When guitarist Coco Montoya takes the stage at the Redwood Mountain Faire in Felton on June 1, the respected blues guitarist can draw on nearly three decades as a solo artist, with a deep catalog and a well-earned reputation as a compelling live performer.
His first release hit big, winning a W.C. Handy Award in 1996.
Today Montoya remains grateful for that award, but he shakes his head and laughs when the subject is brought up. “Believe me, I’m appreciative,” he says. “But I won for ‘Best Newcomer’!”
That album was his solo debut, but he had already been on the road as a musician for nearly 25 years. “I had been hanging out with B.B. King, Albert King, Jeff Beck, Mick Taylor and Johnny Otis,” he says. “So I thought ‘Best Newcomer’ was kind of hilarious.”
Now a respected figure in the blues world, he learned a lot by working with two towering blues figures in particular. And he hasn’t forgotten where he came from, or the lessons he’s learned along the way.
Keeping the Beat
Montoya did more than hang out with famous names in the rock and blues world. A self-trained multi-instrumentalist from an early age, the Santa Monica-born Montoya was working as a bartender in a Culver City joint and playing drums in a local band. “I was 19,” he recalls, “playing a Chicano circuit.”
One day, the bar owner asked blues legend Albert Collins to play a matinee gig. Without asking Montoya, he offered Collins and his band the use of Montoya’s drums, which were already set up onstage.
At first, Montoya was pretty pissed off about it, but once he met Collins, he was so taken by his warm and friendly manner that he enthusiastically went along.
At the time, Montoya had zero experience as a pro musician, but Collins saw something in him. When Collins heard him play drums, he invited Montoya to join his touring band.
Though he would only stay with Collins’ group for a few years, Montoya says that he learned important lessons from his mentor. “He set me on a quest in my mind to find that inner power that I saw work for him,” he says.
Day in and day out, he witnessed Collins’ perseverance and dedication. “He would drive hours and hours to a gig,” Montoya recalls, “and then have to deal with somebody treating him in a bad way because of his skin color.” “Or a cop would pull us over and give him grief.”
But even after enduring those kinds of insults, Collins would take to the stage with grace and enthusiasm. “It was amazing to watch him play after that,” Montoya says. “He’d get the crowd so excited that we’d have to do an encore. He would do all that, carrying us on his back.”
Breaking Blues
John Mayall is widely hailed as the “godfather of British blues.” Leading the Bluesbreakers, he employed a staggering succession of musicians including Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor, Jack Bruce, Mick Fleetwood, Harvey Mandel and many others. And the lead guitarist with the second-longest tenure in the group would be Coco Montoya.
Montoya didn’t even seek out that spot. “I was out of the business,” he emphasizes. “I had a bartending gig, making steady money, and I didn’t have to put up with any bullshit from club owners.” But he still played guitar. One evening in the early 1980s, he took part in a jam session at the Viper Room in West Hollywood. “Unbeknownst to me,” he recalls, “John Mayall came in, celebrating one of his birthdays.” When it was Montoya’s turn to play, he did what he describes as “a bastardized version” of the Otis Rush blues classic, “All Your Love (I Miss Love).”
A few months later, Montoya’s phone rang. “It was this English guy saying he was John Mayall, and that he was rebuilding the Bluesbreakers since Mick Taylor had left to play with Bob Dylan,” Montoya explains. Thinking it was a prank pulled by the British owner of the pub where he tended bar, Montoya hung up on the caller.
Mayall called back. “Don’t hang up,” he insisted. He offered Montoya the co-lead guitar spot in his band. Montoya joined, and spent nearly a decade with Mayall, playing alongside Kal David and then Walter Trout. His work would be featured on six Bluesbreakers albums.
Montoya learned a great deal during his years with Mayall, but one lesson was particularly important. “Early on, John took me out on the carpet,” he recalls. “Coco, I need to tell you something,” Mayall said. “I see what you’re doing, and that’s not what I need. You’re trying to be Mick Taylor on this song, and you’re trying to be Eric Clapton on this song. I want you to play you.”
Montoya took the advice; he quit trying to copy the work of the guitarists who came before him. From that point forward, he applied his own personal guitar style to the Bluesbreakers.
And when Montoya went solo, he continued to follow that path. Drawing on his wide array of inspirations, he charted his own way through a successful career that endures to this day. His 11th and most recent release, 2023’s Writing on the Wall, is more than a guitar showcase; Montoya writes actual songs. Still steeped in the blues, his work moves seamlessly beyond that framework to take in many other styles. “Genres didn’t matter to me as a kid,” he says today. “And they still don’t.”
Coco Montoya plays at 4:55pm on June 1 at the Redwood Mountain Faire, taking place June 1-2 at Roaring Camp in Felton. redwoodmountainfaire.com
The headlines were filled last week with the news that, for the first time, more Americans are using weed on a daily or near-daily basis than are drinking alcohol with similar frequency, according to a new study. Besides being fodder for obvious jokes from late-night hosts, the study was heralded as good news for advocates of cannabis reform. And in a way, it is. But in other ways, it isn’t. Or at least it’s more complicated than the headlines had it.
Comparing booze and weed can be a fraught undertaking. One huge difference is especially problematic: you can drink with no intention of getting drunk, but if you use cannabis that contains THC you’re using it to get high (unless it’s strictly for medical use, and even then you usually get high).
Many “social drinkers” get a buzz whether that’s their intent or not. But many have a single drink or glass of wine, or two, or even three, and feel nothing at all, just as they intended. “Daily drinking” can mean that, or it can mean downing a quart of Jack Daniels every day.
Similarly, eating a 5-milligram gummy after work every day is very different from ripping three bong hits every waking hour. But, while being super-stoned all day is generally not a great idea, it’s still way better than being drunk out of your mind. Comparing the rates of “daily use” of the two substances doesn’t shed much light on the personal and social impacts.
That doesn’t mean the research is meaningless. The study, from Jonathan Caulkins, a professor who specializes in drug policy for Carnegie Mellon University, shows just how normalized cannabis has become, despite still being illegal in a bunch of states and at the federal level, so it’s good news for the cannabis industry and for advocates for legal reform. But what does it tell us otherwise?
In very general terms, if people are drinking less, that’s good, and if they’re replacing their alcohol intake with weed, it’s not necessarily bad (the study didn’t look at this question). If they’re opting to get high rather than straight-up drunk, it’s very good indeed: just for starters, they’ll be way less likely to wrap their cars around trees or hurl small appliances at their spouses.
