” the rep said.
Byers said there were more than 900 public comments submitted.
“They brought forth most of the issues we’re talking about today,” he said. “These issues can’t be remedied.”
After all, it’s not like you can suddenly make Bonny Doon less remote, he said.
“Those roads close all the time; the power goes out all the time,” he said. “We share the Bonny Doon community’s concern that this is a high risk.”
If, indeed, there is a school nearby, placing Cheek on Wild Iris Lane would technically be illegal, he added.
“I see a one-size-fits-all plan,” Byers said, adding locals weren’t happy the company’s approach wasn’t more tailored to the reality of life in the Santa Cruz Mountains. “This is our place. This is Bonny Doon.”
After the hearing, 58-year-old Laurie Sage, who lives just over the ridgeline in Brookdale, said she believes Cheek doesn’t belong in her neck of the woods.
“I’m actually for rehousing criminals that need another chance,” she said. “I absolutely believe in it.”
But, she says, Liberty’s current plan isn’t realistic, something that was underscored for her by a PG&E outage she says she experienced that very morning.
“There are 30 trucks on my road trying to restore the power today,” she said. “It goes on and off, on and off, on and off.”
And, speaking as a grief counselor who’s been quite busy in the last year, Sage adds there’s plenty of anxiety rippling through the redwoods, already.
“We can’t have this in our community while we’re still in crisis from the CZU lighting fire,” she said.
But the day’s hearing hit even closer to home—literally—for the teenage girls in the hallway pondering the judge’s ruling. That’s because 14-year-old identical twins Zoey and Nina live on Wild Iris Lane.
It was Zoey’s first time attending court, so on the one hand she said it was “very cool” to experience such an official process in person.
But on the other hand, it was under “less than ideal” circumstances, considering the case was about whether a sexual predator gets to live down the street from her and her sister.
Plus, Zoey says she didn’t appreciate what appeared, to her, to be “deflecting” comments by the Liberty reps.
“This situation is really chaotic,” she said, thinking ahead to what they might do if Cheek gets his wish. “We’re going to have to move out.”
That’s because of how far away it is from help, her sister Nina chimed in.
“It takes, like, ages to get up there,” she said, “—30 minutes on a good day.”
But they feel even worse for their 14-year-old neighbor Elise. She lives right across the street.
“It’s completely ridiculous,” Elise said of Liberty’s plan. “Any other place would be better than that one.”
Elise says she felt the judge handled the case “pretty well” given the heightened emotions at play.
However, she wishes Cheek wasn’t given more time to argue why he should be allowed to become her newest neighbor.
“I wouldn’t feel safe at all,” she said. “And that’s not fair.”
ANTHONY ARYA BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION SHOW & SPECIAL ACOUSTIC LIVE RECORDING Felton Music Hall Presents Anthony Arya Birthday Celebration and Going Away Party with a live music recording. Anthony Arya is a singer, guitarist and songwriter raised in Santa Cruz, California. In Fall 2018, at age 15, Anthony was on Season 15 of NBC’s The Voice. Shortly after he released his debut album Going To California. His second album, The Road followed a year later in 2020. Arya was awarded the 2020 Presidential Scholar in the Arts in the category of singer/songwriter. Recently he released Listen to The Voice of Anthony Arya, a collection of songs he performed on The Voice and for the auditions. Don’t miss this special solo acoustic show on Anthony’s birthday, which will be recorded live before Anthony heads off to college. $12 advance and $14 day of show. This is a fully seated show; seating will be first-come-first-served. Tickets: available at anthonyarya.com/events/felton-music-hall-presents-an-evening-with-anthony-arya-for-a-live-music-recording-1 . Monday, Sept. 13, 8pm. Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton.
BANFF CENTRE MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL VIRTUAL FESTIVAL Bring the adventure home! Fluff up your couch cushions, grab a snack of choice, and make sure you have a good internet connection because the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour is virtual! Travel to the most remote corners of the world, dive into daring expeditions, and celebrate some of the most remarkable outdoor achievements, all from the comfort of your living room. Films can be purchased individually or as a bundle. Banff will also be screening Award Winners: Monthly Film Series; join us online for a mixed program of award winners from the 2020, 2019 and 2018 Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festivals. Catch up on missed films or relive some of the best that Banff has to offer. Just announced is the Encore Classic Films from the past 10 years. Audience favorites. Don’t miss out! Screening until Oct. 24, 2021. Visit riotheatre.com for more information about the online programs and how you can support your local screening. You may also go directly to the Banff affiliate link for the Rio filmfest.banffcentre.ca/?campaign=WT-163945. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz.
