Two Nonprofits Keep Local Cyclists Rolling Along

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December 12, 2024

Two Nonprofits Keep Local Cyclists Rolling Along

Nothing really compares to a bike ride along the Santa Cruz coast, wind in your hair, breathing the sea mist, free from the jammed highway with its air and noise pollution. Locals and visitors alike can agree on at least one thing: Santa Cruz County has incredibly diverse scenery, and there’s nothing quite as exhilarating as seeing it under your own pedal power.

Beyond the scenery, there are those of us just looking to get around without a car. Whether to avoid traffic, work those leg muscles or as primary transportation, it helps that so much of the county is easily navigable by bicycle.

The Good Times charitable initiative Santa Cruz Gives has identified two local organizations that look to introduce more people to this healthy mode of transport by advocating bicycle ownership and building a cycling habit: Community Bike Collective and the Bike Church are both on the 2024 list of grant recipients.

Breaking Down Barriers

Watsonville-based Community Bike Collective is a 501(c)3 non-profit that provides equipment, coaching and access to trails to underserved youth in Santa Cruz County. By partnering with the Housing Authority of Santa Cruz County, Monarch Services, Watsonville Youth Center and other nonprofits, CBC provides refurbished bikes to low-income residents and hosts community rides that provide essential mountain bike skills.

“We want to break down barriers to riding bikes by providing equipment, coaching and access to trails,” says Alex Ponick, CBC President. The collective aims for a positive bike experience by offering youth a progression of coordinated cycling skills with opportunities to earn badges, cycling gear and even a bike as they complete designated CBC Pathway levels.

“Our goal is to move youth from basic bike handling skills to engaging them in a lifelong activity that boosts physical and mental health, reinforces valuable life skills and builds community,” Ponick says. Healthy snacks are provided on the trips as well.

Explaining how the collective will use their Santa Cruz Gives funding, Ponick says, “Two of our largest needs are a new van and a new trailer to haul our bikes around.”

To date, CBC has given away over 400 bikes, according to Ponick. On average, Ponick says it costs just under $20 a bike to refurbish with parts such as tubes, tires, brake cables and other supplies. “We have a bunch of volunteer mechanics who help and members of the community who donate their used bikes, and parts as well.”

This is the second year the CBC has participated in Santa Cruz Gives.

Formed more than a decade ago, the CBC (formerly Trips for Kids) started with Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz. Ponick has been with the organization for eight years. An avid cyclist, he and his two daughters ride bikes to work and school every day. “I’m a transportation planner for Metro, so getting more people on bikes and out of their cars not only does the individual good in terms of health but it also benefits the environment,” he says. Community Bike Collective Is located at 345 Harvest Drive, Watsonville. For a form to request a bicycle, donate a bike or book a ride, visit communitybikecollective.org.

No Need to Fix What Ain’t Broke

Owning a bicycle is a substantial responsibility, one that the Bike Church doesn’t take lightly. For nearly three decades, the Bike Church has been committed to equipping people of all walks and abilities with a bicycle and basic bike maintenance skills, and selling solid, working bikes both new and used, based on a sliding scale.

Bike Church is open five days a week for repairs, bike education and monthly volunteer programs. The shop offers no-cost or low-cost bikes, along with ready-to-ride and “as-is” options. Learn-to-repair workshops allow use of the Bike Church’s tools with help from knowledgeable mechanics.

Five people posing for a photo in front of a blue building — **TAKE ME TO BIKE CHURCH** Volunteers equip people of all abilities with bicycles and basic maintenance skills at Bike Church. PHOTO: Kristen McLaughlin

“Transportation is basically a human need to survive in the world,” says Niko Hodgson, collective member and mechanic. “Bikes are more accessible than cars no matter what your experience or socioeconomic status.”

On a recent Sunday afternoon, I showed up at Bike Church with my GT all-terrain mountain bike with a broken chain, and no one laughed at my 30-year-old ride. They showed me how to use a link tool to add a new master link, two-and-a-half other links and reset the limit screw. They charged me $1.11 for parts, and the rest was a donation for labor. I was back in the saddle in no time.

From tune-ups to clunky shifters to just pumping air into tires, “We want to empower people,” Hodgson said. “We will meet you at your mechanic ability and socioeconomic status.”

“For such a radicalist enclave, it’s one of the last bastions of democracy,” says Jeremiah, a longtime bike builder and volunteer. “I think there’s a need for it now more than any other time in its existence.”

The shop’s dedication to sustainability is evidenced by its recycling of bike parts, and by using both new and used bike supplies. “This is a place to learn about bikes and grow as a community,” Hodgson says. “We can help people build an entire bike from the ground up.”

Santa Cruz Gives grant funding will expand Bike Church education programs, build out the volunteer program and establish a safety net for its inevitable relocation due to downtown’s housing development(s) and a push for rezoning. “If that happens, we would have 60 days to relocate,” Hodgson says.

The Bike Church is part of the Hub for Sustainable Living, a Section 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that also includes Sub Rosa Book Store, the Fabrica and Tenants Sanctuary.