Alcohol is still way more popular than cannabis in general. The study, published by the journal Addiction, counted only daily or near-daily use of cannabis, which Caulkins says has increased by 1,500% since 1992, and alcohol. Caulkins got his data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which is published annually by the federal government.
Caveats abound, as Caulkins acknowledges. The survey comes from self-reports, which are always problematic. Furthermore, several methodologies for the federal survey have changed over the years, such as sampling methods and the fact that participants are now paid $30. While the overall trends are clear enough, the results can’t help but be skewed when comparing the older surveys to the newer ones.
Perhaps the biggest thing that has changed since 1992 is that “daily use” back then generally meant smoking, often whole joints or bowlfuls. Now, “daily use” might mean the aforementioned gummy or a tiny hit off a vape. Nevertheless, Caulkins says that, because high-THC products are far more available now, average THC ingestion among daily users has skyrocketed, from 5 milligrams per day to about 300, an astonishing increase, and perhaps even troubling. But to whatever degree heavy drinkers are opting instead to be heavy pot users, it could be seen as a net positive.
But the study didn’t look at that question (the federal survey counts people who have “one or more drinks” daily, meaning that people who drink a glass of wine with dinner are counted the same as people who drink 14 shots of Wild Turkey every night). It was really a study of the habits of daily pot users, but it was sold (at least by the media) as being about how pot has eclipsed alcohol. That’s not true in general, and it’s not even really true just in terms of daily use, given the differences in how the substances can be consumed.
Based in Seattle, Museum of Light has secured its place on the doom metal scene through several exciting records and some seriously hard touring over the past few years. Their debut album, Horizon,came out in June 2022, and fans instantly took to their massive, totally face-melting sound. In the hands of guitarist Ted Alvarez, gritty riffs take on cinematic proportions while post-metal ambient washes immerse listeners in cathartic moments to breathe in. When the heavy drums in songs like “Waves” and “How Everybody Dies” hit, the Crepe Place will be transformed. ADDIE MAHMASSANI
THE BILLS Canada has given us so much: brilliant musicians, all the best SNL comedians, Tim Hortons Coffee—and hockey, of course. The Bills fall into the category of brilliant musicians from Canada, and their fiddles fly during songs about chickens that sound straight from the Old Country. Everyone in the band plays a string instrument, from guitar to viola and fiddle, and their members are classical music nerds (ask them how they feel about Beethoven) who also love Irish jigs and owe much of their influence to Appalachian folk music. Imagine five northern foresters in flannel who harmonize around a stand-up bass: that’s the Bills! JESSICA IRISH
Bug Séance provides a raw musical experience spanning multiple genres. They pull inspiration from emo, shoegaze, metal and rock, blending soundscapes that draw the audience into the music. Shifting from distorted guitars to soft vocals, then from fast drum solos into an ethereal mélange of melodies and tones, the listener soars on a diverse journey. With such unwavering sincerity, the music is just as much an emotional release as it is a thought-provoking experience. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE
INFO: 5pm, SubRosa, 703 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 426-5242.
FRIDAY 5/31
FOLK
Junebug Bayer Photo: Scott Franklin-Evans
JUNEBUG BAYER
One of Santa Cruz’s own, Junebug Bayer has spent time as a busker in NYC, has been a “sailing lunch lady” and currently identifies as a performance artist. Her songs include originals aimed at healing Mother Earth (woe betide any plastic bag that gets caught in a tree above Bayer!) as well as covers of classics like “Don’t Fence Me In” and “Season of the Witch.” Her songs are playful, lighthearted and confessional, with a peculiar, undeniable charm. Anyone who’s a sucker for a good, fingerpicked-folk song will delight in Bayer’s set; there might even be some harmonica to sweeten the deal. JI
When Mr. Rogers was a child and afraid of things he saw in the news, his mother would tell him to “look for the helpers.” When tragedy strikes, there’s always a choice to do something or do nothing, and the first annual Mothfest was created by helpers who wanted to do something. Featuring Dog Party, Dark Ride and horror punk heavyweights Blitzkid, Mothfest honors the memory of Santa Cruzan Daniel Lamothe, a local musician, friend and son who died tragically last year while training to be a firefighter. The Mothfest bands had a personal relationship with Lamothe, as did so many people throughout Santa Cruz County and—literally—the world. It’s a punk lineup Dan would’ve loved. MAT WEIR
The Redwood Mountain Faire is Santa Cruz’s hidden gem of a festival. What began in 2010 as a single-day event has grown to become an all-out, 26-band, three stages, and a two-day celebration of music and community. This year’s acts include local favorites like the Coffis Brothers, Taylor Rae and Diggin’ Trails, and national headliners like blues man Coco Montoya and hip-hop poet Lyrics Born. Along with featuring local musicians and highlighting the beautiful Roaring Camp Railroad grounds in the forest, proceeds for the Redwood Mountain Faire have benefited over a dozen local charities and non-profits since its inception. MW
INFO: 11am, Roaring Camp, 5401 Graham Hill Rd., Felton. $50-$90. 335-4484.
ROCK
TERRA
Local masters of alt-metal Terra take the Catalyst Atrium stage this Saturday night with lead guitarist and singer Drake Finch at the helm. They’ve been gathering fans around town with lots of local house shows and the release of several memorable singles, including the hard-hitting “Down The Path” and the punk-infused “Lie.” Their sound is a genre-defying blend of hardcore, metal and shoegaze that manages to be heavy and light at once. More Santa Cruz area bands on the rise join the bill, including Grad Nite, Casino Youth and Asilomar. AM
Wilma Marcus Chandler and Dena Taylor, two superstars in the local firmament of theater, poetry and literary hell-raising, have assembled a powerful anthology of creative writing by women over 80. Seriously. Yes, there are plenty of tales to tell by those who weren’t born yesterday. When a Woman Tells the Truth is a carefully curated collection of rich, sobering and delightful stories from all over the country, filled with the real stuff—as in, not for chickenshits. To celebrate the launch, the editors will be on hand to regale and challenge readers and truth-seekers of all ages. It should be eye-opening, at the very least. CHRISTINA WATERS
INFO: 7pm, Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. Free. 423-0900.
