Pajaro Valley Magazine | August 28, 2020

THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF THE PAJARO VALLEY

AUGUST 28, 2020

PREPARING FOR

DISASTER

A supplement to The Pajaronian

Experts weigh in on wildfire preparedness P4

REAL ESTATE P6 | MIXING BOWL P8 | HOME OF THE WEEK P10

AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

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PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE | AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020

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PREPARING YOUR HOME

AIR POWER A helicopter

douses a growing flame in the River Road area of the Salinas Valley.

Preventative measures can be taken in advance to protect homes or other structures from a spreading wildfire. One way is to create “defensible space” around your home by clearing away all dead trees, brush and vegetation within 100 feet.

“Flying embers from wildfires can travel up to a mile away, invading communities and destroying homes,” said Daniel Berlant of the Cal Fire Information Center. “When you and your neighbors create defensible space, you help protect your community.”

You can also “harden” your home by making upgrades to your roof, fence, windows, walls, deck, vents, garage and more.

Utilize fire ignition-resistance materials such as composition, metal or tile instead of easily burnable wood or shingles.

Keeping rain gutters clear will also prevent accumulation of plant debris on a structure. Have fire extinguishers, tools such as shovels, rakes, buckets, etc., easily accessible, and multiple garden hoses if you live on a larger property.

Lastly, make sure that your driveway is clear and your address visible to help fire officials better reach your home.

teps Ssafety

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As destructive wildfires hit California, experts talk preparedness By JOHANNA MILLER

MAKING A PLAN

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he catastrophic wildfires that have broken out in California this month have already burned more than 1.5 million acres of land, destroyed thousands of structures and killed seven people. In the Santa Cruz Mountains alone, the CZU Lightning Complex fires have forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes and seek shelter elsewhere with friends, family and pets.

It has been a wake up call for many—including those not yet directly affected.

How can we safeguard our homes and families? What should we do if we need to evacuate? How can we be prepared for the next time disaster strikes?

Officials from Cal Fire have weighed in, advising people how best to prepare for such events. Year-round the agency works to educate the public through its website, readyforwildfire.org, aiming to be a resource for all things fire safety.

Tony Nunez

AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

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Cal Fire recommends that families create their own Fire Action Plan. It is important, they say, to designate an emergency meeting location, and find the safest escape routes from every area of the house.

Also plan for how to get pets and other animals out safely. This is especially important for people who own large animals such as horses and livestock.

Be sure you know how to shut off your home’s gas, electricity and water, and keep an up-to-date fire extinguisher close by. If you are unsure if your extinguisher is too old, check with your local fire department or other emergency agency.

Cal Fire also recommends creating to-go kits of emergency supplies, at least one in the house and another in the car.

You can also purchase a radio or scanner to stay informed with current updates.

People should designate an out-of-area point of contact—someone they can get ahold of when in danger. In the time of Covid-19, be sure to plan ahead with those friends and family if you have to stay with them.

Tony Nunez

by the River Fire south of Salinas.

AFTER THE FACT

Berlant said there are six things families should prioritize saving and taking with them in case of evacuation: • People and pets • Papers, phone numbers and other important documents • Prescriptions such as medications and eyeglasses • Pictures and irreplaceable memorabilia • Personal computer hard drive and disks • “Plastic” (credit cards, ATM cards) and cash “Start planning now,” Berlant said.

“When a wildfire strikes, it’s going to be very hard to remember exactly what you need to grab, and it just may be the most important items that you leave behind.”

Returning after being evacuated due to wildfire can be a harrowing experience, especially if you do not know the state of your home.

Firstly: Do not return at all until you get the go-ahead from fire officials. Stay away from active evacuation zones, not only for your own safety but so that firefighters and other emergency personnel can do their jobs.

When you are allowed to return, be aware of unstable trees, power poles and downed lines. Establish a “Fire Watch” to keep a lookout for smoke or sparks of any kind.

Check for the smell of gas in your home, and be sure to confirm with officials that it is safe to turn on your water. Do not consume food that has been exposed to heat, smoke, flood water or soot.

Flooding and erosion is a common

Tarmo Hannula

THE SIX P’S

SAFETY FIRST A county road crew keeps the pavement clear along Jamison Creek Road north of Boulder Creek. occurrence in the winter months following a fire season. Intense heat can leave the ground unstable; its soil unable to absorb water. This puts it at risk for floods and mudslides.

“It’s vital that people take extra precaution during the rainy months following a fire,” Berlant said.

