We often head to the Hyatt Carmel Highlands for dinner. The hotelโs Pacificโs Edge Restaurant is one of the best in the Monterey Bay and the view is unparalleled, especially from the new outdoor deck that was recently installed. We get there early in the winter months to enjoy a cocktail and watch the sunset.
When it comes to choosing a wine for dinner, Pacificโs Edge has an extensive list of wines from all over the world, and the restaurantโs lead sommelier Don Mallery is there to help. I selected a local Kathryn Kennedy Winery 2015 Sauvignon Blancโa perfect libation to go with our entrees of sea bass and scallops.
Winemaker Marty Mathis, son of the late Kathryn Kennedy who started the winery in the 1970s, has made this tangy Sauvignon Blanc from organic grapes. It has ripe, fresh flavors of key lime and honeydew melon, and the succulent juicy finish is like a burst of spring.
โWe are very proud to designate this wine as made with organic grapes,โ says Mathis. โWe crafted it by combining grapes from CCOF-certified organic vineyards in Napa, Mendocino and Sonoma counties. Each vineyard was selected for its exceptional viticultural care.โ
This Sauvignon Blanc was awarded 89 points in Wine Spectator magazineโa well-deserved accoladeโand it can be found at liquor stores and supermarkets all over for about $24 a bottle. Or you can head to the Hyatt Carmel Highlands for Happy Hourโ 4-6 p.m. Monday through Fridayโand try this wine at the hotelโs brand-new bar, which now faces the ocean.
As we polished off the rest of the Sauvignon Blanc with a lemon pudding cakeโa fabulous concoction of winter citrus, orange, honey, almond, and vanilla bean crรจme anglaiseโwe agreed that this was a very pleasurable pairing of food and wine. ย Kudos go to Executive Chef Chad Minton, who searches for the perfect ingredients to complement the time of year.
Kathryn Kennedy Winery does not have a tasting room, so visit kathrynkennedywinery.com for more info and to order wine online.
Pacificโs Edge Restaurant is at Hyatt Carmel Highlands, 120 Highlands Drive, Carmel, 620-1234. highlandsinn.hyatt.com.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is a huge holy tree that links all of the nine worlds to each other. Perched on its uppermost branch is an eagle with a hawk sitting on its head. Far below, living near the roots, is a dragon. The hawk and eagle stay in touch with the dragon via Ratatoskr, a talkative squirrel that runs back and forth between the heights and the depths. Alas, Ratatoskr traffics solely in insults. That’s the only kind of message the birds and the dragon ever have for each other. In accordance with the astrological omens, Aries, I suggest you act like a far more benevolent version of Ratatoskr in the coming weeks. Be a feisty communicator who roams far and wide to spread uplifting gossip and energizing news.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You have a divine mandate to love bigger and stronger and truer than ever before. It’s high time to freely give the gifts you sometimes hold back from those you care for. It’s high time to take full ownership of neglected treasures so you can share them with your worthy allies. It’s high time to madly cultivate the generosity of spirit that will enable you to more easily receive the blessings that can and should be yours. Be a brave, softhearted warrior of love!
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I love and respect Tinker Bell, Kermit the Frog, Shrek, Wonder Woman, SpongeBob SquarePants, Snow White, Road Runner, and Calvin and Hobbes. They have provided me with much knowledge and inspiration. Given the current astrological omens, I suspect that you, too, can benefit from cultivating your relationships with characters like them. It’s also a favorable time for you to commune with the spirits of Harriet Tubman, Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie, or any other historical figures who inspire you. I suggest you have dreamlike conversations with your most interesting ancestors, as well. Are you still in touch with your imaginary friends from childhood? If not, renew acquaintances.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): “I never wish to be easily defined,” wrote Cancerian author Franz Kafka. “I’d rather float over other peopleโs minds as something fluid and non-perceivable; more like a transparent, paradoxically iridescent creature rather than an actual person.” Do you ever have that experience? I do. I’m a Crab like you, and I think it’s common among members of our tribe. For me, it feels liberating. It’s a way to escape people’s expectations of me and enjoy the independence of living in my fantasies. But I plan to do it a lot less in 2017, and I advise you to do the same. We should work hard at coming all the way down to earth. We will thrive by floating less and being better grounded; by being less fuzzy and more solid; by not being so inscrutable, but rather more knowable.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Here’s my declaration: “I hereby forgive, completely and permanently, all motorists who have ever irked me with their rude and bad driving. I also forgive, totally and forever, all tech support people who have insulted me, stonewalled me, or given me wrong information as I sought help from them on the phone. I furthermore forgive, utterly and finally, all family members and dear friends who have hurt my feelings.” Now would be a fantastic time for you to do what I just did, Leo: Drop grudges, let go of unimportant outrage, and issue a blanket amnesty. Start with the easier stuffโthe complaints against strangers and acquaintancesโand work your way up to the allies you cherish.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): There are some authors who both annoy me and intrigue me. Even though I feel allergic to the uncomfortable ideas they espouse, I’m also fascinated by their unique provocations. As I read their words, I’m half-irritated at their grating declarations, and yet greedy for more. I disagree with much of what they say, but feel grudgingly grateful for the novel perspectives they prod me to discover. (Nobel Prize-winner Elias Canetti is one such author.) In accordance with the current astrological rhythms, Virgo, I invite you to seek out similar influences — for your own good!
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Now would be an excellent time to add new beauty to your home. Are there works of art or buoyant plants or curious symbols that would lift your mood? Would you consider hiring a feng shui consultant to rearrange the furniture and accessories so as to enhance the energetic flow? Can you entice visits from compelling souls whose wisdom and wit would light up the place? Tweak your imagination so it reveals tricks about how to boost your levels of domestic bliss.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In 2017, you will have unprecedented opportunities to re-imagine, revise, and reinvent the story of your life. You’ll be able to forge new understandings about your co-stars and reinterpret the meanings of crucial plot twists that happened once upon a time. Now check out these insights from author Mark Doty: “The past is not static, or ever truly complete; as we age we see from new positions, shifting angles. A therapist friend of mine likes to use the metaphor of the kind of spiral stair that winds up inside a lighthouse. As one moves up that stair, the core at the center doesn’t change, but one continually sees it from another vantage point; if the past is a core of who we are, then our movement in time always brings us into a new relation to that core.”
