Aptos Times: January 1, 2021 by Times Publishing Group, Inc.

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January 1 2021 • Vol 30 No. 1

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Six Girl Scouts with Big Hearts

As you know, this year has been challenging because of this COVID pandemic; but we have still made it happen, just in a very different way. Full Story page 5

New Rules Eyed for Dead-End Roads Full Story page 16

New Look for La Selva Library COVID-19 cancelled a lot of activities in 2020, but the $1 million-plus remodel at La Selva Beach Branch Library is more than 50 percent complete. C2 Builders of Royal Oaks is doing the work for $1,030,000. Vaquero Construction of Gilroy was the initial low bidder at $874,460, but withdrew, citing errors. The highest of the six bids was $1.6 million. The 2,230-square-foot library at 316 Estrella Ave. is

getting an outdoor patio, a new entry on the north side of the building, an ADA-accessible bathroom, a new service desk, new furniture and finishes, new windows and doors and new electrical wiring to accommodate more online use. Construction time is estimated to take nine months, with a target grand opening date of June 2. Denise Davidson was chosen by the county Arts Commission to create art for the project under the county’s public art policy. ... continues on page 4

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No. 1

Volume 30

Table of Contents

Cover New Look for La Selva Library 5 6 8 9 10

11 12 13

16 17 19 20 22 23 24 25

Community News Six Girl Scouts with Big Hearts, By Mandi Lopez COVID Toll: 83 Deaths, By Jondi Gumz Cross-checks Needed To Cut EDD Fraud, Letter to Governor Gavin Newsom Red Cross Salutes Local Volunteers, By Jim Burns Castro Adobe work honored by Santa Cruz County History Forum • Fatal hit-and-run on Highway 1 • County Conservation Strategy Meeting: Jan. 18 • Jobs in Santa Cruz County $900 Billion COVID Aid Package Signed Kirby Senior is Coca-Cola Scholar Semifinalist Vitamin D Reduces COVID Deaths, Study Review Finds: 100+ Scientists & Doctors Call For Widespread Intake Immediately, Original Letter and Signatories at https://tinyurl.com/Letter-VitaminDForAll New Rules Eyed for Dead-End Roads, By Jondi Gumz • Noah Diffenbaugh Honored by American Geophysical Union AG Sues Seafood Companies Over Contaminants Campfires OK With Permit Rio Theatre Unveils Banff Film Lineup Jan. 6 Deadline to Protest Fire Merger New COVID Test Site Opens at Civic • Kristine Ronzano Joins SCCB • Children’s Novel By Local Author Wins Moonbeam Award New Members On Community Bridges Board • Which Sports Are Allowed in California? Parenting Classes Start in January • Literacy Program Goal: $25,000 Monthly Horoscope • Page 26 – Beginnings Are Fragile Things, By Risa D’Angeles Community Calendar • Arts & Entertainment – Pages 28, 29

Featured Columnists 21 Fishing With The Family: Pictures From the Past, Photo Essay by Carolyn Swift 27 Navigating an Unprecedented Year, By Rachél Lather, President, Soquel Creek Water District Board 29 Native Plants Exemplify Diversity, By Tony Tomeo 30 Accomplishments of 2020 Amid 20,000 Emails and Phone Calls, By Zach Friend, Second District Supervisor

SCCAS Featured Pet • Page 31 – Looking For a New Home

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COVER STORY Patrice Edwards Jondi Gumz

publisher editor

contributing writers Camisa Composti, Mandi Lopez, Jondi Gumz, Jim Burns, Risa D’Angeles, Carolyn Swift, Rachél Lather, Tony Tomeo, Zach Friend layout Michael Oppenheimer, Jim Johnson graphic artists Michael Oppenheimer, Jim Johnson photography Michael Oppenheimer, Jim Johnson, Brad King website Michael Oppenheimer, Camisa Composti production coordinator Camisa Composti media consultants Don Beaumont, Teri Huckobey, Brooke Valentine office coordinator Cathe Race distribution Bill Pooley, James Hudson

“La Selva Beach Library” from page 1 Her $4,500 piece will consist of a vertical glass mosaic in blues and greens, symbolic of the ocean, to be installed outside the rear entrance. The Friends of La Selva Beach Library offered to pay for an operable interior wall to give the space more flexibility in programming. That feature, costing $94,693, had been dropped due to budget constraints. Adding square footage was not possible for the same reason. The project budget is $1,661,93, largely funded by voter-approved Measure S, with a tiny percentage coming from county library funds. The book drop remains open 24/7. Returned items are quarantined for at least 96 hours before being checked in. No late fees will be assessed for the quarantine period.

Times Publishing Group, Inc. 9601 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA 95003 The Times Publishing Group, Inc., publishers of the Aptos Times, a bi-monthly publication, the Capitola Times and Scotts Valley Times, each printed monthly, Coastal Weddings Magazine, Coastal Home and Garden Magazine, Aptos’ Fourth of July Parade Official Program Guide and Capitola’s Begonia Festival Official Program Guide, is owned by Patrice Edwards. Entire contents ©2021. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form is prohibited without the publisher’s written permission PHONE: (831) 688-7549 FAX: (831) 688-7551 GENERAL E-MAIL: info@cyber-times.com Patrice Edwards: patrice@cyber-times.com Publisher’s Assistant: assistant@cyber-times.com Editor: info@cyber-times.com Calendar Listings: www.tpgonlinedaily.com Graphics Department: graphics@cyber-times.com Billing Inquiries: cathe@cyber-times.com Classified Sales: sales@cyber-times.com Production: production@cyber-times.com CHECK OUT OUR WEB SITE AT: www.tpgonlinedaily.com mission statement We at the Times Publishing Group, Inc. are dedicated to providing a voice for the individuals and organizations in our community while highlighting the outstanding accomplishments of our local businesses. We seek to promote healthy family values through our coverage of youth activities, school news, senior events, community groups and entertainment 4 / January 1st 2021 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

All libraries in the Santa Cruz Public Library System are closed for the Christmas and New Year’s holiday, reopening Monday, Jan. 2.At that time, services will be accessible from any branch library during open hours by phone at 831-427-7713, or by emailing elibrary@santacruzpl.org For information on children’s virtual story time and Tales2Tails, see santacruzpl. org. Many of the library’s entertainment and research collections are available online via at santacruzpl.org. You can download e-books, audiobooks, magazines,

movies and music using your library card? It’s free! And you can watch YouTube Santa Cruz Public Libraries’ YouTube channel, which features a variety of streaming content at https://www.youtube.com/ user/SantaCruzPL Free WiFi is available 24/7 at the Aptos branch and downtown, Scotts Valley, Live Oak and Felton branches. Wireless printing is available at no charge during COVID-19 closures; print from any internet-connected or WiFi-enabled device for pickup at these five branches. The library is not charging late fees for any items during the COVID crisis, but lost and damage fees still apply. n

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Six Girl Scouts with Big Hearts

CASA CARES ABOUT BEING THERE. NO MATTER WHAT.

By Mandi Lopez Editor’s Note: If your club had $427 that you didn’t spend on activities this year because of the COVID-19 restrictions, would you spend it on toys to make Christmas bright for children in need? That’s what Cadette Girl Scout Troop #15012 did, with the support of their troop leaders, Mandi Lopez and Alicia Potes. The troop consists of six girls ages 11 to 13 living in Soquel, Capitola and Aptos, and they are open to more members. ••• s you know, this year has been challenging because of this COVID pandemic; but we have still made it happen, just in a very different way. We may only have six girls in our troop this year, but they are the most loving and biggest-hearted girls I know. Every year, as a troop we select what and how we spend the hard-earned money they earn from the previous year’s cookie sales. This year with the elections happening, we took full advantage of teaching them the women’s roles and the importance of voting and having a voice. We then took a vote on who we wanted to donate to this holiday season. It was unanimous. They all agreed to donate to a local organization named Santa Cops. Santa Cops is a nonprofit consisting of representatives of Santa Cruz Police

Join us for an online information meeting to learn more about how you can be there for a child in foster care. All it takes is 2 hours a week to make a lifetime of an impact. Olivia Potes, Aptos, 6th grade, hands a stack of gifts to Community Service Officer Catherine Brothers. Department and surrounding areas. Santa Cops provides toys for children in need in the Santa Cruz area to enhance the relationship between children and law enforcement within our communities for Christmas and throughout the year. These are children who come from all walks of life and differing circumstances, but all are faced with limitations in their homes. “Girl Scouts” page 9

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Cadette Troop #15012 drops off toys for Santa Cops at the Santa Cruz Police Department. Girl Scouts — Standing (from left): Penellope Lopez, Soquel, 6th grade; and sister Gabriella Gonzalez-Lopez, Soquel, 8th grade. Kneeling (from left): Olivia Potes, Aptos, 6th grade; Nicoya Phillips, Capitola, 6th grade; and Alina Avila-Dilon, Soquel, 6th grade. Not pictured: Evelyn Eslit-McDow, Aptos, 6th grade. Officers (from left): Community Service Officer Sergio Orozco, Lieutenant Carter Jones, and Community Service Officer Catherine Brothers.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

COVID Toll: 83 Deaths O MORE XCUSES! I By Jondi Gumz

n 10 days, while some families observed Hanukkah and others celebrated Christmas, the contagious coronavirus COVID-19 claimed 13 more lives in Santa Cruz County, bringing the deadly toll to 83. For a growing number of local families, their holidays meant mourning the loss of respected elders due to COVID-19 as the virus is most deadly for people 80 and older. Many deaths have taken place in nursing homes, where visits have been halted for many months in an attempt to stop the virus from spreading.

Statewide, more than 24,500 deaths are attributed to COVID. Two days before Christmas, state reported 300 deaths a day. Because this new coronavirus is so contagious and easily spread when people eat together or sing together, Santa Cruz County health officials advised celebrating with your own household instead of a multi-generational holiday gathering and advise being outdoors and active (such as walking) is safer than indoors. Private Thanksgiving gatherings led to a local spike of COVID cases on Dec. 7, with 100 or more people a day reporting symptoms six days in a row. A new record was set Monday, Dec. 14, when 217 people reported symptoms. That week saw a burst of new cases, 160 people on Tuesday, 151 on Wednesday, 176 on Thursday, and 117 on Friday before easing off on the weekend. Monday, Dec. 21, another 147 FINISH THE YEAR STRONGER THANOn EVER people reported symptoms, followed by 158 on Tuesday, 137 on Wednesday, and 113 on Thursday, Christmas Eve.

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Tea with Teachers

A panel discussion with MMS elementary school teachers January 13, 4:30 – 5:30pm Join us for this Zoom discussion and enjoy a cup of tea while hearing from MMS elementary school teachers about our program.

Christmas Day in the Intensive Care Unit, the most since Nov. 4, when 20 people with COVID were being treated in the ICUs. On Dec. 29, the COVID patients in the ICU was 15. On Wednesday, the case count was 8,407, with 2,191 active — a slight decline — in the last two weeks requiring contact tracing. The county has increased staff to do that work, with more than 40 people investigating cases and more than 40 people tracing contacts, and notifying them of exposure. The priority is nursing homes, as all seven in the county have had cases, the jail, and high-risk zip codes, such as Watsonville, which has 55 percent of the county’s cases. One positive sign is that the caseload in the Latino community has declined from 66 percent initially to 55 percent. Santa Cruz County Health Official Dr. Gail Newel said she wouldn’t see her mother, who is 86 and at higher risk from COVID, at Christmas due to the regional stay–at-home order that took effect Dec. 18 for Santa Cruz County and the rest of the Bay Area region to preserve capacity in hospital intensive care units. Often, people hurt in car crashes are taken to trauma centers in Santa Clara County, but their ICU capacity is limited due to COVID. There are 22 ICU beds in Santa Cruz County, 16 at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz and 6 at Watsonville Community Hospital. It’s possible for them to add beds, but staffing the beds would be a challenge due to the demand for ICU nurses through the region and the state. The new COVID-19 vaccines have been distributed to frontline workers at Dominican Hospital and Watsonville Community Hospital but nurses at both locations object to the state’s staffing solution, allowing hospitals to increase their workload.

