Talk of the Bay from KSQD

Last Night is a do-it-yourself, decentralized, collective, spontaneous, open, public New Year’s Eve celebration in Santa Cruz, California since 2005. Celebrating what we can do as a community when we work together. Sunset on New Year’s Eve every year starting at Pacific & Spruce (behind Ace Hardware), and ending with a street party at Pacific and Cooper! Guests: Stacey Falls has been an active participant in the last night DIY parade for 20 years. Though she is not one of the original founders, she has been invested in keeping it going as a wonderful Santa Cruz cultural phenomenon.Stacey is also a teacher at Santa Cruz High School and has lived in Santa Cruz since 2002. Grant Wilson is a puppet builder, artist-activist & social worker. Has lived in Santa Cruz since 1976 and was active in the First Night parades from 1994 to 2004, & the Last Night DIY Parades for the past 20 years. Chris Krohn is an active and rabid radio listener and programmer. He currently has a show on KSQD called “Chris Krohn, 80 something I have known.” He is a former mayor of Santa Cruz, and a retired educator. Chris was the internship director for 20 years at UC Santa Cruz in the Department of environmental studies. He has attended more than a half dozen DIY New Year’s events. https://www.lastnightdiy.org/

  When he was a young man of college age, Richard Hodge was attending seminary and thought he was going to become a Methodist minister. As the fates would have it, he instead went on to become a lawyer, who defended some of the most notorious, and politically charged, crime cases in America, including the Oakland 7, the Soledad 3, and Los Siete. He later developed a specialization in entertainment law, and represented a wide range of clients, including Richard Brautigan, Kenny Loggins, the Steve Miller Band, Boz Scaggs, and many others. He eventually became a judge in the Alameda County Superior Court, where he served for 20 years, adjudicating hundreds of cases, including the landmark water rights case Environmental Defense Fund v. East Bay Municipal Utility District. He also served as Justice Pro Tem on the First District Court of Appeals on four occasions. He has lectured extensively before attorney organizations, environmental organizations, and educational institutions, including the Practicing Law Institute, Boalt Hall at UC Berkeley, Hastings Law School, and Golden Gate Law School. Now retired, Richard Hodge lives in Santa Cruz, and shares stories and insights gained from his long legal career.

KSQD Community Radio Hosts Critical Conversation on PVUSD Cuts Impacting Student Mental Health On Talk of the Bay From the Streets, we aired a one-hour program addressing recent cuts within Pajaro Valley Unified School District that have reduced mental health clinicians, counselors, and special education supports. Hosted by community advocate Omar Eduardo Dieguez, the program features: Brandon Diniz, President of the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers Gabe Medina, PVUSD Trustee and Agenda Setting Committee member Mike Christensen, PVUSD parent The discussion centers student safety, transparency, environmental justice, and the urgent need for community-driven solutions.

On Talk of the Bay host Meilin Obinata, welcomes Christopher Barrera of the Salinas chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens known as LULAC and Salinas City Councilmember Andrew Sandoval. Barrera discusses the civil rights concerns LULAC has regarding the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office investigations into the signature gathering process of the Protect Salinas Renters campaign, while Sandoval, a major supporter of the Protect Salinas Renters Coalition, shares his experience of facing a censure motion from his colleagues which has ultimately been postponed.

46th Annual Eco-Farm Conference at Asilomar (Jan 21-24) – Talk of The Bay On Tuesday, Dec. 9th, Talk of The Bay host George Cadman spoke with Rebecca North (Executive Director of the Ecological Farming Association) and Ken Foster (co-owner of Terra Nova Ecological Landscaping & permaculture instructor at Cabrillo College) about the upcoming 46th annual Eco-Farm conference which will be held at Asilomar from Jan. 21st to Jan. 24th. EcoFarm is the oldest and largest organic farming conference west of the Mississippi, bringing together more than 1,500 farmers, ranchers, and food system leaders each year. It’s an inspiring gathering dedicated to ecological agriculture, social justice, and building resilient, equitable food systems. Rebecca North is the Executive Director of The Ecological Farming Association, where they lead with purpose, passion and a deep commitment to farmers. New to the nonprofit world, with 20+ years experience working in the produce industry nationwide, Rebecca has a proven track record of building strategic partnerships, growing impact, and driving sustainable change. Mother, queer, gardener, hobby herbalist, straight-edge punk, East Coaster, Spartan racer, and lover of cherries, Rebecca has a masters degree in transnational feminism from SFSU and lives in the Bay Area. Ken Foster – a native of Santa Cruz – was born in the fifties and raised by Quaker parents. He was an apprentice at the UCSC Farm & Garden in 1985, holds an Associate’s degree in Horticulture from Cabrillo College and has taught the Permaculture class at Cabrillo since 2012. Ken is also a landscape contractor, a certified permaculture designer and the founder & co-owner (with his wife Jillian) of Terra Nova Ecological Landscaping since 1988. He lives in Santa Cruz with his wife, their four dogs, chickens, worms and bees at their permaculture demonstration home site. Ken believes that the permaculture ethics “Care for The Earth and Care for the People” are a way of life here on the Central Coast. https://www.eco-farm.org/  

  Anjelka Stipanovich, Anna Michel, and Julia Alaimo are the Program Coordinators for the Resilient Central Coast program at Ecology Action. The program is only a few months old. Resilient Central Coast introduces everyday actions and local resources to help you prepare for the unexpected, electrify your home, and build community climate resilience.