SHEDM: THE FEMALE CREATORS OF DANCE MUSIC Sundays: DJs are mixing in the darkest bass beats by our favorite female and LGBT producers. Don’t miss out. Starts at 9pm. Guest DJs every week. Motiv nightclub is open and fully remodeled—there are all-new bathrooms and state-of-the-art dance floor lights. Add to your calendar: facebook.com/events/3008160246139834. Sunday, Sept. 12, 9pm. Motiv, 1209 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz.
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, Sept. 12, 9am-5pm. Downtown Santa Cruz Antique Faire, Lincoln St. between Pacific and Cedar, Santa Cruz.
COMMUNITY
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, Sept. 9, 7am. California Grey Bears, 2710 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz.
SANTA CRUZ BLOCK PARTY FOR CLEAN WATER The Santa Cruz Block Party will be an evening full of local food, drinks, music, art, and community! Jam to Matt Masih & The Messengers and get your creative juices flowing with our Community Art Mural hosted by the Made Fresh Crew. Enjoy food by Saucey’z Food Truck, beer provided by Shanty Shack and HumbleSea and wine by Water from Wine. Enter our raffle to win exclusive prizes provided by local businesses, artists, and more! All proceeds from the event will go towards Gravity Water’s work abroad building clean water projects to provide access to underserved students in Nepal and Vietnam. Come join us in celebrating the end of the summer in support of a great cause! For more details and ticket information, check out our website: gravitywater.org/events.html Sunday, Sept. 12, 4-8pm. Edgewater Events, 535 7th Ave, Santa Cruz (behind Harbor Cafe).
GROUPS
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 is welcome. Thursday, Sept. 9, 10am. Tuesday, Sept. 14, 10am. Temple Beth El, 3055 Porter Gulch Road, Aptos.
COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS OF SANTA CRUZ 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 are available. Bereaved grandparents and adult siblings are also welcome. Non-religious. Monday, Sept. 13, 7-8:30pm. Quaker Meeting House, 225 Rooney St., Santa Cruz.
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, Sept. 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, Sept. 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 at WomenCARE’s office. Currently on Zoom. Registration is required, call WomenCARE at 831-457-2273. All services are free. For more information visit womencaresantacruz.org. Monday, Sept. 13, 12:30pm. WomenCARE, 2901 Park Ave., Suite A1, Soquel.
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, Sept. 14, 12:30-2pm. 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, Sept. 8, 3:30-4:30pm. WomenCARE, 2901 Park Ave., Suite A1, Soquel.
OUTDOOR
CASFS FARMSTAND Organic vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers are sold weekly at the CASFS Farmstand, starting June 15 and continuing through Nov. 23. Proceeds support experiential education programs at the UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems. Friday, Sept. 10, Noon-6pm. Tuesday, Sept. 14, Noon-6pm. Cowell Ranch Historic Hay Barn, Ranch View Road, Santa Cruz.
EVERGREEN AT DUSK: CEMETERY HISTORY TOURS Welcome back to our second year of Evergreen at Dusk historical tours. We invite you to discover the stories and secrets found within Evergreen Cemetery, one of the oldest public cemeteries in California, on a self-guided or private tour of the grounds. Bring your curiosity as you explore the final resting place of Santa Cruz’s early settlers. The 45-minute tour uncovers the stories and tombstones of the people who made Santa Cruz what it is today. Designed for the daring, the curious, and the history-loving, this tour is great for all ages! Each tour should take 30-45 minutes to complete. The time you select is when your group/household tour begins, we recommend arriving 5-10 minutes early to ensure you can begin right on time. Upon arrival, find the MAH table near the iconic Evergreen Arch. We will give you the printed map and guide with a brief introduction to Evergreen. Following the welcome, you are then free to follow the scavenger hunt map and travel back in time uncovering the stories buried across the grounds. Go at your own pace and begin your adventure. We’ll be there on-site to help you get from tombstone to tombstone if assistance is needed. Please note that Evergreen Cemetery is currently not ADA accessible. Thursday, Sept. 9, 4-7pm. Evergreen Cemetery, 261 Evergreen St., Santa Cruz.