Before leaving the burned area of

wildfires, Cal Fire often implements recovery efforts to help minimize the potential for flooding, such as building hillside straw wattle dams to help control water runoff.

If you are uncertain about the stability of the land surrounding your home, contact experts immediately.

PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE | AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020

RUBBLE REMAINS This home was one of 30 others destroyed

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REAL ESTATE

E. Romie Lane

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Large lot. 2 Car Garage.

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AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

1051 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville

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Tarmo Hannula

1039 Freedom Blvd.

COMING SOON

Bank owned property call for details.

DEVASTATION The CZU August Lightning Complex Fire reduced this neighborhood on Fallen Leaf Drive north of Boulder Creek to a charred landscape.

Fires will strain housing market Demand expected to greatly outpace supply By ED GAGNE

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ust when you thought it was safe to go outside. What have we done to deserve this? It’s of such biblical proportions I am expecting locusts and frogs next.

The CZU Lightning Complex fire is going to have a huge impact on our already challenging housing market. Supply and demand will be at a critical level. The demand will greatly outreach the supply. People will be forced to leave and move to other areas, other states. Let’s hope landlords will be sympathetic and keep normal rent levels.

Based on numbers from the last two major fires in California—the Camp Fire that destroyed Paradise and the Wine Country Fires that devastated Santa Rosa—home values in the outlying areas of the fires will realize a 15-20 percent increase in value depending on how many people are displaced.

Houses currently and soon to be on the market will see multiple offers and bidding wars.

I lived in Paradise for 10 years before moving to Watsonville. After the town burned, I was called to duty

by my brother, a Realtor in Chico, to help our friends and family find new homes in the surrounding areas. The insurers acted very quickly and generously so the suddenly homeless people could find shelter and comfort. I hope the same for our neighbors who find themselves in this life-changing experience now.

Interesting note: While helping a dear friend look for a replacement home in Chico that fall, he was wearing a hat I had not seen before, so I asked him, “Is that a new hat?”

“Yes Ed,” he replied. “Everything I have is new.” This is the reality; people are literally starting over.

Having seen first-hand how fire can destroy everything, having listened to harrowing stories of escaping and surviving such destruction, my heart goes out to all of those going through this. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” is easier said than done; but it is true. The community will embrace and care for our neighbors in need. I have seen it and experienced it.

Ed Gagne is a Realtor with Bailey Properties.

Advertorial

HOW TO CHOOSE FLOORING & WINDOW TREATMENTS FOR YOUR HOME

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have safety features and ease in maintenance.

It is most helpful to let the sales person know your life style. If you have pets, 4 children rollerblading through your house or entertain a lot, you should be guided to the most durable, scratch resistant and easy to maintain products available. If you are a retired couple with light traffic in your home you should be guided to a suitable product that will

When you begin your search for window treatments think about your lifestyle. Some considerations to think about are, light control, insulation, room darkening for day sleepers or media rooms, motorization to operate those hard to reach windows, just to name a few.

There are many options that will meet your function and style needs.

Other considerations you should make when selecting flooring are allergies and environmental sensitivities. Make sure to convey that to your sales person to be guided into natural products such as linoleum, cork and wool. There is also synthetic materials that offer Green Guard Certification as well.

When deciding which professional to help you with your purchases it is always a good idea to do a little digging to make sure they are a reputable company. There is nothing worse than the taillight guarantee. A little time up front will save you a lot of time down the road should you have a problem with your purchase. A reputable company will have great Yelp and Google reviews, no complaints with the Better Business Beaureu, be able to be validated at the Contractors State Licensing Board to make sure their license, bond and insurance is in good standing. Always make sure the store you are considering is licensed and insured properly.

Now let’s talk about the dreaded “B” word, budget. Did you know that

flooring can be the third most expensive purchase you will make in a life time next purchasing a house and a car? It is very important to budget appropriately and be open minded when making your selections. Your flooring should be the most durable thing in your home as you walk, roll, dance and live on it every day. Important to let your sales person know your budget so they can guide you to the very best products for your home. Don’t be afraid to ask about financing. A reputable store will be able to offer financing options to help you to get the floor or window treatments your home deserves.

Most important to purchase from someone you have confidence in who listens to your needs and gives you honest advice.

PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE | AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020

hoosing flooring and window treatments can be one of the most confusing purchases you will ever make. It is best to plan ahead when ever possible. Give yourself enough time to find a retailer you feel confident in their ability to listen to your needs and budget. It is important to work with an honest professional to help guide you through this process.