COMMUNITY NEWS The state policy change allows hospitals to request a waiver to assign a single nurse, instead of two nurses, to care for three patients in critical condition or up to six non-critical patients (instead of four). The California Nurses Association blasted the move and nurses demonstrated at Dominican and Watsonville Community Hospital two weeks ago. It’s not clear whether waivers have been requested for either location. Stay At Home he stay-at-home order, which prohibits private gatherings of any size, also ended outdoor restaurant dining, shuttered hair salons, barbershops, wineries and breweries, restricted retail stores to 20 percent capacity, forced non-essential office workers to work remotely and limited churches and protests to outdoor activities only. The earliest the order could be lifted is Jan. 8, and for that to be considered, the Bay Area region would have to have 15 percent ICU capacity. The regional percentage was 10.4 percent capacity as of Tuesday. Even as the number of deaths increase, the number of negative COVID tests keeps growing — 93,224 as of Wednesday as testing becomes more readily available. A new OptumServe site offering free testing opened Dec. 21 at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St., Santa Cruz. The state-sponsored site operates from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and can process 165 daily tests. No walk-ins are allowed. To make an appointment, go to https://lhi.care/covidtesting or covid19.ca.gov/get-tested/. The same website can be used to make an appointment at the OptumServe testing site at Ramsay Park in Watsonville, which is now open seven days a week. Community Aid he pandemic wiped out 18,600 jobs compared to a year ago, according to the count taken on Nov. 12, with agriculture, hospitality/food services and government reporting devastating losses. Unemployment, which was 11 percent in July, is down to 6.7 percent but that is largely because the workforce is smaller – people have given up trying to find a job in the COVID economy. The nonprofit Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, which began raising funds to meet needs created by the pandemic, has granted $4.9 million to local nonprofits to assist residents, largely with basic needs such as rent and food. Among the recipients are Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, $774,700, Center for Farmworker Families, $772,000, Senderos, $557,000, Community Bridges, $338,000, Santa Cruz Community Health Centers, $223,000, Catholi8c Charities Diocese of Monterey, $210,000, Second

Harvest Food Bank, $120,000, Pajaro Valley Loaves & Fishes, $117,000, Salvation Army of Santa Cruz, $115,000, Hospice Santa Cruz County, $100,000, Grey Bears, $136,600, Monarch Services, $103,000, Dientes, $100,000, Salvation Army of Watsonville, $85,000, St. Francis Soup Kitchen, $45,000, and Valley Churches United Missions, $25,000, DigitalNEST, $10,000. In addition, since school closures were announced on March 12 due to COVID-19, donor advisors have granted $5,573,144 to their local, regional, and national nonprofits. Gifts postmarked by Dec. 31 will be eligible for the 2020 tax year, and eligible for a tax deduction of up to $300 due to the CARES Act. Congress just extended this tax deduction provision for 2021. On Monday, the Santa Cruz County Public Health Division reported 13 more deaths in the past 10 days, bringing the total to 83 deaths from COVID: 72 percent had underlying conditions, 69 percent were residents of nursing homes or care homes for the elderly, 66 percent were age 80 or older, and 57 percent were women. On Monday, the county reported its youngest COVID death. According to county spokesman Jason Hoppin, a Latina woman in her 30s died of the coronavirus Dec. 17 although she had no significant underlying health conditions. Asked why COVID has been fatal for more women than men, public health spokeswoman Corinne Hyland noted women tend to live longer than men, so their ages put them at higher risk for the virus. ••• County COVID Deaths As of Dec. 28 Age 90 and up:............................................. 31 80 to 89:................................................. 24 70 to 79:................................................. 14 60 to 69:................................................. 10 50 to 59:................................................... 2 40 to 49:................................................... 1 30 to 39:................................................... 1 Race/Ethnicity White:.................................................... 42 Latinx:................................................... 30 Asian:...................................................... 5 Black:....................................................... 1 Other:..................................................... 1 Unknown:............................................... 4 Underlying Conditions Yes:......................................................... 60 No:......................................................... 23 Skilled Nursing/Residential Care Santa Cruz Post Acute:....................... 19 Watsonville Post Acute:...................... 16 Pacific Coast Manor:........................... 12 Hearts & Hands Post Acute:................ 6 Montecito Manor:.................................. 2 Valley Convalescent:............................. 1 Maple House II:..................................... 1 Total:..................................................... 57

Gender Male:..................................................... 36 Female:.................................................. 47 COVID cases by town Aptos................................................... 382 Ben Lomond......................................... 54 Boulder Creek...................................... 74 Capitola.............................................. 206 Felton.................................................... 73 Freedom.............................................. 508 Santa Cruz....................................... 1,843 Scotts Valley....................................... 194

Soquel................................................. 191 Unincorporated................................... 91 Watsonville...................................... 4,630 Under investigation.......................... 161 Total................................................. 8,407 Source: Santa Cruz County Public Health ••• Editor’s Note: Would you like to share your family’s COVID-19 story? Email Jondi Gumz at info@timespublishinggroup.com Or you can call her at 831-688-7549 ext. 17

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Cross-checks Needed To Cut EDD Fraud Letter to Governor Gavin Newsom Editor’s Note: This letter from District Attorneys around California is being published to make our readers aware of statewide fraud that may involve up to $1 billion in tax dollars. ••• e write today (Nov. 23) to request a meeting on an urgent matter — widespread EDD fraud occurring in California. In addition to a meeting, we request your personal involvement in halting what appears to be the most significant fraud on taxpayer funds in California history. District Attorneys and federal prosecutors, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement, have discovered that there is rampant and large-scale pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA) fraud occurring in our communities, in the jails, and in state and federal prisons. General estimates of the money already paid due to this fraud could near $1 billion. Undoubtedly, this money has been utilized to further criminal conduct. Fraudulent unemployment claims deny those who have lost their employment, many due to COVID-19, who are legally eligible for benefits and are truly in need from getting the financial assistance they need. We write today to request your personal involvement in halting what appears to be the most significant fraud on taxpayer funds in California history. There is no dispute that since the pandemic began in March 2020, EDD has faced unprecedented demands for unemployment insurance. Due to these demands and challenges faced by EDD, in late July, you created an EDD “Strike Team” to create a “blueprint” for improvements to EDD. You also directed that hundreds of employees be added to help process the nearly 1 million claims that were backlogged. In September, the “Strike Team” made several recommendations to reform EDD in a written report. Nothing in this report specifically addressed preventing or detecting fraud involving incarcerated individuals. Scope of the Problem ver the last several months, several media reports detailing this fraud have emerged. For instance, in Beverly Hills, police arrested over 100 people in a massive PUA scheme, totaling millions of dollars in illegally obtained benefits. In September, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe filed charges against 21 jail inmates for PUA fraud

Ann Marie Schubert, Sacramento District Attorney, leads a Dec. 21 virtual meeting about the EDD Fraud. amounting to $250,000 in illegally paid benefits. It is no secret that fraud in widespread in jails and prisons. In fact, even incarcerated inmates have themselves made reports. On Oct. 31, 2020, Amber Jackson, an inmate serving a life term in state prison, wrote an article for the Santa Monica Observer, entitled, “California Prisons Are a Major Source of EDD Fraud, Including Identify Theft.” In that article, Jackson states, “I see and hear my peers talking about this (EDD fraud) all the times. It surprises me how easy this is. There are even a couple of cases I’ve heard of the unemployment department sending checks directly to the prisons! What?? Oh yeah, this is an industry all its own. Now, don’t get me wrong. Some prisoners’ identifies are used without their knowledge or consent by their families or anyone who manages to get their personal information. Identify theft knows no boundaries.” A recent KCRA3 investigation found, “Thousands of envelopes containing fraudulent California Employment Development Department claims that were sent to residents across the state are part of several fraud schemes… The schemes involve identify theft, the dark web and possibly an international crime ring.” Individuals perpetrating this fraud are even flouting their illegal windfalls on YouTube. A link to this video can be found at http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=niBFYeo2Ltk. Within the last two months, state and federal prosecutors have become keenly aware just how massive and pervasive this fraud is within our jail s and prisons.

8 / January 1st 2021 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

Tens of thousands of local, state and federal inmates are involved. Unemployment claims have been made and paid in names of death row inmates and include some of California’s most notorious murders such as Cary Stayner, Wayne Ford and Isauro Aguirre. As a result, California’s elected District Attorneys have created a Statewide EDD Fraud Task Force to combat this massive fraud. Law enforcement and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation are critical partners within the Task Force. While EDD investigators have also assisted with these efforts, they have only 17 fraud investigators for the entire state and are therefore understandably overwhelmed by the amount of work this will entail. As such, the District Attorney Investigative Divisions are assisting with these investigations. The enormity of this week cannot be underscored enough. Quite frankly, this may be the largest fraud investigation in California history. Fraud Within State Prisons n response to a federal subpoena, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) have provided the U.S. Department of Labor with their entire inmate population list, across all institutions. The DOL thereafter ran this data against unemployment insurance date for the period of March 2020-August 2020./ This information was then provided to EDD. In the last two weeks, the results of this data have been released to the Statewide Task Force. The Task Force has extensively researched this data and found the following:

• The volume of fraud as well as the types of inmates is staggering. • Fraud exists in every CDCR institution • Fraud encompasses every type of inmate: Death row inmates, inmates sentenced to life or life without the possibility of parole, and rapists, child molesters, human traffickers and other violent criminals • Many of the claims being paid are sent to outof-state individuals The data revealed the following: Overall CDCR Data Number of Claims Filed: 35,003 Number of Claims Already Paid: 20,150 Highest Single Claims: $48,600 Highest Claims for a Single Inmate: 16 Total Amount Paid, March-August: $140,253,207 Death Row Data There are currently over 700 inmates on death row. They represent the worst of all murderers. An extensive review of the data of death ro inmates revealed the following: Number of Death Row Inmates Named in Claims: 133 Claims Filed under Those 133 Inmate Names: 158 Highest Single Claim Paid: $19,676 Total Amount Paid Through August: $421,370 Fraud in County Jails here are 58 counties in California. Early data shows that fraud within the county jails is also rampant. Much like the state prisons, it is anticipated that fraud will exist in every county jail facility. Even small county jails have identified losses in the millions. Statewide, the fraud within the jails could balloon to hundreds of millions of dollars. Fraud in Other Detention Facilities he Task Force is additionally concerned that this fraud may also have permeated other facilities, including State Hospitals that house the following types of inmates or patients: Not guilty by reason of insanity, incompetent to stand trial, sexually violent predators, other civil commitments related to mental health. In addition to this shocking information, Task Force members discovered that EDD has no cross-match system to stop the continued payment to incarcerated inmates. California is the most populous state in the country. It has been hailed as the center of technology. Yet the EDD’s lack of technology to cross-match incarceration data is costing this state hundreds of millions of dollars.

“EDD Fraud” page 10

COMMUNITY NEWS

Red Cross Salutes Local Volunteers

By Jim Burns

he American Red Cross of the Central Coast honored 18 local residents and an area fire department at a recognition event for chapter volunteers from Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties. The annual event, originally planned as an in-person event this past spring, was delayed and then held virtually on Dec. 8 because of COVID-19 precautions. Tiki Dellamora of Santa Cruz received the American Red Cross’s top honor, the Clara Barton Award. Named after the founder of the American Red Cross, the award recognizes a volunteer for service in a series of leadership positions over a number of years. A volunteer in Santa Cruz County since 1984, Dellamora has been a staple of the local chapter ’s Disaster Cycle Services team. A veteran of more than 30 disaster-relief operations, she has proven herself time and again to be a dedicated steward of the Red Cross mission. “Not only has Tiki been a tireless volunteer, she is also a joy to work with and just a real treasure,” said Michele Averill, CEO of the local chapter. “Tiki embodies the spirit of the Red Cross, and we were thrilled to present her with the Clara Barton Award.” In addition to the Clara Barton Award, the following awards were given to local volunteers: • Biomedical Services Volunteer of the Year – John Crepeau (Hollister)

“Girl Scouts” from page 5 Children need to experience officers as caring people who are willing to provide positive support. Each Christmas season, our officers personally deliver these presents to the children of the families who apply. This year, with COVID-19 hitting on top of normal holiday struggles, Santa Cops was able to help about 65 families. It took a night to Zoom together to hold our monthly meeting and then close with virtually shopping as a troop. Each girl picked out several items, choosing a total of 40 gifts with a wide age span, from Barbies and Hotwheels 5-packs to slime kits, kinetic sand, Mrs. Potato Head, board games, coloring books, baby dolls, card games, stepping stone kits, stuffed animals, sticker book, art supplies, modeling clay.

Tiki Dellamora, right, accepts an award at the American Red Cross Central Coast Chapter’s recognition event in 2018. At left is Michele Averill, CEO of the local Red Cross chapter. • Blood Services Donor of the Year – Danny Lucas (Watsonville) • Collaboration – Megan Erk (Los Gatos) and Michele Averill (Aptos) • Disaster Cycle Services, Exceptional Response – Beverly Will (Watsonville) and Kelly-May Donnelly (San Juan Bautista) • Disaster Cycle Services, Extraordinary Commitment and Dedication – Tom Wiley (Royal Oaks) and David Guttirez (Hollister)

• General Support Services – Laurie Wheeler (Monterey) • International Services – Kim Osborne (Monterey) and Laura Fullem-Chavis (Carmel Valley) • New Volunteer – Dwayne Taaffe (Salinas) • Service to the Armed Forces – Tony Virrueta (Soledad) • Volunteer Leadership – Dane Lobb (Royal Oaks)

• Youth Services – Kira Kaplan (Santa Cruz) and Marielle Mabaet (Seaside) • Partnership – Chief Brian Dempsey (Seaside) and the Seaside Fire Department Other volunteers were celebrated for the large number of hours they devoted to Red Cross service during 2019. “Our dedicated and wonderful volunteers have continued to support the mission of the Red Cross, even during this challenging time of COVID,” Averill said. “And during the devastating wildfires in our area this year, they heroically supported our disaster relief efforts even while, in some cases, they had evacuated because their own homes were threatened.” This year’s Central Coast Chapter recognition included a special element: A short video was shown in honor of the family of longtime Watsonville Fire Department captain Danny Lucas. Three members of the family — Danny Lucas Jr. of Watsonville, Chad Lucas of Watsonville, and Raymond Harris of Aptos received Red Cross awards earlier this month for the “extraordinary action” each took to save Danny Lucas’s life following a hunting accident in Montana. To Become a Red Cross Volunteer: Volunteers constitute about 94 percent of the total Red Cross workforce to carry out humanitarian work. “Red Cross Awards” page 10

About $300 was spent on toys, $62 on brand-new jackets for fire survivors, $35 for new bath towels for the Santa Cruz Animal Shelter (which we heard they needed) and $30 to Meals on Wheels. The troop got an appointment to drop off the toys at the Santa Cruz Police Department, where Community Service Officer Sergio Orozco, Lieutenant Carter Jones, & Community Service Officer Catherine Brothers were there to receive these gifts with open arms. Thank you Santa Cruz Police Department for making this unforgettable moment possible for our entire troop ! We could not be more proud of our troop and their giving hearts and selflessness. To learn about how to join a Girl Scouts troop in your community, see www. girlscoutsccc.org or call 1-800-822-2427. n

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / January 1st 2021 / 9

COMMUNITY BRIEFS Castro Adobe work honored by Santa Cruz County History Forum n Nov. 18, the Santa Cruz County History Forum honored Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks for its work restoring the Castro Adobe. Friends is leading a multi-year restoration effort to preserve and interpret the Castro Adobe new as a State Historic Park in partnership with California State Parks. It is Santa Cruz County’s second State Historic Park and the first non-beach state park in the Pajaro Valley. According to History Forum Past President Traci Bliss, the organization has given only three awards over the last decade for outstanding and sustained work in preserving our county’s history. The $500 award honors a nonprofit that has made an exceptional contribution

