Page 741 – Good Times

The Social Impacts of Legalized Cannabis

Local News

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December 19, 2017

The Social Impacts of Legalized Cannabis

At a dinner party in Denver last August, our hosts listed a couple strains of cannabis along with the evening’s wine and beer offerings. Over homework help and lunchbox roundups for the family’s three young children, it was my first inkling that pot, which has been legal for three years in Colorado, had blended into mainstream family life, at least for some.

Standing next to the mint-green refrigerator in GT’s kitchen, a coworker tells me over the hum of the microwave that she can’t wait for Jan. 1, because pot will be legal in California and she’ll finally be able partake “without worrying about it.” She is a mother of two teenagers.

While the medicinal properties of cannabis are becoming increasingly apparent, its ability to get you high is often less explored. Cannabis becomes psychoactive only when its THC is heated, affecting a shift in consciousness that many say changes the way they behave in and think about the world. It’s interesting to ponder, then, the role that one of humankind’s first domesticated crops may have had in the development of society. And in Santa Cruz, how things could change—even for people who have no relationship with cannabis, nor want one—in the months and years that follow its legalization on the first of the year.

Young Brains

Concern that a recreational cannabis market could increase its use among adolescents, whose brains are still growing, led to extensive studies in legalized states—and numerous reports have found no correlation between legalization and increases in adolescent and teen use.

Last week, the National U.S. Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration released the results of its 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Not only were its findings consistent with previous ones, but they also reported declines in cannabis use by teens in most jurisdictions where adult use is legally regulated, including District of Columbia, Oregon, Washington, and Colorado—where it fell to its lowest level in nearly a decade.

The concept behind Santa Cruz County’s “Talk it Up, Lock it Up” campaign, devised by Community Prevention Partners, is that parents with children old enough to start asking questions communicate and be open about their adult choices, like drinking wine or relaxing with cannabis or grown-up chocolate, and to secure and monitor prescriptions and other substances to deter easy access. Lock boxes will be sold at local dispensaries, and are encouraged for households with children, toddlers and pets.

Suds Up

Santa Cruz’s more than 700 alcohol retailers may be wise to plan for revenue drops, as the “miscellaneous/fun” category of citizens’ budgets will soon have a new competitor.

The beer markets in Colorado, Oregon and Washington “collectively underperformed” after recreational cannabis became legal, with sales trailing behind the rest of the country in 2014 and 2015. Research firm Cowen & Company notes its inclusion of areas where craft beer had become popular. Other evidence has shown reduced alcohol consumption—across all types—in medical marijuana states between 2006-2015, compiled in a working paper on SSRN.

Twenty percent of Santa Cruz County’s adults reported “excessive” drinking, according to 2017’s California Health Rankings in Santa Cruz, which is a couple of points above the state’s average. During the first 10 months of the year, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office has reported 1,400 calls for alcohol-related service—up from just under 1,000 for all of 2015, and more than 1,300 in 2016. But while alcohol is damaging to virtually every system of the human body, the consequences of its abuse also impact society at large.

“Alcohol is a precipitant of many crimes. And especially violent crimes in terms of domestic violence and sexual assaults,” says Santa Cruz Chief of Police Andy Mills. “It plays a significant role, a very big role. And those are crimes that really matter to us.”

Mills adds that alcohol also plays a significant role in nuisance crimes, including urinating, defecating, and being drunk in public.

In the first nine months of this year, SCPD reported 52 rapes, up from last year’s 38, and 204 aggravated assaults. The city’s homicides dropped to one this year, from last year’s four.

In a city that embraces its microbrews and cutting-edge mixology, only time will tell if alcohol consumption will drop after cannabis becomes legal for adults over 21. But there’s reason to believe legalization won’t cause an uptick in violence.

“Unregulated and uncontrolled cannabis business is ripe for robberies and thefts and burglaries and other types of violent crime,” says Mills, who says he saw a lot this in his four years as chief in Humboldt County’s Eureka. “And almost all of it was related directly to cannabis. Having said that, it’s not because somebody is using cannabis, it’s because it’s an illegal business. For those who have come inside the rule of law and be part of this culture of lawfulness in Santa Cruz, we welcome them. It’s just another business to us,” he says.

A 2015 study published by the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs found that density of medical marijuana dispensaries was not associated with an increase in violent or property crimes—which is good news for dispensary-rich Santa Cruz County. In a report in the Journal of Economics, 2017, it was estimated that “An open dispensary provides over $30,000 per year in social benefit in terms of larcenies prevented.”

As far as code enforcement goes after legalization, Mills says, “We’re after what creates the most harm to our community. And, as we analyze these businesses, I’m much more interested in those that are combining green dope with white and black dope, which is with meth and heroin,” says Mills, adding that he’s seen an “incredible amount” of both in Santa Cruz.

Rx Fix

For years, cannabis has been a pain-relieving option for low-income and uninsured patients who can’t afford pharmaceuticals to ease their suffering. Cannabis also potentiates pain meds, which helps patients reduce their dosage, along with uncomfortable side effects. Contrary to early anti-drug campaigns, many experts consider cannabis to be an “exit drug” for those in recovery from addiction to opioids.