Bike Church is located at 703 Pacific Ave., open to the public Wednesdays to Mondays, noon-5pm and Tuesdays 5-8pm for women, trans and femme (WTF) identifying people “because biking can be a very bro-y culture,” Hodgson says. Bike Church also dispenses NarCan, period products and free fentanyl test strips. Call 831-425-2453.

To donate, visit santacruzgives.org.

Coastal Watershed Council Finds Romance in Our River

Richard Stockton

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December 11, 2024

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Coastal Watershed Council Finds Romance in Our River

The Coastal Watershed Council wants you to fall in love. Since 1995, this nonprofit group has sought to ignite Santa Cruzans with a passion for the San Lorenzo River and the desire to explore, enhance and protect this waterway that flows through the heart of the city.

Painted on a cement wall along the Third Street Levee, a sign reads “Agua Es Vida—Water is Life.” The human body is 60% water, and in Santa Cruz that means we are the San Lorenzo River, and the river is us. When we drink water, wash our derrière, make our wine, water our gardens, we become the San Lorenzo River. It flows through the middle of our town and through every cell in our bodies.

The Coastal Watershed Council’s goal is to make people feel safe at the river and provide opportunities for people to connect with nature, to learn, to recreate.

Executive Director Laurie Egan tells me the CWC’s work is all about instilling love of the San Lorenzo River in kids. They work with communities adjacent to the river, and Egan says she hears kids on the school bus field trips saying, “Oh, that’s my aunt’s house,” or “Hey, my mom works there.”

Immersion Learning

The CWC staff and volunteers take them to the river to immerse them in nature. “We’ll have kids don their little waders and get to go into the river itself to look for aquatic bugs and species that help to indicate water quality,” Egan explains.

“Putting on waders is intimidating even for an adult,” she says. “Waders are these funky pieces of equipment and you’re stepping into them. And as you step into the water, it feels cool against your skin and vacuum seals the waders. The kids are trepidatious at first, so our educators will hold their hand to get them in the water.”

Egan says that by the end, “The kids are all smiles, having a blast, finding way more bugs in the river than they ever thought, seeing all the birds and different species. They have the best time.”

The Coastal Watershed Council’s goal is to get Santa Cruz to embrace the river as a focal point of our community—as our drinking water source, as critical habitat for threatened and endangered species, and as a place we can all spend time in nature in our daily lives. She says there will come a day when we can drink our double-lattes on a fancy Front Street coffee-shop patio while we gaze over this stunning river.

Recovering Our River History

“The San Lorenzo River is alive, a live thing that is part of our life’s blood,” Egan says. When the indigenous Awaswas people lived in this area, thriving for 10,000 years, they knew better than to build permanent structures in the floodplain. The mouth of the San Lorenzo River used to be a wetland, and the Awaswas would migrate as the estuary changed size.

Egan says that all changed when the Spanish colonizers came: “They built more permanent structures. We lost that connection to nature.”

The CWC wants to repair that connection by working with the schools through “watershed rangers, environmental education programs and climate change education.”

Two women with clippers in front of heavy vegetation; in the background, a river with a construction project above it — ELIXIR OF LIFE: The San Lorenzo River flows directly through downtown Santa Cruz, and new housing developments will have a bird’s-eye view. PHOTO: Coastal Watershed Council

The CWC has hosted events like the Share a Meal and Share a Story event in San Lorenzo Park, where people from different backgrounds eat together and share their stories. The Wes Modes Secret History Project interviewed and filmed over 20 people about their connection to the river. The CWC’s Watershed Rangers youth education program also shares stories about people who love the river.

And hundreds of volunteers removed invasive species. Egan says, “We’re not only removing the invasive species but we’re seeding new native ones. We’re increasing the biodiversity in these spaces on the river. We worked with over 300 volunteers last year.”

The Coastal Watershed Council is roots driven, community focused and dedicated to engaging both young and old residents to work for what the future holds for this river. Egan says, “Really, instilling love of this river is what is key for us.”

To learn more, visit coastal-watershed.org.

Giving Time

From now through Dec. 31, readers can donate to SantaCruzGives.org. Founded by Good Times in 2015, Santa Cruz Gives has raised more than $5 million to help local charities (63 this year). These are some of the participating groups along with a very brief description of the projects these donations will fund.

Diversity Center of Santa Cruz County—Producing a documentary about people who saved lives during the AIDS crisis.

Ecology Action—Organizing leadership training to prepare locals for climate change impacts.

Queer Youth Task Force—Putting together a website resource to raise awareness about trans issues.

Regeneración: Pajaro Valley Climate Action—Mentoring 10 or more students on how they can advocate for climate action.

San Lorenzo Valley Museum—Crafting an educational program on early San Lorenzo Valley industries.

Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery—Creating the Enchanted Forest Adventure, a new exhibit at the museum.

Shared Adventures—Making the group’s activities for individuals with mobility challenges more family oriented.

Veterans Surf Alliance—Serving the community with beach cleanups and storm cleanups, and providing help to other organizations.

