Plus Letters to Good Times…
Aftershocks
Shaken Up
Big Issue
Smoke Signals
Last week, we chronicled the late-’80s, featuring the 20th anniversary of the Loma Prieta Earthquake. This week, we work our way back to the 21st century. But first, we make a creative pitstop in the ’90s to look at a local band that had everything going for it until fate stepped in and altered the course of what could have been stardom. The band is World Entertainment War, who, as writer Damon Orion points out, were poised for perfect success on a national level. Now, in 2009, that local band has resurfaced in what could be the most provocative comeback of the season. The facts and details as to why the group’s sudden re-emergance is noteworthy is chronicled in a captivating cover story tale.
Speaking of Loma Prieta (above), kudos to the Downtown Association for tossing quite the party last weekend atop the Rittenhouse Building in Downtown Santa Cruz. More than 300 people arrived for the gala, which featured the band Warmth and other entertainers. Actually that space seems to be the perfect location and it would be a great benefit to downtown if other events were held there. Something to keep in mind.
In the meantime, turn to News this week (Saving Our Outside Lands), where writer Anna Merlan dives into the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County and its 20-year conservation plan. Send us your thoughts on the matter to le*****@gt******.com.
What else? Well, there is Climate Action Day, which the entire nation is partaking in. Learn what’s unfolding here in Santa Cruz (see Events). Bottom line: there has never been a more vital time for action in the health of our planet than now.
Until next week …
Greg Archer
Editor
Letters to Good Times Editor
Aftershocks
I just read the Oct. 15 article, “Looking Back/Looking Ahead,” with Neal Coonerty’s “Vision of Santa Cruz for the next 20 years: …“and we need to also keep downtown Santa Cruz a happy and healthy retail neighborhood. My final wish is that people stop making downtown Santa Cruz a political football: if you don’t like it, stay away and shut up.”
I thought there were council people diligently working on the serious downtown issues so I was glad to read … there is no problem. And to all you people who want to make downtown Santa Cruz even happier, like getting rid of the bums and drug addicts, thugs and mental cases, defecators and rapists … just shut up. This is a joke, right?
Jay Wilson
Santa Cruz
Shaken Up
I read with curiosity and fascination Cynthia Jordan’s account of what happened to her on Oct. 17, 1989. So many of us can recall exactly where we were. Her essay seemed to bring me right back to that moment when everything kind of changed for Santa Cruz forever. Thanks for printing it and the other earthquake stories.
Jane Hanson
Santa Cruz
Big Issue
It took me a while, but I was finally able to get through all those Loma Prieta stories you folks ran in your last issue. Pretty powerful. I found it interesting to read some of Bruce Bratton’s comments on the old Cooper House. Like him, and a ton of other people, I guess, we all felt that the building could have been saved, or, at the very lesat, been rebuilt. They could have easily reconstructed another Cooper House-like place, maybe even using the some of the original materials from the structure they destroyed. I have to say, I chuckled when I saw that Mark Primack still has a piece of that old beauty. It was something!
Tom Franklin
Felton
Smoke Signals
Regarding some of your reporting about smoking downtown, it is interesting that many of the bars in downtown Santa Cruz do not enforce the California state-wide smoking ban. If our city has such a bad track record of enforcing the eradication of smoking in indoor public spaces, it becomes hard to imagine that our city will be able to put a halt to smoking in outdoor public places. I feel that the outdoor smoking ban will be used as an excuse to selectively remove undesirables from our downtown streets.
A great way to improve air quality on Pacific Avenue would be to close the street to automobiles and make a public park and walkway, where musicians, mimes and artists can perform for tips. There could be parks for children to play, benches and tables for all ages to enjoy socializing with one another.
Without the noise, danger, and pollution from automobiles on Pacific, the downtown mall would become a great mecca for people to shop and gather together.
Allen David
Santa Cruz