A five-year study at the University of New Mexico found that among 125 chronic pain sufferers, 34 percent of those who used cannabis eventually stopped taking their prescription pain medication, compared to just 2 percent of non-cannabis users.

An analysis of Santa Cruz County’s opioid overdoses and use since the opioid epidemic took off in the U.S. will be available in February, says Lt. Chris Clark.

Drive Safe

Cannabis attorney Ben Rice says he tried the first cannabis-only DUI case in the county, which was dismissed, about 15 years ago—and he doesn’t know of any subsequent cases that have gone to trial.

“When you try a DUI case and it’s alcohol, they have all these things they can point at. And so they can prove to a jury everybody’s [intoxicated] at .06, but certainly by .08 BAC [blood alcohol content],” says Rice. “You can’t do that with cannabis, because we’re all different, we have different tolerance, and because we use more or less—if we’re medical patients we use a lot more.”

The District Attorney’s office did not reply to multiple phone calls and emails inquiring about the number of cannabis-specific DUIs brought to trial in the county over the last couple of decades.

In 2016, California Highway Patrol reported 1,128 DUIs in the unincorporated areas of the county and 229 in the city of Santa Cruz—fairly consistent with this year’s 1,066 in the unincorporated areas and 211 in the city. In 2016, 110 drug-only DUIs were recorded in the county, and 53 in 2017, through a breakdown of specific drugs was not available.

So, is driving stoned unsafe? Surely it’s illegal, but as the science around cannabis and psychomotor performance evolves, studies are showing that THC-positive drivers possess virtually no increased risk compared to drug-free drivers after adjusting for age and gender. A paper by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration—which conducted the largest case-control study on the subject of drug use and car crash risk—concluded that acute cannabis intoxication is related to a 1.2 to 1.4 odds ratio for increased risk of crash, while the odds ratio is nearly four-fold for driving with legal amounts of alcohol in one’s system.

In 2016, CHP reported five fatal collisions in Santa Cruz County due to alcohol, plus one due to drug DUI, and one due to a drug and alcohol combination DUI.

Colorado’s Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Public Health reported in October a decrease, not an increase, in DUIs since legalization. And a 2017 study published in the Journal of the American Public Health Association found no increase in vehicle crash fatality rates in the first three years after recreational cannabis legalization in Washington and Colorado.

Kate Nolan of Many Hands Gallery on Making Jewelry

A&E
Art

Christina Waters

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December 19, 2017

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Kate Nolan of Many Hands Gallery on Making Jewelry

Kate Nolan, ginger-haired queen of her craft, operates in a wraparound domain. Tiers of gems, precious metals, beads, and fastenings line her gallery walls. At her desk, Nolan’s skilled hands work with precision pliers, hammers and stamps, transforming gems, mother-of-pearl and sterling silver into her one-of-a-kind earrings. Her art is ancient, her satisfaction a daily occurrence.

“I started making jewelry when I was 14,” she says. Nolan moved to Santa Cruz when she was eight, after her father was offered a job teaching journalism at Cabrillo. “I never left,” she grins, “because I can’t leave this weather.” After ditching high school, Nolan worked for arts-related companies. “I always made my own necklaces, and people would stop me on the street and ask me where they could get one.”

While in her late 20s, she decided to make jewelry to sell. Hits and misses occurred, and a year before the 1989 earthquake she and a colleague started up Many Hands Gallery. That renowned showcase was located exactly where Kate Nolan is sitting as we speak. Less than 10 years later, a second Many Hands opened in Capitola, which Nolan sold to an associate in 2007.

When Nolan’s gallery was in the front window space, next to the entrance to the then-flourishing India Joze restaurant, “I had a large selection of local work—and most of the people who went into the restaurant stopped by my shop on their way out,” she says with pride.

“I liked selling local work so that my artisan friends wouldn’t have to work at the post office. I wanted to save them from going postal,” she jokes.

The display cases surrounding her work table at Kate Nolan Jewelry glitter with Nolan’s intricate earrings, uniquely displayed hanging on the gilt and etched rims of antique glassware. Rich with engraved ethnic gold and silver findings, her work favors semi-precious stones and shell such as abalone and mother of pearl.

“I started using shell when I realized that my earrings were becoming too heavy when I made them as large as I wanted. I had to figure something out,” she says.

That something was mother of pearl and abalone, to add to her luxurious use of carnelian, amber, antique coral, turquoise, lapis lazuli, amethyst, and quartz. Where does she find the exotic elements for these pieces?

“I buy a lot at the San Mateo gem show,” she says. She long ago became wise to issues with gems in catalogs or online. “They always photograph only the very best example in their lots,” she says, raising her eyebrows. “You really have to buy stones in person.”

Silver ornaments play an increasing role in her current line. She buys blanks of sterling and stamps them with designs she devises using a wide array of punches. “It’s fun and very therapeutic,” she grins, “pounding small things with a two-pound hammer.”

Lately, she has added her wares to the online emporium Etsy. “Everybody shops online, so I had to try it. And I’ve done pretty well. But there are so many people now selling, it’s so crowded. It’s hard to be seen, to stand out.”

She complains about needing to become more tech savvy. “But,” she says, speaking for every craftsperson I’ve ever met, “it’s hard balancing the tech updates with making jewelry.”