Vets 4 Vets Santa Cruz—Connecting veterans with each other and the broader community through community-focused events.

Watsonville Wetlands Watch—Planting projects on school campuses that offer hands-on learning opportunities.

Santa Cruz Gives is funded by the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County, Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, Applewood Foundation, Joe Collins, Driscoll’s, Inc., Monterey Peninsula Foundation, 1440 Foundation, Santa Cruz County Bank, and Wynn Capital Management, as well as the generosity of the readers of Good Times, Pajaronian and Press Banner.

Cabrillo College Housing Project Takes Shape

Todd Guild

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December 11, 2024

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Cabrillo College Housing Project Takes Shape

In a little less than a year, Cabrillo College will break ground on a sprawling, multi-story housing project on its Aptos campus, a development that will offer 624 beds for students attending both the college and UC Santa Cruz.

Groundbreaking is estimated to begin in November 2025, after being delayed from this year as UCSC and Cabrillo officials hammered out the complexities.

It is expected to open in 2027.

Once complete, the project will include a child care center, situated underneath 25 family apartments. It will also include laundry facilities.

There will also be four-bedroom apartments with two bathrooms and a mini-kitchenette.

It includes offices for both academic and mental health counseling and a space for health services.

A sky study lounge on the upper floors will offer ocean views, and there will be a rooftop garden, outdoor study areas and a pavilion for outdoor gatherings.

The development will be located on Cabrillo’s lower campus—off of Cabrillo College Drive—in a grassy field used for soccer games by the college and other community members on weekends.

“That’s one concern,” Cabrillo President Matt Wetstein said. “We’re going to lose some community soccer space.”

But with housing costs in Santa Cruz County among the highest in the nation—and with a recent survey of 65,000 community college students showing that roughly 20% are facing homelessness at any time—the project meets a critical need, he said.

The project will also help Santa Cruz County meet its Regional Housing Needs Allocation requirements set by the state, Wetstein said.

“This student housing project will greatly benefit our students, 20% of whom are housing insecure, and will help alleviate the housing crisis in our local community,” he said.

To qualify for the housing, students must be taking 12 units, be making progress toward a degree and be earning a C average or better. They must also be considered low-income, earning 30% to 50% of the median household income.

College officials briefly considered placing the project on the hilly area above the horticulture building, but opted for the flatter soccer field because it’s easier to develop and nearer the necessary infrastructure, he said.

To pay for the project, UCSC will issue bonds and the state of California will pay them. Neither Cabrillo College nor taxpayers will be responsible for the costs.

UCSC will contribute an additional $70 million to the construction costs, bringing the total project cost to $181 million.

“We are thrilled to see this student housing project advancing to the next phase,” said UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Cynthia Larive. “It will provide essential, affordable housing for our students and Cabrillo students. The project will also strengthen the transfer pathway between our institutions, giving students the opportunity to start at Cabrillo, then finish with a bachelor’s degree from UC Santa Cruz, all while living in the same housing. That is both unique and extremely beneficial.”

The complex is one of three joint student housing projects between the UC and the state Community College systems, and the first such partnership between these segments in the state’s history.

The other two are between Riverside City College and UC Riverside, and Merced College and UC Merced.

Son of Fishbone

Music

Bill Kopp

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December 11, 2024

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Releasing a new song about a presidential candidate days before the election—and calling that song “Racist Piece of Shit”—is a surefire way to get noticed. But Fishbone has never really had any difficulty attracting attention.

The band formed in Los Angeles in 1979 has made a career out of confounding those who would try to categorize its music, and the lyrics have never shied away from social commentary. Fishbone comes to the Rio Theatre on Dec. 18.

When Fishbone came on the scene, there was no other band like them. An all-Black lineup of musicians playing a stylistic mashup of ska, punk and hardcore metal, Fishbone confused some but won the devotion of others. “We were just playing music that we liked,” Angelo Moore says with a shrug. “We weren’t really caring about what other people thought.”

Moore name-checks some of the artists who inspired Fishbone: “Funkadelic, James Brown, Sly Stone, Louis Jordan, John Coltrane, [Charles] Mingus and Sun Ra,” he says, implicitly challenging the notion that his group fits neatly into any one genre.

Another hot band of the era, the BusBoys, gave the group its first break. “Our very first gig was at Madame Wong’s,” Moore says. The L.A. club was a hub for the city’s punk, new wave and power pop scenes, and exposure there gave acts a foot in the door to bigger audiences. But an opening spot for the BusBoys was no guarantee of success. “I felt like we had to win over a lot of the audience,” Moore says, “because the color of our skin didn’t match with the stereotype.”

Moore says that Fishbone impressed the concertgoers with their music. “We didn’t have too much trouble winning over white people, because we were playing a lot of rock and fast-tempo stuff,” he says. Paradoxically, with audiences of color it was a different story. “We weren’t playing the kind of music Black people were used to hearing,” he explains. “You’ve got the whole Black rock scene—Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Miles—but it’s small compared with the overall Black scene of R&B, funk and hip hop.”

