Kzsc Fm On-demand

...heading to San Jose today; the deadline for submitting bills for this year's regular legislative session is today; lawmakers can submit up to 35 bills per 2 year session; staff member Lisette suggested a bill on renters getting their deposits back via Venmo if they paid their deposit via Venmo; re-introducing bill for transferring Semper Virens parcels to State Park system (=AB679); also a bill that would prohibit one jurisdiction from transporting a person experiencing homelessness from their jurisdiction to another jurisdiction; a bill on how to correct a ballot if you've made a mistake; discussion of the recent trial of the under-aged boy who murdered an 8 year old where the trial was whether he could be released into society now that he's 25, and whether the family will have to go through this every 2 years (the judge ruled that he should be held); CZU fires (4 1/2 years ago) and the 63% that have not been re-built or in process of re-building: "whatever LA gets, we should get, too!"; CA insurance co

Named after James Taylor (middle name), so destined for a life in music. Started on classical flute, and got into Berklee School of Music in Boston, where she came across Bluegrass (Molly Tuttle was in her class). Put together a bluegrass band (Twisted Pine). Put out a CD of songs ("Heartless Things", and later formed "Traveling Light" with Cat Wallace on fiddle and Mike Segal on bass. They put out a CD of the same songs as Heartless Things, but this time with traditional bluegrass arrangements, and 3 part harmonies sharing a microphone. The song "Radium Girls" is about the women who were tasked to paint Radium on watch dials, even though their bosses knew it would make them sick. Boston's "Sumner Tunnel"? Named after Charles Sumner, a pre-Civil War abolitionist (and possible distant relative). The Money Question? None of the members of the band make a living playing music - all have day jobs (Rachel runs sound and runs a school of music) - but their day jobs are sympathetic to their music and touring (but wh

Been a musician all of his adult life - 20 years; the Money Question? Yes! Able to make a living as a musician mostly through shows, also teaching, production, some private events; not putting out CDs any more - it's "a thing of the past", because many people (including Dave) no longer have CD players; Dave Holodiloff Bluegrass covers of the Grateful Dead? Been a fan since high school, learned to play Dead songs; have performed a Grateful Dead / Jerry Garcia show every year on Jerry's birthday - this year will be the 17th annual, at the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur; other Rock n' Roll covers? Listened to Led Zeppelin as a teenager and learned to plan on guitar, later mandolin, but in high school his primary instrument was drums; path from Rock n' Roll to Balkan music? Balkan music uses exotic rhythms (which appeals to a drummer), harmonies, and minor keys; theme shows, and Balkan trio shows.   (Interviewed on KZSC' "Bushwhacker's Breakfast Club" by "Dangerous Dan" Orange. 2025 is Bushwhacker's 36th year on

Legislative deadline for bill submittal passed (2/21); Laird submitted 19 bills - the legislature previously had limits of 40 bills per 2 year session in the Senate, 50 in the Assembly - now, both houses have a limit of 35 for each Assemblymember and Senator; Senator Laird has a few bills in "spot form", which has the focus of the bill, but it needs to be fleshed out - cannot amend within 30 days of being introduced, and spot bills must be finalized by March 26; one spot bill on battery storage (applying lessons learned from Moss Landing battery storage fire); spot bills removing sunset expiration from previously passed bills; Dylan's Q: any actions / bills to replace Moss Landing type battery storage? Senator Laird considering: what do we do with the 25% of batteries in California that are that generation? Phase out? What's the criteria? Timing? Spot bills are different from "gut and amend", which can be done any time; "moveable spot" bills are different, and include something substantive (not just intent),