“EDD Fraud” from page 8 In 2016, the National Association of State Workforce Agencies conducted a national survey to gather data to improve the integrity of unemployment insurance benefit around the country. In response to queries related to cross-matching incarceration data against each state’s Unemployment Insurance Agency, the survey found: • 35 states cross-match claimants against state prison rolls. Many states do these crosschecks on a weekly basis to root out fraud. • 28 state cross-match between claimants and county jail data. • 6 states cross-match claims against federal prison data. Sadly, California does not cross-match. While the latest EDD improvements with “ID.me” should be applauded, they can be

“Red Cross Awards” from page 9 Red Cross volunteers are trained to meet the needs of those affected by disasters, providing food, shelter, and comfort for families affected by major disasters such as fires, floods, and earthquakes as well as helping local residents prepare for and recover from emergencies of all kinds.

to restoration and/or preservation. Past winners have been The Elkhorn Slough Foundation and the Evergreen Committee at the Museum of Art and History. Castro Adobe Advisory Committee Chair Charlene Duval and Friends Historic Preservation Project Manager Jessica Kusz presented a project update to Gala attendees. Learn more at www. thatsmypark.org. ••• Fatal hit-and-run on Highway 1 he California Highway Patrol is looking for the driver of a black 2002 GMC Yukon who struck and killed a man walking along Highway 1 near Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, on Dec. 23, around 11:30 p.m. The driver left, then abandoned the vehicle near the scene, according to Officer Kummerfeld, who investigated. The man on foot, 47, of Santa Cruz, succumbed to his injuries, according to the CHP, which is asking people to help identify the Yukon driver. Anyone with information regarding the driver of the Yukon is asked to call (831) 662-0511 (daytime) or (831) 796-2160 (after hours). •••

easily overcome by co-conspirators manipulating this system. Thus, this widespread fraud will continue. Undoubtedly, millions more will be paid to those who are entitled to such benefits. Undoubtedly, those lawfully entitled to benefits will continue to suffer at the hands of these criminals. Addressing the Problem Based upon the clear data demonstrating widespread fraud within correctional facilities, we respectfully request the following steps immediately: • Add significant resources and investigative staff to assist the Statewide Task Force in the investigation and prosecution of those involved in this fraud. • Employ a cross-match system to ensure that incarceration data is routinely matched against EDD claims so no further funds are paid to or on

We’ll find the position that appeals to you and allows you to use your skills and talents. Email VolunteerCCC@redcross.org to get started. n ••• With offices in Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties, the American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40

10 / January 1st 2021 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

County Conservation Strategy Meeting: Jan. 18 he public is invited to attend a virtual public meeting 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, on Zoom to learn about and provide input on the proposed 10-year Santa Cruz County Regional Conservation Investment Strategy. The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission and the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County are developing the strategy to link potential environmental mitigation for proposed infrastructure to high-priority conservation projects. The Regional Conservation Investment Strategy is a voluntary process guided by Assembly Bill 2087, a 2016 law that allows creation of a system of mitigation credits to advance conservation objectives of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to protect threatened and endangered species, other sensitive species, natural communities, ecological processes and connectivity. For information on how to attend the meeting, visit: www.sccrtc.org/rcis. Interested parties can provide written comments by email to: rcis_santacruzcounty@ sccrtc.org; by mail to: SCCRTC attn: Grace

Blakeslee, 1523 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, CA 95060; or through the RCIS Online Public Workshop, available from Jan. 11 – Feb. 19 via sccrtc.org/rcis/workshop. ••• Jobs in Santa Cruz County Change from Industry Nov. 2020 a year ago Government 19,100 Down 5,600 Leisure & hospitality 11,400 Down 2,300 Private education & health 15,400 Down 2,300 Manufacturing 6,300 Down 1,000 Other services 4,300 Down 900 Trade & transportation 16,600 Down 800 Biz & professional services 10,200 Down 800 Information 500 Down 100 Financial 3,600 Up 100 Logging & construction 4,700 Up 100 Nonfarm 92,100 Down 13,600 Farm 2,500 Down 5,000 Total 94,600 Down 18,600 ••• Change from Unemployment 6.7 % a year ago Labor force 128,100 Down 9.7% Employed* 119,500 Down 12.2% Unemployed 8,600 Up 51% *Includes out-of-county commuters Source: California Employment Development Department n

behalf of incarcerated individuals. If legislative action is necessary, seek urgency legislation. By immediately addressing these systemic issues, those rightfully entitled to and desperately in need of unemployment benefits will obtain the assistance needed. The California District Attorney’s Statewide EDD Fraud Task Force continues to vigilantly work against fraudulent conduct that has so horrifically impacted law-abiding, legally entitled recipients from receiving their benefits. We stand ready to assist in any way to address these challenges. n Signed by Ann Marie Schubert, Sacramento District Attorney and chair, Statewide EDD Fraud Task Force, Task Force team leaders Jeannine Pacioni, Monterey District Attorney, S. Melyssah Rios, Lassen District Attorney, Lori Frugoli, Marin District Attorney, Lisa Smittcamp, Fresno District Attorney, Michael Hestrin, Riverside

District Attorney, Summer Stephan, San Diego District Attorney, Vern Pierson, El Dorado District Attorney and president, California District Attorneys Association, and Greg Totten, Ventura District Attorney and incoming CEO, California District Attorneys Association. •••

percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For information, visit redcross.org/centralcoast or call 831-624-6921. You may also find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Editor’s Note: Gov. Newsom responded with a letter to the district attorneys saying “bad actors took advantage of the crisis to abuse the system,” and new security were implemented in early September after an uptick in claims. EDD and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation are working with the U.S. Department of Labor to crosscheck unemployment claims against state prison rolls, according to Newsom’s letter. State Labor spokeswoman Crystal Page told the Sacramento Bee via email that 35,000 records have been checked, including 19,000 PUA claims totaling $380 million and about 3,700 of the Bank of America debit cards were frozen. El Dorado District Attorney Vern Pierson told the Bee the state got a $1.7 million federal grant for one year to run a system from Pondera Solutions of Folsom to crosscheck claims with publicly available data, but EDD did not keep the system.

Red Cross volunteers are trained to meet the needs of those affected by disasters, providing food, shelter, and comfort for families affected by major disasters such as fires, floods, and earthquakes as well as helping local residents prepare for and recover from emergencies of all kinds.

COMMUNITY NEWS

$900 Billion COVID Aid Package Signed O n Dec. 27, President Trump signed into law a $900 billion COVID-19 relief package passed by the House and Senate. The 5,600-page law includes: • Stimulus checks of $600 per person for people making less than $75,000 a year, and $600 per child. • Restarting a $300 boost in unemployment benefits that ran out Dec. 26 until mid-March • Extending eviction moratoriums for renters through Jan. 31. • Extending the $300 deduction to charity for people who do not itemize through 2021. • $284 billion to continue the Payroll Protection Program for small businesses to retain employees during the pandemic. • $20 billion in small business grants in low-income communities and $15 billion for live event venues hard hit by the pandemic. Here are details on the 2021 Payroll Protection Program, provided by the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture: • $284 billion for first and second PPP loans for small businesses that: º Have 300 employees or fewer º Show at least a 25 percent reduction in gross receipts in the first, second, or third quarter of 2020 relative to the same 2019 quarter. • Additional PPP expenses now include:

º Damage due to public disturbances not covered by insurance º Certain supplier costs º Worker protection expenditures (PPE) º Software/computing needs • Simplified forgiveness for loans under $150,000 º Borrower must sign and submit to lender a certification includes ∞ A description of the number of employees the borrower was able to retain because of the covered loan, ∞ Estimated total amount of the loan spent on payroll costs, and ∞ Total loan amount. º The borrower must also attest that borrower accurately provided the required certification and complied with PPP requirements. • 501(c)(6) organizations, such as chambers of com-

merce and destination marketing organizations, are now eligible, provided lobbying does not make up 15% of their revenue or activities. • Food service assigned to NAICS code 72 (accommodation and food service) are now eligible for PPP loans up to 3.5X average monthly payroll, instead of 2.5X payroll. Other Important Provisions: • Full PPP expense deductibility: PPP recipients will now be able to claim ordinary deductions for business expenses paid for with PPP funds, even if that PPP funding is forgiven. • EIDL Advance Full Forgiveness- $10,000 EIDL advances are no longer subtracted from PPP forgiveness if both are received. • The bill provides $15 billion for grants for eligible live venues, live performing arts organizations, museums, and movie theaters who demonstrate at least a 25 percent reduction in revenues. For more details on the 2021 PPP, see https://files. constantcontact.com/065f63ad001/5370dfed-bb3d-4b33ac05-5f074dbd6cdd.pdf U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) commended the House passage of $900 billion in COVID-19 relief funding. “COVID Deal” page 27

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / January 1st 2021 / 11

COMMUNITY NEWS

Kirby Senior is Coca-Cola Scholar Semifinalist M

EMPOWERING STUDENTS TO SHAPE THEIR FUTURES WITH CONFIDENCE.

Kirby School is an independent college preparatory day school in Santa Cruz for grades 6-12. Join us at an upcoming virtual Admissions event to learn more about our exceptional college prep program and online-only option for high school. Events are hosted on Zoom. To sign up, visit kirby.org/register

KIRBY.ORG 12 / January 1st 2021 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

425 Encinal Street | Santa Cruz, CA 95060

ichelle Nazareth, a senior at Kirby School in Santa Cruz, has been named a semifinalist for the Coca-Cola Scholars Program, putting her in the running for a $20,000 college scholarship. Nazareth is one of 1,609 high school seniors selected from 99,403 applicants from across the country based on their academic excellence, leadership and service to school and community. She has been competing at science fairs since she was in kindergarten, picking topics based on her curiosity — starting with colors and last year winning first place in Santa Cruz County and fourth place in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for a project investigating how the RNA of the earliest life could survive on Earth. At UC Santa Cruz’s UCSC’s Startup Sandbox, under the mentorship of professor Dave Deamer, she discovered that magnetic fields affect common soil bacterial motility and proposed ways that magnetotactic bacteria evolved on earth. She also discovered gram-positive bacterial filtration in magnetic fields, which can have medical applications. The year before, she created a userfriendly wireless app that analyzed heart rate to mitigate autistic episodes by alerting the caregiver via text and playing calming music. She spent two years on this project. Over 11 years, she’s logged 1,500 hours of research. She is a teen advocacy group leader for FARE, a national food allergy organization; president of Explorer Post 2100; co-creator and project leader of ‘Hope Swirls’ for Sethu Centre for Child Development and Family Guidance in Goa, India; delegate for the Rotary Youth Leadership Award Program; and junior volunteer at Dominican Hospital (in 10th-12th grades but currently paused because of COVID). She instigated letters of gratitude with FoodSmith to support Dominican’s healthcare workers. She worked with the science director at the Santa Cruz County Office of Education to teach middle school girls to code in Scratch She is this year’s Student Council president (and vice president last year) and has been instrumental in re-thinking ways to keep the Kirby community informed.

Michelle Nazareth

She runs weekly all-school meetings along with her cabinet — attracting 250 participants and she co-chairs a Board of Trustees-created task force on anti-racism. She is the president of the Ethics Bowl Team (2018-current), contributing editor of The Acorn nonfiction journal and Interrobang, the fiction journal, a student conductor and harpist in the Kirby Orchestra and Santa Cruz County Youth Symphony. “We are proud of Michelle Nazareth, for the recognition she so aptly deserves. Her dedication to her communities and her demonstrated leadership will no doubt be of great benefit in all her future endeavors,” said Christy Hutton, head of Kirby School. Semifinalists must submit essays, a recommendation, and transcripts. An independent selection committee will review the applications and select 250 regional finalists by the end of January for online interviews. Winners of the $20,000 college scholarships will be announced in March. They will be invited to participate in the Coca-Cola Scholars Leadership Development Institute facilitated by program alumni. With the 2021 class, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation will have provided more than 6,450 students with $75 million in scholarships over 33 years. “We believe that identifying these young leaders throughout the country and encouraging their passion for serving others not only empowers the students, but also lifts up those around them,” said Jane Hale Hopkins, Foundation president. n ••• www.coca-colascholarsfoundation.org

COMMUNITY NEWS

Vitamin D Reduces COVID Deaths, Study Review Finds

100+ Scientists & Doctors Call For Widespread Intake Immediately

“Dependable Service, Affordable Quality”

SPECIALIZING IN

WINTER SPECIAL

Residential Repaints & If we paint your interior and/or Custom Homes exterior by January 31, 2021 Homeowners Associations we will buy the paint. Property Managers

Original Letter and Signatories at https://tinyurl.com/Letter-VitaminDForAll

o all governments, public health officials, doctors, and healthcare workers, Research shows low vitamin D levels almost certainly promote COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths. Given its safety, we call for immediate widespread increased vitamin D intakes. Vitamin D modulates thousands of genes and many aspects of immune function, both innate and adaptive. The scientific evidence1 shows that: • Higher vitamin D blood levels are associated with lower rates of SARSCoV-2 infection. • Higher D levels are associated with lower risk of a severe case (hospitalization, ICU, or death). • Intervention studies (including randomized clinical trials) indicate that vitamin D can be a very effective treatment. • Many papers reveal several biological mechanisms by which vitamin D influences COVID-19. • Causal inference modelling, Hill’s

criteria, the intervention studies & the biological mechanisms indicate that vitamin D’s influence on COVID-19 is very likely causal, not just correlation. Vitamin D is well known to be essential, but most people do not get enough. Two common definitions of inadequacy are deficiency < 20ng/ml, the target of most governmental organizations, and insufficiency < 30ng/ml, the target of several medical societies & experts.2 Too many people have levels below these targets. Rates of vitamin D deficiency <20ng/ml exceed 33% of the population in most of the world, and most estimates of insufficiency <30ng/ml are well over 50% (but much higher in many countries).3 Rates are even higher in winter, and several groups have notably worse deficiency: the overweight, those with dark skin (especially far from the equator), and care home residents. These same groups face increased COVID-19 risk. “Vitamin D” page 14