Somehow, Fishbone found a way to earn fans across the musical and racial landscapes. Four of the group’s albums made it onto the Billboard 200 charts between 1988 and 1996, and two Fishbone singles—“Sunless Saturday” and “Everyday Sunshine,” both from 1991—reached the upper registers of the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Moore has remained quite busy inside and outside of Fishbone. Under his own name and/or using his alter ego moniker Dr. MadVibe, he has released six albums since 2000; his latest was released just this year. Moore has also collaborated and/or guested on numerous tracks by other artists, variously providing vocals, sax and Theremin for acts as diverse as Ugly Kid Joe, Avenged Sevenfold, Gwen Stefani and Bad Brains.

But even those projects can’t contain his creative impulses. Moore’s Brand New Step project has three albums to its credit, and his description of the music makes it clear that his eclecticism knows few bounds. “It’s electronic dance music on the poppy side,” he says. “We’ve got guest rappers; we’ve got all kinds of stuff on there. It’s a whole ‘nother world I’ve created, man.”

Yet Fishbone remains Moore’s primary focus. Over the past decade-plus, Fishbone has continued to tour, but the group wasn’t heard on record for some time. Fishbone’s most recent studio album, Still Stuck in Your Throat, was released more than 18 years ago.

But the group hasn’t taken the route of becoming a nostalgia act, touring on the strength of decades-old material. “Racist Piece of Shit” is merely the latest in a resurgent release schedule from Fishbone. In 2023 the group released a self-titled five-song EP, highlighted by “Estranged Fruit,” a collaboration with NOFX. Earlier this year, Fishbone debuted another collaborative release, the single “Growing Up Punk” featuring MC Homeless.

Those releases are the sound of Fishbone getting warmed up; at the time of our conversation, Moore is in the recording studio making final tweaks to the mixes of a clutch of new songs. Tentatively set for release in early 2025, the new material will take the form of not one but two Fishbone albums. “We’re going to call it Son of Fishbone: The Stockholm Syndrome,” Moore says.

Fishbone’s major-label era ended in the mid ’90s, but the group pressed on with a constantly shifting lineup, taking on additional musical styles and continuing to earn critical praise. Today Moore and fellow founding member Christopher Dowd front a six-man lineup of younger players. The through-line that connects Fishbone’s body of work is its social perspective.

“From where I’m standing as a visionary and a creative, I make sure that [people] hear and see my opinion,” Moore says. He tries to stay positive but observes that the United States is in an evil time; that’s reflected in the lyrics of Fishbone’s latest single, a song about a familiar orange-hued real-life character. “We all know that the Joker is funny, and he’s colorful,” Moore says. “He’s one of my favorite characters in Batman. But you don’t vote for him for president!”

Fishbone plays at 8pm on Dec. 18 at the Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, 831-423-8209. Tickets: $42. riotheatre.com

PULL QUOTE:: When Fishbone came on the scene, there was no other band like them. An all-Black lineup of musicians playing a stylistic mashup of ska, punk and hardcore metal, Fishbone confused some but won the devotion of others

A New Tradition

Stage

Christina Waters

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December 11, 2024

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Aglow with sprightly carols and melodramatic musical effects, Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s new and utterly delightful A Christmas Carol has already enchanted half the town.

Small wonder, with its vivacious cast of five adults—playing dozens of characters—and two youngsters, Christmas Carol is a timeless tale. And from the tireless imagination of arch story teller Charles Dickens, to the astute adaptation by SCS Artistic Director Charles Pasternak (something in the name Charles?), comes a tale of tight-fisted greed in the person of Ebenezer Scrooge transformed into a better man thanks to the eye-opening visitations of a trio of spirits.

Full disclosure: I went through at least three tissues in an effort to maintain my composure during this shamelessly uplifting tale of a life redeemed on the eve of Christmas. Perhaps it was the suite of traditional Yuletide carols sung in close harmony by the company. Or maybe it was simply that Dickens’ story is, sentimentally speaking, perfection.

Whatever the reason, I was touched to the core and I wasn’t alone.

The casting was also perfection. I expected nothing less from the amazing Julie James, playing at least half a dozen characters with word-perfect delivery, energy and bravado. Julie’s ability to morph into myriad characters without missing a beat is the stuff of legend. Also, I looked forward to the sensitive and energetic performance by Charlotte Munson, equally nimble portraying many genders and ages, from Scrooge’s nephew to a Cratchit family child.

Amplifying the dazzle in this production were SCS newcomers Robert Zelaya as Bob Cratchit, among others, and a feisty Andrea Sweeney Blanco as Mrs. Cratchit and the shimmering Ghost of Christmas Past. These two players added their singing, dancing and nimble acting skills to the high-spirited capers inspired by Pasternak’s direction. Incomparable casting helped infuse the well-known story with new relevance and joy.