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The ย Tao Te Ching is a poetically philosophical text written by a Chinese sage more than two millennia ago. Numerous authors have translated it into modern languages. I’ve borrowed from their work to craft a horoscope that is precisely suitable for you in the coming weeks. Here’s your high-class fortune cookie oracle: Smooth your edges, untangle your knots, sweeten your openings, balance your extremes, relax your mysteries, soften your glare, forgive your doubts, love your breathing, harmonize your longings, and marvel at the sunny dust.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I recently discovered Tree of Jesse, a painting by renowned 20th-century artist Marc Chagall. I wanted to get a copy to hang on my wall. But as I scoured the Internet, I couldn’t find a single business that sells prints of it. Thankfully, I did locate an artist in Vietnam who said he could paint an exact replica. I ordered it, and was pleased with my new objet d’art. It was virtually identical to Chagall’s original. I suggest you meditate on taking a metaphorically similar approach, Capricorn. Now is a time when substitutes may work as well as what they replace.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “It is often safer to be in chains than to be free,” wrote Franz Kafka. That fact is worthy of your consideration in the coming weeks, Aquarius. You can avoid all risks by remaining trapped inside the comfort that is protecting you. Or you can take a gamble on escaping, and hope that the new opportunities you attract will compensate you for the sacrifice it entails. I’m not here to tell you what to do. I simply want you to know what the stakes are.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “All pleasures are in the last analysis imaginary, and whoever has the best imagination enjoys the most pleasure.” So said 19th-century German novelist Theodor Fontane, and now I’m passing his observation on to you. Why? Because by my astrological estimates, you Pisceans will have exceptional imaginations in 2017โmore fertile, fervent, and freedom-loving than ever before. Therefore, your capacity to drum up pleasure will also be at an all-time high. There is a catch, however. Your imagination, like everyone else’s, is sometimes prone to churning out superstitious fears. To take maximum advantage of its bliss-inducing potential, you will have to be firm about steering it in positive directions.
Homework: Tell a story about the time Spirit reached down and altered your course in one swoop. Go to RealAstrology.com and click on “Email Rob.”
On Thursday, Mercury re-enters Capricorn. All communication becomes practical, matter-of-fact and may sound harsh. But itโs not. Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Dayโwe know his Capricorn (the mountaintop experience) speech, โI just want to do Godโs will. And Heโs allowed me to go up to the mountain. And Iโve looked over. And Iโve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!โ
We have a full moon festival this week. Planetary activity accelerates with the first full moon of the year, the solar fest in Capricorn (22.27 degrees). Capricorn is the Gate of Return offering rest after a long journey (from Aries to Capricorn). Reaching the top of the mountain, we become unicornsโmagical mystical and spiritual.
The meditative seed thought for Capricorn (symbol is signature of God) is โLost am I in light supernal, yet on light I turn my back.โ In Capricorn, we hear the sufferings of humanity and choose to leave the mountaintop. Returning to Earth, we โserveโ in Aquarius and โsaveโ in Pisces.
During 2017, the planetary influences help us become more earnest and attentive to responsibilities, while creating realistic goals. We will learn how to โpreserve wealth,โrealizing true wealth comes from family, is spiritual, and must be kept local for humanityโs survival. When we understand true wealth, we understand how to create the new sharing society (now only a vision). We will more and more adapt to changes occurring everywhere. Adaptation is our spiritual task. We will learn to have kindness and mercy, patience and compassion to create the promised land. ย
ARIES: You may feel your thoughts are afire with ideas and goals. โAll things newโ is your mantra as multiple desires, aspirations and information are impressed upon your mind. You seek outlets for enthusiasm and joy as you recognize more and more your talents and gifts. You will be recognized for your abilities. In time. Go to the mountains.
TAURUS: You, more than any other sign, understand the shifting currents of the economic system. You feel the need to prepare, know somethingโs coming, buy gold and silver, and safeguard resources. You ask others to join you. Many donโt understand, thinking the economy will turn around. You know better, and so you alone protect the future. Future children thank you.
GEMINI: How you see yourself reflects on how others see you. Who do you feel you belong to and with? Who are your people? What do you share with others and how close are your ties? I ask these questions so you can identify your community, who you learn from, who learns from you and where and with whom you can share your life. Often you inform others. Now you are to be informed.
CANCER: Even though you want to run away somewhere seemingly better than where you are, you turn to those in your environment and find comfort, a way of life reflecting your deepest sensibilities (even though itโs been a struggle), and you introduce change that everyone needs. Follow your heart, your impressions, your intuition. Make a record (journal) of these. Tend the garden.
LEO: Spend time with the one you love (a love affair perhaps), with children, with gamblers, co-workers, animals, plants, or with a highly creative project that bring forth a deeper self-identity. Through these a sense of self-achievement and pride emerge. You realize again you are a creative force, life begins anew each morning and you can be forgiven and forgiving.
VIRGO: Go to your family, whoever that is, and rest there. Be for others as you would like others to be with you. Be the mother. Provide security, nurturance and emotional safety. These are then provided for you. When you tend to others, when listening, recognizing and responding to their needs, you feel how and where you belong in the universe. Prepare foods for everyone. Fulfillment follows.
LIBRA: You have so many tasks and errands, from library to bookstore, from neighbors to co-workers, from artistic endeavors to finding newer and more inviting arrangements for your parties and collections. You may experience various vehicles for travel, contact relatives and siblings, always moving toward what makes you feel safe, stabilized and listened to. Remember to practice ahimsa at all times, now and forever.
SCORPIO: The full moon and the Sun/Pluto are affecting your communication with others. Something fulfilling and expanded, clearly identified, and very valuable has been or is presently being revealed. A new message of practical importance changes your values. This is the first step toward your future which you often feel is shrouded in mystery (clouds of unknowing). It takes a starry field to reveal things.
SAGITTARIUS: What was written for Scorpio applies to you, with the addition of (youโve heard this before) a complete transformation down the road. This is good. Youโre impatient. Next year, you wonโt recognize yourself as you are now. A new identity is being forged, and there are no words to describe itโonly astrological symbols. Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn (new structures) in Sagittarius. Contemplation reveals.
CAPRICORN: Are you exhausted from endeavors youโre pursuing, perhaps work or ideas or people or expectations of others? The stars reveal itโs time for you to have solitude, retreat and quiet, where you can understand perspectives and contemplate changes. Within all your discipline and structure, do you have a consistent spiritual or religious practice? Do you pray and ask for help? These sustain you. Your Capricorn angels, loving Silent Watchers, are always nearby.
