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Covello & Covello Historical Photo Collection Republican in Santa Cruz: President Teddy Roosevelt wasn't here campaigning, he was visiting Big Trees on May 5, 1903. He took the train from Watsonville, and this photo was taken about where Palace Stationery will open next to Cinema 9. F.A. Hihn gave Teddy a plate, and the original Sam Leask was there, along with Duncan McPherson. Ask Mardi Wormhoudt (who was mayor at the time) about the time then-President Bush came here after the earthquake. He wanted his entourage to walk down Pacific Avenue without her because she was a Democrat. He lost. Bruce Bratton CHECK THE RECORD. I'm of the opinion that most of the media around here hasn't been fair to our current Santa Cruz City Council. The council in the last two years, even with the backbiting and internal hassles, has accomplished quite a bit. For example: They created a youth center involving young people as part of the planning, approved a living-wage ordinance, bought the Del Mar Theater for a cinema and probably a performing-arts space, funded nine additional public toilets, approved $5,000 for more public benches, passed a 16,000-square-foot box-store ordinance, established West Cliff Drive design standards, reduced entertainment fees to zero for small venues, created a Master Transportation Study with UCSC, stopped intrusive development in Arana Gulch, created the Watershed Management Task Force, added a new kitchen at the Coral Street shelter, placed Measure U on the ballot to raise $600,000-plus per year for homeless services, battled to reclaim the city's tidelands properties along Third Street, balanced the budget each year, began a green-waste program at the landfill, adopted an Integrated Pest Management Plan, got UCSC to agree not to pursue an Eastern Access for 15 years, purchased Light House Liquors for the Natural History Museum site, acquired Fun Spot property for Gateway to Ohlone Park, established Homeless Issues Task Force, established a San Lorenzo Urban River Task Force--and the little devils are still working on ways to create a Downtown Plaza at Church and Pacific. There are dozens more items accomplished, and I'll get to them, but check back, look who voted for and against these issues and think about that next Tuesday--that's election day, so let's all vote. MARILYN LIDDICOAT AND CHRIS MATTHEWS. I asked Chris Matthews, former Santa Cruz County Supervisor from Watsonville to tell you a story he recently told me. He was very kind in writing: "During the commemoration of Santa Cruz County's 150th year at the Art Center in Watsonville, my old political nemesis, Marilyn Liddicoat, offered her apology for her treatment towards me while we were both County Supervisors, 1978-80. Being she was sincere, I also apologized to her. We then had an enjoyable discussion about the county and its history. To those people that were around in those days, just the fact of us two talking civilly to each other would seem astounding. It was astounding to me, but also a healing process of wounds from a bitter, political struggle. It took 20 years, but I am thankful it occurred. My hopes are we both enjoy our lives." Although none of the in-group battles of our City Council has ever reached those proportions, let us hope that no matter who wins this next election that they can put aside their differences and see the need and the wisdom of working together. DARK PLEASURES. You can forgive Haley Joel Osmont in Pay It Forward, because he's only a kid and has to cram in any part he can get before he grows up. Kevin Spacey, on the other hand, must have been deep in debt to be involved with a film this poor in concept, script and acting. If you've never quite understood what the SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) stood for and what they were trying to do during those turbulent '60s go see Rebels With a Cause. It's a documentary created by local author and filmmaker Helen Garvy, who was very much a part of the movement. It opens tomorrow at the Nick. VOX POPULI ADDENDUM. Once again the City of Santa Cruz is probably giving the gift of free downtown parking during the big shopping days: Dec. 16-23. How that works is that the Downtown Commission recommends free parking to the City Council and the council will most assuredly vote unanimously, etc. Full disclosure: I'm on the Downtown Commission, and we voted for recommending free holiday parking. Really full disclosure: It's hard to believe, but through no fault of mine (or his), I'm actually Michael Hernandez' appointee to the Downtown Commission! (He may not even know it!) On another front, let's see a motion to get those ridiculous legal notices we try to read in the Sentinel, which often end up changing our lives, written in such a way that we can understand them. At that same meeting of the Downtown Commission, we heard City Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator Cheryl Schnitt make great headway toward downtown Santa Cruz becoming much more bicycle-friendly. NO ON DISTRICT ELECTIONS. This issue will create more of an impact than any other local candidate or issue next Tuesday. Check out everything you need to know about the problems with district elections at www.no-on-t.com. ATTENTION INVENTORS. Steve Schneider of the Sawyer Center in Santa Rosa is doing a workshop so you can learn about patent searches, trademarks, copyrights, intellectual properties and product development and research. It's being presented by the Central Coast Small Business Development Center and happens Monday (Nov. 6), 10am-noon, at the Sesnon House in Aptos. Steve will also be available for free appointments that Monday and Tuesday. MUSIC MAKING. Don't miss the Santa Cruz Symphony's next concert, Nov. 11 at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium at 8pm. They'll be playing selections by Beethoven and Sibelius and newer material by Henry Brant. Tickets are available at the S.C. Civic Box Office or at the door--or call 420.5260. LATE-BREAKING NEWS. Due to an expected late surge of voters and a possible voting-facility failutre, it is requested that all registered Democrats vote as usual on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Republicans are requested to vote on Wed., Nov. 8. IN CLOSING. I'm writing this from deep in the heart of L.A. late on Sunday night. This isn't exactly the last political colm before elections that I anticipated writing. However, my daughter, Hillary, her husband, Martin, his brother, Marcus, and of course my grandson, Henry, and I just went through a bomb scare, about three hours ago. The scene couldn't have been more dramatic if it had a director. There was the looney special-effects guy, a phone call to the LAPD with six bomb locations--including the silent-movie-star mansion we were in. Should we enter?, rainy night, don't touch anything you don't recognize, Henry crying, all that Los Angeles-type adventure and the police are almost positive he didn't really plant any of those bombs--should we stay there or go, we went someplace else obviously ... and I'll tell you how it worked out when it does, probably by next week. But you know what I would have said anyways, right? Bruce critiques films every other Thursday on KUSP-FM(88.9) at 12:50pm. Reach Bruce at [email protected] or call 457.5814, ext. 400. [ Santa Cruz | MetroActive Central | Archives ]