Rob Breznyโ€™s Astrology Jan. 2-8

Free will astrology for the week of Jan. 2, 2019

ARIES (March 21-April 19): No one has resisted the force of gravity with more focus than businessman Roger Babson (1875โ€“1967). He wrote an essay entitled “Gravity – Our Enemy Number One,” and sought to develop anti-gravity technology. His Gravity Research Foundation gave awards to authentic scientists who advanced the understanding of gravity. If that organization still existed and offered prizes, I’m sure that researchers of the Aries persuasion would win them all in 2019. For your tribe, the coming months should feature lots of escapes from heaviness, including soaring flights and playful levity and lofty epiphanies.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The night parrots of Australia are so elusive that there was a nearly six-decade stretch when no human saw a single member of the species. But in 2013, after searching for 15 years, photographer John Young spotted one and recorded a 17-second video. Since then, more sightings have occurred. According to my astrological vision, your life in 2019 will feature experiences akin to the story of the night parrot’s reappearance. A major riddle will be at least partially solved. Hidden beauty will materialize. Long-secret phenomena will no longer be secret. A missing link will re-emerge.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Millions of years ago, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Antarctica, and North and South America were smooshed together. Earth had a single land mass, the supercontinent Pangea. Stretching across its breadth was a colossal feature, the Central Pangean Mountains. Eventually, though, Europe and America split apart, making room for the Atlantic Ocean and dividing the Central Pangean range. Today the Scottish Highlands and the Appalachian Mountains are thousands of miles apart, but once upon a time they were joined. In 2019, Gemini, I propose that you look for metaphorical equivalents in your own life. What disparate parts of your world had the same origin? What elements that are now divided used to be together? Re-establish their connection. Get them back in touch with each other. Be a specialist in cultivating unity.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): 2019 will be an excellent time to swim in unpolluted rivers, utter sacred oaths near beautiful fountains, and enjoy leisurely saunas that help purify your mind and body. You are also likely to attract cosmic favor if you cry more than usual, seek experiences that enhance your emotional intelligence, and ensure that your head respectfully consults with your heart before making decisions. Here’s another way to get on life’s good side: cultivate duties that consistently encourage you to act out of love and joy rather than out of guilt and obligation.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Here are four key questions I hope you’ll meditate on throughout 2019: 1. What is love? 2. What kind of love do you want to receive? 3. What kind of love do you want to give? 4. How could you transform yourself in order to give and receive more of the love you value most? To spur your efforts, I offer you these thoughts from teacher David R. Hawkins: “Love is misunderstood to be an emotion; actually, it is a state of awareness, a way of being in the world, a way of seeing oneself and others.”

