Pajaro Valley Magazine | June 19, 2020

THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF THE PAJARO VALLEY

A supplement to The Pajaronian

JUNE 19, 2020

ART THAT COUNTS

City of Watsonville, Census Bureau organize community art project COVER STORY P4 | THE MIXING BOWL P6 | PHOTO GALLERY P8

2 JUNE 19 - 25, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

MAGAZINE

21 Brennan St, Suite 14, Watsonville, CA 95076 Phone: 831.761.7301

ABOUT THE

COVER

I

We are here for all your Real Estate needs The housing inventory is at an all time low. This is having a great impact on property values. The supply and demand theory is in full swing, thus driving home values up. If you are considering selling or just want an idea of what your property value is in this current market, reach out to us.

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Cover Story

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The Mixing Bowl

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Photo Gallery

CEO & Executive Editor

Dan Pulcrano Publisher

Jeanie Johnson Managing Editor

Tony Nuñez

Contributing Writers

Johanna Miller Sarah Ringler

Advertising Account Executives

Jazmine Ancira Lupita Ortiz Design Director

Ed Gagné

Kathy Oliver

egagne@baileyproperties.com CalDRE# 01450406

koliver@baileyproperties.com CalDRE# 01116175

Realtor 831.254.1432

Realtor 831.206.2249

Ed Gagné Local Real Estate Specialist CA BRE #01450406

Honesty • Loyalty • Integrity Extensive local market knowledge!

Community Involvement for over 20 years

Kara Brown

Design Layout

Hon Truong

Cover Photography

Tarmo Hannula

Front page photography

Johanna Miller

Circle of Champions - Watsonville Office Published by WatsNews, LLC, Watsonville, CA. Entire contents © 2020. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form prohibited without publisher’s written permission.

TO PLACE AN AD Email:

jjohnson@pajaronian.com Phone:

831.761.7301

JUNE 19 - 25, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

will admit that before working for the media, I knew very little about the U.S. Census. I had a general idea of how it worked but not why it was so vital for a community.

In the lead-up to Census 2020, I talked to many people— Census Bureau staff, city and county officials, organizations and others who have given me insight into how JOHANNA MILLER important it really is. Learning about how the data is used and how it affects communities has been eye-opening.

City staff told me that even though many participated in Census 2010, there was still a huge undercount. Organizers for Census 2020 are facing a momentous challenge this year, particularly with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, which broke out in March—the same month that the census kicked off.

Enter the City of Watsonville and local artist Pricilla Martinez.

“Chalk Party,” the main story this week, is a creative way to reach out to the community through public art.

Martinez had shown me a sketch of her ideas for the mural on a tablet before it was finished.

Her main goal, she said, was to find a design that would be eye-catching and meaningful.

You can help, too. Bust out that box of sidewalk chalk and get involved. The Census affects all of us, especially in times of crisis. Let’s spread the word.

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PROCESS Watsonville artist Priscilla Martinez works on

JUNE 19 - 25, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

a chalk mural on the side of Ramsay Park Community Center. The piece is themed around Census 2020.

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PALETTE A large selection of

chalk ready to be used.

ESSENTIALS A detail of Pricilla Martinez’s new mural

at the Ramsay Park Community Center.

PHOTOS AND STORY BY JOHANNA MILLER

Ccause for a

Community art project promotes importance of Census data

Census 2020 continues despite the ongoing global pandemic and nationwide social unrest. In fact, U.S. Census Bureau Media Specialist Josh Green says, it is now more crucial than ever, as many services are dependent on federal support.

“The more people counted, the better,” Green says. “It is vital for us to get that message across.”

The Census Bureau has teamed up with the City of Watsonville, other local municipalities and organizations to sponsor Chalk Party, a community art campaign this month. People are encouraged to spread the word about the importance of the Census through chalk art in front of homes and businesses. ➝7 Participants are asked to share their creations

JUNE 19 - 25, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

lk E ha―

very 10 years the United States Constitution mandates that the country’s population be counted. The count is then used to determine federal funding and political representation in each state.

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THE MIXING BOWL

No cheese Tex-Mex queso Vegan dishes often use nutritional yeast, smoked paprika and miso to replicate the rich flavors that can be found in animal products. This recipe uses nutritional yeast and smoked paprika, and adds the rich and slightly sweet butternut squash for substance. The brand, Chiquilin Pimentón Ahumado, makes a nice smoked paprika and comes in a cute metal tin. I found it at Staff of Life in Santa Cruz, where I also buy nutritional yeast.

