LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola & Soquel

FEBRUARY 2017 EVERYTHING APTOS, CAPITOLA & SOQUEL Vol. 5 No. 7

APTOS

SOQUEL

Advocate Tree falls

Aptos beats defending league champ S.V. for first time since 2010

pg. 2

pg. 12

CAPITOLA

Business Showcase heading to new heights

By ERIK CHALHOUB APTOS — This year, the annual Business Showcase will be “Soaring to New Heights.”

With this theme as the backdrop, the Aptos and CapitolaSoquel Chambers of Commerce will present the showcase on Feb. 22 from 4-7 p.m. at the Seascape Golf Club, 610 Clubhouse Drive in Aptos.

One hundred exhibitors will showcase their services and wares to the public, including restaurants such as Turkey Boat, Shadowbrook and more, as well as cooking demonstrations, storm prepared readiness, Sheriff and CHP demos on safety, health and wellness, crafts and more. The Monterey Regional Airport will also be featured.

“For 31 years we’ve been showcasing all the great businesses and nonprofits and community groups that there are in Santa Cruz County,” said Karen Hibble, executive director of the Aptos Chamber of Commerce.

About 1,000 people attended the showcase last year, according to Hibble, which was the first time it took place at the Seascape Golf Club after moving from the Capitola Mall.

Concrete ship goes sideways

Giant waves knocked the stern of the S.S. Palo Alto concrete ship onto its side sometime during the morning of Jan. 21 at Seacliff State Beach. Waves that topped 30 feet slammed the coast over that weekend. Photo by Tarmo Hannula

Please turn to Page 7

HISTORY CORNER

A gift that keeps growing

By John Hibble Call: 688-1467

Organizations benefit from nonprofit thrift store

Visit us online: aptoshistory.org

By TODD GUILD

Visit the museum: 7605-B Old Dominion Court Aptos, CA

What’s love got to do with it?

What kind of a title is that for a history article? If you continue reading, eventually I will make the connection.

This month’s story is about one of the men who built Rio Del Mar. With the Roaring Twenties in full swing, in April 1925, four San Francisco developers, Leo Monroe, William Lyon, Larry Miller and Joseph Greenberg, (later known as Peninsula Properties), agreed to purchase all the property that would become Rio Del Mar for $695,000 (Miller was 25 years old at the time). They spent a fortune developing the country club concept with a grand hotel, golf course and lodge, a polo field, a beach club, turning Aptos Creek into Please turn to Page 6

APTOS — A tiny Aptos thrift shop has surpassed its charitable giving record this year, donating $275,000 to 26 nonprofit agencies throughout Santa Cruz County.

Nestled in the heart of Aptos Christy Licker, owner of Caroline’s Village at 402 Trout Gulch Road, Non-Profit Thrift Shop in Aptos, Caroline’s Non-Profit Thrift Shop Photo by Tarmo Hannula

contains a colorful mélange of clothes, household goods, books and art, in addition to crafts such as items knitted by volunteers.

Owner Christy Licker donates the proceeds from the year’s sales to charity.

The store was founded in memory Please turn to Page 7

Begonia Festival to end after 65 years Last event set for Sept. 1-4

By ERIK CHALHOUB CAPITOLA — The Capitola Begonia Festival will return for its 65th annual event from Sept. 1-4, but it will also be its last.

The festival’s committee made the announcement on Jan. 10.

Golden State Bulb Growers, which A begonia-covered float in 2016.

File photo by Tarmo Hannula grows the begonia blossoms in

Marina, is retiring from the business of growing begonias, but has agreed to donate the blossoms for the festival for one last time.

“We are grateful that the Brown Ranch Family (Golden State Bulb Growers) has agreed to grow begonias for the festival for one last Please turn to Page 11

Inside ...

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FEBRUARY 2017

2 - LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel

A giant falls

Photo by Tarmo HANNULA

Advocate Tree stood for 10 centuries

By TODD GUILD APTOS — When the Advocate Tree in Nisene Marks State Park was a sapling, the Anasazi people were thriving in villages carved out of sandstone in the Southwest, and the Viking Leif Eriksson had just raided North America.

Some 200 years later, the tree was a relative teenager as Genghis Khan invaded China and Pope Gregory IX battled heresy by launching the Spanish Inquisition.

The redwood grew skyward as Joan of Arc led the French against the English and as William Shakespeare wrote the entirety of his work.

It has seen its homeland ravaged by the Civil War, by two world wars, the Civil Rights movement and the first African American president.

The tree, estimated to be more than 1,000 years old, was finally felled after heavy winds and rain recently proved too much for it.

It had grown 260 feet tall, and boasted a 45-foot circumference.

The fall left behind a 20-foot-deep crater that housed the tree’s root ball, which was an impressive 40 feet tall.

The tree was named about 10 years ago after the Advocates of Nisene Marks,

a nonprofit volunteer organization that supports the maintenance and improvement of the park.

It stood in Marcel’s Forest, a 25-acre tract of land given to the state in 1996 by the family of Marcel Pourroy, who owned the land.

While the section had largely been stripped of its old-growth trees during the logging that took place throughout the park in the 1880s, the Advocate Tree was the largest of the handful that remained.

“They cut down virtually every tree they could find,” Aptos History Museum curator John Hibble said. “There are very few full-size trees in the park.”

The tree was decorated recently with flowers, messages spelled out in grass and other mementos placed by park visitors who came to see the downed tree.

Parker Santiago of Aptos said he has been coming for four decades, and said the Advocate Tree was a highlight of his trips.

“You couldn’t see the top of it,” he said.

Santiago said that several people could fit inside a burned-out crevice at the base of the tree.

“I almost cried when I heard it had fallen,” he said.

Parker Santiago visits the Advocate Tree, deemed to be 1,000 years old and 260 feet tall. The tree toppled to the ground in the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in one of the recent powerful storms.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

APTOS

SOQUEL

CAPITOLA

Publisher - John Bartlett Editor - Erik Chalhoub Editorial Todd Guild, Tony Nuñez, Tarmo Hannula, Bek Sabedra Photography - Tarmo Hannula Advertising Sales Tina Chavez, Allison Stenberg, Mark Pezzini, Veronica Iniguez Production - Daryl Nelson Design - Mike Lyon Life in Aptos, Capitola and Soquel is published monthly.

All rights reserved, material may not be reprinted without written consent from the publisher. Life in Aptos, Capitola and Soquel made every effort to maintain the accuracy of information presented in this publication, but assumes no responsibility for errors, changes or omissions. Life in Aptos, Capitola and Soquel is a division of the RegisterPajaronian. Publishing in Santa Cruz County since 1894.

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Thank you for reading!

Aptos Chamber news

By KAREN HIBBLE

APTOS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

During the storms in January your Aptos Chamber handed out more than 430 sandbags to residents and business in need. We were happy to be able to help our residents and businesses during this storm season.

Special thanks to Green Waste who provided us with a huge trailer in which to put the sand and worked with Santa Cruz County to pick up and deliver the sand not once, but twice so far to our Chamber office. We want to also thank the Aptos La Selva Fire Department for helping us make the necessary connections of sand to our office, and the County of Santa Cruz Public Works for providing the sand.

We also want to thank PG&E, the Highway Patrol, the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office and Santa Cruz County Public Works men and women for working long hours in pouring rain to keep us safe during these storms. Thank you.

To all of you: stay safe and be prepared.

Business Showcase returns APTOS — The Business Showcase presented by the Aptos and Capitola/Soquel Chambers of Commerce will return Feb. 22 from 4-7 p.m. at the Seascape Golf Club, 610 Clubhouse Drive in Aptos.

Organizers are currently putting out a call for exhibitors. To register for a booth or table at the event, call the Aptos or Capitola/Soquel Chambers of Commerce at 688-1467 or 475-6522.

The showcase includes cooking demonstrations, storm prepared readiness, Sheriff and CHP demos on safety, health and wellness, crafts and more.

••• Karen Hibble is the executive director of the Aptos Chamber of Commerce.

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LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel - 3

Sheriff’s deputies start using body-worn cameras different types and brands, built a policy around their use and reached out to SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — Starting organizations such as the American Civil on Jan. 26, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Liberties Union, the National Association deputies added a new tool to their belt or, for the Advancement of Colored People and the Santa Cruz County District as it turns out, their chests.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office Attorney’s Office.

“Just like any significant program you on Jan. 25 completed a two-day training program for the use of body-worn cameras, have to find the right product that does the making it the second law enforcement job you want it to do,” he said.

Deputies activate the cameras with a agency in the county to use them.

Capitola Police Department also uses the swipe of their hand when they must use cameras, which are intended to help police force, when they detain, cite or arrest agencies be transparent, build court cases someone, when a suspect is resisting and to protect the officers from allegations arrest, during a search and in a pursuit.

They also use them in an emergency of wrongdoing.

“We want to show the public the work vehicle response.

The cameras are placed in a charging that we’re doing, and it shows both our interactions with the public, and shows pod at the end of deputies’ shifts, where how the public interacts with us,” SCSO the data is downloaded to a secure server.