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Most living things begin in the absence of light,” writes Virgo author Nancy Holder. “The vine is rooted in the earth; the fawn takes form in the womb of the doe.” I’ll remind you that your original gestation also took place in the dark. And I foresee a metaphorically comparable process unfolding for you in 2019. You’ll undergo an incubation period that may feel cloaked and mysterious. That’s just as it should be: the best possible circumstances for the vital new part of your life that will be growing. So be patient. You’ll see the tangible results in 2020.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Many plants that modern Americans regard as weeds were regarded as tasty food by Native Americans. A prime example is the cattail, which grows wild in wetlands. Indigenous people ate the rootstock, stem, leaves, and flower spike. I propose that we use this scenario to serve as a metaphor for some of your potential opportunities in 2019. Things you’ve regarded as useless or irrelevant or inconvenient could be revealed as assets. Be alert for the possibility of such shifts. Here’s advice from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The slow, gradual, incremental approach will be your magic strategy in 2019. Being persistent and thorough as you take one step at a time will provide you with the power to accomplish wonders. Now and then, you may be tempted to seek dramatic breakthroughs or flashy leaps of faith; and there may indeed be one or two such events mixed in with your steady rhythms. But for the most part, your glory will come through tenacity. Now study this advice from mystic Meister Eckhart: “Wisdom consists in doing the next thing you have to do, doing it with your whole heart, and finding delight in doing it.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian polymath Piet Hein wrote a poem in which he named the central riddle of his existence. “A bit beyond perception’s reach, / I sometimes believe I see / That life is two locked boxes / Each containing the other’s key.” I propose that we adopt this scenario to symbolize one of the central riddles of your existence. I’ll go further and speculate that in 2019 one of those boxes will open as if through a magical fluke, without a need for the key. This mysterious blessing won’t really be a magical fluke, but rather a stroke of well-deserved and hard-earned luck that is the result of the work you’ve been doing to transform and improve yourself.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): What themes and instruments do people least want to hear in a piece of music? Composer Dave Solder determined that the worst song ever made would contain bagpipes, cowboy music, tubas, advertising jingles, operatic rapping, and children crooning about holidays. Then he collaborated with other musicians to record such a song. I suspect that as you head into 2019, it’ll be helpful to imagine a metaphorically comparable monstrosity: a fantastic mess that sums up all the influences you’d like to avoid. With that as a vivid symbol, you’ll hopefully be inspired to avoid allowing any of it to sneak into your life in the coming months.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In Canada, it’s illegal to pretend to practice witchcraft. It’s fine to actually do witchcraft, however. With that as our inspiration, I advise you to be rigorous about embodying your authentic self in 2019. Make sure you never lapse into merely imitating who you are or who you used to be. Don’t fall into the trap of caring more about your image than about your actual output. Focus on standing up for what you really mean rather than what you imagine people expect from you. The coming months will be a time when you can summon pure and authoritative expressions of your kaleidoscopic soul.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In the eighteenth century, Benjamin Franklin was a Founding Father who played a key role in getting the United States up and running. He wasn’t happy that the fledgling nation chose the bald eagle as its animal symbol. The supposedly majestic raptor is lazy, he wrote. It doesn’t hunt for its own food, but steals grub obtained by smaller birds of prey. Furthermore, bald eagles are cowardly, Franklin believed. Even sparrows may intimidate them. With that as our theme, Pisces, I invite you to select a proper creature to be your symbolic ally in 2019. Since you will be building a new system and establishing a fresh power base, you shouldn’t pick a critter that’s merely glamorous. Choose one that excites your ambition and animates your willpower.

Homework: I’d love to see your top New Year’s resolutions. Share by going to RealAstrology.com and clicking on “Email Rob.”

Love Your Local Band: ยกNo Acciรณn!

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In 2017, local band ยกNo Acciรณn! released a record full of energetic, passionate, political music that was also quite fun. It was called Hymns of the Working Class. Not exactly punk, not exactly rock, it still thrives in both worlds and is unrelenting as it powers forward.

โ€œWe have a punk rock attitude with a rock โ€™nโ€™ roll soul,โ€ says guitarist Lazaro Andrade. โ€œWe all grew up in working-class families in the Salinas Valley or Santa Cruz County, like in Pajaro or Watsonville. We have songs that talk about the struggles that working-class families endure.โ€

Some of the songs are rallying cries to get you on your feet and do something about the problems of the world. The bandโ€™s name in fact is a reference to a line that embodies this sentiment: โ€œNo action, no revolution.โ€

โ€œIf you do nothing, nothing will happen,โ€ Andrade explains.

The name isnโ€™t just about calling people to stand up, itโ€™s also a way to draw attention to the bandโ€™s bilingual lyrics and the musiciansโ€™ dual Latino and American identities. They liked the name ยกNo Acciรณn! because although it is in Spanish, itโ€™s so close to the English translation that anyone can understand what it means.

The band hopes to draw as many people as possible into their music, English and Spanish speakers alike. They also mix in some of the calls for revolution with some fun.

โ€œWe tend of write about working-class families. We have songs about everyday life and just having fun,โ€ Andrade says.

INFO: 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 4. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $8. 429-6994.

Big 2019 Openings on Santa Cruz Food Scene

No, you can never have enough of a good thing, and thatโ€™s why everyoneโ€™s crazy about the new Companion Bakeshop settling into its third location in Aptos, in addition to Mission Street and Abbott Square Market.

Folks in Aptos can now start their days with serious coffee and pastries at the new Companion in Aptos Center next to Taqueria Los Gordos and Aptos Natural Foods. In the former Heatherโ€™s Patisserie slot, Companion has expanded into a light, airy, L-shaped space bordered with plenty of outdoor table seating.

On two recent visits I enjoyed the house Cat & Cloud brew, plus some of my favorite pastriesโ€”the spectacular almond croissant and the glazed palmier that never fails to offer tender, flaky crunch.

