EDITOR’S NOTE
We were saddened here at GT to hear of the passing of longtime friend of the paper Angelo Grova in July. With his groundbreaking FashionArt shows, Angelo obviously had a huge impact on Santa Cruz culture. But he changed how we wrote about fashion here in the alternative press here, too. Back in the day, the annual “fashion issue” was a joke. We always seemed to end up writing some variation on the tired cliché about how Santa Cruz had no fashion. I’m sure it was as much of a drag for readers as it was for us.
But Angelo changed all that with FashionArt. Suddenly, there was something exciting to write about in the world of Santa Cruz fashion. There were bold, eye-grabbing photos of pieces by local designers and artists. That talent may always have been here, but Angelo gave it a showcase.
You can see Angelo’s legacy in this week’s cover story by Susan Landry on Pivot: The Art of Fashion. Rose Sellery and Tina Brown, who both worked with Angelo on FashionArt before starting Pivot, have long been two of the most innovative fashion mavens in this area. And they are fostering new talent, like 18-year-old designer Josie Harris, whose “American Gothic” in this year’s show is both a wearable art piece and a political statement on gun violence. That Santa Cruz can now have something as edgy and challenging as her work in its largest fashion show is a testament to what Angelo started here, and this fashion issue is dedicated to his memory.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Read the latest letters to the editor here.
Louie, Louie
Louie, Louie, Louie, thank you so much for going where no one has gone before (with such LGBT glamour) in the history of the Ville. YouTube!
Some may question the need for a video on how to dance at quinceañeras, but you filled a need long empty in our social knowledge. As a retired teacher who has been invited to many quinceañeras, I often struggled to decide how I should dance at this occasion. Do I bust a move, or behave as society deems appropriate in the role of teacher?
Best wishes to you from a 66-year-old gay Latino admirer from the Ville. I do believe you were at Pajaro Pride in August at the YWCA.
We look forward to your comedy routines on YouTube and elsewhere.
Thank you for your courage and the ganas to be who you are. You are helping to end homophobia in Watsonville.
Steve Trujillo
Watsonville
Compromised By Anonymity
Name Withheld By Request’s letter (GT, 9/4) makes some interesting points about local government, but their argument, complete with apocalyptic sign-off, is fatally compromised by their anonymity. Good Times should require public identification of such writers or not publish their letters. Democratic discourse depends on accountability, and Name Withheld, like Antifa vandals and Klansmen under their hoods, should come out and make their case openly, not hide behind a cowardly disguise. The same goes for any replies.
Stephen Kessler
Santa Cruz
Courage, Not Cowardice
No wonder the anonymous letter writer from last week refused to be identified. I too would be embarrassed to put my name to such a letter. This person obviously feels passion for the cause, whatever it is, but is too cowardly to let others know that they subscribe to these beliefs.
As someone who has received hate mail and lost business because of the letters I have written, I understand why someone might not want to publicize their beliefs, but I have never asked for a newspaper to publish my letters without attribution. I believe that this newspaper erred in publishing a letter without disclosing the author. I think that we should know who writes these letters. Is it from a disgruntled city employee? Could it be from one of the councilmen who is subject to the recall petition? Perhaps it is from an escapee from a psychiatric ward. Don’t you think the readers should know?
As far as the content of the letter, it is hard for me to comment without knowing the expertise and knowledge of the writer. On it’s face, it seems to be an off-the-wall ranting of someone who has some knowledge of democracy and city government and a lot of anger that they are not getting their way, but maybe there is something to the allegations. Context would help.
Democracy needs people of courage who are not afraid to take a stand. Someone who criticizes public officials anonymously falls far short of this.
I strongly urge the Good Times not to publish letters without identifying the writer. The phrase “Consider the source” is appropriate here.
Gil Stein
Aptos
PHOTO CONTEST WINNER
Submit to ph****@go*******.sc . Include information (location, etc.) and your name. Photos may be cropped. Preferably, photos should be 4 inches by 4 inches and minimum 250dpi.
GOOD IDEA
Ah, at long last, how we have waited for this moment! We now bid adieu to the days when readers of the Santa Cruz Sentinel’s online edition used to lose their voices screaming at their computer screens. That’s because the local daily announced on Thursday, Sept. 5, that it was finally doing away with its online comment section, at least for now. In an editorial, the paper argued that it did not have the resources to make a staffer sit on the page full-time to “babysit” forums rife with bigotry and name-calling.
GOOD WORK
Speaking of local media, the new upstart media company Santa Cruz Local finished its first-ever membership drive on Wednesday, Sept. 4. Launched by two Sentinel alumni this year, the group has been releasing free podcasts, with extra perks available to those who join. Santa Cruz Local has now reached 150 members, and the company hopes to reach 350 members by Dec. 31. Memberships range from $9 per month to $1,000 a year. For more information, visit santacruzlocal.org.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“In difficult times, fashion is always outrageous.”
-Elsa Schiaparelli
