The bakers of Santa Cruz don’t agree on all things, but on the subject of holiday desserts there is some consensus: pecan pie filling should not be too sweet; people don’t eat much fruitcake anymore; and stollen—the rich German yeast bread studded with candied orange peel, raisins and almonds and dusted with powdered sugar—is the Best. Thing. Ever.
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Santa Cruz Poets, Santa Cruz Inspiration: Kelsey Forest
From a local poet currently attending Vassar College, a poem titled ‘Seeing.’
The Exhibitionist: Neon at Felix Kulpa
Neon is one of those noble gases that hangs out looking sexy and drinking cocktails around Group 18 of the periodic table while the other gases sweat in the kitchen, cooking. Representing the fantasy-inducing family of neon, argon, xenon, krypton and helium gas, each with its distinct qualities and color, “neon” is usually captured in glass tubes that have been bent into artful shapes, then stimulated by currents of electricity until it glows. The bright lights can be seen from great distances—perfect for desert casinos—or through windshields streaming with rain in dark northern cities, where the comforting pink and ultramarine glow of the international sign for cocktails is a beacon of hope for the weary traveler.
‘Cavalia’ A Horse Lover’s Delight
Rapunzeline manes, braid-crimped and gleaming, drape over magnificent heads held in best finishing-school alertness atop arched necks rippling with muscle—and that’s just the acrobats, those bit players in Cavalia whom nobody really comes to see. A fantasy equine circus with an impressive cast of animals and humans, the show that “explores the relationship between man and horse” is unapologetically all about the ponies.
Groups Take Aim at Strawberry Pesticide
As California moves towards approving the carcinogenic pesticide methyl iodide, a coalition of farmworker, children’s health and environmental groups on Tuesday asked Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to ban the fumigant and set the stage to take their plea to Gov.-elect Jerry Brown should the current administration ignore them.
Kicking the Gang Habit
There’s a new youth soccer league in California, thanks to the efforts of Bishop Richard Garcia. Some 70 kids participate in the local team, based at the Holy Cross Catholic Church in Santa Cruz. The team was created to help keep kids off the street and away from gangs. Other teams already exist in Monterey and San Benito counties, and Bishop Garcia hopes to soon add San Luis Obispo to the roster.
Prisoner Nabbed After Daring Escape Attempt
After five tense hours and a police chase that led from the Dominican Hospital to Prospect Heights, the SCPD captured Maurice Lamont Ainsworth Jr., 24, after a failed attempt to escape from police custody. According to news reports, the trouble began at 11:30am, when a lone deputy escorted Ainsworth to Dominican Hospital for an MRI. As the deputy began placing shackles on him, Ainsworth overpowered her, punched her in the face and bit her. She attempted to tase him, but he grabbed the taser from her and used it on her instead. Then he grabbed her gun, a .40 mm semi-automatic, shot at a bystander who attempted to help the police officer and fled from the hospital.
Channeling The Other Ella
Kim Nalley is one of jazz’s great spelunkers, a dedicated explorer who delves into forgotten musical crevices to emerge with long-neglected songs and stories. A major force on the Bay Area scene since the mid-1990s, she’s fruitfully investigated the lives and legacies of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone (the subjects of her acclaimed albums Ballads For Billie and She Put A Spell On Me).
Fair Trade Boutique Opens Friday
Nathan and Cath George know that human trafficking and HIV are sour deals. For five years the pair has been banking on the best consumers in the world to create a fair-trade bid against exploitation and poverty, and on Black Friday they’re opening their first bricks and mortar boutique linking the U.S market to the crafts of AIDs victims and former sex workers.
Gift Guide: High-Performance Skivvies
My old housemate, a strutting peacock of a man from Argentina, first put the phrase “high performance underwear” into my vocabulary some years ago when he burst from his room wearing a pair of well–tailored orange man-panties and nothing else.
