Talk of the Bay from KSQD

Worried about election fraud or interference in our midterms? Wondering when the deadline is to register to vote or how safe mailing in your ballot might be? Our election clerks address these and other topics.

We hear from Rebecca Downing of the Regional Transportation Commission of Santa Cruz County and Metro Santa Cruz about an initiative to get people out of their cars.

What would change in your life if driving was not an option?

Week Without Driving (WWD) is a community challenge that invites people across Santa Cruz County to step out of their cars and experience how they would get around if driving were not available to them. From October 1 through October 8, 2026, we encourage you to walk, roll, bike, ride transit, carpool, or ask for rides whenever possible and re...

Poet Gabriel Kittle-Cervine talks about the first annual Ink Faire he’s organizing in collaboration with the Museum of Art and History, focusing on the arts of poetry, tattoos, and ink drawing. It happens on October 17th near the Evergreen Cemetery in Harvey West Park. Food booths, art and poetry workshops, and more! Kids welcome.

On this episode, we hear from Susan Willats, ED of The Community Music School of Santa Cruz about Redwood Music Camp, a three-day music workshop and jam camp for adults. Every wish you could go back to summer camp or just play music all day and night? The camp takes place October 16-20 at Monte Toyon in Aptos. Workshop leaders are William Coulter, Shelley Phillips, John Weed, Rebecca Lomnicki, Marla Fibish and more. For more information: https://www.communitymusicschool.org/redwood-music-camp/

Registration closes October 9th.

Talk of the Bay’s Wednesday host Len Beyea was invited to attend the PolicyLink Summit that took place August 24-28 in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington DC. There were over 3000 attendees at the Summit.

PolicyLink is a not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to fulfilling the promise of a true democracy. This program includes excerpts from two recordings provided by PolicyLink, and from over a dozen recordings Len made. Contents include excerpts of plenary speeches and panels and excerpts from the reports from breakout groups on the last day of the Summit. The program clo...

We hear from Darrow Feldstein, organizer of Santa Cruz Porchfest, a one-day free outdoor festival featuring 54 local bands.  More info: https://santacruzporchfest.lovable.app/

Porchfest started in Ithaca, New York in 2007 and has since spread to hundreds of neighborhoods across the country. The idea is simple and wholesome: neighbors with porches host neighbors with instruments, and the rest of us walk between them.

Santa Cruz has always been a music town — and we think there’s room for even more of it, spilling out beyond any single stage or venue. The first annual Santa Cruz Porch...

Holly Near sat down with me for a wide-ranging interview ahead of her Carmel appearance on October 3rd. Holly Near has written a large body of music that reflects her activism, with many songs becoming movement anthems.

We hear from constitutional lawyer, Danny Sheehan and his son, Daniel Paul Nelson about a new voting rights initiative of the Romero Institute. We discussed redistricting, the Supreme Court, and the perilous moment we are in before the mid-term elections.

Daniel Sheehan (also known as Danny Sheehan) is a Harvard-trained constitutional and public interest lawyer, author, educator, and political activist, born April 9, 1945. He attended Harvard College, graduating in 1967, then Harvard Law School, earning his JD in 1970. Over his career he has worked on a string of major public-interest cases, including the Pentagon Papers case, the Watergate break-in...

An 8-million dollar grant program will support art in California’s state, regional, and local parks, including painting, performances, and other arts presentations with the goal of drawing more people to the parks and increasing support. When Armando Quintero, head of California’s State Parks system brought his mom to Ano Nuevo State Park, she danced along the path, asking in Spanish if this was heaven. Yes, he said to his mother who had been suffering with Alzheimer’s. When he visited Big Basin State Park, paintings and photos of the CZU fire which took out most buildings and damang...

The Santa Cruz Guitar Company celebrates 50 years as one of the most influential guitar shops in the world. Richard Hoover, the company’s founder, looks back on fifty years of making steel-string guitars.  Eric Clapton and Tony Rice have played Santa Cruz Guitar Company guitars, among other luminaries. Lutherie is an art, a science, and a business, a labor of love and more. The celebration concert takes place at the Rio Theater on September 19th. For more information: https://santacruzguitar.com/

FREE PRE SHOW BLOCK PARTY

12:00 – 4:30

Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos Inc.

(Outdo...

