Soquel Creek Water District Unveils New Website, By Rebecca Gold Rubin

FEATURED COLUMNIST Soquel Creek Water District Unveils New Website

By Rebecca Gold Rubin

The month of May means that the spring season is really in full swing! It’s a time of new growth and rejuvenation — and for the Soquel Creek Water District, spring has brought a brandnew website that is streamlined, cleaner, easier to navigate, and designed to better serve our customers.

Launched in May, the new website has the same URL that you used for the old one: www.soquelcreekwater.org. But once you’re there, you’ll see an entirely new look-and-feel, countless major improvements, and more functionality. The new website is hosted by CivicPlus, the leading provider of local government websites.

We’re thrilled to provide this new website, and for you to try it out!

One of the first things you may notice is a much more orderly layout and navigation.

The new site’s intuitive search functionality and navigation menus make it easy for you to locate whatever it is you may be looking for from the homepage — from the latest news and updates, Board meetings, and conservation tools, to our WaterSmart customer portal, construction information, our Pure Water Soquel project, and much more.

The new website’s dynamic design ensures you can easily navigate and interact with content from any desktop computer, smartphone, or tablet. There’s new calendar functionality to help you stay informed about the scheduling of our public meetings, activities, community events, and other opportunities for engagement. And, you can be sure that this site meets the highest data security standards.

The NotifyMe communication subscription feature allows you to subscribe to receive notifications on only those topics that matter most to you — and you can choose to be notified by email or text message. You’ll also see more self-service forms and documents, and a new Agenda Center allowing for the storing, sharing, and searching of public meetings and agendas.

I’m sure you’ll agree the new website is a great tool to increase our communications with you, and for you to be more engaged with the District. If you haven’t seen it yet, please be sure to visit www. soquelcreekwater.org soon!

I also want to take this opportunity to let you know that our 2020 Consumer Confidence/Annual Water Quality Report is now available — another reason to check out our new website!

This report presents the results of test data from all of our supply wells that pump groundwater from aquifers in two groundwater geologic formations — the Purisima and Aromas Red Sands Formations.

As water filters into the groundwater basin, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.

During the past year, the District tested the groundwater for 181 different constituents, including microbial contaminants, inorganic contaminants, pesticides and herbicides, organic chemical contaminants, and many others. All test samples are collected and reported in accordance with standards and requirements established by the US EPA and the California State Water Resources Control Board.

I’m happy to tell you that all the water quality tests showed that our water is in compliance with State and Federal drinking water health standards. n •••

If you’d like all the details of our water quality analysis, see the 2020 Consumer Confidence/ Annual Water Quality Report at www. soquelcreekwater.org/2020CCR

Fictional Mothers

ACROSS

1. Build a collection 6. Economic measure acronym 9. *Beverly Goldberg’s schmoopie 13. Use an ÉpÉe 14. Neither here ____ there 15. Tall ancient monument 16. Daisy-like bloom 17. Much of it about nothing? 18. Commotions 19. *She’s ‘Bow’ to Dre in

TV sitcom “Blackish” 21. *Mother to Jo, Meg,

Amy and Beth March in novel and movie 23. Before tac 24. Ripped 25. Part of Super Bowl entertainment, pl. 28. Homesteader’s measure 30. *”Game of Thrones”

Lannister and mother to Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen 35. Douses 37. Adjutant 39. Article of faith 40. Genuflecting joint 41. *TV mother to Alexis and David, “friend” to

Jocelyn Schitt 43. “Will be,” as sung by

Doris Day 44. Perform in a play 46. Load sixteen tons, e.g. 47. Peacock’s pride 48. *Mowgli’s adoptive mother 50. Apartment 52. Skeleton in a lock 53. Part of a jousting outfit 55. Spelling competition 57. *Mother to Carlton in

“The Fresh Prince of

Bel-Air” 60. “Well, I’m a-standin’ on a corner in ___,

Arizona,” from the

Eagles “Take it Easy” 64. Country’s LeAnn ____ 65. Hoover’s agency acronym 67. Piano practice piece, e.g. 68. Church song 69. What Usain Bolt did 70. Poisonous substance 71. *Wife to Papa, mother to Baby 72. Sum it up 73. Go on a buying spree

DOWN

1. Way, way off 2. ____ Verde National

Park 3. Naysayer’s favorite prefix? 4. What bloodhound is after 5. Croatia’s neighbor 6. Nibble away 7. Affirmative action 8. Movie trailer, e.g. 9. Elementary particle 10. *Claire Dunphy and

Mitchell Pritchett’s mother 11. Soothing lotion ingredient 12. Bell and Barker, e.g. 15. Christopher Kimball’s

“Milk ____” 20. ____’s razor 22. Part of a circle 24. Tiresome 25. Questioner 26. *”Mamma Mia!” mamma 27. Do this or forever hold your peace 29. ‘80s band “Quiet ____” 31. Catch one’s breath 32. ____ a peak 33. Bone-chilling 34. Europe’s “boot” 36. Short for seconds 38. *She played Ricky