Hello, I’m Daymia Rousseau, a UCSC Intern reporting for KSQD. The Trump Administration’s attacks on DEI programs have hit especially hard when it comes to access to gender affirming care for trans youth. Regardless of the intense pressure on schools by the Department of education to remove all forms of “gender ideology”, many schools and healthcare settings are challenging this position and moving to protect trans youth. Adam : “There are implicit and explicit impacts that trans youth, and trans young adults, are experiencing right now. The explicit ones…are that Gender affirming care is becoming more difficult to come by if you are a transgender person under the age of 18. Even in our area. ” That’s Adam Spickler. Adam is a trans man, and a member of Cabrillo College’s board of trustees, an elected member of the Santa Cruz Democratic Party, and is currently involved with the Queer Youth Task Force. Given Adam’s credentials,, I asked him how Trump and the GOP’s incentive to target “gender ideology” has impacted the community. Adam “So, if you are a young person in Santa Cruz county, who in the …last 9 months…has realized that your gender identity might require – gender affirming care. For the first time ever, having a conversation with your doctor is pretty scary. And not knowing whether your doctor is affiliated with a healthcare providing agency that offers gender affirming care, you might have less information provided to you. Because healthcare affiliates and healthcare providers, understandably, are scared to get flagged in a larger way, as ‘providing’ gender affirming care. …We’ve watched how the federal government has gone after them, legally, and illegally. Threatening to withhold grant money if they do provide gender affirming care.” So, healthcare providers are hesitant to advertise that they offer gender affirming due to the potential financial risk & political backlash from the federal government – regardless of whether they actually provide it or not; therefore limiting its accessibility. Or, as was the case this August at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, preemptive measures may be taken by healthcare providers in the wake of the administration’s demands, regardless of their legality. Difficulty getting a passport that matches one’s identity and reducing health access are two explicit threats, but equally concerning are the attempts to erase trans identities. Again, Adam Spickler. Adam…But the implicit messages that are part of, and go beyond those two things, are the ways in which permission is being given. At best, to be dismissive in acknowledging trans identities. And, at worst, being violent… that is on the rise.” Adam’s comments made me especially curious about the ways in which trans youth and elders are able to circumvent these changes. Being a prominent trans figure in the Santa Cruz community, Adam : “… I have been terrified of the reality of being trans like I never have been before… I have never been more aware than I have been, the last few months, of what it must feel like, all of your life, to be visibly marginalized. …Having such a target on our backs now, from white nationalists…from people who feel emboldened to call transgender people ‘terrorists’ – completely wrong…but to be utilizing that false information to target trans people in a really scary government, at the same time the federal government wants to give credibility to those claims…And it is terrifying in a way I never understood until it was happening to me.” Adam points out that different groups, depending on ethnic identity, may experience these impacts in different ways. This is especially relevant when you consider that DEI programs, of which are under direct attack from the department of education, encompass all these concepts under that umbrella term; intersecting in complicated ways. So how is the current What can we learn

What does Santa Cruz love about the holiday season? Squid on the Street spoke to parade participants and attendees at the 2025 Holiday Parade in downtown Santa Cruz. It was a joyous celebration of food, song, costumes, and above all, community. Listen to their voices and click here to see a gallery of photos.

  Lindsay Owens, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of the Groundwork Collaborative. Widely known for her ability to communicate pressing economic concepts and arguments, Lindsay has been credited with changing the way we understand inflation by leading the charge to expose – and articulate – the role of firm pricing power and corporate profiteering in price increases. Her work has been hailed by Jon Stewart as “music to my ears” and consumer advocate Ralph Nader described her as “a burst of new energy in the civic community in Washington, D.C.” Washingtonian Magazine named her one of the “Most Influential People Shaping Policy.” Her opinion pieces have been featured in The New York Times and The Washington Post. She is a frequent commentator for PBS NewsHour, The Beat with Ari Melber, The ReidOut with Joy Reid, The Problem with Jon Stewart, Marketplace, Pod Save America, Bloomberg, Vox, and the New York Times. She is the author of the forthcoming book, GOUGED: The End of a Fair Price in America. Prior to joining Groundwork, Lindsay served as a senior economic policy adviser to Senator Elizabeth Warren, and deputy chief of staff and legislative director to Representatives Keith Ellison and Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal. She holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Elizabeth Pancotti is the Managing Director of Policy and Advocacy at Groundwork Collaborative. Prior to Groundwork, Liz advised Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on economic policy and researched economic policy at the Roosevelt Institute, Employ America, and the National Bureau of Economic Research. Her research has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Guardian. Liz has a BS in economics from American University and lives in Washington, D.C.