The latest Companion sports a full line of those sourdough boules weโ€™re addicted to, and patrons can watch the baking process through a long glass wall in the back. Alas, thereโ€™s no bread slicing machine at this location, which means youโ€™ll have to try out your own carving skills when you take home that walnut loaf.

The pleasant staff is still learning the complex ropes of creating macchiati while finessing pastry ordersโ€”all of which is served on small, rectangular metal trays. Two of my companions approved of this interesting serving strategy, but some found it a bit awkward for containing round saucers.

Companion Aptos has already found a lively, grateful clientele, and if more tables and chairs fill in some of the unused interior, even more folks will be able to sit down and enjoy the house specialties.

Companion Bakeshop at Aptos Center, 7486 Soquel Drive, Aptos. Open 7 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. & Sun. Closed Mon. 252-2253, companionbakeshop.com.

Bargetto’s New Leaf

A new house wine, named Common Vines, is being produced exclusively for New Leaf Community Markets by the venerable house of Bargetto. Already, a 2017 Chardonnay and a 2017 Pinot Noir are available at a very affordable $13.99.

โ€œWe wanted to partner with a well-respected, local producer,” explains New Leaf wine buyer Oliver Carter. โ€œBargetto is the perfect fit. Theyโ€™ve been making wine for over 80 years in a classic California style.โ€

Smart move on the part of a premier natural food store, which plans to offer more custom-label wines in the near future.

Opening Updates

For adventurous eaters, we have our very first entirely gluten-free, non-GMO, organic restaurant, Primal Santa Cruz, located at the corner of Laurel and Mission on the Westside. The Primal philosophy is bold. โ€œAll of our proteins and fats come from grass-fed, organic sources,โ€ their website says. โ€œOur fish is wild. Our produce is local, seasonal, and organic.โ€ In addition to serving Verve coffee, Primal SC stocks organic wines and GF beers. The goal is to offer โ€œreal foodโ€ that hasnโ€™t been processed, enhanced, tinkered with or modified. An ambitious mission indeed. Joseph Mullens of Cafe Cruz will be on board to finesse the paleo-centric menu, which is broad enough to appeal to those with dietary restrictions as well as those intent upon meat in all its forms. Seems right for the 19th year of the 21st century.

In the โ€œsomething for everyoneโ€ department, there’s also now a feel-good, non-threatening Olive Garden Italian Restaurant open in Capitola offering comfort dining that will make you happy, your children happy, and your grandmother happy. Near Macy’s behind the Capitola Mall, the new Olive Garden is very large, and the menu ranges from lasagne and scampi to tiramisu and cannoli.

And this just in…

Alderwood: now open as of December 29.

Primal Santa Cruz, 1203 Mission St. Mon.-Thu., 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. ’til 10 p.m., Sun ’til 8:30 p.m. primalsantacruz.com.

Alderwood, 155 Walnut St., Santa Cruz. 588-3238, alderwoodsantacruz.com.

Olive Garden Italian Restaurant, Capitola Mall. Daily 11a.m.-10 p.m. 462-0120.

Film Review: โ€˜Mary Queen of Scotsโ€™

In Tudor England, itโ€™s just one damn thing after another. Widowed by a weakling French King, the new Queen of Scotland (Saoirse Ronan) arrives in 1561 on a glum coast.

Flash forward to her fate at the chopping block at Fotheringhay Castle. Guards rip off her outer gown, revealing the red dress of a Catholic martyr. Gasps all around either at the effrontery or at the chic fashion choice. But Mary Queen of Scots is about the lead up to this death, in her clashes with her ruthless frenemy (and cousin) Queen Elizabeth, played by Margot Robbie.

The Scots Queen has a rocky time in her batcave of a castle. Sheโ€™s thundered against by the Protestants. Their spokesman: the preacher who put the Knox in obnoxious, John Knox. David Tennant plays the angry divine as a walking hairball in a velvet cap; heโ€™s so obscured by whiskers that heโ€™s excused for bugging his eyes trying to get his fans to recognize him. Mary faces wrath among the Scottish lairds, paid with English gold to destabilize the land.