Make the Rojo Sauce first or use your own favorite tomato salsa.

QUESO:

Tarmo Hannula

JUNE 19 - 25, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

FUSION Rich and spicy dip packs some surprises.

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C SARAH RINGLER

alifornia and Texas are two big states with a strong Spanish and Mexican influence.

In Texas however, the word queso, the Spanish word for cheese, has a very specific meaning unknown to this Californian.

My granddaughter and her husband, native Californians, moved to Austin several years ago to make their fortune after giving up on the high cost of living and lack of opportunities here. They have done well; they bought a house, found jobs in tech and are basically living the American Dream, both with just community college degrees.

When my husband Tarmo and I went out to visit them a

year ago, they kept telling us they had to take us out to try queso. Sounded good. It turns out the queso, shortened from Chili Con Queso, is a Tex-Mex standard, often served with chips as an appetizer, and what I recognized as nachos. It’s basically a smooth, cheesy dip made with tomato sauce and chilis. It’s the kind of appetizer that is easy to overindulge in, leaving little room for the rest of the meal. Like my friend Amy Newell has been known to say, “Too much cheese.”

This recipe is a vegan version invented by Kathy Hester of healthyslowcooking.com. It is made in honor of Torchy’s Tacos, a famous restaurant that started as a food trailer in Austin and is well known for its queso.

2 cups diced cooked butternut squash or potatoes ½ cup cooking water ¼ cup of homemade rojo sauce, with a few teaspoons reserved for topping ¼ cup nutritional yeast ½ to 1 teaspoon salt, to taste ½ teaspoon oregano 1 (4 ounce) can diced roasted green chilies Chopped cilantro, for topping Guacamole, for topping

HOMEMADE ROJO SAUCE – MAKES ABOUT 1/4 CUP: 2 dried New Mexican or Pasilla Chile Peppers 1/4 cup water (or cooking liquid from peppers) 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon oregano 1/2 teaspoon salt Make the salsa rojo first. Toast the chilis in a dry sauté pan over medium heat until they become fragrant in about 3-4 minutes on each side. Then carefully remove the stem and seeds.

Put the peppers into a small saucepan and cover ➝7

MIXING BOWL

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with water. Cook over medium heat until the peppers are soft in about 10 minutes. Drain but keep ¼ cup of the liquid.

Place the cooked peppers, ¼ cup of water or cooking liquid, garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano and salt into your blender and blend until smooth. You will need to stop and scrape down the sides of the blender several times to make sure everything is smooth. Do not wash the blender because you can also use it to make the queso.

Roast or boil the cubes of cooked potatoes or squash.

Drain except for ½ cup. Add that water with the rojo sauce, nutritional yeast, salt and oregano to your blender. Blend until smooth. You will again need to stop and scrape down the sides of the blender several times.

Scrape the mixture into a small mixing bowl and mix in the diced green chilies. Taste to adjust flavors. Spread the queso mixture on a wide serving plate.

Place a large scoop of guacamole in the center. Top with chopped cilantro and reserved rojo sauce.

TOPS In Their Field

ART

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through social media using the hashtags #censuschalkparty and #2020census. Three participants will be chosen at the end of the month to win gift baskets.

“We are trying to be as creative as possible with our outreach,” says Elizabeth Padilla, senior administrative analyst for the City of Watsonville. “The [Chalk Party] seemed like an easily accessible and cheap project… and one that could bring the community together.”

Chalk Party also included the creation of a mural by Watsonville artist Priscilla Martinez this week. The piece now graces the side of the Ramsay Park Community Center, easily viewed from Main Street. The mural depicts different services that are affected by Census figures, from healthcare to education.

Martinez says that the project was challenging, as the outside of the Community Center is rough and has many layers of old house paint. She took to using a combina tion of different paints and chalk for the mural.

“It’s not the same as a sidewalk,”

she says. “Chalk does not easily stick to a surface like this.”

Watsonville Deputy City Manager Tamara Vides says that she hopes the mural will catch people’s attention and bring awareness to Census 2020.

“The Census impacts every single community in the nation,” Vides says. “The funds we are granted help shape the future of our community.”

Added Padilla: “It is vital to stress… why the government needs an accurate count. It affects everyone, on every level.”