AQUARIUS: You inspire others; you write excellently, your ideas are original and important. How do you envision your future? Do you think about it? Itโs possible that it will be exciting and expansive, more than you can imagine. Think community, gardens, village, green buildings, arks and Buckminster Fuller geodesic domes. The only question is where? Rest when you can. Keep hopes high. Safeguard your money.
PISCES: Revelations have been occurring. A new identity has come about and perhaps for the first time you identify yourself as alive, capable and creative. Absorb this new information quietly and slowly lest you lose its reality. New aspirations are unfolding as you realize your exceptional gifts and abilities. Call forth, in silence and waiting, your next expanded level of expression and its appropriate time, place, resources, and setting.
Iโm sure there were local entertainment celebrities in Santa Cruz before the reality TV eraโthere had to be, right? But the way I remember it, Lex van den Bergheโs sudden fame when Survivor: Africa hit the airwaves in 2001 was unlike anything that had come before it around here, and it paved the way for future American Idol contestants who will always elicit thrilled whispers when theyโre spotted at the Bagelry. The Santa Cruz Roller Derby Girls blew up, too, a few years later; much like when the Santa Cruz Warriors debuted at Kaiser Permanente Arena, you had to be at the Civic to see the Derby Girls.
So Lex and Kelly van den Berghe (the former SCRDG who had a huge following when she skated as Roxy Scarmichael) are pretty much Santa Cruzโs perfect local-celeb power couple. But what do you do with the power that comes with that? Where do you funnel that attention? Iโve always admired the very Santa Cruz attitude Lex has had about it, and the way heโs used his name to generate buzz for things he believed were worthwhile. ย
But this weekโs cover story by Aaron Carnes is interesting, because itโs not about a cause that Lex and Kelly chose; itโs not a project or an endorsement. Itโs an intimate part of their lives that has been both agonizing and, at times, transcendent. Itโs also different because the life-changing events theyโve been through in the last few months would be remarkable no matter who they happened to. And they happen every time someone chooses to save another personโs life by donating an organ. Thatโs the larger truth I hope we can all remember when we read their story.
Mr. Pierce and Mr. Palopoli, I thoroughly enjoyed your โBest Songsโ feature in this weekโs Good Times (GT, 12/28). I would love to hear the playlist on the radio, and would be eager to buy the CD. Maybe KPIG could host a special night with your selections! Or maybe youโd like to play DJ on KRUZ-TV or at the Museum of Art & History. I think people would pay money to hear this. I believe you’ve stumbled upon a piece of pop culture that many of us would treasure.
After all, Santa Cruz still is the center of the universe.
Mark Hucklebridge | Santa Cruz
Song Check
I was surprised to see Larry Hosford did not make your 20 best songs about Santa Cruz list in your 12/28/16 issue! Larryโs song โDown in the Santa Cruz Bayโ is not only about Santa Cruz, it is about some of the local musicians who have played here over the years. Larry, who sadly passed away a short time ago, has been entertaining the local Santa Cruz music scene and has played with many local musicians for many years, and in my opinion was a brilliant songwriter. I hope someday Larry gets the recognition he deserves!
Dan OโBannon ย | Watsonville
Gah, and only a week after I wrote a tribute to Hosford in our Year in Review issue! Thanks for pointing out this oversight. We got a lot of great feedback and song suggestions after publishing this story. Keep them coming, there may have to be a follow-up! โ Editor
About Last Nite
Such a wonderful time last night at the Last Nite Paradeโreminding me of the power there is in how we use our energy.
When I first arrived downtown, the energy felt so tense. There were police and police cars on every block, and many signs warning of triple fines for a whole list of things. No one was smiling. I wondered if our parade would be allowed.
Walking down Pacific toward where the parade was to start, I began seeing people in colorful costumes, blowing bubbles, playing drums, bagpipes, dancing, singing. The bagpipes led the way down Pacific. How could anyone not smileโso much joy! I felt the shift in the energy; even the police were smiling. The parade was short and ended up near Bookshop Santa Cruz with a drum and bagpipe circle. So simple, so heart-opening.
We don’t describe our girls as โat-riskโ; rather, we believe we are serving middle-school girls at a critical time in their development: the pre-teen and teen years. We are honored to do this work and when it comes to our youth there is always more work to be done. Thank you!
โ Theresa Cariรฑo
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GOOD IDEA
POLICY BREAKDOWN
As of Jan. 1, all takeout containers in the unincorporated areas of the county must be compostable. The rules, approved by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, prohibit plastic straws, plastic stir sticks and Styrofoam to-go containers. The rules apply to restaurants, grocery stores, farmers markets, food trucks, special events, and anywhere food is sold to go.
GOOD WORK
SAFE START
It was a relatively quiet New Yearรขโฌโขs Eve in downtown Santa Cruz, at least compared to previous years. There were 12 arrests made, mostly for public intoxication, according to SCPD. Officers were still busy though, responding to 160 calls for service between 5 p.m. on Dec. 31 and 5 a.m. the following morning.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
รขโฌลKidney transplants seem so routine now. But the first one was like Lindberghรขโฌโขs flight across the ocean.รขโฌย
Four Healthy Shorts and ‘Cowspiracy’ at Westside New Leaf
Letโs face it, eating meat is bad for the planet. Itโs not an easy reality for meat lovers to face, but since the animal agriculture industry is responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, more than combined exhaust from all transportation, weโve got to start paying attention. This January, the Westside New Leaf Community Market will show several acclaimed documentaries that cover critical issues in nutrition, diet, the impact of animal agriculture on global warming, and how the US. food system has led to epidemic levels of preventable diseases. Four thought-provoking short films will be screened on Tuesday, Jan. 10, the groundbreaking documentary Cowspiracy on Wednesday, Jan. 11, and Forks Over Knives on Wednesday, Jan. 18.
Info: 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10, Wednesday, Jan. 11 and Wednesday, Jan. 18. Westside New Leaf, 1101 Fair Ave., Santa Cruz. newleaf.com/events. Free.