When we spoke in November (on Santa Cruz Voice) Bill said that the Country was in bad shape? Now? "It's gotten worse!"; in Compton, the school buses are all electric, helping combate greenhouse gas and climate change - incremental gains are happenning...but this administration, with "Drill, baby! Drill!"; what question would a retired state senator have for a current college student? "What a great opportunity! What are students doing today to help make the world better?" Dylan's answer: protests and demonstrations, passion; U.C. Santa Cruz was built during the administration of Governor Ronald Reagan, and was designed to *not* have a central plaza that could be the focus of protests like U.C. Berkeley...but they didn't realize that by building the campus inside the city limits, lowering the voting age to 18, and allowing students to vote where they went to school, they would create "The People's Republic of Santa Cruz"!; deep dive into meaningful change ahead of the mid-term elections: resistance taking sha

We interviewed Bruce "B-Movie" Bratton last Friday on his last regular segment of movie reviews on "The Bushwhacker's Breakfast Club" after 19 years; Bruce passed away at home, in his sleep, 5 days later on December 11, 2024; in Santa Cruz Bruce worked for every newspaper in town, the Good Times, the Santa Cruz Metro, the Santa Cruz Sentinel; Sleepy knew Bruce for 35 years; Bruce always had a beef with something, and would let you know about it; Dangerous Dan was not always a fan, as Bruce would go on and on, including lengthy reviews of movies he hated and did not want you to watch; Bruce improved, though, and listened to constructive criticism; Bruce had an earlier incarnation as part of The Goodimte Washboard Three, and they appeared on Bing Crosby's TV show on April Fools Day, 1967; lots of listeners texted in their remembrances and condolences.   (Bruce passed away at home, in his sleep, 2 days before this interview, on December 11, 2024. RIP, "B-Movie" - you are missed!)

Peppino has been professional since he was 18, and the music industry has changed in the last 40 years, but the power of music has not, and never will; now, it's all about performing live, and no longer making royalties from records; how Peppino mixes performing live with soundtracks, music for video games, and guitar workshops, master classes, and seminars; as a solo performer, it's easier, because he doesn't have to share the revenue, and teaching makes things a bit easier because he can stay in one place; deep dive into how EA (Electronic Arts) asked Peppno to play guitar badly for the Sims video game: "play the blues the worst way you can!"   Interviewed on "The Bushwhacker's Breakfast Club" on KZSC Santa Cruz 88.1FM by "Dangerous Dan" Orange and DJ Char-Zard (Charissa Zeigler)

Moss Landing's Vistra facility is the largest battery storage facility in California, which had a horrific fire last month that burned for days; Morro Bay has a planned battery storage facility, but which will use a newer technology that is less prone to failure and more powerful; battery storage in California is growing, and saved the grid during a recent heat spike, supplying more power to the grid than nuclear enery; battery technology has evolved; using Morro Bay as an example, the Energy Commission reviews and approves battery storage facilities, which have an option to go through local channels...if it's in the coastal zone, it has to go through the Coastal Commission (who take their role seriously); NIMBY? Cannot allow wealthy communities on the coast to push to lower socioeconomic communities; need to assure public that it's safe and transparent; Laird is vetting a bill on Lithium Battery Standards that would cover EVs, batteries in cars, home battery walls; bill introduction deadline is Feb. 21st - w

Aid package for Southern California passed by legislature, addressing historic (and horrific) fires...$$ for recovery, debris removal passed by the special session after the governor expanded the scope, with rules waived and bill passage expedited; deep dive into CZU fires 4 years 5 months ago and of the 967 homes destroyed, 18% have been re-built, with another 19% under construction - leaving almost 2/3 that have not! Homeowners using CalFAIR, the insurer of last resort, increased by 435% since 2020 in the Santa Cruz Mountains!!! AB226 submitted ot ensure financial stability of plan; homeowners insurance in California is broken; digression to January as Traficking Awareness Month - an Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR); Moss Landing battery fire - can't put it out, and have to wait.  

New legislative session started last Monday...it's usually low key, but the fires in LA got in the middle of it, resulting in some political showboating vs. governing; climate change is the real culprit, not a lack of water (which is disinformation); learnings from our CZU fire applied to the rest of the state, and the LA fires - clean up may involve toxic materials; Santa Cruz measures for future fires; defensible space plus fire resistant building materials; homeowner's insurance and insurance companies dropping people as soon as they can after a fire - which happened in Santa Cruz County, with no choice by California FARE, which is half the coverage at twice the price; insurers cannot write climate change into policies...how to protect customers when there's no way that rates won't go up; California's broken homeowner's insurance.