Her favorite thing? “Earrings!” she responds without hesitation. “Because each one is so different, and I dream up new designs all the time.”

Her favorite pair? “The ones I’m wearing,” she says, pointing to the large pendants of two types of shell, adorned with her stamped silver beads and a small piece of coral. “I always wear my favorite ones.”

Making jewelry has been her living for several decades. “But it’s sometimes been a struggle,” she says. Noland lives within her means, and doesn’t travel much. “Back and neck problems have made it difficult, plus it wouldn’t make financial sense for me to plan long trips.”

“I hated school, and didn’t want to go on with it,” she says. “Art and music were the only things I liked.” Jewelry has brought her continued rewards. “Yes, I love making these pieces. It’s a meditation. And a pleasure, because at the end of the meditation you have a tangible object.”

Kate Nolan Gallery, Santa Cruz Art Center, 1-5 p.m. Wed-Sun. katenolanjewelry.etsy.com.

Los Dryheavers Reunite at Blue Lagoon and Appleton Grille

A&E
Music

Mat Weir

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December 19, 2017

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Los Dryheavers Reunite at Blue Lagoon and Appleton Grille

Los Dryheavers are, first and foremost, based on debaucherous friendship. Sitting in their practice studio as they ready themselves for their first shows in six years, they laugh while their singer, Hector Marquez, recounts the glory days. Like the time they played a show at the Blue Lagoon, then flew to Mexico for another gig.

“We were still drunk when the tour manager picked us up from the airport,” says Marquez. “He took us to a pulqueria—a tequila bar—and said we had an interview later for what we thought was just a small fanzine. Turns out that was one. Then there was a radio interview, and then there was a live T.V. spot! We were blitzed, and the tour manager was laughing the whole time. It was like Beavis and Butthead, and we’re just all trying to hold it together.”

The five-piece crew earned local punk-legend status over 13 years of constant playing, three full-length releases and, of course, tons of degeneracy. Even down to choosing their name.

“We were at a show at the Catalyst and not even ordering beers, but pitchers,” remembers guitarist Felix Lozano. “Our old bassist, Wes, started dry heaving and puking into the empty pitchers.”

“I remember saying, ‘Well, we’ve got to put a los in front of it, because we’re all beaners,’” Marquez chuckles. “It was a joke, but then we couldn’t get rid of it. Like a bad first tattoo.”

While the band never officially broke up, they took an indefinite hiatus in 2011. For the last year, their friend and former recording engineer Joe Clements, of Fury 66 and the Deathless fame, has been asking if they’d be interested in getting the band back together, with no luck. But, like the opening song on Los Dryheavers’ self-titled album said, sometimes no means maybe.

“Felix opened my bedroom door and was like, ‘Hey Cory, life partner, you into this?’” says bassist Cory Atkinson.

Clements’ persistence resulted in a punk holiday miracle, as Los Dryheavers are set to play shows at the Blue Lagoon and the Appleton Bar & Grille in Watsonville. While the first is free, all proceeds from the later show go to Haven of Hope, a nonprofit based out of Watsonville that offers therapeutic services to young women.

But don’t expect to see a new tour anytime in the future.

“I tell people we’re not back together so don’t get that misconception,” says Marquez, though he admits they are keeping their options open for other possible one-off shows in the unforeseeable future.

Los Dryheavers originally formed in 1998, after both Lozano’s and Marquez’s other bands ended. However, it wasn’t until 2004 that the best-known Dryheavers line-up solidified. It was this incarnation that constantly toured during the mid-2000s, doing two rounds with the Vans Warped Tour, playing throughout Spain and Mexico, along with their own grueling schedule of solo tours and opening up for larger bands like Rancid, Bad Brains, Bad Religion and others.

But with the responsibilities of adulthood creeping in, they played their final show at the Gene Hoularis and Waldo Rodriguez Youth Center in Watsonville on June 11, 2011. Those of us who were there remember it as a blur of community singing, elbows, and the occasional person trying to crowd surf—but instead hitting the ceiling—in a room so packed that the audience moved as one. Video footage of the insanity remains on YouTube, where fans can be seen pushed into the monitors, drums and band.

Los Dryheavers music was punk rock to the core. Songs like “You Fucked Up,” “Borracho y Agresivo” and “Tres Pecados,” are fast, angry, loud and exciting. Their melodic rhythms and singalong vocals quickly built them a large audience, drawing fanbases of all nationalities, races and creeds.

“It was always cool seeing white, black, Filipino kids singing along in Spanish,” Hector reflects. “They might not know what they were saying, but we were doing something right.”

Now that the dust has settled and families are grown, Los Dryheavers are thankful for this reunion, since nobody knows when the next chance will be.

“Not only do we get to see people we used to kick it with religiously, but friends from out of town and out of state are all showing up,” Atkinson says. “To play music on top of all that is just the icing on the cake.”

Los Dryheavers play the Blue Lagoon on Friday, Dec. 22, and the Appleton Grille in Watsonville on Saturday, Dec. 23; appletongrill.com.

Two Local Wines For the Holiday Table

Christina Waters

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December 19, 2017

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We’ve fallen hard for Birichino’s 2014 Pinot Noir Antle Vineyard.