But the Queen of Scots just wants a court of peace where everyone can have access to her multi-pierced ear. Sheโ€™s religiously tolerant and LGBT friendly: her favorite person is a gay lad-in-waiting, played by Ismael Cruz Cordova, who likes to dress up as one of the ladies. Her castle is a much nicer place than Elizabethโ€™s palace, where the earls and knights all stand around muttering into their ruffs, wondering when Her Majesty is going to get married and start producing a few heirs.

Director Josie Rourke debuts after a background in theater. Sheโ€™s a sort of calmer version of Julie Taymor. Here are processionals, actors standing and delivering their lines, and a fascination with draperies and costume. As in most modern Shakespeare, Rourke uses color-blind casting of black and Asian actors, which will hopefully nauseate British National Party members. Exteriors are lots of cattle and a little battle, with theatrical euphemism. There is no arterial spray in the skirmishes staged like football scrimmages; the entirety is far less violent than versions of this story Iโ€™d seen decades ago.

Ronan is ravishingly pretty and sympathetic, and she gets a kissing scene on horseback. โ€œYou dare touch a sovereign without her permission!โ€ she says, which is sort of immemorial movie stuff. Given Robbieโ€™s devotion to outre makeup and staringโ€”as seen in the ice skating scenes in I, Tonyaโ€”itโ€™s too bad she didnโ€™t get to go eyeball to eyeball with John Knox. She has a prosthetic hook to her nose, and after a bout with the pox, she sports thick white makeup and a fluorescent red-orange wig that makes her resemble Stephen King’s It.

Each queen has a credible argument that the other was a usurper, but Mary Queen of Scots suggest that they would have had easier lives if theyโ€™d shown true sisterhood to one another. Elizabeth complains that โ€œthe throne has made me a man,โ€ as if itโ€™s a bad thing. This, as opposed to that famous moment where the English queen told her court proudly she had โ€œthe heart and stomach of a king.โ€

โ€œI am not my father,โ€ Elizabeth says, stung, when Mary predicts that being in Elizabethโ€™s care will end with her being executed; one previously thought that Elizabeth was proud of having a feared tyrant of a father, and that his reputation steadied her shaky throne.

Mary Queen of Scots breaks its template of modern enlightenment at the end. Exiled and at her weakest, Mary decides to pull rank on her rival Queen, a display of the kind of bravery that is usually called โ€œgall.โ€ However, the explanation of what happened between imprisonment and execution is missing.

In college, they warn you against the kind of history where things had to happen because they happened the way they happened. Thus we miss the question of what kind of plotting Mary had been up toโ€”real or imaginary.

Mary Queen of Scots is an improvement over the pointless catfighting in The Favourite, but it misses a conclusion more solid than the idea that menfolk cause all the trouble in the worldโ€”that theyโ€™re weaklings and schemers keeping the sisters from doing it for themselves.

MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS

Directed by Josie Rourke. Written by Beau Willimon. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, David Tennant, and Guy Pearce. (R) 124 minutes.

Cruzio’s First ‘Fiberhood’ Boosts Santa Cruz Internet Speeds

One of Santa Cruzโ€™s biggest tech stories of the year somehow ended up flying a little under the radar. But what happened downtown in 2018 has significant implications, not just for tech companies, but also for the future of the local economy.

The Santa Cruz Fiber project, which was years in the making, is now a reality for some businesses and residents, bringing high-speed internet access to accommodate growing connectivity demands.

Santa Cruz-based Cruzio Internet is lighting up fiber connections in its first โ€œfiberhoodโ€ downtown, including parts of River Street, Pacific Avenue, Front Street, and Cedar Street.

Conversations about building the gigabit-speed internet network (thatโ€™s 1,000 megabits per second) began years ago between Cruzio and the city of Santa Cruz. When it became clear that the city wasnโ€™t ready to move forward with its end of the partnership, Cruzio proceeded on its own for the first phase. The company began construction in mid-2017, and connected its first customer to the network on Aug. 30 of this year. The speeds are 10 to 100 times faster than the internet connection many Santa Cruzans have in their homes.

For the businesses and residents in Cruzioโ€™s initial offering area, their proximity to the fiber means they are โ€œfuture-proofed for the next several decades at least,โ€ since the network can be upgraded to handle 10-gigabit and faster speeds as technology evolves, says James Hackett, Cruzioโ€™s director of business operations and development.

