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From the Editor

Tuesday, 22 November 2011 13:34 Greg Archer Columns - Editors Note
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Giving. Gratitude. Food. At last—2011’s perfect trifecta has arrived. Indulge in all that, but first ... down to business. Every year at Thanksgiving, GT joins efforts with the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz to shine the spotlight on four nonprofits whose work in the area makes a significant impact on the lives of locals. All this to not only raise the level of awareness on several unique organizations, but to generate funds for these creative nonprofits. Enter the Packard Foundation, which matches a percentage of the funds that you, the reader, contribute. The theme of the year’s crop of nonprofits revolve around youth. So, how important are local youths—their education, their futures, their lives—to you? Turn to page 18 and learn more about how the Summer Youth Employment Program, Watsonville Wetlands Watch, Mariposa’s Arts and Food, What?! contribute to the greater good in the area by working with local youths. Onward ...
There’s big news at the Tannery Arts Center revolving around the relatively new nonprofit dubbed The Tannery World Dance and Cultural Center. “Two years ago when I found out that the Tannery was coming to fruition I was intrigued by the idea that [the dance center] would become a centerpiece for arts and culture in Santa Cruz,” notes Cat Willis, the organization’s founder. Learn more in our report.
If you’ve been keeping track of the PG&E SmartMeter debate—or becoming part of the discussion—then you’re already familiar with how heated things have become. This week, the dialogue continues in News, where we tackle several main questions facing customers and deliver some answers.
What’s left? Time. And food. And gratitude, of course. So, whatever your plans are for the Thanksgiving holiday, it might be good not only to take stock of the good things in your life, but feel encouraged to be one of those good things in the lives of others. 
Thanks for reading. We here at GT are immensely grateful.
Greg Archer | Editor-in-Chief
Letters to the Editor

The Desal Debate Goes On
Regarding last week’s article on desalination, those who enjoy the privilege of utilizing political power to get what they want almost always claim that the "facts are the facts." An elephant in the middle of the room is a "fact," too, but as the Six Blind Men discovered, the truth and significance of the "facts" we confront are not all that clear. Too bad the city council and its appointed officers are more focused on doing what they want than in working with the public to achieve a common understanding of the "facts."
In other words, I'm with Rick Longinotti in this debate. For those not familiar with the "The Blind Men and the Elephant," you can read the poem right at gapatton.net/2010/0...d-men.html.
Gary A. Patton
Santa Cruz

Best Online Comments

On  ‘James Durbin’ ...
James is the real deal. He has a passion that he lives, he has values and morals that keep him grounded on Earth; and he knows we are all here for a higher purpose and that we are to give back to humanity. He does it all, he is the "Real Deal!" and I am so happy for him and his family.
Can't wait to see the Fire Marshall at the Civic! I'll be there!
—Gini Gyorkos

James has such a great spirit, and it's that spirit that inspires others to believe that it is possible to achieve what they think at the time is unachievable. Thanks James for your story and your passion to help others.
—Wanda Best

Wow. Great interview! Great guy that James Durbin. Heidi Air Lowe—you’re a great woman. Very inspiring human story. Thank you for sharing for all the work you are doing. It takes great dedication to work as hard as you are doing now. Your fans all thank you.
—Angele7

On  ‘SmartMeters’ ...
Sorry, but I think this is all a bunch of b.s. hysteria. The problem I have with all of this SmartMeter nonsense is that these meters emit just as much RF radiation or less than cell phones, wireless phones, WiFi hotspots and microwave ovens. All RF radiation producing devices around the home have FCC IDs, which you can look up on the FCC website and easily find the RF Exposure calculations/reports.
My Smartmeter FCC report shows 21.7 dBm maximum RF Power. Take a look at the handy dandy interwebs and guess what, typical RF power output from that Apple Airport you’ve been sitting by in your home office for the last five years is about 25dBm, your microwave oven leakage about 30dBm, and the cell phone you blab on five hours a day, up to 33dBm. My guess is that a lot of the people complaining are exposed to these other devices regularly but have no ill effects. On top of it, just about all meters are partially enclosed in a grounded metal box that blocks much of the RF radiation emitted towards the house anyway (it's called a Faraday cage if you want to look it up). And yes, I am schooled in electrical engineering, have studied RF and microwave theory and my first job out of college was working on military radios so I do know a little about the subject.
—Techy in the Woods

Holiday Deadlines
Good Times offices will be closed Nov. 24-25 for the Thanksgiving holiday. The following holiday deadlines will be in effect for the , Dec 1 issue:

Display, Class Display and Bulletin Board: 3 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 23. Classified ads: 10 a.m., Monday, Nov. 28.
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Bring Your Own Bag

Single-use plastic bag bans are underway Shoppers in Capitola, Watsonville, the City of Santa Cruz, and the unincorporated parts of the county are, by now, becoming accustomed to the absence of plastic bags. On Sept. 20, 2011, Santa Cruz County became the first local jurisdiction to pass an ordinance that banned single-use plastic bags and implemented a fee for paper bags, which took effect last spring. Watsonville, Capitola, and Santa Cruz followed suit with similar actions: Watsonville’s ordinance went into effect last September, and, as of last month, the bans in Capitola and the City of Santa Cruz are now in place.