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THE MIXING BOWL

Baked buns with mushroom filling Egg wash:

Tarmo Hannula

AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

BAO-ZI Small Asian baked buns hide a savory vegetable-mushroom filling.

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B y SARAH RINGLER

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f you like keeping your hands busy, these little buns are fun to make. And, you will have some flavorful little buns to eat alongside a soup or salad for a light lunch or dinner. They also can be frozen and are easy to reheat.

Bao-zi or mantou, as they are called in China, are common street food attracting customers with steaming stacks of circular bamboo containers filled with varied fillings of meats, custard and vegetables.

Barbecued pork, cha siu bao, is one of my favorites. They also come in different shapes which sometimes represent the filling inside, but all are made with yeast and flour dough.

Written records that mention bao-zi go back over 1,000 years to the Song Dynasty when they were invented by a military strategist, Zhuge Liang. Their portability made them useful to take into battle.

Although bao-zi are usually steamed, this recipe from Daniela Anderson at mygorgeousrecipes.com, are baked and save you from having to buy the bamboo steamers. The dough is light and fluffy and can surround any filling that you can dream up. I have provided a couple of inspirations below. Serve with a sprinkling of soy sauce.

Dough: 2 cups plain flour and more as needed 2 1/2 teaspoons dried yeast 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 cup warm water 3 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 egg, beaten

Filling base: 2 green onions, minced 1-inch fresh ginger root, grated or minced 1 garlic clove, minced

Filling choices: 1/2 pound mushrooms, washed, dried and minced or 1/2 cup dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in hot water for 30 minutes and minced 1 carrot, peeled, grated or cut into tiny cubes 1/4 grated daikon radish turnip, peeled and grated 1 large roasted Japanese sweet potato (roasted for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, skin on) 2/3 cup whole edamame beans removed from the pod 1/2 cup, purple cabbage finely grated or minced 2 tablespoons high heat cooking oil

Sauce mixture: 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

1 egg 1 tsp water To make the dough, stir the water, yeast and sugar together in a small bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes until mixture becomes frothy.

Sift the flour into a large bowl. Mix in the yeast mixture, beaten egg, oil and salt, and knead well for about 5 minutes. Add more flour until the dough becomes elastic and does not stick to your hands. Shape the dough into a ball.

Lightly oil a bowl, add the dough, cover with clingfilm and a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1-2 hours until the dough doubles in volume.

If you decide to use the Japanese sweet potato, roast for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. When done, set aside and add to your vegetable mixture after it has been stir-fried and before you fill the buns.

Make the filling base of green onions, garlic clove and ginger. Then separately prepare the filling of your choice using instructions above.

Make the sauce mixture in a small bowl and mix well.

In a wok or large frying pan, heat the oil over medium high to high heat. When pan is hot, add cooking oil and when oil glistens, add prepared green onions, garlic and ginger. Stir fry for 1 minute.

Then add your vegetable filling and stir fry for 2-3 minutes until done. Remove from heat and let cool.

If you use the roasted sweet potato, stir it in after the filling cools.

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and roll it to 1/4 inch thickness. Using a round 2-inch diameter cookie cutter, cut dough into rounds. Place a tablespoon of the mushroom filling in the middle of each circle. Pull up the edges and seal well with your fingers making a small ball.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Arrange the balls on a baking tray and brush with the egg wash mixture. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden. Serve warm with soy sauce.

PHOTO GALLERY Have a recent photo you’d like to share? Send it to us for consideration by emailing it to echalhoub@weeklys.com or mailing it to 21 Brennan St., Suite 18, Watsonville, CA 95076.

Please include a brief description of the photo as well as the name of the photographer.

Tom Brezsny’s

Provoking thought since 1990 Continuing the conversation…about our daunting, still evolving experience of the coronavirus and the completely unanticipated, shockingly-busy real estate market that has emerged.

Here we are, trying to figure out whether schools should reopen. Or whether we should close beaches in Santa Cruz. Or whether any of us can go to the office or get a haircut next week. Meanwhile, most listings that came on the MLS this week are in escrow with multiple offers, for prices we’ve never seen before.

I’ve been through a lot of crazy markets, but this is by far the most astonishing. To go from complete shelter in place shutdown to this level of showing and selling activity in such a short time is incredible. And, I have to keep reminding myself…there’s more to come.