SEYMOUR CENTER OUTDOORS! Activities include tide pool investigation: hone your observation skills and watch animals such as sea stars, sea urchins, and hermit crabs gracefully move in their environment; outdoor scavenger hunt: explore the pathway of giants and find nine outdoor objects hidden around the Seymour Center; larval fish geocache: why do baby fish look so different from their adult forms? What kinds of strategies do fish use for raising their young? And just what kind of fish live in Monterey Bay anyway? Find the answers to these questions in five secret containers located throughout the Coastal Science Campus. Marine Animal Selfie Station: Grab a selfie with one of our life-sized wooden marine animals—be sure to use #SeymourCenter on your social media profiles. The Seymour Center Outdoors is free to visit with a suggested $10 donation per household. Become a sustaining supporter of the Seymour Center, and purchase a membership! To learn more visit seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/visit. Saturday, Sept. 11, 11am-2pm. Seymour Marine Discovery Center, 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz.
SUNSET BEACH BOWLS Experience the tranquility, peace and calmness as the ocean waves harmonize with the sound of crystal bowls raising vibration and energy levels. Every Tuesday one hour before sunset at Moran Lake Beach. Call 831-333-6736 for more details. Tuesday, Sept. 14, 7:15-8:15pm. Moran Lake Park & Beach, East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz.
YOU PICK ROSES We are growing over 300 roses, deeply fragrant, lush and in every color, and we want to share them with you! Get out of the house and enjoy cutting a bucket of roses for your pleasure or to share with family and friends. Visit birdsongorchards.com to make a reservation. Once you have made a purchase, you will be sent a calendar link to pick a time for your reservation and directions to our farm in Watsonville. Friday, Sept. 10, 11am. Sunday, Sept. 12, 11am.
Even the biggest fans of Texas singer-songwriter Guy Clark—of which there are many in these parts, thanks to the fact that he’s a KPIG favorite who played many shows here over the years for Snazzy Productions—are likely to find a lot of surprises in Tamara Saviano’s Without Getting Killed or Caught. I am one of them, in fact, and I can attest that my fellow Clark fans are actually the most likely to be surprised by what comes out in the documentary, which screens on Sept. 15 at the Rio Theater, since we’re the ones who probably thought we had a good understanding of his story and his art.
But after seeing Saviano’s film, I have to admit there was a lot about Clark I didn’t know, and some of the ways I’ve always thought about his music are, it turns out, exactly the opposite of how he wanted to be seen.
For instance, you’d imagine the man who wrote “Stuff That Works,” had albums titled Boats to Build and Workbench Songs, and was known for his woodworking (especially his guitars) would have fully embraced—if not created himself—the image that rose up around him as a song “craftsman.” But incredibly, he hated it.
“Guy and I had a lot of discussions about this,” Saviano tells me. “When it came to his songwriting, he wanted to be known as a poet and an artist. He thought of himself as a craftsman when he was building guitars, but he just thought that songwriting is art and poetry, and there’s no, you know, craft to it. I disagree, and I’ve talked to many other songwriters who think the same thing—yes, it’s an art, but you do craft. Especially with Guy’s songs, because every word mattered, every line mattered. So it was odd to me that he felt that way.”
The film also tells Clark’s personal story, through the eyes of his wife Susanna Clark (narrator Sissy Spacek reads convincingly from her journals), who was a successful songwriter herself. In a way, the film is as much a documentary about Susanna, and also about their close friend and fellow Texas songwriter Townes Van Zandt. It provides a window into the sweet and tender side of Van Zandt, which came out most in how he related to the people he loved; this warm look at the troubled Texas musical legend is completely different in tone than the 2004 Van Zandt documentary Be Here to Love Me.
This trio of subjects is at the center of Without Getting Killed or Caught’s most startling revelation: that there was basically a love triangle between the three of them, with Susanna deeply committed to both Guy and Van Zandt, in different ways. “I think what blew my mind the most is that they were all just so nonchalant about it,” says Saviano. “I’m 20 years younger than Guy, so I grew up in a different time. But they were in the ’60s, all the free love, and they just didn’t feel the same way about monogamy that some of us feel. Townes and Susanna had this cosmic connection, they were both much more vulnerable. Guy was very stoic, and I think Townes took some of the pressure off of Guy. Guy really wanted to focus on his songwriting and focus on his career. There’s no doubt he loved Susanna. They loved each other. But Townes could just take up some of that slack.”
With co-writer Bart Knaggs, Saviano adapted the documentary from her biography, Without Getting Killed or Caught: The Life and Music of Guy Clark, which came out in 2016, the same year Clark passed away after battling cancer for years. Her co-director Paul Whitfield, who’s worked on a number of Bruce Springsteen documentaries and concert films, is also her husband.
Saviano began working with Clark on her book in 2008, and co-produced the tribute album This One’s For Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark in 2011. At that point, she had no idea she would also be making a film.
