LIFE Everything Aptos, Capitola & Soquel

JULY 2018 EVERYTHING APTOS, CAPITOLA & SOQUEL Vol. 6 No. 11

Sports

Ow Scholarships

Bob Kittle the new SCCAL Commissioner

APTOS

pg. 3

pg. 12

SOQUEL

CAPITOLA Photos by Tarmo HANNULA

HISTORY CORNER

Heather Richman uses a torch to heat rods of glass while creating an original art piece. For the full article, turn to page 11.

Junior Lifeguards hit the beach

By John Hibble Call: 688-1467 Visit us online: aptoshistory.org

By TARMO HANNULA

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

The water of life,

File Photo by Tarmo Hannula

Please turn to Page 7

Cabrillo graduate joins 1,195 in commencement ceremony

By TODD GUILD APTOS — Max Raasch finished his time at Cabrillo in December, and during the college’s commencement ceremony on May 25 received two associate’s degrees, one in economics and one in liberal arts.

He now plans to major in legal Jennifer Martin (left) and Rozene studies and politics, and minor in Pieri Enloe are happy to earn their degrees in culinary arts and Russian, at UC Santa Cruz in the fall.

That will be just after he goes to hospitality management.

Photo by Tarmo Hannula

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the San Diego area with his Army National Guard group to help U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Raasch has just over a year left with that organization.

In joining the military during his junior year in Aptos High School, Raasch followed a family tradition dating back to 1918 when his greatgreat-grandfather served in the U.S. Army.

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Watsonville’s Independent Bookstore

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A tradition of service

part two

There are a lot of colorful names to describe suppliers of illegal booze: Rum runners (self-explanatory), moonshiners, bootleggers. What is a bootlegger? In the late 1800s, it was illegal to give Native American Indians whiskey, so traders would conceal flasks of liquor in their boot tops.

Previously, we learned how prohibition helped to fund organized crime, and how otherwise law-abiding people developed a thirst for “medicinal” Scotch whiskey. But, Scotch alone does not make a well stocked bar, and not all alcohol was smuggled into the county. Gin was actually the most common liquor consumed during prohibition and much of it was produced locally.

How do you make gin in a bath tub? First of all, how do you make alcohol? Alcohol is produced when sugar

CAPITOLA — The Capitola Junior Lifeguards program got underway June 18. The annual program, geared for youths ages 6 to 17, is an active, physically challenging, competitive program, which provides instruction in the basic fundamentals of ocean water safety, first aid, lifesaving, fitness and good sportsmanship.

“This program is about camaraderie

and safe behavior around the ocean,” said Anthony Gotti, a coordinator with the program. “These youths will learn a great deal about ocean safety, like identifying rip tides, first aid and how to respond to an emergency. We offer different skills for different age groups. The older youths will learn some of the basics of lifeguard skills.”

Beach Lifeguard Capt. Tyler

BEST of

PAJARO VALLEY

Chamber update ................2 Briefs .................................4-5 Guest columns ...................9 Calendar .............................14 PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID WATSONVILLE, CA PERMIT NO. 23 ******ECRWSSEDDM****** POSTAL CUSTOMER APTOS, CA 95003 CAPITOLA. CA 95010

JULY 2018

2 - LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel

Soquel High School Class of 2018 valedictorians The valedictorians of Soquel High School’s Class of 2018 are (from left) Hunter Allen (Cabrillo College), Sophie Hannah (Cal Poly SLO), Madison Gotthardt (Whitworth University), Kiana Brewer (Cabrillo College), Alexendra Meyer (UC Berkeley) and Nathaniel Werdmuller von Elgg (Cal Poly SLO). The school celebrated its graduates at a ceremony on June 8. Contributed photo

Aptos High School Class of 2018 The Aptos High School graduating class of 2018 pour onto the field for the commencement ceremony at Cabrillo College in Aptos on June 7. This year’s valedictorian is Joshua Mitchener. Photo by Tarmo Hannula

By KAREN HIBBLE CHAMBER

OF

COMMERCE

APTOS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Happy Fourth of July!

APTOS

SOQUEL

CAPITOLA

Publisher - Jeanie Johnson Editor - Erik Chalhoub Editorial Todd Guild, Johanna Miller, Tony Nuñez, Tarmo Hannula Photography - Tarmo Hannula Advertising Sales Tina Chavez, Jazmine Ancira Production - Mike Lyon Rob Chalhoub

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 1868.

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Thank you for reading!

We are ready for our Independence Day celebration in Aptos on July 4. Please join us for a full day of festivities. Start with the pancake breakfast at burger. from 7:30-10 a.m. Pancakes, sausage, eggs, juice, milk and coffee. The perfect beginning to a festive day. Thank you to Pancake Breakfast Chair Rob Morse and our Chief Cooks, Scott and Sandy Dexel of Kiss Catering who work long hours to provide you with the perfect breakfast.

Then join us and watch the World’s Shortest Parade which marches off at 10 a.m. Cheer on your favorite group or individual. Enjoy the music of the parade bands. Please welcome our Grand Marshal, Michael Watkins, Superintendent of the County Office of Education, as we honor our schools, teachers and students in this year’s parade. Special thanks to our volunteers, especially Chair Bob Norton, and also our First Responders.

We appreciate the CHP, Sheriff’s Office and Aptos/La Selva Fire District working on the Fourth of July and every day to keep our community safe. Please thank them when you see them.

We welcome new groups to the parade as well as some who have been participating for more than 30 years. Our town’s parade is a tradition and we have many generations who come to watch the parade, some for the first time, others because they came as children and our now bringing children and grandchildren to celebrate. Please remember that the tradition depends on you. So keep safe. Special thanks to Damian of Aptos Feed, who along with his son, hands out pet treats and water to the pets at the end of the parade. Pets are an important part of our parade and often get thirsty. Aptos Feed embodies our community spirit.

After the parade come down to the Party in the Park for family entertainment including: children’s activities, great food, beverages, and must-have arts and crafts. Dance to Extra Large and enjoy living in a community that knows how to celebrate. Visit with friends and neighbors. Enjoy the day. T-shirts

are available now so you don’t have to wonder what to wear. The T-shirts were designed by NomBat Designs and are perfect for our day. They are also fun to wear after the parade to remind ourselves of how much we have living in this wonderful county.

See you soon. Stay safe. Take good

care. Remember, fireworks are illegal in Santa Cruz County.

We are proud to be the hosts of the Fourth of July in Aptos.

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

Acne & Skin

Care Clinic

JULY 2018

LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel - 3

Ow Family continues scholarship tradition More than 140 students receive scholarships to attend Cabrillo

The Ow Family provided scholarships to 141 local high school graduates recently. Contributed photo

Staff report APTOS — For the 29th consecutive year, philanthropist George Ow Jr. and his family provided American Dream Scholarships of $500 each to local high school seniors.

The Ow Family awarded 141 high school seniors American Dream Scholarships in a recent ceremony. During the ceremony, Ow addressed the students and reflected on his own experience at community college.

“Every class, I learned something new

and exciting, and that’s what I wish for you: for you to come to Cabrillo to learn every day,” Ow said. “Learn something new. Learn something you never dreamed about.”

Since 1989, the Ow Family has awarded more than $608,000 to graduating high school students coming to Cabrillo.

Eleven scholarship recipients spoke at the ceremony and thanked the Ow Family for their support. One graduating senior from Aptos High, Allyson Goldman, intends to use her scholarship as she pursues a career in nursing at Cabrillo.

“In my eyes, Cabrillo is the best option for me as it is more affordable, while still having an amazing medical program,” Goldman said. “I would like to thank George Ow Jr. and the Ow Family for their generosity and kindness. I’m excited to see what the future has in store for me.”

The Cabrillo College Foundation has provided more than $900,000 in scholarships to students each year.

