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Watsonville’s Music in the Plaza Series Returns July 8

A&E
Music

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July 1, 2021

Watsonville’s Music in the Plaza Series Returns July 8

On July 8 Music in the Plaza, an outdoor concert series started in 2019, will return to downtown Watsonville after a year of canceled shows.

Presented by the city of Watsonville in partnership with the Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) and iHeart Media, the concerts are part of the city’s Welcome Back Watsonville Summer Event Series. They will feature a list of returning and new acts, including the Chicano All Stars, and a tribute to the popular Mexican-American recording artist Selena.

Nick Calubaquib, Parks and Community Services Director for the city, said that the series is “an opportunity to celebrate together, all summer long.”

“After the year-and-a-half that we have had, we need more reasons to come together, dust off those dancing shoes and just have fun outdoors,” he said.

The series returns just in time to celebrate Parks and Recreation Month, which is held every year in July. Shows will run through the end of summer and into fall, with two additional dates on Sept. 17 and Oct. 29, which are events organized with help from the WFF.

The Oct. 29 event will feature a special performance and film screening in celebration of Día de los Muertos.

Calubaquib said they are urging attendees of the concerts to also shop and purchase food at local establishments while they are downtown.

“Our downtown restaurants and businesses have also had a hard time this past year, so we are hoping the series will encourage people to eat and shop downtown,” he said.

Concerts will be held every Thursday from 6-8pm.

Music in the Plaza concert schedule:

July 8 — B-Town
July 22 — Rumba Cafe con Dinamita
Aug. 26 — Selena tribute
Sept. 9 — Monterey Bay Sound Machine
Sept. 17 — Los Cenzontles
Sept. 23 — The Chicano All Stars
Oct. 29 — Día de los Muertos performance and film screening

For information call Parks and Community Services at 768-3240 or visit bit.ly/3hl63ge.

Approved County Budget Includes ‘Climate Resilience’ Office

Todd Guild

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July 1, 2021

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Approved County Budget Includes ‘Climate Resilience’ Office

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved this fiscal year’s budget, a behemoth $932 million spending plan that represents an 8% reduction in spending from the previous year.

That decrease came as the county recovers from the CZU Lightning Complex fires, and the Covid-19 pandemic, both of which required a significant increase in spending.

“This budget represents our community’s first steps toward recovery as we emerge from these twin disasters, which have challenged all of us,” County Administrative Officer Carlos Palacios said. “At the same time, it lays the groundwork for a more just and equitable county government that serves the needs of all residents.”

The $653 million general fund, also approved Tuesday, represents a 5% increase from the previous fiscal year.

The largest chunk of the budget goes to the county’s Health and Human Services department, with 41.8%. Land Use and Community Service gets 24.5%, followed by Public Safety and Justice, with 18.9%.

Included in the budget is $1 million in funding for the new Office of Response, Recovery and Resilience, an office created in December to deal with emergencies such as the CZU Complex and earthquakes, but also to help residents recover from disasters.

The office, staffed by four people, is also tasked with future disasters, such as those caused by the effects of climate change.

Supervisor Zach Friend said the new department should publicize its efforts so more residents can know what services are available.

He added that the new department will do more than respond to disasters such as the CZU fire.

“I really view this as a consolidation of all climate resilience adaptation hazard mitigation work that this county does that’s currently housed in a lot of different worlds,” he said. “And it should be touched by all the different departments. Having a centralized place and having you be the face of that centralized place is very important.”

The budget also includes the new Housing for Health Division to address homelessness and the continuation of remote work policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide flexible work options for staff.

The plan also provides $1.2 million for apprenticeship training for residents to move into higher-paying careers, expand broadband access, and support women- and minority-owned businesses.

The supervisors also agreed to restore Focused Intervention Teams to address serial offenders in urban areas.

The weeklong series of budget presentations were the last for longtime Budget Manager Christina Mowrey, who is retiring in October after 32 years, county spokesman Jason Hoppin said.