WEDNESDAY 6/5
ROCK
SLACK STEEL & SONG
In April, noted slack key guitarist Stephen Inglis played with keyboardist Rob Barraco on his opening set for Dark Star Orchestra at the Hawaii Theatre in Honolulu. Inglis and Barraco will reunite on Wednesday night. Joining them is their friend Barry Sless, who doubles on six-string and pedal steel guitar and toured with Bob Weir & Wolf Bros, among others. Barraco’s credits include gigging with Phil Lesh and Friends, the Dead and Dark Star Orchestra. At Felton, the trio will play tunes by the Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan, along with traditional Hawaiian music and originals. DAN EMERSON
I can’t believe it’s been a year since the last Pride celebration, which not only marks the 49th year of a great parade and weekend but my year anniversary with Good Times. I was only going to be here a short time but here I am.
It’s gone in the blink of an eye mostly because of being a part of a fast-moving progressive and inclusive community. There is no better way to know what’s going on around you than to be part of a newspaper and website whose whole business is to cover what’s going on around us.
I hope you get the same gratitude reading us as we do bringing you the people who make a difference.
A year ago I asked for suggestions and we got plenty and started new features. We brought the Street Talk feature back, with John Koenig getting local voices into print; we made Elizabeth Borelli’s Wellness column a regular feature.
We hired bilingual reporter and editor Josue Monroy, a native Santa Cruzan who has covered the Pajaro community in depth and reports on underrepresented communities from here to Hollister.
We’ve also added award-winning investigative reporter and editor Alexandria Bordas, who was selected California regional journalist of the year from the Society of Professional Journalists for a series that uncovered unscrupulous practices in Sonoma County politics.
And we’ve hired Sharan Street, a longtime journalist and editor who started at UCSC and has worked in San Jose and Los Angeles.
Longtime writer Christina Waters has quit eating so much in order to focus on the arts. Her stories on the symphony, theater and art have clued readers into events they wouldn’t have known about and boosted attendance to them big time.
Mark C. Anderson and Andrew Steingrube have doubled up on the food beat, letting you know where and where not to eat. They are the best. As is Josie Cowden, who manages to sample wines of all kinds and leaves a trail of tastings for you to follow.
For an example of what we do best, check out Rob Darrow’s coverage of the upcoming Pride weekend in our cover stories. He isn’t just a source—he’s the director of the parade and festival and knows more about the history of the 49-year-old event than anyone.
Also, check out Mat Weir’s piece on Mothfest. Mat is a music maven who knows it all from thrash to sludge to genres yet to be invented.
There’s more, there’s more, I know, and you can see them all here in the weeks ahead. Drop me a line with your suggestions, because as you can see, we listen and try to take your advice.
Thanks for reading.
Brad Kava
Editor
DECK(S) CHAIR Installed on a stump beneath towering high-power lines crossing a Soquel ridge, this throne offers an expansive view of bucolic farmland to the west. Photograph by Guy Lasnier
GOOD IDEA
Santa Cruz Shakespeare is offering a new summer Shakespeare intensive program for high school students, ages 14–18, Monday, July 8–Friday, July 12, 9am–3pm. Students will be guided through practical exercises to prepare them to take center stage in an abridged version of As You Like It to be performed Saturday, July 13 at Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s Audrey Stanley Grove at DeLaveaga Park.
The summer program will include workshops with Shakespeare experts.
Cost is $1,000 and includes access for one student and one adult ticket to the professional performance of As You Like It on July 13, as well as a souvenir sweatshirt. Scholarships and payment plans available. Learn more at https://santacruzshakespeare.org/educators/intensive.
GOOD WORK
After increasing routes and hours, Santa Cruz Metro appears to be heading in the right direction.
Ridership surged by an impressive 23% last quarter over a year ago. Riders to UCSC, Cabrillo College, and K-12 ridership escalated by 27.1%, 26.8%, and 147.6%. Changes included buses every 15 minutes to UCSC; using Highway 1 between Aptos and Watsonville; direct route from San Lorenzo Valley to downtown and running Watsonville buses every 30 minutes.Some routes now run until midnight.Details \can be found at scmetro.org/reimagine.
LSCC is a nearly 40 year old institution dedicated to educating, connecting and training leaders for our community. I’m convinced that if we identify and support 50 leaders a year for a decade, the results will be transformative. Applications are now open for our 38th class. If you or someone you know are in a leadership role and would benefit from developing skills, connecting with others and learning about our county, I’m hoping that you/they will apply.
LSCC participants must commit to 9 Fridays and a two-day retreat from August through June. There is a detailed description of the program and topics at leadershipsantacruzcounty.org/apply. The deadline is May 31st. Scholarships are available. We are committed to ensuring that the class reflects the diversity of our county in every way.
We’ve heard from so many people that participating in LSCC changed their lives. They made a connection that was critical to their career or now understand our community in a deeper way. Join us! Ryan Coonerty, Executive Director
LAW ENFORCEMENT PRIDE
I write this letter not in anger, but in disappointment that our association is being denied the opportunity to build stronger connections with our community and by an organization that claims to want to do exactly that, no less! I hope that these words will lead to some introspection among Pride members and supporters and generate a constructive public conversation about inclusivity and how this term, by definition, invites participation from people of all walks of life. Even cops. In the meantime, the Santa Cruz Deputy Sheriffs Association will continue its partnership with, and participation in, the greater Santa Cruz community. Perhaps we will be able to see uniformed law enforcement personnel marching in the 50th Anniversary Pride Parade next year in 2025. Perhaps not. Regardless, we stand ready to march when the time comes.
Ethan Rumrill, President of the Deputy Sheriff’s Association
SHOW YOUR FACE
Dear Brad: I so appreciate the Good Times and your work. Was especially moved by your account of encounters with the government in the 1970s. That said, may I respectfully request that your photo on the editorial page be changed to show us your whole face, without sunglasses? That would increase my perception of your trustworthiness (which is not at all in question). Suzanne G Semmes
Dear Suzanne:
Trust me, you aren’t missing much. I’ve got a face made for radio. But I sure appreciate your comment.
The Santa Cruz Pride festivities occurring on June 1 and 2 celebrate the diverse LGBTQ+ community across Santa Cruz County. Attend Queerlantis on June 1 at the Cocoanut Grove and then watch the parade at 11am in downtown Santa Cruz followed by the festival with live entertainment and a family art activity at the MAH.
Queerlantis, a sea oddity carnival extravaganza drag and dance party, is set to kick off Santa Cruz Pride weekend on June 1 in the historic Cocoanut Grove. This immersive event promises an unforgettable experience for all attendees. This one-of-a-kind experience will feature mesmerizing performances, a diverse lineup of drag artists, burlesque dancers, contortionists, and a vibrant energy that will have attendees up on their feet, dancing the night away.
“We are thrilled to kick off Santa Cruz Pride weekend with Queerlantis,” says Christian Rivera, marketing director of Queerlantis.