SCSO Sgt. Shon Leonetti said he has spokesman Sgt. Chris Clark said. “It goes been wearing his camera for about three both ways.”

Clark said the search for the cameras took weeks, and said it is a “great tool” that can two years as SCSO officials investigated help build cases and help protect officers if a citizen files a complaint against them.

“We’re capturing things we’ve never been able to capture before,” he said.

Leonetti also said the camera is easy to activate and wear.

“So far you don’t even know it’s there,” he said.

The cameras have a lens that mimics human vision, and do not come with lights.

That is because they are meant to show as closely as possible what the officer is seeing.

A fish-eye lens, for example, would skew the view and make objects look further away than they were, said Mike Pisciotta, regional sales manager for Vievu, the company that Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Sgt. Shon Leonetti displays made the cameras.

“We don’t want the his body-worn camera, which is in the center of his camera to see things our chest, to media.

By TODD GUILD

Photos by Todd GUILD

The camera, in the center of Sgt. Shon Leonetti’s chest, turns on and off with a swipe of the hand.

officers aren’t seeing,” Pisciotta said. “It’s a true, impartial, third-party witness.”

The program includes 160 cameras and storage of the data. It will cost $100,000 per year for the three-year program.

SCSO will review the program after that and potentially renew it.

The cameras are replaced every 30 months. The total cost of $300,000 will come out of the SCSO’s $36 million budget.

Leonetti said that the majority of the cost for the program is for the secure data storage the company also provides.

Any footage that could be used as evidence in court, he said, is stored for as long as seven years. Critical incidents are stored permanently.

Once recorded, the data can immediately be reviewed by the officer and by a supervisor on their department-issued smart phones. It cannot be deleted or altered.

That part is troubling for attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union, who say that the policy undermines the potential of body cameras as a tool for accountability.

Staff attorney Catherine Wagner said the cameras will not solve problems with racial profiling and use of force. But she said they can be “an important first step.”

“The policy categorically keeps all body camera video from the public and allows officers under investigation to see footage of incidents before making a statement,” Wagner said. “This gives law enforcement an unfair advantage that witnesses and victims don’t receive.”

According to the ACLU, at least 72 police departments in the United States had adopted body cameras as of January 2015. During his last term, President Barack Obama announced federal funding to help purchase 50,000 body cameras for police.

Community Foundation welcomes four onto board APTOS — Community Foundation Santa Cruz County is welcoming four new board members for 2017.

Joining the board of directors are Tonée Picard, Kirk Schmidt, Liliana Diaz and

Judy Franich.

Picard is executive vice president and chief development officer at Bay Federal Credit Union, where she is responsible for strategic planning for marketing, business and product development, human resource management, education and youth

Contributed Photos

Liliana Diaz

Judy Franich

Tonée Picard

programs.

Schmidt is executive director of Central Coast Water Quality Preservation, Inc., a nonprofit founded by farmers to support irrigated agricultural interests on the Central Coast of California.

Diaz was born and raised in Watsonville and is a family law attorney with The Grunsky Law Firm. She also serves as court-appointed counsel for parents in juvenile dependency matters in San Benito and Santa Cruz counties.

Franich, a Watsonville resident, was a teacher in the Pajaro Valley Unified School

District until her retirement in 2003. Along with her husband Rocky, they created a donor-advised fund at the Community Foundation in 2006.

“Since our founding 35 years ago we’ve grown to over $105 million in total assets, creating a permanent legacy for the residents of Santa Cruz County,” said CEO Lance Linares. “It has happened because of the local leadership and community knowledge of our current and past board members for which we are forever indebted.”

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FEBRUARY 2017

4 - LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel

BEGONIA FESTIVAL

JIMMY PANETTA

HOMELESS YOUTH GRANT

Artwork sought for official poster

Panetta sworn in as Congressman

County receives $2.2 million homeless youth grant Staff report

Begonias flourish at a farm in Marina in 2011.

File photo by Tarmo Hannula

Staff report CAPITOLA — The Capitola Begonia Festival Committee invites artists to submit a piece of art to serve as the official poster for the 65th annual and final Capitola Begonia Festival to be held Sept.

1–4.

“Begonias Take a Bow!” is the 2017 festival theme, reflecting how begonias have been “center stage” at the Capitola Begonia Festival for 65 years.

The Capitola Begonia Festival pays the selected artist $500 for the rights to use the artwork for posters, merchandising and publicity. The artist also receives 75 of the finished posters. The artist’s biography is featured in the festival program and website.

Submit your entry to the Capitola Chamber of Commerce at 716 #G Capitola Ave., Capitola during the week of March 27–31. On the back provide your name, address, phone number and email address.

For information, email Mary Beth at mbbythesea@aol.com or call 332-4528.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — The Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded $2.2 million toward preventing and ending youth homelessness in Santa Cruz County, one of 10 communities chosen nationwide from among 130 applicants to participate in the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program.

Led by Encompass Community Services and the County of Santa Cruz, a team of of local community organizations will implement the demonstration grant, which is aimed at developing and testing new ways to address teen and young adult homelessness throughout Santa Cruz County.

“The awards are part of national change in thinking about homelessness — a shift from managing homelessness to preventing and ending it,” said Christine Sippl, Encompass Senior Director for Impact and Partnerships. “This grant provides a unique opportunity for us to look at our local systems for youth at risk of homelessness and to go upstream to address the very factors that contribute to homelessness among local youth and young adults.”

Nationwide, there are approximately 1.3 million homeless youth on a given night, according to the National Runaway Switchboard. Homeless youth are at a higher risk for physical abuse, sexual exploitation, mental health disabilities, substance abuse and death. Additionally, 75 percent of underage runaways are female and between 20 and 40 percent identify as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender or Questioning.

According to a 2015 point-in-time homeless count for Santa Cruz County, there were 270 persons under the age of 25 identified as currently homless with the vast majority of them unsheltered.

Newly sworn-in Congressman Jimmy Panetta is shown with his family, wife Carrie McIntyre Panetta and daughters Siri and Gia. Contributed photo

Staff report WASHINGTON, D.C. – Jimmy Panetta was sworn in Jan. 3 as a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 115th Congress

by Speaker Paul Ryan.

“Throughout my life, I’ve been devoted to public service and it’s an honor to now serve the Central Coast in Congress,” Panetta said. “I’m ready to bring fresh energy, independent thinking and a bipartisan collaborative spirit to Washington to move our nation forward and get things done.”

Panetta’s wife, Carrie McIntyre Panetta, his two daughters, Siri and Gia, and his parents, Leon and Sylvia Panetta, joined him for the ceremony.

“The Central Coast of California is and always will be my home. I’m very grateful to the voters for allowing me to represent them in Congress and my offices in California and Washington are ready to assist them with any federal issue that may arise,” Panetta said.

Panetta represents California’s 20th Congressional District, which includes all of Monterey and San Benito counties and southern portions of Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties.

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FEBRUARY 2017

LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel - 5

LIVE LIKE COCO

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

SC SHAKESPEARE

Live Like Coco and Santa Cruz Playground Project team up to celebrate reading

Mauriello to retire

Santa Cruz Shakespeare reaches fundraising goal

Staff report APTOS — The Live Like Coco Foundation, a Santa Cruz-based nonprofit dedicated to programs that help children grow up healthy and pursue their dreams, has partnered with the Santa Cruz Playground Project to launch a series of readingfocused fundraisers benefitting LEO’s Haven, the county’s first inclusive playground for children of all abilities.

Called Reading Flash Mobs, these events encourage families to come together to read in public. Bookshop Santa Cruz is the financial sponsor of the first event, which will be held at its store at 1520 Pacific Ave. in Santa Cruz on Feb. 14 from 4-5 p.m.

In total, there will be five separate events being held in the county through the spring, ending with the final event at Pinto Lake County Park on April 22 at the Live Like Coco Foundation’s Spring Fun Run. Each event is being sponsored by a different business.

“We chose Valentine’s Day to launch this fundraising series to really capture the idea that these are events are about love — a love for reading, a love for spending time with friends and family and a love for our community,” said Kate Pavao, executive director of the Live Like Coco Foundation. “We designed these fundraisers so that kids could help their community without selling anything or asking their families for donations. We wanted to put the emphasis on participating, to say that when it comes to service, showing up is what matters most.”

Each event will include art activities as well as reading time. Kids will each get a special passport when they show up to a Reading Flash Mob. By participating in three or more events, they can earn a free book from the Live Like Coco Foundation.

Staff report SANTA CRUZ — Santa Cruz County Administrative Officer Susan Mauriello, who is California’s longest-serving county executive, announced her retirement Jan. 3.

Mauriello’s retirement is effective on July 7.

Mauriello became the second female county administrative officer in the state when she was appointed to the position in the weeks following the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, helping to guide the county through post-earthquake recovery.

Since then, Mauriello has shaped Santa Cruz County into a model for other counties through her deep reservoirs of knowledge and native New York verve, said Santa Cruz County spokesman Jason Hoppin.

“I consider it an honor and privilege to serve the people of Santa Cruz County,” Mauriello said.

“Public service is one of the highest callings as we strive to make our community a better place for all residents, but the time is right for me to move on to the next phase.”

