Aptos Life October 2021

• VOL. • VOL. OCTOBER 8, NO. OCTOBER 20212021 8, NO. 40 41

Mural Mural Compass Compass New campus project reflects Cabrillo’s successful New campus artart project reflects Cabrillo’s successful efforts connect with Latinx community efforts to to connect with Latinx community JOHANNA MILLER

BY BY JOHANNA MILLER

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’d never even heard the word “artivism” until this year. The idea of combining art and activism has been around forever, of course, but I think this new term captures how ubiquitous the concept has become. Maybe 20 years ago, you had to be Banksy to be seen as making a serious political statement with street art, but now it’s a widely accepted way of conveying a message. In the last few years, we’ve seen public art become a core part of social movements like Black Lives Matter.

At first glance, the mural featured on the cover of this issue might seem different. It wasn’t created by activists, it was created by an institution.

And it’s more of a cultural celebration than a manifesto.

And yet, if you read the story

by Johanna Miller about this mural—which is titled “Unity”—I think you’ll agree that it is, in its own way, artivism. For Cabrillo, it’s an artistic expression of the outreach the college has done to the Latinx community.

And what surprised me most in her story is how successful that outreach has been. We see a number of organizations these days saying they care about diversity, but Cabrillo is the rare case where real change can be seen. That makes the mural itself all the more powerful, because it speaks to new opportunities and horizons not only for Cabrillo itself, but also for all of the students who may have been overlooked in the past, or who may have never considered college a possibility.

STEVE PALOPOLI, Editor

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Cover Story

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History Corner

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Word from a Friend

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Financial Advice

CEO & Executive Editor

Dan Pulcrano Vice President

Lee May Publisher

Jeanie Johnson Editor

Steve Palopoli Contributing writers

John Hibble Zach Friend Johanna Miller Soren E. Croxall Photography

Tarmo Hannula Cover design

Hon Truong Advertising Director

Debra Whizin Advertising Sales

Tiffani Petrov Kate Kauffman Ilana Packer Lisa Buckley Sue Lamothe Production

Rob Chalhoub Hon Truong

Aptos Life is published monthly. All rights reserved, material may not be reprinted without written consent from the publisher. Aptos Life made every effort to maintain the accuracy of information presented in this publication, but assumes no responsibility for errors, changes or omissions. Aptos Life is a division of the Pajaronian. Publishing in Santa Cruz County since 1868.

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Power ‘Unity’ OF

Cabrillo honors Latinx culture with new mural

Johanna Miller

WALL TOGETHER NOW Dancers were part of the ceremony last month celebrating the new mural ‘Unity’ on the Cabrillo campus.

OCTOBER 2021 | APTOS LIFE

By JOHANNA MILLER

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abrillo College’s Aptos campus came alive Sept. 14 as the community celebrated the installation of a new mural designed by Watsonville artist Francisco Alonso.

Entitled “Unity,” the mural is now displayed on one of Cabrillo’s elevator towers on upper campus, just past the statue of Martin Luther King, Jr. Alonso created the piece with fellow artist Jeronimo Sanchez.

The project, funded by a grant from the Cabrillo Foundation and the college’s Student Senate, is the result of an ongoing effort at the college to promote diversity and celebrate its status as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).

“Today is a wonderful day of celebration,” Cabrillo president Matthew Wetstein said on Sept.

14. “Today we celebrate, for the first time ever, a Latinx-inspired mural at Cabrillo’s Aptos campus.”

Wetstein added that it was the first time the college has officially observed Hispanic Serving Institutions Week, a national

effort to recognize institutions of higher education that are Hispanic-serving, defined by the U.S. Department of Education.

To get the designation as an HSI, a college must serve more than 25% of students who are Latinx. Today, these students represent 45% of Cabrillo’s student body. This past spring, the school reached a milestone of 50% of its graduating class being Latinx.

“We can aim as a college to foster a greater sense of belonging among our diverse student body, celebrating the rich tapestry

that our students bring to our campuses,” Wetstein said. “We are better for that diversity—a better college, a better community.”