But it was Mike Ryan, crafting the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge from grim tightwad to a generous Santa, that generated the most resounding moments of surprise and delight. Not to mention stagecraft. As many performances of his as I’ve seen, I’m still amazed by Ryan’s evolving power as an actor. Scrooge’s enchantment by his younger self, his pain overhearing his former sweetheart denounce the greed and wealth that have replaced her in his heart. Scrooge’s emotional isolation was most poignantly revealed in the scenes where he is shown the humble pleasures of the Cratchit family. Without wealth, they are rich in happiness and love. Again, praise to Pasternak the director, who not only created the stage adaptation of the story but sculpted miniature yet eloquent scenes to illuminate the age-old themes.

Ryan seemed as entranced by these poignant memories as if they were his own. And of course that’s the job of a fine actor, to disappear into the character and in the process create fresh embodiment of the author’s insights. A spellbinding bit of stage magic.

And by the time Scrooge is shown his own future death—unmourned, unacknowledged—his transformation is complete. “I am not the man I was,” he cries out, asking for a second chance. Fabulous physical acting, graceful, bold, and all of it underscored by the spectacular costuming of B. Modern. The tassled nightcap and brocade dressing gown of Scrooge, the lovely little Jane Austenesque gowns of the party scenes, and the sparkling finery of the spirits showing Scrooge the realities of his life.

Pasternak unleashed some inner genius in setting the action throughout the aisles, stairs and stage of Vets Hall, whose intimate interior brought the audience into a close community, gathered to hear this sweet, harrowing and joyful tale. The production opens with the players carrying candles and singing; it ends with a full-throated invitation to “Come, all ye faithful!” A seamless job of lighting (Stephen Migdal) and music (Luke Shepherd) gave the actors a gorgeous fictional world in which to work. As Belinda Cratchit, Sigrid Breidenthal looked fetching. And young Lincoln Best was the perfect Tiny Tim.

The players took turns narrating the scenes, introducing what was to come, and each episode of Scrooge’s spiritual journey was reinforced by a traditional English carol, beautifully sung in close harmony by the quintet of actors. I reached for my Kleenex with each sweet, familiar Yuletide song. The magic of the season is matched by the magic of live theater in what, if Charles Pasternak gets his wish, will become a holiday tradition in this lucky town.

A Christmas Carol, Vets Hall, 846 Front St., downtown Santa Cruz. Through Dec. 24. The show runs almost 90 minutes with no intermission. Tickets at santacruzshakespeare.org.

Closing Time

Dining Reviews

Mark C. Anderson

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December 10, 2024

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A barrage of restaurant closures rocked Santa Cruz County restaurants and their followers this year.

Here appears an RIP rundown on the departed, plus a handful of spots that shuttered but found new life, and a legendary destination that’s got flavor left in the chamber.

English Ales Taproom (111 Capitola Ave., Capitola) represents the most recent shuttering. The Marina HQ is up for sale and the mini-but-mighty village hangout is done.

FLASHbird Chicken, the fried-chicken joint from the Alderwood team, discontinued its Scotts Valley (245 Mt. Hermon Road, Suit Z) and Pleasure Point (830 41st Ave., Santa Cruz) locations last month, though the Abbott Square spot is still flapping (725 Front St., Suite 102).

Rock N Roll Donuts (1335 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz) dropped the curtain on its downtown Surf City and Cannery Row spots last month too.

Cruz Kitchen & Taps (145 Laurel St., Santa Cruz) and its take on microbrews plus contemporary-comfort-Californian grub poured out in October.

Popular Café Sparrow (8042 Soquel Drive, Aptos) was grounded in spring, citing rising costs and inflation.

New Bohemia Brewing Company and its social taproom (1030 41st Ave., Santa Cruz) said so long after nine years on a high-trafficked corner.

On the renewal front, some restaurants went away only to be reimagined or replaced, pronto. Barceloneta became Ibiza (1541 Pacific Ave. B, Santa Cruz), shifting toward daytime hours and offerings, like blessedly messy falafel wraps and chicken schnitzel salads.

West End Tap transformed into Izakaya (334 Ingalls St., Unit D, Santa Cruz), channeling the Japanese training and family history of restaurant partners Quinn Cormier and Geoff Hargrave.

Firefly Tavern closed, allowing for the debut of CT Lights, which morphed into Tarros Mexican (110 Walnut Ave., Santa Cruz) with its Michoacan- and Guanajuato-based plates and mug club.

Café Mare is now Oblo Cocktails and Kitchen (740 Front St., Suite 100, Santa Cruz), from Sugo partners Marco Paoletti and Andrea Loporcaro.

Palapas rode into the sunset, clearing the way for Cali-Mex inspired seafood and cocktails with Dos Pescados (21 Seascape Village, Aptos).

Uncie Ro’s Pizza, sayonara; hello, Ozzy’s Pizza (1036 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville), purveyors of a fine wood-fired sourdough pie.

Capitola Bar & Grill now sleeps with the fishes, while Pete’s Fish House (231 Esplanade #102, Capitola) splashes a raw bar program, great wine list and lots of seafood, from the family behind neighboring Margaritaville.

