Pajaro Valley Magazin February 10 2023

√ PREPARE FOR STORMS & PREVENT EROSION:

Bioswales, rain gardens and dry creek beds look great and prevent erosion and drainage disasters. The mantra is “Slow it, Spread it, Sink it.” That is, keep rain on your land and out of the storm drain—where it flows into the ocean with pollutants like car oil.

√ INSTALL RAINWATER HARVESTING:

During a one-inch rainstorm, you can harvest 600 gallons of water off a 1,000 square-foot roof. That’s a lot! Tanks come in all shapes and sizes, to fit every space.

√ PUT DOWN MULCH:

With the advent of rain, little oxalis bulbs are multiplying exponentially, and knotweed, bermudagrass and friends are on the move. Make your maintenance easy this spring by sheet mulching. What’s that? Ask us. Or just mulch. Thickly. At least four inches. (Side benefit: Your plants will love it.)

√

IT MAY BE COLD, BUT IT’S TIME TO PLANT:

Now is the time to plant self-seeding annuals for early spring color and pollination. Toss seeds of baby blue eyes, tidy tips, phacelia, poppies of all types, and even sunflowers into the landscape, and watch them wake up in February. Pure delight! In the edible garden, plant seeds or starts of winter veggies like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, salad greens, and spinach.

√ PRUNE YOUR FRUIT TREES AND ROSES:

The best time to prune roses and fruit trees is during the hush of a cold winter day. Wrap an old silk scarf around your neck for warmth and conjure up your inner Grace Kelly. Take out a thermos of hot green tea, and whip out your clippers. After a couple hours of winter gardening, if you are warm despite the cold, that means your blood is circulating and you’re burning excess calories from the holidays!

WEDDING BELLS The Rays married in San Francisco right before Dave left for military service. They exchanged hundreds of letters while they were separated.

Valentine Paper

After 50 years of marriage and running a local business together, Dave and Beverly Ray’s lasting love

By CHRISTINA WATERS

redefines togetherness

To step through the front door is to fall in love with the bright, tidy paper and printing shop in the center of Doyle Street, wedged between Soquel and Water streets. DARCO was named by and after David Anthony Ray.

You might ask, “Who’s David Anthony Ray?” The quick answer: the guy who’s married to Beverly Ray. The long answer: the guy who’s one of the protagonists in a love story that centers around a local print shop that has been in business for over 50 years. David and Beverly must be doing something right, living and working together for a half-century.

The fans and patrons of this

midtown Santa Cruz landmark would agree. DARCO’s clean, spacious showroom is filled with the soft colors of manila envelopes in every possible size; neatly arranged reams of paper stock for printers and computers; various stationery tablets, envelopes packaged by the dozen, legal pads, an assortment of pens and pencils, greeting card stock and sticky pads in neon hues. The main store is a full-service office supply emporium that spans back to anything like Office Depot or Staples. Heaven for paper lovers, DARCO invites serious browsing.

The print shop next door handles special orders—from brochures to business cards to promotional displays; a wide variety, low prices and the kind of hands-on

assistance that barely exists anywhere else. That’s the secret weapon—customer service.

Beverly Ray, whose perennial pageboy now gleams white, totals up orders on her adding machine. At the same time, her husband and co-owner, Dave, consults about your special orders and custom printing needs.

During their busiest years, the couple had five employees working the front of the store and the printing shop. Business slowed a bit with the internet and the influx of big box chain stores. Now— after Covid quarantines, supply chain issues and most recently, the destruction of their front window and showroom by a wayward BMW—it’s just the two of them.

"We decided to add the CO initials," Beverly explains. “If we added my initials, it just didn’t have a good ring to it. DARBR.” She has a point. So, DARCO it was, and in the beginning, 51 years ago, the print shop was initially run by Dave and his older brother Don.

“There were lots of print shops back then,” Dave recalls. And while the Rays still have long standing accounts, the work has downsized to accommodate their schedule. And that suits them just fine.

LOVE STORY

Dave and Beverly met at her mother’s summer cabin in Boulder Creek in 1965. He played guitar for her, a crucial ingredient in their

Erin Malsbury

SHOP AROUND For more than 50 years, DARCO has provided office supplies of every kind.

early courtship. The couple married in San Francisco right before Dave left for military service. While separated, letters continued back and forth about the extent of his leave.

That was over 55 years ago, and the Rays continue to redefine togetherness.

After the service, which included a stint in Vietnam in 1968, Dave and his brother came to Santa Cruz to open DARCO while Beverly worked with the Federal Reserve. By the time Don left DARCO for a job at UCSC, Beverly had amassed plenty of business experience and could help run the shop without much oversight. She started as a “tube girl” in the era long before email, sending communications through the pneumatic tubes that typically crisscrossed multi-story office buildings.

