Talk of the Bay from KSQD

Our intrepid Squid on the Street, UCSC Humanities intern, Maury Burnett-Cavoto asked people how they feel about traveling out of the country under Trump’s current border security crackdowns.

On KSQD’s Talk of the Bay, host Omar Diegez speaks with Bobby Pelz, Ethnic Studies teacher at the Pajaro Valley High School, and Caroline Kuspa, of Jews for a Free Palestine. They discuss the curriculum in the school district and the recent tensions and controversies, around the failed censure of trustee Gabe Medina.

The host was Omar Diguez. Our guests discussed what it’s like to be in recovery, the sense of desperation, seeking healing though ceremonies. many different forms of recovery through twelve step programs and spiritual practices such as praying at sweat lodges. One guest, Eric, a resident of Salinas, has been in recovery for 14 years. He helps many people in recovery to find a better path in life in both English and Spanish. Our other guest was Sergio, a 17 year old youth who has found recovery after working with his mentor to find a higher power and spirituality to stay clean. Sergio was incarcerated at juvenile hall and started working with Omar through Barrios Unidos turning around his life after learning about recovery and aspects of indigenous teachings.

“From the Streets,” is a new Talk of the Bay series, hosted by Omar Dieguez. His guests for this show were Professor Christine Hong of UC Santa Cruz and Pajaro Valley Unified School District Trustee, Gabriel Medina. They discuss the dedicated community work that recently led to the reinstatement of ethnic studies in the Pajaro Valley school district.

“From the Streets,” is a new Talk of the Bay series, hosted by Omar Dieguez. His guests are Roy Recio, Watsonville native and founder of the Tobera Project, preserving Fililpino immigrant history in the Pajaro Valley; and marine ecologist Nat Low of Aptos, director of the Asian American Justice and Innovation Lab. They discuss their dedicated community work that recently led to the reinstatement of ethnic studies in the Pajaro Valley school district.

On Talk of the Bay host Andrew Schoneberg interviews leaders from the Carmel Foundation, a non-profit service organization that facilitates successful aging by providing a rich spectrum of interactive activities and services for the ever-changing physical, social, emotional and cognitive needs for those 55 and older. Have a listen to learn about the history of the Carmel Foundation and the powerful outcomes it facilitates for its members as they transition into their elder years. Members enjoying some time together on the beautiful patio of the Carmel Foundation. Some of the services offered to Foundation members include: Over 60 interesting classes and activities weekly Affordable lunches four days per week served on site Fifty affordable apartments for low-income seniors Technology Center Day excursions outside of the Monterey-Carmel area to museums, plays and shopping Wednesday programs featuring lecturers, presentations and entertainment Meal delivery to homebound members Free medical equipment loans Free lending library Café with free WiFi access Free blood pressure checks Caregiver support groups The Carmel Foundation also partners with senior-serving agencies to provide additional services such as: Legal Services for Seniors, providing free legal consultations Alliance on Aging, providing assistance with Medicare or supplemental insurance Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice (VNA), providing a grief support group Independent Transportation Network (ITN) Monterey County, offers rides to seniors in Monterey County

Jose Antonio Vargas is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and immigration activist. He tells the story of coming to the U.S. as a child, unaware that he was entering without legal documents. His 31-year quest to obtain legal status led to a life of hiding until he “came out” in a New York Times article titled, “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant”. Vargas, who was born in the Philipines, talks about the prospect of seeing his mother for the first time since he was twelve and the cost to families of being separated by law and geography. His new project is called “Define American” and includes documentary films, short features and a podcast. Then, we hear from Brenda Avila, programmer at the Watsonville Film Festival about how the protagonist of one of the films recently screened at the festival, Jeanette Vizguerra, was recently arrested by ICE at her job, and sent to a detention center in Aurora Colorado, most likely targeted due to her increased profile via the film. We also hear from the filmmaker, Theo Rigby, who created “Si Pudiera Quedarme” (If I Could Stay) about Jeannette Vizguerra and other asylum seekers who seek sanctuary in houses of worship.  