Mid County students receiving scholarships include: • Aptos High School: Mia Alonso, Juan Castorena, Sofia Cortes, Yesenia Cuellar,

Juana Diaz, Luis Garcia Ponce, Allyson Goldman, Yuliana Gomez, Brian Jimenez Hajduk, Devin Lagasca, Jeannette Macias, Alejandra Medina, Jordan Perez, Lizet Quintana Diaz, Sabrina Renteria, Jazlyn Sepulveda • Soquel High School: Isiah Baron, Marcelo Peralta, Alissa Rezendes, Citlali Robles, Ben Sandoval • Delta High School: Daniel Ayala, Aleesha Broussard, Daphne Contreras, Michael Jaquias, Cambria Kraten, Cynthia Peralta, Jose Salazar

METRO launches new fleet

By TARMO HANNULA SANTA CRUZ — A fleet of new Santa Cruz METRO buses and vans got a grand send off on May 31 at a ceremony at the downtown Santa Cruz METRO Station.

With a handful of dignitaries present, 18 new vehicles that will be more efficient and run cleaner were set forth to replace aging vehicles.

“To make progress toward our greenhouse gas reduction goals and ensure reliable service for riders, replacement of older buses is a top priority,” said Bruce McPherson, chair of the METRO Board.

“These new vehicles would not be possible

without funding from Measure D and SB 1.”

Measure D, a one-half cent, 30year transportation sales tax passed in November 2016, allows for METRO to receive $3 million annually.

SB 1, the road repair accountability act of 2017, generates about $5 billion statewide annually for ongoing and new transportation improvements. SB 1 provides METRO with approximately $3 million for operating and infrastructure support.

“Transportation is what people call us about more than anything else,” McPherson said. “The value of transportation can’t be

Santa Cruz METRO bus operator Eduardo Montesino addresses a crowd at a kickoff ceremony for a new fleet of buses and vans. Photo by Tarmo Hannula

overstated.”

METRO bus operator and former Watsonville mayor Eduardo Montesino told the gathering of the importance of the addition of the new fleet that will affect some routes to Watsonville. He said the buses will enhance METRO’s service to seniors getting to the market and a wide range of students who take the bus to school.

“I encourage people in Santa Cruz to keep moving forward,” he said.

The new fleet includes: • Three new Paul Revere buses with a capacity of 40 seats and 20 standing (60 total capacity) per bus. Life expectancy is

12 years or 500,000 miles. Each bus costs $517,750 on a seven-year lease to buy program.

• Three new ParaCruz “Cut-Away” buses that can hold seven mobility devices or 22 ambulatory riders. Life expectancy is five years or 150,000 miles. The cost is $132,205 each.

• Twelve new vans at a cost of $75,000 each. Their capacity is three mobility devices or one mobility device plus nine ambulatory riders. Life expectancy is five years or 150,000 miles.

JULY 2018

4 - LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel

CAPITOLA PLEIN AIR

APTOS HIGH REUNION

COUNTY HEALTH

Aptos High School Classes of ’77 and ’78 40-Year Reunion Weekend set

Whooping cough on the rise, county health officials warn

Staff report Cleo Vilett works on an oil on canvas painting in preparation for the annual Plein Air art event in Capitola Village in 2017. File photo by Tarmo Hannula

Artists invited to participate in competition Staff report CAPITOLA — Plein air artists are invited to register for the fourth annual Capitola Plein Air competition, exhibition and sale.

Participants will have three days to paint all around Capitola. It will be followed by a one-day competition, judged by pastel artist Terri Ford.

The deadline to register is Aug. 1.

The competition is presented by the Capitola Art and Cultural Commission.

The Aptos High School Classes of ‘77 and ‘78 40-Year Reunion Weekend will celebrate with several events during the weekend of Oct. 5-6.

• Oct. 5: Redwood Canopy Tour (aka Zip Line) at Mount Hermon Conference Center (near Felton). Sign ups per time slot are on a first-paid, first-served basis. Thirty-two spots are available. $50 per person.

• Oct. 6: Golf at Seascape Golf Course. All abilities are welcome, and the fee includes a cart.

Start time is 9 a.m. Fifty spots are available. $69 per person.

• Oct. 6: “Strolling Dinner/Dance” will be held at Seascape Golf Club. The evening kicks off at 5:30 p.m. with beverages and hors d’oeuvres on the green. At 7 p.m., the group will move inside for more food and beverages, followed by dancing to music by Mike Hadley and The Groove. $70 per person through Aug. 1; $85 per person Aug. 1-Sept. 15. Resort casual attire is suggested.

For registration and payment information, email ahs77and78reunion@gmail.com.

For information and to register, visit capitolapleinair.com.

Staff report SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — The number of cases of whooping cough in Santa Cruz County has more than doubled during the first four months of 2018, county officials announced recently.

In January through April, 11 cases of pertussis, or whooping cough, were confirmed, compared to five cases in the same period of 2017.

“Pertussis disease rates are cyclic, peaking every 3 to 5 years,” said Naomi Lobell, immunization coordinator for Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency. “The last epidemic in California was 2014. We don’t know yet if 2018 or 2019 will turn out to be peak years, but vigilance is in order.”

County Health Officer Dr. Arnold Leff emphasized the importance of immunizations.

“Pertussis is covered in the DTaP shot, given to babies at age 2 months, 4 months, 6 months and 12 months,” he said. “Booster shots are given again before kindergarten and middle school. Summer is a good time to get immunizations, so students are ready for school in the fall. Adults who have never received a dose of Tdap should also get vaccinated against pertussis.”

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whooping cough usually starts with cold-like symptoms and possibly a mild cough or fever. In babies, the cough can be minimal or not even there. Babies may have a symptom known as “apnea,” which is a pause in the child’s breathing pattern. Pertussis is most dangerous for babies.

About half of babies younger than 12 months who get the disease need to be hospitalized.

For information, visit www.cdc.gov/pertussis.

Your

Natural Look

JULY 2018

LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel - 5

VOLUNTEER CENTER

ORAL HEALTH ACCESS

TORCH RUN

Angelica Tadeo of Dientes Community Dental inspects a Radcliff Elementary School third-grader’s teeth in 2015. File photo by Erik Chalhoub

California Highway Patrol officer Liz Addy carries the torch along Freedom Boulevard on June 13 during the annual Law Enforcement for Special Olympics Northern California 2018 run across Santa Cruz County. Photo by Tarmo Hannula

Volunteer drivers needed for senior transportation program Staff report SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — The Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County is currently looking for more volunteers to support its Transportation Program.

“For most individuals getting to a medical or dental appointment, the grocery store, or bank is as simple as jumping in the car or on the local bus.

But, for some in the community, it is impossible due to disability, declining health, or the rigors of aging,” said Senior Programs Coordinator Tara Ireland.

The Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County Transportation Program has served to address the needs of ambulatory seniors and the disabled by offering free rides throughout the county for more than 40 years.

“It is one of the founding programs of the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County and has been 100 percent volunteer maintained since its inception. All drivers and phone dispatchers are community volunteers,” Ireland said. “In the last fiscal year we provided over 4,200 rides throughout the county. We are proud to maintain a track record of filling 97 percent of all ride requests and we are currently seeking new drivers in order to maintain this level of service.”

Oral health team makes progress

Report shows increase in dental visits county-wide Staff report

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — The number of Santa Cruz County residents on Medi-Cal who have gone to the dentist increased by 20 percent since 2014, Oral Health Access Santa Cruz County announced in its recently released 2018 Report Card.

“I’m proud of the work that we have done since we launched these efforts a year and a half ago,” said OHASCC Steering Committee co-chair and Dientes’ Chief Dental Officer Dr. Sepi Taghvaei.

According to the report, the rate of children aged 0-11 who have never been to the dentist has been cut in half to 15 percent. The Santa Cruz County Office of Education included 35,000 dental visit forms in new student enrollment packets, and Dientes Community Dental Care and Salud Para le Gente made room in their schedules for these students.

To read the 2018 Report Card, visit oralhealthscc.org/strategic-plan.

For information, call Tara Ireland at 427-5070.

Request volunteer information at rsvpvol@ scvolunteercenter.org or visit the transportation program webpage at: scvolunteercenter.org/ programs/transportation-program.

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• Puppy & Kitten Packages • Diagnostic, Therapeutic & Preventative Services • Behavioral & Dietary Counseling

Call 831.688.4242 to schedule an appointment 10404 Soquel Drive, Aptos • aptos-creeksidepets.com

Flame of Hope passes through county

By TARMO HANNULA SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — The Law Enforcement Special Olympics Northern California Torch Run launched from Watsonville early on June 13 and laced its way across the county.