During her tenure, the county’s budget grew from less than $200 million to more than $700 million.

The number of county parks and recreation spaces nearly tripled, and the county became a leader in the field of criminal justice reform and health and human services programs.

Mauriello has served 24 board members, and oversees a staff of more than 2,000 that delivers a variety of services to county residents.

“It has been an honor working with Susan, both when I was a State representative and now as a board member,” Board of Supervisors Chair Bruce McPherson said. “Over time, she has demonstrated the highest levels of knowledge, compassion, effectiveness and integrity in serving the people of Santa Cruz County, and her accomplishments would fill a book. She is well-recognized as a highly effective statewide advocate for counties, and she will be greatly missed.”

Owen Brown (SCS Board Member), Cynthia Mathews (Santa Cruz Mayor), Audrey Stanley, Micah Posner (City Council member), Mike Ryan (SCS Artistic Director) and Rick Wright (SCS Board President) at The Grove groundbreaking in DeLaveaga Park in 2016. Contributed photo

Staff report

SANTA CRUZ — Santa Cruz Shakespeare has completed its fundraising goal of $1.37 million for its new outdoor home in DeLaveaga Park: the Audrey Stanley Grove.

The Grove’s construction was funded with pledges and one-time donations from more than 950 households in the Santa Cruz community and beyond.

“Santa Cruz Shakespeare is so grateful to its donors, patrons, and all of the philanthropists who made The Grove possible,” Artistic Director Mike Ryan said. “It is resoundingly clear that the tradition of outdoor Shakespeare in the summer is important to this community, and we are honored that they have entrusted us with the means to support our organization with an incredible new venue.”

Santa Cruz Shakespeare will continue the tradition of showcasing the season’s intern acting company with a Fringe production. Tickets go on sale May 15 with SCS Members’ pre-sale starting May 1, and can be purchased online at santacruzshakespeare.org.

What a Wonderful World My mom has always been an optimist. She sees hope when others just see rain.

For as long as I can remember, each fall, when temperatures cooled and the autumn rains rolled in over our pasture, she pointed out a symbol of that hope. We would wait, and when the sun broke just the right way, it would emerge. A rainbow!

I cling to those now. Rainbows. Because they are harder for her to point out.

Over the course of my mom’s life, severe arthritis and a weak heart now make bending and reaching painful. Cooking and laundry are impossible without help.

My dad and I have tried home care services and worked shifts ourselves, but Dad is exhausted and they’re becoming housebound. I think it’s time for a change.

If an older parent needs daily assistance, maybe they’re not independent anymore.

Consider Áegis Living for professional help. We are the trusted, local senior care provider, specializing in assisted living and memory care. We offer the finest care, cuisine, social activities and comfortable warm home surroundings with committed staff. Come in for a tour and lunch with your parent. Let them experience our community filled with new friends, and new hope.

Please call our community and learn how we can help you take the break you need.

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6 - LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel

History Corner

Continued from page 1

a massive swimming pool, and hosting busloads of visitors in the hopes of selling lots for home sites. The Great Depression and World War II poked big holes in their dreams.

Lyon and Greenberg had left the company by 1932 and Monroe died in an automobile accident in 1941. Miller was the only remaining principal of the company.

His younger brother Carlyle was a lawyer and became an officer in the corporation.

Eventually much of the property became run down. Income stopped, expenses continued and taxes became delinquent.

Foreclosures were imminent. An offer to sell the hotel and other properties had fallen through. This was not how the original dream was supposed to turn out.

Fifty-three-year-old Larry, and his 36-year-old wife Helen, had moved from Aptos to San Jose. They often came to Aptos and stayed in an apartment inside the vacant Rio Del Mar hotel. On Friday, July 10, 1953, about 12:45 p.m., Larry was found unconscious inside his 1952 Cadillac which had hit a guard rail and coasted to a stop in front of the hotel. Carlyle Miller was working in the Peninsula Properties real estate office at the corner of Rio Del Mar Boulevard and Highway 1, (before there were freeway on ramps). When Carlyle was informed about the accident, he got into his own car and found Larry’s brief case on the front seat. The briefcase contained intimate letters, memoranda, financial reports, Larry’s will, and a daily Rio Del Mar Hotel is shown around 1930. Aptos History Museum archives

The Rio Del Mar Hotel lobby bar and lounge is shown around 1954. Aptos History Museum archives

diary, together with two envelopes. One contained additional papers and the other contained miscellaneous jewelry. It turns out that Larry dropped off the briefcase after he took sleeping pills and was returning to the hotel when he crashed.

Larry was taken to the hospital where it was determined that he had taken an overdose of sleeping pills. A pistol was found in his pants pocket. Later, Larry’s sister Shirley Bronstein and her husband Dr. Louis Bronstein, brother Carlyle and his wife Delores, went to look for Helen Miller. They found Helen dead in the hotel cocktail lounge shortly after 7 p.m., six hours later. She had been shot twice.

Undersheriff Hendrick said, “We are working on the theory that it was a suicide pact, or murder and attempted suicide.”

Larry was charged with his wife’s murder.

Although the Coroner determined that the two gunshot wounds were “definitely not self-inflicted,” Larry Miller’s attorney, Stanford Smith, said that he had good reason to believe that Mrs. Helen Miller committed suicide. Larry’s sister, Shirley, had known Helen before she married Larry.

She had grown up with Helen and been roommates at Stanford. Shirley testified that Helen was always highly sensitive and was hysterical and upset that the sale of the hotel had failed to materialize.

The trial lasted 11 days. During the trial a letter was introduced, dated May 19, in which Larry told his brother that he and Helen had planned a suicide pact.

In addition to the letter, Larry’s attorney criticized the coroner for not taking fingerprints from the gun and not testing Helen Miller’s hands for gunpowder.

On Oct. 9, 1953, after 16 hours and 35

minutes of deliberations, the jury returned with a verdict of “not guilty.” A gasp went up from the entire court room followed by applause from the audience. It turns out that it really was a lover’s tryst.

Larry Miller continued to sell real estate in San Jose for the balance of his life.

Last year, his heirs generously donated a number of items to the museum that he had retained from the Rio Del Mar Hotel including scrapbooks of photographs and newspaper clippings, in addition to serving platters and decanters. These will be displayed in May during our “Swing into Spring” fundraising event.

There is much more to this story than can be told in the space available. We have put together a “Coffee, Tea and Mystery” presentation if you would like to learn more. The presentation is called, “What’s Love Got to Do with It?”, and it will be on Saturday, Feb. 11, the weekend before Valentine’s Day. Our presenters are local historian and attorney Bob Wall who spearheaded this presentation and the coauthor of “A Legal History of Santa Cruz County,” attorney Bob Bosso, who is a very engaging speaker. It will be held at the Rio Sands Hotel community room, 116 Aptos Beach Drive, from 3-4:30 p.m.

A $15 donation benefits the museum.

Advance reservations are required as seating is limited.

If you enjoy these stories, please consider joining the museum and also thank Aptos Life and their advertisers for bringing these stories to you. If you want to be put on the mailing list for future events. send me your email. Also, let me know what history stories you would like me to tell. Thanks.

A newspaper photo from 1953 shows Larry Miller (left) being booked at county jail.

Aptos History Museum archives

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LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel - 7

Caroline’s

Photo by Tarmo HANNULA

Continued from page 1

of Licker’s daughter, Caroline, who died at 16 after receiving support from four nonprofit agencies dedicated to supporting children and their families.

Licker said she wanted to find a way to help families going through the things hers did.

“I have a soft spot for kids,” she said. “I feel like, as a community this is what we should be doing.”

In choosing which organizations that receive donations, Licker looks to those that provide services for children with special medical, developmental or psychological needs. They must also be based in Santa Cruz County. Further, they must be an established nonprofit organization.

This includes the “Core Four” recipients, which are Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition, Hospice of Santa Cruz County, Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support Services and Special Parents Information Network.

Those received $25,000 each.

In 2015, the shop gave out what was then a record $240,000, and last year gave away $250,000 to 21 nonprofit organizations.

Since it opened in 2010, Caroline’s has donated $1,125,000 to local nonprofits, Licker said.

For Licker and her team of 84 volunteers, the event is more than a time to merely give away money.

Business Expo “The networking opportunities are tremendous,” she said.

A raffle will round out the event, featuring items unique to each business.

“With the showcase, we want people to know that they can shop locally,” Hibble said. “You can learn the faces of your local businesses.”

Additional parking is available at nearby Rio Del Mar Elementary School, 819 Pinehurst Drive. Free

It is also a chance to meet the people who run and work for the nonprofit agencies that benefit from the funds, said volunteer Cyd Percin.

“It motivates us when we see what our dollars do,” she said. “Listening to the work (the charities) do is the most heartwarming thing ever.”

The thrift shop is in the midst of fundraising efforts, which would help the organization improve its existing facilities and expand its space. Licker hopes someday to have enough space to offer craft lessons and other meetings.

The main building needs new flooring, wiring, and sink, among other things.

Licker estimates the improvements will cost $1 million, and has started a campaign on the fundraising website Crowdrise (tinyurl.com/z5ozboh).