The effort to bring a mural to Cabrillo began in 2019, when the Student Senate and other on-campus groups voted to approve and fund the project.

While the pandemic delayed it for a while, an open call was eventually sent out by Cabrillo’s Mural Committee, and Alonso caught wind of the project.

Alonso, who was born in Michoacán, Mexico and grew up in Watsonville, is an ➝ 10

HISTORY CORNER

COACH OF THE YEARS The Brewster carriage that once belonged to the Spreckels family.

Buggy Ride

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for Rolls-Royce America Inc. Jump to present day. Sandra Bonura just wrote Empire Builder, the definitive biography of John D. Spreckels, Claus Spreckels’ firstborn son. The book also includes new historical information about Claus. John Spreckels was responsible for turning San Diego into a full-fledged city. We had corresponded several times with Sandee while she was doing her research, and after the book was published, she traveled here to see the Aptos History Museum on May 18, 2021. We arranged a tour of properties related to Spreckels’ time in Aptos, and Sandee also wanted to meet with

several of Claus Spreckels’ relatives including Adolph Rosekrans.

Adolph Rosekrans, who lives in Woodside, is a great grandson of Claus Spreckels. Adolph’s grandparents were Adolph Spreckels, Claus Spreckels’ second son, and Alma de Bretteville Spreckels. Big Alma, as she was known, brought the bronze artworks of Auguste Rodin’s (who sculpted “The Thinker”) bronze art works to America and built the Palace of the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco to hold them. Her form also graces the top of the Dewey Monument spire in Union Square.

Adolph’s parents were Alma

OCTOBER 2021 | APTOS LIFE

efore the automobile, horsepower was delivered by horses.

Working folk used wagons, the wealthy rode about in carriages.

In 1804, James Brewster became an apprentice carriage builder. In 1810, he opened a carriage shop, the Brewster Carriage Company, at a time when four-wheeled light carriages began to replace two-wheeled carriages. His coaches were of exceptional quality and Brewster quickly established a reputation for building America's finest carriages. As an aside, when automobiles came around, Brewster built bodies on chassis

Spreckels and John Rosekrans.

John and Alma purchased 120 acres in Woodside for Alma’s horses.

They called it

By John Hibble Runnymede Aptos History Museum Farm and they built a spectacular Tudor inspired stable which can be seen from Highway 280.

Adolph Rosekrans is an architect. Prior to the pandemic, Dana Neitzel of the San Mateo County History Museum invited Adolph along to view carriages from the History San Jose Museum. The museum was losing their storage facility and they were offering the carriages to San Mateo County. Dana looked at one carriage and remarked, “Oh, another Brewster carriage.”

Adolph opened the carriage door and remembered the same feel as when he was a child and played in the Spreckels’ carriages kept in his parents’ milking barn. On the back of the carriage was a sticker that said, “Visited California’s World’s Fair”, and the door had a crest painted in gold with the letters, LS. They had assumed that the carriage had belonged to Leland Stanford of the university and railroad fame.

Dana wrote down the serial number of the carriage and researched it through Merri Ferrell at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, since they have the records from the Brewster Carriage Company. As it turns out, that carriage was sold to R. Spreckels April 7, 1899. The letters in the gold crest are actually CS. Rudolph was Claus Spreckels’ fifth child and probably handled the transaction for his father.

This was one of the carriages that Adolph played in as a boy.

This carriage model is a Brogham, which carries two people. It turns out that Claus had purchased five carriages from Brewster, including a sleigh. Therefore, it is likely that guests were transported from the ➝ 10 Santa Cruz Rail Road in

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WORD FROM A FRIEND

Flood Control Update

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OCTOBER 2021 | APTOS LIFE

s we enter fall and winter, the chance of increased rain provides a reminder about the many drainage issues and flood control needs throughout the county. Two of the highest-profile in the MidCounty and South County areas are the Pajaro River flood control project and the Rio Del Mar drainage project.

Here is a brief update on both of these projects.

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Read online at

AptosLife.com

phase (called Pre-Construction, Engineering and Design/PED).