“Then I ran the IBM machine balancing out all the department’s accounts and processing the military checks,” Beverly recalls.

She’d come down to help at the print shop on weekends, but in 1972 they decided that she should move to Santa Cruz permanently, and the two of them would run the shop together.

The idea to open a print shop grew organically out of Dave’s boyhood interests.

“I actually had a letterpress print shop when I was 10 years old,” he says. “I set type in the garage.”

Later in his life, Dave attended San Francisco City College, where he studied offset printing.

“He printed our wedding invitations,” Beverly smirks.

Adds Dave, “Even now, I do the printing, and she does deliveries.”

“He pays the bills, and I collect the money,” Beverly says playfully. “That’s the DARCO division of labor.”

THE INCIDENT

Dave still plays guitar. He’s been playing with a Hawaiian surf rock group, the Island Breeze Band, since 1998. Along with Stan Meidinger, Patti Maxine and Stan Parola, the outfit has played everywhere from the Pono Hawaiian Grill to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk—Beverly was even one of the hula dancers for a while.

Dave was up in Santa Rosa for a gig a year and a half ago. On his way home from the show, he swung by the store. The usual quiet stillness of nighttime on Doyle Street was anything but. There were emergency vehicles with flashing lights, orange cones and yellow police tape.

“I knew something wasn’t right,” Dave laughs.

A BMW had plowed through DARCO’s front showroom window.

“I was inside, in the back, when it happened,” Beverly says. “I called 911. They came so quickly, and they were so kind to me. I wanted to stay there until Dave could get back because the store wasn’t secure, with the front window knocked out.”

One of the officers volunteered to stay and keep an eye on the place so Beverly could head home and decompress. She didn’t want to call Dave.

“He was two and a half hours away, and what could he do at that point? I didn’t want to worry him. He had a gig to play,” Beverly says.

Beverly was safe, and someone was watching over the store. Why put a damper on Dave’s performance? It’s that kind of

THE WAY IT IS

“It’s just the two of us now,” Dave explains. “I put up the shelves, and Beverly fills in things the way she wants. She makes those stationary notepads with all the different colors. They’re very popular. Who can resist those colorful ‘Things to do Today’ notepads?’”

“I do the invoices and statements on a computer,” Beverly says, nodding toward the desk in the back of the store. “But everything else I do by hand. Computers just aren’t as reliable.” She pats the adding machine that sits firmly alongside the cash register.

Dave has handled printing for over five decades and contends that he’s never bored. And yes, things have changed throughout the years, but not in ways you’d expect—if you’re talking to the Rays.

thoughtfulness that has kept the marriage strong.

It took some time following the Beamer mishap, but DARCO reopened; the updates are sleek without being over the top. The place looks and feels like itself, only better.

“We’ve got LED lights,” Beverly says.

Open from Tuesday through Friday, the couple spends their threeday weekends either at their Boulder Creek cabin, inherited from Beverly’s mother, or at a new vacation dwelling they recently purchased on Lake Don Pedro outside of Merced.

They’d survived all the expected— and unexpected—ups and downs of running a small business in a destination beach town, including the earthquake of ’89 and a pandemic, but the accident in 2021 stopped things for a year and a half of remodeling. The Rays continued to operate a scaled-down business at their printing facility next door while the main store underwent the forced renovation. New ceiling and walls, fresh paint, a beautiful new floor and a spacious front show window, recently finished.

“We made it back,” Beverly grins.

“Now it takes longer to get the products,” Dave says. “Those big box stores blasted my business. Now it’s just Palace and us. There used to be more choices. Now, things have merged into a few styles and colors. Like with cars.”

Beverly adds, “But there’s nowhere else to buy, just one piece of paper or one envelope.”

And that kind of detailing is part of why they can keep their doors open.

“Our success is also due to our customers,” Beverly insists. “Wordof-mouth return customers. We don’t tell people what we have. We ask people, ‘what do you want?’”

Crosby, Stills, and Nash plays softly in the background on a recent visit. The Rays just returned from a three-day weekend at their new lakefront property.

“Raking leaves, watching the deer that come to visit,” Beverly grins.

The couple has mastered the pace of a longstanding romance.

“We enjoy doing a lot of things together,” Dave says, beaming at his wife. They nod in agreement.

Does Beverly ever get tired of having Dave around?

“Oh, definitely no,” she insists. “I still have all his letters. Can you imagine? I treasure every minute I’m with him.”