None of the funds for the capital campaign will be taken from the shop’s charitable fund.

•••

This year’s donations

CORE FOUR: • Children’s Hospice & Palliative Care Coalition, $25,000 • Hospice of Santa Cruz, $25,000 • Jacob’s Heart, $25,000 • SPIN, $25,000 • Team G Cancer Foundation, $1,500 • Hope’s Closet, $3,000

Caroline’s has been in Aptos since 2011.

• Shared Adventures, $4,000 • Community Bridges, $5,000 • Kinship Center, $5,000 • Building Rhythms, $5,000 • Food For Kids/Second Harvest Food Bank, $5,000 • Youth N.O.W., 5,000 • Adaptive Yoga, $6,000 • Camp Kesum, $6,000 • For Kids Monterey Bay, $7,000 • Easter Seals Central

Calif/Respite, $8,000 • Nourishing Generations, $9,000 • Survivors Healing Center, $10,000 • Big Brothers/Big Sisters, $10,000 • Santa Cruz Partnership For Children, $10,000 • Walnut Avenue Women’s Center, $10,500 • Teen Kitchen Project, $15,000 • CASA, $25,000 • Coastal Kids Home Care, $25,000

Continued from page 1

shuttles will be offered from Shuttle Smith and Aegis of Aptos.

Businesses interested in participating are asked to register soon, as spots are quickly filling up.

To register for a booth or table at the event, call the Aptos or CapitolaSoquel Chambers of Commerce at 688-1467 or 475-6522.

Admission for the public is $5, or at a discount if attendees mention Aptos Life.

Second District update Santa Cruz County Supervisor Zach Friend gave an update on the county’s Second District during the Aptos Chamber of Commerce’s monthly breakfast meeting on Jan. 19.

Linda Flores, owner of the Turkey Boat restaurant in Pajaro, dishes up samples to attendees of the Business Showcase presented by the Aptos and Capitola-Soquel Chambers of Commerce in 2016. File photo by Erik Chalhoub

NON-PROFIT

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Tools to Make Parenting Easier

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8 - LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel

FEBRUARY 2017

FEBRUARY 2017

LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel - 9

Financial Advice

Planning for less taxes and penalties with retirement and investment accounts

By GARY E. CROXALL, CFP® and SOREN E. CROXALL, CFP® The saying goes that there are only two certainties in life: death and taxes.

While death is unavoidable, with proper planning, taxes can be managed. Taking a few minutes to understand your various retirement and investment accounts and how they work can potentially help you avoid costly mistakes down the road. Here are just a few things to watch out for.

• Required Minimum Distributions — Required minimums distributions (RMDs) are generally unavoidable if you have any IRA or qualified work place retirement account where the money was contributed on a pre-tax basis and has grown tax-deferred throughout the years. You are generally required to begin taking distributions from your traditional IRAs (including SEPs and SIMPLEs) and other qualified work-based retirement plans (ie 401(k)s) at age 70 1/2 and pay

ordinary income tax on the distribution.

Paying attention to deadlines is extremely important because the penalty for missing an RMD is steep — potentially 50 percent of the amount that should have been withdrawn!

• Early Withdrawal Penalty — Typically, unless you meet specific criteria, if you take a withdrawal from an IRA or qualified plan before age 59 1/2, not only is it fully taxable, you may be subject to a 10 percent early withdrawal penalty at the Federal tax level. If you are younger than age 59 1/2 and are thinking about taking a withdrawal, be sure to consult with a qualified tax advisor to see if you may meet any of the criteria to avoid paying the 10 percent penalty. Otherwise, it could be a very expensive place to get money from.

• Be Careful with Rollovers — If you have old workplace plans scattered around and are looking to consolidate them, be sure to consult with a qualified professional who can help you avoid costly mistakes. Consolidating may be a good idea, but forms and industry jargon can be confusing, so seek guidance when needed.

The last thing you want is to check a box wrong and create a taxable distribution

REAL ESTATE

Update

Real Estate is off and running in Aptos!

Sixteen homes have already sold from Jan. 1-25 ranging from a high of $1,925,000 for 403 Ventana in the Uplands, a 4 bed, 3 bath, 3,599 square foot single level ocean view home to a low of $540,000 for 108 Hainline in the Rio Flats, a 2 bed, 1 bath, 718 bungalow.

A new high sale is recording Jan. 27 when 631 Quail Run Road closes for $3,110,000. I represented the buyer on this 11,784-square-foot home with 6 bedrooms and 10 baths and 270 degree ocean views on over 68 acres just up the hill from the Aptos Post Office. This property has quite a history since first being listed for $10,900 in 2000, then becoming a bank-

February 2017

owned property in 2009. It languished as a bank-owned (REO) from 2009 – 2016 and had been vacant for over two years and last listed for $3,690,000 when my clients finally came and made an offer that the bank accepted and we began our inspection process. Then the fun began! We found a major rodent infestation in process and the water heater, all four furnaces and all the heating ducts throughout the house had to be replaced, as well as a very large tree that had died while leaning against the house, and so on, as we do find with REO properties. But in the end, the Seller (bank) is ecstatic to have this off their books and the buyers are ecstatic to take on their “retirement project.”

Lic # 1019799

Owner: Dominic Cusimano Mobile: (831) 600-6323

when this could have been avoided.

• Understand Tax Loss Harvesting — If you have any “taxable” investment accounts, be sure to understand and properly utilize tax loss harvesting strategies. A qualified professional can help you analyze your portfolio and see if you are able to minimize capital gains by potentially offsetting capital gains with capital losses. This strategy should be implemented only if it fits in with your overall investment strategy.

• Make Sure Tax Preferred Assets Aren’t in Your Qualified Retirement Accounts — Some assets are given more preferential tax treatment than other assets under the tax code. For this reason, it doesn’t always make sense to have them inside your qualified retirement accounts where you can’t reap the benefits of their preferential tax treatment (don’t forget that distributions from qualified retirement accounts are taxed as ordinary income). If you have tax favored investments inside a retirement account, there should be other benefits to justify why they make sense.

Planning to potentially lower the impact of taxes and penalties when taking distributions from various investments just

makes sense, but it is often overlooked by many investors. It’s all the more reason we believe most people are better served by having a coordinated investment plan that can be evaluated and monitored based on current needs and goals within the context of your total financial picture.

Gary E. Croxall, CFP®

Soren E. Croxall, CFP® Croxall Capital Planning Securities and Advisory Services offered through National Planning Corporation (NPC), member FINRA/ SIPC, a Registered Investment Advisor. Consulting and Investment Management offered through Croxall Capital Planning (CCP), a Registered Investment Advisor. CCP and NPC are separate and unrelated companies.

NPC and CCP do not provide tax or legal advice. The information contained herein is for general education and is not intended as specific advice or a recommendation to any person or entity.

The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of NPC.

By RUTH BATES

Broker Associate & MBA

Aptos doesn’t have much inventory right now. There are only 32 Active home listings as of Jan. 25, but nine of those listings just came on in the past 15 days, and there are a lot more listings coming soon. I will be bringing on an Aptos townhome with 2 master suites and an Aptos single level 3 bedroom home in the next few weeks and many other local agents have listings lined up. It feels like it will be a very robust Spring market — for homes under $1 million.

Interest rates have moved up just a bit. Bankrate.com as of Jan. 25 quotes 4.18 percent for the 30-year loan, 4.24 percent for the 30-year jumbo loan (over $650,000) and 5/1 adjustable is at 3.45

percent. Kiplinger reports “The Federal Reserve will be hiking short-term rates at least twice this year, and possibly more if inflation gets out of hand,” but then also states “Rates to meander until Trump’s fiscal policy is clear,” so stay tuned.

This last Aptos storm with record 34foot waves snapped the front section of the Rio Del Mar concrete ship, the S.S. Palo Alto, and it now lays on its side after living upright since 1929 when it was installed as an amusement ship. The only constant in life is change … and we will all adapt!

Here’s to a successful 2017 in Aptos!

FEBRUARY 2017

10 - LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel

Second District Update

Serving you on county and regional commissions Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) — Chair The RTC sets priorities for improvements to the transportation infrastructure and network of services including highways, major roads, bus and paratransit, rail and alternative transportation options. The RTC pursues and allocates funding for all of these transportation elements and adopts policies to improve mobility, access and air quality.

Library Financing Authority — Chair Including members from the cities and county, this joint powers authority exists for the purpose of financing the acquisition, construction and improvement of public library facilities.

By ZACH FRIEND

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY SUPERVISOR

I have the pleasure of serving our community as the Vice Chair of the Board of Supervisors. However, I also serve on your behalf in a number of other capacities on local and regional commissions.

Oftentimes constituents need help on speciality issues that might be associated with these commissions so I wanted to give you an overview of the other commissions I serve on, my role and their functions.

