Specials

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By J.D. Hillard

At the end of the  show Kirby Scudder, Executive Director of the Santa Cruz Institute of Contemporary Arts, speaks with Jake Thomas whose show at the Felix Kulpa Gallery “Dark Fields” combines three series each by a fictional character.

First Santa Cruz County’s Fifth district includes Scotts Valley and the San Lorenzo valley with the communities of Felton, Ben Lomond, Brookdale and Boulder Creek.

Eric Hammer and Bruce McPherson are vying for the seat on Santa Cruz County’s board of Supervisors vacated by Mark Stone, who’s running for State Senate. Hammer owns  Eric Hammer Construction and has served on boards of various San Lorenzo Valley non-profits. McPherson is the former editor of the Santa Cruz Sentinel, former State Assembly member and Secretary of State.

Since I spoke with McPherson and Hammer, McPherson’s Campaign distributed the charge that Hammer had misrepresented his status as a college graduate. Hammer attended San Francisco State University. The Press Banner reported that in an application to serve on the body that oversees Santa Cruz County’s treasury and in other professional representation, Hammer claimed to have a bachelors of science from SFSU. According to the Press Banner SFSU doesn’t acknowledge awarding Hammer a degree.

In a statement Hammer said he should not have said he had a BS, that he’s working to gain recognition from the University for credits that would earn him a B.S.

Meanwhile, Hammer’s Web site includes a link to a letter arguing McPherson’s claim to support women’s rights is inconsistent with votes he made in the legislature. Specifically on whether insurance companies should be required to cover contraception, and cervical cancer treatments. McPherson’s campaign argued the legislature handles numerous bills on the same policy, many of which are intended to demonstrate other legislators support for various positions. McPherson’s campaign argued that on bills where his vote counted, McPherson’s record shows he protects women’s rights.

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By J.D. Hillard

One of the selections from the 'Pacific Rim Film Festival - running October 19-24th.

This week on Talk of the Bay, we preview the Pacific Rim Film Festival, learn what cities can get out of bringing in film production and two farmers discuss Proposition 37.

James Cochrane is a pioneer in the farming of organic strawberries. He’s a supporter of prop 37.  Cannon Michael of Bowles Farming in Los Banos opposes prop 37.

This measure on the November ballot would require labels for genetically engineered foods and food made with genetically engineered ingredients. Proponents of the measure argue that genetically engineered food never went through a rigorous scientific process to determine its safety they also argue there is some evidence that genetically engineered crops can cause damage to the environment and consumers’ health. A recent study found rats who ate corn genetically engineered to resist the herbicide Roundup had significantly shorter lifespans and grew tumors more than rats who ate non-engineered corn. The case for this type of regulation is that it applies no direct restrictions on genetically engineered food and simply provides information for consumers.

Yes on 37’s largest donor, health Web site mercola.com donated 1.1 million dollars. Other funders include Dr. Bronners Soaps and the organic consumer’s fund. The measure has opponents: genetically engineered seed producer and chemical manufacturer Monsanto donated 7 million dollars to No on 37 as did Dupont, chemical manufacturer BASF, Bayer Cropscience and Conagra foods. Prop 37s critics say it will make food more expensive. They also pose some arguments you hear often around voter initiatives: that it is poorly written and may include unintended negative outcomes.

Listen to just the Prop. 37 portion of the program here.

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The Monterey Bay Area’s newest literary magazine debuts in October. Catamaran is the project of Catherine Segurson. Also, Brad Hunt of the Otter Project says that the slight improvement in a recent survey of the California sea otter population is cause for cautious celebration.