The vineyard’s volcanic soil, granite and limestone nestled high up near the Pinnacles National Park help coax intrigue into these lovely Chalone AVA grapes. Made of organic grapes transformed into a 13-percent-alcohol bouquet of black cherries, earth, cola and mystery herbs, this is one distinctive wine. The tannins rein everything into a well-formed harmony. Birichino’s stylistic trend toward mineral-driven, low-alcohol creations is upheld by this muscular creature, more living organism than artifact. Every moment of its tasting, from aroma to finish, feels complete and balanced. Not a weak moment in the entire experience. This baby cries out for a special occasion. Even a special moment will do just fine. Like an upcoming holiday? It can partner with seafoods as well as roast turkey, carnitas, runny cheese, and toasted almonds. Kudos to winemakers Alex Krause and John Locke. Available at the Birichino Tasting Room. $40. birichino.com.

Action at Soif

While sampling some of the apps at Soif conceptualized by new chef Marshall Bishop, we discovered the secret weapon at the popular downtown destination. Bread. Housemade bread. Bread that is so good it overshadowed even an intricate creation like a slender float of foie gras layered with huckleberries, pistachio streusel and lightly whipped cream. With this came a generous portion of wonderful grilled bread that we inhaled along with some terrific Rhône wine. Crisp, abundant and delicious. A small portion of Skuna Bay salmon tartare, inflected with Meyer lemon and cucumber, arrived with an even more delectable suite of slices. These were of a darker hue studded with raisins and could have been a meal unto themselves. Another welcoming new feature of Soif’s current cuisine is the splendid offering of house marinated olives, gorgeously nestled in the center of an oversized white bowl. Tossed with lemon zest, garlic, and various herbs, the olives were our companions almost from the moment we sat down. A vibrant gesture that set up our taste buds for other dishes. The mid-week crowd at Soif prophecies a robust new year!

Alfaro Family Fun

If it’s fun, trust the Alfaros to know all about it. Mary Kay Alfaro and her highly energized winemaker husband Richard Alfaro know how to welcome guests for the holidays. If you haven’t been to their well-sited tasting room, with its decks overlooking a sprawling panorama of vineyards, then you have a treat in store. In fact, why not visit either on Dec. 23 (in time for Christmas wine purchases) or Dec. 30 (in time to stock up for New Year’s Eve)? As Richard reminds us, magnums and double magnums are on sale. How cool would an oversized bottle of fine locally-made wine be as a gift? Or how about a half-bottle stocking stuffer? The Alfaro Tasting Room will be open on the next two Saturdays, and of course you can sample the house seven-wine flight while you browse. The Tasting Room is child- and pet-friendly, so you can take your time and enjoy the multi-sensory possibilities. Alfaro Family Vineyards sits at scenic 420 Hames Road in Corralitos. alfarowine.com.

Appetizer of the Week

The Dungeness crab and avocado creation at Oswald—full, rich, and generously packed with fresh crab meat, sided by the most pungent and alive-tasting watercress imaginable. Served with stellar sourdough and a fistful of butter. Don’t miss it! oswaldrestaurant.com.

Shadowbrook Christmas

Traditional holidays are perfect excuses to visit our favorite dining landmarks, and that would include (at the top!) Shadowbrook Restaurant. Yes, they are open with a special Holiday Menu on both Christmas Eve from 2-9:30 p.m. and Christmas Day from 11 a.m.-8:45 p.m. shadowbrook-capitola.com.

Rob Brezsny Astrology Dec 20-26

Rob Brezsny

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December 19, 2017

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Free Will astrology for the week of December 20, 2017