On this episode of Talk of the Bay, with host Meilin Obinata, guests James Weller, a land title expert and Barry Scott a clean energy educator bust the latest myths and misunderstandings regarding the Rail and Trail Project of Santa Cruz County. Our third guest, Debora Fudge, has multiple decades of experience serving on the board of the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) and as the chair for multiple terms. SMART was able to build a 43 mile passenger (and freight) rail project with a trail out of an existing set of train tracks, a situation extremely similar to that of Santa Cruz County, yet with a larger and more complex project for a fraction of some of the cost estimates for the Santa Cruz County Rail and Trail Project: less than $1B. The opportunity to learn from Fudge was very valuable as it is an excellent point of comparison for our Rail and Trail Project. Fudge mentioned that there are residents of Marin who opposed the SMART project who are also involved with opposing passenger rail in the Santa Cruz County. This was a live broadcast so we took calls from people expressing various views and posing questions for our guests, who shared their expertise and corrected factual inaccuracies callers raised at times. Guests and callers discussed the matter of SMART and the Santa Cruz RTC hiring the same consultant for guidance, at different stages of development of the passenger rail and trail plans. This show also includes recorded audio clips including one from Rod Diridon, the inspiration for Diridon Station in San Jose. Because this show was recorded live on November 17, we’ve added an update at the top of the show, from Barry Scott, to reflect the new proposal from Fred Keeley and Manu Koenig to “Build those stretches of trail on top of the railroad tracks” as the Lookout Santa Cruz November 25th article describes it. This proposal will be part of the agenda for this Thursday’s RTC meeting which the public is welcome to join either in person at the Watsonville City Council Chambers or on Zoom from 9AM to 12PM. We encourage you to stay in touch with the commissioners and drop them a line to share your thoughts at: [email protected]. This is a link to a letter from Mayor Keeley to the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission 12/01/25: https://www.sccrtc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Handout-item-26-Partner-Letter.pdf. Christine Barrington did a wonderful series of shows about the Rail and Trail which you can access here: https://ksqd.org/the-true-story-of-santa-cruz-rail-trail/  

For decades Santa Cruz Community Health has faithfully pursued its mission to improve the health of its patients and the community and advocate the feminist goals of social, political, and economic equality. On December 4th the public is invited to enjoy “The Power of Her Voice” featuring Poet Ellen Bass and many others. Join host Christine Barrington interviewing Dena Loijos, Community Health’s Chief Strategy and Impact Officer, along with event lead, Patrice Vecchione, and poet Dion O’Reilly to share why this event is a call to come together in a moment when progress must be defended, and the voices of those impacted must be amplified. This milestone event will honor Community Health’s history, celebrate its achievements, and gaze forward to a future of continued service and advocacy. The evening features a series of Monterey Bay Area poets sharing their voices. Ellen Bass headlines the event, joined by poets Terri Drake, Nancy Fowler, Teri Ketchie, Veronica Kornberg, Jennifer Lagier, Ruth Mota, Dion O’Reilly, Linda Serrato, and Patrice Vecchione, who will read from the anthology Women in a Golden State: California Poets at 60 and Beyond. Thursday, December 4, 2025, 7:00 PM. Temple Beth El: 3055 Porter Gulch Road, Aptos. Tickets are on sale now. To learn more and purchase tickets: https://www.schealthcenters.org/the-power-of-her-voice-a-benefit-poetry-reading-for-scch/ Enjoy an evening of poetry, community, and connection. Light refreshments will be served, and books will be available for purchase at the event. About Santa Cruz Community Health Through the Santa Cruz Women’s Health Center, Santa Cruz Mountain Health Center and our new Live Oak Health Center, Santa Cruz Community Health (a Federally Qualified Health Center) provides comprehensive primary care services in English and Spanish to all ages, genders, ethnicities, abilities and sexual orientation, regardless of their ability to pay. SCCH’s health centers serve over 13,000 patients through a dedicated staff of medical providers, nurses, licensed clinical social workers, health educators, and administrative personnel. Since its founding, SCCH has remained committed to health care as a human right and has continuously worked to advocate for social, political, and economic equality. Today, that mission is under a renewed threat. Across the country, efforts to undermine access to essential primary health care and weaken critical health protections continue to escalate. These dangerous shifts put lifesaving care at risk and compound the financial burdens facing community health centers that provide vital services for underserved communities.  

In this podcast we hear from Welton Jordan, chief real estate development officer with EAH, about a new housing project for veterans at the former Fort Ord military base in Marina. Lightfighter Village will house 71 homeless veterans. It has wrap around services for residents needing help with health, job training, or economic issues. It may surprise people that so many people (estimated 400 in Monterey County alone) who served our country experience homelessness, but it’s a sad fact. Now, Monterey County veterans without homes will have supportive housing, thanks to the new Lightfighter Village complex which had its grand opening last week.

On Thursday, November 20th, Rep. Jimmy Panetta joined a virtual press call with Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and other Congressional Democrats to respond to the Trump administration’s newly released five-year offshore leasing plan which includes 2 lease sales off the Central Coast. KSQD was there to capture the Q and A segment. In attendance were: Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) Rep. Luz Rivas (D-Calif.)

  Len Beyea has been a host of KSQD’s Talk of the Bay program since 2019. In this episode, the roles are switched, and Len is interviewed by David Thiermann. Len and Dave have known each other since 1970, when Len took a Swahili class from David at UCSC. David suggested the role reversal, and here is the interview that resulted from that. David Thiermann has worked in Tanzania, Brazil, and Japan. He owned a juice bar & cafe in Santa Cruz in the late 70s and early 80s, where he hosted performers from all over the central coast. He became a professional career consultant in midlife, to help clients dissatisfied with their careers see through their personal and professional inhibitions, and to follow their dreams. “There are many people out there who need to clarify and diversify their career goals,” says Thiermann. “They need a glimpse of their true potential.” Since 1987, Thiermann has used biographical techniques to help some 2000 international clients make career changes and upgrades. His approach to securing his clients’ goals differs from that of other career counselors, by emphasizing support, unconditional acceptance and what he calls The ID Process. “I get to know someone very well. I use biographies, surveys, testing, and gather information for a portfolio,” says Thiermann. This surprisingly personal biographical technique is applauded by Thiermann’s clients – more than half of whom are referrals.