Art Seen
โSoldโ Movie Screening
‘Sold’ movie screening at the Del Mar
Based on the international bestselling novel by Patricia McCormick, Sold stars Gillian Anderson, David Arquette and Priyanka Bose. The story of Lakshmi, trafficked from her rural Nepalese village to work in a brothel called Happiness House in Kolkata, India, at age 13, reflects the horrible reality of human trafficking in Southeast Asia, and offers a small window into the plight of millions of children who disappear every year. On a global scale, the average age of someone trafficked is 13 and itโs estimated that 35.8 million people are forced into labor at any given time due to human trafficking.
Itโs that time of year again, when the number eight reigns supreme, with eight 10-minute plays shown at 8 p.m. from Jan. 6 to Feb. 5. This yearโs lineup has 16 award-winning plays from a national playwriting contest that will be shown throughout the five-week festival. โOver the years we have received plays from writers all over the world. The 8 Tens @ Eight has become known as the premiere 10-minute play festival on the West Coast. We have proudly kept in touch with many of our winning playwrights, and have seen them go on to have plays produced in larger venues, knowing it all started for them here in Santa Cruz,โ says artistic director and festival founder Wilma Marcus Chandler.
Info: 8 p.m. Center Stage Theater, 1001 Center St., Santa Cruz. brownpapertickets.com.ย $22-$25.
Monday 1/9
Erik Vance at Bookshop Santa Cruz
Erik Vance at Bookshop Santa Cruz
If youโve ever watched Law and Order, you know that witness testimony is unreliable because six people who see the same thing will all describe it differently. So how do placebos, hypnosis, and false memories work? Journalist Erik Vanceโs Suggestible You: The Curious Science of Your Brainโs Ability to Deceive, Transform and Heal, postulates that the answers lie within our own brains. In the narrative, Vance explores the surprising ways expectations and beliefs influence our bodily responses to pain, disease and everyday events.
Info: 7 p.m. Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. bookshopsantacruz.com. Free.
Wednesday 1/11
โLeadership in Times of Changeโ Workshop
‘Leadership in Times of Change’ Workshop at Peace United Church of Christ
Renowned leadership coach and workshop facilitator Dave Ellis has gifted the Diversity Center with a full day of training on Wednesday, Jan. 11. To spark a bigger conversation about whatโs next in 2017 for our community and the Center, Ellis will present several practical and useful success strategies. During the workshop participants will be encouraged to ask life-changing questions while being supported to fully engage and enhance creativity, identity deep truths, and work toward accomplishing goals. Registration on website.
Info: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Peace United Church of Christ, 900 High St., Santa Cruz. squadup.com/events/dellis. $25.
Think of Muriel Andersonโs show less as a concert and more as an audio-visual performance. On this tour, sheโll be showcasing her new piece, โWonderlust,โ playing an exotic guitar-harp. The idea behind the show is to take audiences on a journey around the worldโthe visuals are stunning snapshots of breathtaking sites from all over the globe, accompanied by gorgeous, sweeping acoustic music that will make you feel like you are soaring through the astral system, taking in the places that define the essence of humanity. AARON CARNES
Six years ago, four women in their mid-20s bonded at an underground open mic in Santa Barbara. The multi-instrumentalists went on to form the Rainbow Girls, and have released two studio albums and toured extensively around the U.S. and Europe. They are currently on an โacoustic house tour,โ accepting open requests for living-room performances. Now located in Sonoma County, the foursomeโs sound lands somewhere between bluesy folk and country rock, featuring soulful harmonies, energetic accordion, gypsy melodica, and a dynamic percussion section. KATIE SMALL
One of the biggest in a series of body blows to music lovers this year was the loss of David Bowie, whose art so thoroughly consumed him that even his impending death inspired brilliant, transcendent songwriting. On Friday, Katdelic, led by P-Funk All Star Ronkat Spearman, celebrates Bowieโs birthday weekend with a performance honoring the music giantโs life and music. Also on the bill: DJ Little John. CAT JOHNSON
At the recent Santa Cruz Guitar Company Christmas party, a handful of people gathered in one of the back rooms while a circle of musicians led by local teacher and bluegrass standout Steve Palazzo picked out tunes. It was a joy-inducing jam I didnโt think could get any better. Then Kellen and Jamie Coffis showed up and played a slowed-down, stunningly sad and beautiful version of the Everly Brothers song โDream.โ I had tears rolling down my cheeksโand I wasnโt alone. If you havenโt had a chance to see these brothers do their thing, remedy that immediately. Also on the bill: Kingsborough (Friday) and McCoy Tyler (Saturday). CJ
Soul Majesticโs eight-member lineup includes keys, saxophone and robust male and female harmonies; the band traces their humble beginnings to UC Santa Cruz circa 2001, crediting KZSC for ample radio exposure. These days, the reggae collective aims to โchannel their sunny beach days and bonfire nights into a unique brand of reggae music.โ In 2013, the group crowd-sourced enough money to build their own private recording studio and have since produced multiple albums. Special guests Collective Movement featuring Aidan Shiwa, DJ Splice and Kava Jah support. KS
Five-piece metalcore band Kingdom of Giants plays with the ferocity that the genre demands, and the members live their lives with the same level of intensity. In other words, they are road warriors. Whether they are bringing their show to fans in cities across the country, or ripping through their tunes with beastly rage, itโs with utmost passion, and from the gut. Getting some studio polish after signing with InVogue in 2014 has only made the bandโs tunes better. When itโs quiet, itโs really quiet. When itโs loud, itโs at eardrum-bleeding levels. AC
One of Santa Cruzโs favorite new party bands, Isaac and the Haze performs high-energy cover songs spanning from โ80s rock to contemporary soul to reggae rock and hip-hop. The bandโs song list reads like a collection of cross-genre chart-topping jams, including โKissโ by Prince; โCanโt Feel My Faceโ by the Weeknd; โGirlfriend is Betterโ by Talking Heads; โHey Yaโ by Outkast; โNeed You Tonightโ by INXS; and โCalifornia Loveโ by Dr. Dre and 2Pac. For those in the mood to dance into the night to radio hits of the last several decades, this band has you covered. CJ
INFO: 9:30 p.m. The Crowโs Nest, 2218 E Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz. $7. 476-4560.