“I had no intention of doing a documentary,” she says. “I was going to write a book, and that was going to be it. But what happened was in 2014, a filmmaker approached Guy about doing a documentary, and Guy was telling me about it. And he just said, ‘Look, I don’t want to start over with someone new. You already know everything. If there’s going to be a documentary about me, I think you need to do it.’”
In other words, Without Getting Killed or Caught—which features interviews with Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, Terry Allen, and many others—is a true labor of love.
“I thought, ‘Well, okay, [Guy’s] not going to let anybody else do it. I’m kind of stuck with the job, right? So I asked my husband Paul, who is a video guy and a production guy, if he would work on it with me. Of course, I had no idea how expensive and difficult it would be when we started—it’s so hard to make a film like this. But I’m really glad we did it. We’re really proud of it. And we want everybody that loved Guy to see this film.”
‘Without Getting Killed or Caught’ will be shown at 7:30pm on Wednesday, Sept. 15 at the Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. Tickets are $15, go to snazzyproductions.com. Proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours of the show are required.
In California as well as the U.S., greenhouse gas emissions from transportation are going up instead of down. People are driving more. This outweighs improvements in vehicle efficiency. Does this reflect a moral failing? Are more people deciding to drive rather than walk to close destinations? Or are there systemic reasons? Evidence suggests the increase in vehicle miles traveled is due to poor land-use planning, as well as high housing prices.
In Santa Cruz County, the high cost of housing near job centers is causing longer commutes, according to UCSC commute studies. Poor land-use planning is exemplified by the application to locate a large medical office building in Live Oak, across Highway 1 from Sutter Hospital and Dominican. It’s a mile to the nearest bus stop on Capitola Road. This location makes a transit commute impractical, forcing up transportation costs for employees who drive.
In recognition of its auto-dependent location, the plan calls for a 730 space parking garage, becoming the largest garage in the county, surpassing the 500-space garage at UCSC.
A far better location for the facility would be on the other side of the highway: the 6.2-acre vacant lot at the corner of Soquel Dr. and Thurber Lane, a block from Dominican Hospital. This location has the highest frequency transit service outside of the Downtown-to-UCSC route. The county recently won a grant for transit, bike and pedestrian improvements on Soquel Drive. This includes bus prioritization at 23 traffic signals between La Fonda Avenue and State Park Drive, protected bike lanes, and sidewalk and crosswalk improvements.
Though the Draft Environmental Impact Report for this project does not mention Kaiser, it is no secret that Kaiser is the prospective tenant for this building. The Draft EIR makes a remarkable claim. In spite of its massive parking structure and location in a transit desert, the EIR claims that the new facility will result in a net reduction in vehicle miles traveled. The EIR figures that Kaiser patients who would have traveled out of the county for appointments will now be staying local. The problem with this logic is that there is no proposed condition on this project that limits tenancy to Kaiser. Further, it cannot be assumed that a Kaiser tenant would not expand its membership based upon its increased service capacity in Santa Cruz County.
The possibility that the future tenant would be Kaiser does not absolve the EIR from its obligation under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to examine an alternative to the project that would have lower environmental impact. Incredibly, the EIR minimizes the benefit of locating the facility on Soquel Drive, a major transit corridor: “Transit use for medical services would be minimal.”
Our county leaders should be able to make a good decision without a community group resorting to a lawsuit. Will our Board of Supervisors approve a project that violates the General Plan policy: “Encourage … land use patterns which reduce urban sprawl and encourage the reduction of vehicle miles traveled per person”?
Rick Longinotti | Co-chair, Campaign for Sustainable Transportation
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.
Re: “Wild Ride” (GT, 8/25): Just read your article about the huge Santa Cruz Ride Out biking event in Santa Cruz Saturday. We don’t appreciate your minimizing the lawlessness and mayhem that this event created in our town. From the top down, from organizers to the participants, this event was a show of disrespect to our town and our citizens. The inability of our law enforcement agencies to stop, contain or even manage and protect our streets exposes our town as a soft target. Litter, aggressive behavior and intimidation was their overall rule of the day. The “Karen” comment directed at anyone that was offended pretty much tells us what their real intentions are in staging the event here.
Kenny Jay
Santa Cruz
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.
This week is sort of an unofficial Americana Issue, thanks to Adam Joseph’s cover story on Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, and my feature on the new Guy Clark documentary Without Getting Killed or Caught. Granted, we could put out an outlaw-country-folk-themed issue just about every week in Santa Cruz thanks to the music’s rich history here, and constant influx of touring and local Americana talent, but with Elliott coming to Moe’s Alley this month, and Tamara Saviano’s documentary screening at the Rio on Sept. 15, this is a chance to dive in to the history of two music legends.
