Storage Wars

The Santa Cruz County Commission on the Environment is convening a series of public technical workshops to examine the role and risks of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in modernizing the energy grid.

The workshops, scheduled for June 25, July 30 and Aug. 27, will be held 5โ€“8pm in the Board Chambers at the Santa Cruz County Governmental Center, 701 Ocean St., Santa Cruz.

BESS facilities are believed to be a critical component of Californiaโ€™s shift away from fossil fuels, allowing excess energyโ€”especially solar and windโ€”to be stored for use when renewable generation is unavailable.

Industry experts say these systems can enhance grid stability and help utilities meet peak demand while reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

But as interest in BESS projects grows, so do community concerns about public safety, emergency response readiness and long-term environmental impacts.

The June 25 workshop will feature presentations on climate change, the importance of energy storage and the role of BESS in the regional power grid. 

Key speakers include Dr. Mark Jacobson, director of Stanford Universityโ€™s Atmosphere/Energy Program and a leading expert on clean energy systems, and a representative from Central Coast Community Energy (3CE), which has committed to achieving 100 percent renewable energy by 2030. Additional experts will be featured as part of the review.

โ€œThese workshops are a chance for the community to engage with world-class experts and better understand the opportunities and risks associated with large-scale energy storage,โ€ said Kris Damhorst, chair of the Commission on the Environment. โ€œAs we respond to the climate crisis, itโ€™s essential that we examine how new technologies align with our values, safety needs and long-term environmental goals.โ€

While technical in nature, the sessions are designed to be accessible to the general public. The workshops will not address land use planning, zoning decisions, or specific project proposals.

To join via Zoom, visit bit.ly/3HJdFtN.

Honky-Tonkinโ€™ and Boot Scootinโ€™

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Across the nation all forms of country musicโ€”from pop to honky tonk, Western swing to outlawโ€”have been wranglinโ€™ more and more listeners and are once again rising in popularity. Whether itโ€™s from mainstream mega artists like Beyonce or Post Maloneโ€”both of whom released country albums within the last couple of yearsโ€”newer stars such as Orville Peck, classics like Deke Dickerson and Wayne Hancock or up-and-comers like Benjamin Tod or Ben Lomondโ€™s own Jesse Daniel, America is rediscovering its wild west musical roots.

And Santa Cruz is no exception.

Throughout the county, several regular Western theme nights have popped up for locals to boot scoot, two-step or line dance. But these ainโ€™t yer grandpappyโ€™s Western nights, these are bonafide Santa Cruz style.

WESTERN WEDNESDAY

The most well known of the local nights is Western Wednesday at Moeโ€™s Alley. Originally started at the Crepe Place, the event was sponsored by Tom Boy Clothing, their neighbor across the street. But in 2022, Western Wednesday moved to Moeโ€™s Alley to accommodate larger audiences with more space to get their steps in. โ€œItโ€™s really turned into something special in the community,โ€ says Moeโ€™s co-owner Brian Ziel. โ€œAnd the word has definitely gotten out.โ€ Ziel says he constantly is getting calls from agents who represent big name Western acts, asking if they can play. Held one Wednesday a month (Moeโ€™s just celebrated the 79th event on June 11th), Western Wednesday continuously draws more than 200 people to the venue for a night of tasty cocktails and good olโ€™ fashioned fun. Patrons are invited to come early for a half-hour lesson on some of the basic steps so they can kick up their heels for local bands like the Carolyn Sills Combo, California players like the Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash, and acts from across the nation like Cory Cross. 21+. $15adv/$20door.

2$TEP TUESDAY

Held on the second Tuesday of every month, 2$tepTuesday is where patrons can go to learn how to two-step in one of Santa Cruzโ€™s oldest bars, the Jury Room. Different than line dancing or other forms of western dancing, the two-step (or often called the Texas two-step) is similar to the foxtrot and grew out of folk dancing so itโ€™s related to a polka or waltz. โ€œI would say two-stepping is the sexiest of the country dances,โ€ Aimee Hamel says. Described by her fellow bartenders as the โ€œorganizer and soulโ€ of the night, Hamel started 2$tep Tuesday because she wanted more nights to enjoy western dancing with her friends. โ€œThereโ€™s also a free, half-hour dance lesson beginning at 8pm with Molly Barrettโ€”who is  a dancing machine,โ€ Hamel says. While it might still be a fledgling nightโ€”it began only last Februaryโ€”this event has consistent regulars and is free to anyone over 21 (with valid ID).