SUNDAY 1/8
AMERICANA
RONSTADT GENERATIONS
Fact: Linda Ronstadtโs Simple Dreams is one of the best albums of the โ70s. It showed that she could make a great pop record, while tinkering with genre liberally, a trend that would continue with her music. Guess what? That runs in the family. Her younger brother Michael J. Ronstadt (and his sons) have their own band, in which they play folk, jazz, blues, and whatever else they feel like. The lyrics are in English and Spanish, with both originals and covers. AC
Kuumbwa kicks off the new year with a timeless singer and supremely soulful band. In a career stretching back to the early 1950s, Barbara Dane has moved effortlessly from her folk music roots to singing jazz and blues with commanding authority (while never abandoning her resolute leftist politics). She celebrates the release of her first new album in a decade, Throw It Awayโฆ, a collaboration with the invaluable Oakland pianist Tammy Hall. The accompanist of choice for many of the best jazz singers in the region (such as Kim Nalley and Denise Perrier), Hall wrote the arrangements for Daneโs magpie repertoire. Whether sheโs interpreting Paul Simonโs โAmerican Song,โ Memphis Minnieโs โIโm Sellinโ My Porkchops,โ Leonard Cohenโs โSlow,โ or Andy Razaf and Fats Wallerโs โHow Can You Face Me?,โ Dane still sounds marvelous at 89, her phrasing sure and her sense of humor pleasingly tart. ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: 7 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $25/adv, $30/door. 427-2227.
IN THE QUEUE
ACOUSTICALLY SPEAKING
Acoustic Grateful Dead covers with Kat and Mik Bondy and the Scott Cooper Duo. Thursday at Moeโs Alley
GROOVITY
Dance rock jams from the โ70s. Thursday at Crowโs Nest
THE HERMS
Post-punk out of L.A., by-way-of the Bay Area. Friday at Crepe Place
EDGE OF THE WEST
Americana-meets-cosmic jam band. Saturday at Crepe Place
JESSE DANIEL & THE SLOW LEARNERS
American roots and country punk. Monday at Don Quixoteโs
On Nov. 3, Kelly van den Berghe thought she was getting a behind-the-scenes tour of AT&T Park. Thatโs what her husband Lex had told her, after all. He works for Adobe, and said the company was letting some of the employees take a tour of the stadium in the San Francisco Giantsโ off-season, with Kelly his plus-one.
She was ecstatic. Kellyโwho many in Santa Cruz know as Roxy Scarmichael, a founder of and former player on the Santa Cruz Roller Derby teamโis a Giants superfan. Lex van den Berghe is also well-known locally. He was a contestant on TVโs Survivor in its third season (Survivor: Africa) and eighth (Survivor: All-Stars). Heโs also known as the drummer for Bay Area bands Frontier Wives and Maids of Honor.
Kelly needed an amazing day. Lex had to push her through the stadium in the wheelchair she was in while healing from ankle surgery, due to repeat roller derby injuries that forced her to quit the team three and a half years ago. ย ย
But even more devastating was the state of her kidneys. Kelly was born with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). Now at 52, her kidneys were nearing failure. She was on the transplant list, which can take years. She knew that once they failed, she would have to live on dialysis, a very limiting and exhausting existence. The only other option was getting a live donor, but finding someone willing to part with their kidney who also happened to be a match was unlikely. Josh Harrold, a friend of theirs for 15 years, offered his, but he wouldnโt know for another month if he was a match.
At least thatโs what he told her. The truth was, he had already finished the testing and was a match. He had devised this grand reveal at the Giantsโ stadium to deliver the good news to her, and asked Lex to tell her a lieโany lieโto get to the stadium. Lex agreed, reluctantly.
โIโm not a very good liar, especially when it comes to her,โ he says now.
Fortunately, she was so excited about the prospect of getting to see the Giants stadium, she didnโt look at Lexโs story too closely. Which was a bit unusual, too.
โNormally, itโs really hard to surprise me, because I have this gut instinct when somethingโs off,โ Kelly says.
Everything felt fine, until they got on the green. She didnโt see any of Lexโs co-workers. But before anything sunk in, Kelly noticed the Jumbotron had her name on the screen. It read: โKelly, I know youโre a Giants fan โฆ but youโre about to have a Royals kidney.โ
She turned and saw Harrold standing across the green. Shocked, she leapt out of her wheelchair toward him.
โAll common sense went out the window,โ Kelly says. โI was going to go run to him, except Iโm in a cast. He finally got to me and I held on to himโโOh my god, this is amazing.โโ
LONG ROAD
Flash-forward: Iโm sitting with Kelly and Lex at the kitchen table in their quaint Santa Cruz house on a lazy Saturday in early December. Their dogs and cats approach us as we snack on cheese, bread and fruit, each pet desperate for attention, food, or a little of both. Kelly is walking around on crutches. She still uses the wheelchair when she needs itโshe is healing, but itโs a slow process. She hopes her ankle has a chance to heal before she gets her kidney transplant.
โI have to be in bed now because of my foot. I want some period of time where I can get out and walk and bike and do stuff. Iโm ready to run, because I know the next step is going to be healing my kidneys,โ Kelly says.
Her transplant, she says, could come anytime between a month and a year. Her kidney is functioning at about 18-20 percent, and doctors are trying to squeeze as much life out of it as possible before replacing it. They are waiting for it to drop to 15 percent functionality before going forward with the transplant.
REACTION TIME Kelly is wheeled out to the field at the AT&T Park by her husband Lex van den Berghe for the big reveal. PHOTO: KELLY CASTRO
Three weeks after the interview, she tells me they expect her to reach 15 percent functionality in six months. ย
Kellyโs condition, PKD, is genetic, and causes numerous cysts to grow on her kidneys. The cysts can increase the size of the kidneys dramatically. A normal kidney is the size of a fist. Some folks with PKD can have kidneys grow to the size of footballs. The more cysts grow, the less the kidneys are able to function properly.
โAlthough it isnโt well-known, it is one of the most common life-threatening genetic diseases,โ says Angelike Gaunt, director of marketing for PKD Foundation, an organization that raises funds for research to find a cure. There is currently no treatment. Gaunt says that PKD affects 600,000 people in the U.S., and an estimated 12.5 million worldwide. The PKD Foundation is the only organization that exists solely to cure PKD.
The average wait for someoneโs first kidney transplant, according to Gaunt, is 3.6 years, and 13 people die each day waiting for a transplant. The wait can vary depending on location; Kelly was told by the Stanford Medical facility that the wait would be between 8-10 years.
Wait times could greatly decrease if more people signed up to be a donor. Only 52 percent of Americans are signed up to be donors, according to Donate Life America.