  Charles Pasternak has served as the Artistic Director for Santa Cruz Shakespeare since 2023. Before that, he served as Artistic Director of The Porters of Hellsgate Theatre Co in Los Angeles for over fifteen years. He has had a wide-ranging career as an actor and director at theatres across this country including American Players Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Clarence Brown Theatre, The Denver Center, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, three seasons with The Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis and four with Shakespeare Santa Cruz. Alicia Gibson is the co-director of this year’s production of A Christmas Carol. She is the Production Manager for Santa Cruz Shakespeare, and she is very grateful to be a part of the Santa Cruz Shakespeare team. She has loved Shakespeare since high school and always looks forward to introducing more people to the work. She graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara theatre directing program. Prior to her tenure with SCS, Alicia worked for many years as a director and stage manager in Los Angeles.

Rachel Anne Goodman interviews Deputy Insurance Commissioner, Michael Soller about the crisis in home insurance in fire-prone areas, including Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. A recent New York Times article revealed some alarming details about the way the new regulations and rates were negotiated. It raised questions about the future of real estate in California, and the prospect of even higher costs of insuring a home with fewer choices of companies willing to write policies. Then, Justin Kloczko and Carmen Balber join in from Citizen Watchdog, some Lara’s loudest critics calling for his resignation due to his handling of the insurance crisis.    

  Heather Houston is the Artistic Director of the women’s choir Yala Lati. Heather is a well-established Santa Cruz-based musician, recording artist, vocal coach, song circle leader, and choral director, whose spirit uplifts hearts and weaves community through the power of singing. Over the last 3 decades, you may have heard her singing 3-part harmony with her acappella groups Dis Moi and Sirenz, singing jazz with the Steve Abrams Trio, leading large crowds in song at demonstrations and marches, or singing at Bay Area and central coast spiritual centers. She offers live transforming events internationally, online, and in person, from the Esalen Institute, to 1440 Multiversity, to Sivananda Bahamas. But most notably, her annual Sisters in Harmony summer singing retreat at Green Mountain Retreat Center in the Santa Cruz Mountains gathers over 100 women in song and sisterhood. Heather Houston’s original music can be found on all the streaming platforms. Yala Lati celebrates its 20th anniversary on Saturday November 22nd with a performance at the Rio Theater in Santa Cruz.

Humanities intern Daymia Rousseau has this look at how AI is impacting students and professors at UCSC.

Third District Santa Cruz County Supervisor Justin Cummings weighs in on threats to the California coast from offshore drilling and seabed mining, and what local governments are doing to ready themselves for the right to protect our coast.

What happened after November 4th? Find out from Tony Russomanno.

Two Aptos High students, Emily and Lucy, talk about their work as podcasters and environmental activists. The Aptos Community Youth Program is a free youth leadership and arts engagement program offered to students in the Santa Cruz County area. As part of their work digital media and visual art outlets such as podcasting, film production, photography, and painting murals have become part of their work in sharing stories of the youth as well as taking on projects that benefit the community such as school supply drives, volunteering with local non-profits, and working with elders in the community. Two students Lucy and Emily are on the student leadership board of this organization, and a part of the Aptos High School ASB. They have been involved in ACYP since middle school and their early high school years and now find themselves as seniors at Aptos High School.

Join Tony Russomanno with guests Chris Krohn and Laz Meiman for a special report in advance of the Nov. 4 election.

Cynthia Ranii, a Santa Cruz resident and elite table tennis player, is competing for a slot in the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games. Ranii became paralyzed from the chest down in 2005 at age 58 after sudden onset of a rare neuro-immunologic disorder known as transverse myelitis. Ranii was at the peak of her career as a school district superintendent, she had a loving family that was expanding and she was athletic, active and healthy. Everything changed almost overnight. Ranii was suddenly thrust into a new reality where almost nothing was comfortable or familiar. And it was then that she turned to one of her life’s constants: athletics. After pursuing wheelchair tennis for a while, Ranii found she had a knack for table tennis and she began competing at the highest levels against both seated and able-bodied opponents. Now, at 78, she’s ready for a new challenge and is focusing all her efforts on medaling at the Paralympics. Should she succeed in doing so, she would likely be the oldest individual to ever compete — let alone medal — at the Paralympic or Olympic games. Ranii recently joined Talk of the Bay to us all about her journey, which is only just beginning. NOTES Santa Cruz Sentinel: https: santacruzsentinel.com/2025/10/04/at-58-cynthia-ranii-was-paralyzed-from-the-chest-down-20-years-later-her-sights-are-set-on-a-paralympic-medal/ Photo: Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel

When was the last time you ran your weekend errands without getting behind the wheel of a car? How about commuting to work? What about a trip to the beach? It’s not easy in our modern world to get around without a personal four-wheeler, but that hasn’t stopped Santa Cruz County transportation leaders from challenging the public–and elected officials–to give it a shot. Multiple local transportation agencies helped organize Santa Cruz County’s first-ever Week Without Driving campaign, which lasted from Sept. 29 to Oct. 5. Talk of the Bay host PK Hattis was joined Oct. 1 by a key architect of the initiative, Santa Cruz Metro Board Chair Rebecca Downing, who talked about where the idea came from and why it’s so important for local policymakers to participate. NOTES Santa Cruz Sentinel: santacruzsentinel.com/2025/09/18/transportation-officials-push-for-a-week-without-driving-in-santa-cruz-county/ Photo: Contributed – Santa Cruz Metro