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your life in the first half of 2018 will be like a psychological boot camp that’s designed to beef up your emotional intelligence. Here’s another way to visualize your oncoming adventures: They will constitute a friendly nudge from the cosmos, pushing you to be energetic and ingenious in creating the kind of partnerships you want for the rest of your long life. As you go through your interesting tests and riddles, be on the lookout for glimpses of what your daily experience could be like in five years if you begin now to deepen your commitment to love and collaboration.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’ll soon have a chance to glide out into the frontier. I suggest you pack your bag of tricks. Bring gifts with you, too, just in case you must curry favor in the frontiers where the rules are a bit loose. How are your improvisational instincts? Be sure they’re in top shape. How willing are you to summon spontaneity and deal with unpredictability and try impromptu experiments? I hope you’re very willing. This may sound like a lot of work, but I swear it’ll be in a good cause. If you’re well-prepared as you wander in the borderlands, you’ll score sweet secrets and magic cookies. Here’s more good news: Your explorations will position you well to take advantage of the opportunities that’ll become available throughout 2018.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): These days it’s not unusual to see male celebrities who shave their heads. Bruce Willis, Dwayne Johnson, Seal, Tyrese Gibson, and Vin Diesel are among them. But in the 20th century, the bare-headed style was rare. One famous case was actor Yul Brynner. By age 30, he’d begun to go bald. In 1951, for his role as the King of Siam in the Broadway play The King and I, he decided to shave off all his hair. From then on, the naked-headed look became his trademark as he plied a successful acting career. So he capitalized on what many in his profession considered a liability. He built his power and success by embracing an apparent disadvantage. I recommend you practice your own version of this strategy in 2018. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to begin.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In the Northern Hemisphere, where 88 percent of the world’s population resides, this is a quiescent time for the natural world. Less sunlight is available, and plants’ metabolisms slow down as photosynthesis diminishes. Deciduous trees lose their leaves, and even many evergreens approach dormancy. And yet in the midst of this stasis, Cancerian, you are beginning to flourish. Gradually at first, but with increasing urgency, you’re embarking on an unprecedented phase of growth. I foresee that 2018 will be your Year of Blossoming.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): If you’ve had an unfulfilled curiosity about genealogy or your ancestors or the riddles of your past, 2018 will be a favorable time to investigate. Out-of-touch relatives will be easier to locate than usual. Lost heirlooms, too. You may be able to track down and make use of a neglected legacy. Even family secrets could leak into view—both the awkward and the charming kinds. If you think you have everything figured out about the people you grew up with and the history of where you came from, you’re in for surprises.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Most of us regard our ring fingers as the least important of our digits. What are they good for? Is there any activity for which they’re useful? But our ancestors had a stronger relationship with their fourth fingers. There was a folk belief that a special vein connected the fourth finger on the left hand directly to the heart. That’s why a tradition arose around the wedding ring being worn there. It may have also been a reason why pharmacists regarded their fourth fingers as having an aptitude for discerning useful blends of herbs. I bring this up, Virgo, because I think it’s an apt metaphor for one of 2018’s important themes: A resource you have underestimated or neglected will be especially valuable—and may even redefine your understanding of what’s truly valuable.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In fairy tales, characters are often rewarded for their acts of kindness. They may be given magical objects that serve as protection, like cloaks of invisibility or shoes that enable them to flee trouble. Or the blessings they receive may be life-enhancing, like enchanted cauldrons that provide a never-ending supply of delicious food or musical instruments that have the power to summon delightful playmates. I bring this up, Libra, because I suspect that a similar principle will be very active in your life during 2018. You’ll find it easier and more natural than usual to express kindness, empathy, and compassion. If you consistently capitalize on this predilection, life will readily provide you with the resources you need.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Like all of us, you go through mediocre phases when you’re not functioning at peak efficiency. But I suspect that in 2018 you will experience fewer of these blah times. We will see a lot of you at your best. Even more than usual, you’ll be an interesting catalyst who energizes and ripens collaborative projects. You’ll demonstrate why the sweet bracing brightness needs the deep dark depths, and vice versa. You’ll help allies open doors that they can’t open by themselves. The rest of us thank you in advance!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The blunt fact is that you can’t be delivered from the old demoralizing pattern that has repeated and repeated itself—until you forgive yourself completely. For that matter, you probably can’t move on to the next chapter of your life story until you compensate yourself for at least some of the unnecessary torment you’ve inflicted on yourself. Now here’s the good news: 2018 will be an excellent time to accomplish these healings.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In 2018, one of your primary missions will be to practice what you preach; to walk your talk; to be ambitious and masterful in all the ways a soulful human can and should be ambitious and masterful. Live up to your hype in the coming months, Capricorn! Do what you have promised! Stop postponing your dreams! Fulfill the noble expectations you have for yourself! Don’t be shy about using exclamation points to express your visions of what’s right and good and just!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Years ago, when I started my career as a horoscope writer, my editor counseled me, “Always give priority to the Big Three. Romance, money, and power are what people care about most.” After a few months, he was disgruntled to realize that I wrote about how to cultivate psychological health and nourish spiritual aspirations as much as his Big Three. He would have replaced me if he could have found another astrology writer whose spelling and grammar were as good as mine. But his edict traumatized me a bit. Even today, I worry that I don’t provide you with enough help concerning the Big Three. Fortunately, that’s not relevant now, since I can sincerely declare that 2018 will bring you chances to become more powerful by working hard on your psychological health . . . and to grow wealthier by cultivating your spiritual aspirations . . . and to generate more love by being wise and ethical in your quest for money and power.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): What binds you? What keeps you closed down and locked up? I urge you to ponder those questions, Pisces. Once you get useful answers, the next step will be to meditate on how you can undo the binds. Fantasize and brainstorm about the specific actions you can take to unlock and unclose yourself. This project will be excellent preparation for the opportunities that the coming months will make available to you. I’m happy to announce that 2018 will be your personal Year of Liberation.

Homework: Write a parable or fairy tale that captures what your life has been like in 2017. Freewillastrology.com

Antonio Villaraigosa: Bring Back Redevelopment, Build More Housing

Local News

Jacob Pierce

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December 15, 2017

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Antonio Villaraigosa: Bring Back Redevelopment, Build More Housing

Standing in front of an 11-foot-tall Christmas tree, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa laid out a vision for housing and redevelopment in California, surrounded by a living room crowd of mayors, city councilmembers, county supervisors, former politicians and Democratic heavyweights.

Villaraigosa, a frontrunner in the 2018 California governor’s race, came to Santa Cruz for a meet-and-greet at the home of former County Treasurer Fred Keeley, a friend of Villaraigosa going back to their days in the state assembly together. Villaraigosa preached an “all-of-the-above strategy” to bring down housing costs.