“This event is a celebration of diversity and pride, and we can’t wait to immerse our attendees in an enchanting and inclusive experience.”
The annual parade and festival will follow on June 2. It will be one of the largest in recent years and will take place in downtown Santa Cruz. Spectators will be able to view the rainbow colored floats and contingents that will be traveling along Pacific from Cathcart to Front Street. The festival, including over 60 booths from local organizations and vendors and a photo booth, will take place following the parade on Pacific and Cooper Streets from noon to 4pm.
The festival entertainment will take place on two stages and will highlight some of the best drag, dancing and musical talent in the area. The Abbott Square stage will feature the annual recognition of our Grand Marshals with our local electeds, followed by drag performers and singers. The Locust Street Stage will feature Cheer SF and Angeles Danzantes, a local folklorico dance group, along with singers and dancing.
The Santa Cruz MAH, a partner in the event, will have free admission for all where attendees can browse the many art and history exhibits including the queer history exhibit on the second floor. Young people will enjoy the family day art activity at the MAH that will include a scavenger hunt and slime making. In addition, a pop up exhibit on June 1 and June 2 called “Is Gender Working for You?” will take place in the Garden Room. Artist Shani Fable will be present on Sunday, June 2 to greet attendees.
This year’s theme is “Beacon of Pride” and the logo features the Walton Lighthouse at the end of the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor, and a kaleidoscope circle with all the colors of the many pride flags. The kaleidoscope, with its everchanging and endless possibilities, mirrors the diverse and multifaceted nature of our community. Each turn reflects the unique patterns and characteristics that define us including the spectrum of genders and sexual orientations that exist across Santa Cruz County. This theme invites attendees to see the beauty in diversity and the strength in unity where everyone is valued and belongs. Everyone across our county is a beacon of pride and we invite everyone to join us at our events the weekend of June 1 and 2, 2024.
Santa Cruz Pride began in 1975, one of the first smaller city prides, preceded in California only by San Francisco and Los Angeles. The first Santa Cruz Pride included weeklong events that featured a concert by musician and composer Lou Harrison, workshops at Cabrillo College, and a picnic at San Lorenzo Park where there was a tug-of-war across the river. Every year since then, volunteers have organized an annual event that celebrates the rich LGBTQ+ culture and history across Santa Cruz County.
BEACH BLANKET BINGO The Pride Celebration moves to Santa Cruz’s premier place for fun the night before the parade. Photo: Rob Darrow
Queerlantis at the Beach
Queer entertainment has evolved in Santa Cruz County
By Rob Darrow and Zak Keith
History was made in May 2023 as Santa Cruz Pride and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk joined forces to launch the first Queerlantis—a drag and dance party that highlighted more than 10 drag performers, aerialists and performers. The Boardwalk sunroom was decorated with hanging sea creatures, walls of wave-themed shapes, and a fabulous ocean-themed stage. Over 250 people donned their festive attire to dance the night away. The overwhelming success of Queerlantis sparked a tradition that continues to flourish, and planning for a second Queerlantis commenced with unparalleled flair.
The second annual Queerlantis will take place on June 1 in the Cocoanut Grove as part of the Santa Cruz Pride weekend. The entire community is invited to step into Queerlantis, A Sea Oddity Carnival Extravaganza, and experience the enchantment. Tickets may be purchased at: queerlantis.eventbrite.com.
The Santa Cruz County LGBTQ+ culture became more visible in the 1970s and an important part of that visibility was the entertainment scene. From backyards to bars to stages, coffee houses, bookstores and auditoriums, queer performers have provided various forms of artistic expression across the county.
Franco’s Norma Jean’s in Castroville, under the ownership of Ernie Sanchez, became a destination for drag performers in the late 1980s. Despite being in Monterey County, it was a short drive from Watsonville or Santa Cruz to view a variety of song and dance shows on the weekends.
In the same decade, Tracye Lee Lawson began Lee Lawson Productions and brought a variety of performers to Santa Cruz including lesbian singers Holly Near, Cris Williamson and others. Entertainers played at Kuumbwa and also in the Civic Auditorium. In the mid-1980s, the annual event known as “A Gay Evening in May” became a fundraiser for the Santa Cruz AIDS project and ran for nearly 10 years at the Civic Auditorium as a variety show with musical, dramatic and dance numbers.
Entertainment could also be found at one of the four queer bars in Santa Cruz County, including the Dragon Moon on Soquel Avenue (now the Crepe Place) or at Mona’s Gorilla Lounge near Dominican Hospital (now Moe’s Alley), until the 1990s.
All entertainment thrived through the 1990s and early 2000s and then changed as venue ownership and interest changed. In addition, the annual Santa Cruz Pride parade and festival that began in 1975 has provided live entertainment including music, dancing and drag performances the first Sunday in June each year.
One of the many performers at the first Pride event was Patti Maxine, who still dazzles crowds today with her steel guitar and vocals. The pandemic paused all entertainment venues and many entertainers refined their musical and performance skills through various online venues, and this included Virtual Santa Cruz Pride that took place in June 2020 and featured performers speaking and singing from their homes, including Patti Maxine.
Also during this time, due to the popularity of RuPaul’s Drag Race, artists across the county began exploring their drag personas. Drag traces its artistic roots back to the Harlem Renaissance and was primarily popularized by Black and Latino performers.
Drag has emerged across the Central Coast as a vibrant art form with adoring fans populating bars, coffee shops, bookstores, libraries, story times and at Pride events. In addition, Motion Pacific developed “Majesty: A Queer Dance and Variety Show” in 2017, and continues to produce the event every other month with new drag acts being celebrated by sold-out crowds raining dollar bills on the performers.
Following the pandemic, entertainment spaces and queer entertainment in the county evolved in new ways. Santa Cruz Pride re-emerged with a live parade and festival in 2022 that included drag performers on the Abbott Square stage. In the fall of that year, Santa Cruz Pride wanted to expand and celebrate the rich LGBTQ+ culture of the county, and reached out to representatives of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to explore possibilities. This conversation resulted in an offer of a venue to develop some type of evening event.
Several names were offered including Aqueerious, Waves of Pride, Queertopia, Evening of Drag, Boardwalk Boogaloo, Deep Diving Divas, Emerging from the Ocean, Under the Sea, and Mermaid Beach Party. The name that emerged was: Queerlantis.
Rob Darrow (he, him, his) is chair of Santa Cruz Pride and has researched the rich LGBTQ+ history that exists across Santa Cruz County.