At first glance, there’s a huge disconnect between real estate and the real world. Who would want to buy a home during a pandemic?

Don’t buyers know there’s a recession? Where are they coming from? In a moment when everything in the world feels like it’s up in the air, there’s a mad rush of people trying to find places to settle down.

ORANGE GLOW

Everyone is struggling to find language to describe the transcendental nature of the coronavirus - something that’s everywhere around us and yet almost impossible to describe.

Some have turned to popular movies to anchor their COVID experiences. Among them: Contagion, the Michael Crichton book made into a movie with an all-star cast struggling with the litany of ills that comes with the virus: confusion, societal breakdown and individuals who refuse to follow the rules. And Groundhog Day, a movie that depicts that mind-numbing solitude and sameness of shelter in place, where every day is just like the last one.

My pick would be The Day the Earth Stood Still (the Michael Rennie 1951 version, not the Keanu Reeves 2008 shlock). The eponymous moment occurs when the alien visitor causes everything in the world to stop for a half hour in the middle of the day - cars, elevators and all wheels of the commerce grind to a halt.

And that’s really what has happened with COVID. The world hit the pause button, and in the gap of the existential moment, people have had an opportunity to reflect on their lives and re-envision their futures.

Next Week: What the real estate market is telling us about the future.

blossom thrives.

Ed Show

Debora Norz

BRIGHT PINK A spring peach

PIT STOP A swallowtail butterfly sips lemon blossom nectar in a backyard on Casserly Road in Watsonville.

Tom Brezsny

Realtor® DRE#01063297

831-818-1431 getreal@serenogroup.com PA I D A D V E R T O R I A L

PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE | AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020

Anais Arreola Muro

The sun is diffused by drift smoke from the CZU August Lightning Complex Fire.

But, is this crazy market happening despite the coronavirus? Or, is it happening because of it? My vote is for the latter. And if it’s possible to disconnect oneself from the day-to-day intensity of it all, it’s a fascinating glimpse of future shifts that may be in store post-COVID.

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You are asking yourselves, “What’s it like buying or selling real estate during a pandemic like Covid-19?” Believe it or not the local market has remained strong with both buyers and sellers successfully closing escrows. The inventory continues to grow within most areas of the county, with a few hotspots like Rio Del Mar and Scotts Valley. Some areas like Watsonville continue to be challenging for buyers because of a shortage of homes on the market. The Rio Del Mar and Scotts Valley market will favor buyers, as there are plenty of homes to choose from. In Watsonville, the market will favor the sellers as there is a higher demand and low inventory.

HOME OF THE WEEK

On account of Covid-19, marketing strategies have changed. Open houses are no longer an acceptable avenue to showcase properties. Realtors are getting creative with Virtual Tours and slideshows to enhance exposure to their listings. Hiring professional photographers is another way to market properly; cell phone images will become a thing of the past. Showing properties has changed as well. An agent showing a listing must now present the listing agent a PEAD (Property Entry Advisory Declaration) form signed by the agent and his or her clients. The PEAD form specifies the health and safety protocol that must be followed to prevent contamination. One agent and two clients are allowed in the property at a time so the listing agent must schedule accordingly.

AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

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Ed Gagné

Local Real Estate Specialist CA BRE #01450406

Honesty • Loyalty • Integrity Extensive local market knowledge!

Community Involvement for over 20 years

Submitted photo

None of these nuances are daunting. Let’s respect each others health and space, be smart and follow the new protocol and you will be successful.

SAN ANDREAS ROAD This two-story La Selva Beach home

has a sizable floor plan.

Entertainer’s paradise Living area on upper floor, with wine bar and sauna on lower level

Circle of Champions - Watsonville Office

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his renovated La Selva Beach home’s open floor plan is suitable for entertaining.

Located at 1880 San Andreas Road, the 3,338-square-foot home includes five bedrooms and four bathrooms.

Everything but the garage, storage, dry sauna, workout area and man cave/wine bar are on the main upper level.

The home is outfitted with a new composition roof, gourmet kitchen with granite counters, designer

bathrooms with jetted tubs, central air conditioning, tankless hot water heater, hardwood and stone floors, new washer and dryer (gas) and custom interior wood doors. It also includes synthetic wood decking around the back of the home, mature oak trees and fresh landscaping all around and parking for 10-plus vehicles.

The home, built in 1979, is listed at $1,499,000 by Lifesaver Realty.

For information, visit tinyurl.com/ y38pk3vm.

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PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE | AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020

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