JUNE 2017 EVERYTHING APTOS, CAPITOLA & SOQUEL Vol. 5 No. 10
Zach Friend “Roasted”
APTOS
Aptos High senior Max Meltzer
pg. 2
SOQUEL
pg. 12
CAPITOLA
HISTORY CORNER
Photo by Tarmo HANNULA
By John Hibble Call: 688-1467 Visit us online: aptoshistory.org Visit the museum: 7605-B Old Dominion Court Aptos, CA
The Rio Del Mar Beach Club What’s with the forlorn old palm tree at Platforms Beach? At the end of Beach Drive just before the gate, it stands in a sad pile of ice plant and weeds in front of the bathrooms at the State Beach parking lot. It is the last remaining sentry from the garden of the finest watering hole on the west coast, the Rio Del Mar Beach Club. Both Seacliff and the Rio Del Mar developments were severely impacted by the depression which started in 1929, the same year the Rio Del Mar Hotel opened. By 1931, the developers of Seacliff had relinquished their beach to the state. But, the two remaining developers of Rio Del Mar, Leo Monroe and Larry Miller, had deeper pockets and were
A woman enjoys a morning walk along the beach in Capitola.
A ‘bridge to the community’
Please turn to Page 7
Aptos/La Selva chiefs’ union issues no confidence vote Follows similar vote by firefighters By TODD GUILD APTOS — A little more than a month after Aptos/La Selva firefighters’ union members unanimously issued a vote of no confidence against Chief Jon Jones, the department’s management union took a similar step. Department employees hope that the votes will stop Jones’ contract from being renewed. The Aptos/La Selva Fire Protection District Board of Directors will met to discuss the issue on May 11 in the Aptos fire station, 6934 Soquel Drive. Jones began with the Aptos/La Selva Fire District in October 2014. His three-year contract expires in October 2017, but he was eligible to request a two-year extension on his contract. Please turn to Page 9
Cabrillo College celebrates 30 years of Porter Gulch Review By TODD GUILD
David Sullivan, English and film instructor at Cabrillo College, talks about the upcoming issue of the long-running Porter Gulch Review. Photos by Tarmo Hannula
APTOS — Cabrillo College celebrated the 30th anniversary of its Porter Gulch Review at a launch party on May 16 in the Horticulture Building on the college’s Aptos campus.
The review got its start three decades ago, when Cabrillo College English faculty decided the institution needed its own critical review publication to serve as a showcase for student work. The publication has since Please turn to Page 6
Deeply-rooted Aptos tradition returns
World’s Shortest Parade in 56th year By ERIK CHALHOUB APTOS — The World’s Shortest Parade in Aptos is a Fourth of July tradition that brings community members together, young and old, to celebrate the many people who make the small town tick. Now in its 56th year, the theme for
this year’s event is “America: Your Land, My Land, Our Land.” The parade, which typically boasts nearly 200 entries every year, will feature floats, dance groups, dogs, children, civic groups, antique cars, the Watsonville Community Band and more. It travels from the corner of Soquel and State Park drives and Please turn to Page 13
Inside ...
Chamber news ...................2 Briefs ...............................4-5 Guest columns .......9, 10, 14 Calendar ...........................15 PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID WATSONVILLE, CA PERMIT NO. 23 ******ECRWSSEDDM****** POSTAL CUSTOMER APTOS, CA 95003 CAPITOLA. CA 95010