Rio Unveils Banff World Tour Epic Bundle • Medical Reserve Corps

COMMUNITY NEWS Rio Unveils Banff World Tour Epic Bundle

All the programs? All the programs! If you’ve been too busy getting after it outdoors, or just haven’t made the time yet, now’s your chance to catch all four Banff Virtual World Tour Programs in one epic bundle.

From mountaintops to wide open

12,000 KM: Swedish extreme skiers and snowboarders travel via train and boat from Stockholm through Russia to Japan, in search of deep powder. oceans, this bundle has adventure, sports, environmental, and cultural experiences for all to savor — over 8 hours of films for hard-core World Tour fans.

You have 14 days to watch all four programs.

One of the highlights is Piano to Zanskar, the 2019 Grand Prize Winner, which won a slew of awards after that.

Promoter Kathy Ferraro had hoped to bring this film to the Rio and then the pandemic hit.

“I am excited and thrilled that our community can now see this inspiring film, which has been edited for the World Tour,” she said. “It is an especially interesting story when juxtaposed against the piano that someone in Aptos abandoned and it landed on the beach as well as the cover of the Aptos Times.”

In Piano to Zanskar — what a more fitting end to a piano — to bring joy to the school children and community of Zanskar. Even better is to know Sir Desmond, 65 at the time of the film and journey, went back to Zanskar each year to tune the piano until his death.

“This film unites a set of lovely characters so individual and multi-faceted, even a seasoned Hollywood screenwriter would have a hard time coming up with them,” `said Joachim Hellinger, a member of the 2019 film jury. “It takes us on a quest Piano to Zanskar: Desmond Gentle, 65, must find a way to get this piano to a school in a remote village in the heart of the Indian Himalayas. that seems to be crazy and anachronistic but is actually full of purpose and symbolic power. Watching this film helps to restore the belief in a better world.”

While it’s not possible to replicate the experience of seeing the Banff films on the big screen of your local theatre, surrounded by friends and your community, these curated programs of amazing outdoor films are designed to inspire you to live life to the fullest — however that looks these days. The Epic Bundle is $52 or screen individual programs for $15. Buy tickets online through the Rio Theatre. See http://www. riotheatre.com/events-2/2020/11/26/ banff-centre-mountain-film-festivalworld-tour. n

Medical Reserve Corps Turns 16: A Caring Spirit

By Corinne Hyland

On Feb. 11, the Santa Cruz County Medical Reserve Corps celebrated 16 years since its founding in 2005.

Medical Reserve Corps units were established after the tragic terrorist events of 9/11, and the anthrax attacks that followed. Medical and health professionals came together to organize, train and equip local volunteers to assist Public Health and the community in emergency preparedness and response to all-hazards incidents.

Santa Cruz County Medical Reserve Corps volunteers have responded to numerous incidents including disease outbreaks catastrophic wildfires, floods, power outages and today’s COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout the past year, Medical Reserve Corps volunteers have supported Public Health with COVID-19 contact tracing, case investigations, infection prevention, sheltering of persons experiencing homelessness, and the CZU Complex wildfire evacuation and shelters.

“Medical Reserve” page 10

FTB Suspends Tax Refund Offset

On Feb. 22, the Franchise Tax Board suspended its income tax refund offset program until July 31, citing the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We hope this suspension will offer additional relief for taxpayers,” said State Controller and FTB Chair Betty T. Yee.

FTB temporarily suspended collection activities of the Interagency Intercept Collection (IIC) Program to provide relief to taxpayers in keeping with Governor Gavin Newsom’s March 12, 2020, executive order. This means state tax refunds will not be reduced to offset taxpayer debts for parking citations, tolls, and various fines.

Debts for child support are the exception and will continue to be collected.

Taxpayers in financial hardship can apply for a payment installment plan online, by phone, or by mail. This includes court-ordered debts.

If a taxpayer receives a wage garnishment, bank levy, or tax lien, FTB will work with the taxpayer, which may include modifying or releasing a garnishment or levy, placing a hold on the collection account, or accepting an offer in compromise.

For suspended corporations and limited liability companies, FTB offers expedited services to revive the business for those prepared to file and pay the balance now or in the near future.

For help, see https://www.ftb. ca.gov/help/contact/phone-fax.html •••

Deadline March 15 for Scholarship

Every year a portion of the Corralitos Woman’s Club fundraising goes toward scholarships. To apply, see instructions on the application form at www.corralitoswomansclub.com

Applicants must be a high school student in a Pajaro Valley school with a minimum 3.5 gradepoint average; or be a Santa Cruz County resident with a ZIP code of: 95076, 95019 or 95003; and be a U.S. Citizen. All information on this application will be kept confidential.

Recipients will be notified in May; scholarship awards will be sent to the college of their choice once a student ID# has been provided to the Corralitos Woman’s Club. Applications must be postmarked by March 15.

Questions? Email info@corralitoswomansclub.com

•••

Bond Oversight Volunteers Needed

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District seeks four volunteers for the Bond Citizens Oversight Committee.

