Aptos Times: February 1, 2022 by Times Publishing Group, Inc.

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February 1, 2022 • Vol 31 No. 3

Sgt. Gutzwiller Tribute Planned at Willowbrook Park

A small crowd of Santa Cruz County officials gathered at Willowbrook County Park in Aptos on Jan. 20, to announce plans to reimagine the park in memory of fallen Santa Cruz County Sheriff Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller. Full Story page 5

Showdown over Federally Regulated Rail Line Full Story page 6

Help Ethiopian Man Reunite with Local Wife and Daughter

Love the Second Time Around

Many of us in the community either know, or know of, the Lapp Family. Full Story page 11

Full Story page 4

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No. 3

Volume 31

Table of Contents

Cover Love the Second Time Around

4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 17 19 20 23

27 30

Community News Love the Second Time Around, By R. Bryan Love Sgt. Gutzwiller Tribute Planned at Willowbrook Park, By Kieran Kelly Showdown over Federally Regulated Rail Line on Feb. 3 Covid Solution?: Bill Would End Personal Belief Vaccine Exemption, By Jondi Gumz Student Speaker’s Contest • Clean California Initiative • RTC Tax Oversight Committee Deadline • Santa Cruz County Jobs Cabrillo Youth String Music: Begins Friday, February 25 • Cabrillo College Music Building, VAPA 5000 Help Ethiopian Reunite with Local Family, By Edita McQuary Record Year at Santa Cruz County Bank Aptos Jr. High Student Wins Peace Poster Contest, By Krista Brassfield Central Fire Elections Re-Districting: Have Your Say SB 418: Pajaro Valley Health District Advances AG: Settlement Against Student Loan Servicer: 43,000 Californians Could Get Payments of $260 Each from Navient • County Pledges $5 Million to Buy Watsonville Community Hospital Our Community Reads 2022 starts Feb. 4 Manu Koenig Chairs County Board of Supervisors

Business Profile 15 Curves Aptos: Start Your New Year Right!, By Edita McQuary 18 Safe At Home Senior Care: Superior Service, By Edita McQuary Monthly Horoscope • Page 26 – Aquarius Sun, Nodes Shift: the Narrative Changes, By Risa D’Angeles Community Calendar • Arts & Entertainment – Pages 28, 29 Featured Columnists Dark Chocolate Mousse, Inspired by Bobby Flay Planning Ahead for the 3G Shutdown, By David Witkowski For the Love of … Quotes About Water, By Rebecca Gold Rubin Trying to Get Concert Refunds Because of COVID, By Christopher Elliott 30 A Look at the State Budget, By Zach Friend, Supervisor, Second District 16 21 24 24

SCCAS Featured Pet • Page 31 – Meet Archie!

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COVER STORY

Patrice Edwards Jondi Gumz

Love the Second Time Around

publisher editor

contributing writers R. Bryan Love, Kieran Kelly, Jondi Gumz, Edita McQuary, Krista Brassfield, David Witkowski, Rebecca Gold Rubin, Christopher Elliott, Zach Friend

By R. Bryan Love

have had a crush on Kim Wells since we met in 1980 as 8th graders when I was the new kid at Divisadero

Junior High in Visalia, California. In High School she was voted Class Clown and I was voted Most School

layout Michael Oppenheimer, Noah Panec graphic artists Michael Oppenheimer, Noah Panec photography Michael Oppenheimer, Noah Panec, Brad King website Michael Oppenheimer, Camisa Composti production coordinator Camisa Composti media consultants Teri Huckobey, Brooke Valentine, Tara Carcamo office coordinator Cathe Race distribution Bill Pooley, James Hudson

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 Soquel 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 Summer Festivals Official Program Guide, is owned by Patrice Edwards. Entire contents ©2022. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form is prohibited without the publisher’s written permission

R. Bryan Love and his bride Kim Love enjoy a kiss in Paris under the Eiffel Tower.

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

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Spirited, so our pictures were close in the yearbook. But she may as well have been on the cover of Vanity Fair, I was looking so far up at her. Fast forward through a bunch of moves, marriages, children, and lifetimes. 27 years later, I see her in Rio Del Mar with her friend on vacation and the whole world spun upside down, sucked into the shape of an arrow, and shot through my heart. “Uh-oh” is all I could think or say. I became a complete fool in headover-heels as, what you’d have to realistically call, a full-grown, middleaged man. Not just that she was more stunning and beautiful than ever before, but the connection was like a warm fuzzy lightning bolt of recognition, comfort and ever-present, everlasting la-la-la love-ey-ay. And shortly after we kissed my question was, “do you think you’ll move up here or do you want me to move to Fresno?” Fresno? That’s how crazy I was about this chick. We merged (in 2013), then married (2017), and we’re still makin’ noise in Aptos now, a whirlwind ten years past that “uh-oh” moment in the Flats. I love you more than ever Kimmy Dawn Love. You are the best woman, partner, friend and grandma anybody could ever even dream up! You make our lives GREAT! n

