Along with Kendrick Lamar, 26-year-old Big K.R.I.T. is one of the freshest voices in the game right now. Hailing from Mississippi, the young rapper draws on old-school rap and touches of funk for the bedrock of his latest album Live from the Underground, out on Def Jam Recordings. Big K.R.I.T’s West Coast Tour hits town on Thursday, May 30, at the Phoenix Theater. 201 Washington St., Petaluma. 8pm. $22. 707.762.3565.
There’s nothing like spending a warm summer night boot-stepping by the gazebo in the main square, friends and neighbors all around, music in the air. Cloverdale’s Friday Night Live concert series makes this sweet fantasy into reality every Friday Night, starting May 31 with a performance by Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings. Get there early to load up on snacks at the Cloverdale Farmers Market when Friday Night Live kicks off on Friday, May 31, at the Cloverdale Downtown Plaza. N. Cloverdale Blvd. 7pm. Free. 707.894.4410.
Healthcare, and everything associated with it, is arguably one of the more important issues facing the American people today. It is a social and an economic issue—the fewer people who have coverage the more the cost to the “system” as a whole. Whether you are in support of so-called “Obamacare,” or want things to change in a different way, it’s pretty clear there are many flaws in the current system.
And constantly, every day, it seems, there is a law that changes or hospital consolidation which changes the way healthcare is delivered.
The North Bay Business Journal recently published a story on Covered California, the “state’s online health exchange established under the Affordable Care Act,” written by Dan Verel, health care reporter at the Business Journal.
Verel’s story includes information about the local impact of this rollout of the Affordable Care Act. The Press Democrat also published a story by Judy Lin of the Associated Press which didn’t include any localized information or analysis on the topic.
Also in healthcare news, and related to the Affordable Care Act, last month Alexander Valley Regional Medical Center applied to become a federally qualified health center, which, according to a Business Journal story, “if approved, would allow Sonoma County’s only certified rural health clinic to receive significantly better reimbursement rates and more operating revenue.”
Also of note, Verihealth, Petaluma-based ambulance company, was recently acquired by Falck, a global ambulance company based in Denmark. Falk USA CEO Boo Heffner was quoted as saying of Verihealth: “We view them as a springboard, if you will, into larger markets in Northern California.”
It’s also yet another sign of the consolidation taking place in the health care sector, spurred largely by the Affordable Care Act and the economic realities that are impacting companies — from physician groups to blood banks to ambulance companies — large and small, wrote Verel./blockquote>
To me, these stories reek of relevancy to the local community. The Associated Press wire service is certainly a fine place to pick up news, but with something as big as a roll-out of healthcare reform, it seems logical and apt to get a local angle on the story. The Business Journal’s audience is comprised mostly of business leaders. I am sure the rest of the community would benefit from broader coverage by the other guys in town.
Turns out all those people who put money into pork futures were right, after all. Today it was announced that Chinese company Shuanghui will buy Smithfield, one of America’s largest pork producers, for $34 per share, about 30 percent above its closing share price yesterday. Reports on the value of the deal vary; some report it as $4.7 billion, some say it’s $7.1 billion. Either way, this is the largest takeover of an American company by a Chinese company.
There are concerns on this deal, naturally. Shuanghui was embroiled in a tainted meat scandal two years ago in China, but the companies say this deal will primarily focus on exporting American pork to China. Shuangui says it also hopes to learn more about the United States food safety processes. China is the world’s biggest pork market.
So, it seems the only thing we don’t get from China these days is pork, retaining it as a part of our American heritage. And now they’re taking our pork. It’s easy to say this is a win for the overall health of Americans, a blow to the “obesity epidemic,” as it were. But bacon isn’t to blame, it’s the maple coating on the bacon, the chocolate bar in which the bacon is mixed, the 1,400-calorie burger on which it sits that is the real culprit. Only time will tell how this deal plays out.
Smithfield says it’s keeping its operations in the U.S., which is good for its 46,000 employees. The headquarters will remain in Virginia and no facilities will close, says Smithfield. For now, at least, it’s only the profits that will be leaving.
With such robust wit, speed and delight, Frances Ha doesn’t have to be likened to Annie Hall.
True, like Allen, director Noah Baumbach looks back at the French New Wave, and shoots the film in radiant black-and-white. And it’s true that Greta Gerwig’s Frances is, like Diane Keaton’s Annie, one of those people born without that little switch on the throat that stops us from saying everything we think.