Been in Ashville, North Carolina, 30 years....North Carolina gets hurricanes, but they always affect the coast - Ashville is a 6 hour drive from the coast! Hurrican Helene hit last September 27 / 28, and Chuck flew home from Scotland the day before it hit; the local online newspaper warned of "Catastrophic winds & flooding!"; the 3-4 days before the hurricane Ashville got 15" of rain, which saturated the soil...Chuck lives on a mountain, having bought a house back in the day before the real estate boom; homeowner's insurance does not cover floods or landslides, for that you need flood insurance, which was prohibitively expensive, and why would you need it if you lived on the side of a mountain?!?! Chuck has 2 landslides on his property which will be very expensive to clean up; FEMA covers the roof over your head, but not if you can't get to your roof, or if you have landslides; Chuck has posted a new song on YouTube about the hurricane and the aftermath: "Sound of the Wind and the Rain" - posted 4 days ag

Harry & the Hitmen is a 6-piece band that's been playing together for almost 20 years, starting in Santa Cruz near KZSC on Gulf Club Drive at the edge of the Pogonip - Button joined a few years ago; New Year's Eve co-bill with Wolf Jett at Felton Music Hall...at their New Year's Eve shows, after the countdown and the celebration, Harry & the Hitmen debut a new set, which could be an iconic album in its entirety; 5 of the 6 sing, with a shout out to Nicholas, Scott and Ryan for the arrangements; discussion of covers of R+B and Soul (Stax records, Motown) and originals.

Today is Maureen McCartney's last day in Gail's office before retiring! Maureen is District Manager; Assemblymember Pellerin's district includes Santa Cruz to the Yacht Harbor / Nisene Marks, the northern half of Santa Cruz County, and quite a bit of Santa Clara County from Santa Clara to Almaden and Morgan Hill; although Maureen is retiring from her state job, she's not going far, as she'll have a "side hustle" on Kim deSerpa's staff (newly elected County Supervisor); Maureen started as an intern "working for pennies", then became a staff member for a congressman in Washington DC, later moving to Santa Cruz and becoming a staff member for a Palo Alto state senator; Special Session, where California legislature "Hopes for the best but prepares for the worst"; deep dive into staff, and how they maintain institutional knowledge.

Thom came to Santa Cruz in the 1970s to attend U.C. Santa Cruz, where he majored in (but did not graduate in) Aesthetic Studies (he was one of the last majors); John moved to Santa Cruz in the 1980s, and he now teaches at Cabrillo College (our local community college), digital design, web design; there are 3 iterations of the Comic News: the Santa Cruz Comic News, delivered locally with partial ad support, the Comic News, mailed to subscribers and subscription supported, and TheComicNews.com, subscription supported; Thom was interested in editorial cartoons and tried to sell his own one at a time; he learned about synidcates which, to an editorial cartoonist, are like a record label to a musician; after being inspired by a book of editorial cartoons at Kepler's bookstore in Menlo Park, on April Fool's Day 1984 he put out his first bi-weekly paper including stringing together editorial cartoons; helped introduce Nina Paley, who John says was first published in Santa Cruz in the Monthly Planet, a monthly newspa

With 19 years of movie reviews, have not set up an archive (yet); B-Movie sees ~200 movies per year; 19 years ago, started Bratton Online at about the same time Bruce started duing movie reviews on "The Bushwhacker's Breakfast Club"; B-Movie studied film at UC Berkeley for 5 years, then UC Santa Cruz for 4 years, receiving a degree in film studies; was Bruce able to do film as his "day job"? No. But he did run the Silent Film Festival at the Castro Theater; why quit now? Burned out? In part, yes...also, the average quality of films has declined, theaters are closing left & right, and there have been great leaps in technology such that people are watching movies on smaller & smaller screens, plus the streaming services have entered the fray; a local author is writing a book about "B-Movie" (stay tuned), and "Bushwhacker's" produced a podcast of this interview (you're listening to it!); favorite movies of all time? "The Wizard of Oz" - 1939 - new, wild crazy; also, "Thief of Baghdad"; hope to return for

