With a reluctance to engage local government and little coordination or strategy, some wonder what sort of impact the Occupy movement will continue to have here and on the national stage. Appealing to public anger over wealth disparities has carried the movement so far. But without a strong blueprint or vision to inspire more people, can the movement continue to capture the sympathies and energy of local communities and become the grassroots democratic movement it hopes to be?
Hop ‘n’ Barley Festival
Touted by the festival’s organizers as “the one and only beer and barbeque festival to attend this summer,” the Hop N’ Barley Festival just may have a prophecy on its hands—they are serving not only local sausages, but local sausages made with beer from local breweries. Whoa.
New Bill Would Ban ‘Ex-Gay’ Therapies
I knew something was wrong when the retreat guide pulled out a baseball bat. A young man—let’s call him Tony—had just shared a bad memory with our small group of men as we stood inside a ranch cabin in northern Arizona. When he was a kid, Tony explained, he tried to get his dad’s attention while he read the newspaper. Dad pushed him away.
Mates of State Grows Up
Mates of State first made a name for itself for being unpolished and incomplete. The duo had only an organist (Kori Gardner) and a drummer (Jason Hammel). They both sang, usually at the same time. Their songs were loosely stitched together, often with one section awkwardly attached to the next. Yet their bubbly songwriting sensibilities and penchant for catchy pop-hooks made them a hit with indie college kids.
Letters to the Editor: June 27-July 3
One reader connects an agricultural cover story to Watsonville’s developing plans. Others shed light on possible water supply solutions and the best way to study them.
Al Frisby, Southern Man
“I could catch an alligator any size—all I need is two ropes and a pole,” Frisby informs me in the southern drawl of this boyhood. He takes a sip of his café au lait. “I was catchin’ eight footers by the time I was seven.” It was at this point that I decided to put down my pen and forget the questions I had carefully planned for Frisby about his one-man band and the birdfeeders he crafts out of found relics and just enjoy the ride, for which we were departing at full gallop. NOTE: JUNE 28 SHOW POSTPONED.
The Man Who Doesn’t Use Money
Daniel Suelo, 51, has just finished sewing himself a summertime sleeping bag out of a flannel sheet and some dental floss. It’s not the first thing he’s resourcefully scraped together for himself. Over the past 12 years of Suelo’s moneyless existence, he’s made many things.
Local Nonprofits Benefit from CSA Shares
To visit the Homeless Garden Project’s Natural Bridges Farm is to step into a simpler world. Just blocks away from the unending flow of traffic on Mission Street and the chaos of downtown Santa Cruz, the farm sits away from it all. Bursting with life, it’s a collage of colors, scents and sounds.
UCSC Grad has Rising Comedic Talent
San Francisco comedienne Lisa Geldudig produces shows that try to bring some perspective to standup beyond the typical lineup of three white guys—because, as she says, “no offense, but the comedy spectrum and audience are wider than that.”
Time Banks Use Services as Currency
As the global economy continues to ebb between obstinacy and upheaval, the potentially prescient among us are taking measures to strengthen local resilience however possible.
Time banks are one such way, and Santa Cruz now has its first. It works like this: for each hour you spend doing something for a member of the network, you earn a TimeCredit. You can then spend that TimeCredit by receiving services from any other TimeBank member.