And, finally, Mackenzies Chocolates (1492 Soquel Ave Santa Cruz) is grateful for four full decades sharing inventive and luxurious chocolates. The final day, Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2024, is still two weeks away. So there’s time for some celebratory—and therapeutic—chocolate.

DISH DISPATCH

Crab season, as predicted, has been delayed to at least Jan. 1…Chef Jessica Yarr of the Grove Cafe (6249 Hwy. 9, Felton) has intro’d a collection of cooking tools and pantry go-tos for the Grove Kitchen Corner a few steps from its sister spot, open Friday–Sunday. This Sunday, Dec. 15, the cafe hosts a traditional roast for neighborhood night, with rosemary-crusted roast beef or pork, roasted root vegetables, brown gravy and two English desserts, $40, thegrovecafe.org…
Big Sur Foragers Fest happens Jan. 24–26, 2025, bigsurforagersfestival.org…Speaking of, gifted foragers lead an adventure through Soquel Demonstration Forest’s towering redwoods and magnetic huckleberry bushes to teach local mushroom identification by way of hidden habitats and ethical habits, followed by a grazing platter and insider tips on preparing your own finds, Jan. 4, floraandfungiadventures.com…Author-educator Alan D. Wolfelt, sweep us out: “Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate.”

Modern Mexican

Foodie File

Andrew Steingrube

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December 10, 2024

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The youngest of seven kids, Gabriel Zamarripa spent much of his formative childhood years in the kitchen with his mom, cultivating his love for cooking. Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, he immigrated to Santa Cruz at age 14, saying he loves the area and the not-too-cold/not-too-hot weather. His first of several restaurant jobs was at Burger King, and eventually a fire grew in his soul to start his own business, which he did with Taquizas Gabriel four years ago.

Following a classic trajectory, Taquizas Gabriel went from pop-up to catering to food truck to a permanent space in the Capitola Mall. Gabriel defines the cuisine as traditional meets modern Mexican: His mom’s recipes are the foundation, with creative touches added by Zamarripa and his wife.

The birria—juicy, slow-cooked beef that draws rave reviews—is available in tacos, burritos, tortas, quesadillas, nachos and fries. The Baja tacos are another hit, limey and fresh beer-battered white fish, pico de gallo, cabbage and their “famous” chipotle aioli. Street tacos are also available in chicken, carnitas, carne asada or al pastor, with three housemade salsas: red, green tomatillo and spicy habanero. For dessert, the conversation starts and ends with fried-to-order crispy and crunchy churros filled with vanilla cream.

How did your previous experience inspire you?

GABRIEL ZAMARRIPA: Over the years working at several places, I noticed other people couldn’t handle the pressure of a kitchen very well. But for me, I loved and embraced it, and challenged myself to have the discipline to make every order perfect and execute the food consistently. I really found myself becoming a leader and wanting to run my own kitchen. There were definitely struggles on my way to owning a successful business, but I made it and am very proud to be here.

Chat about your catering.

We started by doing small parties and eventually moved up to bigger events like weddings. We got such good feedback and were often asked to expand our menu, so we now allow our clients to somewhat customize the menu to their liking. We obviously offer great Mexican food, but can also cook Italian cuisine and recently did a Hawaiian menu. All our food has a Mexican influence, but we like to be challenged to diversify our flavors.

1855 41st Ave., RO1, Capitola, 831-475-1954; taquizas-gabriel.ueniweb.com

**HOME BASE** Customers line up at Taquizas Gabriel in the Capitola Mall. PHOTO: Tarmo Hannula

Things To Do In Santa Cruz

Things To Do This Week

GT Staff

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December 10, 2024

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THURSDAY 12/12

BLUES

CHELSEA WOLFE Chelsea Wolfe’s haunting exploration of America’s blues has always carried a grave, desolate beauty. From her lo-fi beginnings via The Grime and the Glow to the electrified darkness of Apokalypsis and Hiss Spun, Wolfe’s evolution has been striking, and her evocative voice remains constant. Her latest record, She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She, showcases her most forward-facing work, melding heavy rock guitars with elements of trip hop. Wolfe’s acclaimed voice takes center stage, blending raw emotion with ethereal grace on her stripped-down, sold-out tour An Intimate Evening of Songs Laid Bare. MELISA YURIAR

INFO: 8pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $35/adv, $40/door. 423-8209.

FRIDAY 12/13

THEATER

BITTERROOT Ever watch a play hoping for a specific outcome that never happens? Renegade Theater’s current run of Bitterroot allows the audience to decide the fate of Prospero, the protagonist stranded in Montana with his daughter for the past 12 years when his evil brother moves to town. Will Prospero take revenge on those who wronged him? Will his daughter marry the son of an enemy? This dramatic, funny, heartfelt adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest explores updated themes like patriarchy and humanity’s relationship with nature, pushing the envelope of possibility within a classic tale. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE

INFO: 7pm, Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center St., Santa Cruz. $14. 431-8666.