The Torch Run features law enforcement officers from local agencies throughout Northern California, alongside Special Olympics athletes, carrying the Special Olympics Flame of Hope to Davis for the 2018 Special Olympics Northern California Summer Games, which got underway June 22.

Agencies involved in the run also included Santa Cruz Regional 911, California State Parks, Capitola Police Department, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, Santa Cruz Police, Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office, Santa Cruz Probation Office and the Scotts Valley Police Department.

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6 - LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel

Jr. Lifeguards Continued from page 1

Conroy said, above all, he hopes that youths in the program come away with: • A sense of pride about their beaches and the ocean.

• Enough knowledge to help educate their friends and visitors about ocean safety.

• An understanding of changing conditions in the ocean, of rip currents and other dangerous conditions.

• To enjoy the ocean and beach • And to be able to respond appropriately to someone in trouble in the water and how to get help right away.

“We’re also out here to help these kids have a lot of fun and to build valuable friendships,” Conroy said. “And we emphasize physical fitness.”

For information, visit www. cityofcapitola.org.

Youths of various ages listen in to the basics of how the Capitola Junior Lifeguards program works at the start of the season on June 18.

Photo by Tarmo Hannula

Cabrillo Graduates His great-grandfathers on both sides of his family served in the 1940s, as did his grandfather in the 1960s and his father in the 1990s.

He signed up with the National Guard after seeing an ad on Craigslist and calling a recruiter.

“I decided that was the way I wanted to go,” he said.

He finished a mission in the Ukraine in September, which was his first time traveling out of the country.

Raasch works in Cabrillo’s Veterans Information Center, where among other things he helps veterans enroll in colleges.

Continued from page 1

Eventually, Raasch has dreams of law school and possibly a career in politics.

“I’ve always had a sense of duty and country,” he said.

Raasch joined 1,195 graduating students at the ceremony at Carl Connelly Stadium.

The Cabrillo College Class of 2018 is comprised of graduates ranging in age from 18 to 73 years with an average age of 27. Of the total graduates, 63 percent are female, and 45 percent are Latino.

The class boasted 50 students who graduated with a 4.0 grade point average, and 141 students who graduated with high honors.

Tryston Cruz gives a thumbs up as he approaches the stage during the commencement ceremony for Cabrillo College May 25 in Aptos. Photos by Tarmo Hannula

Max Raasch, a 2018 graduate of Cabrillo College, talks about his ongoing service in the National Guard.

Akila Canton, a graduate in health science/liberal arts, gets a congratulatory handshake from Cabrillo College President Matthew Wetstein.

JULY 2018

History Corner

LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel - 7

is fermented by yeast. If that alcohol is distilled it becomes much more concentrated. The sugar from grapes or fruit ferments into wine. If the wine is distilled, it becomes brandy. Cereal grains such as barley and corn need to germinate, which changes their starches into sugar.

Then they can be fermented into beer. If the beer is distilled, it can become whiskey.

The grains or fruit used, and the aging process, determines what the finished product is called. Also, regular table sugar can be fermented into alcohol and then distilled. Unaged, undiluted alcohol is known as white lightning, moonshine, or similar names.

Alcohol for drinking is usually aged to develop character and smoothness. Also, drinking pure alcohol is not a pleasant experience, so water is added to reduce the impact. Since the alcohol produced locally during prohibition was neither aged nor watered down, the consumer had to take these matters into their own hands.

Homemade gin was made by adding juniper berries, other ingredients, and water to the alcohol in a jug or tub and allowed to rest for a short period of time. Moonshine often Concrete Ship Palo Alto (in background) is shown in 1931. Aptos History Museum came in five-gallon cans. Full sized bath archives tubs would have been too large for most parties so smaller metal or ceramic wash tubs were probably the norm. People used to go to parties where they would vote on the best bathtub gin, or other homemade concoctions. Often, people would mix their drinks with fruit juice or other ingredients to improve the taste which lead to an increase in the popularity of mixed drinks and cocktails.

Distilling alcohol became big business.

Stills operated in many places on and off the beaten track and were producing tens of thousands of gallons a day. Not everyone in law enforcement was against alcohol.

Some officers were found in possession, others would tip off moonshiners when a raid was about to take place. A Ben Lomond distillery was told that they were about to be raided so they packed the still and its equipment into a truck and hauled Continued from page 1

The Rio Del Mar Hotel is shown in about 1930. Aptos History Museum archives

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Dancing in the Banquet Room of the Rio Del Mar hotel. Aptos History Museum archives

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Dancing in the Rainbow Ballroom on the Concrete Ship Palo Alto. Aptos History Museum archives

it up Trout Gulch Road. Unfortunately, they dropped a three-foot section of copper condensing coil on the road and it was later found by the mail carrier who reported it to the Prohibition Service. On Nov. 30, 1932, three men were arrested 3.5 miles from Aptos in a barn on the Loma Prieta Road. The equipment seized was valued at $20,000. Its capacity was reported at 500 gallons a day. Three 9,000-gallon vats and about 200 gallons of alcohol were seized.

There were many stills in the mountains that used sugar to produce alcohol. A big truckload of sugar would be delivered into Aptos Village at night. It would be unloaded into smaller trucks behind the railroad freight depot and the smaller trucks would take off in all directions. One store in Aptos was capable of producing 800 gallons of alcohol per day. Locally produced wine was also distilled into brandy.

In Aptos Village, there was a poolroom and bar where you could buy any kind of liquor that you wanted. They paid protection money, so they always knew when a raid was planned by the Sheriff.

Evidently, the Deer Park Tavern in Rio Del Mar did not have the same sort of insurance.

The tavern was raided several times and by 1932, all the furniture, alcohol and fixtures (including slot machines), were seized in order to shut the place down.

The “Roaring Twenties” were not all fun and games. There were large amounts of money to be made and the people involved played rough. Some bootleggers stashed their booze in coves near Davenport, only to have it stolen by locals. Hijackings were not uncommon. Moonshine deliveries to the local speakeasys were normally conducted by six men in a car with two 50-gallon barrels of “product.” In the southern United States, moonshiners souped-up their cars to outrun the Federal Revenue officers. Eventually, those same drivers formed NASCAR, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.

JULY 2018

8 - LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel

People file into Chadeish Yameinu’s new location, located in the Rabbi Eli Cohen leads guests in song at Chadeish Yameinu Jewish Renewal’s new location in Santa Cruz.

Galleria in Santa Cruz. Photos by Johanna Miller

Chadeish Yameinu finds a permanent home Jewish Renewal Community celebrates at open house

By JOHANNA MILLER SANTA CRUZ — After 25 years, Santa Cruz’s Chadeish Yameinu Jewish Renewal Community has finally found a permanent home.

The group celebrated on June 10 with a special open house event, inviting the community to come visit the new location, learn customs, sing songs and give thanks.

Chadeish Yameinu’s Rabbi Eli Cohen personally welcomed the crowd to the new center, which is located at the Galleria complex in downtown Santa Cruz.

“I am so happy to be here today with you

all,” Cohen said. “It’s a time to celebrate.

It’s a new beginning.”

With guitar in hand, Cohen led those gathered in song, with members of Chadeish Yameinu and visitors alike joining in. He then performed a ritual dedication of the center by hanging a “mezuzah” on two of the center’s doorposts. A mezuzah is a small scroll which contains the daily Jewish declaration of faith, written in Hebrew. Mezuzahs are traditionally attached to the doorposts of Jewish homes.

“It reminds us of what it is to be a Jew,” Cohen said. “And also that we should not separate ourselves from the community —

to invite others in.”

A number of people, including County Supervisor John Leopold and Brooke Newman of the Downtown Streets Team, spoke at the event. Dignitaries from various religious organization were also in attendance — including rabbis from Temple Beth El of Aptos, Santa Cruz Zen Center’s Rev. Neti Parekh, Karen Zelin of Insight Santa Cruz, Madiha Griffith of Islamic Center Santa Cruz, the Wisdom Center’s Michael Roth and more.