Joseph dives deep in his cover story, and he brings an appropriately freewheeling feel to his profile of 90-year-old maverick Elliott. Interestingly, one of the musicians he quotes when discussing Ramblin’ Jack’s influence is Clark, who once said he picked up “that talking thing” in his songwriting from Elliott. Without Getting Killed or Caught, in turn, delves into Clark’s influence on other songwriters, and packs plenty of surprises in regards to the Texas singer-songwriter’s life and work. It also has a great section on the rise of Americana music in the ’90s, when Clark reached a new level of critical and popular appreciation, and fans who were around here in that era will remember the thrill of that time. But whether you were or not, I think the stories in this issue capture the raw, unpredictable energy that makes us love the music so much.
STEVE PALOPOLI | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
PHOTO CONTEST WINNER
Submit to ph****@go*******.sc. Include information (location, etc.) and your name. Photos may be cropped. Preferably, photos should be 4 inches by 4 inches and minimum 250dpi.
GOOD IDEA
ROAM IMPROVEMENT
For anyone interested in working on the hiking trails that wind through Santa Cruz’s redwoods, the Trail Academy is offering free trail building courses this month. Starting Sept. 11, learn the ins and outs of trail building and the rigging systems that keep our trails safe. The Trail Academy also offers courses to become a Trail Crew Leader for those interested in leading other volunteers in working on local trails. Email Emma at em**@sa*************.org or visit santacruztrails.org to learn more.
GOOD WORK
CABRILLO UNVEILING
Food, music, Native American and Folklorico dancers, and Latinx art? Count us in.
Cabrillo College’s first Latinx-inspired mural will be unveiled on Sept. 14. Francisco Alonso, who graduated from Cabrillo College in the 1990s, was commissioned as the muralist. While he was at Cabrillo, Alonso was involved in multiple efforts to bring cultural and educational events to Cabrillo. Since then, Alonso has traveled across the Americas and around the world painting murals. The mural set to be unveiled is titled “Unity.” RSVP to this event by calling 831-479-6306.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“If music is a place, then jazz is the city, folk is the wilderness, rock is the road, classical is a temple.”
Folk hero Ramblin’ Jack Elliott is one of the country’s great storytellers. Still, his own story—a meandering tale of winding roads, chance encounters and lots of nautical-themed side streets—is the most intriguing of all. And Elliott’s story isn’t over. When he turned 90 on Aug. 1, there was a large backyard gathering to celebrate; Tom Waits, one of the countless singer-songwriters influenced by Elliott, attended. The birthday boy basked in the company of friends and loved ones, many of whom he hasn’t been able to see in more than a year. In typical Ramblin’ Jack fashion, he morphed emotion into humor.
“I was inviting people to my hundredth birthday,” Elliott jests. “Three people accepted. I thought it was pretty amazing that three people were ready to come to my hundredth birthday in 10 years. Maybe I’ll have to [celebrate] in five years if I don’t make it past 95. Celebrating your hundredth birthday when you’re 95 is kind of like a showbiz trick. It’s done with ropes. I’m studying up on my trick-roping. I’ve never been very good with my trip-roping. I’m good with knot tying, though. I worked as a rigger on sailing vessels. There are a lot of knots you have to use.”
Recently, Elliott and a buddy took a 16-foot dory out on Tomales Bay in Marin County, about 30 miles north of San Francisco—maritime-related subjects regularly slip into Elliott’s conversations.
“Sailboat rigging is almost like tuning a guitar,” Elliott explains. “Each one of those strings has to be the right tension. Boating is a good way of relaxing from the stresses of performing. There’s a lot of pressure, trying to stand on stage and entertain a bunch of people with strings and stories and songs. There’s also an understanding and appreciation between the artist and the audience if they’re paying attention and enjoying [the performance]. The same holds true when you’re trying to make a boat go straight and keep her on course.”
Other than boats and the landmark birthday celebration, everything came to a halt when Covid hit. Like every other musician, Elliott had to cancel shows and stay home. But the forced hiatus became an opportunity for him to reflect on his life while reconnecting with longtime friends.