SURF CITY LINE DANCE

Ok, this isnโ€™t a particular night or place, because Surf City Line Dance is a local club that hosts multiple events throughout Santa Cruz County. Started by Niko Takaokaโ€”and the groupโ€™s โ€œsupport guy,โ€ her husband, John Judโ€”Surf City Line Dance is a great way for beginners of all ages and walks of life to join in on the fun. They regularly host family-friendly dances at Abbott Square, VFW Hall Post 7263 (both of which are free) and the Santa Cruz Elks Lodge #824 ($10 cover charge). SC Line Dance originally started last summer at the Over the Hill Gang Saloon, but Takaoka saw the need for something more. โ€œI wanted something a little more โ€˜middle of the roadโ€™ where I can teach people the dances and not have it be at a bar, club or out late at night.โ€ Takaoka says people often confuse line dancing with square dancing, but modern line dancing is something that can be done without the need for a partner. โ€œItโ€™s also not only country music anymore,โ€ she says. โ€œWe dance to oldies, hip hop, waltzes, Latin stuff and even Pitbull.โ€ But donโ€™t get those boots in a twist, SC Line Dance also hosts an array of other styles like the two-step, boot-scootinโ€™ boogies and more traditional country dances as well. In order to stay on top of upcoming events, Takoaka says to keep those eyes peeled to their Instagram: @surf_city_line_dance.

For more on Western Wednesday at Moeโ€™s Alley,
read Sean Rusevโ€™s cover story

Street Talk

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Where would you like to go on a summer cruise?

JULIA

I would love to see the coast and visit the beaches of South America, like Peru and Chile.

Julia Persson, 22, Ph.D. student at UCSC


IRIS

Iโ€™ve always wanted to go to Greece, mostly because of Mamma Mia! Itโ€™s so pretty there, and the architecture is something I would really love to see. Iโ€™ve never been on a cruise before, and I would just like to see what itโ€™s like.

Iris Bertuccelli, 22, DJ


MAX

I think it would be great to take a cruise on the Arctic Ocean or go to Antarctica. I donโ€™t know why that came to mind, I just think it would be fun, it would be super interesting.

Max Homel, 22, Mental Health Counsellor


ALYSSA

Letโ€™s go to Texas! The Rio Grande River, itโ€™s very popular! Look into it, itโ€™s like an insider thing. You have to go, like, with a special club, and you have to take a raft there. I only heard about it on Reddit.

Alyssa Phan, 26, Physical Therapist


GONNY and FRANKIE

Italy. Italy has a beautiful coastโ€”I know the Amalfi Coast is especially beautiful.

Gonny Katzir (right), 21, Bank Teller and Frankie Jimenez (left), 22, Construction


CHRIS

I would take an Alaska cruise, because Iโ€™d like to see the glaciers. Iโ€™ve been to lots of warm spots, so it would be a nice change-up.

Chris Erickson, 52, Biomedical Equipment Tech

Lending Support

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After producing a staged reading of The Laramie Project that raised over $1,000 for Trans Families of Santa Cruz County, Renegade Theater Co. is back with another fundraiser: two performances of Stop Kiss, a 1998 play by Diana Son about two women falling in love against the backdrop of a violent hate crime.

Kyle Vasquez, the artistic director and CEO of Renegade Theater Co., praises Stop Kiss for its resonant themes of love overcoming adversity and its oddly uplifting tone. The shows will take place at the Santa Cruz Actorโ€™s Theatre on June 28, the last Saturday of Pride Month.

Proceeds from this show will be split evenly between Trans Families of Santa Cruz and the Renegadeโ€™s Rainbow: Casperโ€™s Memorial Fund, which the theater company created to memorialize the passing of young community member Casper (Damien) Miller. The Rainbow Fund will provide scholarships for LGBTQ+ teens who need financial assistance to participate in Renegade productions.

The original concept for the Renegade benefit came after the death of Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old nonbinary Oklahoma high school student who, after being beaten unconscious by a group of fellow students, committed suicide the following day.

Benedictโ€™s death brought national attention to the consequences of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. The youthโ€™s family told reporters that bullying by students worsened at the beginning of the 2023 school year, a few months after Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt signed a bill that required public school students to use bathrooms that matched the sex listed on their birth certificates.

Vasquez says that following Benedictโ€™s death, the members of the company were โ€œall feeling sad and angry and helpless, and it just felt like we wanted to do something actionable.โ€

After the success of the first benefit, another was set to take place before Miller’s passing. But the event took on new meaning after Renegadeโ€™s loss.

Originally, the benefit show was intended as โ€œmore of a preventative measure rather than in honor of a specific youth in our community,โ€ Vasquez says. โ€œWe are hoping that it is still going to be a future preventative and a way that we get to keep alive the memory of someone who is really important and we all really love. Casperโ€™s name will always be associated, and doing positive things at Renegade and in the community.โ€

The cast of Santa Cruz locals and others commuting from the Bay Area has a diverse range of ages and experiences. Some actors are returning after several Renegade productions, while others are making their company debut. Despite their differences in backgrounds, they are all united by their passion for socially impactful theater and LGBTQIA+ advocacy.