In this show, engineer Sandy Stone and board chair Rachel Anne Goodman reminisce about the circuitous route that KSQD’s founders took in getting on the air. Here is something I wrote up trying to capture a lot of the milestones. Our story: Once upon a time back in the 1970’s there was a visionary writer and entrepreneur named Lorenzo Milam who had some money and an audacious dream that if you gave regular people access to a radio microphone, they would make their community a better place to live, or in his words, “to walk their walk, and talk their talk and know that they and the rest of the world are not irrevocably dead.” Among the many community stations he founded throughout the U.S. was KUSP in Santa Cruz, California, run by the ‘Pataphysical Broadcasting Foundation. At first it was in a tiny space and run on a shoestring with mostly volunteers and a skeleton crew. Then it grew bigger, got CPB funding, had a full staff, five translators, and reached four counties. At first, the programming was eclectic beyond belief. Programmed by mostly volunteers, characters like Corky Walsh, The Hamster of Love, Vicky Bolam, Tim Eagan, Paul Hostetter, Don Mussell, Leigh Hill, Lance Linares, Nikki Silva and more,, the programs ranged from Tibetan nose flute to Indian ragas to modern classical to bluegrass and beyond. There were public auctions at the Octogon Museum and Cajun Chomp and Stomp concerts and remotes from Kuumbwa and the Catalyst, Monterey Jazz and Bach Festivals. The spirit that imbued the station then was to play music that was unknown to the audience. Because it was the only game in town, it could be a trend setter. This went on for almost two decades. And then KUSP began running NPR programs, just All Things Considered and Morning Edition at first. Nobody else had done that. It was popular. NPR audiences began asking for more NPR shows. They would pay good money for them. Soon, that was the majority of programming on the station. Names like Terry Gross, Noah Adams, Susan Stamberg and Garrison Keillor became better known than local djs. Eventually, as the station leadership grew more money-focused, they relied more heavily on NPR, and most of the volunteers were “fired” in favor of paid announcers who management could depend on to read exactly what they were told, no more, no less. So much for talking the talk, eh, Lorenzo? Then in the late nineties, KAZU in Pacific Grove, a local community radio station, went bankrupt, giving its license to CSUMB, who commenced to run all NPR, too. The format wars between KAZU and KUSP, and the loss of exclusivity in NPR branding, left KUSP bankrupt and deeply in debt to NPR. In a last ditch effort to save its debt-ridden organization, the station went all “Triple A” format, fired its manager Terry Green, and brought in consultant Lee Ferraro from Minneapolis who said publicly he disliked Santa Cruz. It’s no wonder. He was hired to fire the rest of the local voices and put in a kind of bland indie “Triple -A” pop music that was supposed to attract a new, younger audience. This did not work to save KUSP financially and he soon packed up and (no doubt relieved) high-tailed it back to the mid-west. As KUSP was heading toward bankruptcy, a group calling itself “KUSP Forward” was formed to try to persuade its board of directors to downsize and go all-volunteer as a bail out plan. Hundreds showed up to a public board meeting at Loudon Nelson Center pleading with the board to change course. Their proposal was rejected and the station went bankrupt in 2016 under a debt load of $850,000. The last broadcast was in August of that year. Many tears were shed and friendships lost over its demise, which many said was preventable. Others disagreed. Either way, it was over. Late in the day on Christmas eve, I went down to the station where there was a bankruptcy liquidation sale underway. A guy whose name I think was Sharky

It’s no secret that Santa Cruz County loves its weed. Take a trip to UCSC’s campus on April 20th and you’ll get a sense of what I mean. But despite the community enthusiasm for the flowering herb, the industry has struggled to take off both at the local and statewide level after it was legalized almost a decade ago. Those struggles are part of what inspired Santa Cruz County supervisors Manu Koenig and Felipe Hernandez to sponsor a pair of county ordinances designed to give the struggling industry an added spark. The Board of Supervisors recently gave the green light to new local rules that allow for on-site consumption lounges at local cannabis retail businesses. They have also given an initial go-ahead to establish a three-year pilot program that would permit similar on-site consumption areas at cannabis farms, among other things. An initial read of the farm-specific ordinance was approved last week, but it will need to get a second majority vote when a final version of the ordinance appears on the board’s agenda next week. To tell us more about the intended benefits of the new local laws and to address some of the concerns voiced by the community and even some of his colleagues on the board, Talk of the Bay Host PK Hattis was recently joined by 1st district Supervisor Manu Koenig. NOTE: Since this episode aired, the Board of Supervisors officially delivered a final vote to approve the three-year pilot program at local cannabis farms. Part 2: Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County CEO Erica Padilla-Chavez will give us the latest on the federal food deliveries to the Watsonville-based food bank that were abruptly halted four weeks ago. She’ll share how this has impacted local services and what the community can do to help. Show Links: https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2025/03/11/santa-cruz-county-supervisors-give-cannabis-consumption-lounges-the-green-light/ https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2025/03/27/santa-cruz-county-cannabis-lounge-policy-clears-final-hurdle/ https://donate.thefoodbank.org/campaign/659968/donate?c_src=website

Artistic Director for Santa Cruz Shakespeare, Charles Pasternak talks about the bard and how his plays always provide fresh insights, as the four-decade-old company readies for its new season in July.