COMMUNITY NEWS

Sgt. Gutzwiller Tribute Planned at Willowbrook Park By Kieran Kelly

small crowd of Santa Cruz County officials gathered at Willowbrook County Park in Aptos on Jan. 20, to announce plans to reimagine the park in memory of fallen Santa Cruz County Sheriff Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller. The effort is a collaboration of the Santa Cruz County Parks Department, the Santa Cruz County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, County Park Friends, and Supervisor Zach Friend. On June 6, 2020, Sgt. Gutzwiller was killed in the line of duty, leaving behind his wife and two young children. He also left behind many friends and colleagues who wanted to find a way to honor the legacy of his service. “He was a great police officer; he was a great sergeant,” said Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart. “He’s sorely missed at the Sheriff’s Office. We still have a lot of grief and a lot of sadness.”

Photo Credit: Amanda Rotella

Faviola Del Real, with her children Carter and Lucia, speaks at ceremony announcing tribute to her late husband, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, who was killed on duty in 2020. Willowbrook County Park was Cruz County and owned his first home in selected for the memorial site due to its the Willowbrook neighborhood. He could often be found there playing with his special connection to Sgt. Gutzwiller. Damon Gutzwiller grew up in Santa beloved dog, Shasta. A dedicated public

servant, Damon served with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office for 14 years advancing to the rank of sergeant. Speaking through tears with her two young children in hand, Sgt. Gutzwiller’s widow Faviola Del Real spoke about Damon’s connection to the park. “He used to talk about bringing our children here to play,” she said. “Making this dedication in Damon’s honor will give our children, Carter and Lucia, along with future generations, a place to honor his sacrifice and remember his legacy.” According to County Parks staff, the project is designed to complement the surrounding environment and will include the installation of a memorial seating area with a curved bench near the park’s pedestrian bridge. “Willowbrook” page 8

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Showdown over Federally Regulated Rail Line on Feb. 3

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Editor’s note: Roaring Camp took over Watsonville freight service in May, serving customers Martinelli’s, the apple-juice maker, and Big Creek Lumber. There is no freight service on the Felton to Santa Cruz section of the rail line, only tourist service. ••• n Jan. 19, Roaring Camp — operator of the Santa Cruz, Big Trees & Pacific Railway

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(from Felton to Santa Cruz) — issued a statement calling on the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission to reject, at its Feb. 3 meeting, a proposal by RTC staff that Roaring Camp contends would force abandonment of the Felton Branch Rail Line. “Roaring Camp Railroad” page 10

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Covid Solution?

Bill Would End Personal Belief Vaccine Exemption By Jondi Gumz

r. Richard Pan is a doctor specializing in children and a state senator representing Sacramento since 2014. His bill, SB 277, became law in September 2019 after a measles outbreak at Disneyland — the goal to end the “vaccine exemption loophole” for kids attending public and private schools. On Jan. 24, with the Covid-19 Omicron variant hospitalizing 15,000 Californians and 97,000 cases a day, Pan said he will introduce SB 871 to add COVID-19 to the list of 10 childhood illnesses for which students are required to be vaccinated – and remove the personal belief exemption. The bill is at https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov Public health officials consider vaccinations to be the number one tool to prevent hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19. Employer Mandate n Jan. 13, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the Biden administration mandate to large employers to vaccinate or test. That means 100 or more employees. The ruling affects an estimated 84 million workers — and a minority of employers in Santa Cruz County where 82% of businesses have nine or fewer employers. Most of the large employers are medical facilities and schools. The ruling said the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which regulates occupational hazards, did not have the right to regulate public health broadly. The court allowed a federal vaccine mandate applying to medical facilities that take Medicare or Medicaid payments. That affects an estimated 100,000 workers. On Jan. 25, OSHA said it would withdraw the vaccine and testing requirements for large employers. Employers can mandate vaccines or tests for their employees if they feel it’s necessary. Protesting Mandates n Jan. 23, Children’s Health Defense, headed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , rallied 20,000 to 30,000 people to a peaceful protest in Washington, D.C., at the Lincoln Memorial, calling for an end to vaccine mandates, a strategy used

