Plus Letters To the Editor
The last week of the year is always a great time for music around here. This year’s premier New Year’s show is a two-night stand by Bay Area electro-cabaret weirdos Beats Antique, who Cat Johnson profiles in our cover story this issue. If the cover didn’t give you a clue about how far out these guys can get, her story about the group’s aesthetic and their new ‘Creature Caravan’ show will make everything clear.
There’s much more happening this week on and around New Year’s Eve, too, so check out our previews of local Americana fave Marty O’Reilly, soulsters Harry & the Hitmen, official Moe’s Alley New Year’s In-Ringers the B-Side Players, and more. I also wrote about my recent encounter with Patti Smith, who plays the Rio Theatre this week, and how she just might blow your mind. (Full disclosure: Horses is my favorite album of all time.)
It’s our last issue of the year, so thanks to everyone who made it great: the GT staff and extended families, everyone who took the time to talk to us and help deliver the news about our community, and everyone in our community who read what we wrote about it, week after week. You are why we do this. See you in 2016.
STEVE PALOPOLI | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Pet Projects
Re: “Roof to Power” (GT, 11/18): Don Lane is pushing his pet projects. This, even though Santa Cruz has one of the highest homeless populations in the country due to his past pet projects. Even though 50 percent of the homeless in Santa Cruz arrive homeless. And, they’ll keep coming.
The top three reasons the homeless say they come to Santa Cruz: The climate, the perceived social services available, the tolerant, accommodating community.
As for the “All In” program, Deb Elston had issues with it and Don Lane scolded her publicly. He apologized after the fact. Don Lane does a lot of apologizing “after the fact” for his condescending, sanctimonious, despotic behavior. If it’s not done his way, then it’s the highway for you. No discussion and no compromise. He definitely doesn’t have his eye on the bigger picture: safety and the concerns of the community at large.
As for allowing “camps” for the homeless, this has been tried before with disastrous results. This goes the same for the “warming centers.” It was only needed three days last year, as we don’t have much freezing temperature during our winter. He wants to propose 30 days. This calls for abuse of the situation, as has been seen before.
Don Honda, Santa Cruz
Online Comments
Re: ‘Scenes From a Moviehouse’
I was very glad to read that the staff will be retained and that these theaters will still represent local culture. I moved here from L.A. around eight years ago after retiring, so I am familiar with Landmark Theatres. I was a little concerned at first, just because change is often not for the best, but this article has reassured me. Please keep Santa Cruz weird. There’s literally nowhere else to go …
— John Pusey
Thank you for an interesting history of our local theaters. I still miss the Sash Mill.
— Em
Re: ‘Testing Ground’
What a wondrous tale, filled with histories of Santa Cruz and beyond. Down deep, ping, it hits a note. Such a great choice of words, pieced together to make me go hmmm.
This I love:
“I do believe the birds. Stories do not end. Narratives do. Endings are the conceit of storytellers and morticians.”
Yes, more.
Thank you Good Times for publishing this piece.
— k-man
Re: Tracing the Elements
Outstanding! The folks with the UCSC Puma Project are doing some some great work, I am always amazed at their findings.
— David Tharp
I can’t make the connection as to how the mercury-laden fog enters the pumas. Is it breathed in? Or is it absorbed through their skin and fur, or, as the article suggests, from eating smaller prey that are mercury-laden. If the latter, then how do the prey consume the mercury?
— Cynthia Berg
Letters Policy
Letters should not exceed 300 words and may be edited for length, clarity, grammar and spelling. They should include city of residence to be considered for publication. Please direct letters to the editor, query letters and employment queries to le*****@gt******.com. All website-related queries, including corrections, should be directed to we*******@gt******.com.
IT’S SWELL A shot above Hole-in-the-Wall Beach during some of the impressive surf earlier this month. Photograph by Tom Skeele.
YOU OTTER KNOW
A sea otter gave birth in the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Great Tide Pool on Sunday, Dec. 20. The mom and pup were discovered that morning floating around with the umbilical cord still attached. Visitors flocked from all over to see the otters clinging to each other, as the mother fluffed her baby’s fur. California residents can check off a box on their income taxes to support sea otters, which are listed as endangered.
HOLIDAY MESSAGE
Shortly before Christmas, Santa Cruz County Sheriff officials teamed up with Rountree Detention inmates to make a video of five holiday safety tips. With each prisoner saying a different tip, the video suggests that people keep newly purchased items in the trunk, instead of in view of a car window. It suggested people avoid posting holiday travel plans on social media, and also make sure the area around an ATM is safe before withdrawing money.
“The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose
; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes.” — Gilbert K. Chesterton