At the state level, there has been even more movement on the funding front. Under previous legislation authored by thenAssemblymember John Laird and updated by Assemblymember Mark Stone, the State will contribute 70% of the nonfederal costs of planning, design, and construction, per statute and per the cost-share description calculated in the project’s Pajaro River Non-Federal Cost Share Report. However, in his Flood Control current position as State Every year we have Senator, Laird authored concerns about the SB 496, which offers up to Pajaro River and the 100% cost share of nonBy Zach Friend stability of the levee federal costs. The bill was Santa Cruz County system. The Pajaro signed into law last week Supervisor River has one of the

by Gov. Gavin Newsom, lowest levels of flood and will remove a lot of protection of any federally funded the local cost-share burden that project in the U.S., and has been would fall on the economically providing inadequate protection disadvantaged communities to Watsonville, the Town of of Watsonville and Pajaro.

Pajaro and the surrounding Lastly, county staff submitted communities for decades. a $7 million grant application Fortunately, in the last two to the state’s Coastal Watershed years, significant progress has been Flood Risk Reduction Grant made toward making a new levee Program. In August, the county project a reality. The project made received word that the grant it through the federal feasibility proposal was awarded. This grant stage and is now moving to the award will provide essential design and construction phase. cash flow relief for the project In order to keep the project as near-term infusions of local moving forward, we’ve hosted cash will be required to continue regular visits from senior funding the PED phase. members of the D.C. Army Corps As noted above, a local cost Headquarters and regional office, share is required to bring this as well as continued discussions project over the finish line. Even with Congressional, White House though the overwhelming cost and state partners essential to the of the project will be funded funding of the project. Federal through state and federal funding has been allocated to allocations there is a local work on the design phase of the match required from property program, and in late May a design owners within the benefit area. agreement was executed with the An analysis on the benefit area Army Corps that officially pivoted and costs is in the initial stages. the program from the feasibility Taken together, these elements stage into the design state. Over mark the largest advancements the last two federal fiscal years, that have been made toward more than $4.6 million has been a new levee in decades. allocated to complete the next

Taken together, these elements mark the largest advancements that have been made toward a new levee in decades.

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Anyone who lives in the Rio Del Mar flats area, or has driven there in the winter, knows that large sections can flood and even become impassible.

County Public Works used a grant from FEMA to explore solutions to these flooding and drainage issues. After multiple years of working on the project, the county developed a design (and grant-based construction funding from multiple sources) that proposed to install drainage improvements consisting of new and replacement underground storm drains, install a new pump station and relocate stormwater outfall to a new location to alleviate flooding and also improve the water quality that runs off.

The proposed project would reduce flooding and emergency response during flooding events while reducing pollution discharges to the creek where fish habitat and water quality are a concern. As part of the project, a Benefit Assessment District was proposed to fund the operation and maintenance of the pump station and associated facilities.

Property owners were asked to vote on the creation of the district.

At the Sept. 14 meeting of the Board of Supervisors, the Board certified the vote results associated with the Rio Del Mar Flats Benefit Assessment District (the drainage improvement project). The vote failed, with approximately 61 percent voting against the assessment and 39 percent voting in favor of the assessment. Due to the majority of votes opposing the assessment, the formation of the Rio

Del Mar Flats Benefit Assessment District will not proceed. As was noted during the community meetings in advance of the vote and during the Board of Supervisors’ meeting, without formation of the assessment district there is insufficient funding to operate and maintain the pump station and associated facilities.

Consequently, the construction funds county staff secured through grants will be returned to the granting agencies as the drainage improvement project will not be built. There are no planned back-up projects or additional grant funding in hand for any other drainage improvement project in the Rio Flats.

Thank you to the Rio Del Mar Improvement Association for hosting outreach sessions over the years on this project both in person and for partnering with the county for virtual outreach during the pandemic. Thank you also to everyone that participated in the meetings and also that took the time to vote in the assessment. We appreciated the robust participation throughout the process.

For your safety, please do not drive or pass through flooded areas. With climate change, it is anticipated that the frequency and severity of flooding in the Rio Flats may increase. During the winter/ spring rains for non-emergency related road flooding or access issues, please call the Public Works Dispatch number at 477-3999. If there is an emergency situation, please do not hesitate to call 9-1-1.