“If you don’t have a strategy of all of the above, we’re really not going to deal with this crisis,” Villaraigosa told GT in a brief interview, after speaking and answering questions from the crowd. “Everybody talks about homelessness, everybody talks about the housing crisis, and we’re not treating it like it is a crisis, like it’s an emergency.”

Villaraigosa is currently in advance of the June 5 primary election. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two candidates will go to a runoff in November.

Villaraigosa, 65, said he remembers buying his first home in a far different housing market at age 24, just by saving up—something he knows is impossible for most young people in 2017.

He has big ideas for how to make housing affordable once again. Some are hotly contested topics already being discussed in Santa Cruz, like increased housing density and building along major transit corridors.

He broke that plan into four steps:

Put together a housing trust fund. Create a statewide revenue source to fund affordable projects.

Bring back redevelopment in what Villaraigosa calls “Redevelopment 2.0.” Even though the original decision to ax redevelopment programs was a controversial one, Villaraigosa knows that bringing it back won’t be easy because legislators have already gotten used to having the nearly $2 billion a year that came from local property tax increments. Still, he hopes to restore those tax increments—some of which used to go to affordable housing—to local governments. If elected, Villaraigosa hopes to restore the program, with the support of mayors from around the state, while eliminating the excesses that Gov. Jerry Brown had criticized while unveiling a plan to gut the redevelopment in 2011.

Encourage cities to plan “smart growth” housing construction. Cities that want to access state money would need a plan for affordable housing. That would include building for a variety of lower incomes, adding density and building along major transportation corridors. “Every mayor here, every councilmember here knows part of why we have a crisis,” Villaraigosa said. “Because the more affluent communities, with single-family dwellings, constantly complain about the lack of housing, homelessness and then push back every time you try to build. And the fact of the matter is you’ve gotta build.”

Introduce regulatory reform. Require that local governments quicken permitting for proposed projects. Villaraigosa said the state also needs to look at reforming the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), without weakening environmental requirements.

Make everyone pitch in. Under his plan, Villaraigosa said he would not give a pass to the affluent communities that don’t want to build “smart growth” and affordable housing. Villaraigosa said they will “have put money in a kitty for the region so they can build that housing.”

Just hours earlier that same day, the Los Angeles City Council approved a linkage fee for new development that will charge developers between $1 and $15 per square foot, depending on the type of project and location. Villaraigosa supports that approach, as he does inclusionary zoning, which is in place here in Santa Cruz and which the City Council has considered revising.

Villaraigosa says these tools are important, even though they could get in the way of housing construction if they’re too cumbersome.

“You gotta find the balance,” he said. “Obviously if it’s overly bureaucratic—that’s the argument that a lot of developers make. New York has inclusionary zoning. Probably 100 cities in the state have inclusionary zoning. Let’s look at the best practices, let’s look at the places that are doing it well. I agree there is no question that some of these things could have the effect of delaying and raising the cost of housing. But in a crisis like this, we can’t let the perfect get in the way of the good.”

The idea of building may not go over well in all corners of Santa Cruz, but Villaraigosa’s fellow candidate Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom has also called for a housing boom. Newsom, the only person currently leading Villaraigosa in the polls, says California needs to nearly quadruple housing construction.

The race also includes state Treasurer John Chiang, former state schools chief Delaine Eastin, attorney John Cox, and Assemblymember Travis Allen.

Villaraigosa on other issues:

On support for the state’s public universities:

“I’m a product of UCLA. I was going to UCLA when our tuition was $275 a quarter. Even with that, we had Cal Grants. I think we’re going to have to really figure that out. One of the ways is our priorities.”

On pension reform:

“If you talk to College Futures, and you ask, ‘What are some of the biggest driving costs for higher education?’ It’s pensions. When I was mayor, we were looking at a bankruptcy. At the time, I said ‘Not on my watch. I was going to have to layoff 5,000 employees out of 37,000 folks. I worked with our unions, and I said, ‘Look I don’t want to lay off people, but we’re going to have to do something.’ Under our constitution, you can’t take away someone’s pension. It’s an earned right, so you have to give them something of like value, so what I gave them was early retirement, and they went from six percent to 11 percent. Not everyone’s going to agree with it, but the fact of the matter is a progressive is going also to have to balance budgets. And we’re going to have to acknowledge that she [pointing to a young woman] has a right to a decent pension [too].”

High-speed rail:

“I’m the guy who said ‘We’ll build a subway.’ In the middle of the recession, we put a half-penny sales tax, generating $40 billion, built four light rails, lined one busway. We’re in construction on two more. I’m the infrastructure candidate. Having said that, we have to drive down the costs in value engineering. I think we have to look at a public-private partnership. … I do think we’re going to have to think out of the box, in terms of cost.”

On the race:

“When I go to faith leaders, and they say, ‘I want to pray for you to win,’ I say, ‘No, pray for wisdom.’ Pray for that. I’d love your vote, but you know what I want you to do? I want you to pay attention. I’m a used car, not a used car salesman.”