The best option for anyone facing kidney failure is to get a live donor, as Kelly has. But that doesnโt mean her prognosis is perfect from here on out.
For the past 20 years, sheโs lived with some degree of pain from her kidneys. Sometimes they hurt, other times the disease saps her energy. Once she gets Harroldโs kidney, she will still have PKD, although the symptoms will go away temporarily. The new kidney can last between five and 20 years. Then sheโll need another. Her pain and exhaustion will increase the longer she has the new kidney.
Thereโs also all the medication sheโll need to take to prevent her body from rejecting the organ. In essence, sheโll need to shut down her immune system, which is designed to prevent foreign objects such as a new kidney from surviving inside of her. After the transplant, as a side effect, she can expect to get sick often.
โIโm totally scared. It takes an emotional toll on you because youโre grateful, but at the same time youโre freaking out,โ Kelly says. โIโm so thankful because Iโve been able to live a pretty healthy life up to this point. It didnโt stop me from doing the things I wanted to do like it does now.โ
Without a live donor, she would eventually have to hook up to a dialysis machine several times a week, for several hours at a time, while the machine removed waste and extra fluids from her blood; basically, doing what a kidney should do. The pain is lessened, but itโs still exhausting. It got so bad for Kellyโs grandmother that she finally sat the family down, said her goodbyes, and went off dialysis, effectively ending her life. Fortunately for Kelly, sheโll likely avoid dialysis completely. At most, sheโll have to go on it for a short stretch.
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LOVING THE SURVIVOR
Despite everything Kelly has gone throughโand has yet to faceโshe is upbeat.
โThere are people that have a disease, or diabetes, and just drown in it. Iโm like, โThis is going to happen, and I know itโs going to happen. Iโm not going to let it stop me from enjoying my life. Iโll deal with it when it happens,โโ Kelly says. โI was never really, โpoor me. I have kidney disease.โโ
As a kid, she always knew she could have itโher mother and grandmother both didโbut it wasnโt until after high school that she knew with certainty that she had inherited it. She met Lex when they were in their early 20s and explained her condition to him, but he shrugged it off.
โI didnโt care,โ he says. โI was in love with her. You donโt select a mate the way you do a car. If youโre in love with that person, youโre in love with everything.โ
SWEET RELIEF Hugs all around after Harrold delivers the big news on Nov. 3. PHOTO: KELLY CASTRO
Lex and Kelly met at a memorial fundraiser for San Jose musician Scotty Vollmer in 1988; Frontier Wives was on the bill. Lex was engaged to someone else at the time, but shortly after the show, Kelly told a friend she knew that she and Lex were going to get married one day. Sure enough, they were soon dating, and five years later they were married. They had their first son, Corbin, in 1992.
The intense love between the two of them is obvious to anyone who gets near them for any amount of time. When Lex was on Survivor: Africa, there was an episode where loved ones were videoed in to engage in personal trivia with the contestants, and Lex and Kelly won. No one was surprised.
Other than monitoring her condition, Kellyโs PKD rarely came up, except regarding children. They were told there was a 50/50 chance of passing it on. Unfortunately, both of their kids inherited the disease.
Kelly has lived a relatively normal life, except for the occasional kidney pain and bouts of exhaustion, which sometimes last for days. It started to become noticeable in her late 30s. About 10 years ago, in her early 40s, she began inching toward kidney failure. Her kids had entered their teenage years, and she badly needed something to shake up her life. Thatโs when she discovered Roller Derby.
SCAR TACTICS
Kelly was in Starbucks at 41st Avenue and Soquel when she saw a flyer for the newly forming Santa Cruz Roller Skate Girls. She soon became one of the first to join the team of roughly 20 women. The organization became a nonprofit in 2009, and was renamed Santa Cruz Derby Girls. Kelly was one of the oldest players, but she was also one of the best, and most intense members of the team. Her multiple injuries attest to her visceral approach to the game.
โSheโs had six derby-related surgeries, one for every year she was in derby, pretty much,โ Lex says, with a mixture of admiration and frustration in his voice.
She even got hit in the kidney once, which she says was extraordinarily painful. But that didnโt keep her out of the ring. She loved everything about derbyโthe community, the excitement, and most of all seeing what sheโa mom of twoโwas capable of.
In a strange twist, it turned out that, kidney punches aside, derby was actually improving her kidney function. Kelly was exercising rigorously, and in the best shape of her life. Both Lex and Kelly think that had she not played derby, her kidneys would have already failed by now. The only reason she stopped was her ankle injuries. In 2010, she got surgery for a torn ACL. She coached for a year, then returned to the ring. In 2012, she broke her foot, and that was it.
โI really needed derby when it came. It was like I found myself again. I wasnโt needed as much as a mom,โ Kelly says. โYou know when you get that first hit, that youโre either going to love it or hate it, and I loved it. It was a great thing. Thereโs no days off. It was a full-time job.โ
After her first surgery, something changed in her body chemistry. She was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and chronic pain, but her kidneys were still functioning pretty well.
Last June, her doctor told her that it was time to get on a transplant list. She always knew that day would come, but still felt a sense of shock. Sheโs still grappling with that feeling, as she prepares for the six-month wait.
โIโm not gonna lie,โ she says. โI feel like shitโs about to get real.โ
In August, Kelly posted on Facebook about the state of her kidneys, telling friends and family that she was in need of a transplant. Other people in the past had assured her they would give her a kidney, but Harrold was the one who stepped up.
โJosh, heโs this wonderful human being. Heโs kind, generous and selfless. I knew we were going to be a match. I donโt know why,โ Kelly says.
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BAPTIZED IN YOO-HOO
The story of how Harrold met the van den Berghes 15 years ago is possibly the strangest part of this story. While Lex was competing on Survivor: Africa in 2001, CBS asked all the contestants to fill out a long personal questionnaire, which he likens to the personal info youโd fill out for a dating site. One of the questions was โfavorite beverage.โ Lex wrote down: โYoo-hoo.โ
At that time fresh out of college, Harrold was the national spokesperson for Yoo-hoo. He would tour with Blink-182 and Green Day one month, getting punk kids to drink Yoo-hoo, and then deliver bottles to the Late Show with David Letterman in hopes that he would mention the product on air. (He did.)