At age 27, Frances’ shield is her dependably plain ex-college pal Sophia (Mickey Sumner), a lean, sharp-featured woman with a pair of spectacles so severe that their frames seem to glow in the dark. She and Frances are pledged to being “undatable.” But Sophia moves up, settling in with a boyfriend she supposedly doesn’t like much (it turns out that he makes serious money). Frances, meanwhile, gets edged out from her Manhattan dance troupe and starts taking the path of least resistance to one after another of several shared apartments.
The film’s not fluffy. It notes the weight of rent on prevaricating artists with no visible means of support, and there’s constant class-card playing.
The movie is a love letter to Gerwig, long associated with the mumblecore film movement. She’s now been kicked upstairs to work with a director who knows what she’s capable of. Frances Ha loves Gerwig in motion, when she dances awkwardly, leaps down a street on her way to work or rides a bike bundled up in a December day in the suburbs. Gerwig is so good that she brings out the poignancy in a whirlwind, sleep-deprivation-blighted, credit-card-financed trip to Paris, foolishly taken on the spur of the moment just so Frances can be equal to the fancy people she meets at a party.
Frances Ha makes a star out of Gerwig, and she’s the kind of star we need: a goofy one we can feel tender about but never underestimate. The film goes happy in the end, and maybe you don’t buy it, but what Frances Ha says is true: people of an unusual type need to create an unusual kind of art to express themselves.
‘Frances Ha’ screens through May 30 at the Smith Rafael Center (1118 Fourth St., San Rafael; 415.454.1222) and opens May 31 at Summerfield Cinemas (551 Summerfield Road, Santa Rosa; 707.522.0719.)
On a recent Saturday, I headed down to Camp Rose Beach on the Russian River just outside of Healdsburg. I observed a large sign posted on the gate that claimed the beach was now a “Private Beach,” and no access was allowed. Interesting, to say the least, since the National River Law states otherwise. Any navigable river (that means by kayak, inner tube or any other floating device that carries a human) is public domain up to the high water mark of the river. Certainly the entirety of Camp Rose Beach falls into those parameters.
I explored other signs that were posted. One said that only residents of “Camp Rose” (which is a public street) could use the beach, and claimed that anyone else was trespassing.
Doing further research, I found out who claims to be the “new owners” of Camp Rose Beach, a couple by the name of Don and Jeannie Dana. I emailed them at an address they left attached to the sign asking “QUESTIONS?” (ca***********@***il.com), but have gotten no reply so far.
The sheriff’s department assured me that Camp Rose is a public beach, so I think people need to know that Mr. Dana’s signing of public land is indeed illegal. Anyone is welcome to use the beach.
Healdsburg
Yes, many questions remain to be answered about Sonoma Clean Power’s program, but that is not a sufficient reason to stop cities from voting to join. By participating, cities gain representation in the Sonoma Clean Power Authority to shape the program moving forward. That gives citizens a direct conduit and a voice in those important decisions, something we don’t have now.
More importantly, by voting yes, cities enable their constituents to choose. Those who care most about the cheapest possible electricity regardless of the source can choose to opt out.
City leaders will also get to choose who provides their municipal electricity needs. But their choice should not be imposed on you. By saying no to Sonoma Clean Power, however, that is exactly what they would be doing: imposing their choice to remain with PG&E on everyone within city limits.
Tell your city council you expect them to vote yes on Sonoma Clean Power so that you can choose based on your own values, not theirs.
Santa Rosa
With respect to Lynn Hamilton’s letter about Drakes Bay Oyster Company and Pt. Reyes Seashore: While I would ordinarily share her opinion about a pure approach toward preserving our national parks, I guess I would say that there is something compelling about saving a small family business that has been part of the Pt. Reyes landscape for decades and that supports people in the community in a manner that is essentially kind and conscientious. When I weigh and balance what little impact these few families and the oyster farm have on the seashore, when I take into account the longevity of their tenure and the fact that there are several other working farms within the park, I would have to disagree with Lynn on this one. The positives of Drakes Bay’s ongoing residency in the park far outweigh the negatives.
There are plenty of hideous, horrendous, agonizing violations to the environment perpetrated by destructive corporate (and government) interests. Let’s work against them and work with the people in our community to survive together.