Mowrey spent two years in the Auditor’s Office and 15 with County Parks before beginning oversight of the annual County Budget process.

For information, visit sccbudget.com.

Watsonville Nature Center Reopens to the Public, Readies for Expansion

Johanna Miller

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July 1, 2021

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Watsonville Nature Center Reopens to the Public, Readies for Expansion

The Watsonville Nature Center reopened to visitors last weekend for the first time since the pandemic, holding an open house on June 26 that included a special workshop on emergency wildfire preparedness.

Various local organizations and agencies were on hand at the event, including Regeneración Pajaro Valley Climate Action, Pajaro Valley Health Trust, Second Harvest Food Bank, Watsonville Fire Department and Bike Santa Cruz County. Participants learned about how to create emergency go-bags, sign up for emergency alerts and received free emergency supplies, including non-perishable food donated by Grocery Outlet and Second Harvest.

“Last year made us all very aware of the risk we face,” said Public Works outreach manager Cristy Cassel-Shimabukuro. “Our main goal is for people to be aware that there are things they can do to prepare … and that there are resources here in the city that can be used.”

The Watsonville Nature Center is the only free, bilingual environmental education facility in the city, serving more than 5,000 visitors per year. The reopening of the center is a big step, signaling the eventual reinstatement of education programs as well as the start of new projects.

One such project is a possible rebuild of the center, which is currently in a small portable building at Ramsay Park. It was meant to be a temporary facility when it was first installed in 2004, but interest in the space grew, allowing for the inclusion of more exhibits about the surrounding wetlands, history and conservation.

The city is looking to open a brand new building on a nearby bluff overlooking the wetlands. As part of the city’s Ramsay Park Master Plan and in anticipation of future federal and state grant funding for nature education facilities, a concept for a new facility is in the works.

Cassel-Shimabukuro said they hope to get an architect on board by August to help with the design. Currently, their vision is for a 2,000-square-foot, LEED Certified Resource Conservation and Exploration Center that would provide more space for exhibits, a classroom, and an observation deck.

*Various booths, including one from the city of Watsonville, were set up for the Nature Center’s grand reopening event. — Cristy Cassel-Shimabukuro/contributed*

Working closely with them on the expansion is Watsonville Wetlands Watch (WWW), an organization that has teamed up with the center often over the years. The nonprofit has helped the city with its education programs, leading students on tours of the nearby wetlands. They are also doing habitat restoration work in the areas surrounding the center.

Executive director of WWW Jonathan Pilch said that the possible new center would be a “conservation hub” for the community.

“We are really excited about the vision for this new center,” Pilch said. “Between us and the city, we have about 20 years of learning about conservation … Now we’ll get to build this new chapter … build something bigger, better and long term.”

Cassel-Shimabukuro said they welcome input from South County residents on what they would like the new center to be.

“We want to go out into the community and hear what they want, their vision,” she said. “It’s not just up to us.”

Pilch described the reopening of the center and the return of their education programs after a year of being shuttered as “invigorating”.

“The past year has been a period of reflection,” he said. “These places are vital to us. Now we really need to work together and make them even better.”

Cassel-Shimabukuro said that Saturday’s event was well attended by more than 100 individuals from 30 different families. People expressed their gratitude in learning about wildfire safety and were eager to tour inside the center.

“It’s exciting,” she said. “We’ve missed taking people out on our trails, connecting with Watsonville people. We’re thrilled to once again offer this free resource to the community.”

Added Pilch: “The center is incredibly important to this community … It’s the gateway to our trail system. It’s a really special place.”

Watsonville Nature Center is located behind Ramsay Park at 30 Harkins Slough Rd. Another emergency preparedness workshop is scheduled for Aug. 15. For information call 768-1622 or visit cityofwatsonville.org.