Matt Miller, the director of mobility transformation at Ecology Action, returned to Talk of the Bay in September to talk about the Santa Cruz Bikeway, a new 11-mile route encircling the city of Santa Cruz using only existing roads and infrastructure. While the two month pilot project wrapped up Oct. 8, and along with it most of the 160 yellow “bikeway” signs posted on street corners across the city, the route itself remains completely available to the public. Matt joined the show Sept. 3rd to talk about what purpose the route is meant to serve and what his team hopes to glean from this temporary pilot program.   NOTES: Santa Cruz Sentinel: Have you seen those yellow ‘bikeway’ signs around Santa Cruz? Here’s what they’re signaling. Ecology Action’s Santa Cruz Bikeway webpage

Hedge funds and secretive investors are buying up local papers and stripping them for parts. These so-called vulture capitalists and their attack on journalism are the subject of a new film out on PBS, “Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink by Rick Goldsmith. We hear from Goldsmith and investigative journalist Julie Reynolds about the film and the impact on our democracy of losing so many local papers such as the Monterey Herald, the Santa Cruz Sentinel and the San Jose Mercury News. You can stream the film here: https://www.pbs.org/video/stripped-for-parts-american-journalism-on-the-brink-dyEAIs/  

CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank, Erica Padilla-Chavez is in the eye of the storm of hungry people seeking food in the wake of pending cuts to CalFresh/SNAP (EBT, food stamps). They are seeking 75 new volunteers to help with the influx of new clients suddenly in need of food in our communities. You can help by donating at thefoodbank.org. For advocacy, you can write to your state and federal representatives and indicate you support full funding of SNAP.

On October 28, 2025, George Cadman was joined on Talk of The Bay by Ken Reichman and Denise Allen of Indivisible Of Santa Cruz County to discuss the No Kings rally & march on Oct 18th, what’s next, how members of ISCC are working to protect our community from ICE, and how people can join one of their action teams and get involved.

In this episode of Talk of the Bay, host Meilin Obinata speaks with two people experiencing different aspects of the rent crisis in the City Salinas: Sam Messenger, a person who received a visit on October 13, 2025 from the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office investigator who was investigating him about his decision to sign a petition in favor of the renter protection ordinances at the Oldtown Farmer’s Market one day, and Councilmember Andrew Sandoval of the Protect Salinas Renters Coalition. Monterey County Now ran a piece “Investigation into petition signatures in Salinas casts suspicion all around” on Wednesday, October 23, with quotes from Messenger and Sandoval, just four days before this conversation, about the visits from the Monterey County DA investigators which residents of Salinas have been reporting, which the DA’s office did not comment upon. We open the show with a clip from this weekend’s Zohran Mamdani rally at which Anastasia Ocasia Cortez and Bernie Sanders spoke, featuring a few words from Bernie Sanders and Mamdani. Mamdani’s campaign slogans include “Freeze the Rent” referring to the freezing of rent increases for rent-stabilized housing in New York City along with other policies which center affordability for working class New Yorkers. Obinata gives a brief summary of the tumultuous history of the rental housing crisis which residents face in Salinas, from 2000 to the September 2024 vote by the Salinas City Council to approve of a set of four tenant protection ordinances. In November 2024, three Salinas councilmembers either lost or vacated their seats, changing the political composition of the council and orientations towards these renter protection ordinances. In June 2025, the majority of this council with this new composition then voted to repeal the package of renter protection ordinances which the previous city council had passed unanmimously in September 2024. Then, the Protect Salinas Renters Coalition collected signatures to put the ordinances back on the table with a voter referendum. The Monterey County Elections Office verified the signatures mid-August. In late September, the Salinas City Council, after multiple councilmembers offered motions regarding the referendum, a majority of four ultimately voted to put the ordinances on the November 2026 ballot against a three member minority for the voters to decide what would happen to the tenant protections. At the mid-point of the show, you’ll hear a clip from Tony Vasquez, a former mayor of Santa Monica who is running for California Treasurer. He was speaking about the importance of rent control for protecting the diversity of that city at the California Democratic Renters Council reception on Saturday, October 25th, which was part of California Democratic Executive Board Conference, held at the Monterey Hyatt. Close to the end of the show, Messenger confirms that the investigator who knocked on his door was carrying a firearm. Obinata notes that the California Apartment Association is staying on top of the Salinas renter protections, with an article from late September about the upcoming November 2026 vote. Note that KSQD attempted to get the District Attorney’s Office of Monterey County to participate in an interview for this show but were told that they were not commenting on election law violations. As of the publishing of this post, KSQD also has not received a call back from the Fair Political Practices Commission. After this show,

On Talk of The Bay on Tues Oct 21st, at 5 pm, host George Cadman interviewed local author, psychotherapist and Family Constellation facilitator, Molly Salans. They discussed her psychological thriller, A Break in The Fog, about a family in turmoil and a dangerous cult, which explores how faith can be used to heal, but also to abuse, and how love and family is what matters most in the end. Molly and George also talked about: cults more generally (including the cult of Trump); what draws someone into a cult or controlling system; the longing to belong – and how that deep human need can lead either toward love and connection or toward control and manipulation; how to awaken oneself and others to mind control; how compassion and understanding can free us from fear and polarization both personally and collectively; and the power of creativity, community, and ceremony to restore love and empathy in a divided world. Deeply involved in Santa Cruz’s creative and spiritual communities, Molly Salans reminds us that compassion is not just a feeling – it’s a path forward in healing ourselves and our world. For more than thirty years Molly has guided people through the landscapes of grief, love, and transformation—blending psychology, spirituality, and creative expression. Through her Constellation circles and community gatherings, she helps people uncover the hidden love that lives beneath pain and conflict. abreakinthefog.com