โ€œWeโ€™re always looking at whatโ€™s coming down the line next,โ€ Hackett says.

Cruzio expects to finish connecting the 300 customers whoโ€™ve so far signed up for the gigabit-speed offering during the next few months. The fiber network includes around 20,000 linear feet of underground fiber and encompasses some 1,200 properties. It even includes El Rio Mobile Home Park.

The cost for everyday users is $49.50 a month through Cruzio, which protects the data privacy of its customers, something Americaโ€™s biggest internet providers do not do. (Some of the countryโ€™s biggest internet providers have volunteered to not sell customer data to third parties, but said they’ll still use it for their own advertising networks.)

The project is a proof of concept for the company. From a business standpoint, Cruzio estimates that it needs to connect at least one-third of the people in its covered area to sign up in order to move forward with additional rollouts.

And even though the city sat out a broader collaboration for now, Hackett says it was still a helpful partner in this initial phase, using โ€œdig onceโ€ policies to tackle other projects in areas where there was excavation to lay fiber underground. The city is already reaping some of the rewards: Seven city properties are now connected to the fiber network.

Fast, reliable internet speeds are increasingly a need-to-have for business owners, too, as more of their daily operations rely on cloud-based software.

Kathy Daly, office manager and co-owner of the Santa Cruz Optometric Center, says sheโ€™s excited for the Cruzio gigabit fiber service because there were regular speed and connectivity issues with her two previous providers. That hurt business when staff couldnโ€™t book appointments or process customersโ€™ payments, Daly says.

โ€œYou just donโ€™t realize how much you need it until you donโ€™t have it,โ€ she says.

Break Out the Bargetto Bubbly for 2019

New Yearโ€™s Eve means itโ€™s time to bring out the bubbly, the most celebratory wine on the planet!

Bargetto Winery produces a delightful Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine made in the methode champenoise style. Festive and fun, itโ€™s a perfect libation to ring in 2019โ€”and itโ€™s reasonably priced at $28.

As I was sipping on this lovely sparkler in Bargettoโ€™s Soquel tasting room, the server suggested I add some of Chaucerโ€™s raspberry wine for a zingy zap of red fruit, and the duo blended together in pretty pink harmony. Chaucerโ€™s Cellars, an offshoot of Bargetto Winery, has been producing award-winning, dessert-style fruit wines for more than 50 years in varieties of blackberry, pomegranate, apricot and raspberry. A splash of fruit wine in the bubbly adds sassy color and flavor.

The North Coast Blanc de Noirs showcases bright aromas of citrus, strawberries and cherries. Hints of lemon rind and tart apples on the mid-palate add pizzazz to this tasty bubbly. From now until Dec. 31, the winery is offering free shipping on all Bargetto and Chaucerโ€™s wines with your purchase of six or more bottles.

Congratulations are also due to Bargetto, which is celebrating 85 years in business. The winery has a second tasting room on Cannery Row in Monterey.

Bargetto Winery, 3535 North Main St., Soquel. Open daily noon-5 p.m. 800-422-7438, bargetto.com.

Bubbles and Bivalves on New Yearโ€™s Eve

Start celebrating 2019 with Equinox sparkling wine and oysters by Bill the Oyster Man. From 5-8 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 31, you can begin ringing in the New Year with bubbly and oysters. What a great pairing! A spoonful of caviar adds to the fun.

Admission is free, and oysters will start at $16 for six. Equinox will donate $10 of every bottle of sparkling wine sold during the party to the North Valley Community Foundationโ€™s Camp Fire Relief Fundโ€”an opportunity to start the New Year with a helping hand.

Equinox Wines, 334 Ingalls St. Unit 3, Santa Cruz. 471-8608, equinoxwine.com

How Vixen Kitchen Gelato Reinvented Ice Cream

Sundara Clark started Vixen Kitchen Paleo Gelato over five years ago using nothing but cashews, maple syrup, vanilla and salt in her ice cream.

Since one of her daughters has a dairy allergy, she says she wanted to experiment with something that her daughter could enjoy and she could feel good about feeding her kids. Clark, who grew up in Santa Cruz, has since developed five flavorsโ€”vanilla, chocolate, coffee, chai, and mintโ€”all organic, gluten free, paleo, and vegan.