Eshoo Calls on Sutter to Continue Urgent Care Services in Scotts Valley

Drew Penner

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July 1, 2021

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Eshoo Calls on Sutter to Continue Urgent Care Services in Scotts Valley

Santa Cruz Mountains residents who want to see Sutter Health’s urgent care location in Scotts Valley remain open now have their federal representative actively on their side. Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo on June 25 wrote a letter demanding the health care giant reverse course on its decision to shift its Scotts Valley Drive location from an urgent care facility to a primary and pediatric care center.

Eshoo, whose 18th Congressional District represents the northern reaches of Santa Cruz County, Los Gatos and swaths of the Silicon Valley, said she was not notified of the decision.

“I learned about this decision from my constituents, not Sutter Health,” Eshoo wrote to Sarah Krevans, the company’s president and CEO. “My office followed up with your staff to ask about this change and was informed you would be closing the only urgent care department in this part of Santa Cruz County in order to expand your primary and pediatric care departments.”

When contacted by the Press Banner, a Sutter Health spokesperson said the company plans to make the transition on Aug. 30, and that it will continue to provide “time-sensitive care at the Scotts Valley Center by offering same day appointments, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.”

“For night and weekend needs, patients and families have several nearby urgent and walk-in care options from which to choose, including the expanded services available at Westside Urgent Care, located just six miles from the Scotts Valley Center,” the spokesperson said.

The move will allow the company to add on to the six employees practicing in Scotts Valley while expanding primary and pediatric care, according to the spokesperson.

But Eshoo said the move will create yet another hardship for hundreds of families that are still dealing with the ramifications of the CZU Lightning Complex fire that ravaged nearly 1,000 homes in the area served by the facility.

“Many of my constituents in this special community are seniors and disabled, and many don’t own cars,” she wrote. “While it might not seem very far away, it is an hour or more by car if you consider the congested beach traffic through this area and the current state of public transit impacted by the CZU Fire.”

Eshoo included senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla, State Senator John Laird, Assemblyman Mark Stone, Santa Cruz County Supervisor Bruce McPherson and the entire Scotts Valley City Council in the letter.

“On behalf of my constituents, I’m asking you to reexamine this decision and find a way forward to retain urgent care access in this part of Santa Cruz County,” she wrote.

Judge lifts injunction on Benchlands homeless camp

Local News

Todd Guild

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June 30, 2021

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Judge lifts injunction on Benchlands homeless camp

A federal judge on Tuesday lifted a preliminary injunction preventing the city of Santa Cruz from removing hundreds of homeless people from San Lorenzo Park, where they have been living since July 2020.

But the order by U.S. District Court Northern District Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen came with the understanding that the city has no immediate plans to evict the residents from the area, also known as the Benchlands.

Attorney Anthony Prince, General Counsel for the California Homeless Union which represents the residents, says that the city had already removed 75 people from the Benchlands when the injunction was put into place on Dec. 30, 2020. That order, he said, kept the residents where they had access to a safe living space and a variety of services.

“We saved lives,” he said. “We persevered.”

“Nowhere else in California or, to our knowledge, anywhere in the country during the pandemic did the homeless win such a decisive, lifesaving, long-running legal victory,” he added.

In attempting to close the camp and move residents elsewhere, the city has cited numerous problems there, including vandalism, fire safety and criminal activity.

Since it was established in July 2020, however, the city has provided trash service and hygiene resources to the residents.

Homeless Union President Alicia Kuhl says that the ruling was expected.

“Because we aren’t under direct threat of eviction, it didn’t make sense to keep it in place,” she said.

Still, the homeless advocates accomplished the objectives they intended with their advocacy, she added.

“We knew the injunction could not last forever, but we succeeded in stopping the city from destroying the encampment at the height of the pandemic,” she said. “This is our victory because we know we saved lives.”

Kuhl pointed out that evicting the residents would violate CDC guidelines that say providing safe, stable living spaces is the best way to slow the spread of Covid-19 among the homeless population.

In May, the Santa Cruz City Council approved an ordinance that restricts camping in most parts of the city, but requires the establishment of 150 “safe sleeping sites” before the rules can take effect.

Alleged Sheriff’s Sergeant Killer Waives Preliminary Hearing

Tarmo Hannula

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June 30, 2021

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Alleged Sheriff’s Sergeant Killer Waives Preliminary Hearing

The man who allegedly fatally shot Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller in Ben Lomond last year during a violent crime spree waived his preliminary hearing Monday in Santa Cruz County Superior Court.

The move means Steven Carrillo, who appeared in the courtroom of Judge Paul Burdick clad in red jail garb, sporting a beard and a black eye, can proceed directly to trial.

Burdick set Oct. 4 for an arraignment to set a trial date. Burdick also ordered Carrillo to remain in custody by the federal marshal with no bail. He is being held at the Santa Rita Jail in Alameda County.

Carrillo was in court Monday because Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell had filed an amended complaint of an additional attempted murder enhancement.

Carrillo, aided by his defense team of Mark Briscoe and Larry Biggam, pleaded not guilty to the additional charge.

Assistant District Attorney Johanna Schonfield and Chief Deputy District Attorney Tara George joined Rossell on the prosecution team.

On June 6, 2020, Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a report of a man acting suspiciously on a turnout near Jamison Creek Road about five miles north of Boulder Creek with bomb-making materials inside a van. Deputies followed Carrillo, a sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, to his home in nearby Ben Lomond where he allegedly ambushed Gutzwiller and another deputy with an AR-15 rifle as they approached his home. Carrillo, according to police reports, also ignited at least one bomb, injuring another deputy and a California Highway Patrol officer and triggering a massive law response from multiple counties.

Additionally, Carrillo and an accomplice, Robert Justus, allegedly fatally shot a federal security officer and injured another in Oakland on May 29. Justus surrendered five days later.

Along with the murder charges in both fatal shootings, Carrillo, 33, faces several weapons charges, numerous counts of attempted murder, carjacking, robbery, assault and special allegations.

“There are numerous charges,” Rosell said outside of court Monday. “Since he is facing federal charges, the ‘feds’ are the ones that are housing him now. This is an extremely strong case.”

When asked about the possibility of the death penalty, Rosell said, “We have left every option open—everything is one the table—as far as penalty, enhancement or charges.”

Burdick is currently working with the prosecution and the defense team on trying to have the trial take place in Dublin, Calif.

Things To Do in Santa Cruz: June 30-July 6

GT Staff

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June 30, 2021

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Things To Do in Santa Cruz: June 30-July 6

A weekly guide to what’s happening.

ARTS AND MUSIC

BANFF CENTRE MOUNTAIN FILM VIRTUAL FESTIVAL All the programs! If you’ve been too busy getting after it outdoors, or just haven’t made the time yet, now’s your chance to catch all our Virtual World Tour Programs. 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. For more information and tickets, visit riotheatre.com or call 831-423-8209. Wednesday, June 30-Tuesday, July 6.

GREATER PURPOSE COMEDY NIGHT Every Friday night at Greater Purpose Brewing it’s the Greater Purpose Comedy Show hosted by DNA and Chree Powell, this show features the best of California comedy. The show is 90 minutes long; doors at 7pm, show at 7:30pm. Admission is $10 and we strongly suggest buying your tickets on Eventbrite in advance at eventbrite.com/e/greater-purpose-comedy-tickets-156589496399. Show is for ages 16+. Friday, July 2, 7-9pm. East Cliff Brewing Co., 21517 E Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz.

SALSA SUELTA FREE ZOOM SESSION Keep in shape! Weekly online session in Cuban-style Salsa Suelta for experienced beginners and up. May include mambo, chachacha, Afro-Cuban rumba, orisha, son montuno. No partner required, ages 14 and older. Contact to get the link; visit salsagente.com. Thursday, July 1, 7pm.

WESTSIDE MARKETPLACE FOURTH OF JULY Time for the Westside Marketplace! First Sundays at the Wrigley Building! We will be featuring local art, handmade and vintage shopping, plus food trucks, pop-ups and live music by Papiba & Friends—all outdoors. Free admission plus free and easy parking, what more can you ask for? Friendly leashed pups are welcome! For more details visit scmmakersmarket.com or foodtrucksagogo.com and keep an eye on our social media! Sunday, July 4, 11am-5pm. The Old Wrigley Building, 2801 Mission St., Santa Cruz.

COMMUNITY

AB 626 TO LEGALIZE HOME COOKING IN SANTA CRUZ A public forum to discuss Bill AB626 and how legalizing Microenterprise Home Cooking Operations are providing safe and healthy food systems for communities across California. Join us in person at the Live Oak Grange in Santa Cruz (or through Zoom) for our panel and public discussion about AB 626 and how it is changing the way communities think about food. We will be diving into how the bill addresses the flexibility we need in our regional food systems for the safe and legal selling of food. Wednesday, June 30, 7pm. Live Oak Grange, 1700 19th St., Santa Cruz.

FAMILY SANGHA MONTHLY MEDITATION Come help create a family meditation cooperative community! Parents will meet in the main room for about 40 minutes of silent meditation, followed by 10-15 minutes of discussion about life and mindful parenting. Kids will be in a separate volunteer-led room, playing and exploring mindfulness through games and stories. Parents may need to help with the kids for a portion of the hour, depending on volunteer turnout. All ages of children are welcome. Please bring toys to share. Quiet babies are welcome in the parents’ room. Donations (dana) are encouraged; there is no fee for the event. Sunday, July 4, 10:30am-noon. Insight Santa Cruz, 740 Front St. #240, Santa Cruz.

GREY BEARS BROWN BAG LINE If you are able-bodied and love to work fast, this is for you! Grey Bears could use more help with their brown bag production line on Thursday and Friday mornings. As a token of our thanks, we make you breakfast and give you a bag of food if wanted. Be at the warehouse with a mask and gloves at 7am, and we will put you to work until at least 9am! Call ahead if you would like to know more: 831-479-1055, greybears.org. Thursday, July 1, 7am. California Grey Bears, 2710 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz.

HOUSING MATTERS’ BUILDING WITH PURPOSE LAUNCH PARTY Join Housing Matters’ to celebrate the launch of Building with Purpose: a capital campaign supporting the construction of a 120-unit permanent supportive housing project in Santa Cruz County. This building will be the end of homelessness for 120 of our most vulnerable neighbors, and we are going to celebrate! To learn more, visit our website at buildingwithpurpose.org. Wednesday, June 30, 5:30-6:30pm.

ENTRE NOSOTRAS GRUPO DE APOYO Entre Nosotras support group for Spanish-speaking women with a cancer diagnosis. Meets twice monthly. Registration required: Call Entre Nosotras at 831-761-3973. Friday, July 2, 6pm.

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS All our OA meetings have switched to being online due to sheltering in place. Please call 831-429-7906 for meeting information. Do you have a problem with food? Drop into a free, friendly Overeaters Anonymous 12-Step meeting. All are welcome! Thursday, July 1, 1-2pm.

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 required, call WomenCARE at 831-457-2273. All services are free. For more information visit womencaresantacruz.org. Monday, July 5, 12:30pm.

WOMENCARE MEDITATION GROUP WomenCARE’s meditation group for women with a cancer diagnosis meets the first and third Friday of each month from 11am-noon. For more information and location please call 831-457-2273. Monday, July 5, 11am-noon.

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, July 6, 12:30-2pm.

WOMENCARE: LAUGHTER YOGA Laughter yoga for women with a cancer diagnosis. Meets every Wednesday, currently via Zoom. Registration required, call WomenCARE at 831-457-2273. Wednesday, June 30, 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 UCSC Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems. Wednesday, June 30, Noon-6pm. Friday, July 2, Noon-6pm. Cowell Ranch Historic Hay Barn, Ranch View Road, Santa Cruz.

FREE TUESDAY AT UCSC ARBORETUM Community Day at the UCSC Arboretum, free admission on the first Tuesday of every month. Come explore the biodiversity of our gardens, great birdwatching or simply come relax on a bench in the shade. Tuesday, July 6, 9am. UCSC Arboretum & Botanic Garden, 1156 High St., Santa Cruz.

NEW BRIGHTON LITTLE RANGERS Any and all three to six-year-olds are invited to play games, listen to stories and songs, and learn about nature! Smiles, laughter, and good times abound at this program, and it’s a fantastic way to begin your morning in the park. We will meet at the campground Ramada. For more information, call 831-685-6444. Spaces are limited and early pre-registration is recommended. Attendees are required to self-screen for Covid-19 symptoms when pre-registering. Masks and social distancing are also required at all programs. To register, visit santacruzstateparks.as.me/schedule.php. Friday, July 2, 11-11:30am, Saturday, July 3, 11-11:30am. New Brighton Beach, 1500 Park Ave., Capitola.

SUNSET BEACH BOWLS Experience the tranquility, peace and calmness as the ocean waves harmonize with the sound of Crystal Bowls raising your vibration and energy levels. Every Tuesday one hour before sunset at Moran Lake Beach. Call 831-333-6736 for more details. Tuesday, July 6, 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 own pleasure or to share with family and friends. 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. Visit birdsongorchards.com/store/you-pick-roses for more information. Friday, July 2, 11am. Sunday, July 4, 11am.

New Chateau Liberté Documentary Chronicles a Local Legend

Mat Weir

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June 30, 2021

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New Chateau Liberté Documentary Chronicles a Local Legend

The history of the Chateau Liberté in the Santa Cruz Mountains is both fabled and secret. Before white settlers ever came to the area, Ohlone natives lived on the land, making use of its two natural springs. Later, Jack London is rumored to have written his 1903 breakout novel Call of the Wild in one of the now destroyed cabins on the 72-acre property—a nearby street is still called Call of the Wild Road to this day. But its place in modern history is inextricably linked to the 1960s and ’70s, when it was not only a premier rock venue, but also a hot spot for Bay Area hippies, freaks and bikers.

The Hells Angels were often the unofficial security for shows that would go all night, featuring bands like the Doobie Brothers, Hot Tuna, Papa John Creach, Bob Weir’s Kingfish and local acts such as Snail, Timbercreek, Oganookie and countless more. Janis Joplin unsuccessfully tried to purchase the property. Jerry Garcia and Moby Grape’s Alexander Lee “Skip” Spence both lived there at different times. There are endless stories involving the two pools on the property, one of which had the infamous, rolling-paper ZigZag man logo painted on the bottom. Sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll flowed freely, and anyone who ever went seems to have a story to tell about it.

Many of those stories have been chronicled in the documentary The Chateau Liberté, which premieres July 10 at the Rio Theatre. It’s the work of local filmmaker William McKay, whose passion for this project has stretched over more than a decade.

“The beautiful part about this Chateau story is there are hundreds of accounts that all say the same thing,” says McKay. “It was a fucking rowdy place!”

In 2009, McKay began actively researching the Chateau, but its history was poorly documented. A couple years later, it was mentioned in the 2012 documentary The Doobie Brothers: Let The Music Play by director and producer Barry Ehrmann. But the reference was just a minute-and-a-half blip at the beginning of the film where the band talked about shooting their debut album’s cover on the Chateau porch.

“It was actually a very cool place for a band to start,” Doobie Brothers singer and guitarist Tom Johnston says in Let The Music Play. “You were accepted no matter what, so it was good from the morale standpoint.”

McKay reached out to Ehrmann and said someone should make a documentary about the Liberté. However, Ehrmann wasn’t up for takin’ it to the streets.

“He said, ‘No man, it’s nothing but a local story,’” McKay says, adding Ehrmann did give him some polaroid scans of the Doobies playing there. “Well, I’ve proved him wrong.”

“At the beginning it almost felt like this place didn’t exist,” says producer Ryan Zweng, who is also McKay’s godson, of the Chateau.

Zweng helped McKay gather any material they could find, often cross-referencing sources like Hunter S. Thompson’s Hell’s Angels and Gypsy Joker To A Hells Angel, the memoir by ex-Santa Cruz Hells Angels Chapter President Phil Cross, who is also featured in The Chateau Liberté. He also assisted McKay in creating a Facebook group where anyone with pictures or rainbow faded memories could share.

“This whole thing is really a miracle of Facebook,” says Zweng. “It turned into a deluge of material.”

By 2017, they had enough material to ramp up production of the documentary. McKay says it wasn’t a question of if he should make the film, but how.

“Here I was in the middle of a divorce, bankruptcy and the bank taking my house,” he explains. “And I’m making a movie for free.”

That year was also when archivist and historian Amy Long became involved in the project. At that time she was the curator for the New Museum Los Gatos (NUMU).

“I always wanted to find the story that someone didn’t know,” says Long. “I saw something on social media [about the Chateau] and once I started digging I realized, ‘We have to tell this story.’”

After connecting over the Chateau’s strange and sordid tale, Long and McKay teamed up with its current property owner, George Rabe, for a “Reunion of the Rats”—the affectionate, self-given name of people who lived at or frequented the Liberté—event at the NUMU on Aug. 3, 2017.

Rabe has done a lot of work to restore the property, and now its history is finally being immortalized in film. The untold stories captured by McKay range from funny to bizarre to tragic, but they all distill the essence of a time and place that was one of a kind.

“It was a passion project for everyone in the film,” McKay says. “Everyone wanted this story to be told as a time capsule of what West Coast American culture was like, and that’s what we got here.”

‘The Chateau Liberté’ will premiere on Saturday, July 10 at 8pm at the Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave. in Santa Cruz. Tickets are $20; email go**********@***il.com for advance tickets. Remaining tickets, if any, will be available day of show at the Rio.

Letter to the Editor: A Much-Needed Police Reform

Letters to the Editor

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June 30, 2021

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Letter to the Editor: A Much-Needed Police Reform

COMMUNITY IN CAHOOTS

Since the killing of George Floyd, there has been a national outcry for alternatives to police for nonviolent emergency calls modeled after Eugene, Oregon’s nationally acclaimed CAHOOTS MCIS—Mobile Crisis in the Streets—program. Working both on the street and in-home, serving wealthy and poor equally, teams of a highly trained medic and social worker skillfully address nonviolent calls related to houselessness, substance abuse, suicide prevention, and interpersonal conflicts. Services provided include crisis de-escalation, medical evaluation and non-emergency treatment, conflict mediation, welfare checks, and transportation to other services. Bypassing jail cells, emergency rooms, and ambulance runs saves cities and counties millions while minimizing personal trauma.

For well over a year, our Santa Cruz community has been stridently advocating to implement a CAHOOTS-model public safety program in Santa Cruz County, and a local petition demanding a CAHOOTS model for Santa Cruz has been signed by over 600 community members.

For several years, formal reports, studies, and public statements have spotlighted the glaring need to reform our Santa Cruz public safety system, while both Chief Mills and Chief Honda have made statements expressing dismay at being forced to service mental illness and homelessness calls.

In 2020, the Santa Cruz County Grand Jury Report on Homelessness recommended establishing a county-wide program modeled after CAHOOTS, citing that such a program “would be beneficial to those receiving its services, as well as the County’s law enforcement and medical personnel.”

The Feds have been quick to respond to the public demand for a non-law enforcement alternative for crisis calls, with federal funding set in motion in March when President Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Response Plan Act known as the Covid Relief Bill, designating $1 billion over the next 10 years for states to develop CAHOOTS stye programs. Beginning in 2022, communities with such programs will be eligible to be reimbursed by Medicaid for up to 85% of their service costs!