  Interviews with Adam Scow and Dr. Ann Lopez: Adam Bolaños Scow is a Public-Interest Advocate, Violinist, and Music Teacher. For over 15 years Adam has helped win environmental campaigns in the Monterey Bay region including the efforts to ban fracking in Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito Counties. He is a co-founder of the Campaign for Organic & Regenerative Agriculture (CORA), a grassroots group working to transition agricultural fields away from toxic pesticides to organic in the Watsonville area. He has served on the boards of Regeneración Pajaro Valley Climate Action, Watsonville Wetlands Watch, and the Sierra Club. He previously served as a Board Trustee for the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, where he helped win one the largest salary increases for teachers and staff in the history of the district and protected vital arts and music programs. As a violinist Adam performs with the Santa Cruz Symphony and also performs Mariachi music with Mariachi Libertad. Adam teaches both orchestra and mariachi through the award-winning El Sistema program in Watsonville and at Cabrillo College. Dr. Ann López is the Executive Director of Center for Farmworker Families. She is an emerita professor and taught courses in biology, environmental science, ecology and botany in the biology department at San José City College for many years. She has a Ph.D. from UCSC in Environmental Studies, where she studied the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement on the farms of west central Mexico. Her book entitled The Farmworkers’ Journey summarizes the results, arguments and conclusions of her research and was published by UC Press. She has been recognized for her work by the U.S. Congress and many organizations. She was chosen as a Woman of the Year for 2013 and 2014 by the National Association of Professional Women. In March 2018, she was chosen for a 16th Annual Cesar E. Chavez Community Award in Watsonville and in 2019 was recognized by Assembly Member Mark Stone as Woman of the Year in California’s 29th District.

Talk of the Bay Host George Cadman interviews Jenni Veitch-Olson about California Proposition 50. Jenni is a compassionate community leader. Jenni is the Director of Development for Emerge California, the premier training program for Democratic women who want to run for office and win. She served as the Vice Chair of the Santa Cruz County Democratic Central Committee, prior to being elected the Chair in January 2025. She also serves as a Watsonville Planning Commissioner. In 2024, Jenni was awarded Santa Cruz County’s Democrat of the Year for her mobilization of resources to those affected by the Pajaro River flood. Known as “Def Jen Wreckers” on the track, Jenni plays roller derby with the local Santa Cruz Roller Derby team. https://stopelectionrigging.com/ https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/10/voter-guide-2025-print/  

KSQD’s Talk of the Bay, Meilin Obinata welcomes Omar Dieguez to discuss his month-long hunger strike to raise awareness of the dangers of pesticide use in agriculture, and his work to ban pesticide use in the community.

From Suki Wessling: Reporting from the October 18 No Kings Rally in Downtown Santa Cruz today, I heard a clear message: What’s happening in this country is not OK. People from all walks of life came together with a message of unity and hope. Although there was anger, there was a distinct lack of partisanship and hateful speech. Listen in to what locals had to say about the state of our democracy and the message they hope to send. To learn more about future events, join your local Invisible’s mailing list. Suki Wessling interviewing Curtis Reliford Crowd photo by Herb Jellinek.  

Did you know having a dark sky is healthier for humans and other animals? Many creatures rely on the stars to navigate or know where to migrate. Dark Sky International is a movement to reclaim the sky at night, led by amateur astronomers and scientists. Light pollution disrupts wildlife, impacts human health, wastes money and energy, contributes to climate change, and blocks our view of the universe. In this interview with three group members, we hear ideas of what we can do to help darken the night sky again.

Even in a banner year for coastal storm damage, Seacliff and New Brighton State Beaches stood out in 2022 and early 2023. A relentless flurry of atmospheric river storms slammed the popular seaside destinations, snapping the historic Seacliff pier in two, dramatically flooding the day-use area with sand and debris and striping away much of the park’s infill material to such a degree that the campground area remains offline to this day. The indelible images even inspired a visit from then-President Joe Biden, who delivered a speech on the impacts of climate change right outside Seacliff’s Welcome Center. Though many of the facilities have recovered in the past few years, climate experts have cautioned that Seacliff and New Brighton remain vulnerable to the supercharged storms that climate change will make more frequent in the years to come. With that in mind, State Parks, in collaboration with local partners, has produced the Recovery and Resilience at Seacliff and New Brighton State Beaches study and shared it with the public for the first time earlier this month. The report, which took more than two years to put together, reveals much about how these beloved parks remain vulnerable to climate change impacts and how local planners can continue the rebuilding effort in way that recognizes the realities of the future and puts resiliency at the forefront. To help us better understand what this report has to offer, host PK Hattis was recently joined by Scott Rohlf, a staff recreation specialist with California State Parks who acted as the Santa Cruz District lead on this study. NOTES https://www.seacliffresilience.org/ https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2025/09/29/new-study-reveals-adaptation-scenarios-at-seacliff-new-brighton-state-beaches/ https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2023/03/20/its-really-sad-seacliff-pier-demolition-process-begins/ https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2023/03/27/crews-demolish-historic-monterey-bay-pier-in-danger-of-collapse-after-january-storm-damage/

On this episode of Talk of the Bay, host George Cadman talks with Elaine Johnson, Executive Director of Housing Santa Cruz County, about Measure C, the proposed Workforce Housing Affordability Act appearing on the November ballot in Santa Cruz. They discuss how the measure came about, what kinds of taxes it would establish, how the funds would be used, and what oversight would guide spending. Johnson also responds to concerns raised by community members and outlines the intended goals for addressing local housing needs. It’s an informative and balanced look at one of the key issues facing Santa Cruz voters this fall—housing, affordability, and the future of the community.

