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Covello & Covello Historical Photo Collection Welcome to Santa Cruz County, 1947: The Coast Road,or--as Don Clark reminds us in his book 'Santa Cruz County Place Names'--Coast Highway, Ocean Shore Boulevard, Pacific Coast Highway, Highway 1 and even Roosevelt Highway. In 1957, the state mistakenly called it Cabrillo Highway, even though Cabrillo/Cabrilho never got this far north. But it's still a fine photo and it was a different time. Bruce Bratton DEL MAR AWARDS. I just found out the correct information on the many awards for the Del Mar Theatre. Most recently, it was honored with the annual Governor's Historic Preservation Award last month in Sacramento. An art deco group gave an award to the Del Mar earlier in the year at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland. The California Preservation Foundation gave it an award in the Rehabilitation and Adaptive Reuse Category. What is really so unique about the Del Mar is that not only was it saved from the developer's ball, but it's still being used as a motion picture theater. Most restored movie palaces in the U.S., if they're saved at all, are used for other purposes. Our thanks should again be directed to those folks who made it happen: George Ow, Barry Swenson, the Redevelopment Agency, the City Council--notably Keith Sugar--and of course Jim Schwenterley and the late Chuck Volwiler. THE BOB LEE DA PARTY. It was a festive group celebrating Bob Lee's investiture as DA at the Holy Cross Hall last Friday night. Just when you think you know everybody in Santa Cruz, you go to something like this and whew! There were a few what you might call progressives, many, many neckties and lots of people praying and hoping for much-needed changes in the DA's offices. A lot of folks bet on Bob and he's got some quick decisions to be made. Let's wish him luck. KINGDOM OF SHADOWS. Jack Nicholson does not play Jack Nicholson in About Schmidt, and that's why he's such a fine actor. You keep waiting for him to do one of his schticks, and he doesn't--he acts his way out of a scene. Go see it, it's not as profound as you may hope, but an excellent film anyway. I'm sure purists will have problems with the new Nicholas Nickleby film. At two hours and 10 minutes, it doesn't quite contain all the material that the Royal Shakespeare Company's nine-hour version did, and it's still an excellent film. You'll recognize every British actor you've ever seen in the major parts, and you still won't remember their names, but don't miss this film. It reminds you all over again how great a writer Dickens was. That opens at the Del Mar this weekend. It seems that Korean filmmakers make either the most bloody, gory action films in the world or the most touching, subtle, sincere tear-jerkers you've ever experienced. Director Jeong-Hyang Lee's new film The Way Home is a beautifully created film that you have to love. It's dedicated to all the grandmothers in the world, and rightly so. It opens at the Nick this weekend; just see it and realize how much Hollywood has missed the boat when it comes to portraying emotions. UTAH PHILLIPS SATURDAY! Snazzy Productions is bringing the world's only Utah Phillips to the Kuumbwa for one show at 7:30pm. Utah came here many years ago to play in an early musical saw festival honoring our own Tom Scribner. There aren't many storytelling guitarists around anymore that match Utah's greatness. Call 479.9421 about tickets or go online at www.snazzyamericanamusic.com BEETHOVEN TONIGHT! We have a rare chance to hear Sylvia Jenkins and Roy Malin play the last in a series of Beethoven's complete sonatas for piano and violin. They'll play nos.3, 4 and 10. The performance will be tonight at 8pm in UCSC's Music Center Recital Hall. Roy Malin is founder of the Telluride Chamber Music Festival and Sylvia now lives in France, so this really is a rare opportunity. Hurry and call 459.2159 and get your tickets, or get them at the door. NO NAMES, PLEASE. There are lots of little snickers going around--and some larger amounts of glee and puzzlement--about how once-loyal Mardi Wormhoudt supporters who joined Primack's supervisor campaign this last time feel nowadays. There are some who somehow tried to support both, and we'll never know about them and where they're at, but in this small county it does make for interesting tap dancing, if you catch my drift. THE ARDEN TRIO. The Ardens have recorded on Naxos, Canal Grande and Delos, among other serious music labels. They have also commissioned new chamber music from such composers as Santa Cruz favorite Charles Wuorinen. They'll be playing at UCSC's Music Center Recital Hall Friday, Jan. 24. They'll play Haydn, Brahms, and Beethoven's Piano Trio no. 7, op. 97 (Archduke). Remember when Bach was popular in the '50s and '60s, then it was Mozart for a while, now I'm betting Beethoven will be the top classical composer in about five years. Get info at www.events.ucsc.edu/artslecs, or tickets at 459.2159. MOTORCYCLES AGAIN. While we talk endlessly about panhandling, street musicians and other downtown questions, it still baffles me why there's never any clampdown on motorcycle noise. Folks whisper to me that it's because the police like motorcycles and don't want to give tickets to these noisy polluters--is that true? Everybody agrees that motorcycle noise on Pacific is terrible except for the bikers, so why isn't action being taken? It wasn't even a big issue last year when Mayor Reilly and Ed Porter started those downtown problem-solving workshops. I'm obviously missing part of this puzzle. IN CLOSING. S.K. Tile Company of Soquel sent these brilliant quotes. The first one requires extra thought: The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. Hard work pays off in the future, laziness pays off now. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines. Why do psychics have to ask you your name? If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried. The colder the X-ray table, the more of your body is required to be on it. And lastly ... a conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking. [ Santa Cruz | Metroactive Central | Archives ]