Coming Downtown: Bumblebee-Costumed Minimum-Wage City Hosts
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So the word on the street is that come July 1, an out-of-state company will hire a dozen or so city hosts, dress them up like bumblebees and have them patrol Pacific Ave. daily. Seriously.
Their mission is to thwart illegal, annoying and disruptive activity on the strip in hopes of rejuvenating the bottom line for local businesses.
Their price tag is a jaw-dropping $130,000, which will be paid out to Service Group Inc., a company based in Pennsylvania, by the Downtown Management Corp.
Euphemistically known as “city hosts,” these ridiculously dressed employees — they will wear yellow polos and black pants “in such a way that is clearly visible and attractively displayed” (direct quote from the company’s website) — will patrol downtown and report loiterers and panhandlers to the police.
And if precedent has any bearing, this idealistically Orwellian plot to scrub our city clean of what the local businesses deem as “undesirables” will flop. And flop big time.
The idea of a city host program is by no means a new one. In 1994, the Downtown Association funded a similar and cheaper program that within a few months succumbed to failure. Some of their problems included high employee turnover because of low wages, disorganization and ineffectiveness.
Earlier this year, the city jumped in the mix by passing a set of controversial ordinances that required jail time for repeat loitering and panhandling offenders, increased fines for the same charges and implemented laughable restrictions on the time someone could sit on a bench downtown. These changes were overwhelmingly supported by local businesses. Obviously, they feel they’ve failed.
Even more recently, the bus station downtown began playing classical music through cheap, plastic speakers in front of the station in hopes of spurning panhandling. I guess it was infeasible for the city to install speakers for the length of the strip that would give justice to Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.” Or maybe local businesses owners just don’t dig the Romantics.
Worse yet, Service Group Inc. hasn’t proven they’re worth a dime. The company has run several similar programs in cities like San Jose, Denver and Camden, N.J. Most of us know what San Jose looks like — for those locals claiming downtown isn’t even worth seeing here in Santa Cruz, I suggest you take a brisk walk through downtown San Jose at night. I also suggest you bring mace, knives and a gun. As for Camden, N.J., one research firm named Camden the second most dangerous city in America last year. That dubious award came three years after Service Group Inc. was hired to reduce crime in the city.
Most importantly, what are we supposed to make of this price tag? As most people realize by now, we’re in the midst of a severe economic crisis. The state of California is about to hijack over a million dollars from the city of Santa Cruz. On top of that, the city is facing the largest deficit since Santa Cruz’s birth as an American town in 1876. There are hundreds of other programs and organizations that are more deserving of $130,000 in this climate. Obviously, the Downtown Management Corp., which is funded by local business owners, can do what it wants with its money. But it seems overly simplistic and irrational to assume that dumping well over $100,000 into a Orwellian snitch program can really reignite sales downtown.
If we really want the homeless off the streets of downtown, and that’s what this program really intends to do, then we need to invest that $130,000 in cheap housing, medical and psychiatric care and job reeducation programs.
Increasing the police force — something many people have suggested — and hiring goons in bumblebee outfits will do nothing to reduce loitering and panhandling, and certainly will not lead to an explosion of sales downtown in this economic environment.
I’m afraid that in hopes of making a few extra dollars, the city and local business owners are forgetting what Santa Cruz is about. We’re here together in this tiny speck on the map, whether we like it or not, so let’s make it work together.
Rather than invest huge sums of cash in programs that are destined to fail or at best bandaid an aging wound, the Downtown Management Corp. should invest in a working cure.
Click here to read more of Daniel’s writing at his blog.
Let’s go surfin’ in the 21st Century, Dude!
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I often wonder what the future will look like. Sometimes, when I’m out on my bike I get a preview. That’s what made me stop and take this picture while riding on 41st past Freeline Surf Shop. My imagination didn’t have to dial the time machine forward very far. Let’s say in a few years. You think we’ll be seeing a lot more of these? We’ll see. 
What are those things?
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Have you seen those funny/cute/weird little yellow two-seat vehicles around Santa Cruz lately? I saw a woman getting into one the other day and it turned out to be one of the owners of a new business in town that rents them. Her name is Judy (her partner is named Lynne) and the name of the business is Cruz Carz. She told me they are specially designed, open air, twin-seat scooters that can be rented by the hour or day. They can even be leased. It really looked like a fun ride, so I asked her if it was.