Chadeish Yameinu continued hosting events throughout the week. On June 15, they co-sponsored a “Pride Shabbat”

service, with special guest rabbi Arnie Sleutelberg and his husband Robert Crowe telling their personal story at Temple Beth El in Aptos. On June 16 was “From Biblical Sarah to Seinfeld: Jewish Humor Through the Ages,” hosted by Rabbi Sleutelberg at Chadeish Yameinu’s new location.

“We’re open to everyone,” Cohen said prior to June 10’s event. “We want people to know that, and feel welcome.”

Chadeish Yameinu’s new home is located at 740 Front St., at the Galleria in Santa Cruz. For information, including event details, visit cysantacruz.com or call 295-8467.

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LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel - 9

Second District Update - Santa Cruz County budget recap

By ZACH FRIEND

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY SUPERVISOR

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors just concluded its annual budget process, and since it is often said that a budget is an expression of community values, I wanted to share some of the highlights of the budget for the coming year.

First, we’ve been responsible with your money. In the last few years we’ve tripled our reserves and negotiated with employees to reduce future pension and

health care obligations. That has allowed us to reduce our debt to historically low levels while improving our credit rating so that we now have one of the highest ratings available. Additionally, we’ve held staffing levels below peaks — nearly 10 percent below pre-recession staffing.

The budget we just passed includes no layoffs or cuts to critical services, which is happening in other communities around California.

Over the last year, we have invested in the community, establishing both the NurseFamily Partnership and Thrive-by-Three programs to assist with early childhood development of underprivileged children.

We greatly expanded drug and alcohol treatment, and in the first three months of 2018 saw the number of people seeking treatment more than double compared to last year. And we invested in Whole Person Care, to make sure low-income people, including homeless persons, with multiple health issues get the care they need.

Our Sheriff’s Office has added service centers and staffing. In our district, we remodeled the Rountree Detention Facility to help offenders get the job training and life skills needed to keep from reoffending.

We reopened the Blaine Street Center to help women transition from jail back into the community. The District Attorney opened the Multi-Disciplinary Center to help investigate crimes against children in

a more comfortable environment.

We increased emergency winter shelter capacity for homeless residents by 30 percent and are looking to establish a yearround shelter. We announced more than $2 million in grants to help the nearly 600 unaccompanied minors and young adults living on our streets. This demographic is the largest growing homeless population locally and more clearly needs to be done.

We increased the number of veterans served through our Veteran’s Service Office by 20 percent, and increased the number of families receiving CalFresh (formerly Food Stamps) by 14 percent.

We made government more efficient, allowing people to submit electronic building plans and installed large solar arrays at many different county facilities, which saves money and improves our local environment.

We made enormous progress toward repairing the more than $100 million in road damage from the 2017 winter storms and are pursuing the first set of Measure D-funded road projects. Additionally, we created new tools making it easier to build accessory dwelling units, giving people a chance to age in place as well as helping alleviate our housing crisis. We made significant progress toward a new library in Aptos and a remodeled library in La Selva Beach, are building a new pump track for young mountain bikers at Pinto Lake County Park.

But we still have much more to do.

During our community outreach on the strategic plan, we heard that many want additional investments in mental health and homeless resources, improved housing options as well as additional upgrades to parks and increased public safety. Sheriff Jim Hart has outlined a behavioral health partnership to get more people the treatment they need, but we have yet to find the money to pay for it. We have a significant homelessness crisis and we know that addressing this issue, and affordable housing (which is connected) are top priorities for our community. We have maintenance needs throughout our parks, including committed improvements to Hidden Beach Park, Aldridge and Seacliff Village Park in our district. We need to complete Chanticleer Park, which will include the county’s first all-inclusive playground for children with disabilities.

These are all issues you’ve brought to us, and I want you to know we have heard you and are working on solutions.

We have never forgotten that every choice we make with a dollar can impact a life for the better. As we move forward together into the future, we expect we will find solutions to these challenges, just as we have met the challenges that have come before.

As always, if you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to call me at 454-2200.

Financial Advice

Mid-year check-in

By GARY E. CROXALL, CFP® and SOREN E. CROXALL, CFP® Is it just us, or does it seem like 2018 is flying by? It’s hard to believe that it’s already July. After you finish with your Fourth of July barbecues and fireworks, it would be a good time to assess how much progress you have made toward your 2018 financial goals and where there might be some room for improvement between now and the end of the year.

Budget and Saving We can’t emphasize budgeting enough.

It serves as the foundation for so many financial goals. Having a solid understanding of the money that you bring in and the money that you spend helps you plan your contributions to your various savings and investment accounts. If you created a budget at the beginning of the year, have you been tracking your actual expenses each month

to see if your budget is accurate? Maybe you need to make some adjustments. Are there expenses that you can cut back on or eliminate completely?

Have you reviewed you contributions to your various retirement accounts? If possible, you should strive to contribute enough to your employer sponsored retirement account to receive the full employer match (if your company offers one). If you aren’t currently maximizing contributions to employer sponsored retirement plans and are able to contribute more, even better. Don’t have a company sponsored retirement plan or are self-employed? A financial professional can help guide you through retirement account options that may work for your personal situation.

Tax Withholding With the new tax law that went into effect earlier this year, it may be a good time to reassess your tax withholding. If you have a qualified tax professional, they should be able to help you with a tax projection and let you know if you should update your withholding elections or not.

Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) If you’re 70 1/2 or older, don’t forget about required distributions for the year.

Now that half the year is over, if you haven’t

thought about your RMD now would be a good time to start thinking about it. Please don’t wait until the end of the year to take care of this. Gather all pertinent information from your various accounts and figure out exactly what your required distribution is for each eligible account. Then put an action plan in place and set a deadline for when you want to have your RMD completely taken care of for the year.

Social Security Statements & Credit Reports You may have noticed that you don’t regularly receive Social Security statements in the mail anymore. That’s because the Social Security Administration only mails paper copies to workers age 60 and older who aren’t receiving benefits yet and haven’t signed up for an online account. If it has been a while since you last reviewed your Social Security annual statement, consider signing up for an online account to review. Not only is it good to have an estimate of what your Social Security benefit might be when you retire or if you have a qualifying disability, it’s also important to look for errors. For example, your statement will include your earnings history for your lifetime. Be sure to look for any discrepancies by cross checking what the Social Security Administration is reporting versus what was reported on old W-2 tax forms.

Lastly, if you haven’t already, please pull a recent copy of your credit report and look for any errors or discrepancies. Also, if you feel you may be the victim of identity theft or have a high probability of becoming a victim, consider the pros and cons of putting a credit freeze on your credit. And remember, if you do decide to put a credit freeze on your credit file, you must call and request this be done with each of the three credit reporting bureaus individually.

Doing a regular check in on simple items may seem like a nuisance, but if done on a regular basis it will help you keep important items up to date and give you the confidence that nothing has been overlooked.

Gary E. Croxall, CFP® Registered Principal of LPL Soren E. Croxall, CFP® Registered Representative of LPL Securities and Advisory Services offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Advisor. LPL Financial and Croxall Capital Planning do not provide tax or legal advice. The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.

JULY 2018

10 - LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel

By RUTH BATES

Broker Associate & MBA

Happy Summer Aptos — June Gloom and all. There is a lot going on in the world of real estate.

California Proposition 13 Tax Transfer Initiative If you are over 55 or disabled, pay close attention. The California Proposition 13 Tax Transfer Initiative will be on the ballot on Nov. 6. A “yes” vote supports amending Prop. 13 to allow homebuyers who are age 55 or older or severely disabled to transfer

their tax assessments (with a possible adjustment) from their prior home to their new home no matter (a) the new home’s value; (b) the new home’s location in the state; or (c) the buyer’s number of moves.

The significance of this new bill is huge!

Example: Fred and Irma have owned their home in Rio Del Mar since 1975. In 2018 their tax basis is $123,505 and they pay $973/year in property taxes.