The committee oversees spending of Measure L in November 2012, when voters authorized the district to issue up to $150 million in general obligation bonds for school facility improvements.

Currently some people are serving on this committee but four more volunteers are needed. If you are interested in applying, fill out an application, which is available at the District Office or online in the Citizens’ Oversight Committee section of Pajaro Valley Unified website at Measure L Bond Application.

If you are interested and have additional questions, call Veronica Moran in Business Services at (831) 786-2140 for more information. •••

New board chair at Rail & Trail Friends

This year, Live Oak resident Faina Segal will chair the board of the Santa Cruz County Friends of the Rail & Trail known as FORT.

“Transportation infrastructure in our county should reflect our shared values of inclusion, equity, sustainability, and economic opportunity for all,” said Segal, who joined the Friends of the Rail & Trail Board of Directors in 2019.

A customer experience manager for Cisco, she grew up in Watsonville and is passionate about improving access to opportunities for students in South County. “FORT has been instrumental in advocating for expanded public transportation

Faina Segal in Santa Cruz County, which I believe is a keystone investment to building a more equitable and sustainable future for our county,” Segal said. “I am honored to have this opportunity to give back to my community by being a part of this movement.”

She has commuted via Metro bus to Cabrillo, UC Santa Cruz and San Jose. Since graduating from UC San Diego in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in history and minor in engineering, she has worked in Silicon Valley building global partnerships.

Sally Arnold, FORT board chair for 2019 and 2020, credited Segal’s organizational and marketing experience with helping the group modernize its use of technology to improve communication with the community.

FORT is promoting the “Coast Connect” vision of a 32-mile coastal rail trail from Watsonville to Davenport, eco-friendly passenger rail between Watsonville and Santa Cruz, synchronized bus connections, and safe streets for biking and walking. •••

Hunting, Fishing Rules Go Digital

As part of an effort to go paperless, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is transitioning to a digital format for its 2021 hunting and fishing regulations booklets and Big Game Hunting Digest.

Booklets will no longer be printed and shipped to license agents or customers, but electronic versions of the booklets will be available online.

“Not only is this shift best for the environment because of the reduction of many thousands of short-term paper booklets being produced, the cost to print and ship the booklets is significant,” said CDFW Wildlife and Fisheries Division Deputy Director Stafford Lehr. “Another benefit is that the money saved by going paperless will be redirected to fish and wildlife conservation.”

The transition to paperless regulations booklets follows a two-year effort to reduce the number of hard copy booklets printed and shipped to license agents and is consistent with the governor’s directive to reduce paper use.

As in past years, digital booklets are available at wildlife.ca.gov/Regulations and can be downloaded as PDFs to your computer, cellular phone or other electronic device. Hunters and anglers are encouraged to download the digital booklets to their mobile devices and familiarize themselves with the format before hunting and/or fishing trips. n

“Rehiring Rights” from page 6

“Terranea Resort terminated us during the pandemic and took away our health care when we needed it most,” said Antonio Rodriguez, who worked as a banquet server at the Terranea Resort for 10 years and was recently hospitalized due to COVID-19. “My right to go back to work will ensure that I can get back on my feet and give my wife and three young girls a better future. Right now, I fear not being able to pay my bills and rent after my young daughter was in the hospital for kidney failure… I must return back to work for my family.”

In June, Terranea told the Orange County Register staffing reductions and salary cuts were essential to the resort’s survival, and that furloughed employees would be recalled based on seniority.

Unite Here contends the bill is needed to prevent discriminatory hiring practices designed to cut costs by replacing longtime employees with a less experienced workforce at lower rates of pay.

Current law includes the Displaced Janitor Opportunity Act, which requires contractors and subcontractors awarded contracts to provide janitorial or building maintenance services at a particular jobsite or sites, to retain for 60 days employees employed by the previous contractor.

AB 1074 would extend that protection to hotel workers. Laid-off workers not given the opportunity would be able to file a complaint seeking hiring and reinstatement, with the potential for front or back pay being awarded.

Nearly 40 percent of all California jobs lost during the pandemic have been in the hospitality industry.

San Francisco, Oakland and Santa Clara have already passed ordinances to ensure hospitality workers have the right to return to their previous jobs. n

“Medical Reserve” from page 9

As vaccine has become available, Medical Reserve Corps volunteers have been on the frontlines vaccinating disabled home-bound elders and supporting mass vaccination clinics.

Nancy Yellin, a registered nurse who joined the Medical Reserve Corps as it was forming, said, “The MRC is a wonderful and rewarding experience both in serving our community and with the opportunity to serve with other dedicated medical volunteers.”

Additionally, the contributions of medical volunteers have helped Public Health build the capacity of the community to be resilient and respond to historic disasters.

“The community of Santa Cruz County has really rallied in response to COVID-19 with their volunteerism and commitment to practicing face- covering, physical distancing, and hand-washing. MRC volunteers are evidence of that caring spirit,” said Medical Reserve Corps Director Kathleen Conley. n

The Medical Reserve Corps is currently closed to new applications as it has reached capacity, those interested in volunteering may do so through the County’s Volunteer Center at https://scvolunteercenter.org/