Renegade Theater Co. is a hub for the LGBTQIA+ community in Santa Cruz. The companyโ€™s unofficial slogan is โ€œgayer than your average theater companyโ€โ€”a reference to the popularity of theater within the queer community and the fact that the majority of the staff and participants have LGBTQIA+ identities.

Kyle Vasquez is openly queer, the parent of a trans child, and comes from a queer family. Within this company, Vasquez wants to emphasize โ€œhow important theater is for youth who have mental health issues, youth who need a community to belong in.โ€

Vasquez elaborates, โ€œOften queer youth specifically struggle with mental health, are looking for community and feel like outsiders, so theater can be such a crucial place for queer people of all ages, but especially for youth to explore who they are, explore identity, to find community, to find belonging and just be able to figure out who they are in a safe space.โ€

Stop Kiss will be performed at 2 and 6pm on June 28 at Actorsโ€™ Theatre, 1001 Center St, Santa Cruz. Tickets are sold on a sliding scale at renegadetheaterco.org.

Free Will Astrology

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ARIES March 21-April 19

The Hawaiian word pล refers to a primal darkness from which all life flows. Itโ€™s not a fearsome void, but a fertile mystery, rich with future possibilities and the ancestorsโ€™ hopes. In the coming weeks, I invite you to treat your inner life as pล. Be as calm and patient and watchful as an Aries can be as you monitor the inklings that rise up out of the deep shadows. Have faith that the cloudy uncertainty will ultimately evolve into clarity, revealing the precise directions you need.

TAURUS April 20-May 20

In the 17th century, the Taurus polymath Athanasius Kircher constructed a fantastical machine called the Aeolian harp. It wasnโ€™t designed to be played by human fingers, but by the wind. It conjured music with currents invisible to the eye. I nominate this sublime contraption as your power object for the coming weeks, Taurus. The most beautiful and healing melodies may come from positioning yourself so that inspiration can blow through. How might you attune yourself to the arrival of unexpected help and gifts? Set aside any tendency you might have to try too hard. Instead, allow life to sing through you.

GEMINI May 21-June 20

The painter Vincent van Gogh wrote, โ€œGreat things are done by a series of small things brought together.โ€ Thatโ€™s good advice for you right now. Your ambitions may feel daunting if you imagine them as monumental and monolithic. But if you simply focus on what needs to be done nextโ€”the daily efforts, the incremental improvementsโ€”you will be as relaxed as you need to be to accomplish wonders. Remember that masterpieces are rarely completed in a jiffy. The cumulative power of steady work is potentially your superpower. Hereโ€™s another crucial tip: Use your imagination to have fun as you attend to the details.

CANCER June 21-July 22

Welcome to a special edition of โ€œWhatโ€™s My Strongest Yearning?โ€ Iโ€™m your host, Rob Brezsny, and Iโ€™m delighted you have decided to identify the single desire that motivates you more than any other. Yes, you have many wishes and hopes and dreams, but one is more crucial than all the rest! Right? To begin the exercise, take three deep breaths and allow every knot of tension to dissolve and exit your beautiful body. Then drop down into the primal depths of your miraculous soul and wander around until you detect the shimmering presence of the beloved reason you came here to this planet. Immerse yourself in this glory for as long as you need to. Exult in its mysterious power to give meaning to everything you do. Ask it to nurture you, console you and inspire you.

LEO July 23-Aug. 22

In certain medieval maps, unexplored territories were marked with the Latin phrase hic sunt draconesโ€”โ€œhere be dragons.โ€ It was a warning and a dare, a declaration that no one knew what lay beyond. In the coming weeks, Leo, you may find yourself traveling into one of those unlabeled regions. Rather than flinching or dodging, I invite you to press forward with respectful curiosity. Some of the so-called dragons will be figments. Others are protectors of treasure and might be receptive to sharing with a bright light like you. Either way, productive adventures are awaiting you in that unmapped territory. Go carefullyโ€”but go.

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22

In traditional Japanese carpentry, joints are made so skillfully that they need no nails, screws or adhesives. Carpenters use intricate joinery techniques to connect pieces of wood so tightly that the structures are strong and durable. They often require a mallet for assembly and disassembly. In metaphorical terms, you are capable of that kind of craftsmanship these days, Virgo. I hope you will take advantage of this by building lasting beauty and truth that will serve you well into the future. Donโ€™t rush the joinery. If itโ€™s not working, donโ€™t force it. Re-cut, re-measure, breathe deeply and try again.

LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22

Hereโ€™s one of my unruly rules about human competence: In every professional field, from physicians to lawyers to psychics to teachers, about 15 percent of all the practitioners are downright mediocre, even deficient. Seventy-five percent are at least satisfactory and sometimes good. And 10 percent of the total are surpassingly excellent, providing an extraordinary service. With this in mind, Iโ€™m happy to say that you now have a knack for gravitating toward that exceptional 10 percent in every domain you are drawn to. I predict that your intuition will consistently guide you toward premium sources.

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21

The Japanese concept of shinrin-yoku means โ€œforest bathing.โ€ It invites people to immerse themselves in the natural world, drawing on its restorative power. In accordance with astrological portents, I urge you Scorpios to maximize your forest bathing. To amplify the enrichment further, gravitate toward other environments that nourish your soulโ€™s need for solace and uplift. The naked fact is that you need places and influences that offer you comfort, safety and tender inspiration. Donโ€™t apologize for making your life a bit less heroic as you tend to your inner world with gentle reverence.

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21

The camera obscura was a precursor to modern cameras. It projected the outside world upside down onto interior walls. Artists loved it because it helped them see reality from new angles. I hereby proclaim that you, Sagittarius, will be like both the artist and the camera obscura lens in the coming weeks. Your perceptions may feel inverted, strange, even disorienting, but thatโ€™s a gift! So let unfamiliarity be your muse. Flip your assumptions. Sketch from shadow instead of light. Have faith that the truth isnโ€™t vanishing or hiding; itโ€™s simply appearing in unfamiliar guises. Donโ€™t rush to turn right-side-up things. Relish and learn from the tilt.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19

Iโ€™m sure you enjoy gazing into some mirrors more than others. Itโ€™s amazing how different you might look in your bathroom mirror and the mirror in the restroom at work. Some store windows may reflect an elegant, attractive version of you, while others distort your image. A similar principle is at work in the people with whom you associate. Some seem to accentuate your finest attributes, while others bring out less flattering aspects. I bring this to your attention, dear Capricorn, because I believe it will be extra important in the coming weeks for you to surround yourself with your favorite mirrors.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18

Leonardo da Vinci filled thousands of pages with sketches, notes and experiments. He never finished many of them. He called this compilation his โ€œcodex of wonder.โ€ It wasnโ€™t a record of failures. It was an appreciation of his complex process and a way to honor his creative wellspring. Taking a cue from da Vinciโ€™s love of marvelous enigmas, I invite you to be in love with the unfinished in the coming weeks. Make inquisitiveness your default position. Reconsider abandoned ideas. Be a steward of fertile fragments. Some of your best work may arise from revisiting composted dreams or incomplete sketches. Hereโ€™s your motto: Magic brews in the margins.

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20

In the remote Atacama Desert of Chile, certain flowers lie dormant for years, awaiting just the right conditions to burst into blossom in a sudden, riotous explosion of color and vitality. Scientists call it a superbloom. Metaphorically speaking, Pisces, you are on the verge of such a threshold. Iโ€™m sure you can already feel the inner ripening as it gathers momentum. Any day now, your full flowering will eruptโ€”softly but dramatically. You wonโ€™t need to push. You will simply open. To prepare yourself emotionally, start rehearsing lively shouts of โ€œHALLELUJAH! HOORAY! WHOOPEE!โ€

Homework: What action or project could you undertake that would provide you with a rich new sense of meaning? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

ยฉ Copyright 2025 Rob Brezsny

The Editor’s Desk

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

Despite having a great, somewhat country-based radio station, KPIG, Santa Cruz has never been known as a real country town.

Believe me, I know.

I was part of a group that ran the Santa Cruz Blues Festival and when so many blues artists had passed away, we tried a country day at Aptos Village County Park, where the festival had run for more than two decades. We changed the name to the American Music Festival.

But it wasnโ€™t the draw we hoped for, despite names like Big & Rich and Kellie Pickler. There just werenโ€™t enough cowboy-boot and hat-wearing folks to fill the park.

Jump ahead a few years and Santa Cruz has changed, big time.

Weโ€™ve got a slew of venues offering country music and dance nights and packing their houses. Whatโ€™s changed? Weโ€™re not sure, but Sean Rusev tracked the scene, took dance lessons and offered up a feature on the New Western scene here.

Was Beyoncรฉ an inspiration who opened the gates? Is Santa Cruz the next Austin? The two towns have always competed as music and style capitals, right on down to both selling shirts aiming to keep their towns weird. And both have now sprung up semi-urban high rises in their downtowns, the opposite of weird.

That story is part of our Health and Fitness themed issue, โ€™cause it keeps you moving. But donโ€™t think weโ€™d forget about what is possibly Santa Cruzโ€™s top fitness activity: yoga.

Elizabeth Borelli has a story that lets you know where to get your flow on. And did you know CrossFit was founded here? Its founder is now rolling out yoga studios.

