The best thing about Santa Cruz in the summer is also the worst thing. There’s just too much going on.
No matter what you choose, you are going to miss other great things. And what if you want to take a day off and like, hang on the beach or in the forest? Regrets abound.
Last weekend was a great example: the great Pride Parade was up against the Redwood Mountain Faire. Not fair. Other cities settle for one or the other. We have both and then throw in a hidden adult rave; bands playing at all of our clubs; the great group Thievery Corporation at the Mountain Winery and more.
It’s an abundance of riches.
More of the same this coming weekend. The 20th anniversary of First Friday is, duh, Friday night all over town, as explained in our cover story and an inserted guide in our weekly. The same night over in Felton there’s reggae from Boostive.
Saturday there’s the one symphony kids really love, the greatest movie hits of John Williams, the last show of the season. There’s also a hugely celebrated sax player, Kamasi Washington, at Kuumbwa; psych rock from Habibi at Moe’s and a Mariachi Festival at Cabrillo Sunday.
What do you do? Try to go to it all or make your best choice based on the tips we curate in this issue and hit one or two a day?
On the news front, we are covering the protests at UCSC and disappointingly, our reporters had to sneak past police to get pictures and photos. Since when do police shut down the free press’s ability to gather news? We are not happy about that and you shouldn’t be either.
We are also troubled by new construction projects like the Food Bin complex on Mission Street not only not supplying parking but banning residents from owning cars. Is this really the way toward an environmentally friendly future? What do you think?
Let us know what you think at [email protected].
Thanks for reading.
Brad Kava | Editor
PHOTO CONTEST
BEE-HAVING Macro photographer specializes in shots of native insects/flowers and critters in our local neighborhoods and tide pools. Photograph by Gabriella “Bria” Nathan.
GOOD IDEA
How cool is the nature artwork on the RTC buses you see all over? Our local seals, whales and birds photographed by Frans Lanting show how taking a bus saves the environment. The art has won an important national recognition:
One Ride at a Time, the Transit District’s campaign to showcase the environmental benefits of transit, has earned four Hermes Creative Awards, including three Platinum and one Gold Award. These annual marketing awards, sponsored by the Association of Communications and Marketing Professionals, are one of the oldest and largest creative competitions in the world.
GOOD WORK
Aptos High School students have spent two years building a tiny home on wheels and debuted it this week. The Aptos project is 8 feet by 20 feet and fully ready for utilities. These are legally acceptable as Accessory Dwelling Units in the county.
Granite Construction donated funds for the construction. The Pajaro Valley Education Foundation headed up the project and the goal is to sell the unit and encourage others like it.
Watsonville High School is also working on a similar project. “Students not only learn skills they may use later in life, but they are helping solve the housing shortage,” says Les Forster, of the county’s Office of Education.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“This will be overturned, guys, there’s no question about it.”
—House Speaker Mike Johnson
