Santa Cruz

A Memorable Place Majestic redwoods brave fire, time By Peg Silloway SPECIAL TO THE SUN Standing before a towering redwood tree in cool, dappled September sunshine was awesome. If the bald eagle is America's symbol in the sky, the redwood is the emblem on the land. My husband and I encountered these stately giants during five days in Santa Cruz, Calif., which is tucked into the curve of Monterey Bay, south of San Francisco. With its face to the broad Pacific and its back in the mountains, Santa Cruz County harbors boutique wineries, scores of artists, miles of astonishing beaches and a mini-castle right out of the Highlands of Scotland.

One of the hardest things in pop music is coming up with uplifting songs that are poignant, not just cheerful - and this Dublin quintet's ability to do it so consistently makes this one of the most enchanting rock debuts in years. Like Ryan Adams, the Thrills weave their influences into the music so freely and proudly that their first album, So Much for the City, invites you to draft a list of them as you listen. The Thrills' primary touchstones range from the wistful introspection of Neil Young to the heartfelt, country-flavored rock tones of Gram Parsons.

On the globe the Galapagos Archipelago appears remote and unapproachable. The 13 large islands and more than 40 smaller one lie unto themselves, an isolated cluster, about 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador.But because TAME Airlines sends a jet once a day, six days a week, from Ecuador's capital of Quito, about 40,000 to 60,000 tourists yearly enter an environment Jacques-Yves Cousteau likened to "being alive when the earth was young."The plane lands on desolate Baltra. Using runways built by U.S. forces during World War II, the aircraft taxis near an open-air terminal, where visitors pay $40 for a park permit.

Some immigrants take longer to assimilate than others.Such was the case with pinot noir, the distinguished red wine grape of Burgundy, when it moved to California.For decades, while its sister chardonnay and cousin cabernet sauvignon were winning acclaim as All-American wines, pinot noir remained a bumbling foreigner with a funny accent. Its track record was dismal. Some critics suggested it never should have left the Old Country.In 1986, the distinguished British wine writer Jancis Robinson damned the typical California pinot noir with this pithy description: "very plummy, sometimes almost burnt, and often has an unnerving suggestion of overboiled cabbage about it."

Transactions Baseball CARDINALS: Traded P Dustin Hermanson to the Boston Red Sox for 1B Luis Garcia, OF Rick Asadoorian and1B-3B Dustin Brisson. MARINERS: Acquired 3B Jeff Cirillo from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for P Jose Paniagua, P Dennis Stark and P Brian Fuentes. Basketball NBA: Fined Houston G Cuttino Mobley $7,500 for publicly criticizing officials. MAVERICKS: Activated F Donnell Harvey from the injured list. Placed G-F Johnny Newman on injured list. WARRIORS: Fired coach Dave Cowens; Named Brian Winters interim coach.

A lovely African-American woman enters a room, glowing with confidence, dignity and self-assurance.Heads turn.Should any of these people summon the nerve to speak with this woman, they would probably find that her road to exuberant self-confidence was paved with obstacles and challenges, and filled with plain hard work.The truth is, black women have never had it easy, and some say that in many ways the going is getting tougher.Look at the images of African-American women that bombard them each day via television, movies and rap music.

Marinus van Dam, 67, inventor of President Reagan's favorite jelly bean, the Jelly Belly, died Monday in Santa Cruz, Calif. A native of the Netherlands, Mr. van Dam came to the United States in 1957. He worked for Goelitz Candy Co. for 25 years before he founded the Marich Confectionery Co. in Watsonville.Pub Date: 1/10/97

Charles Abbott Jr.Painter, City alumnusCharles Winfield Abbott Jr., a self-employed painter, died June 16 at his home in Monkton after a long illness. He was 48.Born at the Presidio in San Francisco, an Army installation, he spent most of his life in Baltimore, moving in 1990 to Monkton. He graduated from Baltimore City College in 1964.Mr. Abbott is survived by a brother, Hunter Abbott of Greencastle, Pa.; and a stepfather, Malcolm Steele, and a stepsister, Sandra Heck, both of Santa Cruz, Calif.

On April 5, 2008, VERA A. LENHART of Catonsville; beloved wife of the late Josiah T. Lenhart, Jr., loving mother of Neil S. Lenhart and step mother of Josiah T. Lenhart, III of Santa Cruz, CA. Mrs. Lenhart is also survived by many nieces and nephews. A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, April 11 at 6 P.M, in the Fulton Siemans Memorial Christ United Methodist Church, 1040 S. Beechfield Avenue (1/2 block north of Leeds Avenue) Baltimore, MD, 21229. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Mrs. Lenhart's name to the Joseph Richey Hospice, 838 N. Eutaw Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201 would be appreciated.

On March 20, 2005 PAUL NELSON PFEIFFER, Capt., USN (Ret.) beloved husband of Jean Pfeiffer of Towanda, PA; devoted father of Paula Tanis of Severna Park, MD, Pamela Parker of Winchester, VA, Johanna Ehlers of Virginia Beach, VA, Mark Pfeiffer of Fairfax, VA, Jennifer Pfeiffer of Santa Cruz, CA and Michael Pfeiffer of Wake of the Woods, VA; son of the late Herman Paul and Grace Leclair Pfeiffer and brother of Joan Pfeiffer of Pikesville, MD. Full military...