I bet you have so much gelato in your freezer at home.

CLARK: I donโ€™t have any pints, but at one point I had 59 1.5 gallon tubs in a giant freezer in my garage. They are great for school events or weddings, and my daughter is doing a great job at eating the mint oneโ€”sometimes I let her eat it for breakfast. But we will be working on those tubs well into 2020. I use cashews for the gelato, and unfortunately my husband developed a nut allergy recently, maybe from eating so many cashews in the last few years. So now he canโ€™t eat any of my gelato. Heโ€™s really not helping us at all with those tubs.

Any new flavors coming up?

I want to do more ice cream with chunks in it, like caramel swirl or cookie dough, and I really want to do a functional mushroom one like chaga or reishi. Everyone asks me to do matcha, which Iโ€™ve experimented with. Iโ€™ve done some strange other flavors, like basil-strawberry. I really want to do ice cream bars, and Iโ€™m playing around with zero sugar sweeteners right now, like monk fruit, because there are so many people that donโ€™t eat sugars. Iโ€™ll go to Staff of Life and experiment with the sugar alternatives. It would be nice to have an option for people. Itโ€™s hard. I feel like I have to reinvent it all, but Iโ€™ve done it before so weโ€™ll see.

Would you ever want to open a shop?

Yes, I actually looked at Abbott Square, but it didnโ€™t work out financially. I really would love to have a cart, with, like, a cute umbrella that I could wheel around. Iโ€™ve been looking around, but am just doing wholesale for now.

Vixen Kitchen Paleo Gelato is available at Staff of Life, the Westside New Leaf and Whole Foods. vixenkitchen.co.

Opinion: December 26, 2018

EDITOR’S NOTE

Recently, I decided it was time to use Santa Cruz Gives to give my eight-year-old daughter a lesson in how philanthropy works. So I gave her a copy of the Santa Cruz Gives cover story we ran a few weeks back that listed all of the groups participating and their projects, and suggested she read about all of them and then pick โ€œtwo or threeโ€ that sheโ€™d like us to donate to as a family. โ€œJust circle the ones you like the most,โ€ I told her.

When she handed it back to me, she had circled absolutely every single groupโ€”all 33. โ€œUh, sweetie,โ€ I said. โ€œI think it might make more sense to consolidate how much weโ€™re going to give into a few groups. They get more money that way.โ€ Well, thatโ€™s when she started explaining why each group she had circled was important. If you can come up with a good counter argument to something like that, youโ€™re a stronger parent than me. So โ€ฆ sorry, groups that got $5-$10 from us. But we really had to spread it around.

I hope you will, tooโ€”maybe not quite that spread around, but whatever moves you. This is the last week of the campaign; you have until midnight on Dec. 31 to go to santacruzgives.org and make your donation.

Meanwhile, as you prep for New Yearโ€™s Eve, allow us to be your guide. My cover story this week is on Robyn Hitchcock, who plays in Soquel on New Yearโ€™s weekend. Iโ€™m a longtime fan and in conversation he was as funny, interesting and thoughtful as Iโ€™d hoped he would be. Happy 2019!

STEVE PALOPOLI | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Read the latest letters to the editor here.

Not the Right Project

Iโ€™m writing in response to the article about development at 1930 Ocean Street Extension. The article was, on the whole, balanced in its overview of the CEQA issues. But, as a resident of the street, I want to draw attention to what was not addressed in the article: 1) rezoning for high densityโ€”environmental review was required because the parcel was zoned for nine residential units, not the 40 the developer sought; 2) accessโ€”the only access to the entire street, including for large emergency vehicles, is via Graham Hill Road, and urban high-density development on a single-access parcel within the wild land interface is precisely what fire safety officials advise against (think about the Camp Fire catastrophe); 3) traffic safetyโ€”the road fronting the project is narrower than the minimum width required by the cityโ€™s fire ordinance, and the proposed changes to the intersection at Graham Hill make it more dangerous by sharpening the curve, reducing the line of sight and shortening the left exit lane onto Graham Hill; and 4) floodingโ€”what wasnโ€™t addressed was the additional impact the project would have on the significant storm runoff in this area that currently causes flooding to Crossing Street.