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / January 1st 2021 / 13

It has been shown that 3875 IU (97mcg) daily is required for 97.5% of people to reach 20ng/ml, and 6200 IU (155mcg) for 30ng/ ml,4 intakes far above all national guidelines. Unfortunately, the report that set the US RDA included an admitted statistical error in which required intake was calculated to be ~10x too low.4 Numerous calls in the academic literature to raise official recommended intakes had not yet resulted in increases by the time SARS-CoV-2 arrived. Now, many papers indicate that vitamin D affects COVID-19 more strongly than most other health conditions, with increased risk at levels < 30ng/ml and severely greater risk < 20ng/ml.1. Evidence to date suggests the possibility that the COVID-19 pandemic sustains itself in large part through infection of those with low vitamin D, and that deaths are concentrated largely in those with deficiency. The mere possibility that this is so should compel urgent gathering of more vitamin D data. Even without more data, the preponderance of evidence indicates that increased vitamin D would help reduce infections, hospitalizations, ICU admissions, & deaths. Decades of safety data show that vitamin D has very low risk: Toxicity would

Please Act Immediately esidents of the USA: Text “Go VitaminDforAll” to 50409 to send this letter to your state’s governor (free). The signatories below endorse this letter. Affiliations do not imply endorsement of the letter by the institutions themselves. This letter takes no position on other public health measures besides vitamin D. Personal views of individual signatories on any other matter do not represent the group as a whole. All signatories declare no conflicts of interest except as noted. To emphasize: The organizing signatories have no conflicts of interest in this area (financial or otherwise), nor have they done research in this area prior to 2020. Signed by 135 scientists and medical doctors, with organizing signatories Dr. Kasrl Pfleger, PhD AI & Computer Science, Stanford. Former Google Data Scientist. Biotechnology Investor, AgingBiotech. info, San Francisco, and Dr. Gareth Davies, PhD Medical Physics, Imperial College, London, UK. Codex World’s Top 50 Innovator 2019. Independent Researcher. Lead author of “Evidence Supports a Causal Role for Vitamin D Status in COVID-19 Outcomes.” ••• As of printing, there are 150 signatories. The first two are: Dr. Karl Pfleger, PhD AI & Computer Science, Stanford. Former Google Data Scientist. Biotechnology Investor, AgingBiotech.info, San Francisco, CA, USA. (organizing signatory) Dr. Gareth Davies, PhD Medical Physics, Imperial College, London, UK. Codex World’s Top 50 Innovator 2019. Independent Researcher. Lead author of “Evidence Supports a Causal Role for Vitamin D Status in COVID-19 Outcomes.” (organizing signatory) •••

“Vitamin D” from page 13

be extremely rare with the recommendations here. The risk of insufficient levels far outweighs any risk from levels that seem to provide most of the protection against COVID-19, and this is notably different from drugs & vaccines. Vitamin D is much safer than steroids, such as dexamethasone, the most widely accepted treatment to have also demonstrated a large COVID-19 benefit. Vitamin D’s safety is more like that of face masks. There is no need to wait for further clinical trials to increase use of something so safe, especially when remedying high rates

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of deficiency/insufficiency should already be a priority. Therefore, we call on all governments, doctors, and healthcare workers worldwide to immediately recommend and implement efforts appropriate to their adult populations to increase vitamin D, at least until the end of the pandemic. Specifically to: 1) Recommend amounts from all sources sufficient to achieve 25(OH)D serum levels over 30ng/ml, a widely endorsed minimum with evidence of reduced COVID-19 risk. 2) Recommend to adults vitamin D intake of 4000 IU (100mcg) daily (or at least 2000 IU) in the absence of testing. 4000 IU is widely regarded as safe.5 3) Recommend that adults at increased risk of deficiency due to excess weight, dark skin, or living in care homes may need higher intakes (eg, 2x). Testing can help to avoid levels too low or high. 4) Recommend that adults not already receiving the above amounts get 10,000 IU (250mcg) daily for 2-3 weeks (or until achieving 30ng/ml if testing), followed by the daily amount above. This practice is widely regarded as safe. The body can synthesize more than this from sunlight under the right conditions (e.g., a summer day at the beach). Also, the NAM (US) and EFSA (Europe) both label this a “No Observed Adverse Effect Level” even as a daily maintenance intake. 5) Measure 25(OH)D levels of all hospitalized COVID-19 patients & treat w/ calcifediol or D3, to at least remedy insufficiency <30ng/ml, possibly with a protocol along the lines of Castillo et al ‘20 or Rastogi et al ‘20, until evidence supports a better protocol. Many factors are known to predispose individuals to higher risk from exposure to SARS-CoV-2, such as age, being male, comorbidities, etc., but inadequate vitamin D is by far the most easily and quickly modifiable risk factor with abundant evidence to support a large effect. Vitamin D is inexpensive and has negligible risk compared to the considerable risk of COVID-19.

1—The evidence was comprehensively reviewed (188 papers) through mid-June [Benskin ‘20] & more recent publications are increasingly compelling [Merzon et al ‘20; Kaufman et al ‘20; Castillo et al ‘20]. (See also [Jungreis & Kellis ‘20] for deeper analysis of Castillo et al’s RCT results.) 2—E.g.: 20ng/ml: National Academy of Medicine (US, Canada), European Food Safety Authority, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Nordic Countries, Australia, New Zealand, & consensus of 11 international organizations. 30ng/ml: Endocrine Society, American Geriatrics Soc., & consensus of scientific experts. See also [Bouillon ‘17]. 3—[Palacios & Gonzalez ‘14; Cashman et al ‘16; van Schoor & Lips ‘17] Applies to China, India, Europe, US, etc. 4—[Heaney et al ‘15; Veugelers & Ekwaru ‘14] 5—The following include 4000 IU within their tolerable intakes in official guidelines: NAM (US, Canada), SACN (UK), EFSA (Europe), Endocrine Society (international), Nordic countries, Netherlands, Australia & New Zealand, UAE, and the American Geriatrics Soc. (USA, elderly). No major agency specifies a lower tolerable intake limit. The US NAM said 4000 IU “is likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects to almost all individuals.” See also [Giustina et al ‘20].

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / January 1st 2021 / 15

COMMUNITY NEWS

New Rules Eyed for Dead-End Roads By Jondi Gumz

onths after wildfires devastated large swaths of California including Boulder Creek and Bonny Doon, state forestry regulators are on track to adopt new rules to restrict building in rural areas for reasons of fire protection. The state Board of Forestry and Fire Protection aims to have these “Fire Safe” regulations formalized by April 7. The proposed rules trouble Aptos resident Becky Steinbruner and Tracy Rhine, legislative advocate at the Rural County Representatives of California, who point out the draft regulations would prohibit future building construction on property served by a road that has not been upgraded to current road standards, or dead-end roads that cannot be upgraded. The upgrade requirements include widening, resurfacing, leveling grades and curves, and bridge improvements, from the property line to the nearest fire station, and apply to the building of a single residential unit or any business increasing its “service capacity.” All required upgrades would be at the expense of the property owner. The Rural County Representatives group, which has been talking with the forestry board staff about the proposal since April, contends these changes “will have extraordinary impacts on housing production, not only in rural areas of the state, but also in more urbanized regions of California.“ Santa Cruz County has been gripped by a shortage of housing for years, especially affordable housing, sending prices

to record levels. The median home price topped $1 million in October for the fourth month in a row. The “Fire Safe” regulations set forth standards for development beginning July 1, 2021, in “the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones of the Local Responsibility Area.” Currently, regulations permit a deadend road to be one mile long. To reduce the potential for wildfire evacuation hazards, the proposal would shrink that to a halfmile and prohibit dead-end roads from connecting to another dead-end road. “There is no mitigation besides creating another road,” said Edith Hannigan, land use planning program manager for the board of forestry, during one workshop on the rules. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, all the discussions and community outreach have taken place virtually. The Board of Forestry held an online

workshop on Dec. 8 to discuss its proposal, where concerns were raised about dead-end roads in Santa Cruz County – “miles and miles” of dead-end roads that if widened would result in damage to the environment. “This one issue … is much larger than we can imagine,” said Mike Jani, a board member, who suggested developing an exception to give counties more flexibility taking into account environmental damage. One board asked for an estimate of the number of roads affected. “Incalculable,” said Hannigan, acknowledging the impact. Many public roads, including county roads, don’t meet the existing width standards in the fire safe regulations, Jani added. Another virtual workshop took place Dec. 22, when more than eight hours of discussion took place. In response to concerns, forestry board staff was directed to schedule another public workshop prior to the January

board meeting, in order to solicit additional feedback from the public and board members. The draft rulemaking is set to be heard by the Board of Forestry at its Jan. 19 meeting, and another on Jan. 20 for submission to the Office of Administrative Law, which would formally adopt the “Fire Safe” regulations. Steinbruner recommends affected local property owners contact local and state representatives to provide their input. To learn more, see https://bof.fire. ca.gov/regulations/, to view the two public workshops on the regulations and download the accompanying power point slides. n ••• A video of the Dec. 8 Joint Committee meeting, where these draft regulations were discussed, is at: attendee.gotowebinar.com/ recording/3260397634512947724 (the discussion takes place in the last 90 minutes of the meeting). Here are the slides of the proposed regulations: bof.fire.ca.gov/media/oqapdhqh/ final-fire-safe-regs-presentation_public-workshops_nov-24-compressed_ada.pdf Here is a link to the Dec. 22 Board of Forestry workshop that gives instruction on how the virtual meetings are conducted and how the public can participate.: bof.fire.ca.gov/media/ xu2o1nlv/december-22-workshop-notice-firesafe-regulations_ada.pdf To reach the Rural County Representatives of California, contact Tracy Rhine at trhine@ rcrcnet.org and view updates at www.rcrcnet. org/barbed-wire-december-23-2020#story-5

Noah Diffenbaugh Honored by American Geophysical Union

rofessor Noah Diffenbaugh, a 1992 graduate of the Mount Madonna School, has named as a 2020 American Geophysical Union Fellow and recipient of the William Kaula Award. Diffenbaugh is a professor of earth system science at Stanford University, a senior fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, and an affiliate of the Precourt Institute for Energy. The fellowship recognizes his scientific contributions. The Kaula award recognizes his service to the scientific community through his efforts on behalf of AGU’s publications program. He is one of 62 individuals elected as 2020 AGU fellows. Since 1962, AGU has elected fewer than 0.1% of members to join this prestigious group. “The members of this year’s class of Fellows have made exceptional contributions in our Earth and space sciences community through breakthrough, discovery, or innovation in their disciplines,” said Robin Bell, AGU president, and 16 / January 1st 2021 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

Professor Noah Diffenbaugh

LaToya Myles chair of the AGU Honors and Recognition Committee, in a written statement. “Thanks to their dedication and sacrifice, AGU Fellows serve as global leaders and experts who have propelled our understanding of geosciences. We are confident that they will remain curious and relentlessly focused on answers as they continue to advance their research, which pushes our boundaries of knowledge to create a healthy planet and beyond.” Diffenbaugh, who attended Mount Madonna School from its founding in 1979 through his graduation and

earned his doctorate at UC Santa Cruz, is recognized as one of the leading climate scientists of his generation, according to James Zachos, UCSC professor of earth and planetary sciences and the Ida Benson Lynn Chair of Ocean Health. “His research has focused largely on the role of global warming in amplifying extremes in climate such as droughts,” Zachos said, noting he has been a spokesman for the scientific community through his editorial service to professional journals and commentary in national and international media. On Dec. 9, the AGU held a virtual ceremony to honor and recognize its new fellows and awardees. “This was a very pleasant surprise, and is a testament to all of the editors, collaborators, mentors and mentees that I have been lucky to work with over the years,” said Diffenbaugh. “I’m particularly honored that the Kaula Award acknowledges service to the community – it’s the kind of award that Mount Madonna would give!” n

COMMUNITY NEWS

AG Sues Seafood Companies Over Contaminants O n Tuesday, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed a lawsuit against five importers, distributors, and wholesalers of seafood for violations of Proposition 65 and California’s Unfair Competition Law. The defendants are Pacific American Fish Co., Rhee Bros, Seaquest Seafood Corp., Jayone Foods, and Clearwater Seafoods. Testing conducted by the California Department of Justice revealed levels of lead and cadmium in the companies’ fresh and frozen packaged seafood products that trigger the requirement to provide a Proposition 65 warning. In the lawsuit, Becerra alleges the companies failed to protect consumers from — or warn them about — lead and cadmium present in their products and the risks these chemicals pose, as state law requires. “When California’s consumers, restaurants, and supermarkets purchase seafood, they shouldn’t have to worry about whether the products they’re buying contain toxic chemicals,” said Becerra.

“The seafood industry has a responsibility to ensure the safety of its products — and to warn consumers of any risks. I hope this lawsuit serves as a warning to any company that might skirt its responsibilities under Proposition 65. The California Department of Justice will hold you accountable.” Proposition 65 precludes any person, in the course of doing business, from “knowingly and intentionally expos[ing] any individual to a chemical known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity without first giving clear and reasonable warning to such individual.” The seafood products at issue in the lawsuit — including packaged fresh and frozen whole or cuts of clam, cuttlefish, eel, goby fish, krill, mussel, octopus, oyster, periwinkle, sea squirt, sillago, silverfish, snail, and squid — are alleged to contain lead and/ or cadmium, which are listed in the State

of California as reproductive toxicants and carcinogens, without a clear and reasonable warning to consumers. The health impacts associated with exposure to lead and cadmium are well documented. Lead exposure in children can cause behavior issues, lowered IQ, slowed body growth, hearing problems, and kidney damage. Exposure in adults include increased risk of high blood pressure and kidney damage. Exposure in pregnant women can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, and low body weight. Cadmium exposure can cause damage to liver, lungs, male reproductive systems, and kidneys. And long-term exposure can lead to decreased bone density that increases the risk of bone fractures, and may also cause lung, prostate, and kidney cancer.

