I can’t believe it’s been a year since the last Pride celebration, which not only marks the 49th year of a great parade and weekend but my year anniversary with Good Times. I was only going to be here a short time but here I am.
It’s gone in the blink of an eye mostly because of being a part of a fast-moving progressive and inclusive community. There is no better way to know what’s going on around you than to be part of a newspaper and website whose whole business is to cover what’s going on around us.
I hope you get the same gratitude reading us as we do bringing you the people who make a difference.
A year ago I asked for suggestions and we got plenty and started new features. We brought the Street Talk feature back, with John Koenig getting local voices into print; we made Elizabeth Borelli’s Wellness column a regular feature.
We hired bilingual reporter and editor Josue Monroy, a native Santa Cruzan who has covered the Pajaro community in depth and reports on underrepresented communities from here to Hollister.
We’ve also added award-winning investigative reporter and editor Alexandria Bordas, who was selected California regional journalist of the year from the Society of Professional Journalists for a series that uncovered unscrupulous practices in Sonoma County politics.
And we’ve hired Sharan Street, a longtime journalist and editor who started at UCSC and has worked in San Jose and Los Angeles.
Longtime writer Christina Waters has quit eating so much in order to focus on the arts. Her stories on the symphony, theater and art have clued readers into events they wouldn’t have known about and boosted attendance to them big time.
Mark C. Anderson and Andrew Steingrube have doubled up on the food beat, letting you know where and where not to eat. They are the best. As is Josie Cowden, who manages to sample wines of all kinds and leaves a trail of tastings for you to follow.
For an example of what we do best, check out Rob Darrow’s coverage of the upcoming Pride weekend in our cover stories. He isn’t just a source—he’s the director of the parade and festival and knows more about the history of the 49-year-old event than anyone.
Also, check out Mat Weir’s piece on Mothfest. Mat is a music maven who knows it all from thrash to sludge to genres yet to be invented.
There’s more, there’s more, I know, and you can see them all here in the weeks ahead. Drop me a line with your suggestions, because as you can see, we listen and try to take your advice.
Thanks for reading.
Brad Kava
Editor
DECK(S) CHAIR Installed on a stump beneath towering high-power lines crossing a Soquel ridge, this throne offers an expansive view of bucolic farmland to the west. Photograph by Guy Lasnier
GOOD IDEA
Santa Cruz Shakespeare is offering a new summer Shakespeare intensive program for high school students, ages 14–18, Monday, July 8–Friday, July 12, 9am–3pm. Students will be guided through practical exercises to prepare them to take center stage in an abridged version of As You Like It to be performed Saturday, July 13 at Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s Audrey Stanley Grove at DeLaveaga Park.
The summer program will include workshops with Shakespeare experts.
Cost is $1,000 and includes access for one student and one adult ticket to the professional performance of As You Like It on July 13, as well as a souvenir sweatshirt. Scholarships and payment plans available. Learn more at https://santacruzshakespeare.org/educators/intensive.
GOOD WORK
After increasing routes and hours, Santa Cruz Metro appears to be heading in the right direction.
Ridership surged by an impressive 23% last quarter over a year ago. Riders to UCSC, Cabrillo College, and K-12 ridership escalated by 27.1%, 26.8%, and 147.6%. Changes included buses every 15 minutes to UCSC; using Highway 1 between Aptos and Watsonville; direct route from San Lorenzo Valley to downtown and running Watsonville buses every 30 minutes.Some routes now run until midnight.Details \can be found at scmetro.org/reimagine.