ROOTS

LEYLA MCCALLA & YASMIN WILLIAMS Leyla McCalla is a bilingual multi-instrumentalist who first came to fame as a member of the Grammy Award-winning Black roots group, the Carolina Chocolate Drops. On her own, McCalla chronicles her cultural and racial heritage with an expansive worldview. Her original music draws from a diverse array of traditional and modern sources. Virginia-based Yasmin Williams is primarily a guitarist, but her artistry is also apparent on multiple instruments. Her third and latest full-length release is 2024’s Acadia, a showcase for her songwriting and expressive, finger-style guitar technique. BILL KOPP

INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $42. 427-2227.

SOUL

PIMPS OF JOYTIME Can we reclaim the term jam band from the bland, show-off genre that’s ruined many a first date when an enthusiastic dude decides things are going well enough to pull out his live bootleg tapes and give the object of his affection “a treat”? Pimps of Joytime jam and one doesn’t have to be high or trying to learn to play the guitar to appreciate it. Mixing a wide range of influences from around the globe into an infectiously danceable brew, the Pimps of Joytime will impress audiences everywhere, not to mention any tape-collecting guitar students. KEITH LOWELL JENSEN

INFO: 9pm, Moe’s Alley,1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $30/adv, $35/door, 479-1854.

ELECTRONIC

FOODMAN Music writers love to describe artists as defying genres, but when it comes to Japanese producer Takahide Higuchi, aka Foodman, defying genres is his specialty. Since 2011, he has blended, folded and sauteed a cornucopia of styles like house, bass, techno and ambient for a sound that is, well, deserving of a chef’s kiss. Joining Foodman is San Francisco’s Nathan Ho, who takes classical music and gives it the glitch and bass treatment, and Santa Cruz producer and multimedia artist kinch. This once-in-a-lifetime triple threat of a lineup takes place at the experimental room Indexical to close out their 2024 season with a bang. MAT WEIR

INFO: 8:30pm, Indexical, 1050 River St., #119, Santa Cruz. $20.

SATURDAY 12/14

HOLIDAY

YULE ILLUMINATION Yule Illumination is a feast for all the senses, described as “a circle of true magic to guide you through a potent evening.” The program features rituals, music, poetry and food and drink. Hosted by Santa Cruz Mountain Priestess Temple founder Julie Grant, the evening features music by Gina Rene plus San Francisco-based mystic and yoga/meditation instructor Fox, priestesses Lisa Flynn and Janel Greenland and more. The banquet dinner will feature a menu by local chef Gretchen McNelis Heimsoth. BK

INFO: 6pm, Lille Aeske Arthouse, 13160 Highway 9, Boulder Creek. $109. 309-0756.

ROCK

THE SUN KINGS Here come the Sun Kings! Okay, sorry, that was low-hanging fruit, but what better way to introduce a Beatles tribute band? For a quarter of a century (three times longer than the actual Beatles were together), this Fab Four has astounded audiences with their perfect harmonizations, melodies and playing. Unlike other tribute bands, the Sun Kings play the gamut of the Beatles catalog, from their innocent love songs like “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” to the acid-ridden “Helter Skelter” and final words of “The End.” After all, the love they take equals the love they make, so why not take a magical mystery tour down classic rock lane? MW

INFO: 8pm, Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy 9, Felton. $38. 704-7113.

NEVA DINOVA Neva Dinova is entering a new era. Though admired by loyal fans, the Omaha-bred band has long existed in the shadow of peers like Bright Eyes and Cursive. That may change with Canary, their reinvigorated new record featuring a fresh sound, perspective and lineup. Frontperson Jake Bellows has quietly released music for over two decades while avoiding the spotlight. Canary offers an unfiltered look at Bellows’s egoless psyche, embracing the imperfections—buzzing amps, string noise, vulnerable vocals—that define Neva Dinova’s raw beauty, marking a triumphant second act for an underrated indie group. MY

INFO: 8pm, Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $22. 713-5492.

MONDAY 11/16

JAZZ

CHARLIE HUNTER Audiences may be confused at a Charlie Hunter show, looking for the unseen musicians, sure they’re hearing more players than the lone person onstage. Nobody’s hiding behind the curtains, and no one’s aping to tape; Hunter’s just a musical maniac, playing seven and eight-string custom guitars, managing to sound like two or three proficient musicians at a time, with organ sounds, bass and guitar all coming out of one instrument. He has serious chops and is a strong enough composer to keep it from feeling gimmicky. Plus, the musicians he tours with are of such a high caliber that on some nights, he’s the special guest. KLJ

INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $52. 427-2227.

The Editor’s Desk

Letters to the Editor

Brad Kava

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December 10, 2024

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Santa Cruz California editor of good times news media print and web — Brad Kava | Good Times Editor

In a landscape dotted with fast food joints, it almost seems impossible to eat tastefully, carefully and healthily.

Not so, says Good Times Wellness writer Elizabeth Borelli, whose new book focuses on the joy of eating and cooking. She travels back to her roots in Italy and shows journalist Sean Rusev how it’s done.

“Borelli doesn’t write like an insufferable foodie,” writes Rusev. “She’s not on a purity trip. Organic is aspirational to her. Finding the freshest ingredients is a goal, not an edict.”