Having trouble finding a doctor? Yes, itโ€™s become a big challenge. Even some doctors say they canโ€™t afford to live here. But Joan Hammelโ€™s story on concierge doctors might be the prescription you need. Similarly, we have a second Elizabeth Borelli story about unique fitness sessions that are very Santa Cruz. Cool ideas to help you get down all over town.

Youโ€™ll also want to read our memorial to former Mayor Mike Rotkin, who died last week of leukemia and was an inspiring politician and rabble-rouser. His friend Geoffrey Dunn pays tribute.

Thanks for reading.

Brad Kava | Editor


PHOTO CONTEST

SURFโ€™S UP, BOARD DOWN Shot at the 39th Annual Memorial Day Club Invitational surf contest at Steamer Lane, hosted by the Santa Cruz Longboard Union. Photograph by Gina Butler

GOOD IDEA

Bikes unite at the Social & Family Ride, 10am-noon, June 28, which will be staged by Bike Santa Cruz County from Frederick Street Park in Santa Cruz. The event is free. Enjoy bagels, juice and coffee. Learn about cycling safety basics. The ride will descend the Arana Gulch Trail into the west harbor area, travel south to Atlantic Avenue and over to the Santa Cruz Natural History Museum, where we will be greeted by docents to discuss the renovated gray whale sculpture. From there it’s back to Frederick Street Park.

GOOD WORK

Longtime local comedian DNA has released his first album, Dark Horse, and itโ€™s getting rave reviews for making our hometown hilarious. Youโ€™ll learn secrets about who works at the Boardwalk, heroin-dipped acupuncture needles, New Age therapists who play Bernie Sanders speeches, what itโ€™s like to be an influencer for unsheltered people and which locally filmed movie has the most Santa Cruz scenes (the answer will surprise you). Buy it online at Bandcamp: votedna.bandcamp.com/album/dark-horse.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

โ€œThe secret of freedom lies in educating people, whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant.โ€
โ€”Maximilien Robespierre

Letters

STOP THE FIREWORKS

Yes, nothing shouts Freedom! quite like filing past the searchlights through the razor wire to be searched on your way to the beach. Maybe this year they’ll add Rottweilers.

Time for my annual common-sense letter about Independence Day.

How about this year: NO spotlights, NO fences, NO triple-fines. Open some designated beaches to safe and sane fireworks, have firemen discreetly on hand and let the people celebrate the birth of our Nation in the manner they so clearly love and look forward to each and every year.I want the revelry where it’s safe, not in the forests and flammable lots.

Pureheart Steinbruner | Aptos


CHECKMATE

 Great turnout in Santa Cruz for the No Kings March. Much better than the Emperor Has No Clothes March last year at the same time. I was the only one that showed up!

John Perdikis


HAPPY TRAIL

If just a trail had been passed we literally could have had our kids getting across town on a relatively safe path where they could stop and see their friends if they happen to be going in opposite directions. It couldโ€™ve created a place to see your friends more than anywhere else. Now weโ€™re stuck in limbo for an indefinite amount of time so the powers that be can milk millions out of grants and taxpayer dollars. It feels like a nightmare scenario with how the roads are backed up and the bridge closed.The trail could be paved in a course of months for less than $100,000. People could ride their bikes across town with ease. It would promote a healthy environment for the community. The rail-trail is even more obnoxious than Trump, as it is stifling this city from now until an unforeseeable future. Especially with the bridge being closed both ways. We need to vote again.

Gene Wood | Live Oak


GO FUND ME

I saw the news coverage of the June 14 crash in the Santa Cruz Mountains that left one person dead and four others injured, and wanted to flag a GoFundMe that was launched for the family of the victim, Dan Landry. According to the fundraiser, Landryโ€™s wife of more than 30 years, Loree Vial Landry, was seriously injured in the crash and is now recovering from multiple fractures.

“Loree has always been a kind and generous presence in her community, offering support and compassion whenever it was needed. Now, in her time of heartbreak and physical compromise, we have the opportunity to give back,” loved ones said.

Here is the link to the GoFundMe: gofundme.com/f/support-for-loree-after-tragic-loss

Kirsten Mitchell | Communications Associate | Go Fund Me

Class Cuisine

Perhaps the most revelatory eating experience of my year to date happened at a destination thatโ€™s rarely open, with beginner chefs running the show, against a backdrop that few locals know exists.

Pino Alto Restaurant tucks into the historic Sesnon House on the west side of Cabrillo College, occupying what feels like a senatorโ€™s mansion, flanked by a gorgeous stretch of lawn framed by palms and a gazebo.