Mee Memorial Hospital is using part of a grant from the federal government to install four billboards along the Highway 101 corridor to encourage the unvaccinated to step up for a shot. Billboards are to be installed from Soledad to San Ardo, communities that have the lowest vaccination rate in Monterey County. by President Biden and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Kennedy, an attorney and a passionate advocate for vaccine choice, mentioned Anne Frank, who was Jewish, hiding to escape Nazis, a reference for which he apologized a day later. In Brussels, More than 50,000 filled the streets, protesting vaccine passports and Covid restrictions. Masked demonstrators broke a glass entrance to the office of the EU’s foreign policy agency, an action recorded on Twitter, and police fired water cannons and tear gas to break up the protest. Public health officials say the scientific consensus is that Covid vaccines are safe, but protest leaders were skeptical about relying on science from drugmakers (which saw profits rise in 2021). They point to the U.S. government database, https://vaers.hhs.gov/, where health care providers are to report adverse events after a vaccine. The reporting site was created after Congress passed a law in 1986 protecting vaccine manufacturers from civil personal injury lawsuits and wrongful death lawsuits resulting from vaccine injuries. After Covid arrived, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar invoked the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act, a 2005 law that allows the HHS secretary to provide legal protection to companies making or distributing critical medical supplies such

as vaccines unless there’s “willful misconduct” by the company, according to a report by CNBC. This lowers the cost of immunizations, and the protection lasts until 2024. HHS declined requests by CNBC for an interview. Active Cases he number of active cases in Santa Cruz County is skyrocketing, from 3,324 to 6,677 active cases in two weeks, despite the Nov. 22 mandate to mask indoors. The assumption is Omicron, the most easily transmissible variant of the

Covid-19 coronavirus, is the driving the increase. Cases began rising during the holidays, with 325 confirmed on Dec. 29, then 504 on Jan. 4, and 527 on Jan. 5, according to the county health dashboard, which is updated on Mondays and Wednesdays. Hospitalizations are fluctuating — 39, down to 33, up to 41 including four in intensive care, according to a state dashboard. The question is: Will hospitalizations will rise — or decline, as San Francisco has seen. Possibly people entered the hospital with another condition or for elective surgery, then got tested for Covid. The dashboard does not explain. Local cases are split between Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz and Watsonville Community Hospital, while filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection while trying to orchestrate a sale to a local consortium. Earlier, county health officials urged people with no symptoms or mild symptoms or some other not-serious illness to stay home rather than going to the hospital emergency department. Under the 1986 federal law EMTALA, emergency departments must treat everyone who comes in, regardless of ability to pay — an funded mandate “COVID Update” page 9

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COMMUNITY BRIEFS Student Speaker’s Contest he Capitola Coast Lions will host their annual Student Speaker’s Contest for local students in grades 9-12 at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 7, at Capitola City Council chambers, 420 Capitola Ave., Capitola. High school studenrs are encouraged to enter. The theme is ‘How Can Kindness Reunite our Country.’ This will be the first round out of a sixlevel contest. The winner will advance to the zone contest in Santa Cruz County, date, time and location to be determined. The Multiple District Four California Lions Clubs International is sponsoring the program through the Student Speakers Foundation. The goal is to emphasize the importance of public speaking as a critical skill for young people. This year the foundation will provide scholarships totaling $105,000. Each of the 15 District winners will receive a $4,500 scholarship, each of the four Area winners will receive an additional $6,500 scholarship and the winner of the MD4 contest will receive an additional $10,000 scholarship. For information, visit: https://md4lions.org/ student-speakers-contest Contact the Student Speaker Chairperson Krista Brassfield at coastlionsclub@ gmail.com by Feb. 1 to enter. The goal of the Capitola Coast Lions Club is to raise funds to buy an electric farm cart for Common Roots Farm. Email

coastlionsclub@gmnail.com if you would like join the club and help volunteer in the Seed to Salad Garden, build tables from recycled lumber or remove invasive species in the riparian corridor. ••• Clean California Initiative s part of the Clean California Initiative, Caltrans is offering stipends to groups participating in Adopt-A-Highway. Stipends will be offered up to $250 per eligible litter clean-up event per site, maximum 12 payouts a year. These stipends will include $250 for cleanups on adopted highway segments. In addition,$250 will be issued following a cleanup of all sides of ramps and quads, $125 for one on/off ramp and $62.50 for a single ramp. An incentive stipend for up to $250 will be issued for cleanups of non-traditional adoptions such as “Park and Ride locations” and bicycle paths under the discretion of the local Adopt A Highway coordinator. Adoptions usually span a two-mile stretch of roadside and permits are issued for five-year periods. Groups in good standing may renew their permits indefinitely. Participation is free for all volunteers, and signs identifying your group are included at no charge. Learn more at: https://dot.ca.gov/ programs/maintenance/adopt-a-highway • https://cleancalifornia.dot.ca.gov/ •••