Simple acts of love

By NICOLE M. YOUNG, MSW I loved celebrating Valentine’s Day as a child. My favorite memory is of the Valentine’s “mailbox” that appeared every February. It was a big box that my mom decorated with colorful paper, hearts and lace, with a large slot in the lid. My siblings and I loved “mailing” our cards to each other and trying to guess what was inside the box. Even though we knew it contained cards and candy, the anticipation and curiosity made the Valentine’s celebration — and us — feel special. Before I had kids, I vowed to create a Valentine’s mailbox and holiday rituals that would make my own kids feel that special.

However, once I became an exhausted parent, all I could do was cover a shoebox with a few stickers. It was a simple version of my childhood Valentine’s mailbox, but

Flood Control and Water Conservation District: Zone 7 — Chair Zone 7 was formed for the primary purpose of improving the flood carrying capacity of the Pajaro River, Salsipuedes Creek and Corralitos Creek system within the Pajaro Valley floodplain. Zone 7 capital projects are intended to limit the potential for flooding within the floodplain area.

Oversight Board for the former Redevelopment Agency of the City of Watsonville and the City of Capitola — Chair

somehow my young children still felt the same anticipation, excitement and joy as they imagined what was inside the box. It was a good reminder that when it comes to love, the simplest acts often have the greatest impact.

This monthly column provides tips for anyone who is helping raise children, based on the world-renowned Triple P – Positive Parenting Program, available to families in Santa Cruz County. If you have a question or idea for a future column, email me at triplep@first5scc.org.

Dear Nicole, I’ve barely recovered from the holidays, and my kids (7, 11) are already asking what I’m getting them for Valentine’s Day. They would be happy with a bag of candy or a new video game, but I don’t want to give them more stuff. They laughed when I told them Valentine’s Day is about loving people, not things. So now I want to teach my kids that we can show love without giving presents or candy, but I could use some ideas. Can you help me?

Jacob Dear Jacob, What a great idea! So many holidays feel like a giant commercial for cards, candy, flowers and toys. It’s easy to forget the true purpose of many holidays, like giving thanks, celebrating miracles or showing love. Here are some ideas for simple ways to teach your kids about love on Valentine’s Day or any day of the year: Say “I love you” with words, notes,

After the passage of Assembly Bill 1X 26, abolishing redevelopment agencies statewide, redevelopment agencies transferred assists to cities, which now serve as successor agency. The Successor Agency is required to take a number of actions to dissolve each agency, complete the Agency’s projects, and liquidate its assets and is overseen by an oversight board. I am the chair of these two local oversight boards.

Monterey Bay Air Resources District — Vice Chair The Air District is responsible for air monitoring, permitting, enforcement, longrange air quality planning and education related to air pollution as required by the California Clean Air Act and Federal Clean Air Act. Santa Cruz Mid-County Water Agency (MGA) — Board Member The MGA is an 11-member board who oversee the groundwater management activities of the Mid-County Basin Area in Santa Cruz County. The basin management goals are: ensure water supply reliability for current and future beneficial uses, maintain water quality to meet current and future beneficial uses and prevent adverse environmental impacts.

pictures or texts. Parents and children often forget to say these words or say them without genuine feeling. A simple, heartfelt “I love you” is a powerful way to remind each other that you care. If your kids aren’t used to saying these words to you or each other, try turning it into a game or competition to see who can find the most creative or surprising way to leave a loving note, picture or text.

Do an activity together without distractions or interruptions. Take turns picking an activity, starting with one of your kids. Turn off phones, tablets and other devices that create distractions and interrupt your time together. Make an agreement that everyone will participate with enthusiasm, even if it’s not an activity each of you would choose to do on your own. This encourages children to learn how to compromise, take turns and consider other people’s feelings and interests — all of which are simple acts of love.

Have dinner together. Research shows that having regular family dinners has tremendous benefits for children and youth, including better academic performance, higher self-esteem and lower risk of substance abuse and depression. Family meals provide an important opportunity to talk with children about their interests, friends, school and life. Start a conversation about a topic that has nothing to do with homework, chores, family rules or daily routines. Ask questions, listen to what they say and encourage them to ask you questions. This teaches valuable communication and social skills that will

Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) — Board Member LAFCO was created by state law in 1963 to regulate the boundaries of cities and special districts. LAFCO’s objectives are to: encourage efficient service areas for services provided by cities, counties and special districts, to guide urban development away from prime agricultural lands and open space resources and to discourage urban sprawl.

Santa Cruz County Sanitation District — Board Member As you can imagine, the Sanitation District is responsible for the collection of wastewater within the district’s boundaries.

Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit Board (METRO) — Board Member METRO provides bus, paratransit and express (Highway 17) service for our community.

Additionally, I serve as a board member of the Pajaro River Project Finance Committee, Highway 1 Construction Authority and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Task Force.

As always, I appreciate hearing your thoughts. If I can be of any help on these commissions or in my capacity on the Board of Supervisors please don’t hesitate to contact me at 454-2200. help your children in future relationships.

Say what you appreciate about each other. Be specific and sincere. Describe a quality that makes each of them special, such as their sense of humor or creativity.

Acknowledge something they’ve done at home to be kind and helpful, like asking how your day was or doing a chore with a cheerful attitude. Set the example of how to express appreciation then encourage them to do the same with you and each other. Over time, expressing appreciation will become a habit.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Remember there are many ways to teach children about giving and receiving love on Valentine’s Day and everyday. The simple acts of love often mean the most and create the happiest family memories.

••• Nicole Young is the mother of two children, ages 13 and 16, who also manages Santa Cruz County’s Triple P - Positive Parenting Program, the world’s leading positive parenting program. Scientifically proven, Triple P is made available locally

by First 5 Santa Cruz County, the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency (Mental Health Services Act) and the Santa Cruz County Human Services Department.

For more information about how Triple P helps parents handle everyday parenting challenges, visit triplep.first5scc.org, www.facebook.com/triplepscc or www.youtube.com/triplepsantacruzco.

To find a Triple P class or practitioner, contact First 5 Santa Cruz County at 4652217 or triplep@first5scc.org.

A young girl poses for a photo front of a begonia peace sign 2016. File photo by Tarmo Hannu

FEBRUARY 2017

LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel - 11

Begonia Festival year, our 65th anniversary,” said Begonia Festival President Laurie Hill.

According to Golden State Bulb Growers, its AmeriHybrid Begonias are the only begonia tubers presently bred and produced in the United States.

“For me, nothing can replace the excitement of bringing begonias to Capitola,” Hill said. “Anyone can throw a party of events to fill the Village, but only the Begonia Festival can fill it with begonias and six decades of memories.

“I am grateful for the friendship, memories and everything that this festival has taught me about Capitola and the value of community.”

Hill said she joined the festival board in 2002, during a time when the all-volunteer festival committee planned to end the festival at its 50th anniversary.

“They assigned me to work in the Soquel Creek to help direct the Nautical Parade of begonia-covered floats. I was hooked,”

Continued from page 1

she recalled. “Three of us — Eddie Ray Garcia, Lin Banks and myself — along with a trace few others, vowed to energize and continue the tradition.”

While many things have changed about the festival over the years, one thing has not.

“Our focus has always been the joy of bringing begonias to Capitola and the Nautical Parade,” Hill said.

Capitola Mayor Stephanie Harlan said she is “very sad” about the ending of the festival.

“I think we are all feeling a loss at this point,” she said. “It was really a wonderful activity for a lot of families.”

Harlan said it is too early to say if another event would replace the Begonia Festival in Capitola for Labor Day Weekend, but added that festival organizers were unwilling to continue the event without begonias.

The four-day event, held during

Labor Day Weekend, typically features a horseshoe tournament, a fishing derby, a sand castle building contest, activities with begonias and more, capped off with the Nautical Parade, where begonia-covered floats drift along Soquel Creek.

For the final festival, Hill said organizers are looking to use the 65th anniversary as a way to thank all the volunteers who “have worked tirelessly over six decades to perpetuate this unique community tradition for Capitola.”

Organizers are also collecting attendees’ memories A young girl poses for a photo in front of a begonia of the event. Comments can be peace sign in 2016. File photo by Tarmo Hannula submitted at begoniafestival. com or by email at begoniafestival@gmail.com.

USDA official ends 43-year career

By TODD GUILD WATSONVILLE — As early as kindergarten, Richard Casale knew he wanted to help people and the environment.

That desire never left him, even as he graduated from Santa Barbara City College and Humboldt State University.

He retired Jan. 3 after a 43-year career in natural resources with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Capitola. He joined dozens of friends and colleagues for a celebration at the Heritage Hall at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds.

With an office in most counties, the mission of the NRCS is to address natural resource use – such as soil, water, air, plant and animal – on private lands.

He has guided landowners through such disasters as earthquakes, floods and storms, and he most recently helped with the after effects of the Soberanes Fire in July.

According to Casale, his more than four decades in the agency puts him in the top one percent for employee longevity.

“When you’re doing what you’ve always wanted to do, why would you stop,” he said.

He is also proud of his work with the NRCS Earth Team Volunteer Program, having signed up the first three official NRCS volunteers in the nation in 1981.

Casale started in the Santa Barbara office in the spring of 1974, when the agency was still called the Soil Conservation Service.