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- Cruz Car at street level
“Yeah,” said Judy, “It really is a fun way to get around town. Plus, the mileage is great.” In fact, the little scooters use a 100cc gas engine that gets up to 80 miles per gallon. And from what I could see, driving one looked pretty simple. It steered like a bike and the hand brakes worked the same, too. But, like a motorcycle, the accelerator is operated by turning the handle and you need to wear a helmet (she said they provide that). But in case you might be worried, it’s easier than a bike or a motorcycle to drive because there’s no need to shift gears. Forget the freeway. It can only go up to 45mph. But, why would you want to go on the freeway if you’re in one of these?
Judy gave me her business card before she left and I decided that I should check this out in person. Later, I followed the directions on the back of the card. It showed the location of Cruz Carz was just past the Santa Cruz Police Department building on Center St at Washington. Whoa! Couldn’t miss that building, painted bright yellow like the scooters! I parked on the curb and went inside where maybe a half a dozen yellow scooters were parked and ready to go.
So what happened next? Check it out here.
The Design + Innovation Center’s Skateboard Panel event at NextSpace
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Design is about people, and how they become inspired to create and refine products that are innovative, simpler, more efficient, greener, and – in the case of skateboards – just plain fun. The Santa Cruz Design + Innovation Center recently held a skateboard panel discussion in NextSpace that underlined how creative thinking, energy, and community involvement led to the development of our world class skateboard design and manufacturing industry.
NextSpace, for those of you not yet familiar with it, is the radical new coworking space on the corner of Cooper and Pacific that is becoming the preferred base for creative/technology startups in the Santa Cruz area. Take a tour, and you’ll see software developers, architects, writers, graphic and product designers, computer animators, intellectual property lawyers, nonprofits, entrepreneurs, and innovators working side by side in the friendly, busy, rising-tide-floats-all-boats spirit that’s often called coopetition.
Fifty people - some NextSpace members, many not – crowded into the second floor café space on May 28th to hear a panel of local skateboard personalities give their varied insights into the ideas, the events, the design, and the people that have made this Santa Cruz industry into a world leader.
The panel was made up of Tim Piumarta, the Director of R+D at NHS, who gave the audience a fascinating history of of the skateboard wheel from back in the ball bearing days to the development of the sealed bearing and how it changed skateboarding forever. Connor Welles, Hard Goods Development Coordinator at NHS, who talked about the process of getting skateboard products manufactured and working with product managers. Don Bostick, who founded the World Cup of Skateboard, talked about the problems and rewards of running competitions and events. Erik Florio, the CEO of Whagaa, discussed the early days of wanting to do apps before the iPhone and how his app went to number one for a month on itunes. Judi Oyama, a longtime skateboarder and designer, gave an illustrated talk about the use of graphics in the industry. And Danny Keith spoke about his Grind for Hunger non-profit, running a retail skate business, his love for skating and how it has driven his life. There was a clear underlying tone of passion for the sport and the skateboard community in everyone’s talks.
This enthusiasm and commitment is a common feature of Design Center events. The basis for its existence is that Santa Cruz has, over the last twenty years, become home to a large, world-class group of creative professionals in the fields of design, technology, software development, research, and entrepreneurship. Creative professionals need and want to live in inspiring surroundings like Santa Cruz but can’t always afford to. However, successful creative professionals can. As a result Santa Cruz, being the most attractive and interesting community within commuting distance of Silicon Valley, has attracted a disproportionate number of top creative professionals. But many commute to the Valley for work, and those who run businesses in town find most of their clients and professional connections come from the Valley. So the paradoxical situation arose that a major regional creative center was unaware of itself as such.
Enter the Design Center, two years ago. Its purpose was first to make Santa Cruz aware of itself as a major design and innovation center, and then to spread that awareness across the region, the country, and indeed the world. And this is what is happening. A series of local events and exhibitions, centered around design and technology, are not only forging new links across professional boundaries but making local creative professionals aware of the breadth and depth of design skills available, in many cases, just a few blocks away. Find more on upcoming events, local designers, and what’s going on in the Santa Cruz design community at the Design Center’s web site www.designsc.org. Join us!
Finally, the Design Center wishes to thank all the sponsors of the skateboard panel event: Santa Cruz Skateboard, Santa Cruz Skate Shop, NextSpace, Fringe, Khiro Skateboard Products and Parachute Design. We also thank our Board, under the chairmanship of Darrin Caddes, for their guidance, and the members and volunteers of the Santa Cruz Design + Innovation Center for their support and enthusiasm.
Bikes, Kites and Flights
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On a windy Wednesday, I grabbed a few quick videos while riding my bike in SC:
Downtown I ran into a couple of locals practicing near the Rittenhouse building. I can only wonder how long it takes to be able to do this stuff without breaking bones and bruising flesh!