Sarah Goodyear is a journalist and author who has covered cities and transportation for publications such as Grist, CityLab, and Streetsblog. Doug Gordon is a TV producer and writer who is also a neighborhood safe streets advocate. They are authors, along with Aaron Naparstek, of the book Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile. They are the hosts of the podcast The War on Cars.

Also referenced in the conversation was a video about the innovative way Ghent (Belgium) removed cars from the city.

UCSC professor Nolan Higdon has a unique take on the impact of the recent court settlement of nearly $18 billion, plus some changes in the platform. How much will it matter to the overall impact of the platform on society at large? We also discuss AI and its impact on the classroom.

Athlete Catherine Breed is fearless as she aims to swim the 900- mile coast of California. She has endured jellyfish stings and whale poop to set records for the fastest swim and now she has set her sights on this audacious project titled “Swim California”. I caught up with her during one of her rest days in Monterey. As the Trump administration seeks to open California waters to oil drilling and deep sea mining, Breed wants us all to appreciate and protect this world-wide gem of a coastline.

Each year for the past five years, I have taught a podcasting course in Dingle,Ireland, in the far westernmost, rural part of the country. This year 35 UCSC students spent six weeks studying podcasting and writing there. Listen to the whimsical results of their assignment to create 7-minute pieces of audio fun.

On Nov. 3, voters across California will have an opportunity to weigh in on Proposition 44. The measure, if passed, would require federally qualified health centers, or FQHCs, to spend at least 90% of their annual revenue on expenses that advance the mission of the health centers. If the FQHCs fail to do so, they’ll face monetary penalties levied by the state.

Proponents of the measure believe it will introduce a higher degree of accountability when it comes to delivering services to patients, while opponents say patient care is already front and center and the measure will overburden health ce...

Longtime Monterey and Santa Cruz County resident Kate Hitt calls her small poetry press Many Names Press, but she’s a woman who has worn many hats. After a long career in printing and graphic design, Kate got a job with benefits driving a school bus for Pajaro Valley Unified School District. It was physically hard work, but spiritually rewarding as she got to know the great variety of children and working people of this area. This year Kate published her first book, covering the experience in poetry, prose, photography, and watercolor. It’s a lovely and thoughtful view of l...

In June, healthcare providers, elected leaders and community advocates gathered in Watsonville to celebrate the grand opening of Encompass Community Services’ new state-of-the art Sí Se Puede Behavioral Health Center.

While Encompass has been providing support to those struggling with mental illness and substance use disorder at facilities in Watsonville for decades, this newly-renovated health center offers the nonprofit not only an opportunity to expand its footprint and increase the overall number of patients it is able to serve, but it also gives community members a safe, quality facility with bilingual services that are conducive to stability and...

Saime Matsu is an Associate Professor at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, where she has taught the Turkish language for more than 20 years. Throughout her career, she has played a significant role in teaching the Turkish language while serving as a valuable cultural bridge between the United States and Turkey, fostering mutual understanding and strengthening educational and cultural ties between the two countries. She is this year’s Executive Director for the annual Turkish Arts & Culture Festival, taking place August 29-30 at Monterey’s Customs House Plaza.

All are welcome to the 26th Annual Turki...

On this episode of Talk of the Bay, host Chris Krohn examines the growing surveillance state and its impact on privacy, civil liberties, and public safety. Guests Peter Gelblum of the ACLU, community activist Steve Pleich, and mayoral candidate and Get the Flock Out activist Ami Chen Mills discuss automated license plate readers (ALPRs), AI-powered surveillance, body cameras, Ring cameras, and the growing collection of personal data. The conversation explores Santa Cruz’s decision to cancel its Flock Safety contract, concerns about the misuse and security of surveillance data, and what local communities can do to protect privacy and pu...

On this episode of Talk of the Bay, host Chris Krohn examines the growing surveillance state and its impact on privacy, civil liberties, and public safety. Guests Peter Gelblum of the ACLU, community activist Steve Pleich, and mayoral candidate and Get the Flock Out activist Ami Chen Mills discuss automated license plate readers (ALPRs), AI-powered surveillance, body cameras, Ring cameras, and the growing collection of personal data. The conversation explores Santa Cruz’s decision to cancel its Flock Safety contract, concerns about the misuse and security of surveillance data, and what local communities can do to protect privacy and pu...