  Vicki Abeles is a filmmaker, attorney and change agent. She directed the award-winning documentaries Race to Nowhere and Beyond Measure and reached millions of viewers by focusing on social impact. She is the author of the NYT best-selling book Beyond Measure. Additional film credits include Associate Producer on the Sundance favorite Miss Representation (2011) and Associate Producer on Plastic Man: The Artful Life of Jerry Ross Barrish (2014). Continuing to bring communities together around the power of stories, Vicki’s work as an Impact Producer for Chasing Childhood and High School 9-1-1, along with producing the national live-stream event, “State of the Kids: Uniting for Youth Mental Health,” has built alliances across the world to empower kids to thrive. Her most recent film, Counted Out, was recently shown in the Monterey Bay area, and exposes the consequences of a society where people are shut out of effective math education, and shows examples of successful alternative approaches to learning.

This compilation of audio impressions reflects the sentiments of the people gathered with estimated 8,000 others to protest the takedown of our government by Musk and MAGA.

  David Woodbury is the founder and host of the Central Coast Conference (now in its 2nd year), a weekend-long lecture series dedicated to topics in American history. He earned a degree in History from the University of Evansville, in Indiana, before moving to California 40 years ago. He pursued a long career in publishing, beginning as co-founder of Savas Woodbury Publishers (now Savas Beatie), spent a decade with Stanford University Press, and later, Cengage Learning in San Francisco. David is the editor of Talking about History: Historians Discuss the Civil War (2014), and was the cartographer for the Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference. David has organized group tours of America’s Civil War battlefields for over 30 years. Upon retiring from publishing, David launched Woodbury Historical Tours, expanding their tour offerings into other areas, including Indian Wars, and themes related to the American West. He began the Central Coast Conference in 2024, and plans to keep this lecture series going annually, at the Stanton Center in Monterey. This year’s conference theme is Seldom Heard History of the Civil War Era. David lives in Palo Alto with his wife Anne, where they raised three sons.  

  John Brown Childs is Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He was born on December 2, 1942, in a public housing project, in the Roxbury section of Boston. In 1963, he co-organized a group of students from the University of Massachusetts to go to the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where MLK delivered his famous “I have a dream” speech. In 1965, he took part in the Civil Rights Movement in Montgomery, AL, as a member of “Friends of SNCC”. For the past 17 years, as a partner with the community organization Barrios Unidos, John Brown Childs has been doing volunteer teaching and speaking on peacemaking and “transcommunal cooperation” in Soledad Prison, where he works with the diverse “Cemanahuac One-World Cultural Group” of incarcerated men. He is the author of numerous works, including the book Transcommunality, from the Politics of Conversion to the Ethics of Respect. This book, rooted in the ancient philosophy of the indigenous Haudenosaunee Peacemaker, Deganawidah, discusses ways in which people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives can, with mutual respect, work together, and learn from one another, while holding on to their own cultural and personal foundations. In 1997, John Brown Childs was awarded the Fulbright Foundation’s “Thomas Jefferson Chair of Distinguished Teaching” which he held in the Netherlands at the University of Utrecht. In 2019 he received the University of California Social Science Division’s Distinguished Emeriti Faculty award, and in 2022, he earned the University of California’s system-wide highest award for emeriti faculty, the Constantine Panunzio Distinguished Emeriti Award, which has been awarded to only 49 emeriti faculty throughout the UC system. Of African-Madagascan and Native American descent, John is, through his mother’s side of the family, an enrolled member of the Massachuset Tribe of Indigenous People at Ponkapoag, or “Sweet Water Pond”, on whose ancestral land, now known as Boston, he was born.

This was a special edition of Talk of the Bay, hosted by Omar Dieguez. His guests were Nane Alejandrez of Barrios Unidos, Mary Lou Alejandrez of Barrios Unidos, and Catarina, a Maori influenced by Barrios Unidos who is visiting from New Zealand. This fascinating conversation included reflections of Cesar Chavez’s enduring impact, the role of indigenous wisdom, restorative justice, and how communities embrace members who return home from incarceration. (Photo includes from left to right – Meilin Obinata, Mary Lou Alejandrez, Nane Alejandrez, Omar Dieguez, and Catarina).