Roaring Camp Railroads is hosting a magical walk in the giant redwoods lit up by movie lighting artists and lamp-makers. I went on a preview of the event with the artists and about 200 other curious folks, and have this story.   ROARING CAMP INTRODUCES “SEQUOIAS AT NIGHT” FAMILY-FRIENDLY STROLL THROUGH ILLUMINATED GIANT REDWOOD FOREST VIEW TOWERING 250-FOOT REDWOODS IN A NEW LIGHT, FEATURING HANGING, LIGHTED LANTERNS CREATED BY LOCAL METALSMITH ARTISTS FELTON, CA – SEPTEMBER 19, 2025 – Roaring Camp, Inc. (Roaring Camp) today introduced “Sequoias at Night,” its new family-friendly experience beneath towering 250-foot-tall redwood trees in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Sequoias at Night lighted stroll will be open to the public on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 7:30pm. The nighttime experience provides visitors with a magical and immersive perspective on the ancient forest at Roaring Camp. During the 0.8-mile loop walk, visitors will view 26 unique, lighted lanterns, hung approximately 50 feet above the ground. The lanterns were crafted by local artists including Anna Bobisuthi, Roaring Camp’s resident blacksmith, and Chris Butler, who also created the lighting design for Sequoias at Night. Sequoias at Night will be open on Friday nights, weather permitting. Expanded dates are planned for Spring 2026. Tickets are available at www.roaringcamp.com. Adult tickets will be $24.95, children $12.95 and kids under two enter for free. Roaring Camp’s food services and gift shop will be open. Roaring Camp is located at 5401 Graham Hill Rd, Felton, CA.  

Across the country, there has been a huge increase in attempts to ban books from libraries and schools. The American Library Association is fighting back against attempts to censor books from libraries by raising awareness of protecting our right to read what we choose. We hear from Heather Norquist, youth programs coordinator for the Santa Cruz Public Libraries about how important it is to nurture a love of reading in young people, and not remove books by authors of color or ones that contain LGBTQ+ themes.  

  On Talk of the Bay, host Meilin Obinata welcomes Paul Kmiec the director of the Santa Cruz Film Festival. Join us in learning how this 25 year old film festival is rejuvenating itself with Paul, a filmmaker in his own right, at the helm. Most importantly, be sure to attend the free parties and meet the filmmakers who are coming to town for this celebration of creativity and independence from Wednesday October 8th through Sunday October 12th! SCFF Schedule https://www.santacruzfilmfestivals.org

Tim Eagan, beloved cartoonist, satirist, radio drama guy and all around cultural icon of Santa Cruz passed away in August of 2025. We hear from friend and radio host Bruce Larsen, and poet Stephen Kessler about his legacy and we hear an interview I did with Tim in April, 2022 upon the release of his graphic novel.’

On this episode of Talk of The Bay, host George Cadman is joined by Tony Nuñez, Marketing & Communications Director at Community Bridges, where he leads strategic messaging to highlight the impact of the nonprofit’s 10 programs serving more than 20,000 children, families, and seniors each year across Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito Counties. These programs deliver hot meals to homebound seniors, provide accessible transportation to medical appointments, connect families to food and housing resources, nurture children through early education, and offer critical recovery support during disasters. Tony and George will discuss the important work of Community Bridges in our tri-County area and the upcoming Pie for The People event on Oct. 26th which will benefit this critical community resource. In the second half of the program, George Cadman is joined by local educator and life-long learner Megan Grenier who over the last 28 years has worked in a variety of educational settings – as an elementary classroom teacher, an Education specialist for a charter school, a mentor teacher, a private tutor, and as a director of a learning lab to help struggling readers using the Orton Gillingham approach. Her passion is to help students learn to read proficiently. Megan and George will discuss the importance of literacy to individuals and society, two recent CA Senate bills passed in 2024 requiring schools in CA to screen all K-2 students for reading difficulties, including dyslexia, this school year, as well as two upcoming Dyslexia Simulations she and other educators are hosting to raise awareness about the frustrations and struggles that individuals with dyslexia experience on a daily basis in the classroom. They encourage parents, teachers and life-long learners to register for the simulations which will be held at the Scotts Valley public library and the Simpkins Swim Center/Live Oak Annex in October, which is Dyslexia Awareness Month.