• Without this bill, they retire to San Diego to be closer to the grandchildren; they sell their Rio Del Mar home for $1.2M net, and buy an $800,000 condo. Their new property taxes are about 1.25 percent of purchase price, which equals $10,000/year versus the $973 they are currently paying.

Not much incentive to move.

• With this new law, they can sell in Rio, buy in San Diego and keep the $973/ year tax basis, and the $400,000 gain from selling their home tax free (up to $500,000 for a couple), which is current law.

Federal Reserve — Interest Rates The Feds have already increased the interest rate twice this year, and are now hinting that they may do a total of four hikes in 2018. Average 30-year mortgage rates (bankrate.com) are now 4.54 percent, up from 4.10 percent in 2017 and 3.65 percent in 2016.

Rising interest rates do make homebuying more difficult. Example: Buyer

Bob has 20 percent down ($100,000) on a $500,000 condo, so his loan is $400,000.

Monthly payments on $400,000 at 4.10 percent are $1,933, at 4.54 percent are $2,036 and at 5.0 percent are $2,147!

Aptos Real Estate Since January, 129 homes have sold in Aptos. The high sale is 1106 Via Malibu at $5.5 million, followed by two new ocean front builds at 658 Bayview at $4,975,000 and 110 New Brighton at $4,495,000. The low sale is 8067 Aptos St. — $451,000, a 2-bed, 1-bath, 1,080-square-foot home.

Mix is: 5 homes > $3M, 11 at $2-3M, 5 at $1.5-$2M, 48 at $1.0-$1.5M, 25 at $800K-$1.0M, 26 at $600-$800K and 9 sold for under $600K. The average days on market is increasing at 40. The Average Sales Price through June 18 is $1,247,884 and the Median Sales Price is $1,050,000, up from the $1,000,000 in 2017.

Nineteen town homes sold. High sale is $899,500 for 3114 Corte Cabrillo, 3-bed, 2.5-bath, 1,926 square feet, and low sale is $480,000 for 3003 Corte Cabrillo, 2-bed, 2-bath, 918 square feet. Median sales price is $680,000.

Fifteen condos sold. High is $1,278,880 for 260 Rio Del Mar #24, ocean view 3-bed, 2-bath, 1,311 square feet. Low is $518,000 for 2601 Willowbrook #10, 2-bed, 1-bath, 1,048 square feet. Median sales price is $675,001.

REAL ESTATE

Update

Currently there are 56 Active Home Listings in Aptos, with 69 days on market (DOM) on average. In comparison, Santa Cruz area DOM are 14-21 days and sellers are receiving multiple offers and homes are selling for over list price. I had buyers who did not win the bid on a Santa Cruz home listed for $949,000 which sold for $1,050,000 with nine offers. I have buyers in escrow on a Seabright property that listed for $1,149,000 — our offer was $1,226,000 — and we got it. In Aptos, the summer market is not as robust as the spring market was for sellers and homes are not selling as quickly or for list price. I receive a lot of feedback these days at Open Houses that the commute is impacting buyers’ decisions to purchase in Aptos.

That said, Aptos is a fabulous place to live, work and serve in the community; and more changes are on the horizon. Stay tuned.

Making the most of summertime schedules

By NICOLE M. YOUNG, MSW

Last summer, my daughter was a junior counselor at a day camp next to the preschool she used to attend. As I dropped her off one morning, she noticed several young children also getting dropped off and asked, “Those poor kids have to go to preschool during the summer? Don’t they get a summer vacation?” I laughed and reminded her she used to be one of those “poor kids” who went to preschool year-

round (and loved it) because her parents worked year-round. Our conversation made me miss the simplicity of summer during the preschool years and having fullday care in a safe, nurturing environment with drop off and pick up at the same time, same place each day. Once my kids left preschool, their summer schedules became a patchwork quilt of camps and play dates across the county that kept them busy and engaged — and made me relieved once school started again.

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

Dear Nicole, My 7-year old-twins are so excited that school is out for the summer. I’m also glad to have a break from the daily school schedule. However, I work full-time, so my kids have to go to day camps or child care. They usually have fun the first few weeks of summer “vacation,” but then they complain about having to go somewhere every day. It’s stressful, but I don’t feel comfortable leaving them home alone, and I don’t have time to arrange a summer full of play dates. What can I do to minimize their complaints and still make summer fun for them?

— Wendi Dear Wendi, Great question! Although many people look forward to summer vacation all year long, coordinating children’s summertime schedules can be quite challenging. It can be particularly hard for adults who need full-time, affordable, fun, and safe activities for their children, so they can continue to work. Here are some tips for adding fun and variety to your kids’ summertime schedules: Adapt your children’s daily routines to reflect the summertime schedule.

Maintaining consistency in morning, mealtime and bedtime routines will make it easier to get everyone — including you — where they need to be each day. For instance, having a regular bedtime will help make sure your kids get enough sleep so they are rested and ready for the next day’s activities. At the same time, small changes to your children’s daily routines can make the summertime schedule feel special and different from the school year.

Look for opportunities to make minor changes that won’t be too disruptive, like letting them stay up or sleep in later, or picking them up early from camps or child care occasionally.

Take time to reconnect each day. During the school year, homework, schedules and deadlines often dominate the conversations between parents and children, and it can become stressful. The summer break provides a great chance for everyone to slow down and spend some quality time together, even if it’s for a short amount of time at the end of the day. The simplest ideas are often the best, like having a picnic for dinner, watching the stars come out, playing games, reading books or watching movies together. This will give your kids something to look forward to after being away at camps or child care.

Create a family “bucket list.” Ask your children to think of free or low-cost activities they would like to do as a family.

Write down the ideas you’re willing to do or pay for. At the beginning of each week, have your kids pick one activity from the bucket list to do later that week or weekend.

Throughout the week, talk with your kids about where, when and how you’ll do the activity. If you have a camera, take photos or videos of yourselves during each activity, then talk about them afterward and relive the memories. Talking together and providing engaging activities are positive parenting strategies that strengthen family relationships and will help focus your kids’ attention on things they’re looking forward to instead of complaints.

Final thoughts: Summertime is meant to be fun and relaxing, yet patching together safe, engaging activities for the entire summer can become another full-time job.

A few positive parenting strategies can make summer a fun experience for kids, while minimizing stress for parents and caregivers.

••• Nicole Young is the mother of two children, ages 14 and 18, 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.

To find a Triple P parenting class or practitioner, visit triplep.first5scc. org, www.facebook.com/triplepscc or contact First 5 Santa Cruz County at 465-2217 or triplep@first5scc.org.

JULY 2018

LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel - 11

Smooth to the touch

Glass artist showcasing work in County Building

“Sushi Plate 3” is a fused glass work by Heather Richman now showing at the Santa Cruz County Building. Photo by Tarmo Hannula

By TARMO HANNULA SANTA CRUZ — More than 70 glass works by Santa Cruz artist Heather Richman are currently on display at the Santa Cruz County Building, 701 Ocean St., through an ongoing series put on by Arts Council Santa Cruz County.

The works, showing on the first and fifth floors, showcase a wide range of her work, from fused/slumped glass, lampwork, and powdered glass on copper and will be showing through the first week of July.

One body of Richman’s show includes her “Caribbean Series” on the first floor, which include various works in fused/ slumped glass, from small dishes to sushi plates, in radiant colors typical of those of the Caribbean.

“I love these bright colors and they show well in glass,” Richman said. “A lot of my work is inspired by the ocean, so I’ve developed a wide variety of works I call ocean ornaments.”

Indeed, in showcases on the fifth floor Richman has assembled scores of small such ornaments that depict jellyfish, otters, see shells and other sea creatures.

“For as long as I remember, I have expressed myself through artwork,” she wrote in an artist’s statement. “My mother was a painter and an art professor, and I spent many summers with her traveling and painting in Mexico and Europe.

Although my degrees are in biology and management, I have always incorporated the arts into my studies, my work, and my leisure time.”

Richman, who is also a weaver, teaches glass work at her Santa Cruz studio where she has developed an extensive collection

of various colored glass pieces, from sheet glass to hair-thin rods.

“I love the qualities of glass,” she said.

“Hard, sharp glass is cut, ground and fired to become smooth and inviting to touch.