In 1978, the struggling Redwood and

Pajaro Resource Conservation Districts of Santa Cruz County reorganized to form the RCD of Santa Cruz County. The new RCD opened an office in Soquel, and was serving Santa Cruz County by May 1979.

Casale said he applied for and was offered the District Conservationist position for the new office.

He developed a national NRCS Earth Team volunteer program, and signed up the first three volunteers in the nation in 1981.

To date, more than 400,000 individuals have become Earth Team volunteers, contributing more than 15 million hours of conservation work. He was honored for those efforts by the USDA secretary in 2010 in Washington D.C. In addition to his work in Santa Cruz County, Casale also served as District Conservationist for San Mateo and San Francisco counties from 1990-2005.

Casale said he plans to stay involved, volunteering with the Earth Team program and with the Community Water Dialogue of the Pajaro Valley. He explained that he wants to put to use more than four decades of experience.

“I can still take that knowledge base and information and continue to give with it,” he said.

In a speech at his retirement ceremony, Casale said it is the people he will miss the most.

“All of you, everyone, it really does takes a village, and I’m so blessed to be a part of this village,” he said. “I am eternally grateful to you all.”

Photo by Todd GUILD

Rich Casale (right) talks to an attendee of his retirement party. Casale ended a 43-year career with the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

State of emergency declared Supervisors throw support behind undocumented immigrants

By BEK SABEDRA SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — The Board of Supervisors addressed two late additions Jan. 10 to their agenda to declare a local emergency and establish their position on immigration enforcement.

The first step in order to receive potential State and Federal assistance for the county, the declaration is in response to flooding, road closures due to downed trees and power lines, roadway slipouts and power outages.

“The county has experienced significant flooding and damage to property,” said County Administrative Officer Susan Mauriello in her proclamation. “Resident and responder accessibility has been impeded with dozens of roads being closed, forcing school closures and inhibiting the transport of goods and services.”

Various river levees are also compromised with Mauriello citing significant risk to life, health and safety of the community.

No damage estimates have been released

yet.

If the request is accepted, local governments and private property owners may have access to Federal and State assistance.

“We have suffered a significant amount of damage in our local roads from the storms compounded with some of the damage done in March and previous years,” Supervisor Zach Friend said. “The emergency declaration is essential, but even if we were to get that granted it still only provides a percentage of the money we need to repair these roads.”

Having been receiving requests to fix damages since March, Friend said it is reasonable to want your road to be repaired within a year. He also mentioned a concern for accessibility in and out of the county — for personal and emergency purposes.

“It’s a very significant situation when you are unable to get in and out of your county or to get emergency vehicles to a location,” Friend said. “This funding isn’t just about providing funding for roads, it’s funding a lifeline in the community.”

Under Supervisor Ryan Coonerty, the Board of Supervisors also released a memorandum and adopted a resolution to maintain trust and safety for local immigrants.

Commending Sheriff Jim Hart for a recently released statement about their department policy to “not enforce federal immigration policies,” the Board of Supervisors said it was their goal to build trust in the community.

“I think the idea that we would not cooperate with President Trump’s insane and immoral policy is clear,” Coonerty said. “This is not the final step, this is the first step in moving forward.”

This follows requests from the community for the Board of Supervisors to clarify where it stood. The board made an additional direction to translate the resolution into Spanish in order to get the word out to as many people as possible.

“We can’t have one group of people being singled out and being made to fear in a community as close-knit as ours,” Coonerty said. “They are invaluable.”

The document cites incompatibility between immigration policies and workforce needs of California employers as the reason why a large portion of the county’s population is lacking formal immigration status.

Coonerty said that what they want is a safe, healthy community for all and mentioned that if people are discouraged from accessing health services or from calling the police, negative effects are seen. With undocumented residents living as neighbors and coworkers, Coonerty also mentioned a responsibility to talk about when behavior becomes bullying.

“We have a president-elect who chose to get elected by bullying people who could not fight back. To have that man taking the same office once held by Washington ... is a shame,” he said. “When you have someone who is bullying, it is incumbent on others to fight back ... It is important to talk about when behavior is unacceptable in any case, but especially when the person is elected as the president of the United States.”

FEBRUARY 2017

12 - LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel

SPORTS

WITH

TONY NUNEZ

A win to remember

Aptos beats defending league champ S.V. for first time since 2010

By TONY NUNEZ APTOS — The Aptos High Mariners’ Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League season was hanging in the balance on Jan. 24.

They responded with their biggest league win in more than a decade.

Sophomore guard Hannah Hocom scored a team-high 19 points, junior wing Abby Saxton and freshman guard Gabby Giuffre each added 11 points and the Mariners knocked off three-time defending SCCAL champion Scotts Valley High, 5340, for the first time since 2010.

“This is such a big win for us,” Hocom said. “I know that this is a big deal for the seniors because they’ve been getting their butts kicked by Scotts Valley for a while.”

The Mariners (16-3, 5-2 as of Jan. 26) had lost 13 straight to the Falcons (12-3, 5-2), including this season’s 56-41 leagueopening defeat. But they finally broke the streak with a stifling defensive performance and an impressive offensive showing from Hocom in the second half.

Hocom scored 16 points over the final two quarters, including 10 in the allimportant third. Her 3-pointer late in the frame put the Mariners up 15 and the Aptos defense held the normally potent Falcons to their second lowest scoring output of the season.

“We made it tough on them to get good shots,” said Aptos head coach Stefan Hocom, Hannah’s father. “We made it tough on them to run their offense. Our offense will come and go…but we can play really, really good defense.”

Despite the lockdown defensive performance from the Mariners, nothing could stop Falcons’ senior forward Sam Boyle, who finished with a career-high 30 points despite dealing with constant double and triple teams.

“I had to,” Boyle said of her scoring.

She poured in seven straight points to trim the Aptos lead to single digits early in the fourth quarter but the home team fired right back with layups from freshman forward Natalia Ackerman and Hocom to move the advantage back to 12.

The Mariners made seven of their final eight shots from the free-throw line to ice the gigantic win, which not only boosted the Mariners’ morale but thrusted them back into the league-title race.

“This gave us a big confidence boost that we can beat these teams that Aptos hasn’t beat in a while,” Hocom said. “I have confidence in the future.”

At 5-2, both Aptos and Scotts Valley are deadlocked in second place as of Jan. 26 behind undefeated Soquel High, which halted the Falcons’ impressive 43-game winning streak against league opponents earlier this season.

Scotts Valley had a long rest before

Photo by Tony NUNEZ

Aptos High junior Abby Saxton (25) splits a pair of Scotts Valley High defenders during their SCCAL basketball game in Aptos.

hosting Soquel on Jan. 30.

Boyle said the second half of the Falcons’ season, as evidence from Jan. 24’s loss, will not be the cakewalk of the past three years.

“The last couple of years, Scotts Valley has kind of swooped in and it’s been an easy thing,” said Boyle, who has taken over multiple roles for the Falcons after the graduation of Nikiya Bechtle and Grace Giguiere. “This year everyone is so amped because it’s a leveled playing field. It’s

going to be a struggle but we’re still in it.”

And — for the first time since 2010, when Aptos took second in the SCCAL — so are the Mariners, who are still going through some growing pains with their youthful group. Aptos, which has not won a league championship since 2001, started four underclassmen and only one senior — guard Teal Maixner — saw the floor.

Despite the inexperience, coach Hocom said his girls did not hang their heads after taking their second league loss the previous

week against Soquel.

They simply rolled up their sleeves and got back to work.

“We don’t have the experience or the advantage to look back and say this is how we did it before,” coach Hocom said.

“We’re just feeling our way. We don’t talk titles. We have this mantra of getting a little better every day.”

FEBRUARY 2017

LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel - 13

Join us

Wednesday • February 22nd • 2017 Seascape Golf Course 4:00 – 7:00 PM

Brought to you by: 831.475.6522

831.688.1467

FEBRUARY 2017

14 - LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel

Golf tournaments set to benefit Aptos, Soquel high schools DeLaveaga Golf Course on May 5, and is looking for supporters.

The proceeds of the Golf Tournament go to help academics, sports and the arts as well as student scholarships at the end of the year.

This event includes lunch, a barbecue dinner, live music, and prizes.

Supporters are needed this year, either as a sponsor, as a golfer, or both. Sponsor donations are tax deductible and supporting business will be recognized in the weekly Knight Notes newsletter, and included in the golf program, tee signs and tournament banner. You can even designate which program you would like to have benefit from your donation.

For information, visit soquel.sccs.net/ parents/soquel_high_fund/annual_golf_ tournament.

Staff report SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — The 38th annual Aptos Sports Foundation Golf Tournament is coming.

The Sports Foundation has raised more than $3 million for Aptos HS sports over the years.

The tournament will be held Friday, April 28 at Seascape Golf Course. The shotgun start is at 1 p.m. The entry fee of $175 includes lunch, dinner, golf cart, teeprize, raffle tickets, and more To register, or for information, visit www.AptosSportsFoundation.com. Hole sponsorships are also available.