The EIR is admittedly a long and complex document, and given the pressures to increase housing and close relationships between city planners and developers, it received less than close scrutiny. Most homes and farms on Ocean Street Extension are in the county; the cityโ€™s decisions have a direct impact on the safety of both this rural environment and commuters using Graham Hill Road. This project is inconsistent in every way with the cityโ€™s General Plan for developmentโ€”itโ€™s just not the right project for this space.

Carla Freccero | Santa Cruz

Re: New City Council

What I truly feel good about is that we now have real conservatives on the council. You read that right! By conservative I mean in a โ€œconserverโ€ sense; that is conservation, based on environmental principles. Cummings especially brings scientific credentials to the council. We now have a majority on the council who care for a community of all living things, not just humans. I see council decisions that will lead Santa Cruz into a near future with care for San Lorenzo River wildlife habitat, care of all City open spaces to preserve, not โ€œactivate,โ€ whatโ€™s left of the natural world, care that will minimize destruction of the night sky with overlighting, development actions based on repurposing and rehabilitation of existing city structures, rather than demolition and always building new. I look forward to creative and compassionate ways to house people without destroying the homes of other species. I think it can be done and this New Council seems qualified to do it. Congratulations all.

โ€” Jean Brocklebank

Re: RTCโ€™s Gary Preston

Iโ€™m very hopeful that Mr. Preston will not stake our future on antiquated rail technology. As he said, โ€œHave the routes going to where the trips are going to be generated.โ€ A 19th-century abandoned rail line does not go to education, government or employment centers in Santa Cruz County. Put the transportation solution right in the line of sight of the congestion, and that is with Bus Rapid Transit/Bus on Shoulder. Commuters will be able to easily see the busses passing them, and they are easy to adjust based on where people want to go. Rail simply cannot do that, and will be a huge mistake for Santa Cruz.

โ€” Jack Brown


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

The Seaside-based nonprofit Save the Whales has been hard at work on a postcard-writing campaign to protect Baja Californiaโ€™s critically endangered vaquita porpoises from becoming extinct. Itโ€™s estimated that there are now less than 30 vaquitas, which grow to be about four feet long. The postcards will go to newly seated Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to encourage him to continue his countryโ€™s initiatives to save the worldโ€™s most endangered marine mammal. To learn more, email ma***@***********es.org.


GOOD WORK

UCSC film professor Shelley Stamp curated a DVD box set called Pioneers: First Women Filmmakers. The six-disc collection celebrating the groundbreaking early female directors of American cinema has received a 2018 Special Award from the New York Film Critics Circle. Presented in association with the Library of Congress, Pioneers is the largest commercially released video collection of films by women directors focusing on American films made between 1911 and 1929, a major era in the histories of both film and of feminism in America.


QUOTE OF THE WEEK

โ€œSome people feel the rain. Others just get wet.โ€

-Bob Dylan

Love Your Local Band: Smith & Tegio

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For the past couple of years, Austin Smith and Mark Tegio have gotten together casually to strum their guitars.

They even wrote a handful of songs in the process, mixing their love of outlaw country with woodsy folk music, but never did much with it publicly aside from playing an open mic here and there.

โ€œWe were always playing together and writing songs,โ€ says Smith.

The casual nature of it took a sharp left turn late last year, when their friend Stacey heard them play and suggested they record an album, even offering to produce it.

โ€œWe were partying and hanging out with her, and she said, โ€˜Letโ€™s make an album,โ€™โ€ Tegio says. โ€œAfter that, we decided, โ€˜Hey, letโ€™s go share this album with people.โ€™โ€

The duoโ€™s self-titled album came out early this year. Theyโ€™ve taken this living room project to clubs, and even toured a bit in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, and South Dakota. The blend of outlaw attitude with breezy folk vibes has created an emotive sound that captures the spirit of the West Coast roots vibe. You can hear its seamless blend on the record.

โ€œIt was pretty rough at the beginning,โ€ Tegio says. โ€œIt got to the point where we werenโ€™t so terrible anymore. I think it grew organically.โ€

The duo have their eyes set on making more music and getting out a lot more this year, really seeing what they can do with this music. They have a new single coming called โ€œTalking Suzie Blue Blues,โ€ available on all the streaming platforms on Jan. 20.

