Local hero James Durbin had another shot at idolatry last night, but he did it in a subdued way, so different from his far-ranging voice and meticulously designed outfits that should leave the fashionistas agog. He made it through the most recent round of American Idol, all right, but the only reason we know that was because he had a brief cameo appearance in Room 1, along with other obvious winners (and a couple of obvious losers tossed in for pure entertainment value).
News
Ireland Meets Appalachia in Solas
Had Winifred Horan and Seamus Egan of the Irish-American band Solas decided in the mid-’90s to start a family instead of a band, their progeny would now be deep in the throes of adolescence. Today, the fruit of their union is, rather, a rich sound that is ripe beyond its 15 years. Egan, who plays guitar, banjo, mandolin, flute, whistles and the bodhran in the transnational band, describes Solas as “fundamentally a traditional Irish band that takes the traditional material and stretches it a bit and then puts it back together.”
James Durbin Is Not A Momma’s Boy
Local star James Durbin took another step toward Idol status last night, and he did it in the face of stiff competition. Not only was it the much-dreaded “group night,” in which American Idol potentials have to team up in groups to perform a song, but another group chose the same song, Queen’s “Somebody to Love,” and that group had its own cheerleading squad, the team members’ mothers.
No More Help for Minor Drug Offenders
According to the State of California, no one can go to jail for possession of drugs unless they have first been given an option for treatment. The Proposition 36 drug treatment program was precisely the kind of treatment that the law intended. But that program has been whittled down considerably by extensive budget cuts. As of March 1, it will be eliminated entirely. The state simply can’t afford it.
The End of The Oyster
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Get action. Seize the moment. Man was never intended to become an oyster.” By that, he probably meant that mankind was not intended to close itself off from the rest of the world. Today he might well have meant that humanity was not meant to go extinct, which is what is happening to the oyster.
Lockdown at Aptos High
Students at Aptos High got out of school late yesterday. They were under lockdown for about 30 minutes after a driver being chased by CHP crashed through the school’s gates and tried to flee on foot.
RDA Funds: Use ‘Em or Lose ‘Em
Gov. Jerry Brown is taking some radical steps to tackle California’s burgeoning deficit, now estimated at $25.4 billion. Apart from the hiring freeze that he just announced, he has been eying redevelopment agency funding, hoping it will add a few billion to his coffers. The cities and counties are fighting back. On Tuesday night, Santa Cruz residents gathered outside Del Mar Elementary School, where the County Board of Supervisors was scheduled to meet. Most of them came to show their support for the Board’s efforts to use local RDA money before the state can snatch it away.
Ten Questions for Nico Moe
He studied marine biology at UCSC and now works in the military, keeping his hair as long as the army allows. He’s seen much of the United States due to his job, but thinks there’s something really special about Santa Cruz. Parkour teacher, recent college graduate, and army sergeant Nico Moe defends West Cliff drive and dishes on what he loves about homemade fried rice and quesadillas.
Santa Cruz Poets, Santa Cruz Inspiration: Robin Lysne
In this week’s installment of “Santa Cruz Poets, Santa Cruz Inspiration,” two poems from the local poet, author and Mills College creative writing student.
Skating Away at The Palladium
A derby girl in leopard-print stockings and black leather skates with white stripes flies around the rink, zephyrous, daring anyone to outskate her. A couple of girlfriends skate together, jumping, doing 180s, laughing every time either of them falls down. An older man orbiting the disco ball in the center of the rink cuts elegant figure eights. My friends Meghan and Wyatt make a dream team in camel suede skates: she floats backwards in loose circles in a long floral dress and he rolls around the rink in a vintage denim jacket, hands clasped behind his back.