Solid glass rods become molten and can be stretched, manipulated, shaped, layered, mixed and reshaped to form specialty decorations for fusing or beads for jewelry.”

Richman is currently the president of the Regional Artisan Association, a nonprofit that sponsors Art of Santa Cruz, a permanent exhibit space (next to the Target store inside the Capitola Mall).

Art of Santa Cruz typically showcases 70 artists every month and features rotating shows where the public is invited to visit.

“Glass has so many properties that are so interesting,” Richman said. “It takes on so many forms. Being that I live near the ocean I want to portray something about the ocean that helps people make that a part of their homes; I do this because I love the ocean.”

Richman said she also enjoys taking part in the annual Open Studio Art Tour, a long-standing program, typically in October, that lets artists open their studio’s doors to the public around the county for one-on-one encounters to help people get a close-up handle of the local art world.

“I do Open Studios, a lot of local festivals, and smaller venues,” Richman said. “You go to sell but you really go to educate people about your work. Most people have no idea about the steps that go into this, how it is stacked, put together, how it’s fired, and that it’s not just a dish. I hope that my works will provide a source of pleasure to those who see and touch them.”

“Square Dish 6” is a fused glass work by Heather Richman. Photo

by Tarmo Hannula

Hot rods in the Village People enjoy the 13th annual Capitola Rod & Custom Classic Car Show in Capitola Village on June 9. Dozens of such cars and trucks lined the village, which was otherwise closed to through traffic. The car on the right is a 1936 Plymouth convertible. Photo by Tarmo Hannula

Boardwalk unveils summer lineup

By ERIK CHALHOUB SANTA CRUZ — With Santa Cruz County just past the graduation season, and the weather beginning to warm up, families are flocking to the beach.

And the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is ready for them.

The park outlined its summer offerings during a preview event for its 111thseason on May 24 in the Cocoanut Grove.

Boardwalk spokesman Kris Reyes said the park always has new things every season. Last year, it unveiled its new main entrance, complete with two new rides, food offerings, games and more.

While 2018 won’t see that large of an addition, it still promises to be better than the year before, according to Reyes.

“We are always committed to making the Boardwalk better than it was the year before,” he said. “It’s one of our core values at the park. We are always looking to make the park more fun than it was the year before.”

One of the most popular summer events at the Boardwalk is Friday Night Bands on the Beach, Reyes said. Planning for the lineup begins in the fall, and guests start emailing the park in January, asking who will be performing.

“When we reveal the list, if people’s favorite bands are not on there, they let us know — sometimes with not the most polite language,” Reyes said. “But we appreciate their passion and their excitement for the bands.”

The concert series runs through Aug. 31, featuring bands such as Berlin starring Terri Nunn, Los Lobos, Smash Mouth, The Fix and more.

Free Movies on the Beach also returns, featuring flicks such as “The Lost Boys,” “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” “Ghostbusters” and more through Aug. 15.

Live entertainment will also be offered throughout the summer, featuring acrobats, comedians, jugglers and more.

For information, visit

beachboardwalk.com.

JULY 2018

12 - LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel

SPORTS

WITH

TONY NUNEZ

New SCCAL commissioner banking on tradition, history in proposed rebuild

By TONY NUNEZ SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — Over the last nine years as the head coach of the Cabrillo College baseball team, Bob Kittle has had numerous student-athletes from all over Santa Cruz County pour into his program.

Just last spring, Kittle had at least one player from all but one public school in the county on his roster. Bringing in the best of the best, and watching the talent and personalities from various backgrounds mesh into a powerhouse representation of the county has been one of his favorite aspects of the job.

“Santa Cruz County is unique,” Kittle said in a recent phone interview. “There’s a sense of pride in this county… It’s connected.”

Now at the reins of the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League as the commissioner, Kittle is hoping that sense of pride and community can lead to a resurgence for the dwindling high school athletic league.

First on Kittle’s to-do list: continue Pat Lovell’s legacy.

Because of health issues, Lovell, 80, retired from the position in early May. He served as the league’s commissioner for nearly three decades and helped keep the SCCAL afloat through its ebbs and flows.

“Pat left some massive shoes to fill,” Kittle said. “Right off the bat, that’s the biggest challenge for me.”

Second on the list: convince county high schools to come back.

With St. Francis High leaving for the newly-formed Pacific Coast Athletic

League, a multi-tiered “equity” league containing former members of the Mission Trail Athletic League and Monterey Bay League, the SCCAL is at a tipping point.

The league will be down to six members — Aptos High, Harbor High, San Lorenzo Valley High, Santa Cruz High, Soquel High and Scotts Valley High — for all major sports, except for volleyball and track and field. A champion of a league with less than six teams does not receive an automatic berth to the Central Coast Section playoffs, lessening the luster of a league title to an extent.

The next realignment period is not for another two years, meaning the SCCAL cannot add new members until the 2020-21 school year. In the meantime, the SCCAL wants to put on its best face and prove it can not only survive in an era of “equity” leagues but thrive.

“It’s not going to be an easy sale,” Kittle said. “That’s a lengthy Cabrillo College baseball coach Bob Kittle, the new SCCAL Commissioner, will be tasked process. It’s not going to happen with growing the dwindling league. File photo by Tony Nunez overnight.”

WHAT COULD’VE BEEN In an alternate universe, the SCCAL might be a flourishing, multi-tiered league stretching from Scotts Valley to Castroville. In this universe, the league has been ripped apart by realignment at nearly every turn. Watsonville High, North Monterey County High and Monte Vista Christian have all held membership in the

SCCAL in the past.

Watsonville joined the SCCAL in 198384 and was a member until it was voted out after the 2005-06 season.

With Live Oak High and Sobrato High leaving the now-defunct Tri-County Athletic League to compete with other schools in the Santa Clara Valley, the southern conference of the CCS was forced to rebalance its four leagues. Alisal High and Alvarez High moved into the TCAL, joining their fellow Salinas schools, Salinas High, North Salinas High and Palma High, as well as San Benito High and Gilroy High. But that move left the single-tiered MBL with only four members: Monterey High, M.V.C., N.M.C. and Seaside High.

At the time, the SCCAL had seven schools, including Watsonville, competing in every sport, with St. Francis ready to field varsity teams at the start of the ’06-07 school year. Pajaro Valley High, meanwhile, was also primed to jump into the varsity sports scene, creating a dilemma for the SCCAL and MBL: the latter needed more members, and the former had members to spare.

Then-Watsonville Athletic Director Rob Cornett said there were two proposals on the table to resolve the imbalance: (1) have Watsonville and Pajaro Valley leave to the MBL or (2) fight like hell to keep the three Pajaro Valley Unified School District schools, Watsonville, Pajaro Valley and Aptos, together. The first option was unpopular among PVUSD leadership — the administration was adamant about keeping the three schools together, especially with Pajaro Valley needing help in its infancy. The second option could only work one way: all three PVUSD schools would leave to the MBL. “That scared a lot of people in the SCCAL,” said Cornett, still the track and field coach at Watsonville today. “I think that people knew exactly what would happen if Aptos would have left the league.”

The decision ultimately went to a vote, and Watsonville and Pajaro Valley were given the boot in preference of Aptos.

Just five years after the SCCAL had to part ways with M.V.C., the league severed one of its longest relationships in what was a lose-lose situation.

At the time, Cornett and the rest of the Watsonville administration felt like a fifthgrader spurned by their first love. More than a decade removed from the decision, there is no real animosity.

“I understand what led to everything, and I get it,” Cornett said. “I tend to hold grudges, but I got over it pretty quickly

and I think the rest of our coaches did, too, because the MBL was so good for us right away. The SCCAL was great for the county, but I think we fit better with the schools in the MBL. Our kids fit better with the kids in Monterey, Seaside, Pajaro Valley, and the coaches at the other schools welcomed us in… The move actually turned out to be really good for us, and it’s only gotten better.”

EQUITY Since the MBL absorbed the TCAL in 2012-13 and became a two-tiered “equity” league, the majority of Watsonville’s athletic teams have been competitive.

Baseball and girls track and field won their first league titles since the early ‘90s, while the boys and girls basketball teams and the girls soccer team all halted lengthy playoff droughts.

