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.

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.)

Sen. Alex Padilla (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.