Ramblin’ Jack and his daughter, filmmaker Aiyana Partland, ca.1996. PHOTO: Michael Avedon
“[Elliott] spent a fair amount of time with his friend and neighbor [the Grateful Dead’s] Bob Weir,” says Elliott’s daughter, filmmaker Aiyana Partland. “He also saw quite a lot of his friends [actor] Peter Coyote and [bluegrass legend] Peter Rowan. We started making audio recordings, sort of like an oral history project done in conversation—sometimes with Peter Coyote, sometimes with Bob Weir and sometimes with Peter Rowan. That’s been a great way for [Elliott], and maybe for all of them, to pass the time during the pandemic.”
Partland stresses the importance of capturing her father’s legacy and detailing his life and his impact on music and beyond. Partland’s 2000 documentary, The Ballad of Ramblin’ Jack, which earned a Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, brought a new level of cultural attention to her father. The only other official work highlighting Elliott’s legacy is Hank Reinke’s Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: The Never-Ending Highway—though it’s comprehensive, many readers criticized Reinke’s biography for failing to include an interview with the man himself.
“[Elliott] is falling through the cracks of history a little bit,” Partland says. “I feel a tremendous weight to be doing more, like a Jack Elliott Archives or exhibit. Something needs to be created for the ages—we’ve got the Woody Guthrie Museum, and now the Bob Dylan Museum.”
STEAL SOMETHING GOOD
Born Elliott Charles Adnopoz in 1931, Elliott was raised in Brooklyn by a loving family. Elliott’s father was a respected doctor and surgeon who “spent a lot of time thinking about his patients’ problems.” “I felt that seeing a doctor’s life from the inside made me never want to be a doctor,” Elliott says. “I just wanted to be a sailor, a cowboy or a truck driver—I’ve explored a bit of all three of those professions.”
Elliott has spent most of the past 70 years sailing, restoring and learning everything he could about boats; he’s driven 16-wheeler trucks across the country; worked on rodeos, doing everything from shoveling shit to roping to riding; and he performs 50-60 shows every year—reluctantly at times.
Elliott’s rambling focus and various interests outside of music may help to explain the reason why he’s never enjoyed the fortune and fame that so many who regard him as a musical genius and primary influence have had, such as Bob Dylan.
“There were a lot of people who tried to make me angry about that,” Elliott told Esquire magazine. “‘[Dylan’s] stealing the wind out of your sails,’ they’d tell me, but I still had plenty of wind left. And besides, I was flattered. Dylan learned from me the same way I learned from Woody [Guthrie]. Woody didn’t teach me. He just said, ‘If you want to learn something, just steal it—that’s the way I learned from Lead Belly.’”
Elliott first heard Guthrie perform in 1950 on the Oscar Brand radio show. The honesty flowing throughout the tapestry of Guthrie’s lyrics grabbed hold of Elliott and never let go. The 19-year-old Elliott managed to talk his way into the Guthrie household, where he would live for nearly two years, soaking up everything about Guthrie’s music that he could. At the time, Guthrie’s health had already begun to decline, so he welcomed the wide-eyed Elliott into his life—his family accepted Elliott; his curiosity and determination lifted Guthrie’s spirit at a time when death loomed close.
Ramblin’ Jack and Bob Dylan in New York City in the early 1960s . PHOTO: D. Gilbert
From “Buffalo Skinners” to “1913 Massacre,” Elliott mastered Guthrie’s songbook in full—Guthrie once said that Elliott played his songs better than he ever did. Meanwhile, Elliott had developed his own fingerpicking style from watching pickers like Cisco Houston, Jessie Fowler and Bessie Smith. By the mid-1950s, word spread about an unknown “fast and furious” flat-picking folk musician seen hanging around Washington Square, New York City’s go-to spot for folkies at the time. Elliott eventually moved out of the Guthrie house, but remained a constant in the family’s lives. “As 10-year-old kid, I was thrilled to see [Elliott] riding in on a motorcycle,” recalls Woody’s son Arlo. “I begged my mom to let Jack take me for a ride. She was naturally reluctant, but eventually gave in, and Jack took me for a ride on the back of his bike. It was the first time I’d ever been on a bike of any kind. It was thrilling and instilled in me a love for motorcycles that I’ve maintained for the rest of my life. It’s funny how one little insignificant event can influence a life. Jack was primarily an influence on me as a performer, a mentor, a family friend, and a million other things. But, of all of those things, the thing I remember most vividly was the ride we took together a long time ago.”
Without Woody Guthrie’s mentorship, there may have never been a Ramblin’ Jack Elliott; without Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, there might not have been a Bob Dylan.