The lunch I enjoyed with Good Times editor/Cabrillo lecturer Brad Kavaโ€™s journalism class proved as memorable as the setting: strawberry-sliced almond-smoked bacon salad; potato-leek-red pepper soup; turkey-artichoke-provolone panini; grilled cheeseburgers; fried chicken sandwiches; hyper-fresh garlic butter pasta primavera popping with mozzarella, snap peas and zucchini; and indulgent anise-accented Italian-style strawberry shortcake.

That experience comes amplified by the fact students ranging from 14 to 44 set up, execute, serve and break down the whole affair, chaperoned by Cabrillo faculty with decades of experience in the craft, as Sean Rusevโ€™s April 16 Good Times cover story, โ€œGourmets in Trainingโ€ divulged in delicious detail.

The only bummer was that culinary school was out for summer, so it didnโ€™t make sense to tease readers with what feels like a semi-secret until meals resume come fall.

Fortunately enough, Pino Alto hosts its Summer Backyard BBQ event Saturday, June 28, blessing the outdoor lounge and picnic area with music, lawn games and a buffet of goodies.

Guests can anticipate graduate-level deviled eggs, dry-rubbed ribs, blood orange-chipotle-glazed grilled chicken, red-white-and-blue pasta salad, corn on the cob, summer bean chili, bleu-cheese-bacon-wrapped steak tips, stone fruit cobbler and more ($65, cash bar).

Learning by doing is dope, especially when it involves cooking and eating. pinoaltorestaurant.org.

GREAT SCOTTS

Bring on the sweet corn, juicy stone fruit, verdant berries, vibrant peppers and brightly colored cherry tomatoes. Saturday, June 26, the Scotts Valley Farmers Market (5060 Scotts Valley Drive) ups the seasonal joy 9am-1pm with a bumper crop of intrigue. That includes the Boys & Girls Club art table, the Santa Cruz Public Librariesโ€™ station, bike-blender smoothies and live music, plus Companion Bakeshop doing new brunch items and Hidden Fortress slinging hot or cold coffee and espresso. In other SVFM news: Casalegno Family Farm is back selling their heirloom tomatoes, tender beans and basil for pesto and caprese and beyond. Insiders say their heritage red garlic, brought from Italy over 100 years ago, is heaven on the tastebuds. Meanwhile, Market Match continues at all five of the Santa Cruz farmers markets for the rest of the season, with the first $15 upped dollar for dollar, and up to $20 at the Downtown Santa Cruz Farmers Market, July through December of 2025. santacruzfarmersmarket.org.

HERDING SNACKS

Well, shoot: Ellaโ€™s at the Airport in Watsonville is done. Well, yay: Thereโ€™s a great new operator on the way to pilot the property, keep your radar tracked hereโ€ฆStretch your idea of cute (and yoga): Beer Thirty Bottle Shop (2504 S Main St., Soquel) hosts goat yoga (!!) in the grassy space next door 11am Saturday, June 28, $33.30 includes $5 off a beer, beerthirtysantacruz.comโ€ฆSummer solstice happened last Friday, which is also when Solstice Big Sur, a tasty new community treasure, reopened down the coast, and merits a nice summer drive for dinner Wednesday-Sunday, thevillagebigsur.com/restaurantโ€ฆIf Charlie Hong Kong (1141 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz) couldnโ€™t get more fun and thoughtful, itโ€™s dropping a kids noodle party Saturday, July 12 for tots 6 and under, with food, music, stories, and face painting for just $5 (!?), charliehongkong.comโ€ฆThatโ€™s cold, Costco, reserving the 9-10am hour weekdays and 9-9:30am Saturday for executive card membersโ€ฆWorld Central Kitchen aid trucks have reached its teams in Gaza for the first time in over 12 weeks, cooking at select kitchens, a critical step toward increasing meal production to meet urgent need, wck.orgโ€ฆBenny Franklin, escort us on our way: โ€œTell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.โ€

Yesteryear Yums

Inspired by the nostalgic longings of childhood, Zayante Creek Market and Deli has been Jamie Forrestโ€™s passion project since she took it over three years ago. A chef for more than 30 years, her resume includes time in four different Michelin-star restaurants as well as partnering in opening several places across the country. Eventually wanting something all her own, when she and her husband moved here, she came across the location and fell in love with its historical provenance (formerly the Zayante post office/train post) and proximity to where she lived, allowing her the privilege and honor to support her own community.

Forrest says her spot has old town country store vibes with vintage eclectic Americana dรฉcorโ€”โ€œa little bit of everything and a lot of nothing.โ€ Homemade daily specials complement classic deli offerings like a โ€œFrench dip on crackโ€ Italian roast beef sandwich and other between-bread bests include a pulled pork sandwich with dadโ€™s homemade barbecue sauce, pickled red onion and dill pickles, and the grilled Zesty Zayante with spicy mayo, salami, pepper jack cheese, pepperoncini and jalapeรฑo. Rotating meaty spaghettis are another popular offering along with classic sides like mac-n-cheese, pasta salads and deviled eggs.