"Duo Quartet" started as a 'Happy Accident'; The Pam & Jeri Show (Jeri Jones) booked a gig at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley, and they wanted a double bill, so they asked Chris Webster & Nina Gerber to join them, and they ended up playing together & really enjoying it (10-12 years ago); everybody in the quartet writes songs; Nina & Jeri Jones play guitar, Chris Webster on washboard, and Pam Delgado plays cajon - everyone but Nina sings; the Money Question? for Pam, not anymore...she's an account manager at a landscape company, but her boss is both a musician and a fan. 

First performing gig was in 2007....her career took off in 2017 after she won an award at the 2017 NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition at the Kennedy Center; as a songwriter, sometimes the songs just come to her; she writes and sings about social justice (e.g.: "Cancel Culture"); she plays banjo, having majored in music at college in North Carolina; started tour with Julian Taylor from Toronto...they're playing separate gigs, but will be back together for show next Thursday at The Ugly Mug in Soquel.  

What can we do to prepare for Trump's clear mandate? It's a marathon, not a sprint...change starts local, and in ourselves; discussion of the changing face of local journalism, with Lookout Santa Cruz's birthday last night, and how they are rolling out in local schools; Gail studied journalism in college (Cal Poly, SLO), where she was editor of the Mustang, & later a reporter at the SLO Bulletin, Elk Grove Citizen, where she realized she had opinions; worked for Rusty Arias' district office, then the Bill Tracking Unit in Sacramento, and later, Santa Cruz County Clerk; the Governor *has* called another Special Session, which will be sworn in on Dec. 2nd - the goal is to insure that the Attorney General has the funding needed for the anticipated wave of litigation that will follow Trump's inauguration (California filed 120 lawsuits in the last Trump administsration); recent Trump cabinet announcements: the Senate has to do their job, with transparency; next legislative session starts January 6th...February

Martine Watkins, City Councilmember in Santa Cruz, California, discusses history of sugar-sweetened beverage tax in Santa Cruz, and how earlier efforts were cut off by passage of the California Keep Groceries Affordable Act, which penalized charter cities who would raise taxes on sugar sweetened beverages. Martine and Cultiva La Salud sued the state, and won in the Third District Court of Appeal, which struck down the Act's penalty provision. On June 25, 2024, the City Council adopted resolution (No. NS-30,360) requesting that the Nov. 5, 2024 General Election ballot include a general tax of 2 cents per fluid ounce on distributors of sugar-sweetened beverages (the 1st 3 "WHEREAS"s were read on the podcast), which the City Council passed unanimously. The "No on Z" campaign has raised approximately $1.7 million, with the "Yes on Z" raising $23,000 - "David vs. Goliath"; follow the money!! Additional Santa Cruz issues discussed. 

Zoë Aqua, Dmitri Gaskin, and Raffi Boden play Klezmer music, in the tradition of Ashkenazi Jewish people from Eastern Europe villages. Dmitri plays accordion and lives on a Watsonville apple farm, Zoë plays violin & recently completed a Fulbright in the Transylvania area of Romania(!), & Raffi lives in Brooklyn and is a full time freelance musician playing in 3-4 Klezmer bands. Zoë also teaches, and Dmitri is an apple farmer. How did they stumble into Klezmer? Good question! Dmitri's parents had Klezmer music CDs when he grew up in Berkeley, California, and legendary Klezmer musician Josh Horowitz moved to the area and became his teacher. Zoë grew up in Denver with a dad interested in Klezmer / Klezmatics / Brave Old World. Raffi's family at Passover pulled out the Klezmer Plus songbook. Raffi joined Zoë & Dmitri 2 days ago!