Volunteers Voice Concerns Over New Liability Waiver at Jail

Local News

Mat Weir

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December 13, 2017

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Volunteers Voice Concerns Over New Liability Waiver at Jail

Several months after the county jails changed their procedure on dealing with liability, some volunteers haven’t returned.

Every week for the last nine years, Rick Longinotti had brought the skills from his organization, Nonviolent Communication Santa Cruz, to the Santa Cruz Main Jail. Through group sessions, he taught inmates not only how to express themselves, but also how to listen to the needs of others and understand how not to take offense when someone doesn’t know how to properly communicate. Inmates told him he was making a difference.

“I got a lot of appreciation for visiting the jail,” says Longinotti, better known as an activist on issues like transportation and water.

Then in February, a volunteer dropped a table on her foot, and although the volunteer never filed charges, jail administrators decided to examine their liability clauses.

“We realized nobody had really, clearly, expressed those boundaries,” says Chief Deputy Steve Carney of the sheriff’s department. “There was a very blurry line as to who was responsible for people’s actions when they came into our jails.”

There was no procedure for who would be responsible if a medical emergency happened, Carney says. Following a little research, jail officials introduced a new, mandatory liability waiver for volunteers entering their facilities in the spring. It states that volunteers are knowingly entering a dangerous area and they are responsible for their own actions.

Carney says most volunteers signed the waiver, but Longinotti decided to end his program, and he wasn’t the only one. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey quickly ordered their volunteers not to sign, ending Catholic programs in county jails, although the local Catholic volunteer coordinator for the jails has declined to comment.

Longinotti says he and a few other volunteers initially signed the waiver, then retracted their participation after giving it a closer look.

When the waiver first came out, Longinotti admits that he didn’t carefully read it and signed quickly. It wasn’t until someone else pointed out some of the specific wording that Longinotti decided to take a second glance, before revoking his signature in September.

The reason Longinotti has such a problem with? It reads:

“I further agree to indemnify, hold harmless and defend the County, its officers, agents, employees, and volunteers from any and all claims, demands, actions, judgments, costs, attorney’s fees and damages of any kind for liability which the County may incur arising out of or in any manner related to the performance of voluntary services.”

Longinotti believes that section could be used to take away all liability from the county, and could potentially open volunteers to lawsuits from outside families if an inmate were to be injured during a program. “Why would they have that if they didn’t intend on using it?” he asks.

Daniel “Nane” Alejandrez, founder and executive director of Barrios Unidos, sometimes visits the jail through his 40-year-old community outreach organization. He signed the waiver, but believes organizations need to collaborate with the county on fleshing out more details on the document, which he says needs “a second look.”

Still, Carney claims the waiver was only written in case a volunteer is the instigator of an incident, intentionally or not.

“We want people to understand they are putting themselves at some level of risk when entering,” he says. “We’re not absolving ourselves from liability in areas that people expect security.”

Opinion December 13, 2017

Steve Palopoli

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December 13, 2017

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Alt-weekly newspapers have always had a complicated relationship with the concept of “breaking news.” It’s different now, of course, in the social media era, where we can put up an important breaking story online, Facebook it and tweet it between issues. As for print, though, our loyal readers know exactly when to expect their GT every week, and no matter how hard I try, I haven’t yet been able to will newsmakers to only make news on days that are convenient for our printing schedule.

But because we tend to develop and report our cover stories over weeks, if not months, and get far deeper into them than, for instance, daily-newspaper schedules allow, we deal with a different kind of breaking news: when a developing story changes radically over the course of a single investigation. A perfect example is Maria Grusauskas’ cover story this week, the first part of her series on the changes coming to the cannabis industry on Jan. 1. The story was in constant flux as she was reporting it, with members of the industry scrambling to comply with new regulations that hadn’t even been set in stone just weeks before they were set to kick in. At one point, she was at the KindPeoples dispensary for a scheduled interview less than an hour after they got their first glimpse at the new rules, and were basically processing them as they discussed them with her. It’s not easy to manage and analyze data on the bleeding-edge of a story like this, but as you’ll discover in this and the subsequent stories in this series, she did an incredible job.

Also, an announcement: the voting for our 2018 Best of Santa Cruz County awards begins this week. Click here to vote for your favorite local people, places and things!

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Read the latest letters to the editor here.

Take a Page

I am reading the latest edition and need to point out the irony of the first three letters to the editor. First: another opinion on the tent campground the city established to deal with the homeless population. Second: the concerns about the Board of Supervisors ordinance on short-term rentals, and third, commentary on the new dense housing developments being considered as a way to allow “all who want to live in Santa Cruz should be able to.”

Who does the leadership of our city think they are kidding? Are you reading and listening to your constituents? Based on this one page of commentary, it is obvious the leadership wants to get rid of the lower-income residents, retired and homeless, and want to cater to the high-wage earners who pay high property taxes and sales taxes, and keep real estate values increasing at an absurd rate.

Isn’t it ironic the slogan they use to attract the infrastructure and development for new residents, “All who want to live in Santa Cruz should be able to,” seems to only apply to those who can afford to buy in. Those who have lived here for a long time and/or may be lower-wage earners, and struggling, well, not so much. Really? Where is the help for the other 98 percent in the city’s planning? Many residents don’t seem to know where to find it. Oh, because there isn’t any.