The deadline for Census 2020 has been extended to October 31 because of the pandemic. Residents can fill out a census survey online at 2020census.gov, by phone or mail.

Organizers are hoping to reach more people by then through outreach such as the Chalk Party.

“I think it’s great to highlight local artists, seeing the talent that Watsonville has,” Green says. “To help get the message of the Census out, we need trusted messengers… who better than local artists?”

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1051 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville

REAL ESTATE OF MIND

Provoking thought since 1990 Today’s question: Why do sellers occasionally choose out of town agents to list their homes? It always surprises me when unusual signs pop up or new listings come on the MLS offered by agents who don’t live or work here. There are almost 1200 Realtors in Santa Cruz County. You’d think sellers would have plenty of options right here in their own backyard. I guess I can think of a few reasons why sellers might hire non-local agents. I just can’t think of any good ones. Here are a few: Sometimes people hire an out of town agent because he/she is their friend and they don’t want to risk their friendship.

Sometimes they know too many local Realtors. They are afraid of offending them all, so they pick an out of town Realtor thinking it will go over better.

Sometimes they have a sister or aunt who is a Realtor elsewhere who promises to take care of them.

Sometimes they look for a discount broker who’ll stick their home on the MLS for a nominal fee. They don’t want any other services, so they don’t care whether the broker lives here.

Sometimes they feel compelled to use the same agent who helped them buy the property ten years ago when they moved here, figuring they’ve worked locally in the past at least once.

Sometimes they think Silicon Valley agents have special access to wealthy Silicon Valley buyers. (There are always rumors about secret CEO email lists floating around.)

Sometimes they think 408 or 605 or 415 agents know how to speak the secret language of tech or money. Sometimes they think they are more sophisticated or experienced because the median price in their zip codes is higher.

Now back to the reality of realty...all real estate is local. Every market has its own unique dynamic. No two are the same.

Over the years, quite a few clients have asked me to represent them in the hottest spots around Silicon Valley, but I’ve never agreed to take on any of those lucrative listings.

Why? Because even under the best of circumstances, I know I can’t generate the same results a qualified and truly local Realtor can. Being a good fiduciary is more important than being a good friend or family member. Success in the multiple-offer marketplace depends on knowing local agents, local lenders, local ordinances and the lay of the local landscape. You have to know all the nuances and intimate details. That’s something you only get from living in a place for a long time.

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

JUNE 19 - 25, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

Affordable home 2 Br-1 bth with recent upgrades which are kitchen cabinets, granite counter top and updated bath, plenty of room for RV parking

Priced to sell 3 Br-2 Bth 2 acr gar very well cared for home, move in ready condition $559,900

Tom Brezsny’s

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PHOTO GALLERY

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Tarmo Hannula

JUNE 19 - 25, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

Have a recent photo you’d like to share? Send it to us for consideration by emailing it to tnunez@pajaronian.com or mailing it to 21 Brennan St., Suite 14, Watsonville, CA 95076. Please include a brief description of the photo as well as the name of the photographer.

SOLID STRUCTURE Corrugated tin is the featured architectural element

in this industrial section of The Sashmill complex in Santa Cruz.

Tarmo Hannula

PERFORMANCE THERAPY Sabine Silver delivers her original music for harp on Pacific Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz.

FLOWER POWER A tree dahlia blooms in

a backyard in Watsonville.

JUNE 19 - 25, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

the back yard of a Ben Lomond home.

Johanna Miller

Tarmo Hannula

BIG BIRD A large metal sculpture of a crow dominates

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SPRING HOMEOWNER’S

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SERVICE GUIDE 1

HAULING

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FURNITURE

Baker Bros.

31 E 5th Street Watsonville

JUNE 19 - 25, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

(831) 722-1776

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Professional Carpet & Upholstery Steam Cleaning

(831) 724-4409

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Watsonville

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CARPET CLEANING

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ROOFING

ARIANA ROOFING Lic#73748 Make Us One of Your Three Estimates Commercial & Residential Free Estimates Watsonville call 761-1328 Santa Cruz call 462-3036 We won’t make you wait. www.arianaroofing.com

WINDOWS

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EQUIPMENT RENTAL

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Testimonials: We couldn’t be more pleased with the services Becky provided. Our family had to sell a home as part of a trust. We had no experience in real estate, but Becky was extremely helpful and transparent about each step of the process. She made herself available to help us whenever we needed it, and was very communicative. Becky has extensive knowledge of the county and neighborhoods and sold our home in under 6 days. For full asking price! We would wholeheartedly recommend her services to anyone looking for a professional realtor.