••• Soquel High School is gearing up for its 13th annual Golf Tournament at

APTOS SCHEDULE Boys Varsity Basketball February 2 @ San Lorenzo Valley HS February 4 vs. Harbor HS February 8 @ Soquel HS

SOQUEL SCHEDULE

Golfers fine tune their putting skills at the DeLaveaega Golf Course. File photo

by Tarmo Hannula

All home games take place at Aptos High School, 100 Mariner Way Girls Varsity Basketball February 2 @ SLV HS February 4 vs. Harbor HS February 8 @ Soquel HS February 10 vs. St. Francis HS

Girls Varsity Soccer February 2 vs. Soquel HS February 7 @ St. Francis HS February 9 vs. Santa Cruz HS February 14 @ SLV HS February 16 vs. Scotts Valley HS

All home games take place at Soquel High School, 401 Soquel San Jose Rd.

Boys Varsity Basketball February 3 @ Santa Cruz HS February 8 vs. Aptos HS

Girls Varsity Basketball February 3 @ Santa Cruz HS February 8 vs. Aptos HS

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rsvp 408-847-2717 | MountMadonnaSchool.org Pre/K - 12th grade | CAIS & WASC accredited | Nonsectarian | Bus Transportation

2017 Speaker Series on Education An evening with neuroscientist Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, Ed.D. speaking about the complex connection between emotion and learning. Feb. 1, 7:00pm, at Cabrillo College.

Boys Varsity Soccer February 1 @ Santa Cruz HS February 3 @ Aptos HS February 8 vs. Harbor HS February 15 @ St. Francis HS February 17 vs. Santa Cruz HS

Boys Varsity Soccer February 3 vs. Soquel HS February 8 vs. St. Francis HS February 10 vs Santa Cruz HS February 15 @ SLV HS February 17 vs. Scotts Valley HS

February 2017 Girls Varsity Soccer February 2 @ Aptos HS February 7 vs. Harbor HS February 16 vs. Santa Cruz HS

FEBRUARY 2017

LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel - 15

Locals optimistic about new president Republicans see promise in Trump’s policies

By TODD GUILD SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — While protesters ramped up in Santa Cruz County and nationwide to decry President Donald Trump’s inauguration, there were also significant groups of people who see the incoming administration as a positive step in U.S. history.

Many local Republicans were reluctant on Jan. 20 to speak on the record.

Still, many in the county were upbeat after Trump recited the Oath of Office.

Leon Mattingley woke up early on Jan. 20 because he didn’t want to miss a minute of Trump’s inauguration.

Mattingley, who is a member of the Santa Cruz County Republican Central Committee, praised the organizers for the smooth transition of power evidenced by the event.

“I was impressed,” he said. “It was really something to see.”

Mattingley said that Trump seemed to reiterate the policies in his inaugural speech that he put forward during his campaign, but said he is looking forward to Monday, when the new president will likely begin enacting his policies in earnest.

For Mattingley, this included

strengthening border crossings and overhauling the Affordable Care Act. “It’s going to be different,” he said.

“There are a lot of things that are bound to change, and I think that’s good.”

As for Trump’s sometimes controversial cabinet appointments, Mattingley urged a wait-and-see approach.

“Give them a chance,” he said. “Let’s see what they can do. They’ve got a big job in front of them.”

Wes Bare, a Social Studies teacher and Ecology Club director at St. Francis High School in Watsonville, brought 12 students to see the inauguration.

“I thought it would be a great opportunity to show them what Washington, D.C. is like and what the handoff of power is like,” he said.

Bare said he started planning the trip in April, far before Democrats and Republicans chose their candidates in the June primaries.

He said the crowd of largely Trump supporters booed non-Republicans at the event, and sang the classic song, “Na Na Hey Hey, Goodbye” when outgoing President Barack Obama climbed aboard the helicopter that flew him away.

“It was a very interesting, polarizing event,” he said.

Devin Mcleod, 16, said he was surprised by the level of energy he saw during the inauguration, and said he felt as if the crowd would turn on anyone expressing a different viewpoint.

“It was kinda scary at times because of all the energy,” he said. “Trump has a lot of serious supporters, and a lot of them showed up today.”

Mason Handa, 17, said it was a particular shock to travel from Santa Cruz County, which overwhelmingly voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton, to a place where so many people fervently supported Trump.

“The crowd was very passionate,” he said. “I was not expecting that level of enthusiasm. But at the same time I was not surprised seeing the fan base he has gotten.”

Handa also noticed the sea of redcolored Trump merchandise bearing the Republican candidate’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”

While some of the merchandise vendors were not Trump supporters, they saw the economic opportunity the event offered, he said.

“One guy made $10,000,” he said.

Brad Williams, a registered nurse who works in the emergency room at Dominican Hospital, said he felt “great”

after the inauguration.

“I’m excited for once in my life for what could possibly happen,” he said.

Williams, also a member of the Santa Cruz County Central Republican Committee, said he likes Trump’s pledge to keep jobs in the country and to tax businesses that outsource their work to other countries.

“That’s not OK,” he said. “The only way we can stop people from doing this is to hurt their wallet.”

Williams also said he supports Trump’s plan to cut taxes.

“I believe we pay too many taxes,” he said. “I’m a working guy, I am barely scraping by. I have debt just like anyone else.”

In addition, Williams said he is excited about the Republican vow to retool the Affordable Care Act. “In its current form it will not work,” he said.

Williams stressed that he supports equal rights for all races and genders and sexualities.

“Even though I’m a Republican I do not want to alienate them in any way,” he said.

“I just want to fight for the little guy. I want the people who go to work every day and are barely making it to make it.”

Defiant marchers globally challenge Trump agenda

By TARMO HANNULA SANTA CRUZ — As many as 8,000 people marched in downtown Santa Cruz on Jan. 21, the day after the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump.

The Women’s March Santa Cruz County, according to organizers, was an allinclusive, non-partisan march for women, men and children to stand together for the protection of human rights, safety and the importance of diverse communities.

The event aimed at solidarity to protect the rights of all, including LGBTQ, immigrants, religious groups and the rights of people of color.

The upbeat event began under cool, but dry overcast conditions at City Hall at 1:30 p.m. Moments before the march was launched, various speakers, including former Watsonville City Councilwoman Karina Cervantez Alejo, gave the heaveho for people to rally and unite.

When the bulging march started, a seemingly endless flow of people, 20 to 30 people abreast, flowed along Church

Street and kept coming for close to an hour. Thousands of placards filled the air — “Make America Kind Again,” “For Our Future,” “Solidarity & Unity” and “Kick the Molester out of My House,” were just a sampling.

The march turned on the main drag of downtown, Pacific Avenue, which had been shut to motor traffic. It then filed peacefully to the Louden Nelson Community Center where a rally of speeches unfolded.

Hundreds of shoppers stopped to watch the drama unfold, some appearing baffled as to what the excitement was.

“We are out here today to show that there is love and peace in the world,” said Rosemary Bean of Santa Cruz. “This is an important event and we have to be together on this.”

Mark Donnelly, former principal of Starlight Elementary School in Watsonville, said the march was of enormous importance.

“The numbers look great out here today,” he said. “It just feels wonderful. I have two boys, 9 and 6, and they are out here today learning about respect for women

and girls. It’s one of the biggest problems with Trump: he’s vulgar and disrespectful.

These kids need to understand the issues.”

Joyce Brown of Santa Cruz said, “This is about sharing solidarity with everyone.

It’s not about despair, it’s not about anger; it’s about being optimistic.”

The event coincided with scores of other such events around the globe, which

brought together about 4.6 million people.

Marches took place around the U.S., and England, France, Germany and Spain and as far away as Antarctica.

Chief organizers of the Santa Cruz event included Jenny Sarmiento, Maria Boutell, Maryanne Campbell, Rachel Williams, Erica Aitken and Amy Dahl.

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FEBRUARY 2017

16 - LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel

Thank you Santa Cruz County for your thoughtfulness and exuberance!

Hopefulness, confidence, friendship, relief, optimism, and curiosity were amongst the many, many gifts shared this season through your compassion and generosity.

And, for that, and so much more, thank you.

Program Sponsors All Seasons Community Toy Box

SALUD PARA LA GENTE ensures the most vulnerable in our community have access to the day-to-day health care they need. Your gifts ensured a joyful holiday and a reprieve from the daily stress so many of our patients face.

Because of you, many children in our community are smiling this holiday season.

We are deeply grateful for the work your program does to gather and distribute the gifts to participating community partners. We were honored to be part of T4T great work and we look forward to participating in next year’s campaign!

— AGONZALEZ, SPLG HEALTH SVCS MGR

On behalf of FAMILY & CHILDREN’S SERVICES and our local community of foster parents, please accept my sincere and humble thanks for all you do each year. We work hard to make our Christmas party special for the kids — they deserve that and so much more. That we can count on T4T each year to provide gifts for our kids is appreciated and more than my words can express.

I am trusting that you will soon be winding down your work — and will be able to give yourselves a collective pat on the back for a job well done!

Looking forward to more collaboration in the future.

— TDAVIS, FCS

SantaCruzCounty.ToysForTots.org Facebook.com/SantaCruzCountyToysForTots

FEBRUARY 2017

LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel - 17

National monument named in north SC County Staff report

been documented on the property, and many more may still be identified through formal archaeological surveys.