Zak Keith (they, them) is a UCSC Grad student who is researching youth queer identity, a program facilitator at the Diversity Center, and a drag artist who produces many drag shows including Roulette Hour, a drag, burlesque and variety show once a month in Monterey.
Santa Cruz Pride Grand Marshals
Making our community stronger
By Rob Darrow
Elaine Johnson
Pat Dellin
One grand marshal is described as an “organizer, activist and historian” and the other is a “beacon of hope for queer people of color committed to doing community service.” Both are out lesbians who were born and raised in New York, found their way to Santa Cruz in the 1970s and 2000s, and have improved the culture of Santa Cruz County because of their service and work tackling complex issues such as housing, transportation, race, restorative justice and the court system, and archiving our history.
Pat Dellin and Elaine Johnson were recently named as the Santa Cruz Pride 2024 Grand Marshals. Naming the grand marshals for Santa Cruz Pride is an annual tradition that began in 1991. Every year since then, the community has put forth names of people deserving of the grand marshal honor that may be an individual, organization or a group who have given extraordinary service to the Santa Cruz Queer community, and then lead the Pride Parade.
Regarding her selection as a grand marshal, Pat responded, “I’m thrilled to be a grand marshal because Pride means so much to our community. I’ve seen that clearly in my work documenting our local LGBTQ+ history. From our first gathering of 200 in San Lorenzo Park in 1975 to today’s festival that takes over downtown Santa Cruz, Pride is about being visible, building community, and supporting each other.”
Elaine also reflected about what being the grand marshal means to her: “My grandmother and ‘Aunt’ Elaine would have been so proud; they were partners for 40 years and had to hide so much when they were together. I am honored to continue to carry on their legacy of what they taught me about love, acceptance, and kindness to everyone, and I get to celebrate that with everybody on June 2. I’m going to bring them with me; we’ve come a mighty long way.”
Pat Dellin remembers the first Santa Cruz Pride in 1975, attended one of the first Amazon Women’s Music Festivals in the Santa Cruz Mountains and helped publish the Lavender Readher, the first newsletter for lesbians in Santa Cruz. As a Diversity Center Board member in 2010, she became aware of boxes of artifacts that were housed in the dusty attic of the Diversity Center.
After digging through and organizing the artifacts, she put out a call to the LGBTQ+ community to donate items so that the local LGBTQ+ history could be archived and protected. At the same time she realized how many people had impacted and improved LGBTQ+ life across Santa Cruz County and implemented the Diversity Center Trailblazers program that celebrated the contributions of local LGBTQ+ people.
Dellin forged an ongoing relationship between the Museum of Art and History (MAH) and the Santa Cruz LGBTQ+ queer community that resulted in archiving the artifacts and the virtual and physical Queer History exhibit at the MAH. This success then paved the way for a state archives grant by the MAH in 2022 to digitize the LGBTQ+ collection that continues today.
Community and building community has been Elaine Johnson’s life work. Since the age of 14 she knew she wanted to be a lawyer, and a little later in life she fulfilled that dream in 2015 when she earned her law degree at the Monterey College of Law. She has applied her law degree in many ways to advance a variety of programs across Santa Cruz County including a restorative justice program for youth in the criminal justice system, advancing affordable housing and promoting racial healing and advancing social justice initiatives.
As the executive director of Housing Santa Cruz, Elaine has successfully advocated for policies to make housing more affordable for everyone in our county. As the president of the NAACP, she has brought diverse and compassionate leadership to empower local black community members and continues to engage the community in ongoing conversations about race to eliminate race prejudice.
Adam Spickler, a Cabrillo College trustee, further describes Elaine: “As an out lesbian, African American leader in our community, she is a role model for all of us of what it looks like to be a leader doing work that uplifts the greater good of others.”
In addition, Elaine has served on the boards of Monarch Services and Encompass Community Services, the Juvenile Justice Delinquent Prevention Commission, Community Action Board (CAB), and Rise Together Santa Cruz County.
Queerlantis hosts Khloe Quarterpounder and Rogue Roulette.
What does Pride mean to me?
Members of the SC Pride Board of Directors recently met up on KSQD for a radio interview with Christine Barrington for Talk of the Bay. Among many things, they talked about what Santa Cruz Pride means to them.
By Rob Darrow
Ethan Quaranta: Pride is about allowing others to live happy and proud lives. As I was growing up, I was aware of microaggressions others would say about LGBTQ+ people. Being in the parade and wearing a flower crown and glitter on my face in the parade was the ultimate coming out for me as well as a feeling of home and welcome for all. Being in the parade, it is fun to watch younger kids smile and wave as we walk by and that is all very meaningful to me.
Kate McGrath: Pride means celebration of myself, my identity, my friends and who they love. The annual pride parade and festival is an annual homecoming celebrating joy and love of my community. Pride is the first place that many people can be out and themselves.
Brian Howard: Pride for me is the ability to be my true self without shame and embarrassment. Pride allows me to be open and honest with those I love. I get to feel connected to others and a larger community. Pride also gives me the ability to support others in their differences and struggles, which only encourages them to be their true selves with me. Pride is home and being around people that I love. Santa Cruz is one of the most welcoming places I have lived so Pride celebrates our loving community.
Rob Darrow: Pride is about celebrating who we are, reminding ourselves of the rich and sometimes painful history of standing up for ourselves, and advocating for equal rights for all. For many people, attending Pride events is their first time to publicly come out and to celebrate that with their friends and others who are doing the same. Attending Pride is a celebration for everyone, where everyone is included and belongs.
Curt Keyer: In the seventies, Pride was my way of asserting my identity as a gay man. I was aware that I was helping create a better world for myself and the generations who would follow by being visible; out and proud. In the past, Pride was a time to celebrate who we were at a time when we were neither supported nor celebrated by our families or society in general. Today, Pride is a time to come together with friends to support and celebrate ourselves and each other.
Outside of her advocacy work, Elaine finds joy in watching football, particularly cheering on her beloved NY Giants, and enjoys singing and spending quality time with her wife. Join the Santa Cruz Community in celebrating the Santa Cruz grand marshals at the 49th Annual Pride Parade on Sunday, June 2 in downtown Santa Cruz at 11am
How do you maintain meaningful relationships and social connections?
This week’s Street Talk question was inspired by May being Older Americans Month. This year’s theme is Powered by Connection, recognizing “the profound impact that meaningful relationships and social connections have on our health and well-being.”