Sebastopol
In our story on the “Out of Order” art exhibit, we incorrectly identified the words “we must carry each other” as lyrics from the rock band U2. They are not. We regret the error.
Also, in our preview on “Max Wade” rappers Brilliant & Timbalias, we surmised that the beat and rhyming cadence of “Max Wade” was lifted from a Lupe Fiasco freestyle. In fact, the true source is more likely “B.M.F.” by Rick Ross.
Moral of the story: grow huge man boobs and grunt “uuunnngh” like Rick Ross, and kids in Marin will one day flip your beats to rap about Guy Fieri.
Heel up, wheel up, bring it back, come rewind
Write to us at le*****@******an.com.
Few American stage musicals are as well known and beloved as Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Sound of Music. So it’s funny that so few of its fans have ever actually seen the show onstage.
Compared to the 1964 film starring Julie Andrews—one of the best film adaptations ever made of any play—few stage versions stand a chance at delivering a matching emotional impact. But every once in a while, a theatrical production manages to bring something to The Sound of Music that no other production, including the film, quite manages to achieve.
In the case of the Mountain Play, what director Jay Manley brings to The Sound of Music is sheer, dazzling, unlimited size. Expanding to fill the massive stage area of the 3,000-seat amphitheater, set designer Ken Rowland has erected a gorgeous, sprawling Nonnberg Abbey for the stirring chorus of opening Hallellujahs, sung by a crack team of 24 Benedictine nuns and monks.
When we first see Maria, played well by Heather Buck (seen at Spreckels in last year’s Camelot), she is stationed at the center of the amphitheater, belting the soaring title song from a large boulder beside a wind-twisted tree. A few moments later, when she’s assigned to the household of Captain von Trapp (Ryan Drummond) and his seven children, the Abbey splits into two, each piece pivoting around to create the family’s mountainside mansion. And when the Nazis take over Austria, the sight of massive swastikas fluttering over the stage is impressively jarring and effective.
Even the musical score has expanded, and now features all the songs from the original stage production, including some cut from the film, along with two songs written specifically for the movie.
With this Sound of Music, Manley and his cast and crew certainly deliver the spectacle while managing to stay true to the intimacy of the story, the simple tale of people in love, struggling to do the right thing in difficult times.
Rating (out of 5): ★★★★
This month has been filled with excitement—both good and bad—for journalism and a free media. It’s been widely reported in the past several weeks that, in an unprecedented maneuver, the Department of Justice subpoenaed reporters’ phone lines at the Associated Press.
What makes this particular subpoena unique is its broadness. Occasionally, for matters of national security, the DOJ will request documents, recordings of conversations or other materials specific to an investigation from a publication that has had contact with those deemed to be a threat. Sometimes this information is supplied without complaint from the publication; other times, a subpoena is required.
This time, however, two months’ worth of conversations were subpoenaed from 20 reporters, and the DOJ didn’t talk to them first—they went straight to the judge.
This didn’t go over well with . . . anyone, really.
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press wrote a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, signed by 50 news organizations from NPR to the Bay Area News Group to Politico, which states that “the scope of this action calls into question the very integrity of Department of Justice policies toward the press and its ability to balance, on its own, its police powers against the First Amendment rights of the news media and the public’s interest in reporting on all manner of government conduct, including matters touching on national security which lie at the heart of this case.”
The timing was perfect for The New Yorker to launch a promising tool called Strongbox, designed to allow sources to send tips anonymously to the newsroom. Though this isn’t in direct response to the recent DOJ fiasco—The New Yorker has been working on this for several years—it stands to provide whistleblowers some protection.
The online platform allows anyone to upload information, photos, complaints, documents, etc., that they believe should be reported. Those on the other end (in this case, The New Yorker) receive an encrypted version that requires a key to decrypt, which is performed on another computer. Especially beneficial for other news groups is that The New Yorker isn’t claiming proprietorship of the program. Created by Aaron Swartz, the program, Drop Dead, is open-source and available for any news agency to use. The DOJ can’t touch it.
So it is, back and forth, the battle of David and Goliath. And hopefully, the side of truth in reporting wins in the long run.
Stylistically, Anderson Valley wines seem much closer to Oregon than, say, the Russian River Valley. The drive there certainly makes it feel that way. The road climbs, twists and dives, then repeats.