Stephen Zunes is chair of the Middle East Studies program at the University of San Francisco. In recent days, students with a history of protest against the U.S./Israel actions in Gaza have been snatched off the street with no due process. We talk about the war on civil liberties at home and abroad and the increasingly autocratic and undemocratic response to dissent.

Justin Cummings, Third District Santa Cruz County Supervisor, talks about efforts to retain his seat as chair of the powerful California Coastal Commission. He also explains other ordinances under discussion at the county level.

  Jeanne Proust has studied Humanities, Philosophy and Visual Arts in Bordeaux, Berlin, and Paris. She has been teaching Philosophy for the last 14 years in the US and is actively involved in the Center for Public Philosophy at UC Santa Cruz, where she served as director from 2023-2024. She currently holds the position of Vice President of the Public Philosophy Network. Her PhD dissertation (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) focused on the pathologies of willpower, both in philosophical and psychological perspectives, but her interests are wide: among many fields, she does research in Ethics, Philosophy of Technologies, Bioethics, Feminist theory, and Aesthetics. She taught at different universities in New York, advocating for a widening of philosophical education beyond the Academia frontiers by participating in different events open to the general public. She gives many public talks, volunteers in prison (Rikers Island, San Quentin), collaborates on podcast projects (she produced her own, “Can You Phil It?”), and regularly organizes public events in Philosophy. She also collaborates with artists on her photography, drawing and painting works. With the Center for Public Philosophy, she helped launch the first Tech Ethics Bowl in the Bay area, and spearheaded the first Santa Cruz edition of the Night of Ideas. This year’s Night of Ideas is coming up on April 4, 2025, from 5 to 9 PM, at UCSC’s Institute for Arts and Sciences, at 100 Panetta Avenue, at the corner of Delaware Avenue on the westside of Santa Cruz. Jeanne has recently started her own philosophical counseling practice, open to individuals seeking to expand their worldview, and to examine their values and life concerns through the lens of philosophical inquiry.  

This week we honor Jesse Colin Young, the folk-rock icon of the sixties and seventies, who died at 83. His hits included “Get Together” and “Ridgetop” to name just two of his many songs that conveyed the spirit of the times. Our guest is KSQD’s station manager, David Bean, who was Jesse Colin Young’s manager and friend for a decade and a half and who shares stories only he can tell.    

Dan Haifley, a long-time ocean conservationist and former director of O’Neill’s Sea Odyssey and Save Our Shores, gives us an update on the multiple threats to ocean ecosystems and marine sanctuaries posed by the cuts to federal staff and budgets by the executive branch.

In this program we hear from members of the cast and crew of Steel Magnolias, opening at Park Hall in Ben Lomond, CA.

Have libraries been a vital part of your world? Did a librarian ever assist you with an important project? Like so many other public agencies libraries and librarians are under threat, but, you don’t have to take this news lying down, because the non-profit advocacy group EveryLibrary.org emboldens libraries and their communities to achieve political outcomes that keep libraries funded, thriving, and safe. EveryLibrary Co-founder and Digital Director, Patrick Sweeney, lays out the stark realities facing libraries and their staff across the nation and how this organization can offer you and your local library the skills, strategies, and support to achieve remarkable outcomes. Fight for the First is a petition-driven platform offered by EveryLibrary to support local efforts working to protect libraries and librarians. Donations to EveryLibrary go far and have translated into billions of dollars in direct funding to libraries across the nation: Donate to EveryLibrary Talk of the Bay on KSQD. Mondays at 5pm. Tune your dial to 89.5, 89.7 (South Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties) and 90.7 FM in Santa Cruz. Livestream at KSQD.org Talk of the Bay is available on all major podcast platforms.

  Will Rice is a policy consultant and senior writer for Americans for Tax Fairness, a coalition of more than 420 national, state and local endorsing organizations united in support of a fair tax system that works for all Americans. He is co-author and co-editor of the recently-released report “Private Equity, Public Damage”. The report deals with the impact of Private Equity firms on the economy, including healthcare costs and quality, housing affordability and security, climate change, prison privatization, workers’ rights, and debt. It was co-produced by the Private Equity Stakeholder Project and Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund.

We hear from the singing group, the Ukes of Bonny Doon, Suzanne, Laurie, Rizzie and Becca, who recently returned from singing and playing at a protest at the state capital. Then, an interview with Amanda Harris Altice and Jenny Evans with Indivisible Santa Cruz County about their organizing efforts. Then, a visit with United Way CEO, Yvette Lopez Brooks about an upcoming celebration of HERstory honoring local women leaders. The event is March 13th at 5;30PM.  