Additionally, Watsonville’s stronger squads have benefited from the tougher competition in the upper division. Molded by the night-in-night-out challenge of playing in the MBL-Gabilan, the boys soccer team made deep runs in the CCS playoffs, playing in four straight section finals and winning two titles over the last five seasons. The softball team took its lumps during its first season in the upper division last spring, and used the lessons learned from its tough league campaign to capture the program’s first-ever section championship.

Watsonville’s softball coach Scott Wilson said the creation of the multi-tiered league has not only been a boon for his team, but other programs struggling to compete.

“I think putting this league together was the best thing for our area,” Wilson said.

“There’s such a difference from school to school — size, competitive level, resources…Geographically, it’s a little bit of a stretch, but competitively it works. I think it gives everyone a chance, and that should be the most important thing.”

Of course, the two-tiered MBL was far from perfect over its six years of existence.

While most of Watsonville’s teams flourished, a few were placed in tough positions. On two separate occasions, the girls volleyball team was moved up to the Gabilan division only to be pummeled in every match and finish last. That happened frequently, as the league often swapped the Pacific division champ with the last-place finisher in the Gabilan division, despite the fact that the former might be losing its biggest contributors to graduation.

With every major sport in the PCAL featuring at least three divisions of

JULY 2018 varying difficulty, those instances could be drastically reduced. But the leaders of the SCCAL still believe the “equity” system won’t bring an end to mismatches. “No matter what league you’re in, there’s always going to be one or two teams that can’t compete,” said Aptos Athletic Director Mark Dorfman. “Every single school can’t be great. There are cycles to high school sports…If you look in football, Soquel was the dominant team in the ‘70s and ‘80s, then nobody could beat S.L.V. and then we had our run. That’s how it works…Instead of moving to another league, why can’t teams just get better?”

From 2006 to 2009, the Aptos football team went 18-22-1. The program’s lack of success during that four-season stretch was partly credited to the opening of Pajaro Valley and St. Francis, which sliced into the Mariners’ numbers. Dorfman, however, didn’t accept the Mariners’ woes as the new normal, and wasn’t about to let the depleted numbers pigeonhole the football team into mediocrity. Instead, he hired Randy Blankenship, one of the top high school football coaches in the state, and pushed for support from the administration.

Aptos finished second in the SCCAL the next season, and would go on to dominate for the next six seasons, winning 32 straight league games and a trio of CCS titles.

“I really believe it’s coaching,” Dorfman said. “We’re dominant in football but our numbers didn’t change, and our kids didn’t change either. It was Randy working together with the administration. He’s a great coach.”

Having a top-level coach at the helm of every program is the ultimate goal for every athletic director, but there are only so many quality candidates to choose from at any given moment. And for public schools who don’t have a winning history, or a built-in pool of options in decades of alumni, the list is even shorter. A subpar or “green” candidate is often the only choice for several schools not able to compete, and so the cycle continues: good coaches are hired by stable athletic programs and continue the success of the past, while programs failing to win hire whoever’s left and are stuck at the bottom of their league, struggling to convince kids to play sports.

The PCAL might not be perfect, said Pajaro Valley Athletic Director Joe Manfre, but it’s the best option for schools that have been locked into this cycle.

“Obviously, if you are the Aptos’s, Hollister’s and Salinas’s of the world it’s easy to get kids to come out and play sports,” Manfre said. “If you’re not very good at something, then kids are not going to want to come out and lose. It’s just not fun to lose… The other schools have that winning tradition. We’re still trying to build that culture throughout our school, and you can’t create a culture overnight.”

TOP HEAVY Aptos flexed its muscle during the 201718 school year. The Mariners won 16 of 23 possible league championships, including eight of 10 in the spring. They have won at least 10 titles in seven of the last eight school years.

“I don’t know if it’s an anomaly,” Dorfman said. “I hope this happens every year.”

Everything considered, those numbers should not be a surprise. Aptos not only has nearly 300 more students than any other school in the SCCAL, according to the 2017-18 California Basic Educational Data Systems, but its student-athlete participation was above 75 percent for the eighth straight school year.

According to Dorfman, Aptos had 76 percent of its enrolled students participating in athletics, meaning it had roughly more students playing sports (1,124) than Santa Cruz (1,062), Harbor (932), Scotts Valley (802) and S.L.V. (790) had on their campus, period.

Kittle saw nothing wrong with the Mariners’ dominance over the league, saying that they have done everything the right way and that they should be an example of what all SCCAL schools can be.

“It’s simple, everyone can’t be great,” Kittle said. “Aptos has dominated our league for some time now but that doesn’t mean someone else can’t do that.”

Kittle speaks from experience. Before

LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel - 13 taking the job at Cabrillo, he built the baseball program at Santa Cruz into a juggernaut. In 13 seasons, the Cardinals won seven league titles, qualified for the CCS playoffs 10 times and played in a trio of section finals, winning the Division III title in 2003. “[Success] can happen with smaller numbers, but you need everyone to be behind you,” Kittle said. “The administration, the community, the parents, it’s everyone working together.”

Although Aptos walked away with several titles this school year, only a few were easily attained. One point separated Aptos and Santa Cruz in girls cross country. The girls track and field team had to evoke a league bylaw that had laid dormant for nearly 20 years in order to win the title. And the boys and girls volleyball teams were both pushed to the brink by their league rivals.

“I believe every sport, for the most part, was competitive in our league this year,” Dorfman said.

Parity at the top of the league has not been an issue, but the growing gap between the top and the bottom has raised some eyebrows and led to change.

While Aptos, Santa Cruz, Soquel, Scotts Valley and S.L.V. have exchanged turns at the top of the league in several sports, Harbor has had trouble keeping up. This past school year, the Pirates finished last in football, baseball, boys and girls basketball, girls soccer and softball.

Neither of those teams have won a league championship since the early 2000s.

Harbor’s girls volleyball and boys soccer teams have been yearly contenders, but their other teams have struggled fitting in with the rest of the SCCAL. St. Francis had a similar dilemma during its membership with the league. Being a private school of a little more than 250 students, its competitiveness varied wildly from sport to sport. The Sharks’ baseball and basketball teams matched up well in the SCCAL, but every other team more or less struggled to find its footing.

While their exit from the league for football in 2013 was for fear of injury to younger players playing at the varsity level, the decision to move all sports over to the PCAL was one rooted in competitive balance.

St. Francis Principal Pat Lee, the SCCAL President last school year, said moving into an equity league made the most sense for his students. The school’s baseball and basketball teams would find a new challenge in the PCAL’s upper divisions, while other programs would finally be playing against teams more their speed.

“It just offers so much more than a single-tiered league can,” Lee said. “I think the question I kept coming back to was this: what’s best for our kids?”

A MATTER OF MILES The farthest the Watsonville baseball team traveled for a league game this spring was Seaside. Next spring the Wildcatz will have to play in Pacific Grove, Carmel, Soledad and King City.

That’s one of several nightmarish travel scenarios the PCAL will feature for the foreseeable future.

In a vacuum, Watsonville to King City is roughly an hour-and-fifteen-minute drive.

Now place any member of the current SCCAL into that scenario, account for the bottleneck traffic of Highway 1 and a twohour trek doesn’t seem out of the question.

For a Friday night football game, the once-a-week trip is bearable. But making an hour-plus journey two or three times a week for a 4 p.m. baseball or softball game, means student-athletes would have to miss an excessive amount of school in order to play a sport.

“That’s as much travel as the junior college conferences,” Kittle said. “It doesn’t make sense.”

PCAL commissioner Tim McCarthy admitted that the extended travel is an issue, but said it is not a result of the new league’s creation. The southern conference of the CCS, McCarthy said, has and will always have issues with travel due to its area of coverage. There is no real solution for schools on the outskirts of the conference, like King City and Scotts Valley.

“Everyone understands that it’s a big issue and the concerns from the SCCAL

are valid, but this has been happening already,” McCarthy said. “King City has been traveling to Anzar and Oakwood for games for some time. I don’t think, overall, teams are going to travel more than they already are.”