This article was originally published in the Feb. 8-14 edition of Good Times.

Erin Malsbury

LOVE LIGHT Dave and Beverly Ray first met at her mother’s summer cabin in Boulder Creek in 1965.

Private farmhouse in Corralitos

Main home sits on sizable grounds suitable for entertaining

The six-and-a-half-acre Starry Night Farms is on the market.

Located at 389 Corralitos Road, the 3,280-square-foot main home includes three bedrooms and three bathrooms. A detached three-car garage has a 900-square-foot room above it that could be used as an office, guest room or hobby room.

The home, built in 2002, is equipped with a security system

and newer solar system. It also features a 300-square-foot sunroom as well as three fireplaces throughout.

The grounds are accessed through a rod-iron, private gated entry. Nearly five acres of organic farmland surrounds the home and is part of the property.

It is listed at $2,589,999 by Pacificwide Real Estate & Mortgage. For information, visit bit.ly/3WIu1Vf.

Annette was raised in Santa Cruz and has spent the majority of her life dedicated to health, fitness and empowering women through a healthy lifestyle. After having studied Dietetics at UCDavis, she has worked as a Nutrition Counselor, Dance Aerobic instructor and swim coach before taking over Curves in Aptos 4 years ago.

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STARRY NIGHT This Corralitos home sits on a gated property.

A return to Alert Bay, B.C.

By TARMO HANNULA

With our backs to the south and the city of Vancouver in our rear view mirror, Sarah and I continued our road trip to the most northerly point of our October journey, Alert Bay, a small fishing village on Cormorant Island near the top of Vancouver Island.

It was here Sarah lived for five years and where her daughter, Ann,

was born in 1972. Named after the arrival of the Royal Navy ship HMS Alert in 1860, Alert Bay has a marina with some commercial and sports fishing boats, far less than when the fishing industry flourished more than 30 years ago. There are a few stores, businesses, cafes, an inn and bar tethered to the main street, Fir Street, that hugs along the water of the bay. The most visible sites are the cemetery filled with totem poles,

the remains of the old hospital, the museum, trees and scores of simple homes.

Just getting there is a treat, as there are only a couple of ways in and out — by ferry, boat or small plane. We caught the BC Ferry from Port McNeill for a 45-minute trip to Alert Bay. The ride was a great way to decompress and take in the bounty of the clear sky that day, deep blue waters, an occasional bald eagle or raven

that cruised past, or a pod of killer whales—orcas—churning by.

We stayed two nights with our long-time friends, Terri and Audie, whose histories go way back in the area. Their two-story home is perched on the edge of Johnston Straits, and their porch chairs face out onto the waters that are frequented by whales, commercial fishing boats, tugboats and ferries. We strolled on “The Boardwalk,” a stretch of wood walkways

Tarmo Hannula

DECOR A totem pole is shown inside the Long House at Alert Bay off of Vancouver Island B.C., Canada.

that wind through an eco-preserve on the top of the island. Audie drove us through the twisting small streets that showed us clusters of homes perched in the low hills that included a few homes where Sarah once lived.

One highlight was a stop at the U'mista Cultural Centre. The museum, created to house masks and dance regalia returned after they were confiscated by the Canadian government when potlatches were outlawed in the 1930s, gave us a rich view of the history of the Kwakwaka'wakw people who still inhabit the island. Half of the island is First Nation land.

The two-and-a-half-mile long and half-mile wide island is dotted with modern and early totem poles, many depicting eagles, salmon, whales and noteworthy people of the area. The tallest totem in the world resides there as well.

After two nights on the island we bid farewell to Terri and Audie, caught the morning ferry back to Port McNeill and began our long six-hour drive to Victoria where we drove aboard another ferry to Port Angeles, WA.

Once we figured out where we would stay, we searched online and found a motel in Bremerton, a port city on the Puget Sound. Hungry, another search led us to the Golden Star Chinese & American Restaurant. Their interior decor was spectacular, with brilliant red lanterns,

gold framed artworks; the waitresses wore Cheongsam, old-style Chinese dresses. It was like eating our meal on a movie set.

In the final part of this series, we set off for Eugene, OR, where we tracked down a few sculptures my dad donated to the library while completing his Masters in Fine Art at the Univ. of Oregon in 1958.

Tarmo Hannula Tarmo Hannula

LOCAL SCENE A woman passes by a large mural on the streets of Port Angeles, WA.

ARTWORK Photographer Tarmo Hannula is shown with a slightly damaged sculpture by his late father, Walter Hannula, at the entrance to Sheldon High School in Eugene, Ore.