“Coming from out there in Minnesota and suddenly finding himself in New York City must have been overwhelming for [Dylan] as a kid,” Elliott says. “He was 19 years old; that was the same age I was when I first met Woody 10 years before. I just got back from Europe and was visiting Woody at the hospital, and here’s Bob.” I think [Dylan] had four or five of my records on the Topic label. My very first record, which was orange-colored and eight inches in diameter, was called Woody Guthrie’s Blues. Bob said he had that record, and he liked a lot of the songs on it, so we became friends.”
Coincidentally, Elliott and Dylan both stayed at the Hotel Earle in Washington Square. Another up-and-coming Greenwich Village folk musician Peter La Farge lived on the same floor, just down the hall. Elliott says the joint became known as “the guitar player’s home away from home.”
“Those were interesting times and pretty exciting,” Elliott says. “Gerde’s Folk City was just a little neighborhood bar, and lots of the people who came there weren’t folk music fans; they were local drunks. Not a good audience. They didn’t tolerate anything that wasn’t top-notch. Even then, they were too busy drinking and talking to pay attention to some of the best performers who were brave enough to get on that stage: Cisco Houston, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Brother John Sellers, and me and Bob. We all served out apprenticeships on that rough little stage at Gerde’s on West Fourth Street. It wasn’t even the proper name of the street because it was two blocks east of Fifth Avenue. The same drunks drinking in that bar probably put the wrong street sign up on that corner.”
While every set Elliott plays sounds like they are made up of songs that come directly from his heart, he only has four or five originals to his name—he did co-write some songs with Roy Rogers. However, one of Elliott’s rare originals, “912 Greens,” is considered by many to be one of the greatest folk songs you’ve never heard.Alongside his frantic yet crisp fingerpicking, Elliott talks through bourbon-soaked prose that paints a simple and visceral portrait of New Orleans: “And a grey cat with three legs named Grey that used to lope along and fall down / ’Cause Grey he had a stroke, couldn’t run too good on them three legs no how.”
Elliott only sings the final two lines of the song: “Did you ever, stand and shiver / Just because you were, looking at a river.”
Guy Clark told American Songwriter that he used “912 Greens” as an archetype for his now-famous “Let Him Roll.”
“I was trying to write that talking thing, which I got from Ramblin’ Jack,” Clark said. “Trying to re-create Jack’s approach to doing that kind of stuff, like ‘912 Greens,’ the best talking blues.”
Jackson Browne described “912 Greens” as a “time-traveling, spoken-word masterpiece.”
Folk hero Ramblin’ Jack Elliott is one of the country’s great storytellers. PHOTO: Venta Leon
ROAD WORK Since his early years with Guthrie, Elliott’s life has been a continuous roundtable of some of the world’s most highly-regarded figures of literature, film, and of course, music. The folk musician is a natural magnet who attracts artistic genius. He may be known for rambling stories that sometimes last for hours, but he’s also a perceptive listener, as well as an active and thoughtful observer who’s both genuine and generous. Also, there aren’t many singers who can hold a note for as long as Elliott or say they’ve yodeled to a packed house at Madison Square Garden.
Before one of Elliott’s many Newport Folk Festival performances, he noticed that a fellow musician on the bill, who also happened to be a significant influence, Mississippi John Hurt, had a junky old guitar. Before Hurt took the stage, Elliott insisted he borrow his Martin. Hurt jumped at the offer and was forever grateful.
After meeting then-unknown writer Jack Kerouac in 1953, Elliott and his girlfriend at the time were invited to his apartment to listen to him read the book he had just finished, On the Road. It took three days and three large bottles of wine—along with some other substances—for Kerouac to get through the transcript. The Beat classic wouldn’t be published for another four years.
“He had this quiet strength about him,” Elliott says of Kerouac.
The same can be said about Elliott.
“On stage, he [Elliott] sings folk songs, but at the same time, he’s talking from a pretty personal place,” Partland says. “He can be pretty intimate with an audience.”
Elliott says he no longer performs Tim Hardin’s “If I Were a Carpenter,” but the tune was a longstanding show finale for many years. And, of course, he has an accompanying anecdote.
“I did [“If I Were a Carpenter”] sort of like a circus trick to end the show,” Elliott begins. “I would leap off the stage, strumming the guitar and walk up and down the aisles or around the tables. [The audience] would become really charged by the proximity, the closeup deal. In one such moment, I jumped off the stage and was serenading the crowd individually. When I got to the rear of the room, there was my friend, an actor, Dennis Hopper. He was wearing some kind of a Spanish Fandango hat with a flat brim and a flat top, and he beckoned me to sit down with him. He said, ‘Jack, I’ve got a part for you in a movie. It’s the lead. It’s a cowboy.’