If you spend enough time walking the California coast you’re bound to eventually see some signs of whale activity — the signs are just gonna be really small; a tiny spout of white water, the breach of a dark blue figure that spins and slaps the waves as it tumbles into the sea. Don’t get me wrong, these images inspire real joy and awe in the hearts of those lucky enough to witness them, not matter how far away they are. But it’s people like my next guest who help us truly appreciate the raw beauty of these se...

Host Omar Dieguez welcomes Ana Nallely Mendoza Hernández to Talk of the Bay/From the Streets.

Ana is a first-generation college graduate, a single mother, and the proud daughter of migrant farm-working parents. Her life has been shaped by housing insecurity, mental health challenges, and the struggle of navigating systems that often leave working families behind. Ana overcame those hardships to earn degrees in Sociology, Latin American and Latino Studies, and Criminal Justice, and has dedicated her career to supporting vulnerable individuals and families through compassionate, trauma-informed advocacy.

Join us as we explore her ins...

For almost 50 years Hospice of Santa Cruz County has provided end-of-life care to patients and their families throughout the Central Coast region. That work, and its broad reach throughout the community, was publicly honored late last year by the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce, which awarded the nonprofit its 2025 Organization of the Year honors at its annual gala.

As the chamber’s Executive Director Kristen Brown put it to the Sentinel, “For decades, Hospice of Santa Cruz County has walked alongside local families during some of life’s most difficult moments, offering care, comfort, and connection with e...

Lizbeth Silva is the Program Manager at Watsonville Law Center, where she oversees community-based legal programs, outreach initiatives, and partnerships that expand access to justice for families across Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito counties. Having lived most of her life in San Benito County, Lizbeth’s roots in the region and her family’s experience in local agriculture have shaped her commitment to serving working families and strengthening access to legal services. With more than 10 years of leadership experience in nonprofit and public service, she is passionate about building trusted community partnerships, empowering communities through education, and e...

Host Chris Krohn interviews actor, playwright, and director Michael Gene Sullivan of the San Francisco Mime Troupe. The interview centers on the San Francisco Mime Troupe’s upcoming performances of Wreckage, a musical tragicomedy written by and starring Sullivan, and a bit of history of his involvement with the Troupe.

The Tony Award winning San Francisco Mime Troupe returns to Santa Cruz with Wreckage: A Musical Tragicomedy! Written by and starring Michael Gene Sullivan, this bold satire tackles working-class struggles, corporate greed, AI gone wrong, and political gaslighting. Catch this free, admission-by-donation show!

Two performances, Au...

Omar and Adela welcome Melita León, a proud Watsonville native and daughter of farmworker parents from Mexico.

Melita is a Health Program Specialist with the California Department of Public Health and a lecturer in Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University. Together we’ll explore the power of Ethnic Studies, Public Health, and why building healthier, more just communities starts with education, culture, and collective action.

Hosts Omar Dieguez and Adela welcome historian, author, artist, and retired Cabrillo College professor Dr. Enrique M. Buelna for an inspiring conversation about Chicano history, identity, and social justice. Dr. Buelna discusses his journey from the son of Mexican immigrants to becoming a leading scholar of Chicano studies, the importance of preserving overlooked histories, the political roots of the term “Chicano,” and the stories behind his acclaimed book, Chicano Communists and the Struggle for Social Justice. The conversation also explores his artwork, screenwriting projects, community activism, and the power of history to inspire future generations.

Shira Cion is the Executive and Artistic Director of the renowned Bay Area women’s ensemble Kitka. Shira was born in Hartford, CT, to an Eastern European Jewish family known for its compulsive harmonizing habits. Active as a performer, producer, arts administrator, and cultural worker since her teens, Shira received her musical education in classical performance (oboe and English horn), and ethnomusicology from the Hartt School of Music, Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute, Wesleyan University, and Russia’s Moscow Conservatory. Her lifelong interests in traditional, contemporary, and women’s music have led her to work with The Women’s P...

On KSQD’s Talk of the Bay, host Cheryl Williams in conversation with filmmaker Aaron Johnson about his short film Dark and Tender. The film explores the prejudices and stereotypes that Black men face and the ways those experiences can shape identity, relationships, and community.

Community members are invited to attend a screening of Dark and Tender on Wednesday, July 15, hosted by Santa Cruz Black in collaboration with the Chronically Under Touched (CUT) Project. Founder Aaron Johnson will introduce the film and lead a question-and-answer session that is open to the public.

After the screening, Jo...