“We are celebrating this day, but understand this is just the beginning. We look forward to continued engagement to ensure Cotoni-Coast Dairies is properly stewarded,” Barth said. “Monument status will ensure this landscape is well-managed and restored, and that a now-closed area will eventually be opened to the public

so they can enjoy this special place responsibly and sustainably.”

“We are fortunate to live in an area of our country with such a spectacular beauty and precious wildlife,” said Laura Kasa, who was community engagement director of Sempervirens Fund in 2015 when the project was kicked off. “We are also fortunate to live in Santa Cruz County where there are people who realize this.”

Kasa added that the land is not yet

accessible to the public.

“Once they are finished with the management plan, they will aim for making it public accessible,” Kasa said.

Residents and others interested in the future of the national monument can stay abreast of developments by joining the Sempervirens Fund email list at sempervirens.org/ccdnm.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — President Barack Obama expanded the California Coastal National Monument by adding the Cotoni-Coast Dairies property, north of Santa Cruz, on Jan. 12.

“The national monument designation is a smart, effective way to ensure the Cotoni-Coast Dairies land is protected in perpetuity and gets the resources and attention it deserves,” said Sara Barth, executive director of Sempervirens Fund.

“This designation is now a reality thanks to the strong and diverse support that came from the local communities and political champions like former Senator Barbara Boxer, Representative Anna Eshoo, California Secretary of Natural Resources John Laird, former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt, and the President, all of whom understand the importance of land conservation and the preservation of cultural resources.”

The Cotoni-Coast Dairies addition to the California Coastal National Monument consists of 5,800 acres of federally owned land in Santa Cruz County, south of Davenport, and encompasses numerous watersheds, critical wildlife habitat, vistas and cultural resources. Cotoni-Coast Dairies is part of a statewide campaign to designate six land-based additions that can serve as gateways to the existing California Coastal National Monument (CotoniCoast Dairies, Piedras Blancas, Lost Coast Headlands, Trinidad Head, Orange County Rocks, and Lighthouse Ranch).

“This is the ‘stuff’ of a dream come true. After years of hard work by so many, this majestic property will be protected in perpetuity,” Eshoo said. “I salute our region’s environmental leaders and conservationists, the dedicated work of thousands of local citizens, local elected officials, conservation advocates, and tribal leaders who have worked so hard to secure this designation. And I thank President Obama for his extraordinary leadership of environmental conservation.

Today’s proclamation ensures that this jewel will forever remain a part of California’s coastal crown, allowing future generations to learn from its history and enjoy its beauty.”

Sempervirens Fund has conserved lands in the Santa Cruz Mountains for 117 years.

The organization has a long history of establishing protected public lands such as Big Basin, Castle Rock and Butano State Parks.

“This is a historic day for Cotoni and Amah Mutsun descendants,” said Amah Mutsun Tribal Band Chairman Valentin Lopez. “Our Cotoni ancestors lived on these lands for thousands of years as they raised their families and stewarded the lands so they provided for all living things. The National Monument designation will protect and conserve the beauty and spirituality of this land for all future generations. We thank those who supported this effort.”

The Cotoni-Coast Dairies property, north of Santa Cruz, has been named a California Coastal National Monument.

Currently, four registered ancestral Contributed photo Native American archaeological sites have

FEBRUARY 2017

18 - LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

February 2017

Ongoing

Feb. 9

Feb. 28

Depression, Anxiety & Stress Support Groups

Business workshop

Sons In Retirement Luncheon

Every Monday through March 12, lectures and structured support groups will be held at the Watsonville Seventh Day Adventist Church, 700 South Green Valley Road. For information, call 3257993 or email RemovingNegativity@ yahoo.com

SCORE will hold a workshop on how to successfully start a business in Santa Cruz County. The workshop will be held at Simpkins Family Swim Center, 979 17th Ave., Santa Cruz from 6:30-9 p.m. Admission is $35. For information, contact Santa Cruz County SCORE at 621-3735.

Feb. 8

Feb. 22

Networking lunch

Business Showcase

The Capitola-Soquel Chamber of Commerce will hold a networking lunch at Bargetto Winery, 3535 N. Main St. in Soquel, form 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The guest speaker will be County Supervisor John Leopold. Admission is $20 for chamber members and $25 for non-members. For information, call 4756522.

The Capitola-Soquel and Aptos Chamber of Commerce’s annual Business Showcase will be held at Seascape Golf Club, 610 Clubhouse Drive, Aptos from 4-7 p.m. To register, visit capitolachamber.com. For information, call 475-6522 or the Aptos Chamber of Commerce at 688-1467.

The Sons In Retirement will hold a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. at Severino’s Bar and Grill at the Seacliff Inn. John Ficarra from Canepa Design will speak about classic car restoration. For information, contact Jim at 708-4133.

Hidden Gems Film Club

The Santa Cruz Public Libraries hosts an evening of cinema. Members will meet at the Aptos Branch Library from 6-8 p.m. to watch and discuss a film.

The club will then begin to meet every fourth Tuesday through March 28. For information, email santacruzchamber@ santacruzchamber.org.

Public Meetings:

All meetings take place at Capitola City Hall, 420 Capitola Ave. Feb. 7 Museum Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 14 Library Advisory Committee, 3:30 p.m.

Feb. 8 Architectural & Site Review Committee, 3:30 p.m.

Feb. 14 Art & Cultural Commission, 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 9 City Council, 7 p.m.

Feb. 22 Architectural & Site Review Committee, 3:30 p.m.

Feb. 22 Commission on the Environment - Workshop, 6 p.m.

Feb. 23 City Council, 7 p.m.

March 2 Planning Commission Meeting, 7 p.m.

Local Sports Scoreboard Aptos High School scoreboard (as of Jan. 26) Boys varsity basketball Jan. 3: @ Scotts Valley, 56-45 (W) Jan. 5: vs. Santa Cruz, 51-38 (W) Jan. 12: vs. San Lorenzo Valley, 70-60 (L) Jan. 14: @ Harbor, 47-33 (W) Jan. 18: vs. Soquel, 47-34 (W) Jan. 20: @ St. Francis, 49-33 (L) Jan. 24: vs. Scotts Valley, 59-30 (W) Boys varsity soccer Jan. 6: vs. Harbor, 3-0 (L) Jan. 11: @ Soquel, 3-2 (L) Jan. 12: @ St. Francis, 8-0 (W) Jan. 18: @ Santa Cruz, 2-2 (T) Jan. 20: vs. San Lorenzo Valley, 1-0 (W) Jan. 25: @ Scotts Valley, 3-2 (L) Girls varsity basketball Jan. 3: @ Scotts Valley, 56-41 (L) Jan. 5: vs. Santa Cruz, 64-33 (W) Jan. 12: vs. San Lorenzo Valley, 72-48 (W) Jan. 14: @ Harbor, 84-29 (W) Jan. 18: vs. Soquel, 52-45 (L) Jan. 20: @ St. Francis, 63-44 (W) Jan. 24: vs. Scotts Valley, 53-40 (W) Girls varsity soccer Jan. 5: vs. Harbor, 6-0 (W) Jan. 10: @ Soquel, 3-0 (W) Jan. 12: vs. St. Francis, 10-1 (W) Jan. 17: @ Santa Cruz, 3-1 (W) Jan. 19: vs. San Lorenzo Valley, 5-2 (W) Jan. 24: vs. Scotts Valley, 2-0 (W) Soquel High School scoreboard (as of Jan. 26) Boys varsity basketball Jan. 4: vs. San Lorenzo Valley, 50 - 38 (L) Jan. 6: @ Harbor, 52 - 31 (W) Jan. 9: vs. Scotts Valley, 56 - 44 (L) Jan. 18: @ Aptos, 47 - 34 (L) Jan. 25: @ San Lorenzo Valley, 55 - 48 (L) Boys varsity soccer Jan. 4: vs. San Lorenzo Valley, 1-0 (W) Jan. 11: vs. Aptos, 3-2 (W) Jan. 13: @ Harbor, 1-0 (W) Jan. 16:@ Scotts Valley, 0-0 (T) Jan. 20: St. Francis S.C.P., 6-0 (W) Jan. 25: @ Santa Cruz, 1-0 (W) Girls varsity basketball Jan. 4: vs. San Lorenzo Valley, 61 - 28 (W) Jan. 6: @ Harbor, 55 - 31 (W) Jan. 9: vs. Scotts Valley, 53 - 49 (W) Jan. 12: vs. Santa Cruz, 57 - 27 (W) Jan. 18: @ Aptos, 52 - 45 (W) Jan. 25: @ San Lorenzo Valley, 63 - 50 (W) Girls varsity soccer Jan. 3: vs. San Lorenzo Valley, 2-1 (W) Jan. 5: @ Scotts Valley, 2-0 (W) Jan. 10: vs. Aptos, 3-0 (L) Jan. 12: @ Harbor, 2-0 (W) Jan. 19: vs. St. Francis, 9-0 (W) Jan. 24: @ Santa Cruz, 2-0 (L)

FEBRUARY 2017

LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel - 19

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