McCarthy said travel was taken into consideration when balancing the divisions for the upcoming school year. It, however, did not take precedence over competitive level, enrollment size and other factors that directly affect the product on the field, court, links or pool.

“Our goal is to make sure the PCAL, in its current form, works for the kids,” McCarthy said. “Where it goes from here, we’ll see.”

TRADITION The ousting of the Wildcatz in ’06 neutered two celebrated and historic SCCAL football rivalries. Watsonville and Santa Cruz had battled for nearly a century before the former was sent packing, and the “Black and Blue Bowl” between Watsonville and Aptos was one of largest county attractions since its inception in the early ‘80s. Watsonville and Santa Cruz still play one another in the preseason, albeit to much smaller crowds and hoopla, but the Watsonville-Aptos rivalry was axed after their meeting in 2014.

“It’s really sad to see these things die,” Dorfman said. “I remember the ‘Black and Blue Bowl’ used to be a huge game. It was big for the community. It brought the two cities together.”

While some see the PCAL as a blessing for student-athletes and competition, others see it as the end of what makes high school sports special: tradition, rivalries and community.

With the SCCAL football teams split up in different divisions of the PCAL this fall, several county rivalries have either been halted or moved up into unusual spots.

Santa Cruz and Harbor won’t be playing the “Shell Game,” Scotts Valley and S.L.V. have also postponed their annual “Battle of the Valleys” and the “Stump Game” between Soquel and Santa Cruz will be played in the preseason.

Another big blow to Kittle’s plan to reunite the county this fall: Pajaro Valley, St. Francis, Watsonville and M.V.C. leaving the annual SCCAL Football Jamboree in favor of their own four-team Apple City Jamboree.

“These games, these relationships are what make the county special,” Kittle said.

“Losing these games, it’s painful to our league…it’s not only about maintaining what we have now, but bringing some of the old things back and building on top of that.”

Kittle will have to find new fundraising paths for the SCCAL, and he has a few ideas already gaining ground — implementing an end-of-season league tournament for every sport, being one of them. But his biggest challenge as commissioner might be uniting a county that seems to have forgotten it was ever connected.

Watsonville and Santa Cruz were considered sister schools at one time, but the 19 miles that separates the oldest schools in the county is no longer a barren stretch of land. The opening of Soquel, Harbor and Aptos in the ‘60s created some distance between the programs, and the addition of S.L.V., Scotts Valley, M.V.C., St. Francis and Pajaro Valley has somewhat splintered the county into smaller communities.

There are plenty of people around the county that still hold fond memories of the old days, but the majority of the studentathletes playing the games today don’t.

Kittle and the leaders of the SCCAL want to change that.

In an effort to unite the remaining six schools, the SCCAL is creating the Pat Lovell Award, a rotating trophy that will be awarded to the school with the most points at the end of each school year.

The trophy, Kittle said, will be a nice start of what will be a gigantic endeavor to bring the county together through tradition and history.

“I don’t think it’s impossible,” Kittle said. “We have to make sure that everyone’s pulling the cart in the same direction, and I think if other schools see that, they’ll want to jump back in.”

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Ongoing

July 4

July 19

Twilight Concerts

World’s Shortest Parade

Family Movie Night

The City of Capitola Art and Cultural Commission’s 34th Annual Twilight Concert Series returns to Esplanade Park.

This local free event will consist of 13 Wednesday evening concerts through Aug. 29 from 6-8 p.m. For information, visit www.cityofcapitola.org.

Art & Music at the Beach

Local artists display their work and live music is performed on the Esplanade Stage for six Sundays throughout the summer in Capitola Village from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The free event concludes on Aug. 19. For information, visit www.facebook.com/ sundayartandmusicatthebeach.

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The World’s Shortest Parade will roll down Soquel Drive from State Park Drive to Aptos Village Park beginning at 10 a.m.

Before the parade, guests are invited to a pancake breakfast at the burger.Aptos parking lot. The Party in the Park begins after the parade from noon to 4 p.m. at Aptos Village Park.

‘Bonding with Animals’ class

This class will be held from 1-4 p.m. at Pregnant Mare Rescue in Watsonville.

The cost is $33, with half of the proceeds donated to the organization. Participants will learn about animals of all kinds, with a special emphasis on working with shelter and sanctuary animals. The following topics will be covered and participants will meditate and chant with the horses, which include 10 foals. To register, call Cindie Ambar at 332-8464 or email HappyHorsesHealing@sbcglobal.net.

“Despicable Me 3� will be screened at Heart of Soquel Park, 4740 Soquel Drive, at 8 p.m. A picnic begins at 6 p.m. For information, visit www.scparks.com.

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July 21-22 Bargetto Winery Art & Wine Festival

The festival will take place at Bargetto Winery, 3535 N. Main St. in Soquel, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. More than 30 local artists and food vendors will participate in the event. Wine tasting is available with the purchase of a $10 glass. For information, visit www.bargetto.com or call 475-2258, extension 10.

uly 22

Wharf to Wharf Race

The 46th annual Wharf to Wharf Race runs from Santa Cruz to Capitola beginning at 8:30 a.m. For information, visit wharftowharf.com.

Would be devastating to lose rail line To the Editor,

Life Aptos, Capitola, Soquel welcomes letters and guest columns about local issues.

Letters should be about 300 words or less.

Guest columns should run no longer than about 800 words and should include a one-paragraph biography at the end of the column and a photograph if available.

Letters and columns may be dropped off at the RegisterPajaronian, 100 Westridge Drive, Watsonville, CA 95076. Email is the best way to send columns and letters — newsroom@registerpajaronian.com.

Our fax number is 722-8386.

All submissions must be signed and have a street address and phone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit and condense all submissions.

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I am a Registered Nurse and I ride my bike to and from work daily. I ride from Capitola to Fredrick Street, riding through Arana Gulch, which was a dream come true and inspired me to buy an E-bike to commute to work. I carpool or take the Metro bus when it is raining/stormy, but will wear rain gear when it is a slight drizzle or when it is simply necessary. I sold my car last fall and plan to remain car-less for the time being. The possibility of a future electric rail line alongside the coastal trail will allow me and many others to navigate easily through the county and cut back on our carbon footprint. It would be devastating to lose the tracks and eliminate the possibility for our community to improve our transportation. Riding my bike on a trail next to an operating rail line would be another dream come true.

Joanne Noce Capitola

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Criminality in the Oval Office

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To the Editor, The current occupant of the White House is committing infractions against the Constitution of the United States, perhaps in more ways than one. I would like to refer to him as a blockhead, but he is not. He is intelligent enough. The problem is that he has not the slightest idea of how to conduct himself as our president, what his duties are, and is operating on his own stupid and dangerous agenda.

When Trump tells the NFL to “get that son of a bitch out of here,� he is advocating the denial of that person’s constitutional right to free speech. If the Constitution can recognize corporations as persons and their money as a form of speech, it certainly must recognize taking a knee during the anthem as a player’s form of expression and his right to free speech. To require the player to remain in the dressing room is to deny them their Constitutional right to express themselves freely.

These are sad days in the history of our nation as we cannot believe a single word out of his mouth. There is a bit of truth in what he says when he blames our current situation on former leaders (referring to political leaders), beginning mostly with Ronald Reagan and his ideas of free trade. But the oligarchs, rich and powerful individuals like himself (although his riches are questionable), are the ones who moved our manufacturing base offshore closing 50 or 60,000 factories and pitching millions of workers out of our once vibrant middle class. We no longer live in a democracy as the oligarchs have virtually bought our government turning this nation into a fascist corporate oligarchy.

Trump has accomplished very little other than the huge tax deal the Congress passed. Some of the common folk will get a small break on their taxes but 85 percent of the benefits of Trump’s tax deal will go to the top one percent, and much of the money needed to carry this out will be borrowed, adding millions and millions to the national debt. Trump will join Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush as the four presidents who have run up the national debt more than all the other 41 presidents combined! And Republicans are called conservative?

I’m with Bernie Sanders, “enough!� We have to figure a way out of this dilemma before he causes a total catastrophe. If we don’t, stick a fork in us, we’re done!

Thomas Stumbaugh Aptos

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