8 / February 1st 2022 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

RTC Tax Oversight Committee Deadline he Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is accepting applications for the Measure D Taxpayer Oversight Committee for representatives from Districts 2 & 4 with the deadline Feb. 11. This independent oversight committee must review how the funds generated by the transportation tax are being spent. The committee must review Expenditure Plan expenditures on an annual basis to ensure they conform, reviewing the annual audit and report prepared by an independent auditor describing how funds were spent and producing a publicly the Annual Report of Oversight Activities, which will be available to the public. Members of the Measure D Taxpayer Oversight Committee must be residents of Santa Cruz County who are neither elected officials of any government, nor employees from any agency or organization that either oversees or implements projects funded from the proceeds of the sales tax. The committee will be made up of community members that fairly represent the geographical, social, cultural, and economic diversity of Santa Cruz County to ensure maximum benefit for transportation users, and it shall include at least one person with an accounting or fiscal management background. Applications are at https://sccrtc.org/ applications-for-measure-d-oversight-

committee-being-accepted-for-districts-2-4representatives/ For more info on the Measure D Taxpayer Oversight Committee, visit sccrtc.org/ meetings/measure-d-taxpayer-oversightcommittee/ ••• Santa Cruz County Jobs Report posted Jan. 21 December unemployment 5.4% Dec 2021 Change from a year ago Leisure & hospitality 9,600 Up 1,500 Private education & health 17,900 Up 1,200 Government 20,600 Up 1,200 Other services 4,600 Up 300 Professional/business 10,600 Up 300 services Construction 4,500 0 Information 500 Down 100 Trade/transportation/ 16,300 Down 300 utilities Financial 3,100 Down 100 Manufacturing 6,900 0 Farm 5,800 Down 100 Nonfarm 94,600 Up 2,800 Total 100,400 Up 3,900 Labor force 131,100 Up 2% Employed* 124,000 Up 5% Unemployed 7,100 Down 32% Count is on the 12 of the month * Includes commuting to jobs outside county Source: California Employment Development Department n

“Willowbrook” from page 5 The bench will face towards a new flagpole that will be installed near the park’s southern entrance. The memorial area will feature a plaque honoring Sgt. Gutzwiller and engraved bricks for donors to the project. “Damon was a local who grew up to serve his community and often visited Willowbrook Park with his family,” said Lt. Nick Baldrige, president of the Santa Cruz County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association.

How To Help

Campaign goal is $805,000 Donors gave at a variety of levels: Partner donation $25,000 Playground $25,000 Friend donation $10,000 Memorial champion $5,000 Memorial bench $2,500 area pavers Memorial area $275 engraved brick Memorial bridge $150 area plaque: If you would like to be a part of these memorial efforts through legacy dedications, visit countyparkfriends.org/willowbrook

Rendering by SSA Landscape Architects

‘The Deputy Sheriffs’ Association is proud to support this project in honor of our fallen brother and his beautiful family. May we never forget his service.” In a nod to Sgt. Gutzwiller’s young children, the park’s playground will be updated with new features to ensure kids of all ages and abilities can enjoy the park. The park’s existing sport courts will also be resurfaced and re-striped for tennis and pickleball enthusiasts. According to Supervisor Friend, “This memorial will ensure Damon’s sacrifice is never forgotten and provide a beautiful new reflection space at the park along with improvements that will benefit the community for years to come. Damon and his family have paid the ultimate price on behalf of the community, and this will be a fitting memorial for his service.” n