Ken Martin
I’m with my as-if-married girlfriend; that’s a huge connection. Every week I juggle with the juggling club and I do salsa rueda dancing. I go to a Spanish conversation group. And I’m a friendly guy, I talk to a lot of people. —Ken Martin, Magician, Juggler, Entertainer
Marcy Cayton
I’m the wrong person to ask. I live up in Boulder Creek on ten acres; I really don’t see anyone. But I do meet a very good friend for coffee every week. —Marcy Cayton, 54, Retired
DAVE COLE
I phone, text and email, and I travel. I’m going to San Clemente to play golf with an old friend, to San Diego for a film school reunion, and to Bakersfield for charity functions. And my generation uses Facebook. —Dave Cole, Real Estate Attorney, Filmmaker
PETER QUABACH
Connections are very important. We meet friends at restaurants and celebrate birthdays in our homes, and we play golf together. We travel here from Germany to see our daughter. —Peter Quabach, 66, Retired
PEGGY LISTER
I do church groups and Bible studies, and I visit my daughter in Santa Cruz once a year, sometimes twice, summer and winter. —Peggy Lister, 76, Retired
KIM JOSLIN
A lot of my friends are dead, and making new friends is more difficult than it used to be. I did use social media, but it’s too confrontational. I know all the people at the Walnut Cafe, it’s how older people make their new acquaintances. —Kim Joslin, 78, Retired
UC Santa Cruz graduate students and researchers went on strike on Monday May 20 to protest the treatment of fellow union members during pro-Palestinian protests at two other universities.
The United Auto Workers (UAW) 4811 at UCSC are the first to go on strike in the University of California system. Approximately 1,200 to 1,400 of the 2,000 members at UCSC have gone on strike according to Rebecca Gross, third-year doctoral student in literature at UCSC and unit chair of UAW 4811.
They say the move is in solidarity with fellow members at UCLA and UC San Diego, and started striking the same day the International Criminal Court announced an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leaders.
Throughout the week, hundreds of graduate, undergraduate students and some professors took to the intersection of High Street and Coolidge Drive to protest at the main entrance to the university, blocking it on the first day.
Classes went online for the entire week because of continued disruption to campus, according to UC Santa Cruz. It’s unclear when classes will resume in-person.
The union alleges that the UC system discriminated against fellow members who were engaged in protected protest activity by calling in a “forceful police intervention” at UCLA on May 1.
The University Responds
In response, the University of California said in a statement on May 21 that the strike at UCSC is unlawful. They filed an Unfair Labor Practice with the state Public Labor Relations Board asking the union to “cease and desist from strike activity.”
In a filing to the Public Labor Relations Board, UC said that the strike violates its collective bargaining agreement and that if the strike is allowed to stand, “the University — and every other public agency in California — would face constant strikes advancing political and/or social viewpoints.”
The labor board declined to issue an injunction against the strike on May 23 but brought a new labor complaint against the UAW for going out on strike in violation of the “no strike clause” in its bargaining agreement.
The union announced workers at UCLA and UC Davis would join the strike on Tuesday as part of the UAW’s stand-up strike strategy pioneered in auto factories to create bottlenecks in the supply chain.
In total around 11,000-12,000 more workers will be on strike, according to Gross.
“We are not surprised that the UC was seeking out an injunction,” said Gross. “We were pretty confident in our legal case for being out here on strike and obviously the Public Labor Relations Board agreed with us about that so there is a widespread feeling of renewed morale and excitement that there is not going to be any barriers to us continuing to strike.”
Legal experts say the UAW 8411 has a strong case because the UC system likely violated labor law by unilaterally changing the terms of the contract with the union breaking any “no strike clause.”
Ultimately, these alleged violations will be settled in court.
“The university has tried a lot of strike breaking tactics here. Our Chancellor has been sending out emails saying that the strike is illegal,” Gross said. “After this injunction more workers might work off the job.”
Gross said the strike is about “health and safety violations” at UCLA and UC San Diego and not about what is happening in Gaza directly.
“We are not officially striking for Gaza. We’re in solidarity with our co-workers that were striking [protesting] in solidarity for the encampments,” Gross said. “There’s a lot of solidarity.”
A History of Strikes
This is not the first time UCSC and the wider UC system has endured strikes.
The union was founded in March after the merging of the UC graduate student and postdoc worker’s unions. It now represents 48,000 researchers and teaching assistants in the UC system.
Graduate students part of UAW went on strike in 2019 at UCCS over a cost-of-living adjustment. Years later in 2022, graduate students went on strike again, with members striking for six weeks over better pay and benefits and affecting the entire UC system.
After talking to fellow union members and friends at UCLA and San Diego, many of whom were bailing each other out of jail, Gross said she realized they had the best opportunity to go on strike locally.
“We didn’t have any of those crackdowns so we were able to organize during the period because of that,” Gross said. “We had a very strong strike authorization vote. We were able to get multiple mass meetings together and smaller departmental meetings to check in with folks. We were very strike ready.”
Because of UCSC’s experience with months-long strikes, she said they’ve already shown they can go the distance over causes they care about. UCSC’s commencement will be June 17. The strike has been authorized until June 30. That means grades could be held until graduation making it a graduation in name only for some students.
On the topic of graduation Gross says it is up to the UC system to meet their demands but the UAW will not interfere with commencement activities.
“Graduation is up to the UC. If the UC wants to continue to graduation by all means. I don’t know if the student protestors have plans for that,” said Gross.
Some at the picket line Friday disagreed with the UAW’s tactics.
“The union bureaucracy is in the pocket of the democratic party which is a wing of the ruling class,” said Will West, a Trotskyist from Berkeley City College selling newspapers.
These disagreements were on display on the first days of the strike when protesters blocked the road up to campus. According to Gross these were the undergraduates in “the encampment” who moved their tents down to the picket line. On Friday the road up to campus was open.
“It’s the same struggle and the same fight,” said Jaguar, a second year biology student. “Even though we are going to have our disagreements about tactics and stuff, overall we are all in this together.”
The UAW supports the undergraduate protestors and after the strike began on Monday released a page on the UAW 4811’s website titled, “How UC can Engage with the Broader Protest Movement.”
These demands are separate from the labor complaints and call for the UC system to negotiate with the protesters, and to divest from arms manufacturers and companies “profiting from Israel’s war in Gaza.”
“These demands might not seem related directly to the unfair labor practices but they are all related to the same issue,” said Gross.
People who participated in the 2019 and 2022 actions are still involved today, but Gross said new people are starting to join the effort.
“The idea that you could be brutalized by defending your undergrads really galvanized people and makes them really upset,” Gross said.