Heidi Harris | Ben Lomond

ONLINE COMMENTS

Re: Self-Defense Cuts

This is so unfortunate to hear. My work colleagues were just talking about taking a self-defense class and we found nothing in Santa Cruz! Nothing! There are a ton of women who work and we need training to be more aware of our surroundings. Having the money yet not offering classes because of low enrollment is absurd. Market and advertise these courses to workplaces such as UCSC, Cabrillo, anywhere women work and have to walk in dark areas back to their cars, etc. Training boys to become better men? OMG, are you kidding me? Sure, sounds great in theory; but realistically? Fat chance! We all need to be better educated for our own safety throughout our lives.

— Sandy

Re: Housing Crisis

Portland, Seattle and Vancouver have not been able to build their way to lower housing costs. Land values and construction costs keep making development more expensive. “Affordable” apartments do not exist in Seattle, a city I visit often because I have family there. What does exist, increasingly, are massive “stack and pack” units, including “pod apartments” designed for dorm-like living. People cycle through fairly quickly because they tire of living in tiny studios where they have to go down the hall to the no-frills kitchen to make a meal. I support the ideas of a higher inclusionary rate, and of asking developers to go beyond just paying a fee to help solve this problem. We can increase our stock of below-market-rate housing if there is a will to do so. But let’s not destroy our beautiful town in the process. People will always want to live here. What we need is intelligent and creative decision-making, not just doing what developers say they need to achieve their profit margins.

— Alison Russell

CORRECTIONS

Last week’s cover story “Watt Just Happened” reported that KZSC reaches one million listeners daily. It should have said that the station has the potential to reach one million listeners daily; they do not know the exact number of daily listeners. Also, the story “Vote Ahead” misreported Councilmember Cynthia Chase’s plans for the upcoming election. She has made no announcement about running. We regret the error.

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER

Submit to ph****@go*******.sc. Include information (location, etc.) and your name. Photos may be cropped. Preferably, photos should be 4 inches by 4 inches and minimum 250dpi.

GOOD IDEA

SWEET MYSTERY
The Mystery Spot is hosting special holiday tours on Friday, Dec. 15 and Saturday, Dec. 16, from 6 to 7:15 p.m. Christmas lights and festive stylings will decorate the garden for guests to enjoy, while sipping on hot cocoa, cider or coffee and listening to singing carolers. Each guest will receive a candy cane at the end of the visit, in addition to the iconic Mystery Spot bumper sticker. Visit mysteryspot.com for more information.

GOOD WORK

BUILT TO LAST
The Santa Cruz City Council last week approved a detailed report on the housing crisis. The findings, a culmination of former Mayor Cynthia Chase’s fall listening tour, covered community members’ anxieties around escalating costs, as well as their ideas for solutions. In approving the report, the council also voted to create an ad-hoc committee with three city councilmembers to study solutions, although officials haven’t yet ironed out details like who will serve in the group.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
-Dalai Lama

What’s your favorite winter holiday food?

Columns

Matt Harding

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December 13, 2017

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What’s your favorite winter holiday food?

“I would have said my chocolate-ginger cookies, but I just made a big fattoush—a Middle Eastern salad—and it eclipsed my cookies.”

Sally Whitman

Santa Cruz

Writer/Illustrator

“Roasted turkey, because I like brining and roasting a turkey myself, and I love serving lots of people dinner.”

Phoenix DeLeon

Santa Cruz

Rolfing

“My favorite holiday winter food [tradition] is tamales. My whole family has been doing it since before I was born.”

Magdelena Munoz

Santa Cruz

Student

“Crab. Especially now, because it’s in season and you only get it for a limited time.”

Hillary Redding

Santa Cruz

Homemaker

“Eggnog, because it’s delicious and it gets you drunk when you’re with your family for the holidays.”

Brooke Baich

Santa Cruz

Assistant Manager

Giveaway: China Cats New Year’s Eve Bash

A&E
Music

Cat Johnson

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December 13, 2017

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Any mention of famous rock ’n’ roll New Year’s Eve performances would have to include the Grateful Dead. The legendary Bay Area band made a practice of celebrating the dawn of the new year in high style, including a six-hour set at the Winterland Ballroom in 1978. Now the Dead tribute band China Cats keeps the tradition alive with an end-of-year performance at Don Quixote’s. Comprising lead guitarist Matt Hartle, rhythm guitarist Scott Cooper, bassist Roger Sideman, keyboardist Steve Sofranko and drummer Michael Owens, China Cats is an all-star group of music veterans and a favorite of local deadheads.

INFO: 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 31. Don Quixote’s, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $35/gen, $99/dinner. 335-2800. WANT TO GO? Go to santacruz.com/giveaways before 11 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 21 to find out how you could win a pair of dinner packages.

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Villaraigosa on other issues:

EDITOR’S NOTE

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER

GOOD IDEA

GOOD WORK

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Sally Whitman

Santa Cruz

Writer/Illustrator

Phoenix DeLeon

Santa Cruz

Rolfing

Magdelena Munoz

Santa Cruz

Student

Hillary Redding

Santa Cruz

Homemaker

Brooke Baich

Santa Cruz

Assistant Manager