Tell me your business origin story.

JAMIE FORREST: It goes back to being a kid in rural Georgia. We didnโ€™t have much money so we would take Sunday drives in the country and find these little knick-knack stores and delis. What Iโ€™m trying to do here is emulate those special childhood memories and revive that feeling of being welcomed and acknowledged. As an adult moving into big cities, I lost that feeling. And now living here in the country again, it feels like Iโ€™m back where I am supposed to be, returning to where my heart is and my roots are. Sitting on our storeโ€™s porch and looking out over the mountains is the most at peace Iโ€™ve ever been.

Where did you get your passion for food?

As a foster kid growing up and being hungry. I grew up around a lot of processed low-end food, and I wanted to know what good food was, so I started working in restaurants in high school and became a chef through the school of hard knocks. Now here I am, providing really good food thatโ€™s affordable for my community.

9210 E. Zayante Rd, Felton, 831-335-2542

Things to do in Santa Cruz

THURSDAY 6/26

INDIE

MALIBU BARBABE

Who doesnโ€™t love a singer-songwriter who isnโ€™t afraid to plug in? Also, a woman with a poison pen, full of piss and vinegar, instead of a whiney dude with a broken heart? Malibu Barbabe fits the bill. In the tradition of 4-Track Demos era PJ Harvey and early Liz Phair, Barbabe attacks the strings while singing songs of love, lust and other amusements with a wicked sense of humor and a poetโ€™s command of language. Fellow singer-songwriter Mya Byrne and San Franciscoโ€™s Country Risque will be on hand to get the crowd good and warmed up. KEITH LOWELL JENSEN

INFO: 8pm, Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz. $10. 429-6994.

FRIDAY 6/27

DANCE

LOST + FOUND

Pulsating basslines and infectious grooves are calling everyone to the dancefloor at this all-out, inclusive dance party. A colorful blend of Bay Area-based DJs will deliver an experience thatโ€™ll keep bodies moving and spirits soaring, with a central goal of building community and creating a safe space for self-expression. People can shake it to sets deeply influenced by global and West Coast bass, Latin rhythms, and hip hop, featuring the sounds of El Papachango, Wet Panther, RatchaelBeats, Cocoa Crescendo and Grewvangle. Attendees will get lost and found in this sonic celebration thatโ€™s โ€œcheaper than (but not to be replaced by) therapy.โ€ SHELLY NOVO

INFO: 8pm, Moeโ€™s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz, $20/adv, $25/door, 479-1854.

ELECTRONIC

LOTUS LAB TAKE OVER

As Lotus Lab prepares to unleash Tides of Mystery in July, they must have realized the anticipation and excitement could be too much for some partygoers. So, to relieve some of the pressure, theyโ€™ve arranged an official (donโ€™t fall for any knock-offs) pre-party this Friday featuring DJs Sakiya, Zipse and Neumonic. Of course, they always run the risk that theyโ€™ve put together too killer of a lineup and the pre-party will surpass and eclipse the main party. Itโ€™s probably a good thing theyโ€™ve decided to chance it. However, to be safe, itโ€™s best for everyone to attend both events. KLJ

INFO: 8pm, Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy 9, Felton. $20. 704-7113.

SATURDAY 6/28

COMEDY

EMPTY NEST AND ALL THE REST

Family life can be hectic and chaotic. Take a night off from the family to enjoy this one-man comedy show that focuses on the frenzy of family life: Empty Nest and All the Rest: A One-Man Comedy Show by Clay Hausmann. During the show, Hausmann will break down how women and men think and figure out what fills the void when the kids leave and donโ€™t come back. Additionally, this show is a benefit. All the proceeds go directly to The Landing, a performing arts center, which is run by the local nonprofit Scotts Valley Community Theater Guild. This organization and venue are dedicated to putting on accessible shows, so take a break from the family to laugh at the chaos that comes with having one.

ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE

INFO: 8pm, The Landing, 251-B Kings Village Rd, Scotts Valley. $40. 566-9411.

METAL

UNHOLY THINGS

Formed almost exactly a year ago to the day, Unholy Things is psychedelic-dipped, Hammโ€™s beerโ€“soaked heavy metal thatโ€™s perfect for destroying any sense of common decency. Completely skipping the studio, this Santa Cruz metal trio went straight to recording a six-song live album last April from the โ€œexpedition to the oceanโ€™s floorโ€ of dive bars, the Jury Room. Take some ibuprofen with a six pack and get ready to headbang the night away with them as they rip it up at the Blue Lagoon with fellow heathens Heavy Blazer, Midnight Dumpster Fire, Sequitur and Nuisance in Public. MAT WEIR

INFO: 8pm, Blue Lagoon, 923 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 423-7117.