“He handed me a token script to take home and read and then gave me a screen test. The movie was called The Last Movie, and it was going to be filmed in Mexico. But my daughter was born a week before that. I enjoyed reading the script, and I did the screen test, but then I realized that I didn’t want to go to Mexico with a new baby—I was afraid that she might get sick, so I told Dennis, ‘I’m sorry, but I can’t accept this job.’ So, Dennis played the role himself, and Kris Kristofferson was in the movie. I think they ended up filming it in Peru.”
After mentioning Kris Kristofferson, Elliott smoothly transitions to a related topic.
“I think I was the second person to record [“Me and Bobby McGee”] after Kris [Kristofferson],” Elliott says. “He’s been a very strong booster of my spirits. Janis [Joplin] was the third, I think. I met Janis at Newport [Folk Festival] and danced with her, and she shared her bottle of Southern Comfort with me. She was a great singer. Marvelous!”
The conversation moves to the subject of boats, as it usually does, and Elliott’s first trip to San Francisco.
“I discovered that the Schooner Vandenberg was [in Sausalito], so I met the people who lived on board, Gwen Tompkins and her son the Commodore,” Elliott says. “Her husband was the skipper of the boat when they sailed around Cape Horn in 1936—the Commodore was four years old at the time. Must have been a great trip through 60-foot waves. I read the book, and now here I was. I asked if it would be alright to have a look at the schooner. ‘Come on board at 7pm and have dinner with my mom and me,’ he said. I told them my name was Buck Elliott, which was the name I was using. I knocked on the hull, and they came out of the accommodation onto the deck, and the Commodore introduced me to his mother: ‘This is Jack Elliott.’ I didn’t want to embarrass him by correcting him in front of his mom, so I said, ‘Okay, I’ll be Jack for a while.’ And the name stuck. It’s as simple as that.”
The “Ramblin’” moniker came later. “I was fascinated with Model A Fords,” Elliott says. “I had just bought one for $15. Took me 10 days to get it running. I was telling [activist/folk musician] Odetta about resuscitating this old rusty Model A Ford. Her mother was listening and must have thought that was kind of weird because one day, I visited and overheard Odetta’s mother say, ‘That Jack Elliott, he sure can ramble.’ That’s when I became Ramblin’ Jack.”
NO STRANGER
After nearly 60 LPs, reissues, rare 78s, EPs, 45s, contributions, compilations, soundtracks, festival recordings and guest appearances, the name Ramblin’ Jack began to pick up more mainstream notoriety in the ’90s. Elliott received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Folk Alliance and a National Medal of Arts from President Bill Clinton in 1998. In 1995, he scored his first Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album for South Coast; in 2009, he won the Best Traditional Blues Album Grammy for A Stranger Here—he has an additional three nominations to add to the list.
“Well, I was a good guitar player for a while,” he says. “I had a little stroke about two years ago, and I lost a lot of ability in my left hand, you know, playing chords going up and down the neck, fingering and all that. But I’m working on it. I may have to take some guitar lessons. I still enjoy trying to play guitar, but it’s not as easy as it used to be.
I’m far more interested in boat-building, actually. You know, the construction of a guitar is like building a ship model.”
Aside from “going from one doctor’s appointment to another,” Elliott hasn’t been doing a lot of rambling—meaning traveling, in this case—lately.
“I’ve got two memory cells left, and one of them is swollen, and the other one is leaking,” he says with a laugh. “I can’t remember what I did five minutes ago.”
Elliott is still a dedicated troubadour. On Sept. 17, he heads out on his first tour in over a year. After a show at Moe’s Alley in Santa Cruz on Sept. 23, Elliott heads down to Big Sur to play Fernwood Resort on Sept. 25 and the Henry Miller Library on Sept. 26. Then, he’ll be in Texas, Missouri and Illinois through late November.
When asked if he has any regrets, Elliott pauses for a couple of minutes.
“Well, I regret that I never sailed around Cape Horn when I was young enough to do it,” he answers before leading into a joke about Maine—Elliott lived in Maine for about a year following his father’s 1984 death.
“Have you heard this one?” he begins. “There was a tourist lost in a little town in Maine. He drives up to a house, and a man sits on the porch on a rocking chair. The driver rolls the window down and says, ‘Can I take this road to Portland?’ The man in the rocking chair thinks for a minute, and then he says, ‘You can, but they’ve got one there already.’”
Ramblin’ Jack Elliott with special guests Dirk Powell and Rainy Eyes perform at 7pm on Thursday, Sept. 23 at Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz, $35-40. folkyeah.com.