The Arts Council of Santa Cruz County kicks off their Open Studios Art Tour the first weekend in October. Celebrating their 40th year Open studios is bigger than ever featuring over 340 artists! Working in 22 mediums from seasoned professionals to new and emerging, Open Studios presents an opportunity for everyone to discover, experience, and connect with artists and their work. KSQD Host Christine Barrington welcomes Open Studios Program Manager, Bree Karpavage along with two participating artists to share behind the scenes details into what makes Open Studios an event you do not want to miss. Featured artists: Anna Cummins (#239) is a full-time ceramicist who creates functional pieces that have whimsical sculptural and painted elements. Biagio Scarpello (#78) is a mixed media sculptor and blown glass master who also teaches art at San Jose State and Cabrillo College in Aptos. Tour Weekends (10am–5pm) Oct 4–5: South County Oct 11–12: North County Oct 18–19: All County ✨ Preview Exhibits Santa Cruz Art League | Sept 26–Oct 19 Pajaro Valley Arts | Sept 20–Oct 19 📍 Plan Your Visit Website: santacruzopenstudios.com Printed Guide: Available at Good Times drop-off spots from mid Sept App: “Santa Cruz County Open Studios” on iTunes & Google Play from mid Sept ✉️ For More Info: Email [email protected] Guest Recommended Studios: Mattie Leeds #343 Tessa Hope Hasty #342 Tina Fuller Somers #332 Elijah Pfotenhaur #126 Coeleen Kiebert #26 Santa Cruz Clay #313-317        

  Dr. Janice Hadlock is a professor of acupuncture and a well-known researcher in the field of Chinese medicine. She has been published in the top journals in the field and has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine regarding treatments for Parkinson’s Disease. She is the first non-MD acupuncturist to be published in that medical journal. Early in the COVID pandemic, she discovered that the symptoms of COVID, and of Long COVID, are caused by a trio of electrical blockages in the subdermal fascia. Through successive treatments of COVID patients in 2019 and 2020, she found that these blockages can easily be straightened and removed by stroking the affected area with the hand. Her findings, based on her own work and work of other practitioners using the treatment she developed, were published in the Fall 2022 edition of the Journal of Chinese Medicine. Her instructions for doing the treatment are available for free at covidtreatment.info. Dr. Hadlock has been working with the NIH since 2022. Although the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health has approved the treatment, its parent organization, the National Institutes of Health, has been suppressing the information for three years.

In this episode of Talk of the Bay, host Janet Quinn sits down with Brian Sweeney and Omar Guzman of the Homeless Garden Project. They share how the project provides job training, community, and hope for people experiencing homelessness, while also growing fresh food, handmade goods, and deep connections in Santa Cruz. From the upcoming Sustain Supper fundraiser featuring chef Jozseph Schultz and poet Jane Hirshfield, to the excitement of securing a permanent farm site, this conversation highlights the power of collaboration, resilience, and renewal rooted in the soil. Listen now to hear an inspiring story of growth—on the farm and beyond. Join HGP for their Sustain Supper, Saturday, October 18th at Natural Bridges Farm in Santa Cruz—an evening of farm-to-table dining, community, and poetry, all in support of the Homeless Garden Project. Enjoy a locally sourced four-course meal by Chef Jozseph Schultz, dessert from The Penny Ice Creamery, and a keynote by renowned poet Jane Hirshfield. Tickets and details at homelessgardenproject.org.

On Talk of the Bay host Christine Barrington interviews Sally Weiss, Director of The Cabrillo Stroke and Disability Learning Center. The center is celebrating its 50th Anniversary with an event at Cabrillo’s Samper Hall on October 17 at 10am-Noon. Sally Weiss shares with the community the terrific offerings of this long-standing program. Every two seconds, someone in the world suffers a stroke. Every six, someone’s quality of life will forever be changed. To meet this challenge locally, the Stroke and Disability Learning Center provides an interdisciplinary educational program for adults who have survived a stroke or are living with disabling conditions. The SDLC is a unique program operating since 1974 at Cabrillo College that starts where medical rehabilitation leaves off. Patients become students and enroll in specialized classes to develop strategies and gain skills in a supportive learning community. The goal of the SDLC is to support independence and promote maximum function for adults adapting to functional losses. Students participate in small-group instruction in Mobility and Fitness, Speech and Communication and Counseling Support. Classes are designed to meet the learning needs of each individual student, taking into account a wide range of disabilities and offering personalized assessment to identify individual learning goals. To learn more for someone in your life call 831-477-3300. Your call will be followed up with an interview and an orientation session. More details here. Costs are limited to community college enrollment fees and scholarships are available. To learn more about the history of the center and how it began, featuring two previous directors of the center, please enjoy this previous show from 2020:

Join host Suki Wessling on Talk of the Bay for her informative interview with Monterey Jazz Managing Director Bobbie Young. You’ll learn about all aspects of the festival and hear clips from some of this year’s great artists. Visit the MJF website Listen to the Spotify playlist of this year’s artists  

Do you have your go bag ready in case of a fire, flood, earthquake or tsunami? Do you have a plan for you pet? At the preparedness fair and tsunami fun run, ocal experts from the Red Cross, Scouts, and Animal Shelter help sort out what to do to be ready for any eventuality.

The annual coastal cleanup is Saturday, September 20th from 9 AM to noon. Sign up to help clean a beach or river near you. We talk with Katie Thompson, Director of Save Our Shores about the trash situation in our coastal area. Sign up online here: https://saveourshores.org/coastal-cleanup/  

Community theater has always been a special place in the local theater scene. Mountain Community Theater is planning an extravaganza musical based on the tv show and cartoon of the 1960s, the Addams Family. Join Morticia, Gomez, Wednesday and Pugsley for a gothic romp with a tango number thrown in for good measure. We hear from director, Daria Troxell, and actors Amy Carlson (Morticia) and Dave Leon (Gomez).’