Earlier this year, Becerra submitted amicus briefs in the lawsuits Johnson v. Monsanto and Hardeman v. Monsanto, arguing against preemption of state laws requiring warnings for products containing glyphosate. In 2019, he announced a settlement with Grass Advantage, a nutrition company specializing in organic food supplements, greens, and protein powders, that requires the company to reduce the levels of lead or cadmium in their products or else provide Proposition 65 warnings. Previously, he issued cease and desist letters and filed suit against Nutraceutical Corp. and Graceleigh Inc., which make and sell toddler formula due to the discovery of dangerously elevated levels of lead in Peaceful Planet Toddler Supreme and Sammy’s Milk Free-Range Goat Milk Toddler Formula, and in 2020, settled with one of the companies after it dramatically reduced the level of lead in its product. A copy of the complaint can be found at https://oag.ca.gov/sites/default/files/ Seafood%20Complaint%20Final.pdf n

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / January 1st 2021 / 17

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Campfires OK With Permit O n Dec. 18, the Bureau of Land Management Central Coast Field Office eased seasonal fire restrictions on 300,000-acres of public land thanks to a reduction in the potential for wildland fire. This applies to public lands managed by the BLM in Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Stanislaus counties. Public land visitors can again use campfires outside developed campgrounds and posted recreation sites. Target shooting is generally allowed if it is done in a safe manner and without damaging natural resources or improvements. The BLM encourages the public to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19: Stay local, plan ahead, practice safe social distancing and wear a mask when social distancing is not possible.

Individuals who spark wildfires, intentionally or unintentionally, can be held responsible for fire suppression and repair costs. The temporary suspension on recreational target shooting was lifted Nov. 13, coinciding with the reopening of Panoche and Tumey Hills recreation areas to vehicle access. Shooting remains prohibited in developed recreation sites. Visitors are encouraged to check weather conditions to avoid shooting in hot, dry and windy conditions. Recreational target shooters must pack out all spent shells, brass and targets. The public is reminded to practice safety to prevent wildland fires. This

COMMUNITY NEWS

means keeping vehicles off dry grass or brush; carrying a fire extinguisher, shovel and water; and getting a permit for any campfire or use of portable gas stoves. Campfire permits are available free online or at BLM, U.S. Forest Service and

Cal Fire offices, but some BLM lobbies are closed to in-person visits. n ••• For more information, visit ReadyForWildfire.org or call the Central Coast Field Office at 831-582-2200.

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / January 1st 2021 / 19

COMMUNITY NEWS

Rio Theatre Unveils Banff Film Lineup R io Theatre is hosting the 2020-21 Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, the virtual version, which will be available through October 24, 2021. There are two separate programs — Amber and Onyx — which can be purchased individually or together in a bundle. Here is the lineup for both programs, chosen from over 400 entries: Amber Program The Legend of Tommy G: The Belgian freerider has been a bit aloof lately and wild rumours have been spreading throughout the mountain bike world. The Elder (The Winter): The Ainu are an ancient people of Japan, who largely inhabit Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s four main islands. For centuries, Ainu elders have passed down important history, songs, and dances through oral lore. Tempo. Movements in Mountains: A conceptual exploration of the connection Kyle Richardson finds between his athletic pursuits in Boulder’s Flatirons, and his background as a musician.

of night two, rain Climbing Blind pours down, leaving (Tour Edit): Jesse the team stranded in Dufton was born with the most remote part 20% central vision. of the canyon. As his sight degenThe Secret of erates, Jesse takes on Bottom Turn Island: bigger challenges by Climbing Blind Snowboarder Alex attempting to be the first blind person to lead climb the iconic Yoder searches to the ends of the earth for the lost art of “snow-surfing.” Old Man of Hoy in Scotland. Onyx Program Slack Sisters: Four female high-liners Charge 2: Five top freeskiers and one share thoughts about the art and sport of high-lining and the wisdom each have World Champion drone pilot go cat skiing in British Columbia for a week. gained from their time on the line. Far Far Est: Most students spend Natural Mystic: Come aboard for three minutes of thundering skiing with Sam Favret spring break soaking up sun on the beach, through the Aiguilles Rouges of Chamonix: but not Charles and Olivier. The duo spend their week skiing and surfing on the North no gimmicks, no tricks, and no music. Imagine: For years Kieren D’Souza American east coast. Free as Can Be: When Jordan Cannon, has been planning a new speed record on the 53-kilometre route up Mt. Friendship, a young climber, meets climbing legend a peak towering above Manali, the town in Mark Hudon, he commits to helping Mark accomplish his lifelong goal of freeHimachal Pradesh where he lives. Return to El Guayas: Ben Stookes- climbing El Capitan. Madman Trails of Bhutan: Join Wyn berry, Rafa Ortiz and Lane Jacobs attempt the first descent of one of Colombia’s Masters, Cody Kelley, and Florent Poilane wildest rivers: El Rio Guayas. In the middle as they explore Bhutan by bike.

20 / January 1st 2021 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

One Star Reviews: National Parks: They say National Parks are America’s greatest idea. For some, there’s still plenty of room for improvement! Running the Roof (Tour Edit): Three friends, bonded by a love of running, were desperate to ditch their desks and go on an adventure. One night, after a few too many drinks, they placed a bet. They would spin a globe and wherever their finger landed, they would run. Voice Above Water: This is the story of Wayan, a 90-year-old fisherman who can no longer fish because of the amount of plastic piling up in the ocean. He uses his fishing boat and net to pull trash from the water. Where I Belong: Chris Hill, an environmental lobbyist and angler, never saw people like herself on the river until recently. n ••• Viewers can choose from the Amber or Onyx Programs for $15 each or the Bundle for $28. You have 72 hours (3 days) to watch an individual purchase, or two weeks to watch the bundle. The time does not start until you begin to watch. Each program lasts about two hours. For tickets and info visit riotheatre.com

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Jan. 6 Deadline to Protest Fire Merger T he Local Agency Formation Commission of Santa Cruz County (LAFCO) will hold a protest hearing at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 6, on the consolidation of Aptos/LaSelva Fire and Central Fire, which was approved by LAFCO on Nov. 4. The consolidation brings together two adjacent fire districts and encompasses 55 square miles, the City of Capitola, area west of Watsonville and area east of the city of Santa Cruz. If recorded, the consolidation will preserve the current levels of service, maintain local expectations, and continue existing funding sources. All documents relating to the consolidation are online at www.santacruzlafco.org. Due to COVID-19, this meeting will be conducted as a teleconference with the public encouraged to participate remotely. Instructions to do so are in the Jan. 6

Agenda and Agenda Packet, which are on the LAFCO website. Landowners and registered voters within the proposal area may file a written protest using the official LAFCO Protest Form. Landowners and registered voters must include their name, the address of the land within the proposal area, and the Assessor Parcel Number. Agents submitting protest on behalf of the landowner/registered voter must attach proper authorization. This may include written consent of the landowner/ registered voter, written consent from a trustee of property placed into a trust, signature authorization or majority shareholder consent of a corporation or LLC, or other suitable documentation. To obtain a protest form. download the form at https:// www.santacruzlafco.org/forms/ (refer to Forms 12 and 13); or call the LAFCO office

22 / January 1st 2021 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

at 831-454-2055 or email LAFCO at info@ santacruzlafco.org to have a form mailed to you. Because the protest hearing is being conducted virtually, written protests cannot be submitted or presented at the virtual hearing. Therefore, all protests must be made by filling out a Protest Form and submitting them: • In person at the LAFCO office, 701 Ocean Street, Room 318-D, Santa Cruz, prior to the conclusion of the protest hearing on Jan. 6 Or by mail addressed to LAFCO at 701 Ocean Street, Room 318-D, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. If a mailed protest form is postmarked by Jan. 6, and received by LAFCO within four days of a Jan. 6 postmark, that protest will be counted. The written protest must be signed and dated during the official protest period, which begins on Dec. 4, and ends on Jan. 6. Any protest without a date, bearing a date prior to Dec. 4, received in-person after the conclusion of the Protest Hearing, or postmarked

after Jan. 6 and not received by LAFCO within four days of a Jan. 6 postmark, shall be disregarded Protests cannot be accepted by fax or email. Within 30 days following the conclusion of the protest hearing, Executive Officer Joe Serrano will determine whether the fire consolidation is terminated or approved, as follows: • Terminate the proposal if protest is received from landowners who own 50% or more of the total value within the consolidation area; • Terminate the proposal if protest is received from registered voters who reside in the consolidation area reaches beyond 50%; or • Approve the proposal if written protest is less than 50% of the landowners and/or registered voters. A resolution, finalizing the protest results, will be considered by the LAFCO Commission during the Feb. 3 meeting. If you have any questions, call the LAFCO office at 831-454-2055 or by email at info@ santacruzlafco.org. n

COMMUNITY NEWS

New COVID Test Site Opens at Civic T he County of Santa Cruz Public Health Division announces a North County community COVID-19 testing site at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St., Santa Cruz. The site opened Dec. 21. This location, a state-sponsored site operated by OptumServe, can process 165 tests a day. Hours are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. with tests by appointment only, no walk-ins. To make an appointment, go to https://lhi.care/ covidtesting. Another option is the Ramsay Park community testing site, 1301 Main St., in Watsonville, also operated by OptumServe and recently expanded service to seven days a week. This site can process up to 330 tests a day. To make an appointment, go to https://lhi.care/ covidtesting. A third option is Senneca Diagnostics’ community testing site at Twin Lakes Church, 2701 Cabrillo College Drive, Aptos. The site offers testing for up to 300

individuals per day. Hours are Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. To make an appointment, go to

Kristine Ronzano Joins SCCB

ristine Ronzano has joined Santa Cruz County Bank as vice president, relationship manager to serve customers in greater Santa Cruz. She maintains her office at 2020 N. Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, where she is responsible for customer acquisition, lending and business development. Ronzano began her 38-year banking career in 1983 at Coast Commercial Bank as a teller. Over 17 years she advanced to positions of increasing responsibility, including operations supervisor, credit analyst, business banking officer and branch manager. During her career at Wells Fargo, she managed a team of business relationship managers and business development officers, covering Santa Cruz, Kristine Ronzano Monterey and San Luis Obispo, and most recently as principal relationship manager. A native Santa Cruzan and wellknown veteran banker, Ronzano has deep ties in the community and has served on a wide spectrum of nonprofit boards and committees. She currently is on the boards of the Fallen Officer Association, the Aptos

Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the Santa Cruz County Business Council. Her past board service includes Second Harvest Food Bank, the Santa Cruz Chapter of the Kidney Foundation and Santa Cruz Ballet Theater. She attended San Diego State University with an emphasis on finance coursework and has her associate’s degree from Cabrillo College. She lives in Scotts Valley with her husband Chris. “It’s an honor to join Santa Cruz County Bank,” she said. “Over the years, I’ve admired the bank’s ability to make a direct impact on the local and broader community, and I look forward to contributing to their reinvestment in local business startups and expansions … The ability to be hands-on, nimble and responsive is what sets community banks apart.” Angelo De Bernardo, Jr., executive vice president and chief lending officer at Santa Cruz County Bank, welcomed Ronzano, citing her experience in operations and lending and “her knowledge and reputation as a civic-minded and engaged community banker.” n

www.sennecadx.com/community. Screening will occur at each site, but none require patients to exhibit

symptoms to get tested. For more on local testing information, go to www. santacruzhealth.org/testing. n

Children’s Novel By Local Author Wins Moonbeam Award

anta Cruz author Sylvia Patience has received a Moonbeam Children’s Book Award for her new children’s novel, “The Weaver’s Daughter.” Written for children ages 8 to 12, the book is receiving positive reviews from adult readers as well. The paperback, published by independent publisher Desert Palm Press of Watsonville, is $6.75. The founders of the Moonbeam awards, now in their 14th year, called out the book for bringing inspiration to kids and families: “’The Weaver’s Daughter’ brims with adventure, visions, and prophetic dreams, in the context of family, friendship, and Maya culture.” The Weaver’s Daughter, which deals with immigration, is the fictional account of the journey of a young Maya girl from southern Mexico. Despite her fears, 12-year-old Ixchel travels to Los Angeles to search for her missing father, hoping to make a better life for herself. Turned back at a border crossing, she risks the unknown in a smuggler’s tunnel, where she fights off an attacker and escapes. Upon finding her father, she discovers he has a new family. She

must decide whether to stay or return to Mérida and give up her dream of going to school. “The Weaver’s Daughter” is available at Bookshop Santa Cruz, Kelly’s Books in Watsonville, Wonderland Toys in Aptos, Amazon, and may be borrowed from the Santa Cruz Public Library system. n

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / January 1st 2021 / 23

COMMUNITY NEWS

New Members On Community Bridges Board C ommunity Bridges announces two new board members, Brenda Griffin, president of the Santa Cruz Chapter of the NAACP and Silvia Morales, executive director for the Resource Center for Nonviolence. “We are excited to channel Brenda and Silvia’s talent, Brenda Griffin expertise and energy into furthering our mission.” said Raymon Cancino, Community Bridges CEO. “Our Board of Directors is comprised of a dedicated Silvia Morales team of community leaders that believe in the power of civic

engagement to ensure all of our neighbors have equitable access to resources. We will continue to build on our work of advancing equity and social justice in our community,” Brenda Griffin is the president of the NAACP Santa Cruz County Branch. She has been on the steering committee of the Economic Justice Alliance and on the Santa Cruz Police Chief’s advisory committee to address issues around policies and accountability. She is a co-founder of the Racial Equity Trainers Network and the Santa Cruz County Black Coalition for Justice and Racial Equity. Brenda works in the medical industry locally. Prior to moving to Santa Cruz in 2004, Brenda worked for a civil rights law firm in New England. Silvia Morales is the Executive Director of the Resource Center for Nonviolence in Santa Cruz. She has demonstrated expertise in leading nonprofit

and civic organizations in Santa Cruz County promoting diversity, advancing equity and advocating for justice. Silvia has a Juris Doctorate degree and managed Morales Law Firm for Nicolette Lee over 15 years, playing a key role in furthering voting rights in our county. Additionally, Nicolette Lee has been appointed as the new Board Chair effective January 2021. Nicolette has been a member of the Community Bridge Board since 2017 and brings a wealth of expertise in advancing policies that benefit and serve our entire community. Nicolette is a Clinical Therapist with Palo Alto Therapy. Community Bridges thanks departing Board Chair, Shannon Brady,

for her years of commitment and service to the agency. We also appreciate the contribution of outgoing Board members including Katy King, Pam Fields and Martin Bernal. Their contributions included helping lead efforts to secure our Community Bridges Administrative Offices in Watsonville and helping champion efforts that strengthen our agency fiscal position. Additional 2021 Community Bridges Board members: Sara Siegel, Deputy Probation Officer, Santa Cruz County Probation Department; Lee Slaff, Real Estate Broker; Jack Jacobsen, Retired Attorney; Steven McKay, Associate Professor in Sociology UCSC/ Director, UCSC Center for Labor Studies; Stephanie Connor Kent Chief Nursing Executive, Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center; Amy McEntee, Chief Medical Officer, Salud Para La Gente; and Michael Babich, Retired Business Owner. n