Enjoy Andrew Schoneberg’s lively conversation with Alison Van Diggelen.

She’s a journalist and interviewer for the BBC, PRX, and other public broadcasters. And she’s the author of a recent book entitled “The Love Project”. It’s based on her conversations with people from the Monterey area, sharing their stories of love, loss, resilience, and joy.

Host Omar Dieguez welcomes members of the Tri-County Doula collective in Watsonville.

These women promote and provide culturally rooted, multilingual care for families through pregnancy, birth, and beyond.

Parades and parties had a strong showing across the nation this July 4. Some endured sweltering heat and humidity, but in Aptos, K-Squid enjoyed the fog, and the crowds, and hooped it up with the rest of the community for American’s 250 anniversary while Squid on the Street Suki Wessling swam through the happy attendees and captured our “time capsule” recording.

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Our thanks to the fabulous folks who made it shine: Gary Shapiro and his lady love, Robynn Smith, for supplying, and driving, their wonderfully vintage Ford F-150; Robynn and her friend Diane who created a giant...

Omar Dieguez and Adela welcome Bobby Marchessault, Watsonville educator and Vice President of the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers Committee on Political Education.

The discussed important work being done in the PVUSD and some of the biggest issues facing schools today: transparency and accountability, as well as recent cuts to mental health services, counselors, and special education programs.

An important conversation about the future of public education in the Pajaro Valley.

Saru Jayaraman (JD, Yale, MPP Harvard) is an academic at UC Berkeley and the President of One Fair Wage, which organizes to raise wages and end subminimum wages nationwide. She was named one of CNN’s “Top10 Visionary Women”, a White House Champion of Change in 2014, a James Beard Foundation Leadership Award winner (2015), the San Francisco Chronicle ‘Visionary of the Year’, and most recently an Irvine Foundation Leadership Award Winner. Saru authored Behind the Kitchen Door (2013, Cornell University Press), Forked: A New Standard for American Dining (2016, Oxford University Press), One Fair Wage: Ending Subminimum Pay in America (2021, New Press...

Omar Dieguez speaks with Mark Weller for an update on the campaign to eliminate the use of toxic pesticides near schools and communities on the central coast.

Nine months after Omar’s hunger strike to raise awareness about this community health issue, what progress has been made, and what remains to be done?

If you’re interested in children’s education, quiz games, storytelling, or poetry, I’ll bet you’ll find this program facinating. My guest is Howard Schrager. He’s the owner of Lemon Tree Press, which publishes educational books for elementary school aged children which he writes. Howard was a Waldorf teacher for 29 years.

Omar Dieguez and Adela Naranjo sit down with Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) Executive Director Consuelo Alba and filmmaker Brenda Avila-Hanna to discuss the profound impact of storytelling, community healing, and art as resistance. The conversation highlights how the festival grew from a passionate, grassroots volunteer effort in 2012 into a vital year-round nonprofit ecosystem that centers underrepresented Latino, indigenous, and LGBTQ+ voices. From discussing the deep emotional truths of local documentaries like Libertad to celebrating major cultural milestones like screening the Sundance award-winning American Pachuco alongside a live performance by Pajaro Valley High School students, the episode beautifully illustrates how...

Omar Dieguez hosts a powerful and heartfelt conversation exploring the human connections between Gaza and the Central Coast. Many people see Gaza as a distant conflict, but for members of our own community, its impacts are deeply personal and immediate. This program brings together stories of loss, resilience, culture, and solidarity from people whose lives are directly connected to what is happening in Palestine.

Guests are Rolla Alaydi, educator and author, who has lost 215 members of her extended family in Gaza, and Unhae Langis, organizer with the Central Coast Coalition for a Free Palestine. It’s a po...

Our Squid on the Street, Suki Wessling, was at the Santa Cruz Pride Festival this week asking a simple question: What do you love about community radio? It turns out there’s lot to love! Listen in as KSQD fans and community radio aficionados talk about what is special about radio made by the people, for the people.

Top photo by Denise Gallant. Photos below by Rob Darrow.

Coming up on Inside Education on Sunday at 7PM, meet Andres Martinez, a high school junior who’s already making a difference in his community. From coaching youth sports and serving on the City Youth Council to advocating for local issues like Protect Salinas Renters, Andres shares how faith, service, and leadership shape his vision for the future. Join us for an inspiring conversation with one of Salinas’s emerging young leaders, right here on KSQD.