Schroder’s stepmom on “Silver Spoons” 42. Defendant’s excuse 45. Religious belief 49. ____ Khan 51. Plural of #39 Across 54. Below, prefix 56. Impede 57. “Everywhere you want to be” credit card 58. Muslim holy man 59. Plural of velum 60. *Ellen, Scarlett’s mother in “Gone with the ____” 61. Like the best accommodations 62. War god in Norse mythology 63. Make one’s way 64. Dashboard acronym 66. *Kunis, Hahn and Bell as “____ Moms” © Statepoint Media Answers on 31 »

May is both a beautiful and intelligent month, being under the two signs of Taurus (Art of Living, flowers) and Gemini (Mercury’s messages). The Taurus keynote is “Let Struggle within duality be undismayed” allowing harmony to emerge from conflicts and chaos. Gemini’s keynote is “let instability do it’s purifying work.” Humanity learns through struggle and instability. They help each of us build a strong interactive personality, the vehicle that interacts with nature and the beauty of form and matter.

The beginning of May is May Day or Beltane. In between these two is Mother’s Day (May 9), the Ascension (May 13), Shavuot (May 16), the Sun entering Gemini (May 20), Pentecost and Saturn retrograde (May 23) and finally a lunar eclipse and the Gemini Festival of Goodwill (May 26). It’s quite a month of festivals (and May flowers).

May Day is a day of various celebrations, from ancient times to the present. It is the Festival of Flora (Roman Goddess of flowers). Floralia was a five-day Roman celebration. For the Druids, a new fire was lit on Beltane (May Day) signifying the life of the springtime sun. Cattle were driven through the fires for purification. In Catholicism, May is Mary’s month. On May 1st the Virgin Mary, the Queen of May is crowned with flowers. At Immaculate Heart College in Hollywood, Mary’s Day (directed by Sister Corita) was celebrated yearly with parades, art, flowers, singing.

In earlier, simpler times, May baskets, containing sweets, breads, fruits and flowers, were given as gifts, left anonymously on doorsteps.

In India, May 1st is International Workers Day. In China it’s Labor Day, a public holiday. In England (and in America) there’s Morris Dancing and festivities around a Maypole (circle dance with ribbons). May Day in earlier times celebrated fertility, early harvests fetes and community gatherings. In America, May Day is International Workers Day, Loyalty Day, and Rule of Law Day.

May Day marks the end of the unfarmable winter months in the north. We also know Mayday as an international distress signal, an emergency code word, from the French venez m’aider, meaning ‘Come help me’. Sadly, the puritans frowned on May Day (celebrations).

We end the month with the Gemini Festival of Humanity. For more information each day and during the month of May, see Risa’s website — www.nightlightnews.org/Daily-Studies.

ARIES

Be aware this month of defining your self-identity (a good thing) in terms of values and virtues, not just possessions. It’s good to focus on needs and financial capabilities. Realize possessions do not define identity or self as valuable — a spiritual lens that needs continual refreshing and remembering. What is the message here? You’re valuable not only in money but in virtue, courage, strength and spirit. Tithe often.

TAURUS

Attempt to express thoughts and feelings of love, appreciation, care and nurturance to those close to you. Consider ways of using resources for future investments, not necessarily the stock market. You must begin to tend to unfinished business, communications, finances, and responsibilities. This may be difficult and will take discipline. Order and organization allow you to have the presence of mind to recognize your next endeavor, a service that answers to the present crisis and world need.

GEMINI

Working quietly and in solitude (even if in the world), preparing to dream and remembering those dreams, asking yourself serious questions and awaiting the revelatory answers is part of this month’s inner agenda. Simultaneously, something may appear that becomes a resource. It’s possibly a group you finally identify with. Each day search for what’s hidden, magic, mystical and spiritually valuable. Your values are becoming universal. Community beckons.

CANCER

You need to communicate more, share experiences, aspirations, hopes, wishes and dreams with friends. You cannot keep yourself isolated. It is not healthy to do so. Who, beyond family, are your friends? They provide you with challenges, yes. However, they are your true (beyond the biological) family. You must take authentic steps toward them. Also, garden as if your life depended upon it.

LEO

You have a deep strength supporting and aiding you when everything seems strange, difficult, tedious or restricted. This strength holds you in safety and assurance that all needs will be provided. Your accomplishments in the world are important, valuable and purposeful. But there’s one question. If you are unhappy, what do you wish you were doing instead? Where and why?

VIRGO

It’s possible you feel restrictions in your physical body coming from how you value and see yourself and perhaps in thinking of yourself as not creative. A new sense of internal structure is forming, providing you with a new perspective to bring forth what you would like to be. It’s possible previous philosophical beliefs will change. This leads to a liberation of values and a development of new virtues.