Which Sports Are Allowed in California? O n Dec. 14, the California Department of Public Health released updated guidance for youth and recreational adult sports. This applies to all organized youth and adult sports, including school and community-sponsored programs, and privately-organized clubs and leagues. Competition will not be allowed until Jan. 25 at the earliest. Competitions are not permitted as they increase the probability of transmission due to mixing of households, traveling and unavoidable physical contact. Competitions between different teams have been associated with multiple outbreaks in California and across the country. This date will be reassessed by Jan. 4, based on California disease transmission trends and is subject to change at any time given the level of COVID-19 and intensive care unit capacity. The goal is to provide guidelines on how to safely remain physically active while reducing transmission of CVOID-19, especially when cases are at an all-time high and ICU beds are near capacity. The guidelines were developed in consultation with stakeholders, including the California Interscholastic Federation and the California Association of Recreation and Park Districts. “Despite how hard it has been to do this for so many months, it’s imperative now more than ever that we all follow public health guidance by staying home and not mixing with other households,” said Dr. Erica Pan, acting state public health officer. “I know as a parent and athlete myself, how important exercise is to maintain physical and mental

health, and we encourage members of the same household to do physical activities together and outdoors until the current and alarming surge passes.” Outdoor physical conditioning, practice, skill-building and training that can be done maintaining 6 feet of physical distance is permitted in all counties, including those under the Regional Stay at Home Order. The public is strongly encouraged to limit these outdoor activities to a single household when a county is under the Regional Stay at Home Order. For counties not under the Regional Stay at Home Order, the Blueprint for a Safer Economy allows sports to resume in tiers corresponding to the sport’s level of contact and transmission risk and the level of spread. Outdoor activities that allow for consistent wearing of face coverings and physical distancing are at lower risk than indoor activities that involve close contact between participants and high exertion that increases spread of exhaled particles. n ••• The list that follows classifies which sports are allowed in which tiers. This applies to competition training and practice with others, not individual conditioning or exercise. Purple Tier: Outdoor Low-Contact Sports • Archery • Badminton • Biking • Bocce • Corn hole • Cross country

24 / January 1st 2021 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

• Dance (no contact) • Disc golf • Golf • Ice and roller skating (no contact) • Lawn bowling • Martial arts (no contact) • Physical training (yoga, Zumba, Tai chi) • Pickleball (singles) • Rowing/crew (1 person) • Running • Shuffleboard • Skeet shooting • Skiing and snowboarding • Snowshoeing • Swimming and diving • Tennis • Track and field • Walking and hiking Red Tier: Outdoor Moderate-Contact Sports • Baseball • Cheerleading • Dodgeball • Field hockey • Gymnastics • Kickball • Lacrosse (girls/women) • Pickleball (doubles) • Softball Orange Tier: Outdoor High-Contact Sports • Basketball • Football • Ice hockey • Lacrosse (boys/men) • Rugby • Rowing/crew (with 2 or more) • Soccer

• Volleyball • Water polo Indoor low-contact sports • Badminton • Curling • Dance (no contact) • Gymnastics • Ice skating (individual) • Physical training • Pickleball (singles) • Swimming and diving • Tennis • Track and field • Volleyball Yellow Tier: Indoor Moderate-Contact Sports • Cheerleading • Dance (intermittent contact) • Dodgeball • Kickball • Pickleball (doubles) • Racquetball • Squash Indoor High-Contact Sports • Basketball • Boxing • Ice hockey • Ice skating (pairs) • Martial arts • Roller derby • Soccer • Water polo • Wrestling ••• https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/ DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/outdoor-indoorrecreational-sports.aspx

COMMUNITY NEWS

Parenting Classes Start in January L ocal parents faced health, economic and socio-emotional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, wildfires and racial injustices in 2020, and January presents an opportunity to gain new parenting skills by taking classes in the Triple P: Positive Parenting Program. Triple P offers proven strategies that help parents and caregivers strengthen relationships with their children and increase their confidence to handle everyday parenting challenges. The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors proclaimed January as Positive Parenting Awareness Month for the ninth consecutive year “All people have inner strengths or resources, yet many parents and caregivers feel stressed, isolated, and overwhelmed, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, or income level,” reads the proclamation, which was made by County Board of Supervisors Chair Bruce McPherson. The quality of parenting or caregiving — starting prenatally — is one of the most powerful predictors of children’s future

social, emotional and physical health. Triple P has been available to families throughout the Santa Cruz County since 2010, thanks to a partnership between First 5 Santa Cruz County, the county’s Human Services Department, and the county’s Health Services Agency. As the lead agency, First 5 partners with other nonprofits, collaboratives, public agencies, schools and private providers to offer Triple P services to approximately 2,000 children and parents in Santa Cruz County each year. The positive outcomes for parents

who participate are significant: • The majority of parents receiving in-depth support report improvements in

their children’s emotional well-being and behaviors, their parenting skills and confidence, and their levels of stress. • The degree of improvement is even greater among parents who report more significant parenting challenges at the start of the Triple P program. • Parents consistently report high levels of satisfaction with Triple P parenting support, and 95% of participants have reported they continue using Triple P parenting strategies after completing the program. “Triple-P” page 26

Year in Review

Literacy Program Goal: $25,000

he Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County’s Literacy Program has a goal of raising $25,000 and is more than half way there at over $16,000. Can you help raise another $9,000? You can take advantage of the CARES Act and get a tax-deduction for donations in 2021. Gifts can be made online at https:// scvolunteercenter.org/programs/ (see Literacy Program) or by mail: Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County, Literacy Program, 1740 17th Ave. Santa Cruz, CA 95062 The office will reopen Monday, Jan. 4. A new listening test, which takes 45 minutes, is being used current and incoming students. Scheduling is taking place now. Testing will take place in the Literacy office at the Volunteer Center and safety protocols will be in place. This oral assessment is a great tool for tutors to gauge the receptive oral language progress of students.

Workshops in 2021 will take place via Zoom in January, February, March and April. For details, see https:// scvolunteercenter.org/wp-content/ uploads/2020/12/Literacy-WorkshopSchedule-2021.pdf n ••• Do you know someone who would like to become a Literacy Tutor? The next training will be Feb. 2, 4, 9 and 11 from 2-4 p.m. via ZOOM. Prospective tutors must attend a onehour orientation in advance. ACROSS

1. *New wardrobe accessory 5. *RIP, ____ 8. Flock’s echo 12. Reply from a tunnel? 13. Feline noise 14. Edward Teller’s “baby” 15. Beat 16. Competently 17. Savory jelly 18. *Blue vs. red competition 20. One third of a threepiece suit 21. Mailed greetings 22. Long time

23. ____ biloba 26. Anointing oil 30. Nurses’ org. 31. Leafy vegetable 34. “Cogito, ____ sum” 35. Mooring spots 37. Bring into play 38. Old Brazilian coins 39. Prefix with ‘graph’ 40. *Joe’s running mate 42. PGA peg 43. What bees did 45. Fixes firmly 47. Summer mo. 48. R in NPR 50. Widespread 52. *WHO’s March announcement 55. Cliffside dwelling 56. Drop-off spot

57. Sonic sound 59. Sports figures, e.g. 60. Persian backgammon 61. Water carrier 62. *Late basketball legend 63. *____ lightning, cause of California wildfires 64. X-ray units

9. What Joy Mangano does on TV 10. Do like exhaust pipe 11. *”Transplant” network 13. ____ of honor 14. It’s often wreaked 19. Zoo enclosures 22. Compass dir. 23. Labored breaths 24. *Jared Kushner to Donald Trump DOWN 25. Nigerian money 1. Copy cats 26. Part of an eye 2. Flu symptom 27. About to explode 3. Synagogue 28. Looked at, amorously 4. 1/100th of a ruble 29. Smelling organs 5. Bid again 6. Western neckwear, pl. 32. Two of the same 7. Gwyneth, to friends 33. Philosopher’s study 36. *Best Picture Oscar8. *Like a vote during winner lockdown

38. China grass 40. Party barrel 41. Having a cover 44. *What Zoom host does to guests, sometimes 46. Type of jacket 48. “M*A*S*H” character 49. Ticked off 50. *President Trump used this power in 2020 51. United ____ Emirates 52. Be undecided 53. *Caucus state 54. Like most universities 55. Pose a question 58. Robinson or Doubtfire © Statepoint Media

Answers on 31 »

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / January 1st 2021 / 25

Beginnings Are Fragile Things

Esoteric Astrology • January 2021 • By Risa D’Angeles

elcome to our brave new world, 2021, everyone. We have a dreamy start to the new year as Mercury joins Neptune on the first day of 2021. Many of us as the new year dawns will be wondering what we actually believe in that’s real and not false or fleeting, mesmerized as we have been by so much intrigue, deception and fantasy. Leo moon shines on the first day, too, telling us the new year’s focus will be on the recognition of and contact with the Soul as well as gathering and cultivating our talents, gifts and abilities, until they’re as shiny and bright as stars. Why? Because we’ll be asked in the coming year, to offer them to humanity, deeply questioning and in need. Each January, as if to herald the new year, the Quadrantids meteor showers appear, radiating from near the North Star. The showers’ radiance (from Jan 1 – 5) can be seen, brief yet splendid, between the Big Dipper and Boötes on the right and Polaris (North

Star) and Ursa Minor (Little Dipper) on the left. The showers, many hued, begin after midnight and peak before dawn, January 4th. Always as a new year dawns, we are to be very careful of its beginnings. We remember the quote from Dune, “Beginnings are fragile things. A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct.”― Frank Herbert, Dune 1. And so today, at the beginning of a new year, we “take the most delicate care” that everything is in balance, that we have gratitude and Right Relations with all of life, that we are poised and calm, and that we bring kindness forth in all that we do. Let us set a template for the new year together. Here is a mantram recited by Disciples. We can all recite together as the new year begins. We can recite it each morning as we face the surprise and magic of each new day in our brave new world. “Let reality govern my every thought. And truth be the master of my life. And so let it be. And help me to know and to do my part in the world.”

ARIES Deep and long lasting changes will affect your work in the world. If you are not focused upon serving others, you will be soon. You’ll have no choice. Your ambitions are so large and deep only someone with a powerful will can handle them. This includes yourself and all those encountering your energies. Inner strength will have to be drawn upon and this will increase month by month. New realities within your profession will continue to unfold. Be sure to center your intentions upon serving others. Then your success is guaranteed.

LEO SAGITTARIUS This year, the next and for many years, work will increase, This year and the next — the way you handle your finances and resources will be restructured. You will become more in depth and at times profound. build new ways of working with your money. It Keep your shoulders up and back as you carry is important to be schooled and to study what the heavy burden of serving others. Maintain these new ways are. I suggest again that you joy at all time. Remember, joy is a choice. You follow Catherine Austin Fitts — Solari.com. Locate local groups will be experiencing many complexities and different levels of responsibility (your keynote). Use the fire within your heart to whose main goal is keeping money and resources local. There guide your actions, and your high intelligence to discern what’s will be new currencies attempting to come forth — along with real and what’s not. Ask others you trust for help. You will be bartering and sharing. Gain knowledge about these and grow a garden even if in small or large pots. Whatever challenges you changed by the new world Aquarian experience. will also eventually be of great benefit to you.

TAURUS You will push yourself into the sphere of work that life has planned for you. It is rigorous, it will call you to a depth and height of knowledge, preparation, perseverance, planning and manifestation like never before. You will need other to assist you. Who are they? Do tend to caution a bit. Apply everything practically and with a focus on serving the whole. This will be a challenge. Your work, as always, is to prepare form and matter so that it survives and is sustainable into the seventh generation. Stand up straight. Drink alkaline water. Rest when you can.

VIRGO Should relationships become more complex, which they will over time, know that the true warrior’s stance is not anger but poise, stamina and communication that’s heartfelt, intelligent and compassionate. Read Thich Nat Hahn when in confusion. Or the Tibetan’s (Alice Bailey) blue books. New levels of creativity will emerge. Follow them for their expression will provide new selfidentity, strength, and courage that you seek. Maintain a seasonal garden, study, and through these create your community.

GEMINI During the year you will meet with power – within yourself and as others demonstrate it. Learn to step aside if power is directed incorrectly at you. You can overwhelm others with your power, too. Great strength and endurance will grow month by month. All that you’ve done and/or hoped for will gather itself and be the foundation for future world work. Think now on what it is you truly want to accomplish and what goals will you set before yourself? Maintain an attitude of love and goodwill. These will protect you and the future you envision. CANCER You’ll want to leave whatever feels like home and send yourself out in search of adventure. Perhaps it will be travel or a new level of education. Studying martial arts, attending an inter-faith religious seminary, deep sea diving…these are some archetypal projects calling you. Do be careful with knees and thighs, tending to them with natural anti-inflammatory herbs cayenne and turmeric. Relationships will teach you many things – one is how to speak and act with more Goodwill, which creates Right Speech and Right Relations. And love, too.