 

The Maya-Ixil Move Forward

Local nonprofit works to educate and create opportunity for indigenous communities in Guatemala In an isolated region of the Guatemala mountains called Ixil, the indigenous Maya population was devastated by a civil war between the government and leftist guerrilla factions that spanned 1960 to 1996. During that 36-year war, the Guatemalan military eradicated entire Mayan communities. In what amounted to genocide, soldiers burned Mayan farmlands and homes, raped and tortured the people, and scattered families. By the end of the war, 200,000 Mayans had been killed, 7,000 of whom were Maya-Ixil.

 

Public Thinking

Watsonville teens host TEDx event Santa Cruz County is no stranger to the TED brand. TED—which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design—talks have come to the area through independently organized events 10 times since 2011. This month, the gathering returns to the county with a new twist, thanks to the Watsonville Youth City Council. TEDxYouth@Watsonville, which will take place Sunday, May 19 at the Henry J. Mello Center for the Performing Arts in Watsonville, will feature only speakers younger than 19 years old and will traverse topics from racial stereotypes and renewable energy to traditional Mexican dance.

 

The Tilt

Although Jesse Malley, lead singer of the outlaw country, blues and rock ’n’ roll band The Tilt, no longer lives in Santa Cruz, she was born and raised here and this is where her love of music and performance began. “My dad worked at The Catalyst for 27 years, so I got to see a lot of music acts come through town,” she says. “Music always seemed to me to be such an incredible way to express yourself that I just stumbled upon my voice and jumped into it.” That jump eventually led to Malley heading down to San Diego to pursue a music career, and her band The Tilt has just released their full-length debut, Howlin’.

 

Whole Lotta Blues

The 11-piece, husband-and-wife-led Tedeschi Trucks Band headlines the Santa Cruz Blues Festival Guitarist Derek Trucks and vocalist/guitarist Susan Tedeschi, the husband-and-wife team at the helm of The Tedeschi Trucks Band, have learned that in a band as well as in a marriage, the best way to keep things running smoothly is sometimes to take a step back. That’s especially true when you’re dealing with an 11-piece group that, in addition to its namesakes, features two drummers, a keyboardist/flautist, a three-piece horn section and two harmony vocalists.

 

Beck to the Future

In celebration of Beck’s solo acoustic show at The Rio, GT explores Song Reader, the alternative rock icon’s most ambitious interactive art piece yet. Here’s an odd little paradox of the digital revolution: The more sophisticated our technology gets, the more our musical milieu begins to resemble that of a bygone era, when song ideas were passed around from musician to musician, perpetually taking on new twists. Dozens of different YouTube users might try their hand at setting somebody’s rant about cats or double rainbows to music, or you might hear the Belgian musician Gotye turning the many and varied covers of his song “Somebody That I Used to Know” into a virtual orchestra (see below).

 

Land of Lions

New research provides foundation to look at protecting mountain lions, particularly when it comes to Highway 17 An adult male mountain lion called simply “Number 16” by the Santa Cruz Puma Project led a scientifically interesting life for the more than two-year period he was tracked by the UC Santa Cruz-based research project. According to Chris Wilmers, associate professor of environmental studies at UCSC and head of the Puma Project, the group initially caught and collared Number 16 in Loch Lomond. He then proceeded to cross Highway 17 several times, where he was eventually was hit, but survived. In an unusual move for an adult male, Number 16 then shifted his home range to the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park. Recently, the lion’s tracking collar went on “mortality mode.” The day before Wilmers spoke to Good Times, the researchers found his skeleton.

 

So Sleep (Pralaya) Does Not Overtake Us

Sunday is Pentecost, a festival of the Holy Spirit (Ray 3 of Divine Intelligence). Pentecost is the name given to the descent of the Holy Spirit as tongues of fire appearing above the heads of Christ’s (Piscean World Teacher) Disciples (students) in an upper room (plane of the Mind). Pentecost is not a simple bible story. It’s an actual experience for each individual as the Light of the Soul begins to direct the personality with spiritual gifts and virtues – wisdom, understanding (all ideas, all hearts), knowledge and Right Judgment (directing the intellect), wonder, fortitude/courage and respect/reverence (directing our willingness to serve).

 

Legal Battles Drag On

More than a year after the 75 River St. occupation, four defendants remain embroiled in ongoing case  More than a year and a half since a group occupied the former Wells Fargo building on River Street in an act of protest, felony charges linger on for four of the original defendants and a trial may be imminent. Gabriella Ripley-Phipps, Brent Adams, Cameron Laurendeau and Franklin Alcantara were scheduled to begin trial May 13 in connection with the late 2011 protest. That trial now has been pushed back to September due to scheduling conflicts. The four face a felony charge of vandalism and a misdemeanor for trespassing.