LIBRA

Take time to assess your care for friends, intimates, partnerships and environments. By participating with others and sharing resources, you’re creating deep and lasting connections (which releases Love) that provide comfort, nurture and regeneration. Relationships between you and others, in a state of separation, also must be assessed. What are they? Why the separation? You have ignored them too long. What we reject remains intimately with us. Sadness is the result. Forgiveness frees us.

SCORPIO

We live in very interesting times. It’s possible you’ve become (or want to) attracted to something deep and mysterious. Simultaneously you seek new experiences of safety and security, joint resources, and deep intimacy. You want to experience the Art of Living. These are good. Do be aware though that if you attract what’s sad and moody, you too become sad and moody. Be awake and aware of various subtle levels of energy all around. Brood upon them.

SAGITTARIUS

You need freedom, a new level of harmony, a release from limitations, struggle and duality following you around. You’re waiting for a life change, resolution of conflict, and refinement of things financial. At work, tend carefully to those around you. Here is a little mantra that the New Group of World Servers recites at noon. Perhaps you will join us. “I know O Lord of life and love about the need. Touch my heart anew with love, so I may love and give and do my part in a world in need.”

CAPRICORN

As everything of value centers around your domestic life, it’s important to realize that your goodness is about who and what you embrace, how you care, whom you include and nourish and what you create. Your goodness is not about what you deny, resist or exclude. Life is a great discipline. We live on multiple levels simultaneously and within a great paradox. This is a seed thought to meditate, rely upon and hum like a mantra. Om Mani Padme Hum. The mantra of compassion.

AQUARIUS

Whenever in difficulty, pray, recite mantras, have gratitude. Then live changes. As you feel grateful for home and family, you create closer contact (releasing love) with everyone else. Looking into your life, past, you realize what belief systems are defining your thoughts. From these choices and actions emerge. This is a mathematical equation. Your thoughts are the foundation of your life. Build your future with your creative imagination Walk around your neighborhood. Take architectural and gardening notes. Plant a little garden in pots.

PISCES

Tend to money carefully. Tell everyone they are of great value and worth. Know many will not understand. Speak the words anyway. It may be you have one good day and several confused and disoriented days. Rest within the confusion. A new harmony will come forth. Create a journal of the perfect village, community, monastery with gardens, flowers, trees, cottages, schools, a little temple. Resources begin to be structured differently. A new rhythm of values emerges. All of this is valuable for future work. “Coastal Agency” from page 22

Rather, the type and availability of on-street parking is virtually unchanged; the streets remain clogged with unpermitted private encroachments into the public right-of-way that serve to restrict and prohibit available public parking options; the same congestion from those looking for space to park is actually exacerbated by the program (as it requires trips to find and purchase permits on top of finding parking); and parking is not “organized and accessible,” as is being represented, on most Live Oak coastal streets. In short, the program does not come close to meeting its underlying objectives.

In addition, the program has not generated enough revenue to make meaningful on- street parking improvements. In fact, from the data that DPW has shared, at best it appears that the program has essentially generated enough revenue to solely run the program. And in most years, operational costs appear to exceed revenues, and thus the program appears to regularly lose money (and it operated at a nearly $100,000 deficit last year, which has not been uncommon).

It is also not clear that any acceptable version of the program would be able to generate enough revenue to both pay for itself and systematically improve public parking and public access going forward, which is described as a goal of a potentially modified program.

We therefore respectfully suggest that it is time for the County to consider whether continuing to operate the program makes financial sense, is in the public’s best interest, and can be found Coastal Act and Local Coastal Plan consistent. In our view, the answer to each of those questions is no, and we believe that the program should be discontinued.

This has been our consistent position regarding the program for decades, and we have shared this position repeatedly with County staff over the years, and any representations to the contrary should be disregarded. We do not support the Live Oak Permit Parking Program.

We understand that the County is looking for revenue sources, including to help fund maintenance and access enhancement projects at shoreline access areas, and we can appreciate that need. At the same time, it is clear to us that this program is not an appropriate vehicle for those purposes, and we believe there are other ways to accomplish such goals without unduly burdening coastal visitors via parking fees (including through the County’s recent Coastal Encroachment Policy, and potentially the County’s proposed armoring-related fee program to offset sand supply loss and public recreational access impacts due to shoreline armoring) under the County’s pending Local Coastal Plan hazards update).

We have and will continue to support these types of programs as a means to help reach common goals along the shoreline, including to improve public access opportunities, and we look forward to active collaboration as it effects coastal Live Oak moving forward.

It is clear to us that this program has reached a crossroads of sorts, and also that it has outlived any potential utility it may have once provided for meeting the County’s and the Commission’s goals for coastal Live Oak under the Coastal Act and the Local Coastal Plan. And for the above reasons, it is also clear to us that the most appropriate outcome is to discontinue the program entirely. We support you doing just that.

In any case, we hope that these comments prove useful in your deliberations, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or would like to discuss this matter further. n