HIP HOP

LARUSSELL

Brimming with talent and a rapidly growing fan base, LaRussell has been called hip-hopโ€™s #1 prospect but maintains remarkable humility and stays devoted to his hometown of Vallejo, California. Influenced by classic Bay Area hip hop and hyphy, LaRussell has been cosigned by some of the most notable Bay Area rappers, including E-40, Too Short and P-Lo. LaRussell has a purity about him, in his authentic storytelling, his โ€œpay-what-you-wantโ€ merch and shows, and his sonic backing, featuring harp, flute and small choir. Itโ€™s a wave of good energy with touching lyrics, danceable rhythms and LaRussellโ€™s big, beaming smile. SN

INFO: 3pm, Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $25. 713-5492.

SUNDAY6/29

PUNK

45 GRAVE

Coming out of 1979โ€™s L.A. punk scene, 45 Grave are widely recognized as pioneers of deathrock and horror punk. The original lineup featured prominent figures from other bands, including The Gun Club and The Germs. The bandโ€™s 1983 debut LP Sleep in Safety is a genre classic. 45 Grave even made inroads on MTV with their track โ€œEvil.โ€ The band has gone inactive twice over the years, but returned in 2004, led by original vocalist Dinah Cancer. 2012โ€™s Pick Your Poison was well-received, and their continued presence on the live scene underscores the bandโ€™s enduring legacy. BILL KOPP

INFO: 7pm, Moeโ€™s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $30. 479-1854.

MONDAY 6/30

INDIE ROCK

JOHN TURKEYโ€™S NIGHTMARES

Citing influences including Nirvana, Neil Young, and (more contemporarily) MJ Lenderman, Oakland-based musician Sam Carpenter calls his solo project John Turkeyโ€™s Nightmares. A prolific artist, Carpenter has an extensive catalog. His current tour focuses on Rock a Pee Jay!, an album first released in 2020 and featuring tracks like โ€œMaggot Merry,โ€ โ€œI Was Told There Would Be Food Hereโ€ and โ€œToo Tired to Stand Up and Go to Bed.โ€ Heโ€™s nothing if not concise: those three creaky folk-flavored tunes blow by in a total of less than five minutes. JTNโ€™s spooky vibe may remind some of Skip Spenceโ€™s Oar. BK

INFO: 5pm, Streetlight Records, 939 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. Free. 421-9200.

WEDNESDAY 7/2

LITERARY

RACHEL KUSHNER

Author and journalist Rachel Kushner will be reading from and signing copies of her latest book, Creation Lake. A two-time finalist for the Booker Prize and National Book Award, Creation Lake follows the story of Sadie Smith, who is instructed to infiltrate a group of French environmental anarchists but discovers it might be at the risk of losing her humanity. Described as โ€œwickedly entertainingโ€ by The Guardian, this is Kushnerโ€™s fourth novel and is based on the events of UK undercover agent Mark Kennedy and environmental activist Eric McDavid. MW

INFO: 7pm, Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. Free. 423-0900.

Storage Wars

Damaged building
A series of public technical workshops will examine the role and risks of battery energy storage systems in modernizing the energy grid.

Honky-Tonkinโ€™ and Boot Scootinโ€™

Throughout the county, several regular Western theme nights have popped up for locals to boot scoot, two-step or line dance.

Street Talk

row of silhouettes of different people
Where would you like to go on a summer cruise?

Lending Support

Renegade Theater Co. is back with another fundraiser: Stop Kiss, a play about two women falling in love against the backdrop of a violent hate crime.

Free Will Astrology

Astrology, Horoscope, Stars, Zodiac Signs
Week of June 26

The Editor’s Desk

Despite having a great, somewhat country-based radio station, KPIG, Santa Cruz has never been known as a real country town. Believe me, I know.

Letters

fingers typing on a vintage typewriter
Time for my annual common-sense letter about Independence Day. How about this year: NO spotlights, NO fences, NO triple-fines.

Class Cuisine

Pino Alto Restaurant tucks into the historic Sesnon House on the west side of Cabrillo College, occupying what feels like a senatorโ€™s mansion.

Yesteryear Yums

Bests include pulled pork sandwich with homemade barbecue sauce, and the Zesty Zayante with spicy mayo, salami, pepper jack, pepperoncini and jalapeรฑo.

Things to do in Santa Cruz

LaRussell has been called hip-hopโ€™s #1 prospect. LaRussell has a purity about him, in his authentic storytelling, his โ€œpay-what-you-wantโ€ merch and shows, and his sonic backing, featuring harp, flute and small choir โ€” 3pm Saturday at The Catalyst.
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