Sometimes the best thing about working at Good Times is reading Good Times.
I’m still reeling from the musical recommendations our critics made in the last issue and without them I wouldn’t have known about so many great artists appearing in town.
Thanks to Bill Kopp’s column about the band The Third Mind I braved the rain and took a chance on a band he described as boldly improvisational. That’s the kind of music I love: artists who loosely follow the play book and aren’t afraid to stretch the limits. I was ecstatic at their Friday night show at Moe’s Alley and I wish I could see it again.
I bought their albums afterwards (I rarely want to know what a band is going to do before I see them. I like to be surprised.) and they are good, but nothing is as good as seeing it unfold live.
Will they play out more? Who knows? I sure hope so, but the individuals in this outfit also play in other bands, so they may not. For now, I’ll just have to cherish the memories, as I do with another pickup band I saw late last year, the Everyone Orchestra, who make a point of never playing the same way twice and claim not to even rehearse. They were so professional and inspired, I had trouble believing that.
Anyway, I’m old school. I don’t get my music tips from Spotify as much as from writers who are gatekeepers and have a deep understanding of musical history and can steer me toward what I would like.
The same goes for health and fitness, the topic of this month’s issue and esteemed writer Elizabeth Borelli always has great tips on how we could be healthier.
She took on a challenge for the cover story: so many people are losing weight with new drugs that promise to take off pounds without having to work, and she wondered how more healthful alternatives were doing. Based on the number of alternative doctors, Santa Cruz could be the healthiest town in the country.
As an alternative paper, we love to explore alternatives to the mainstream and Elizabeth will be doing that regularly with a new health and fitness column. Her first column has some really great news about free yoga classes. Yup, free. What could be better?
We’ll be adding some other new columns soon: one on hiking and one on local businesses. Keep your eyes peeled for them.
Thanks for reading.
Brad Kava
PHOTO CONTEST
WOWZA Blue supermoon along West Cliff Drive in front of the sculpture. Photo: Janet Volpe
GOOD IDEA
Wreaths Across America, the national nonprofit whose year-long mission is to “Remember the Fallen, Honor those who serve, and Teach our children the value of freedom,” announces its theme for 2024: “Live with Purpose.”
Each year, millions of volunteers and patriots gather in local, state, and national cemeteries to pay tribute to our nation’s servicemembers and their families. This year’s theme, “Live with Purpose,” draws inspiration from the remarkable stories of these volunteers whose impactful work in their communities is a beacon of inspiration for all.
Karen Worcester, Executive Director of Wreaths Across America, shared her thoughts on why this theme is so important; watch why here: 2024 Theme: Live with Purpose (youtube.com).
GOOD WORK
The 2024 Santa Cruz County Spelling Bee is in the books. Aria Menon, a sixth-grader at Mountain Elementary School, was crowned champion of the elementary division; Kheiron Guin, a seventh-grader at San Lorenzo Valley Charter School, won the junior division.
First- and second-place finishers in both divisions advance to the California State Spelling Championship, scheduled for April 27 at the San Joaquin County Office of Education.
Hosted by the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, the 2024 Santa Cruz County Spelling Bee took place Saturday, Jan. 20, at UC Santa Cruz. The annual academic competition includes two divisions: elementary (grades 4-6) and junior (grades 7-9).
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly.”
—Roald Dahl