As a student at UCSC I got into reincarnation. The most fun I had with reincarnation is when I gave a cop someone else’s license.
He goes, “Hey, this isn’t you.”
I said, “Well, not now.”
What a moron.
Sunday morning, I drive to Land of Medicine Buddha, too full of national news. I am in a preoccupied stew that life has become a tapestry of conforming submission, of clenched teeth, exhausted sleep. I cannot listen to one more story about Santa Cruzans leaving town because of housing. I turn up Prescott Road for one mile and park down the hill from Land of Medicine Buddha. I want some Buddha medicine right now.
Walking with Buddha
Land of Medicine Buddha is a 108-acre redwood Buddhist refuge adjacent to the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park up Glen Haven Road, and it is all about spiritual development and renewal. The place pops—they have Buddhist and innovative secular education, retreats, sacred sites, wellness programs, a primary school, end-of-life care—and the reason I’m here: nature trails that climb the mountain and circle back into the larger loop through Nisene Marks State Park.
There is no hyperbole when describing the stunning beauty of the coastal redwoods. And on the refuge’s hiking paths there are Buddhist paintings, sculptures and wooden benches with prayer flags hung between the trees. Today’s Buddha-walk is perfect, I get to straddle the difference between human self-hood, and the vast, sublime, expanse of nature.
The parked cars on the right stop inches before a cliff drops off to Bates Creek far below. It is Sunday morning and the retreat’s private lot up the hill to the left is packed with cars.
The Body Knows
I pull into a parking space in front of the sharp drop-off into Bates Creek. I’m here at the Land of Medicine Buddha seeking “deep inner joy and a kind heart,” but for now just grateful I didn’t go over the edge. Out of my car, I’m stiff and cold, my feet hurt. My balance wobbles.
Overcoming physical challenges is integral to the practice of hiking. Hikers have blisters, blackened toenails, stressed menisci around their knees, sciatica pain—it goes with the territory. The value of hiking comes from its challenges. Physical exertion eventually suspends the incessant brain chatter that keeps me from letting my body tell me what I need to know.
When I’m pulling hard up a long hill, I reach the point of no-mind, and my nervous system gives me an audible sound. I can hear my brain go “clunk” and turn off. And then I can ask my body what I need to know, be it about the direction of this article, how to respond to loved one or how to deal with adversity, the veil of thoughts have been lifted that keep me from knowing myself. My body knows what I need to know and is eager to tell me. I hike to be able to hear it.
I’ve got a leg up on Buddha. This morning I’m walking on three.
The Three-Legged Way
Twenty steps from my car I can tell that it’s climbing uphill that lights up my left knee. The paved driveway up to Land of Medicine Buddha is very steep. I did 45 minutes of yoga last night, got seven hours of sleep—this is about as up as I get, so I am perturbed that walking is suddenly difficult. Necessity is a mother and I grab the hiking stick I’ve been carrying in my car.
I haven’t had the stick long. I was playing music at a Sacramento farmer’s market and a crusty Vietnam veteran says he makes walking sticks for vets. I tell him I’m not a vet, but he wants me to have it anyway. The pole is light and strong, with a rubber foot on the bottom. He said, “You can use it to fight a dog, a person, a coyote or a mountain lion, but don’t use it to fight a bear.”
As I lift my left foot forward, I push the staff into the ground to my right. My left hand pushes down on the top of the staff and my right hand grips the staff about two feet down. This low pole-vault takes a lot of weight off my left knee.
I may scrabble up a steep incline like a three-legged crab, but I make it to the top of the hill and my left knee feels OK. Not on fire. Not inflamed. I’m sure you would be amused by my rowing motion with my staff; it feels like my staff is a paddle and I am rowing through earth.
I make it up the hill, then the next one and the next. The path climbs 1,200 feet in the first half mile. Hiking the steep paths of Land of Medicine Buddha, my staff feels like the medicine.
The retreat’s central area has attractions like a huge bell you ring to relieve the suffering of loved ones.They want you to spin everything clockwise, they want you to move clockwise. The Land of Kid-Friendly-Buddhism.
There are many paths to choose from and I am quickly lost. Henry Thoreau said, “The relinquishing of the physical map allows your brain to build new mental models. It can give you a newfound trust that you can locate in your body.”
There are signs everywhere that say, “Shhhh. People are meditating, please be quiet.” It makes me want to sing the Meditating Buddhist Monk Blues,
“I ain’t doing nothing,
I ain’t doing nothing,
I ain’t doing nothing,
And I ain’t done yet.”
There are small Buddha sculptures in the trees and small signs with messages about releasing attachment. I ask myself, “Is my backpack attached to me? Or am I attached to my backpack?”
Keep Walking
Buddhists have a walking meditation. That beats a cursing meditation by a mile.
Siddartha was asked, “And what is it now that you’ve got to give? What is it that you have learned?”
“I can think. I can wait. I can walk.” —Siddhartha, Hermann Hesse
Walking is an important form of Buddhist meditation, a deep spiritual practice. Walking meditation is integral to the continuous development of mindfulness. Signs carved into wood planks describe how the Buddha “walked to develop mindfullness,” and is the most respected and loved creature “who walked on two feet.” OK, so Buddha walks on two feet. Yeah? I’m walking on three feet.
Q: How much “ego” do you need? A: Just enough so you don’t step in front of a bus. —Shunryu Suzuki
It’s a steep climb to the temple, and the path stays steep up the ridge of the mountain. It rained yesterday and you can see where people have slid in the mud. It’s easy to tell when you’re onto the state park land, no Buddha sculptures. Once near the top, the loop I take is fairly level and goes all the way around the mountain before it descends back down to the Land of Medicine Buddha.
Friedrich Nietzsche said, “Keep walking, and at some point in the repetition, the pilgrim becomes the prayer, or the prayer becomes him. What he is worshipping, something distant and otherworldly, somehow comes home in mid-stride.”
A student called out to his master on the other side of the river,
“Master, how do I get on the other side?”
“You are on the other side!”
How To Get There
This trailhead and several miles of this trail are on the private property of the Land of Medicine Buddha Retreat Center. Visitors to the retreat center may have to park outside as parking priority is reserved for those participating in courses, programs, or retreats. For more information, visit stay.landofmedicinebuddha.org
Get off on the Porter exit from Highway 1. Take Main Street north and continue on Glen Haven Road. Turn right on Prescott Road, continue for one mile, and then park below the Land of Buddha Medicine’s driveway. Their parking lot onsite is for guests of the retreat.
