LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola & Soquel

Page 1

Sports Page 12

Art Tour Page 3

APTOS

SEPTEMBER 2015

SOQUEL

CAPITOLA EVERYTHING APTOS, CAPITOLA & SOQUEL

Vol. 4 No. 2

By John Hibble Call: 688-1467

Begonia Festival returns for 63rd year

Visit us online:

By BEK PHILLIPS

HISTORY CORNER aptoshistory.org

CAPITOLA — In an effort to raise what will make up approximately half of the budget for Capitola’s Begonia Festival, people met at Michael’s on Main for the largest fundraising effort of the year on Aug. 9. “There has really been a lot of enthusiasm,” Teresa Green, the president for the Capitola Begonia Festival Committee, said about the event. “The atmosphere is wonderful and it has been busy and very fun.” With a budget of $30,000, Green said she expected about half to come from the fundraiser. The afternoon included live music, wine tasting from local wineries appetizers and finished with silent and live auctions. “We have a phenomenal group of people here,” Heather O’Hara, an attendee, said of the event. “I love how social the people are, it’s a really nice community coming together.” The Begonia Festival is held every year in Capitola and this year will be the 63rd annual event. “It really is the shining star of the community,” O’Hara said. With music, a nautical parade, sand sculpture contests, mural making, a movie feature and more, the festival is held over Labor Day weekend. “Everyone has their own popular event,” Green said. “Personally, my favorite, I really think, is the hula hoops. Me and my sister were very good at it.”

Visit the museum:

7605-B Old Dominion Court Aptos, CA

The Dragon’s Lair

History is filled with mysteries. Sometimes, puzzle pieces fall into place and tell a story that was long forgotten. Then history becomes new. Two months ago we invited you to tour the Grand House built by Boyd Stewart who ran the Rio Del Mar Country Club. I did not know that he ran the country club until I stumbled on that fact while writing the story. I noticed his signature on a membership card and on a letter donated to the museum by John Fisher. Thank you John. That discovery was confirmed by Boyd’s grandchildren. I mentioned, in that story, that the Grand House had some light fixtures and iron work made by the famous, “Otar the Lampmaker.” As fate would have it, one of the people to tour the house invited Karen, my wife, and I to visit her house just down the street on Burnham Court. The house was not only filled with the elegant works of John Otar, it was the answer to a riddle that had long gone unsolved about the door to Otar’s studio. Please turn to Page 7

A new mural in Aptos, by Ann Thiermann,

is nearing completion. The historic elements in the mural include an image of the concrete ship, the S.S. Palo Alto. Photo by Tarmo Hannula

Please turn to Page 7

Here for the beer California Beer Festival draws crowd By BEK PHILLIPS

Skate park Guest columns Calendar

4-5 9 10-11 14

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 23 WATSONVILLE, CA

Please turn to Page 6

Briefs

2

******ECRWSSEDDM****** POSTAL CUSTOMER APTOS, CA 95003 CAPITOLA. CA 95010

APTOS — After nearly 20 years, the Seacliff Village Park broke ground on Aug. 3. The 1.25-acre park, located on the corner of McGregor Drive and Sea Ridge Road, is

expected to be complete by late fall, said project manager Cheryl Bailey. Earthworks Paving Contractors will construct the first phase of the park,

Congress race

Monthly publication dedicated to covering everything in

By ERIK CHALHOUB

Inside ...

Please turn to Page 6

APTOS, CAPITOLA & SOQUEL,CA.

Seacliff park breaks ground

APTOS — Hundreds of people funneled in for beer, music and food over Aug. 8-9 to participate in the California Beer Festival at Aptos Village Park. With some of the more exuberant groups of consumers coordinating and wearing shirts saying things like Drunk 1, Drunk 2 and Drunk 3, and with merchandise available for sale right next to the beer vendors, it was a colorful crowd. There was the option for pingpong ball and bocce ball, as well as live music for dancing but none of it

took the focus off the real reason everyone came together: beer. “People are really here about the beer,” Director of Events Tammy Myers said. “Santa Cruz is really chill, everyone is super excited. We already have people asking about next year.” Maria Mathews and Bill Bolotin are Aptos residents who said they returned to the festival after having made fond memories there the year before. “We came last year and it was really fun,” Mathews said. “The


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.