  Heidi Luckenbach is the Water Director for the City of Santa Cruz. In this role, she is responsible for maintaining the water system’s infrastructure, ensuring a reliable climate-resilient water supply, advancing environmental sustainability initiatives, and maintaining financial stability. Heidi has dedicated over 25 years of her career to the City of Santa Cruz, most recently as the Engineering Manager overseeing the Water Department’s capital improvement program and water supply planning. As director, she is leading her team through upcoming opportunities as they implement projects to create an even more robust water supply. https://www.cityofsantacruz.com/government/city-departments/water The break in the middle of the interview includes a short excerpt from Water Song, by Hot Tuna.

Filmmaker Jon Silver talks about his film “Watsonville on Strike” about the Watsonville cannery strike, an 18-month strike forty years ago and his follow-up film, “Daughters of the Strike”. The films are screening at the Watsonville Film Festival on March 8th. We also hear from Sandina Robbins, one of the festival organizers. Chris Krohn shares audio from the current UCSC strike and we hear from Woody Carroll, an employee on the picket line. Jon Silver’s film screens on March 8th at the Green Valley Cinema. More information at Watsonville Film Fest.org Watsonville on Strike    

Chaos and confusion abound, and immigration lawyers are overwhelmed by the number of clients seeking their services. Here’s the view from Salinas Attorney, Blanca Zarazua.

  Sarah Christensen is the Executive Director of the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission. Sarah has nearly two decades of experience in organizational leadership, planning, and implementation of major capital projects along the Central Coast and in the Bay Area. As the RTC’s Senior Transportation Engineer from 2017 to September 2024, she oversaw engineering and capital project delivery for the agency. Sarah Christensen has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from San Jose State University, a Master of Science degree in Transportation Management from the Mineta Transportation Institute, and is a licensed civil engineer. Zero Emission Passenger Rail and Trail virtual open house

With Trump threatening to eliminate the Department of Education, we take a deep dive into what it does, what would happen to local schools and programs if it was cut, and how local schools are coping with the current climate around education and immigration.

On KSQD’s Talk of the Bay, Host PK Hattis speaks with Community Bridges’ CEO Ray Cancino. Like so many nonprofits across the country, Community Bridges and Cancino were caught up in a world of chaos late last month when President Donald Trump’s budget office issued a sweeping order that froze all federal grants and loans. The order was later rescinded, but Cancino will walk us through what the experience was like on the ground and just how high the stakes are moving forward. Then, PK will sit down with newly-elected Democratic Central Committee Chair Jenni Veitch-Olson. They’ll talk about where the local Democratic party has been and where Veitch-Olson thinks it’s going as Democrats remain the majority party locally and the oppositional party nationally.

On this episode of Talk of the Bay host PK Hattis is joined by nurses from Dominican Hospital who staged a picket last week in protest of chronic staffing shortages and a lack of investment from hospital ownership Dignity Health and parent company CommonSpirit Health. Nurses say the lack of staffing has led to extended wait times for patients and increasing levels of burnout among the staff, both of which, ultimately, lead to subpar care. We’ll hear about what conditions are like on the ground and what the nurses’ union is asking of ownership to improve the situation.

Rachel Anne Goodman talks with members of the community who are helping immigrants before, during and after Trump’s ICE raids. Guests include Sherry Cassedy, long-time family lawyer and mediator, immersing in immigration law and coordinator of the Childcare Safety Plan Network. Paul Johnston, participant in several networks (Welcoming Network, Interfaith Network, Removal Defense Collaborative, Know Your Rights events, Train the Trainers events, and a UCAFT member.)

On this episode of Talk of the Bay, host Bodie Shargel dedicates the first half of the show to honoring civil rights activist Thairie Ritchie, reflecting on his powerful legacy and the recent tragedy that shook Santa Cruz. Then, we shift gears to the national stage, analyzing the impact of the Trump administration’s first two weeks, featuring a speech from Rep. Ilhan Omar and a live community calls on the state of our democracy. https://www.gofundme.com/f/thairie-ritchies-recovery-fund

Talk of the Bay’s host PK Hattis is joined by longtime Santa Cruz Sentinel photographer Shmuel Thaler. Both Thaler and Hattis, who also works as a reporter at the Sentinel, are mourning the death of colleague Jess York, who died in January after battling a rare form of neuroendocrine cancer for more than four years. York, who joined in the Sentinel in 2014, was known locally as a smart, empathetic, intrepid reporter that most recently covered crime, courts and homelessness. Thaler and Hattis will celebrate York’s life and the immense legacy of diligent, trustworthy reporting that she leaves behind.