As always, I appreciate any feedback you may have on this (or any other county issue). I’m maintaining regular updates on social media at www.facebook. com/supervisorfriend and you can always call me at 454-2200.

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FINANCIAL ADVICE

Saving for Retirement with No 401K, Part 2

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n last month’s article, we discussed a report produced by the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics that showed that in March of 2020 (when they conducted the survey), 33% of those surveyed did not have access to any workplace retirement plan. This could be because their employer didn’t offer one, they weren’t eligible to participate in the company workplace plan, or they were selfemployed. If you find that you don’t have access to a workplace plan or are self-employed, there are other ways to potentially save for retirement. Last month, we specifically reviewed traditional and Roth IRAs as potential options. This month, we’ll explore a few other types of accounts to consider.

OCTOBER 2021 | APTOS LIFE

Self-Employed

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If you are self-employed and don’t have any employees, there are a few account types you could consider to save for retirement.

The first would be a SEP IRA. If you are a sole proprietor or run your business as a partnership, C-corp, or S-corp, you may be eligible to establish a SEP IRA. What’s nice about SEPs are that they are generally easy to set up and maintain, and they generally don’t require IRS reporting by the employer as some other plan types do. SEPs offer the potential to contribute more per year than a traditional or Roth IRA, and contributions are completely discretionary. In 2021, the maximum contribution to a SEP is the lesser of 25% of the employee’s compensation for

required contributions to eligible the year or $58,000. The actual employee’s SEP IRAs as well. formula of what is considered “compensation” and what the If you are self-employed and maximum percentage contribution truly have no employees (other is allowed given your than maybe your individual situation can spouse), you could be complex. We would consider an individual encourage you to work 401(k), also known as with a tax advisor to a solo 401(k). The rules determine how much you around solo 401(k) may be able to contribute s are a little more annually to a SEP IRA. complicated, but they While SEPs are a may be a good fit for good option for selfsomeone looking to employed people to potentially save more consider if they don’t Soren E. Croxall than they may be able to have employees, you can Financial Advice with a SEP IRA. They have a business that does also can be customized have employees and have to have certain features a SEP IRA. There are a that aren’t available with SEP few considerations though. One IRAs, like Roth contributions and is that you, as the employer, are the ability to take loans. There responsible for contributions are a few things to consider. to SEP IRAs established for After an individual 401(k) plan employees (employees don’t reaches more than $250,000 contribute themselves). You in assets, you will be subject to also are required to contribute annual required tax filings. Also, an equal percentage of eligible if you participate in a 401(k) plan compensation to your eligible through another employer and employee’s SEP IRA accounts as have an individual 401(k) for your you do to your own SEP IRA. self-employment income, your SEPs do allow for you to contributions may be limited. A impose eligibility requirements financial or tax advisor can discuss for employees. The minimum the overall contribution limits and criteria the IRS uses to determine nuances that may be applicable who is an eligible employee and to your individual situation. must be included in the SEP plan are: 1) they must be age 21 Not Self-Employed and older; 2) they must worked If you fall into the category for your business for the last 3 that you’re an employee of an out of 5 years; and 3) they must employer that a) doesn’t have a have received at least $650 in workplace retirement plan or b) wages in 2021. Even though the you aren’t eligible to participate IRS allows for some employees in the plan they do offer, there are to be excluded from a SEP plan, still options for you to save. The if you run a business with many first is to consider contributing long-tenured employees, you to a traditional or Roth IRA may find it burdensome to fund your own SEP IRA and make (which we discussed in detail

in last month’s article). Again, you don’t need to be tied to an employer to contribute, you just need earned income (i.e. wages, salary, bonuses, etc.). If you have maximized your contributions to a traditional or Roth IRA and are still looking to save, you could also consider contributing to a taxable brokerage account. There are no tax benefits associated with this type of account. Contributions are made on an after-tax basis and the account doesn’t grow tax deferred (you’ll need to report activity that happens in the account like dividends, interest, and capital gains annually on your tax return).

