MARCH 2017 EVERYTHING APTOS, CAPITOLA & SOQUEL Vol. 5 No. 8
APTOS
SOQUEL
Balance and belonging in ballet
Aptos burnt by sizzling Soquel in championship
pg. 13
pg. 12
CAPITOLA
State Parks slammed by storms Few closures, but plenty of damage By TODD GUILD SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — A spate of recent storms has lashed the Central Coast, with flooding, toppled trees and fallen power lines across much of the region. Visitors to Santa Cruz County’s state parks can expect to find evidence of this, with blocked trails and a closed campground at Seacliff State Beach, said California State Parks Santa Cruz District Public Safety Superintendent Bill Wolcott. Rough surf destroyed two beach access walkways to Manresa State Beach, although it spared a third ramp. Beachgoers should still use caution, however, as ocean and beach environments are by nature unstable and dynamic, Wolcott said. The campground and lower day use area at Seacliff State Beach are closed as crews work to repair damage and
A bright red barn adds the drama of this rural setting on Valencia Road in Aptos. Photo by Tarmo Hannula
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Back to school, in three locations
HISTORY CORNER By John Hibble Call: 688-1467
Valencia Elementary School in class after school closes
Visit us online: aptoshistory.org Visit the museum: 7605-B Old Dominion Court Aptos, CA
By TODD GUILD APTOS — Classes resumed Feb. 22 for Valencia Elementary School students, Cassidy Blair, a teacher’s aide, sharpens who have been out of school pencils for the approximately 50 students who since storm damage on returned to school. Photo by Bek Sabedra Valencia Road forced Pajaro
I can fly
Any child who has ever seen a bird soar through the sky has wanted to fly. Greek mythology tells of Icarus who died trying to fly. Leonardo da Vinci designed a flying machine but never built it. The first time that people ascended into the rarefied air was in a hot air balloon in 1783 and in that same year the first parachute jump occurred. Fast forward to Santa Cruz in 1904 where Fred Swanton has Daniel Maloney parachuting out of a hot air balloon down to the beach in front of Swanton’s Neptune’s Casino for the entertainment of the onlookers. What better person than Maloney to pilot the first public demonstration of a fixed wing aircraft and who better to promote it than Swanton. It all started with John Montgomery who was one of those children who wanted to fly like a bird, and he was not Please turn to Page 7
Valley Unified School District to close the school indefinitely. In a mishmash collection of classrooms at Cabrillo College on Feb. 21, a team of Valencia teachers was busy placing Please turn to Page 11
Congressman tours storm damage Staff report
Santa Cruz County Supervisor Zach Friend (right) shows Congressman Jimmy Panetta the damaged caused by recent storms on Valencia Road. Contributed photo
APTOS — U.S. Congressman Jimmy Panetta and Supervisor Zach Friend on Feb. 18 toured stormdamaged areas of Santa Cruz County, focusing on the Aptos area and the issues facing Valencia Elementary School in
particular. During a two-hour tour arranged by Friend, Panetta met with neighborhood representatives and school officials, as well as representatives from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and Aptos/La Selva Fire Protection District, to discuss Please turn to Page 6
Inside ...
Rancho Del Mar...................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