LIBRA You would do well to consider what your limitations are, and then have the intention to respect them. In the meantime, deep emotional barriers and beliefs held since childhood need to fall away so your life can move forward. The level of security you seek is in direct relation to how much you can forgive, which brings understanding. This may be uncomfortable. Your psychology of self is being restructured so you can see what truly kind and good things came from your childhood. Simultaneously, rest more, don’t over work and tend to your health with loving care. SCORPIO The ways you think, what you believe and what you were taught will change over the course of the next year, beginning now. Observe and note the changes. A journal of observation would be good. New impressions and ideas will be offered. You will ponder them deeply and find they are needed for new thinking to come about. Your thoughts will be potent. Allow no self-criticism to exist, nor criticism toward others. Everyone’s on their own developmental stage and yours will grow in leaps and bounds. Mental and emotional regeneration is occurring as the past disappears. You’re grateful. •••

CAPRICORN Pluto has been in your sign of Capricorn for many years now. Has your life changed in ways great or small? Have you experienced a metamorphosis of new things built upon the old. Pluto is most powerful. Sometimes people show up who act out the Pluto for you. They can be cruel and cold and unforgiving. Don’t allow them to hurt you. Hold on and keep moving forward. There will be others walking with you as your life shifts and rebalances. Keep your love intact, intentions for helping others continually on your mind, and you, in turn, will be safe. A new world is being built. You’ll be called to build it. AQUARIUS Although I know you are powerful and building toward great success, it could be that some others cannot see this. Pay them no mind. We both know that something internally is shifting and a new sense of authority, power and strength are subtly yet profoundly coming into your awareness. Allow challenges with others to be times wherein you are strengthened in your self-awareness and resolve that you are good, you are successful and you are deserving of recognition, applause, praise, acknowledgement, appreciation and gratitude. And you, when appropriate, offer the same. You’re the future come to earth. A bright twinkling star. PISCES Through your work in the world, a new network is being created. You’ve had to begin anew recently and you’ve done it courageously. We applaud your stamina and bravery. In the times to come, what you envisioned and aspired to will build until it becomes, no longer simply an idea within your heart, but real in time and space, form and matter. Then you will assume new leadership within your envisioned environment and form a magnetic core around which others will be attracted to. We see you are doing your work. The Hierarchy stands close by.

Risa D’Angeles • www.nightlightnews.org • risagoodwill@gmail.com 26 / January 1st 2021 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

“Triple-P” from page 25 Because of COVID-19, Triple P practitioners and other family support providers shifted to virtual services, which will continue in 2021. “Triple’s P’s practical toolkit of parenting strategies has never been more relevant and we are proud to continue serving families during these challenging times,” said David Brody, executive director of First 5 Santa Cruz County. “Over the last decade and during this past year, the consistent, positive results are a testament to the effectiveness of the program itself and the strength of the partnerships among First 5, family resource centers, schools, libraries, health care providers, and county agencies that are delivering Triple P and connecting families to this valuable resource.” During January, there will be a raffle drawing for prizes at the end of the month. Visit http://first5scc.org/calendar/ parent-trainings for details. ••• CLASSES IN ENGLISH Workshop: Encouraging Your Child’s Self-Esteem: Thursday, Jan. 7, from 3 – 4:30 pm. Register: https://bit.ly/ Self-esteem-Jan7 8-week Group for families with children 2-12 years old: Thursdays, Jan. 7 – Feb. 25, from 5 – 6:30 pm. Register: https://bit.ly/TripleP-Group-Jan2021 Bilingual Workshop/Taller bilingüe: Family Reading Time is Quality Time, featuring Raising a Reader (for adults and kids): Wednesday, Jan. 13, from 5 – 6:30 pm. Register: https://bit. ly/Reading-Children-Jan13. Presented in English & Spanish with interpretation, in collaboration with Raising a Reader, Pájaro Valley Unified School District Workshop: Teaching Teens Healthy Eating Habits: Thursday, Jan. 14, from 5 – 6:30 pm. Register: https://bit.ly/ Teens-Healthy-Eating-Jan14 Workshop: Parenting in Uncertain Times, Part 1 (Hosted by the North Santa Cruz County SELPA for families with children with special needs), with KIDS Zoom Hour to learn how to do magic tricks, led by the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: Wednesday, Jan 20, from 3 – 4:30 p.m. Presented in English with Spanish interpretation. Register for the parenting workshop: http://santacruz.k12oms.org/1284-191087 Register for KIDS Zoom Hour: http:// santacruz.k12oms.org/1284-192328 Seminar: The Power of Positive Parenting: Sunday, Jan. 24, from 1 – 3 pm. Register: https://bit.ly/Positive-Parenting-Jan24 ••• For more information, visit http://triplep. first5scc.org or facebook.com/triplepscc.

FEATURED COLUMNIST

Navigating an Unprecedented Year By Rachél Lather, President, Soquel Creek Water District Board

any people are breathing a sigh of relief as the new year begins, looking forward to 2021 with hope and optimism while saying farewell to 2020. It was indeed an unprecedented year, as we all learned new ways of interacting, finding new ways to work, and simply conducting our everyday lives. I’m grateful that despite the challenges of 2020, the District achieved many significant accomplishments. The District prioritizes being action-oriented to make even more progress in 2021, and I’m excited to be the incoming District Board President and serving my community in this new position. Even under the extraordinarily-difficult pandemic circumstances, our District staff continued to exhibit an amazing amount of creativity, drive, and resilience in providing our core services while implementing plans for the future that will supplement our water supply and combat saltwater contamination of the groundwater on which we depend. I’m very proud of everyone who is carrying out the District’s mission. Here are just a few of our key accomplishments of 2020: • Produced, treated, and delivered over a billion gallons of drinking water while performing over 26,000 water quality tests • Completed a feasibility study on designing stormwater capture wells at several Seascape golf course locations • Neared complete installation of over 15,000 i-Meters, and unveiled a new online customer portal • Substantially completed two saltwater intrusion prevention wells for use with

“COVID Deal” from page 11 “After months of work with my Problem Solvers Caucus and our Senate counterparts, we were able show leadership the way to ‘yes’. That’s one of the many reasons why I was proud to vote yes on today’s bipartisan COVID temporary relief package,” said Panetta. “This legislation will provide federal funds and temporary protections for our restaurants and other small businesses, our farmworkers and other frontline workers, and the many more who continue to struggle amid this bruising pandemic. However, our work is not fin-

the Pure Water Soquel project and progressed with design of the new water purification center, new recycled water facility, and the pipeline conveyance system to connect those components • Executed a $50 million Proposition 1 Groundwater Implementation Grant from the State Water Resources Control Board and a significant low-interest loan from the federal Environmental Protection Agency When I worked as a professional in the wastewater field, I saw a great need for us, as a community, to get past the obstacles to creating a sustainable water supply. I became involved with the District because I felt I had the capacity to assist in finding creative, productive solutions, and to help the District navigate the complex path to water sustainability. Now, as 2021 gets underway, I remain confident and resolute in my vision, hopes, and call to action. I want the work we do to show people the true value of water – not just the cost of water. I want to help the community to recognize that investment in our water supply infrastructure is important for today but even more critical for our children and the generations beyond. And I want to ensure that the District continues the great progress we’re making in carrying out our mission. For 2021, this includes: • Continue to efficiently deliver clean, safe water to the community, effectively manage our groundwater, and enhance water supply reliability • Ensure that our pipeline replacement program maintains a proactive pace • Further our progress on construction

of the Pure Water Soquel components, leading to start-up by the end of 2022/ early 2023 • Fully implement i-Meters and new online portal to reach all customers • Provide our community members with the tools they need to continue their already-remarkable job of conserving water • Maintain our public outreach – virtually or, if circumstances improve, in person! – to ensure our customers are fully engaged in the District’s programs, projects, and activities I want to remind you that in 2021 we move into the significant construction phases of Pure Water Soquel, and there will be impacts — particularly as we build over eight miles of pipelines from the Santa Cruz Wastewater Treatment Facility to our Water Purification Center and wells. We’ll do our best to minimize the disruption, but please have patience with some roads being torn up, detours, noise, and dust. It’s all leading to a supplemental

water supply, a replenished groundwater basin, prevention of saltwater intrusion, and a reduction in treated wastewater being pumped into the Monterey Bay. Be sure to visit soquelcreekwater.org/ pws for more information and to sign up to receive construction update emails. I want to thank the community for its support and patience through the difficulties and struggles of 2020. I strongly believe that 2021 will be a vast improvement in many ways, not the least of which will be great progress on our mutual objectives for our local water supply. n ••• Rachel Lather is president of the Soquel Creek Water District board of directors. She has served on the board since 2016 and was sworn in as president for 2021 on Dec. 15. A resident of Aptos and a civil engineer with more than 30 years of experience, she serves on the board’s Water Resources Management and Infrastructure Committee, and as an alternate on the Public Outreach Committee and the Finance and Administrative Services Committee.

ished as we must continue to fight for an additional stimulus bill in 2021 to ensure the successful long-term recoveries of our economy and public health throughout the central coast and across our country.” Many of the relief provisions such as the PPP small business funding reflected those supported by the Problem Solvers Caucus, of which Panetta is a member. U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Palo Alto) also voted for the bill. “This aid package is a lifeline to the American people who continue to struggle as a result of the pandemic and it’s the product of months of exhaustive

bipartisan negotiations and compromise,” she said. “The package provides billions in new funding to help us stamp out the virus through testing, treatment, and vaccines; a new round of direct payments to individuals and families; hundreds of billions of dollars in new funding for struggling businesses; an extension of unemployment benefits and a weekly $300 federal benefit for the unemployed; financial assistance for renters and an extension of the eviction moratorium; and increased nutrition benefits for families and children. The package will also lower health care costs by ending surprise

medical billing while strengthening and supporting community health centers and local hospitals. These are major wins.” She added, “No compromise is perfect and I’m deeply disappointed that aid for states and local governments and our frontline health care workers and other essential employees working at the state and local level were excluded from this deal… Nonetheless, this package is a major down payment in our work to tackle this unprecedented crisis and I’m hopeful that Congress will come together in the new year under a new administration to provide more relief and assistance to all who need it.” n

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / January 1st 2021 / 27

COMMUNITY CALENDAR ANNOUNCEMENTS ITALIAN CLASSES BEGIN IN JANUARY Beginning Jan. 25, the Dante Alighieri Society of Santa Cruz will offer Italian classes online: Beginning, intermediate, intermediate 2, advanced and conversation. Beginners and Intermediates will engage twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays; one-hour sessions are offered mornings and evenings. All other classes meet once per week for 90 minutes. Spots are limited. Classes cost $185-$235 for a 10-week session. Members get a $35 discount. Consider becoming a member. To register for classes, visit www.dantesantacruz.com. For questions, email dantesantacruz1265@gmail.com.

Have a virtual or live event you want to promote? Send your information to info@cyber-times.com by Jan. 8

PV ARTS EXHIBIT DEADLINE IS MONDAY Pajaro Valley Arts is planning a new exhibit: â&#x20AC;&#x153;People, Community, Life!â&#x20AC;? The exhibit will open online Jan. 20 and will continue to take submissions thru Monday, Jan. 4. Members are invited to share expressions reflecting the positive aspects of what you have discovered about yourself, family, friends, home, and community, as we strive to embrace all that is good in life. Show us what you have created during Shelter in APTOS CHAMBER VIRTUAL MEETINGS Place. Let us begin 2021 with optimism. Enter one to Various Times, Aptos Chamber of Commerce Online three pieces by emailing jpg images to Hedwig@pvarts. Wednesday January 13, Noon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1 p.m. org. The Aptos Chamber of Commerce plans a virtual lunch with County Supervisor Zach Friend and County Download the call for entry at https://files.constantcontact.com/ 732194dc001/612d6e0d-b3dd-466c-ba05-11dc211c493f.pdf Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel. There will be reports from Fire, CHP, Sheriff and networking during group SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK: JANUARY DRIVEintroductions. THROUGH FOOD DISTRIBUTION Saturday, January 16, 4â&#x20AC;&#x201C;5 p.m. Friday, January 8: WATSONVILLE: Santa Cruz The Aptos Chamber of Commerce will present â&#x20AC;&#x153;Flagpoles for Giants and Chasing the Final Ball,â&#x20AC;? County Fairgrounds, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, January 15: SANTA CRUZ: Beach a virtual Zoom pictorial of the Aptos radio station KMFO and the disappearance of the antenna Boardwalk, 9 a.m.; to 1 p.m. flagpoles. Friday, January 22: WATSONVILLE: Santa Cruz â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘ County Fairgrounds, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Minimum donation for each event is $10 for chamber Friday, January 29: SANTA CRUZ: Beach members, $15 general admission. RSVP and payment in Boardwalk, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. advance required at 831-688-1467. Food hotline: 831-662-0991.

DATED EVENTS Friday December 31

STAYINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; HOME AND ROCKINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; OUT 8-10 p.m., KPIG FM 107.5 and streaming NEW GROUPS STARTING FOR SURVIVORS KPIG FM 107.5 will host a virtual goodbye to 2020 OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE on New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eve from 8-10 p.m. Survivors Healing Center, a welcoming place for Friday, Dec. 31, with an exclusive survivors of child sexual abuse and their supporters, is online concert featuring KPIGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jamie forming new eight-week support groups for survivors of Coffis and local favorites, The Coffis childhood sexual abuse. Brothers. There will be online groups in English and Spanish Mark Mooney will emcee. There will for men, women, mothers of survivors, partners of be a giveaway of $25 giftcards to De survivors, young adults and teens. La Colmena catering. You are not alone. You are not to blame. Services are See https://www.kpig.com/article_382.htm for photo of coffis offered on a sliding fee scale. For more information: call (831) 423-7601, visit survivorsheal- brothers and kpig logo Tuesday January 5 ingcenter.org or email shc.program@fsa-cc.org. VIRUS RESEARCHER AT UCSC TO SPEAK SHOW US YOUR FOOD 6-7 p.m., Tele-Town Hall Second District Supervisor Zach Friend will host a tele-town Watsonville Coast Produce, Inc. is launching a restaurant social media promotion called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Show Us Your hall 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 5, with Dr. Rebecca DuBois, Foodâ&#x20AC;? to support the industry. You post pictures of your associate professor of biomolecular engineering at UC Santa Cruz. Dr. DuBois, whose lab is at the forefront of vaccine takeout meals research, will offer a look at how the current COVID-19 vacfrom your cines work, why COVID-19 is unique, challenges to vaccine favorite local deployment and answer questions about efficacy and safety. restaurant in Her work has been dedicated to understanding the the Central molecular mechanisms of childhood viruses, particularly Coast and human astrovirus, human respiratory syncytial virus, and Bay Area and post on Instagram @watsonvillecoastproduce with hashtag #showusyourfood for a chance to influenza virus. Time will be made available for your questions. win a $50 gift certificate to that restaurant. Call in: (831) 454-2222 The promotion runs eight weeks, with the first giveaway Meeting ID: 145384# Wednesday, Jan. 6. Good luck!