 

Bringing the Message Home

Former mayor and UCSC student recap their experiences at the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women While traveling to New York for the 57th United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), seasoned local activist Jane Weed-Pomerantz had a notion of what to expect. But, with the vast scope of worldwide women’s rights violations presented at the commission, she knew she would still be taken aback at times. “I was worried because I had a feeling I would be finding out what I did find out about women and girls in the world,” says Weed-Pomerantz. “I was trying to brace myself for the knowledge of the reality, because we are really very protected in this country.”
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May Day in the Alps

When my daughter returns to Santa Cruz from her new home in Los Angeles, she comments on how quiet it is here. It was even more so during a trip to Ben Lomond, when we set out for a sample of her second favorite macaroni and cheese. Sitting at the front of the Tyrolean Inn restaurant, the green tarp with plastic windows kept out the chill as well as the noise of an occasional passing car. A new draft beer celebrating the German spring, Maibok ($6) was refreshing, served in a hefty glass stein, but specialty cocktails are unique as well.

 

The Power of Conversation

Local author Cecile Andrews emphasizes importance of community engagement in newest book Cecile Andrews, author of the new book “Living Room Revolution: A Handbook for Conversation, Community and the Common Good,” probably wouldn’t get along too well with Larry David’s character from HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, known for hiding his face and avoiding communication with anyone he runs into on the street. Andrews is a longstanding part-time Santa Cruz (part-time Seattle) resident who says something that’s struck her about this town over the years is people's willingness to participate in a practice she’s dubbed the “Stop and Chat”—which is exactly what it sounds like.

 

What are you a total sucker for?

A cold beer after a long bike ride, gossip, and fighting over politics. Kyle McKinley Santa Cruz | Lecturer

 

Best of Santa Cruz County

The 2013 Santa Cruz County Readers' Poll and Critics’ Picks It’s our biggest issue of the year, and in it, your votes—more than 6,500 of them—determined the winners of The Best of Santa Cruz County Readers’ Poll. New to the long list of local restaurants, shops and other notables that captured your interest: Best Beer Selection, Best Locally Owned Business, Best Customer Service and Best Marijuana Dispensary. In the meantime, many readers were ever so chatty online about potential new categories. Some of the suggestions that stood out: Best Teen Program and Best Web Design/Designer. But what about: Dog Park, Church, Hotel, Local Farm, Therapist (I second that!) or Sports Bar—not to be confused with Bra. Our favorite suggestion: Best Act of Kindness—one reader noted Café Gratitude and the free meals it offered to the Santa Cruz Police Department in the aftermath of recent crimes. Perhaps some of these can be woven into next year’s ballot, so stay tuned. In the meantime, enjoy the following pages and take note of our Critics’ Picks, too, beginning on page 91. A big thanks for voting—and for reading—and an even bigger congratulations to all of the winners. Enjoy.  -Greg Archer, EditorBest of Santa Cruz County Readers’ Poll INDEX | Shops | Food & Drink | Arts & Entertainment | Health & Fitness | Professionals | The Rest |

 

Vine & Dine: Pine Ridge Vineyards

Chenin Blanc + Viognier 2012 On a recent trip to Palm Springs, I came across Pine Ridge Vineyards’ Chenin Blanc + Viognier at a new downtown restaurant called Lulu. Superbly decorated in Hollywood-esque style and with a very hip vibe, this California bistro is one of the hottest new dining spots—and the Chenin Blanc was just the right wine to pair with some of Lulu’s Happy Hour tapas-style food. And eating outdoors in the desert’s warm night air makes a chilled white wine taste even better.

 

Making Sense of Soul

Allen Stone wants to give R&B back some of its depth Whether fairly or unfairly, R&B and soul music often get typecast. Much of the music is groove-inducing and has an overtly romantic, sensual or sexual side to it, and the suggestive lyrics only reinforce this mood. That is fine and well, but for R&B and soul singer Allen Stone, it is not enough. “I love music that’s about love, and I love R&B songs, but I also like songs that have influence on culture,” Stone says. "I believe that if you’re given a microphone you need to use it in a positive way, and I feel like pop culture, more often than not, doesn’t. I think that [pop stars] are very bad stewards of the microphone they’ve been given, and the voices they’ve been given, and they tend to talk about pretty futile and shallow things, rather than subjects which uplift the children in our culture, or the teenage culture, or the young adult generation. If you’re given a microphone, you should say something that’s deeper than, ‘I’m going to the club and I’m going to drink cognac.’”

 

Step on up to the Bar

Here in Santa Cruz County, we are privileged to have farm-fresh greens year-round. Making a nightly salad at home is a snap since the emergence of pre-washed greens, and vinaigrette dressing is made easily with your favorite vinegar and small spoon of Dijon mustard whisked with a bit of olive oil.

 

Exposed

David Cay Johnston’s new book explains how big companies rob us blind In his late teens David Cay Johnston started to ask questions. “Why do we have these guys in uniforms with guns driving around in cars all day?” “Why is the Santa Cruz County Courthouse being built in such an unusual shape?” He wrote an article, while still living in his hometown of Santa Cruz, proving that the off-kilter courthouse building, which officials had promised would save money, actually cost more than a conventional building.

 

Do you unplug often enough? Or do you need help?

Santa Cruz | Caregiver