Then, while cruising along West Cliff, I spotted a kite surfer screaming across the water in front of Lighthouse Beach. First, going out a few hundred yards and then turning back to shore with the on-shore wind, he would hit the surf line at speed, getting big, big air and then busting a flip or two. What a show! No admission, either.
Then off the cliff nearby, I noticed a group of gulls facing virtually motionless up into the wind just above. They take turns like riding on an “elevator”, rising up and then getting off at the top and drifting back down again. They do this over and over. Why? I’ve seen this before and often wondered. My only guess is that, like the kite surfer, they’re having a little fun on a windy day! You think?
If you know the answer, please share!
David Sedaris Reading at Capitola Bookstore on Sunday
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Famed wordsmith and New York Times’ best-selling author David Sedaris will read at the Capitola Book Cafe Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The author who has become somewhat of a literary darling over the last five years will read from his latest novel “When You Are Engulfed in Flames.”
The show has already soldout, but speakers will be setup outside of the store during his reading and then everyone will be offered access to a signing afterward.
If you’re unfamiliar with his work, I encourage you to go out and get a copy of “Naked” or “Me Talk Pretty One Day.” They’re both great introductions to his witty and comic memoir-like style.
Hope to see you there!
Santa Cruz Pride Parade
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In light of Pride Week, here are some photos from the 35th annual Santa Cruz Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Festival, which took place on Sunday.
The Truth About West Side Video
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Walking into West Side Video transports you back to a time when the phrase “renting a movie” actually meant “renting a 
VHS tape.” A time before Blockbuster and Hollywood Video made their publicly traded land grab for every video-renting neighborhood in America. A time before Netflix and Redbox completely removed the human element from renting a movie. In this bygone era, the person behind the counter at your locally owned and operated video store didn’t just have an encyclopedic knowledge of all things cinema, they have a knack at personalizing a recommendation just for you by asking a couple of quick questions.
Now things have changed. Our movies tend not to be rented from other people, but rather delivered by a mailmain who doesn’t know the difference between a Woody Allen and an Ed Wood, or dispensed by a vending machine in SafeWay that hasn’t even been programmed to say “Have a nice day” in a creepy cyborg voice.
But the beloved video store culture of yesteryear still exists, I tell you, and you need look no further than West Side Video. The video store sits in the corner of a parking lot on Mission street, tucked away behind Sabieng thai restuarant where it has stood for 23 years.
The first thing you’ll notice, when you enter through the glass doors, is wall after wall, and shelf after shelf, of VHS tapes available for rent. In fact, I have to admit, the first time I visited West Side Video I didn’t think that they had DVDs in stock. It was pretty shocking, and slightly traumatizing. But I soon got over the trauma, and found my way to their DVD section (just to the right of the entrance) and was pleasantly surprised. They have a lot of extras you won’t find at box video stores, or at video vending machines, like a local pick section consisting entirely of movies that played at the “Nickelodeon.” Being a huge fan of independent films, this was a natural draw for me and I instantly recognized a couple movies I had seen at the Nick, and some I had missed.
What I love most about West Side Video is the passion of the owner, Ashlyn Adams. Cinema just gushes out of her, and it’s impossible to talk to her for longer than a minute without having a handful of directors to check out whom you’ve never heard of, a handful of movies to watch that you haven’t gotten to yet but MUST SEE, and updates on all the recent releases.
Ashlyn grew up watching TV and movies, and started working in West Side Video a few years ago. When the previous owners, a couple who both currently work for Google, decided to close down West Side Video, Ashlyn was heartbroken. She offered to buy it. The rest is history.
To Ashlyn’s credit, she totally keeps with the whole “Keep Santa Cruz Weird” vibe. For example, there is a pirate ship hidden somewhere in the movie store. In the event of a power outage (Ashlyn tells me it happens once or twice a year), there is an immediate scavenger hunt for the pirate ship. She’ll even equip you with a flashlight. If you find the pirate ship, a booty of free movie rentals awaits.
Today, West Side Video stands a testament not only to one woman’s passion for movies, but for a community’s passion for a good video store. Leaving I’m struck with an overwhelming awareness of what corporate franchises do to movie store culture: they spray Windex all over it and rip the heart out.
Me, I’m heading to a video store where I can get in depth reviews, critiques, and suggestions from a living cinema-pedia. I’m going where everyone knows your name, and co-workers come in on their days off to hang out and watch movies.
I’m going to West Side Video, or somewhere close.
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