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FEATURED COLUMNIST

Native Plants Exemplify Diversity

By Tony Tomeo

alifornia native plants are logical options for the gardens and landscapes of California. It is only natural. They are already happy with the climates and soils here. They do not need to adapt quite as much as plants from other regions and climates do. After all, they lived here long before anyone else was here to water and maintain them. Unfortunately, it is not that easy. California is a very diverse place. There are more climates here than there are within many other states combined, over a much larger Redwoods are the grandest area. Plants that are native trees. native to the Mojave Desert would not be happy in a rainforest of the Siskiyou Mountains. Coastal plants would be no happier high in the Sierra Nevada. Within reason, California native plants

for landscapes and home gardens should be either locally native, or native to similar climates. Plants from very different climates within California are about as exotic as plants from other continents. Just like foreign exotic plants, they may require special accommodation, such as irrigation, to survive here. All plants need irrigation when first installed. Irrigation can be slightly complicated for plants that are native to climates with long and dry summers. They certainly need irrigation until they disperse their roots. However, a bit too much can rot their roots. California native plants can be sensitive like that. After all, they do not expect to be moist through summer. Then, once established, many California native plants do not want frequent irrigation. Many want none at all. Chaparral plants like oak, manzanita, toyon, ceanothus and coyote brush tend to rot with too much watering. Plants that are native to riparian or coastal regions, like redwood, bigleaf maple, willow, cottonwood, elderberry and ferns, tolerate more irrigation.

Most California native plants that are from chaparral or desert climates do not perform well within the confinement of pots or planters. They prefer to disperse roots very extensively and directly into the soil, just like they do in the wild. Once established, they do not transplant easily. ••• Highlight: Bigleaf Maple ts natural coastal range extends from the extreme southern corner of Alaska to the southwestern corner of California. Another inland range occupies foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Bigleaf maple, Acer macrophyllum, is the most common and prominent native maple here. However, it prefers the seclusion of forested riparian situations at higher elevations locally. It is rare in urban gardens. Bigleaf maple is best in the wild anyway. It dislikes the aridity of most of the urban and suburban areas of California. (San Jose is in a chaparral climate. Los Angeles is in a desert climate.) Roots of bigleaf maple are potentially aggressive, especially if irrigated

generously. They easily displace pavement. Nonetheless, where climate and circumstances allow, bigleaf maple is a grand tree. Wild trees grow as tall as a hundred fifty feet within forests where they compete for sunlight. Well exposed suburban trees A maple with unusually should stay lower big leaves. than forty feet, while extending their canopies broader than tall. The big and palmately lobed leaves are mostly more than six inches wide. Foliage turns yellow in autumn, and is abundant as it falls. Self sown seedlings often grow under mature trees. n ••• Horticulturist Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR Monday January 11 ‘END HUMAN TRAFFICKING’ WEBINAR 2 p.m., County Zoom Meeting AAUW-Santa Cruz County will host the webinar “End Human Trafficking,” via Zoom. It will cover how predators manipulate young people, how to respond if you see signs, and what you can do to prevent it. A representative from Shared Hope will speak and the film “Chosen” will be presented, showing how girls age 15 and 13 are tricked into sex trafficking. Register in advance at: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/ register/tZUvd-GpqT0sHdB4-GruvlzAv2wYMHrj3JPl For information on AAUW SCC, email Martha Mangan at mmanganesesc7@gmail.com or call (831) 425-1306.

Monday January 11 thru Tuesday January 12 CALIFORNIA KING TIDES Starts around 7 a.m. Monday / Ends around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Various locations in Santa Cruz County “King Tides” are high tides that occur when the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon are in alignment. When these tides happen at the same time as stormy weather, water levels can rise even higher. California King Tides are coming to Santa Cruz County! King Tides mean the highest tides of the year, but also the lowest, most dramatic negative tides. These extreme low tides pose prime conditions for tide pooling, miles of beach walking, and extended beach exploration. https://www.santacruz.org/blog/mark-your-calendarcalifornia-king-tides-are-coming/

Friday January 15 Thru Sunday January 17 CRUZHACKS 2021 Online Event, www.cruzhacks.com The first virtual hackathon organized in Santa Cruz gives students and entrepreneurs a chance to find innovative technical solutions to pressing problems. The event started in 2014, and the 2021 CruzHacks board is Doug Erickson, Amanda Rotella, Nathan Westrup, Sue Carter, and Neha Pamidi. So far, applicants come from 115 universities in 13 countries; 1,000 are expected to participate using cloud systems such as AWS and Google Cloud and the newest alternative, “Edge Computing,” with better bandwidth to improve the processing of high amounts of data for high-volume applications such as streaming high-definition video. To apply to hack or to be a judge/mentor, visit https://www.cruzhacks.com/

Monday January 25 CABRILLO CLASSES BEGIN Cabrillo College classes begin for spring term the last week of January. You can apply at cabrillo.edu. n

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / January 1st 2021 / 29

FEATURED COLUMNIST

Accomplishments of 2020 Amid 20,000 Emails and Phone Calls

s I begin each new year as your County Supervisor, I like to report back in this column on some of the things we’ve accomplished because of your partnership and communication of priorities. Yes, 2020 was a remarkably challenging year. Many lost work, local businesses closed, parents, students and teachers tried to balance the challenges of distance learning, hospitals and health clinics faced overwhelming strains, nonprofit and faith partners have seen demand for safety net services increase and many in our community have been directly impacted, either their health or otherwise, by the pandemic. While this past year was a year like no other, as a community we still accomplished a lot. Here is a very small overview of what was accomplished in our district in 2020 and can hopefully provide a sense of hope for what we can continue to do together. ••• Affordable Housing and Homelessness lot of focus this year continued on making the construction of affordable housing easier and addressing the unsheltered homeless issues in our community. These two issues go hand-in-hand as housing affordability has a strong correlation to the number of unsheltered homeless in a community. The Board also addressed vacation rental units (which contribute to the affordability challenges) by freezing vacation rentals at current rates — so new permits wouldn’t be issued unless a permit became available through

By Zach Friend, Second District Supervisor

non-renewal, revocation, or transfer of ownership. Additionally, the County continued to reduce the burdens for constructing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) including continuing a program I proposed that waives all County fees associated with small ADU construction and provided additional permit streamlining, partnering with Habitat for Humanity on new financing options for construction of ADUs. For addressing homelessness, the Board continued to streamline access to housing and assistance for those who are homeless. Additionally, the County was fortunate to hire a new Director of Housing for Health, Robert Ratner, who is responsible for directing, planning, developing, implementing and overseeing a comprehensive homeless services system — one that focuses on rapid re-housing, provides flexible funding for who are experiencing homelessness to help them self-identify a housing solution, works to ensure those who are housing insecure don’t fall into homelessness in the first place and builds capacity at emergency shelters to provide more housing-focused services and supports to increase the rate at which people leave emergency shelters for housing. Local Roads easure D work continued this year in Seacliff. Significant investments were also made in the South County with work in Corralitos on Pioneer/Varni and improvements on Hames. Additionally, new pedestrian safety improvements near Pinto Lake Park and a number of beacon crosswalks were installed in Seacliff, Seascape, Buena Vista

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Aptos Beach flooding in August

and on Trout Gulch. More are planned in 2021 with grant funding submitted for some in Rio Del Mar, Seacliff and on Soquel near Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center. Storm damage repairs have continued, including completing the major project on upper Valencia. Work has continued also on Cox and other locations with storm damage. Our success in major state funding in late 2020 also sets the stage for significant improvements on Soquel (for bike and pedestrians), the new Mar Vista overcrossing and additional auxiliary lanes on Highway 1. Flood Control n 2020, significant progress was made toward two major flood control projects — the Pajaro River levee and the Rio Del Mar drainage project. For the Pajaro, we hosted regular visits from senior members of the DC Army Corps Headquarters and regional office, and travelled to DC and Sacramento early in the year for discussions with Congressional, White House and State partners essential to the funding of the project. This year, $1.8 million in federal funds were

allocated to work on the design phase with additional funding secured. This summer, a design agreement was approved with Army Corps to begin the design of the first prioritized reach of the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management project. Additionally, agreements have been authorized with the State for State funding for the program and the Army Corps is continuing to support requests for additional funding in their budget in this phase. This is without question the most progress toward levee construction than has been seen in nearly 60 years. For Rio Del Mar, the County secured over $4 million in grant funding from FEMA, Cal OES and the California Department of Water Resources through the Integrated Regional Water Management program to install drainage improvements consisting of new and replacement underground storm drains, installation of a new pump station and relocating the stormwater outfall to a new location to alleviate flooding and also improve the quality of water runoff.

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SCCAS Featured Pet

“Friend” from page 30 A local match is required to finalize this project, but this will alleviate the perennial flooding in the Rio Del Mar flats. Parks ven during the pandemic, significant investments in our parks continued. Without question, 2020 highlighted the need to ensure safe and accessible parks as an integral part of community mental and physical health. As part of a private/public partnership, a new skate feature, restrooms and landscaping were completed at Seacliff Village Park. We are in the final stages of funding to update Hidden Beach Park with a new playground and accessible areas.

Looking For a New Home

“My name is Trego (ID#A277274) and I am a neutered male, red and white Siberian Husky. The shelter staff think I am about 2 years old and I have been at the shelter since Dec 11, 2020.” rego came to the Shelter after his previous owner was unable to care for him any longer. In his previous home, he lived with cats and coexisted nicely with them. A home with dog savvy cats may be an option provided there is a slow introduction and management. Trego enjoyed running alongside his previous owner while he rode his bike. Activities such as these will help Trego stay physically and mentally stimulated in his adoptive home. A home with anotehr playful dog may be a good match provided they meet at the Shelter. Trego does have some resource guarding notated from his previous home. Adopters will need to manage this behavior as it may occur with humans or other dogs. Older, respectful children may be a fit provided they meet at the Shelter and guardians oversee interactions, especially in the transition. Trego can be a bit aloof when first meeting. Once he warms up to you, he is rather sweet and goofy. Adoptions are first come, first served! Please view available animals on our website and then visit the Shelter to turn in your application. All adoptions require proof of home ownership or landlord approval. Please have this information prepared. If an animal is in Foster Care, please bring in your adoption application and schedule an appointment to meet the animal. Call 831-454-7200 x0 during business hours or visit www.scanimalshelter.org for more information! n ••• Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter’s full-service, open-admission shelter: Santa Cruz Location (Public Entrance): 1001 Rodriguez St., Santa Cruz, 95062 Hours: Daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Watsonville Location: CURRENTLY CLOSED 580 Airport Blvd, Watsonville, CA 95076  SCCAS Main line: 831-454-7200. Animal Control: 831-454-7227. After-Hours Emergency: 831-471-1182 • After Hours: jillian.ganley@santacruzcounty.us

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Libraries ajor steps have been taken toward fulfilling the promises of Measure S. The La Selva Branch Library remodel is nearing completion and the Aptos Branch (after multiple successful prepandemic in-person community meetings and virtual ones in the last few months) has a design-build team selected, budget finalized and proposed designs. These upgrades will provide beautiful new libraries for our community.

Community Meetings and Outreach n 2020, our traditional in-office open office hours were limited with the pandemic. But we found ways to move into the virtual world (and as a result, actually saw increased participation via our teletown halls). We held about two dozen open office hours in Aptos, Corralitos, La Selva Beach, Seascape and Watsonville and held or attended nearly 30 (mostly virtual) community and neighborhood meetings in Seacliff, La Selva, Rio Del Mar, Watsonville, Capitola and Corralitos. Additionally, we hosted just under 30 tele-town halls that provided direct access to local, state and national health leaders,

elected officials and researchers including national vaccine experts, state and national policymakers to discuss fire insurance and COVID funding and our local Health Officer among others. In addition, I’ve written approximately 50 columns in local papers and neighborhood newsletters to communicate with our district about county happenings while maintaining social media presence to share information about our district. Moving Forward he above is just a partial list of what has been accomplished this year and I know there is a lot more to do on all of these issues in 2021. Our No. 1 focus will still be addressing the pandemic — ensuring the vaccine is distributed as quickly and safely as possible, that local health providers have the support they need and that we continue to advocate to ensure that local businesses and residents have the help they need from our state and federal partners. Additionally, we know we have a lot of work ahead of us to ensure those displaced by the fires continue to have safe interim housing and the support they need to rebuild. This past year we estimate that as an office we received over 20,000 emails and calls from constituents and the community-at-large many with requests for service to our office on COVID-related issues, road issues, neighborhood public safety concerns, storm damage, environmental issues, health and human services, technology services and more. n ••• As always, I appreciate your feedback. I’m maintaining regular updates on social media at www.facebook.com/supervisorfriend and I’ve been hosting tele-townhalls on most Tuesday nights from 6-7 p.m. The call-in information for the town halls is 454-2222 with the Meeting ID: 145384# - you are welcome to speak about any issue during the town halls or you can always call me at 454-2200.

The La Selva Branch Library, currently under construction

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