And she has some tips one might not have thought of.

Want to eat less and more slowly? Try making your meal beautiful, a work of art that you will want to admire rather than wolfing it down.

Sharing a glass of wine with friends during the meal will set a more graceful pace. If you want a treat, like chocolate, savor it slowly. You’ll eat less that way.

Her book, like her column here, has tons of practical tips for enjoyable, thoughtful eating, the way Mediterranean people eat their food, fresh, local, more natural than processed.

It’s a guide to ethical hedonism. You can have the good stuff, but it’s so much better if you take the time to prepare it, source it and enjoy it.

The Los Angeles avant-garde band Fishbone is back next week, playing the Rio Theatre, a very welcome return for a band that continues to confound and challenge listeners.

Leader Angelo Moore was a highlight of the recent David Bowie tribute group. He stole the show from the likes of Todd Rundgren and Adrian Belew. Bowie would have loved how far Moore pushed his music past all boundaries.

I once had the privilege of being in the studio with Moore while he was recording parts for an album by the San Jose band, Insolence. He was putting down a saxophone accompaniment to one of their songs.

He played his first take on a tenor sax and I thought that was it. He hit it perfectly on the first try. Little did I know.

He went to his car and returned like a dozen times, each one with a different sax, ranging from a giant alto to a tiny toy one, layering over his first take, until he created the craziest-sounding orchestra of the horn. It was pure genius, as is everything he does. Don’t miss this show next Wednesday.

Thanks for reading and enjoy your week

Brad Kava | Editor

PHOTO CONTEST

START THE DAY Sunrise on the Westside. Photograph by Sabrina Dalbesio

GOOD IDEA

Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter is reducing fees to adopt until Dec. 17. During this nationwide event, BISSELL Pet Foundation sponsors adoption fees to help shelters make adoption affordable for prospective pet owners. Dogs and cats will be just $50, including vaccinations, spay or neuter, and an identifying microchip—services worth over $400.

Shelter hours are 11am-6pm, but pet introductions stop at 4:30 or 5pm.

Listings of adoptable pets can be found at scanimalshelter.org.

The shelter is at 1001 Rodriguez St., Santa Cruz.

GOOD WORK

The Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) and Santa Cruz City Schools (SCCS) have added three new electric vehicles to the SCCS fleet, including two electric shuttle vans and a full-sized electric school bus. 3CE provided a rebate of $257,265 to SCCS, including $50,000 for each of the electric shuttle vans and $157,265 for the school bus.

Electric vehicles not only support sustainability but also provide significant savings in fuel and maintenance, enabling schools to allocate more resources to educational priorities.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege enjoyed by few.”

—Mark Twain

LETTERS

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor

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December 10, 2024

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PLASTIC SOLUTIONS

I recently learned that plastic bags will be banned in the stores in Santa Cruz County. The plastic bags that come from Safeway are 100% recyclable and there was a place to return them outside the store. They can be washed and reused 125 times. The paper bags are not recyclable at the dump in Ben Lomond. The only paper product they recycle is cardboard, so all the paper bags, newspapers, magazines and so on go into the general pile that becomes landfill somewhere. There are a lot of good reasons to ban plastic, but not all plastics. Some are made from corn oil and are biodegradable, some can be reused, some can be crushed into new products, some can be melted down and made into more plastic bags.

This ban on the plastic bags that have become the liners in our trash cans, the trash bag in our cars, the bags we reuse around the house, in favor of paper bags seems counterproductive. The paper bags are thin and the handles come off. And they cannot be reused and they can’t be recycled but the plastic bags are sturdy, can be used many times and are recyclable, so it seems this new ordinance should be looked at a little deeper. As it is now almost everything that’s not metal or glass or cardboard, or returnable clear plastic bottles and milk jugs goes into the general pile of garbage and that is just loaded on big transport trucks and shipped to different places to become a mountain of eventual toxic waste.

The recycling center used to be set up with bins for clear plastic, colored plastic, and milky plastic and if we did that, even if the colored plastic, for instance, has no use today, at some point in time it can be or at least dealt with in a specific way. As it is now there is no way to separate the broken window glass and sheetrock, yard clippings, household garbage, paper and plastic bags from each other. Anything we can do to reduce our waste is a good thing.

Michael Dunn

ENDANGERED MONARCHS

Scientists have completed their annual Thanksgiving Monarch Count with Lighthouse Field as the most important overwintering site in CA out of 400 sites. 1,303 Monarchs were counted in Lighthouse Field, 200 at Natural Bridges and 107 in Pacific Grove.

UCSC Biologists and USGS Scientists are working to determine the cause of the steep decline from last year’s count of 10,000, and the increase over the past three years.

Monarchs are Red Listed as Endangered by the IUCN and are being reviewed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department this month to re-list their status from Vulnerable to Endangered.

Santa Cruz is the place the Monarchs want to be! Locals know why 🤣

Fiona Fairchild Monarch Activist 🦋

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PHOTO CONTEST

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK