Santa Cruz County Bans Filtered Cigarettes

Todd Guild

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October 16, 2024

Santa Cruz County Bans Filtered Cigarettes

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved an ordinance that will, in a little more than two years, ban the sale of filtered cigarettes in unincorporated areas of the county.

The Supervisors will hear a second reading and final adoption on Oct. 29.

Santa Cruz-based Save Our Shores says that volunteers picked up more than a half-million cigarette butts in the Monterey Bay area over the past decade, a problem made more pervasive by the toxic chemicals in the plastic filters. Worse, they remain in the environment for years.

“This is a momentous day that builds on the work our community has been doing for generations to protect our environment and establish Santa Cruz County as a global leader in the environmental movement,” Board Chair Justin Cummings said. “While the County is the first to take this step, by no means will we be the last. We look forward to working with local cities and other jurisdictions to protect our coast, our environment and our people.”

The ordinance was developed by the Board’s Tobacco Waste Ad Hoc Subcommittee and supported by a broad coalition of environmental, health, educational and other groups and stakeholders.

Once implemented, the ordinance would prohibit the sale of filtered cigarettes. It will not affect the sale of unfiltered cigarettes or cigars, loose-leaf and chewing tobacco, unflavored vape pens or other tobacco products. The ordinance will go into effect Jan. 1, 2027 or when two other local jurisdictions pass similar prohibitions, whichever is later.

“Cigarette butts are the most littered item on the planet, they provide absolutely no health benefit to smokers, and they are poisonous to the environment. Let’s ban this toxic trash,” Supervisor Manu Koenig said. “This is a day for all Santa Cruz County residents to celebrate, and our hope is that this will be a catalyst for change throughout California and the rest of the country.”

While many members of the public spoke in favor of the new rule during the hour-long public comment period, some retailers expressed alarm at the unintended consequences.

Felix Blanco, who owns two businesses, proposed solutions such as adding disposal stations at beaches and supporting wider cleanup efforts. But he said that the new rule will affect a broad swath of different businesses.

“All the retailers, we’re not going to be able to adjust like you’re saying,” he said. “Some of us are going to go out of business”

Sherry Dang, who owns 7-Eleven stores in Watsonville and Santa Cruz, said customers will go to other businesses for their filtered cigarettes.

The proposed ordinance is not the first time the county has taken steps to reduce its environmental footprint. It was one of the first counties in the nation to implement curbside recycling to local ordinances banning single-use plastic bags, prohibit the use of polystyrene to-go containers, ban single-use plastic shampoo bottles in visitor accommodations and require to-go cups and single-use food service wares be certified compostable, among other things.

Former Santa Cruz County Supervisor Mark Stone, who also sat on the California Assembly, said that state lawmakers tried four times unsuccessfully to enact a similar law, but they all died in committee each time.

Street Talk

Street Talk

John Koenig

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October 15, 2024

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Describe your favorite costume
or a dream costume.

My dream costume is like a dress from the 1800s, in England or France—a romantic, fully ruffled dress with petticoats and crinolines, and I would wear my hair up high.

Paula Benet-Caballero, 22, UCSC Geology / Environmental Science Major

Definitely one of the best costumes I’ve seen so far was a person dressed totally in blood. But—the blood was bedazzled, and it was amazing.

Samuel Long, 15, Student at Santa Cruz City School

My dream costume would probably be Uma Thurman from Kill Bill. The Bride. I think the yellow jumpsuit would be cool, and I feel like it would be recognizable too.

Madeline Rasmussen, 20, Student at Cabrillo College

My dream costume is one of the Cenobites from the Hellraiser series. I’d probably choose a different one for each year. I don’t have a favorite, but I really like the designs and the visual aesthetics.

Iain Van Kleeck, 19, UCSC Environmental Science Major

My favorite is when Charlie and I were Mulder and Scully from X-Files. We wore FBI badges and ’90s-style suits with shoulder pads. Lately I’ve been different mushrooms. Last year I was amanita, and maybe this year I’ll be a morel.

Addie Baxter, 33, Journalist at Alaska Public Media

I went as Joaquin Phoenix when he was doing his whole rapper phase. I just wore a suit, and I didn’t talk to anybody that night because I was really playing the part in character. One person got it, and that made the night.

Charlie Kidd, 31, Attorney

Twisted Tale

Stage

Christina Waters

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October 15, 2024

1

It was a dark and stormy night … and according to the fertile imagination of Santa Cruz playwright John Chandler, all is not well in a certain isolated farmhouse. Chandler has conjured up one devil of a tasty and twisted tale called Lucky Time, a two-act psychological puzzle produced by Actors Theatre.

“Yes, I’d call it a ghost story,” the playwright admits, “in the sense that we all harbor ghosts we’re trying to come to grips with.” Chandler recalls a recurring dream from his teenage years in which he had killed someone, buried the body, and could not remember where he’d buried it. “I could not rid my waking self of the suspicion that it had actually happened. And I think that ominous note of reality floating above appearance prevails in this play.”

Chandler’s play is in good hands. His wife’s! “Her direction animates the play in ways I hadn’t been able to visualize,” the playwright says of his director spouse.

The play opens on the front porch of a ramshackle farmhouse in rural Central California. We see two men, one an urban type in a jacket and tie, the other in T-shirt and blue jeans, engaged in casual conversation. Jeremy (Martin Sampad Kachuck) is thanking farmhouse owner Luke (Andrew Davids) for helping to change his flat tire. “You were in luck,” Luke tells him. And suddenly the pace quickens.

Director Wilma Marcus Chandler is having fun with this assignment. “It’s a complete joy to be working on John’s play. His writing and the depths of his thoughts have always inspired me, and I feel grateful that he has trusted me and my wonderful cast and crew with this script.” Acknowledging that the Actors’ Theatre has a tradition of “offering a mystery play in harmony with the season,” the director describes Lucky Time as “a psychological drama that slowly unfolds secrets, fears and dreams of what in life is truly of value.”

We asked each of the five actors centrally involved for their thoughts about preparing for a role, working with renowned director Chandler, and collaborating in such an intimate psycho-drama.

Steve Capasso (The Father)

“Preparing for my role in Lucky Time or any role for that matter involves mining the script for clues about the character. In Lucky Time, I have four lines to show what a lousy father I was. I grew up in New Jersey where there was no shortage of a–holes so I have a plethora of examples to draw from. Plus, I love playing bad guys. Who doesn’t love to hate a bad guy?

“Wilma and I have known each other for years, but this is the first time we are working together on the same production. As director, Wilma will say that she’s ‘winging it,’ but actually she knows exactly what she wants and knows how to get it from actors. She can be firm, disciplined and on task, but is very open to suggestions and trying ideas.”

Ann McCormick (The Wife)

“From the first read-through of the play I was intrigued. I find the characters to be complex, and the story itself to be compelling and creepy. My process in preparing for a role starts with studying the script to look for any hints regarding my character, as well as asking myself how she might be feeling and why as I read her scenes. I then build a backstory for the character. I also draw from previous character studies, both formal and informal, and my own life experiences.

“Working with a director with Wilma’s experience and talent has been a true pleasure. She seems to have a basic vision of what she wants and hones it throughout the rehearsal process. She’s adept at getting the results that she wants from her actors and is also open to our input.”

Helene Simkin Jara (Mrs. Grady)

“It’s been quite a journey for me in that I never go to scary movies, so I can’t use personal experience to lean on. As far as preparing for the part, I have done what I ask actors to do when I’m directing and make up a back story of who she is, why she is living in this remote area and what her relationship is with her husband.

“I enjoy working with Wilma. Her style of directing allows the play to evolve organically and have a certain rhythm.”

Evan Hunt (Mr. Grady)

“My part in the play is such a small one … I’m just a memory, mostly seen in the background. But I love working with Wilma, who’s been a mentor of mine for many years. I direct plays too, and I learn every time I watch her work, see what she’s noting and how she approaches a story.”

Martin Sampad Kachuck (Jeremy)

“The play is certainly a challenging psychological thriller filled with ambiguities, clues and mounting tensions. The play also is character driven. Building a character takes time and patience; intensive study of the script. I try to tune into my own gut and life experience that parallels the character’s own flurries.

“Most discovery happens in rehearsal. It is in the interactions with folks onstage and with our director Wilma’s expert guidance that the depth of the character is shaped and revealed. I’m truly treasuring the time being spent with Wilma and this engaged cast. We are building that trust that needs to happen between intimate performers even if the play’s situation between our characters is tense and ominous. All of us in the cast share this commitment to try our best to make this show come to life in its full twisted brilliance.

“Wilma is a godsend—she is whip smart, insightful, creative, demanding, loving, hilarious, generous beyond normal lines and incredibly patient. I consider myself beyond lucky indeed to have done some shows with her, and certainly to have this opportunity to play together.”

Andrew Davids (Luke)

“Martin and I have some large speeches as well as rapid-fire dialogue that requires us to talk on top of each other’s lines. This takes a lot of attention and trust. I practice on my own every day, but it really comes alive when we can see and hear each other. This is a story that takes place in a remote cabin, on a rainy night, within the span of about 15 hours. Although it’s mostly about the two men, the other characters are woven into the play so intimately that the audience always feels their presence. The cast is fantastic and every actor is finding ways to fill out their role in such a way that you believe you know them, you identify with them, you ache for them.

“I’ve known Wilma for a long time; she’s a hero in the theater community. She puts the ‘direct’ into directing. If you’re playing it too safe she’ll say something like, ‘I’m already bored to tears,’ but when you get to the heart of a character or scene, she’ll fold her hands together, smile, and say, ‘that gave me chills.’ It’s very gratifying. If she senses you’re stretching into authentic creative territory, she’ll coax you to push through the discomfort to find something real and meaningful.”

Runs Oct. 17–27 at Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center St, Santa Cruz; 831-431-8666. Shows Thu.–Sat. 8pm and Sun. 2pm. $35 general, $32 students and seniors. santacruzactorstheatre.org

**TEAM SPIRIT** Martin Sampad Kachuck plays opposite Andrew Davids, who says the “rapid-fire dialogue that requires us to talk on top of each other’s lines … takes a lot of attention and trust.” Photo: Tarmo Hannula

Party Like It’s 2005

Music

Mat Weir

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October 15, 2024

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This weekend local music promotion company PinUp Productions marks 20 years of booking shows—punk, hardcore, metal, hip hop and everything in between—in Santa Cruz and throughout the Bay Area and California.

To celebrate, they’re putting on an all-out, 18-band extravaganza in the main room at the downtown Santa Cruz Vets Hall on Oct. 19. But for anyone trying to buy a ticket, secondhand is the only option as the show sold out in less than a week.

“It’s insane,” PinUp co-owner Joel Haston says. “I feel like we really built a special lineup because we have new and old bands primarily from the 40831 [San Jose and Santa Cruz] but also the greater Bay Area and beyond.”

Wait, new and old bands?

Be prepared to take plenty of ibuprofen because PinUp was able to reunite not just one but three favorites that were a huge part of local metalcore scene in the early to mid 2000s: So Help Me God, Redfall, and the original Arsonists Get All The Girls (AGATG) lineup.

“You never know with these comebacks if people will be interested,” AGATG guitarist Arthur Alvarez comments. Having the show sell out “was really surprising.”

The night ends with a set by Orange County’s quintessential metalcore group, Bleeding Through.

“They’re one of my top three metalcore bands of all time,” Haston admits. “Plus they’ll be playing a record that also recently celebrated its 20th anniversary [2003’s seminal This Is Love, This Is Murderous].”

“Arsonists even played a show with Bleeding Through at the Vets Hall a long time ago, so this is a full-circle moment,” Alvarez states.

LET IT BLEED

Although the first incarnation of AGATG lasted only eight years from 2005 to 2013, the Santa Cruz band had a huge impact on the metalcore scene. During that time they released five albums and toured with some of the biggest names in the genre—Bleeding Through, Normal Jean and more. During their height of popularity, fans could buy their shirts from Hot Topic in malls across the country.

“[AGATG] are one of the three bands why I’m into music,” Nick Crivelli admits over the phone. One of PinUp Productions current stage managers for events all over the Bay, 27-year-old Crivelli grew up in the local punk scene.

He started going to local shows in 2011. His first show? Arsonists Get All The Girls at the Catalyst Atrium.

“I can’t believe I finally get to see them again,” he laughs. “And now I’m super old!”

Crivelli joined PinUp Productions in 2019 when prog group Polyphia played the Catalyst.

“I was very curious about it and hungry to learn,” he remembers. “So I bothered this one [PinUp Productions] employee forever until he said, ‘Fine! Fine!’”

OLD SCHOOL PinUp was able to reunite three favorites from the local metalcore scene, including Arsonists Get All The Girls.

It’s this loyalty and dedication to the community that sets PinUp apart from their competition.

“I do whatever I can to put the scene first,” Haston decisively states.

Despite being the face of his company, Haston almost never was a part of PinUp Productions. Longtime local scene kids of all ages might remember his original company, Arsenic Productions.

“Santa Cruz was a unique spot during the MySpace boom of metalcore,” he says. “A lot of bands that wanted to tour the world got their first West Coast show, or first time playing out of their hometowns, here.”

In those days Arsenic Productions booked bands and venues throughout Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, while a different version of PinUp booked shows in Santa Clara County. The two entities began collaborating with each other at the end of 2006 after a misunderstanding between headliners and openers led to both of them accidentally booking the same Horse The Band tour.

“The two companies—I don’t even want to call them companies—the two families of people merged and we kept the PinUp name,” Haston recalls.

“Horse The Band was one of [AGATG] top three influences,” Alvarez says. “That Nintendocore sound was pretty much what we wanted to do: incorporate keyboards with our love for video games and make weird sounds.”

RECONNECTION

Today, PinUp Productions is a testament to the power of the DIY mentality. Along with owners Haston, Erik Jones, Casey Gerlach and David Forster, PinUp employees 20 dedicated employees that book—and run—shows from throughout the state.

While the show will be a celebration of the local scene, it will also be an important time to remember and reflect on the past and loved ones who are no longer with us.

In 2007 bassist and AGATG founding member Patrick Mason—who also came up with the band’s name—died of alcohol poisoning the day after his 21st birthday. Growing up in a small community, Alvarez, Haston and Mason were all high school friends and Mason’s death ripped open a wound that will never fully heal.

Haston and Alvarez both believe the upcoming PinUp Productions 20th Anniversary show will be a way to reconnect with the spirit of their friend, especially considering the concert is only days before his birthday.

“We’re gonna do an honor to him,” Haston says. “You only have one life. Live it the way you want and don’t let anyone—the government or society—tell you who to be.”

Info: Saturday, Oct. 19, 2pm, Vets Hall, 846 Front St., Santa Cruz. 831-454-0478.

“Santa Cruz was a unique spot during the MySpace boom of metalcore.” —Joel Haston

“Santa Cruz was a unique spot during the MySpace boom of metalcore. A lot of bands that wanted to tour the world got their first West Coast show, or first time playing out of their hometowns, here.” —Joel Haston

Free Will Astrology

Astrology

Rob Brezsny

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October 15, 2024

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ARIES March 21-April 19

As a young adult, I lived in a shack in the North Carolina woods. I was too indigent to buy a car or bicycle, so I walked everywhere I needed to go. Out of necessity, I discovered the practical power of psychic protection. I envisioned myself being surrounded by an impenetrable violet force field and accompanied by the guardian spirits of a panther, wolf and bear. This playful mystical practice kept me safe. Though I was regularly approached by growling dogs and drunk thugs in pickup trucks, I was never attacked. Now would be an excellent time for you to do what I did: put strong psychic protection in place. You’re not in physical danger, but now is a good time to start shielding yourself better against people’s manipulative gambits, bad moods, emotional immaturity and careless violations.

TAURUS April 20-May 20

“Dear Rob: I once heard you say that the best method for solving any dilemma is to sit silently, calm my mind and listen for the ‘still, small voice of the teacher within me.’ I have tried your advice, but I have never detected this voice. What am I doing wrong? — Deprived Taurus.” Dear Taurus: Here’s how to become available for guidance from the still, small voice of your inner teacher. 1. Go someplace quiet, either in nature or a beloved sanctuary. 2. Shed all your ideas and theories about the nature of your dilemma. 3. Tenderly ask your mind to be empty and serene as you await an intuition. 4. Feel sweet gratitude for each breath as you inhale and exhale. 5. Visualize your inner teacher smiling. 6. Make yourself expectant to receive an insightful blessing.

GEMINI May 21-June 20

In the parlance of people who love to trek in natural places, a “cobbknocker” refers to a hiker who precedes you and knocks down the spider webs crossing the trail. I would love for you to procure a similar service for all your adventures in the coming weeks, not just hiking. See if you can coax or hire helpers to clear a path for you in everything you do. I want you to be able to concentrate on the essentials and not get bogged down or distracted by trivial obstructions. You need spaciousness and ease.

CANCER June 21-July 22

When you are at your Cancerian best, you nurture others but don’t smother them with excessive care. You give your gifts without undermining your own interests. You are deeply receptive and sensitive without opening yourself to be abused or wounded. In my astrological estimation, you are currently expressing these qualities with maximum grace and precision. Congratulations on your ever-ripening emotional intelligence! I trust you will be rewarded with grateful favors.

LEO July 23-Aug. 22

Here’s the deal that life is offering: You temporarily suspend your drive to possess crystalline certainty, and you agree to love and thrive on ambiguity and paradox. In return, you will be given help in identifying unconscious and hidden factors at work in your destiny. You will be empowered to make confident decisions without needing them to be perfect. And you will learn more about the wise art of feeling appreciative reverence for great mysteries.

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22

I once had a Virgo girlfriend. She was talented, hardworking, meticulous, organized, health-conscious and resourceful. She also hated it if I neglected to put the jar of honey back in the cupboard immediately after using it. She would get upset if I neglected to remove my shoes as soon as I entered the house. Her fussy perfectionism wasn’t the reason we ultimately broke up, but it did take a toll on me. I bring this to your attention because I hope you will mostly keep fussy perfectionism to yourself in the coming weeks. It’s fine if you want to indulge it while alone and doing your own work, but don’t demand that others be equally fastidious. Providing this leeway now will serve you well in the long run. You can earn slack and generate good will that comes in handy when you least expect it.

LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22

Your bulboid corpuscles are specialized nerve cells in your skin that can experience intense tactile pleasure—more so than any other nerve cells. They are located in your lips, tongue and genitals. According to my analysis of your astrological potentials, these ultra-sensitive receptors will be turned on extra high in the coming weeks. So will their metaphysical and metaphorical equivalents. That’s why I predict you will gather in more bliss than you have in a long time. Please give yourself permission to exceed your usual quota.

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21

Once upon a time, you were more hazardous to yourself than you are now. I’m pleased about the progress you have made to treat yourself with greater care and compassion. It hasn’t been easy. You had to learn mysterious secrets about dealing with your inner troublemaker. You had to figure out how to channel its efforts into generating benevolent and healing trouble. There’s still more work to be done, though. Your inner troublemaker isn’t completely redeemed and reformed. But you now have a chance to bring it more fully into its destined role as your ally and helper.

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21

I predict that your past will soon transform. You may discover new details about old events. Stories you have told and told about your history will acquire new meanings. You will be wise to reinterpret certain plot twists you thought you had figured out long ago. There may not be anything as radical as uncovering wild secrets about your true origins—although I wouldn’t discount that possibility. So expect a surprise or two, Sagittarius. But I suspect you will ultimately be pleased to revise your theories about how you came to be the resilient soul you are now.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19

Of all the astrological signs, Capricorns are least likely to consult horoscopes. There are many skeptical people among your tribe who say, “Astrology is irrational and illogical. It can’t be precise and accurate, so it’s not even real.” My personal research also suggests, however, that a surprising percentage of Capricorns pretend not to be drawn to astrology even though they actually are. They may even hide their interest from others. How do I feel about all this? It doesn’t affect me as I compose your oracles. I love you as much as the other signs, and I always give you my best effort. Now I suggest that in the coming weeks, you do what I do: Give your utmost in every situation, even if some people are resistant to or doubtful of your contributions. Be confident as you offer your excellence.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18

You are ready to graduate to a higher octave of maturity and wisdom about everything related to love, romance and sex. It will be instructive to meditate on your previous experiences. So I invite you to ruminate on the following questions. 1. What important lessons have you learned about the kind of togetherness you want? 2. What important lessons have you learned about the kind of togetherness you don’t want? 3. What important lessons have you learned about how to keep yourself emotionally healthy while in an intimate relationship?

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20

Are you longing to feel safe, cozy and unperturbable? Are you fantasizing about how perfect life would be if you could seal yourself inside your comfort zone and avoid novelty and change for a while? I hope not, Pisces! By my astrological reckoning, you are due for a phase of experimentation and expansion. You will thrive on the challenges of big riddles and intriguing teases. Please take full advantage of this fun opportunity to hone your intuition and move way beyond random guesswork. For extra credit: Prove the theory that it’s very possible to cultivate and attract good luck.

Homework: Is it time to rest in one area of your life as you work harder in another area? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

Making ‘History’

Music

Bill Kopp

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October 15, 2024

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Ireland’s Thomas Walsh makes original music that rivals the best work by two of his heroes: Electric Light Orchestra’s Jeff Lynne and Andy Partridge of XTC. Echoes of the Beatles and the Kinks’ Ray Davies crop up in his distinctive songs as well.

And while the Dublin-based musician is nowhere as well known as those artists, on his own and with his group Pugwash, Walsh has released a string of superb albums featuring an impossibly high tunefulness quotient; ear candy melodies seem to come out of him effortlessly.

Of course that’s not the case; Walsh says that for him, the process of songwriting is real work. “I fight every aspect,” he says, only half-joking. “There’s always a better option than spending the next hour going through pain and anguish over a rhyme or a chord. And the older I get, the less I want to do of that.” He describes himself as lazy, a characterization reinforced by the fact that during our Zoom interview, he’s lying prone on a couch, the camera positioned directly above him.

Walsh rhapsodizes about all the wonderful programming on Netflix, and the distractions of social media. “And then I’m thinking, ‘Oh, I should be writing a song!’ But that’s the last thing my creative body wants to do.” But happily for him and his dedicated fans, the song usually wins.

Even tossing aside those unsatisfactory tunes, Walsh consistently comes up with a bounty of supremely fetching songs. As Pugwash—the name used for solo and band releases for nearly 20 years—Walsh released nearly a dozen albums. 2012’s The Olympus Sound was nominated for the Meteor Choice Awards’ Irish Album of the Year.

Retiring the Pugwash name last year, Walsh began releasing music under his own name with The Rest Is History. The name may have changed but the story’s the same: Walsh’s trademark hook-filled music continues to strike a perfect balance between melancholia, wistfulness, power pop energy and heartfelt, intelligent lyricism.

On The Rest is History, Walsh does nearly everything: writing, singing, guitar, keyboards, production. But he brings in pals to help at key points. Neil Hannon is his band mate in another project, the Duckworth Lewis Method; Walsh and Hannon co-wrote “A Good Day for Me,” the infectious album opener. Indie auteur Michael Penn co-wrote “Take Your Time,” another standout track on the new record. Other guests on The Rest Is History include pals Joe Elliott (Def Leppard) and former XTC guitarist Dave Gregory; the latter contributes a sublime string arrangement on “We Knew.”

Part of Walsh’ motive for retiring Pugwash was the impracticality of keeping a touring band together, especially when attempting to mount tours to North America. What concertgoers on his October run of West Coast dates will encounter, instead, is “a very oddly-shaped man sitting on a chair playing an acoustic guitar for a couple of hours,” Walsh says with a chuckle.

For the tour, Walsh has put together something very special, an item that will be available only to those who attend his current U.S. dates. “I’m doing up 50 copies of a CD,” he says. “A lot of people who’ve never heard of me turn up at shows, so I thought, ‘Why don’t I just put all my singles on a CD, do a funny cover and bring those?’”

The playfully titled Pugwash Singles Club features 14 studio tracks plus a live cut featuring the full-band lineup from a 2015 gig in Austin, Texas. Walsh concedes that while interested parties can always go listen on Spotify, a physical CD is “a nice, cool thing. And I love doing the artwork.”

An Irishman through and through, Walsh nonetheless demonstrates a deep and abiding love for America and its people. He sums up the differences between the two nations in his customarily droll manner, one that applies equally well to the music he makes: “America’s so big, it’s hard to control the madness,” he says. “Ireland is mad, too, but it’s very small…and a controlled madness.”

Thomas Walsh plays at 6pm on Tue., Oct. 22 at Sante Adairius Santa Cruz Portal, 1315 Water St., Santa Cruz. Facebook.com

Things To Do In Santa Cruz

Things To Do This Week

GT Staff

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October 15, 2024

1

THURSDAY 10/17

ROCK

DESTROYER

When is a band not a band? That is the question posed when Destroyer’s frontperson, Dan Bejar, performs the band’s songs solo. It’s an on-brand stunt, considering the group has been a collective of regular band members and collaborators since its formation in 1995. How Bejar will strip away at Destroyer’s layers of synths, guitars and electronic beats to expose the soul of the music is anyone’s guess and part of the mysterious fun. Then again, Canadians always seem to find a way, and Bejar is no different, constantly churning out new creative and unique music that often wildly differs from track to track on a single album. MAT WEIR

INFO: 8pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $30/adv, $35/door. 423-8209.

JAZZ

JOY GUIDRY

In a city known for its live music scene with a plethora of venues for live music, it’s important to recognize experimental spaces like the Tannery’s Indexical. The cozy space is a hotbed for new, progressive and unique music like Joy Guidry, who is celebrating the release of her third album, Amen. Guidry is a bassoonist and composer who experiments with the sounds of the soul through gospel tunes, original compositions and the ambiance of nature. Her 2022 debut, Radical Acceptance, explores her journey with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress as a Black Christian woman. Following her performance will be a conversation with composer and theorist James Gordon Williams. MW

INFO: 8:30pm, Indexical, 1050 River St., #119, Santa Cruz. $16.

FRIDAY 10/18

ART EXHIBITION

RE:COLLECT

Subtitled “Remember Your Cosmic Roots,” this exhibition is an “immersive Afrospeculative experience that focuses on the exploration and preservation of indigenous cosmic roots.” Re:Collect aims for a multisensory experience using sights, sounds and smells. The exhibit focuses on reestablishing Indigenous peoples’ connections with history and tradition, especially those intentionally swept away. Guest-curated by Santa Cruz-based activist, community organizer and historian Luna High John-Bey, the exhibition features works by Dynasty Ogun, Alim Smith, Zoë Boston, Witch Prophet, Zuzu, Soull Ogun and Shogun Shido. The Re:Collect exhibit is available for viewing until March 2025. BILL KOPP

INFO: Noon, Museum of Art & History, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. $10. 429-1964.

SATURDAY 10/19

FOLK

KINGSTON TRIO

Established in Palo Alto in the ’50s by three college students vying to entertain their peers at parties, the folksy Kingston Trio’s music was shaped by San Francisco and Hawaiian music and culture. The Trio would go on to launch a folk boom that brought radicals like Woody Guthrie into the spotlight and paved the way for iconic progressive artists like Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. Today, a new Kingston Trio continues to delight audiences like the original folksmen did: by gently strumming their acoustic guitars and banjos, harmonizing on classics like “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” and “Tom Dooley” and throwing in a bit of stage banter the way the ol’ boys did back in the day. MELISA YURIAR

INFO: 7:30pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $34/adv, $38/door. 427-2227.

FESTIVAL

HALLOWEEN MASK MAKING

Haven’t had time to prepare for Halloween? That’s okay because the London Nelson Community Center has the perfect event to help. ’Tis the season for the annual Halloween Mask-Making Festival! This is a free and spooktacular family event for all ages. Not only will attendees be able to make boo-tiful masks, but they can play Halloween-themed carnival games, watch a Thriller dance and catch a special 30-minute performance of Once Upon a Broomstick. This event will get anyone in the mood for October; it’s time to get scary! ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE

INFO: Noon, London Nelson Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz. Free. 420-6177.

SUNDAY 10/20

FOLK

BANSHEE TREE

Combining modern indie sounds with trance vibes, a psychedelic rock feel and Django Reinhardt-flavored gypsy jazz, Banshee Tree is a four-piece group from Boulder, Colorado. Their old-school-meets-modern approach applies traditional instrumentation like fiddle, acoustic guitar, upright bass and percussion to present-day electronics (pedals and other effects) for a hybrid sound. The band has singles and a self-titled EP available on Bandcamp. With its stuttering beats, electronica flourishes and Hot Club de France-styled fiddling, Banshee Tree’s latest release, Dreaming with the Fishes, is an alluring showcase for the group’s new-greets-old musical character. Fellow Boulder-based act luckydust opens. BK

INFO: 8pm, Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $15/adv, $20/door. 479-1854.

HIP HOP

KRS-ONE

The furiously political and socially conscious Brooklyn-born KRS-One is a hip hop legend in his own right. “The Teacher” is known for some of the most culturally relevant and political hip hop cuts and rhymes of the last two decades (“Sound of da Police,” “I Can’t Wake Up” and “MC’s Act Like They Don’t Know” to name a few). One of hip hop’s greats, he holds down the genre’s history and preserves its original principles of peace, love and unity through music, teaching the philosophy/mantra that “rap is something we do; hip hop is something we live.” It rings true in all that the artist produces. MY

INFO: 5pm, Woodhouse Brewing, 119 Madrone St., Santa Cruz. $40. 313-9461.

TUESDAY 10/22

AUTHOR EVENT

CARA GIAIMO

There are field guides, and then there’s Atlas Obscura: Wild Life. The publishers behind Gastro Obscura, the ultimate foodie guide, are back at it again, focusing on the natural world. Bookshop Santa Cruz welcomes writer Cara Giaimo to read from and discuss her new book, which touts itself as “An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Living Wonders.” Be prepared to learn about the fascinating world around you, trees communicating with one another under your feet, dung beetles using the stars for navigation, and over 500 extraordinary plants, animals and natural phenomena. The best part? Illustrations and photos on every page. KEITH LOWELL JENSEN

INFO: 4pm, London Nelson Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz. $49. 423-0900.

WEDNESDAY 10/23

INDIE

THE RED PEARS

We don’t hear from El Monte, California, too much. Yet the predominantly Hispanic town in eastern Los Angeles County has something going on, judging by its musical exports, including and perhaps especially the Red Pears, a fantastic trio. Guitarist and vocalist Henry Vargas, drummer Jose Corona and bassist Patrick Juarez have garnered comparisons to early Strokes while bringing something all their own into the mix. They’re killing it in the studio, putting out albums deserving of repeat listening, but it’s their live shows where they’re whipping their devoted crowd into a frenzy and making their mark. Come frenzy when they play the Catalyst on Wednesday. KLJ

INFO: 8pm, Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, $25/adv, $30/door. 713-5492.

Busts Gone Bad

Cannabis

Dan Mitchell

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October 15, 2024

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One of the weirdest outcomes of cannabis legalization is that the cops, who for decades were intent on busting people for weed on behalf of the state and its laws, now bust people largely on behalf of the legal pot industry.

This isn’t wrong, necessarily. It’s just weird. Often, after a raid on an illicit grow operation or an unlicensed dispensary, spokespeople for the P.D. or prosecutor’s office emphasize the impact that illicit weed has on legitimate pot businesses. But otherwise, the busts seem much the same as they did before legalization, with “dope on the table” and all the rest of it. The same phenomenon plays out in legal states across the country.

Of course, before legalization, such busts had little impact on either the supply or demand for weed. The same is true now of illicit weed. The so-called “black market” continues apace, especially in California, fueled by bad state and local policies and high taxes that send people into the arms of their local pot dealer.

That doesn’t mean that cops shouldn’t enforce the laws, of course. If they didn’t, the situation might be even worse (though precisely how much worse is hard to know).

In many cases, police seem as zealous as they ever did, and some of the busts they pull off, or attempt to pull off, are outright amusing.

Last week we learned that, nearly a year ago, the Los Angeles Police Department raided what it thought was an illegal cannabis operation. It turned out to be a medical imaging center. The owners of NoHo Diagnostic Center have filed a lawsuit against the department, claiming that their civil rights were violated. The lawsuit, first reported by Law 360, did not specify damages.

Somehow, the cops got the idea that the MRI center, in the Van Nuys neighborhood, was an illegal grow operation, and that the MRI business was just a front. Part of what led them to believe this was that the site’s electricity use was found to be higher than average, which should give pause to any business or private citizen that uses a lot of electricity. (One wonders: will they ever raid a crypto data center?) The cops also claimed they smelled weed.

The raid occurred on Oct. 18 of last year. One employee on the site was detained while the cops walked around wondering why it looked like a medical-imaging center and not like a pot farm. According to the lawsuit, the raid was “nothing short of a disorganized circus, with no apparent rules, procedures, or even a hint of coordination.” The cops found no weed on the site.

This is all really funny stuff (though not for the victims, of course) but the hilarity doesn’t end there. According to the lawsuit, one of the cops walked past a sign outside an MRI room warning that metal was prohibited in the room. He was carrying a rifle that, the lawsuit alleges, was sucked out of his hand and was attached to the magnetized machine. Yeah, bitch! Magnets!

This particular cop hit the machine’s emergency “off” switch, which the lawsuit alleges damaged the machine. He also allegedly left a magazine of ammunition behind in the room. The LAPD hasn’t commented on any of this.

While much of the enforcement of current pot laws might be silly, unjust or dangerous, much of it is not. Last month, state authorities raided a bunch of storefronts in Los Angeles where the operators were selling cannabis products clearly meant to appeal to children (or people with the minds of children) with packages depicting cartoon characters or designed to look like candy. The labels also fraudulently bore the symbol required on cannabis products to show that they are legal. The Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce hit 11 storefronts and seized $2.2 million of products.

While enforcement of laws is necessary (else why have those laws on the books?) a better approach for the state and cities might be to lower pot taxes and implement other reforms that would provide incentives for consumers to get their cannabis from professionally run, licensed pot dispensaries. It doesn’t look like that’s going to happen any time soon.

Health Food

Wellness

Elizabeth Borelli

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October 15, 2024

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When necessity meets community spirit, innovation follows—and for the Teen Kitchen Project, it’s a recipe for changing lives.

In 2012, Angela Farley was a Santa Cruz mom facing a family crisis. Her young son Charlie’s pediatric cancer treatment required a daily commute from Santa Cruz to UC San Francisco, and as hard as she tried to maintain a sense of normalcy, it was a struggle to get evening meals on the table. When a generous friend gifted her one year’s worth of blue plate specials from Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria, it felt like a lifeline.

After Charlie successfully completed treatment in May of 2012, Farley wanted to find a way to replicate the gift that nourished her family. She rallied her community—talking with everyone from farmers to nutritionists and chefs—and just four months later officially launched her first meal distribution to support local cancer patients on Sept. 11.

What started as a small batch of meals turned into something much bigger. The heartfelt responses lit a fire in her to keep the mission alive.

Realizing she needed help to scale, Farley began approaching local businesses for donations. The goal was to provide fresh, healthy fare to bolster patients’ immune systems. She worked with a chef to design balanced meals, and it didn’t take long for Live Earth Farms to step up as the project’s first major donor. Volunteers would go to the farmer’s market at closing to pick up unpurchased food, and then plan the meals around what was available.

That first year, from September through December, Farley and her small crew delivered 750 meals to patients in need. That number grew to 104,000 meals delivered in 2023. But here’s where the meals-on-wheels model varies. As the name implies, local teen volunteers receive culinary training to prepare meals from scratch using DASH—Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Designed to reduce sugar intake and help lower blood pressure, the diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy.

Understanding how diet affects disease doesn’t just empower students—it inspires them to make smarter food choices in their own lives. Farley’s informal survey reveals that teens now cook from scratch 40% more often at home, motivated not only by the health benefits but also by the flavors of the dishes they’ve learned to create.

Teen Kitchen meals provide more than just nourishment—they’re a lifeline for those battling diet-related illnesses, with each meal tailored to meet the recipients’ specific health needs. Most recipients receive a bag of food a week with seven main dishes and a diabetes-friendly dessert, while medical clients receive 14 meals.

Since most clients are seniors, teens also gain intergenerational knowledge. Students often share how empowering it feels to hear the stories of those they’re helping, realizing how much their support means to people facing challenges with cooking or shopping.

While Teen Kitchen Project spreads the word through school counselors and community service fairs, it’s the buzz among friends that truly drives teen volunteers to join the fun. With three cohorts each year, the fall session just kicked off and will wrap up in December, with sign-ups for the next round starting in November.

Recently Farley and her team have seen what she describes as a “huge increase in needs of people living with a critical or chronic situation.” This otherwise challenging reality creates new opportunities to keep growing with added staff and new digs on the horizon.

Before the pandemic, TPK used El Pajaro kitchen in Watsonville; now they rent space at Kitchen 831 in Santa Cruz. The organization is in the quiet phase of a capital campaign, raising funds to build a permanent space that will be a 10-minute walk from both Harbor and Soquel high schools.

Meals are distributed by “delivery angels,” who also provide a bit of company. And each meal comes with a beautiful bouquet—thanks to the generosity of Second Bloom Flowers, which collects post-event donations from Pebble Beach resorts. Farley shares a poignant story of a client who was moved to tears upon receiving flowers—his first ever. Plus, a partnership with Giant Berries means every meal is topped off with DASH-friendly desserts made from fresh fruit.

Farley says she’s far from alone in her endeavors, praising her supportive board and staff. And she gives extra kudos to the teens and clients. “Feeling cared for is the program’s biggest impact, and teens can see firsthand what a difference they make,” she says.

The Editor’s Desk

Letters to the Editor

Brad Kava

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October 15, 2024

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

There are monsters coming.

No, not just the election or Halloween. Before that.

I’m not making this up, but this week, from Oct. 16-18 at the UC Santa Cruz Center for Monster Studies there is a Festival of Monsters, a three-day intellectual celebration of all things monstrous.

This is one of those things, like our Grateful Dead Museum or our Oaxacan celebration, that makes me so appreciate where we live. There is so much culture here of all kinds and all spectrums of imagination and thought. This is the place I once saw a talk by the man who invented LSD. Not at the monster fest, but at the UC.

“What I’ve discovered in my research is if you ask people what monster they’re scared of the most, that is really a reflection of what they might be,” says organizer Dr. Michael “Doc” Chemers in Mat Weir’s cover story.

The only program of its kind in the country, the center is a collection of artists and scholars who have dedicated themselves to the study of monsters and how they have been defined and reinterpreted throughout human history across all cultures. People will be visiting here from all over the world to attend lectures, movies and a ghastly costume ball.

Once again SC is on the international map of the weird.

Another thing that has put the Cruz on the map is PinUp Productions, which for 20 years has been booking shows—punk, hardcore, metal, hip hop and everything in between—in Santa Cruz and throughout the Bay Area and California.

To celebrate, they’re putting on an all-out, 18-band extravaganza in the main room at the downtown Santa Cruz Vets Hall on Oct. 19. But for anyone trying to buy a ticket, secondhand is the only option as the show sold out in less than a week.

While we’re gearing up for the one-time kid’s holiday that has been co-opted by grownups, you’ll want to check out a theatrical ghost story, Lucky Time, a two-act psychological puzzle produced by Actors Theatre.

Christina Waters gives us the lowdown in her arts piece in this issue.

I can promise you will get some laughs and worries from this week’s cannabis column, where writer Dan Mitchell recounts the Keystone Cops–like comedy of police busting supposed growers of cannabis. There’s some real irony to the idea that cops who once busted marijuana users and growers are now supporting legal growers.

When you get the munchies, check out our food columns for some hot ideas.

Thanks for reading.

Brad Kava | Editor

PHOTO CONTEST

SEEING DOUBLE This was taken from the lane. I call it “Symmetry.” Photograph by Pete Bartlett

GOOD IDEA

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is designating the Chumash

Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, stretching from Monterey Bay past Point Conception. The first Indigenous-nominated national marine sanctuary, led by the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, it is expected to be complete by December 2024.

It will be the third-largest national marine sanctuary in the United States, the first Indigenous-nominated sanctuary, and the first new ocean sanctuary in over 30 years. It will prohibit new oil drilling and support climate solutions by promoting the health of ocean habitats that serve a host of vital ecosystem functions.

GOOD WORK

Arte del Corazón, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting local artists, is excited to host its 2nd Annual Calavera Ball on Oct. 19 at Veterans of Foreign

Wars, 1960 Freedom Blvd, Freedom. This fundraising event will bring together art lovers, dancers and supporters of the arts for an evening of music, celebration and cultural pride. It runs 6-10pm and includes cumbia, salsa, and bachata as well as a silent art auction, costume contest, an arcade, a cash bar and hors d’oeuvres.

Tickets and info: artedelcorazon.com. $25-$50.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Never regret anything that made you smile.”
—Mark Twain.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

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The Editor’s Desk