22 JEHL

719 OREGON ST.

Wow, nothing to do but move in!

2 bedrooms, 1 bath, gorgeous remodel, new laminate, kitchen cabinets, appliances, dual windows, tankless water heater, laundry inside, dining nook, slider to large landscaped backyard.. Oversized living room, open floor plan, long driveway to new 2 car carport. Front yard with easy care landscaping.

Pretty easy commute north or south. Look and purchase today!

L# 4016 $527,750

Location, location, location, California Ranch style home, over 1750 sq ft with living and family rooms, formal dining plus eat in kitchen area, fireplace, laundry inside, 1 story, oversized lot, 2 car garage, plenty of parking. Easily made into 3 bedrooms with a wall in the oversized bedroom, 1.5 bathrooms, plenty of room to put a shower in half bath to have another full bath. Room for garden and or puppy run. Work shop on end of garage. Close to most conveniences. Look and purchase today. #4013 $699,500

TRAVERS LANE PARCELS

GROUND LEASE

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535 OHLONE PARKWAY

REDUCED

Panoramic Monterey Bay View!!! Estate sized property situated on approx 6 Acres, overlooking the coastline of Santa Cruz, Salinas & the Monterey Bay. Perched on a hilltop this private estate has 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and approx 6095 square feet, formal living and dining rooms, two family rooms, country size kitchen, 2 pellet stoves and one wood burning fireplace. You will love the large size of every room in this home. There is an Eagles nest/ Bar room perfect for getting away by yourself. So many amenities, two ovens, two dishwashers, trash compactor, two refrigerators, stainless steel railing around patio to relax and enjoy the view and privacy with family and friends.

Abundant natural light throughout. Gated entry, location is central to Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey & San Benito Counties. 1248 sq feet Shop/Garage with grease pit and one tall door for a motorhome.

INCREDIBLE PROPERTY! BRIGHT & OPEN FLOOR PLAN, BRINGS OUTDOORS IN! VIEWS FROM EVERY ROOM! OCEAN, COAST, VALLEY & MOUNTAINS! SPECTACULAR SUNSETS AND CITY LIGHTS! L#4005 $1,575.000

115 HILL AVE

2 separate country parcels with a water share each. Maybe Build your dream home. Perhaps modular or Tiny Home. Nice private location, quiet rolling hills. Santa Cruz county, Off Green Valley Rd. Easy commute to work then back home to enjoy the country.

Parcel 15 has 3.02 acres for $200,000.

Parcel 16 has 3.49 acres for $210,000.

SOLD - Parcel 18 has 2.95 acres for $210,000.

COMING SOON Two nice homes on 5.6 usable acres. Santa Cruz county. Main home has over 2000 sq ft with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, open floor plan in kitchen and dining areas, wood burning stove in large living room. 2 car garage, Deck and Yard areas. Plenty of parking. Second home has 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, newer paint and carpet in both homes. Work shop, flat fenced areas, private setting. $1,250,000

26 ROOSEVELT ST 2 bedroom special, great bones, roomy backyard and great location, close to most conveniences. Fireplace, some hardwood floors, nice and sunny, formal dining room plus eat in kitchen, laundry inside. 1 car garage and long driveway. #4014 $500,000

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JUNE 19 - 25, 2020 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

Remodeled Beauty, just purchase and move in. 2 bedroom Spanish style bungalow, Gorgeous remodeled kitchen with custom white cabinets, granite, under counter lights, 5 burner gas stove, tiled floor and much more.

Laminate floors thru out, designer paint colors, bath is remodeled too. New wiring and plumbing, long driveway to 2 car garage, nice easy care front and back yards, fenced. Oversized concrete patio for BBQs. Look and purchase today! #4015 $514,500

Downtown Watsonville lot available for GROUND LEASE. Many zoning options, list available. Across the street from the Historic City Plaza, seasonal Farmers market, Cabrillo College, bank, retail stores, restaurants, courthouse and parking garage half a block away. $9,500 p/month

4 Plus useable acres, inside the city limits of Watsonville. Build a subdivision, city utilities available.

Close to highway 1 for easy quick access North or South. $4,000,000

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