Someone at Yoo-hoo was a fan of Survivor, and noticed Lex had written in the drink on his CBS personality profile. She sent Harroldโwho was in L.A.โto drop off 100 cases of Yoo-hoo to Lex, as well as personalized embroidered Yoo-hoo shirts, skateboards, a cooler, a boombox and other Yoo-hoo swag. It took Lex a couple years to work his way through all that Yoo-hoo, and he still has a lot of the swag. โIโd drink it daily, and I never got tired of it. Who gets sick of Yoo-hoo? Itโs fucking delicious!โ he says.
When Harrold showed up, he and Lex chatted for hours over beers and dinner. They became fast friends, and kept in touch through the years.
โOur connection was spawned by Survivor, but baptized in Yoo-hoo,โ Lex says. โThereโs times I feel like, โwhy did I sign up to be a part of that reality show?โ I feel like I got the answer. It was predetermined I was going to do this, because it would ultimately save my wifeโs life. Kelly and I are so close. Weโve had 25 of the best years anyone could ever have. Because of Josh, we may get another 25.โ
Harrold, meanwhile, says he is overjoyed to be giving Kelly his kidney. There is no question that he understands what Lex and Kelly are going throughโthree years ago, his wife was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The first four surgeons they went to said it was inoperable, that she had months to live. The fifth and sixth surgeons felt differently. They went with the sixth, who successfully operated, and then gave her chemo. She has been doing better; just recently, itโs grown, but Harrold and his wife are optimistic they will beat it again. She is currently a couple of weeks into radiation treatment.
During this time, Lex called Harrold regularly to check up on him and give him his unconditional support.
โIt was the hardest thing Iโve ever been through,โ Harrold says. โYou can be mad and mope about it, or do what my wife and I have done and realize that this is the hand that youโve been played. I had a very sick wife. I needed something to give us both hope. I know Lexโs been in the same shoes. If Iโm able to make sure heโs able to go into old age with his wife like Iโm trying to do, Iโd be honored to do that.โ
Harrold orchestrated the entire AT&T park event for Kelly with a few calls to friends in high places. โIf itโs epic news, it should be told in an epic way,โ he says. This isnโt out of character for Harrold, who did something similar for his wedding proposal, which is on YouTube with over 250,000 views.
โItโs not enough that this guy is already gifting a kidney, heโs now completely orchestrated this grand reveal,โ Lex marvels. โThis is how good a dude this guy is.โ
As for the Jumbotron message about the โRoyalsโ kidney, itโs because Harroldโs favorite team is the Kansas City Royals. He was able to talk to someone at the Royals and have custom jerseys made for Lex, Kelly, Harrold and Harroldโs wife, Erica. Ericaโs said โLove Life.โ Lexโs said โDonate Life.โ Harroldโs said โRoyal Kidney 1,โ and Kellyโs โRoyal Kidney 2.โ ย ย
Harrold, of course, had everyone put on their custom Royals jersey for a photo. He and Kelly always had a friendly baseball rivalry, and under any other circumstances, she would never even think about putting on a Kansas City Royals jersey. But this was no ordinary day.
โThe Royals created these custom jerseys so we could force Kelly into enemy colors for the day,โ Harrold says, laughing. โI told her itโs all worth it if I can get photos of her in a Royals jersey.โ
Cynthia Chase, the new Santa Cruz mayor whose term began last month, says the most important issue for the city to tackle right now is affordable housing. For the start of the new year, GT caught up with Chase to talk about the opportunities for women, the countyโs glass ceiling, her work in local prisons and her solutions for Santa Cruzโs housing crisis.
In some ways, this yearโs election was horrible for women. One bright light is that five out of the seven seats on Santa Cruz City Council are now held by women. What do you make of that?
CYNTHIA CHASE: When I ran [in 2014], one of the reasons I ran was I had gone to the Breaking the Glass Ballot initiative, which was a project that had started here locally, but it exists in other places. And the intention was really to encourage women to run. And when you talk to women, there are really smart, really skilled, creative, innovative, just incredible women out there who donโt run for a variety of reasons, that are somewhat overlapping with [menโs reasons], but a lot different. And what I see over and over isโand thereโs a lot of research to prove this, tooโwomen doubt themselves. Women second-guess themselves. Women donโt feel like they are qualified to be in leadership roles, and they view leadership and what it takes to be a leader quite differently. And thatโs a message that I think we really need to work on, particularly for young women, and helping them understand that it doesnโt take someone who is loud, boisterous, bombastic, despite what the national election showed.
Since 2012, all of our county supervisors have been men. The county has also never had a woman elected to state legislature or Congress. What can we do to break our glass ceiling at higher levels of government?
Often, childcare falls to women. Although thatโs changing, certainly, there are expectations that are both self-imposed and in the community that women really need to show up in these ways in regard to their families. The decision about being in an elected position and being in a family is still a conflict for women. Right now, Iโm pretty much in that position. Do I continue to serve, knowing that this council role is a part-time job, and I have a whole other full-time job? And if I were to add in family to that, my husband and I, what would that look like? So that is a crossroads for people, particularly women. I will have to choose at some point, and that some point is getting smaller and smaller.
So we need to create a place where women can be the kind of leaders that feel more familiar to them, and have support to do that. Because this isnโt just anecdotal, the research shows that when women are in leadership positions, generally speaking, in almost every way, things go better. They go better for the economy. They go better for the community. They go better for relationships. They are able to get more done, and you hit fewer barriers and government doesnโt come to standstills.
After you graduated from UCSC, you were a juvenile probation officer in Santa Cruz. Then for eight years, you ran Gemma, a program for transitioning women from incarceration. Now youโre an inmate programs manager at the county sheriffโs office. How has your career informed your political life?
Really what Iโve been doing for 16 going on 17 years is working on how do we shift systems to better prepare people who are incarcerated for successful release. What weโre doing now in our local jails, our job is to rehabilitate people. Itโs no longer just housing people for a short period of time with short sentences, then theyโre going to get right out. Itโs about systems and how they connect, overlap and affect each other. So any decision that we make in one realm is going to have this ripple effect into others. And I think that is the example that I use constantly in talking to people at the city. โฆ Thatโs where weโre talking about systems: How do we as a city partner with the county, and talk to our state and federal partners about putting some more resources in, and being a lot more systematic in our responses to things like homelessness and substance addiction and behavioral health issues, that are really not in the cityโs purview?