HOME IMPROVEMENT

Tom Brezsny’s Real Estate of Mind

Provoking thought since 1990

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Tom Brezsny’s

Real Estate of Mind

First, an apology…I know I’ve been acting like a born-again Realtor bent on barraging you with all kinds of “helpful” homeowner info that some could probably care less about. But your home is your largest asset, not to mention the centering place of your life, so forgive me for oversharing!

Provoking thought since 1990

a home, including HVAC, refrigerators, lights, computers, medical devices and more. It also provides home essentials that facilitate safety and comfort. This is especially important during winter storms when people are less likely to leave home. Having access to heat, electricity and appliances like a stove is essential.

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In a world beset by too-much-information, the things you have to keep track of if you want to be a “responsible” homeowner are overwhelming. The influx of new rules and regulations, specially at the start of each year, is mind-boggling. And with increasing population, concerns about the environment and all the climate-related disasters that have become the norm these days (floods, fires, coastal erosion, landslides), it’s unlikely homeowners will get a break anytime soon. I promise, this is the last column about boring homeowner topics - for a little while :). Here’s a list of the four homeowner talks we’ve had so far (if you have questions about how they impact your home call me and I’ll give you a mini-class):

Automatic power no matter where you are

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You do not need to be present to operate your home's standby generator, which is great if you have to evacuate or simply are gone when the power fails. An automatic transfer switch continuously monitors power from the utility and transfers the electrical load to the generator when power is lost.

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New Septic Guidelines are going to significantly impact homeowners in rural areas around the county when they sell their homes or apply for permits for remodels or additions.

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What’s New with ADUs? An overview of the new State-Mandated regs affecting ADUs, Junior ADUs, lot splits and duplexes in singlefamily neighborhoods.

For example, a KOHLER home generator is completely automatic. The unit's commercial-grade engine fires up quickly within 10 seconds of power loss and can handle heavy demands while operating quietly.

Changing Landscape for Fire Insurance.

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The growing crisis in cost and affordability of fire insurance in the wake of California fires, plus policy cancellations and defensible space disclosures.

Go With the Flow: The New Sewer Lateral Regs in SC City/County. How they impact homeowners who are selling or adding square footage or ADUs.

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Looking ahead, we’re shifting away from talks about fixing or maintaining or protecting your home to something warmer and fuzzier and much closer to my heart, namely - how the homes people move to and from revolve around the bigger life transitions they are making - especially those of a certain age.

Severe weather highlights need for reliable backup power

Furthermore, the generator provides “clean power” so you don't have to worry about spikes and voltage drops that may impact sensitive electronics like computers and phones. The durable unit also features a rust-resistant enclosure, which is important for homes near salt water or in freezing temperatures.

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What am I’m talking about? I’m talking the huge swathe of aging baby boomers out there who are wrestling with the challenges of downsizing and trying to figure out what the last third of their lives should look like.

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Realtor® DRE #01063297

831-818-1431

getreal@sereno.com

The questions are myriad: How do you get started? What are the important things to consider? What are the common mistakes? How have others solved the problems? What to do with all of your stuff? What to do to overcome the inertia? What you should know about capital gains taxes and property tax transfers? How does downsizing overlap with estate considerations? How do you pick a downsize destination? How do you sell and buy at the same time?

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PAID

More Next Week…

Tom Brezsny

As winter weather ravages across the country, homeowners are reminded that having a backup plan for power outages is important all year long. Reliable power is critical, especially for the elderly, families with children and people working from home.

Now, more than ever, an automatic home generator is the best defense against power outages— particularly extended outages— no matter where you call home. Whether it's a hurricane, ice storm, blizzard, blackout or another weather threat, you can give your

family peace of mind and security knowing you'll have a dependable power source on-hand.

How does an automatic home generator work?

A standby home generator is permanently installed outside a home, similar to a central air conditioning unit. It runs on self-feeding fuels such as natural gas or liquid propane (LP). The unit turns on automatically when power is lost to the home or business.

The standby home generator can be a literal lifesaver, because it can power critical and sophisticated appliances and systems in

When researching generators, keep in mind they come in a variety of sizes based on your power needs in your home. Consult with a professional dealer for appropriate sizing, permitting, installation and other considerations. Learn more at KohlerGenerators.com.

Kohler now offers a 26-kilowatt air-cooled generator for larger homes and electrical loads. No other generator in its class is quieter, more powerful and more durable.

To help match a homeowner's desired aesthetic, the generator is available in 10 exclusive colors, including three Mossy Oak camouflage patterns.

—Brandpoint Content

LIFESAVER The standby generator can power critical and sophisticated appliances and systems in a home.