โ€œThere’s more pressure to get out and play more and tour more and travel more,โ€ Tegio says. โ€œBefore it was just playing guitar. Now itโ€™s changed, like, โ€˜Letโ€™s go play guitar so we can get some free beer.โ€™โ€ย 

INFO: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 28. Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery, 402 Ingalls St., Santa Cruz. Free. 425-4900.

5 Things To Do In Santa Cruz: Dec. 26-Jan. 1

A weekly guide to what’s happening.

Green Fix

The Road Less Traveled: A Dog-Friendly Walk

Good New Yearโ€™s resolution: taking the road less traveled. Why not start off right with this literal โ€œroad less traveledโ€ walk? The group will walk along the North Escape Road, a paved road closed to traffic featuring stunning old-growth redwood groves along beautiful Opal Creek. The docent will talk about redwood ecology and park history while exploring the redwood forest. This is a 3-mile, two-hour walk for those with or without dogs. Bring water and comfortable shoes. Meet at park headquarters.

INFO: 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 30. Big Basin Redwoods State Park. 21600 Big Basin Way, Boulder Creek. 338-8883, parks.ca.gov/bigbasin. Free/parking $10.

Art Seen

Toy Trains Exhibit

Destined to delight the young and young at heart, the MAHโ€™s annual Toy Trains exhibit is a marvel of astonishingly lifelike trains and landscapes to inspire any age group. The event showcases model trains through history, from the 1920s to today, and includes steam engines, electric trains and all of the bells and whistles to boot.

INFO: Wednesday, Dec. 26-Sunday, Jan. 6. Museum of Art and History. 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. Free.

Saturday 12/29

Snakes Alive

Join Big Basin Redwoods State Park Docent Diane Shaw in talking about the fascinating world of snakes. These little slithery noodle friends are a crucial part of our ecosystemโ€”think of them as big worms just worming around. Shaw is bringing her snake for a show and tell, so feel free to bring your own little friend for a slithery play date. No snake? No problem, just grab one off the side of the road on your way up the mountainโ€”they love that.

INFO: Noon-3 p.m. Big Basin Redwoods State Park, 21600 Big Basin Way, Boulder Creek. 338-8883, parks.ca.gov/bigbasin. Free/parking $10.

Tuesday 1/1

First Day Hikes

We hear the best cure for a hangover is a hike. What, you havenโ€™t heard that? Try it, youโ€™ll thank us later. Kick off the new year right by enjoying the best of the Santa Cruz outdoors. On New Yearโ€™s Day, state parks and beaches across the county are hosting special, first day docent-led hikes and explorations. From Henry Cowell to Nisene Marks and Seacliff State Beach, there are a bunch of options to choose from. Check online for full list of events, hikes and information.

INFO: Times and locations vary. parks.ca.gov. Free/$10 parking.

Rob Breznyโ€™s Astrology Jan. 2-8

Astrology, Horoscope, Stars, Zodiac Signs
Free will astrology for the week of Jan. 2, 2019

Love Your Local Band: ยกNo Acciรณn!

no accion
ยกNo Acciรณn! plays the Crepe Place on Friday, Jan. 4.

Big 2019 Openings on Santa Cruz Food Scene

Companion Bakeshop Alderwood openings
Long-anticipated Alderwood set to begin seating; Companion Bakeshop settles into Aptos

Film Review: โ€˜Mary Queen of Scotsโ€™

Mary Queen of Scots
Revisiting a historic royal rivalry

Cruzio’s First ‘Fiberhood’ Boosts Santa Cruz Internet Speeds

Cruzio
Local internet provider launches super-fast internet for select customers

Break Out the Bargetto Bubbly for 2019

Bargetto Winery
A Blanc de Noirs ready for New Years Eve

How Vixen Kitchen Gelato Reinvented Ice Cream

Vixen Kitchen Gelato
Sundara Clark on making gelato without all the nasties

Opinion: December 26, 2018

Plus letters to the editor

Love Your Local Band: Smith & Tegio

Smith & Tegio
Smith & Tegio plays Friday, Dec. 28 at Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery

5 Things To Do In Santa Cruz: Dec. 26-Jan. 1

snake
Slither into the world of snakes or join a New Year's group hike
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