What do you plan to do as mayor about affordable housing?
Housing is a big focus this year. One of the things Iโm hoping to do is convert one of the City Hall to You [forums] to a housing forum, and really Iโm still working with a lot of stakeholders on thisโadvocates for housing rights, tenants, landlords, developers, lenders, all the folks who are really engaged in this and trying to say, โLook, all of you have skin in the game. Everybody has something to do here.โ ย And actually, when you talk to all of those people, our solutions are not really far off. I think thatโs the thing that is unfortunate, that people tend to get so divided into their camps, and really, when I sit down and talk to every one of them and Iโm listening, theyโre so similar in what they need. So if I can bring all of that energy together and say, what is our housing vision for this community and how can we get that groundwork laid so that we can move forward in that direction, thatโs what I really would love to accomplish this year. I know it takes a really long time to actually develop housing and all of those things, but if we can, this year, land on a vision that we see as a community for housing, I think that is doable.
Many local housing officials and nonprofit leaders say the dissolution of the countyโs redevelopment agency in 2012 ended the main local funding source for affordable housing. What do you see as the solution for filling that giant need?
We formed a subcommittee around exploring what are the other funding sources. Is that a TOT increase? Is that a local bond measure? What does it look like? Is it just for housing or would it be a sort of overall quality of life issue? And really explore what our sources of funding are. And luckily, as I go around the community and talk to those different stakeholders, people are saying, โYep. Weโre on board.โ Because they know it canโt happen without something like that. ย
Last year, you championed the โCity Hall to Youโ program, a town hall forum in four neighborhoods. Whatโs the biggest outcome?
People are now feeling like they have a connection to city government. They have an actual person. They have a conversation. They have a relationship. [They feel they] can move forward not just on their public works issue or question, but in general that we are accessible. And that, to me, is one of my biggest goals.
โWeโre talking about live music multiple nights a week, events and performances on a regular basis, yoga classes, reading programs for families with little kidsโcertainly all of the participatory art, history, and cultural experiences that people have come to expect from the MAH,โ says Nina Simon, executive director of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH), who has spearheaded this project since its inception in 2012. She says the museum is bringing its โflavorโ outside and inviting the community in.
The site off Cooper Street, which used to function as a quiet downtown pedestrian alley, will now be the museumโs โback porch, featuring open seating on an extended plaza for live performances and community eventsโas well a โsecret gardenโ on the back plaza, boasting landscaping and creative activities designed with children in mind. MAH staff have been vague with details about the square, as they hope the grandeur of the project will speak for itself once it is revealed.
Developer John McEnery IV recently curated a diverse group of talented local chefs and vendors to staff the Abbott Square Market, which will have five mini-restaurants and two bars. The square will be open to the public from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday, and will stay open until midnight on weekends.
Abbott Squareโs latest challenge is figuring out what to do with the Octagon building that used to be home to Lulu Carpenterโs coffee roasters. The coffee shop moved out of the historic location, which once served as the countyโs hall of records, at the end of October, and the building is currently vacant, an unexpected twist for the MAH, although museum leaders have decided to include the 134-year-old building in their Abbott Square vision. Right now, the developers are extending an invitation to the public for the opportunity to use the Octagon as a pop-up creative or cultural experience. Open houses will be held at the space in early January, and proposals for the Octagonโs first pop-up are due Jan. 22. โIt could be creative retail, it could be workshop space, it could be a gallery, we donโt know. Weโre leaving it open to the community right now,โ says Simon.
Planning for the $5 million Abbott Square project began in 2012, the year after Simon took over as the MAHโs director and saw an opportunity almost immediately.
The desire for a bustling creative hub downtown in a city known for its artistic talent dates back a couple decades to the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquakeโwhose most notable architectural casualty, the Cooper House, had been home to restaurants, shops, live bands and dancing. A wrecking ball leveled what was left of the building in the weeks after, and over the years, people discussed how to recreate that feeling of community space downtown. Many wanted a plaza, focusing on a lot owned by Louis Rittenhouse on Pacific Avenue (now home to a Rip Curl store). But even if Rittenhouse had agreed to sell, activists and city planners were having a hard time agreeing on how to use the parcel anyway, and the discussion eventually quieted.
All the while, Abbott Squareโnamed after Chuck and Esther Abbott, whose vision helped shape the previous Pacific Garden Mallโsat quietly behind the Cooper House, which got rebuilt and filled with new shops like OโNeill.
Ann Ostermann, open studios and events manager for the Santa Cruz Arts Council, says sometimes it takes a โvisionaryโ like Simon to see the obviousโin this case, that the atmosphere the Cooper House provided had never been replaced and that Abbott Square, if invigorated, could fill that void.
Around the time of Simonโs hiring nearly six years ago, the museum was discussing ways to renew its energy and evolve into a cultural center for the community. Simon saw Abbott Square, which was nothing more than an open patio and a coffee shop, as the museumโs link to the unique downtown around it, and saw the potential for reviving the MAHโs spirit to also revive the community outsideโsomething the arts community appreciates.
โItโs great for us to have a place where thereโs people and thereโs music, and thereโs so much action. And of course, weโre crazy about everything the MAHโs doing,โ says Ostermann, who says it was a โsad dayโ when the Cooper House came down 27 years ago. โThe square will have a flow to it, because there are going to be different projects. Itโs going to be shifting and moving, and I really like that.โ
Museum leaders raised funds for Abbott Square primarily through community contributions. The MAH received $1 million dollars through grants from foundations, and the rest came from local businesses and individuals. Although the project is now fully funded, the MAH is still asking for donations to support events and performances at the square, which will be free and open to the public. Simon says the outpour of community support the project has received is encouraging her every step of the way.
To Simon, a successful Abbott Square is one that attracts everyone. The MAH, she says, not only hopes to enliven the community, but help it heal as well. Lively and energetic public spaces that allow people to feel comfortable and included are proven by urban planners to attract positive behaviors, she says, and deter things like criminal activity and harassment.
The square is providing an interesting spin on art, too.
โItโs bringing art outside. People still have such an ordinary idea of what a museum is,โ says Ostermann, who adds that the Arts Council has been working on similar goals, both at the Tannery Arts Center and through the Ebb and Flow projects along the levee. โI like the idea of people experiencing art outside, as well as inside.โ
For information on how to pitch a program or project for the Octagon, visit www.abbottsquare.org.