County budget hearings are in progress, and nearly 19% of the County’s proposed budget is designated for public safety, with $87 million—more than half the allotment—going to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office. The proposed budgets reflect a $2 million increase in funds for the sheriff’s department, as well as the loudly opposed $1.3 million increase for Watsonville Police—funds that could more than cover the @ $1.5 million to implement a cost-saving county-wide CAHOOTS pilot program.

Let’s add Santa Cruz County to the growing list of California communities currently implementing the CAHOOTS model! Santa Cruz can and should take advantage of this opportunity to join the national movement to re-design public safety in anticipation of 2022 federal funds. Tell your supervisor and council member to allot $3 million of public safety funding to implement 2 24/7 mobile vans for a year-long CAHOOTS pilot program, reducing costs and trauma. And sign and share the Re-imagining Public Safety petition http://tinyurl.com/y387pmmh.

Sheila Carrillo | 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*****@*******es.sc.

Opinion: Bringing the Human Factor Back to Baseball

Steve Palopoli

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June 30, 2021

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Opinion: Bringing the Human Factor Back to Baseball

EDITOR’S NOTE

I know a lot of baseball fans in Santa Cruz will remember Pedro Gomez, the illustrious sportswriter who got his start at the Mercury News and covered the A’s for years before going national as a baseball reporter for ESPN. In the world of sports reporting, he’s a legend, having covered 25 World Series and found fame covering the A’s “Bash Brothers” era and Barry Bonds’ pursuit of the home-run record. But Steve Kettmann’s cover story this week shows an entirely different side of Gomez, and better explains why so many around the beloved media figure were devastated when he passed away in February at age 58. It wasn’t just his stature as one of the greatest in his field, it was also the way he touched those around him on a personal level. It’s words like “warm,” “direct” and “open” that keep coming up to describe him—which explains why Kettmann sees him as sort of a beacon of hope for bringing a much-needed “human element” back to baseball.

Kettmann will be on KSQD’s reporter-roundtable show Cruz News and Views tomorrow (3-4pm, 90.7FM, ksqd.org) talking about his cover story.

Also, you might have seen GT’s latest magazine, the new edition of Explore Santa Cruz, around town. It’s a guide for visitors and locals to Santa Cruz’s attractions, dining, shopping and more, and it’s on stands now. Check it out!

STEVE PALOPOLI | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Read the latest letters to the editor here.

Re: Live Music’s Return

Even with the need to show vaccination status (which will make entry slower) I will be planning to start going to shows (in fact I’ve hit a couple in the last month). When the Freight, Kuumbwa and SFJazz reopen I will definitely be there.

— Tom Frey

What’s the point of reopening any surviving live music venues if the same protocols still exist? Personally, I will not be attending any live music events until we return to business as usual.

— Roy Jordan

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER

Submit to ph****@*******es.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

A NEW PURPOSE

Housing Matters last week announced its new “Building With Purpose” campaign, a plan to build 120 units of permanent supportive housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness in Santa Cruz County. The five-story residential complex will be located on the Housing Matters campus at 115 Coral Street, and construction will begin in 2022. For details about the project’s virtual launch party and a series of webinars on it, go to buildingwithpurpose.org.

GOOD WORK

POWER OF ‘THERAPY’

UCSC student Haoran Chang was selected as one of 15 finalists for the 2021 GSA BAFTA Student Awards. Judges from Global Student Accommodation and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts considered hundreds of submissions from 34 countries, with entries including narrative film, animation, documentary and more. Finalists included students from the U.S., China, South Africa, Norway, Denmark, and the U.K. Chang’s film Fair Sai Re Pi (Fire Therapy) was selected in the newly created Immersive category.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Baseball is also a game of balance.”
-Stephen King

Good TimesGood Times

Good TimesGood Times

Music in the Plaza concert schedule:

ARTS AND MUSIC

COMMUNITY

OUTDOOR

COMMUNITY IN CAHOOTS

EDITOR’S NOTE

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER

GOOD IDEA

GOOD WORK

QUOTE OF THE WEEK