However, if you are looking to be diligent about saving on a regular basis and have maximized contributions to retirement accounts that are available to you, a taxable brokerage account is an option to consider.

Whichever retirement vehicles you use, the key thing to keep in mind is that one of the most important elements is time. So the sooner you can start, the more opportunity you have to potentially grow those assets to the point that they can be a significant part of your retirement cash flow.

It’s never too late to start. But starting as early as you can is an advantage. Whether you use tax advantaged IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEP IRAs, individual (solo) 401(k) s, or regular taxable brokerage accounts, or a combination of any of them, the key is to be consistent with your contributions and realistic in your return expectations. If you start early, it truly is long term investing.

Soren Croxall, CFA, CFP® is a registered representative of LPL Financial 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.

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Aptos to Spreckels’ Aptos Hotel in a Brewster carriage, possibly a Park Drag model built more like an elegant stage coach.

How did this carriage wind up in a San Jose museum? Adolph remembers that his parents lent their carriages to California’s World’s Fair, the “Golden Gate International Exposition” held at San Francisco’s Treasure Island in 1939-1940. Treasure Island is an artificial island that was built to house the World’s Fair. Adolph surmises that his parents may have been glad to get rid of the carriages as they were no longer used since automobiles had taken over the streets. The carriages were never returned to Runnymede.

The carriages were used at the Exposition in the staged production called “The Cavalcade of the Golden West”. Written by Art Linkletter, it was a massive presentation on an outdoor stage 450 feet wide by 150 feet deep featuring a cast of 500.

The performance began with Spain’s discovery of America and continued with a romanticized history of America’s expansion from sea to shining sea. The elaborate stage opened with a water curtain and had a canal through the middle with a Spanish galleon, two full sized locomotives, battles, George Washington on horseback, wagon trains, cowboys waving American flags and a cattle

POWER OF ‘UNITY’

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alumnus of the college. He began as a dishwasher in the cafeteria before faculty and staff encouraged him to start taking art classes.

While at the school, Alonso helped establish a Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA) program, aiming to bring events to the school that would help overcome racism.

He eventually transferred to San Francisco State University, where he received a degree in art.

Alonso explained that the piece was inspired by totems, which he said, “represent a community’s history and memories, and their relationship to creation and the elements.” Represented in the work are symbols of indigenous ancestral wisdom and knowledge from

drive. Claus Spreckels’ carriages were part of the show. Also, Adolph remembers seeing Sally Rand, Ester Williams and Johnny Weissmuller at the Exposition.

The San Mateo Museum took possession of the carriage from the History San Jose Museum and, since they currently have nowhere to keep it, the carriage has come full circle and resides at Adolph’s milking barn at Runnymede, which is where Sandee Bonura saw the carriage and sent us photographs.

We contacted Adolph and he told us the tale of the purloined carriages. Adolph has designed a new facility for the San Mateo County History Museum to house its new carriage collection.

Funding is almost complete.

Eventually, we will all be able to see Claus Spreckels’ personal Brewster carriage in San Mateo.

On a personal note, over time, the historical artifacts and photographs of Aptos are gathered together by a small group of people who hope to save these for future generations.

In the past, when those people move away or die off, their collections disappear with them.

If you wish our rich history to continue to be told uninterrupted and our artifact collection to be available for viewing by yours and future generations, please join and support the Aptos History Museum, aptoshistory. org, (831) 688-9514. Thank you!

various cultures, from the Native inhabitants of California’s Central Coast, to Chinese, African and more.

You can read about the meaning of each symbol in the mural at bit.ly/37ly1nK. Acclaimed Watsonville muralist Yermo Aranda spoke at the Sept. 14 event, reminiscing on how he and Alonso had worked together on murals in the 1990s.

Aranda spoke on the importance and power of art to culture.

“Art has a way of empowering us,” Aranda said. “We realize we’re capable of doing amazing things we never thought we could do. It shows the world we have something to offer.”

Learn more about the Cabrillo Mural Project at cabrillo.edu/ title-v/the-mural-project.

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