In November 2023, Maria Hernandez was looking forward to the upcoming holiday season and spending time with loved ones. But her world was turned upside down when she received a notice to vacate from the property manager of her apartment complex in Santa Cruz. After 14 years of renting her Campbell Street apartment, the notice gave her only 60 days to move.
“It was very shocking for me,” Hernandez says in Spanish, her voice cracking with emotion. “I didn’t know what to do and Christmas was coming up.”
Wilder Associates, the management company of the Campbell Street property, gave Hernandez a “Notice of Termination of Tenancy” on Nov. 20. Despite being a model tenant, she was given until Jan. 20, 2024 to vacate—less than 90 days—with the stated reason for the eviction being the owner’s intent to “demolish or substantially remodel the Premises.”
Hernandez, a single mother of two, consulted with her English teacher and also leaders of her church, who are part of Communities Organized for Relational Power in Action (COPA), a group that promotes community advocacy. They all directed her toward Tenant Sanctuary, a tenants rights education service in Santa Cruz County. After connecting with the organization, she was assigned a lawyer for just $50. Hernandez, who is on disability insurance for debilitating arthritis and is unable to work, is still living in her apartment while her legal counsel mediates with Wilder Associates.
Tenant Sanctuary is part of the Eviction Defense Collaborative, or EDC—a larger, countywide organization founded in 2020. The EDC is a collaborative effort between Community Bridges, Senior Legal Services and the Conflict Resolution Center. To date, the EDC has helped nearly 300 households involved in disputes with landlords. Each of the county-based organizations mediates at different stages of tenant-landlord disputes, seeking to resolve them without going to court.
In Santa Cruz County, where the rental market is one of the highest in the nation, an eviction can prove catastrophic for families and individuals. Despite the success that EDC has had in keeping tenants in their homes, its leaders are concerned about the future of the collaborative with funding on track to run out by summer.
Evading Evictions
When the Covid-19 pandemic forced the world to stop in mid-March of 2020, many people who did not have the option of remote work lost their jobs.
The federal government signed into law the $2.2 trillion CARES Act in response to the shutdown of the national economy, which included a federal eviction moratorium for homeowners with mortgages backed by the federal government and those on government-assisted housing. The federal moratorium ended in July 2020, after which the Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued its own moratorium. The CDC granted numerous extensions rolling into 2021, and the final extension ended in July of that year.
In California, a statewide moratorium on evictions extended into 2022, well after federal rent and mortgage assistance programs ended. But many tenants who had already fallen behind on rent before the March 2020 lockdowns were not protected and less than six months into the pandemic, about 1,600 people had already been evicted in the state. Eviction cases after the state moratorium ended in June 2022 rose back to pre-pandemic levels.
The Eviction Defense Collaborative intervened at the peak of the pandemic to help tenants facing eviction locally. Ray Cancino, CEO of Community Bridges, says that at the outset of the lockdowns and subsequent job losses, his organization feared the oncoming wave of evictions.
“We were prepping for a concerning situation where we were going to see mass evictions,” Cancino says.
Community Bridges secured a $100,000 grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation to kickstart the project in 2020, but had trouble hiring lawyers to serve as mediators. Then, Senior Legal Services answered the call. The firm provides legal aid to seniors in Santa Cruz and San Benito counties.
“Community Bridges first approached us […] asking if we’d be willing to serve all ages for this program and, looking at what (was) going in the world, we said ‘yes’,” recalls Senior Legal Services Executive Director Tanya Ridino.
In addition to eviction mediation and defense services, SLS also works to address tenants’ concerns over the safety and habitability of their rentals by working directly with landlords.
“This is for landlords as well. It’s really better for landlords […] to have mediation services where someone’s going to help them talk to their tenant about these issues,” Ridino says.
Tenants seeking assistance can drop into one of the family resource centers run by Community Bridges, where representatives from Senior Legal Services, the Conflict Resolution Center and Tenant Sanctuary all hold walk-in hours throughout the week.
Ridino’s team typically steps in at the point in a tenant-landlord dispute when discussions mediated by the Conflict Resolution Center or Tenant Sanctuary fail and enters the county civil court system.
Now, the collaborative itself is in need of assistance. The initial grant money to start the project was supplemented by the Covid-era relief funding that the county was able to allocate for the project for a two-year cycle. Senior Legal Services was then able to get a $500,000 grant from the California Bar Association for the 2023-24 fiscal year. The EDC is facing a dire financial situation – starting in July, it will have no grant funding.
“We were able to take over the primary funding for it […], but that funding was only for a year and that is coming to an end June 30, and it’s pretty devastating,” Ridino says.
Finding Funding
While the county has previously found ways to keep funding the EDC, the upcoming fiscal year’s budget is not looking promising.
“It’s a very difficult time right now to get new funding—from the county, anyway—for any of these programs that are losing state funds or other grants,” says County Administrative Officer Carlos Palacios. “We have tremendous pressure on our budget, trying to respond to all of the natural disasters caused by climate change.”
The 2023 winter storms that wreaked havoc in the region strained the county budget with the cost of response and repairs. The county spent $122 million in 2022-23 in road repairs alone, and these numbers are set against deep cuts proposed for the public health sector and other services.
“We’re barely trying to keep programs alive, so that it’s going to be a very difficult decision and the board […] will be weighing (this) during the budget hearings,” Palacios says.
The state, another potential source of funding for programs like EDC, is also in bad shape financially. Earlier this month, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced $30 billion in cuts to education and climate change initiatives to stabilize a $56 billion deficit.
Despite the bleak financial projections, the collaborative’s leaders say that elected officials should continue finding ways to invest in a program that prevents homelessness in a county struggling with a housing crisis. Cancino says that the EDC’s work prevents homelessness and that elected officials should get behind their efforts.
“The biggest (challenge) has been having local electeds actually do what they say they want to do, which is prevent homelessness and evictions, and actually having that backed up with support and financial plans that are not predicated on grant funding, or one-time-only funding,” Cancino says.
Museum of Light has secured its place on the doom metal scene through several exciting records and some seriously hard touring... When the heavy drums hit, the Crepe Place will be transformed. Thursday, May 30
I can’t believe it’s been a year since the last Pride celebration, which not only marks the 49th year of a great parade and weekend but my year anniversary with Good Times.
I write this letter not in anger, but in disappointment that our association is being denied the opportunity to build stronger connections with our community...
Land of Medicine Buddha is a 108-acre redwood Buddhist refuge adjacent to the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park. It is all about spiritual development and renewal.