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Courtesy: http://montereybay.noaa.gov

First a look at the new gateway to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Then a group in Aromas is gathering signatures to ask San Benito County Supervisors for policy to protect them from oil exploration. Earlier this year Graniterock, the construction materials company that operated the Wilson Quarry in Aromas, confirmed it had conducted seismic studies. This type of stud is sometimes a preliminary to oil exploration. The company says the study was to identify where the granite it quarries at the site can be found on its property. It also says it has no intention of using the oil drilling technique known as fracking. Aromas Cares For Our Environment, a new group that formed after the study was discovered, remains concerned that oil exploration may be in the offing and that it could bring unknown hazards.

Graniterock declined an interview. The company issued this letter in July.

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A Cast of jubilant characters comes to life through the eyes of Little Joey, in the world premiere of the musical ESCAPING QUEENS Playing August 10 - 19 l to r: Adam Stanton, Ariel Buck, Lori Rivera, Darren Dailey, Nadia DeLeye-Lewis, Josiah Frampton, and Wyatt Bernard as Little Joey. Photo courtesy of Cabrillo Stage.

Rick Kleffel takes us through another offering from the Cabrillo Stage, the professional musical theatre company that performs at Cabrillo College’s Crocker theatre. We hear some songs and speak with the cast of the original play Escaping Queens.

Also, in this political season, words are flying building camps and backing up points of view. Though history, visual artists have rarefied or added flesh to politics. At times no media has offered a clearer glimpse of political irony than two-dimensional still art. A show scheduled at the Santa Cruz Art League aims to gather some of the most incisive political art of this age. It’s Juried by sometime KUSP commenter Maureen Davidson. She spoke with Kirby Scudder.

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We hear from an artist who’s setting out to draw the world’s guitar fans for a festival in Santa Cruz; Pajaro valley serves as a laboratory for water conservation technology; we review the latest album from Patti Smith and the film Intouchables.

At the top of the show, the summer session just ended for Math and Science Upward Bound. High school students from western states whose parents don’t have bachelors degrees or whose families qualify as low-income spend a month of intensive study on math and science.

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Dennis Morton reviews the new film people like us, Jeff Dayton Johnson give us a look at a groundbreaking new jazz album inspired by the civil rights movement, two montery Bay area artists have created a book to teach the Alphabet and a bit about being human and Kirby Scudder speaks with Henry Miller Library director Magnus Toren about the Big Sur Cultural institutions campaign to continue operations. First

In the fiscally precarious world of NASA research projects, is an effort that might make bio-fuels cheaper and less environmentally harmful. KUSP’s Wes Sims spoke with Jonathan Trent, whose ideas got him invited to this year’s TED conference in Scotland

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Image: Cabrillo College

Photo: fringefestivalsantacruz.com

By J.D. Hillard

Theater season has hit with a vengeance. Tonight we’ll hear from some of the team putting on Anything Goes, one of several Cabrillo Stage shows this summer. First, Sana Cruz is taking a page from Edinburgh Scotland – Right now we’re in the midst of more than 100 performances in the town’s own Fringe Festival. Kirby Scudder reports.

Visit the Cabrillo Stage site

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By J.D. Hillard

In this week’s talk of the bay: Monterey Bay area’s Medi-Cal administator, Central California Alliance for Health may add as many as 30,000 news clients now that the supreme court has approved the Affordable Care Act; we fact check some claims by an opponent of plastic bag bans; and land trusts are becoming landlords to farmers; and we look at a charter school that has found a clever way to get more kids on bikes.

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Pat Simmons of the Doobie Brothers - playing in April 2011. Photo: Stewart Vincient

By J.D. Hillard

The Doobie Brothers continue their long career with a steady schedule of touring.  One of the band’s founders Pat Simmons spoke with KUSP’s Kirby Scudder ahead of their recent performance at the Santa Cruz Blues Festival.

Tuesday offers voters around the Monterey Bay region the privilege to choose county Supervisors or to decide on whether taxes should be levied to make up shortfalls for local agencies. This ballot is also a primary for several legislative offices and the race for United State President. For an overview of Monterey Bay area choices I spoke with Royal Caulkins of the Monterey County Herald and Don Miller of the Santa Cruz Sentinel.