The virtue of this long, winding road is that there isn’t likely any driver in front or behind you for a long time. Until there is, and you know that you are not in Oregon. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities to pull out—unfortunately, just not enough for impatient drivers.
Anyhow, on to a friendly little Pinot Noir tasting put on by Anderson Valley Winegrowers. The 16th such festival, it’s hosted by Goldeneye Winery in a big tent in the middle of their manicured vineyards. By the warm greetings and banter, it’s clear that many of the attendees are in the business in one way or another, too. With over 2,200 acres of vineyard—compare to over 9,000 in Dry Creek Valley—the Anderson Valley wine scene is like a backyard party.
Angel Camp Vineyards’ winemaker knows something about driving Highway 128. During harvest, he commutes daily from Napa Valley—once a week during slow months. The couple who run Frati Horn (“wine glass” in Boontling) truck their grapes all the way down to Inspiration Vineyards’ warehouse joint in Santa Rosa to make their 2011 Pinot Noir—a cool, juicy rhubarb-flavored refreshment.
Joe Webb, the young general manager at Londer, explains that he does the footwork for a host of satellite clients—four or so who are pouring Londer Vineyard designates at the event. Gadgetry helps him out; he shoots a photo, uploads his stats and lines up some pick dates. His 2009 Swan Clone Pinot Noir has a nose like a wild raspberry dreaming it’s cotton candy.
Sonoma’s Williams Selyem has its Ferrington Vineyard, Napa’s Saintsbury has its Cerise—a bit fatter than many others here, and more like the most recent lineup of their Carneros that I tasted—with a hint of Christmas candle spice. As with every wine festival, the longest lines are for wineries approved by Wine Spectator. Black Kite Cellars fills that role up here, and, yes, the 2010 Kite’s Rest Vineyard Pinot Noir ($45) is not particularly disappointing.
These nice people and their good Pinot Noir have put me in such a fine mood that, even though I’ve assiduously spit out every taste, as I amble back up the hill, munching on a plate of local smoked salmon, a Goldeneye terrace lounger turns to her partner and remarks, “People get so hammered at these events.”
Goldeneye Winery, 9200 Hwy. 128, Philo. Anderson Valley Winegrowers, 707.895.WINE.
Wendy Krupnik’s letter (“On Wilderness,” May 22) is misleading and simply wrong. Kevin Lunny knew that Congress destined the bottom lands of Drakes Estero to be wilderness long before he purchased Johnson’s Oyster Company and renamed it Drakes Bay Oyster Company eight years ago. He then proceeded to move processing facilities that were in Santa Rosa out into the park and ramped up production.
We hear much about the money Mr. Lunny spent “cleaning up” the estuary. We never hear about the money he makes, and will continue to make, “cleaning up on” it if he prevails in court. Nor do we hear about the implications his lawsuit has for public lands in general. The head of Lunny’s legal team, Daniel Epstein, formerly worked for the Koch brothers and Darrell Issa. Doc Hastings, a right-wing warhorse, has asked to see all the papers regarding Drakes Bay Oyster Co. Pacific Legal Foundation has signed on, and David Vitter added a pro–Drakes Bay Oyster Co. rider to his XL Pipeline bill. While this may warm the hearts of the Koch brothers, it’s small beer for us little people.
The California Coastal Commission does not concur with Ms. Kopnik’s rosy assessment of the benefits of the oyster business. It issued a unanimous cease-and-desist order against Drakes Bay Oyster Co. for Mr. Lunny’s high-handed treatment of the estuary: spreading Didemnum vexillum (aka “marine vomit”), unauthorized planting of invasive Manila clams and not controlling the debris that sheds from his five miles of oyster racks, among many other violations. Is it Ms. Krupnik’s point that since the estuary is sullied by commercial aquaculture it should remain that way?
Some of us would be grateful for a sweetheart deal wherein we were allowed to operate a multimillion-dollar business for eight years in a national park for less than the cost of an overnight campsite. Some of us would acknowledge the terms of our permit and exit gracefully. But then some of us don’t have access to the deep pockets and political clout of right-wing ideologues and their legal teams with a lot more than (shell) fish to fry.
Bruce Kranzler is a cabinetmaker living in Tomales.Open Mic is a weekly op/ed feature. We welcome your contribution. To have your topical essay of 350 words considered for publication, write op*****@******an.com.
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