Plus Letters To the Editor
One of the most important missions for a true community paper, as I see it, is to reveal the uniqueness of the community it serves. For one thing, that means finding the people who are the “glue,” doing essential work on our cultural landscape, but who don’t necessarily get the recognition they deserve. Whether it’s in business or politics or the arts, they make Santa Cruz a better place to live for all of us, and one of our foremost preoccupations here at GT is with spotlighting them.
Two weeks ago, we did it in our Nexties issue. Last week, we featured some of the founders of Santa Cruz’s LGBTQ community. This week, Christina Waters profiles two artists who deserve a closer look. First, she writes about Paul Rangell, who many locals have seen playing at the Westside farmers market, probably not realizing he’s an internationally renowned master of American folk music. Then, in her ArtFiles column, she interviews Ron Jones, who for three decades has been taking pictures for a long list of clients in the Santa Cruz arts scene. Their work and personalities have helped to shape how the world sees Santa Cruz, and how Santa Cruz
sees itself.
Steve Palopoli | Editor-in-Chief
Pride and Faith
Thank you for a great Pride issue this week! It’s the best Pride issue since I came to the Santa Cruz area 10 years ago from Madison, Wisconsin, where I spent several years on their Pride committee in the 1990s. All of the articles are great, and I especially like the snapshot of events listed together on Page 22.
Sadly, the event list did not contain the Out In Our Faith celebration of “10 Years of Love and Support for the LGBTQI Community,” which was held at Temple Beth El on Friday. The impact of this group is quite visible at the Pride Parade when a dozen churches or more march in support of gay rights and inclusion. Perhaps next year, the Pride issue will include an article about the support of the religious community through Out In Our Faith.
John Laird writes in his article, “There’s not a walk of life in Santa Cruz County that doesn’t have an open LGBT person somewhere in its organization.” I believe that the work of gay activists and their allies has allowed for this assimilation. However, as John says, the movie Bridegroom tells us that there is still work to do. Again, a good topic for future Pride issues, which I have no doubt that you will address. Thanks again for a wonderful issue!
Mary Bushman | Ben Lomond
ONLINE COMMENTS
First off, John, I want to thank you for mentioning the Dragon Moon, and it has been a pleasure knowing you all these years. I remember SCPD parking or leaving a patrol car in front of the bar to keep people away. Have to say, it didn’t work. It is sad that we have no “gay bar” here in SC. We as gay people have come a long way.
— Robert
Thanks for this, Mayor Laird. I remember you well as our mayor, and this piece brought back a lot of memories, since I attended UCSC 1982-86. I am now 50 years old, and I marvel at how far things have come in such a modest span. Drawing on those early and sometimes scary experiences in Santa Cruz, I today help (largely U.S.) corporations build LGBT employee diversity programs in Japan where I live. Thanks for
all you did!
— Jason Kendy
Re: Ralph Peduto
Love and warmth flowed and radiated out of Ralph’s heart every time we met, every step he took. He is gone, I am so sad, I will keep him in my heart, to help me be more warm and loving.
— Jasmine Berke
Re: “Out of Touch” Letter
Incredible letter to the editor “Out of Touch.” The saddest part is how true it is. Instead of unifying SC, Take Back Santa Cruz has driven the divisions deeper. We don’t need more fear mongering, hate, and anger! History has proven this solves nothing, only makes it worse.
—In Agreement
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Homing Devices
The program that set out to house the county’s chronically homeless has reached its ultimate goal. Project 180/180 has found homes for 180 of Santa Cruz’s most vulnerable homeless people. It’s a step forward, not just for the homeless here, but for the local community as a whole.
Cannabis Greenlit
Congressman Sam Farr’s amendment asking the feds to back off medical marijuana has passed the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives. Republican Dana Rohrabacher out of Huntington Beach co-authored the amendment to the funding bill for the Justice Department.
“I’d like to write some songs that are so good that nobody understands them. Not even myself.” — Townes Van Zandt