“COVID Update” from page 7 Responding to AptosTimes query via email, the California Department of Public Health estimates Omicron comprises 91% of cases statewide and Delta 6.5% but the state does not have a breakdown of Omicron hospitalizations or deaths. Not all COVID-19 cases requiring hospitalization are sequenced, the state emailed in response to Aptos Times query, and the proportion of cases due to the Omicron variant who die is still being determined. Santa Cruz County reports 79.15 % of residents has a least one dose of vaccine and 72.65 % are fully vaccinated. Less Deadly? micron may not be as deadly as Delta, which raged in 2021. Scotland reported 92 deaths on Jan. 20, 2021, and 4 deaths on Jan. 23, 2022, according to the Johns Hopkins University database. Santa Cruz County reports 237 Covid deaths, up from 225 as of Dec. 15. One statistic is similar then and now: 79 percent of those who died had preexisting conditions. Why do people fear Omnicron? It could be they have a pre-existing condition (diabetes, obesity, asthma, high blood pressure). Half of Americans do, so they are at higher risk for severe Covid illness. So are people 85 and older. Some people who got Covid experience “long Covid,” with symptoms such as fatigue and brain fog months afterward. A 2022 study in the journal Cell by researchers who followed more than 200 patients found biological factors that might help predict “long Covid.” At diagnosis, many acute patients had low cortisol, which could be addressed. Omicron left less serious illness in South Africa, but Israeli expoerts are not sure that is the situation in their country. Pajaro Valley Schools ajaro Valley schools, which have 19,000 students, report 1,247 active student cases and 138 staff cases in January. The PV superintendent has no plans to survey students to see if the district has the 70% herd immunity, explaining that student health information is protected by privacy laws. Watsonville High has 125 student cases, the most in the district, and 11 staff cases. Aptos High has 110 student cases and 10 staff cases. On Jan. 12, Aptos High Athletic director Travis Fox suspended indoor sports temporarily because testing results did not arrive before game time. In Aptos, Rio Del Mar Elementary has 23 student cases and 10 staff cases; Mar Vista Elementary has 13 student cases and 2 staff cases. Dr. Michelle Rodriguez, Pajaro Valley schools superintendent, attributed the

higher exposure to the Omicron surge, calling it a “temporary state.” She downsized Inspire Diagnostics PCR drive-through testing hours at the district office (294 Green Valley Road, Watsonville) to 1-5 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays, as of Jan. 24, so company staff could spend more time at schools. The state requires testing of all students twice a week. Responding to a question, Rodriguez told parents and staff in her Jan. 21 newsletter, that “substantial” means that you must assume all student and staff are exposed. With more Pajaro Valley school staff sick or staying home due to exposure, finding qualified teachers to fill in has been challenging. Rodriguez was at MacQuiddy Elementary one day to sub for a second grade teacher. And 16 other administrators were in classrooms that same day, she said, adding,“We know that in-person teaching is the best for our students.” The tests are supposed to be free but at least one individual told Rodriguez that a charge from an insurance company showed up. Rodriguez explained that Inspire provided a letter, posted at reopening. pvusd.net, which says staff and families will not be charged. Testing ith active cases skyrocketing in Santa Cruz County, there is greater exposure and great demand for testing, delaying results. Test results may now take 48 to 96 hours, according to the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, which partnered with Inspire Diagnostics to provide 210,000 tests so far. Cases reported to the Office of Education peaked at 3,912 on Jan 21, dropping to 3,225 on Jan. 25. The County Office of Education offers drive-though testing for students, staff and families at these locations: Cabrillo College, Aptos, Parking Lot K, Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, 2601 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville, Mon. to Fri. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sat. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Santa Cruz County Office of Education, 399 Encinal St., Santa Cruz, Monday to Friday, 2 to 5 p.m. Self-tests are, or will be, available. Journalism coach Roy Peter Clark, at Poynter.org, cautions that the directions are not as clear as users might want. Masking Guidelines VUSD has updated masking guidelines to meet the new CDPH Guidelines which notes the importance of wearing a face covering which has multiple layers. N95 masks were provided for PVUSD staff. To a complaint that not enough masks were received, Rodriguez advised talking with the site administrator.

On Jan. 26, the California Department of Public Health reported 18.7% test positivity rate statewide, down from 23%. For test options see: https://tinyurl. com/get-tested-santa-cruz. Ella’s at the Airport, the popular restaurant in Watsonville, closed briefly so owner Ella King could visit her parents in Texas during the holiday, but the shutdown was extended as employees reported positive coronavirus tests. Ella’s has since reopened, and is appealing the airport manager’s denial of her request to transfer her lease to the operator of Nancy’s Airport Café in Willow. After a long discussion, the City Council narrowly approved her appeal. Isolation Shortened ased on federal recommendations, the state has updated isolation guidance for those testing positive, shortening the requirement from 10 days to five days. Additional information about testing, isolation guidance and masking, see the Jan. 7 letter from school superintendents on the county Office of Education website. Boosters for Kids 12-15 r. Cal Gordon, Santa Cruz County deputy health officer, recommends booster shots for children ages 12-15 as protection for Omicron, as the state allowed on Jan. 6. A third dose is available for eligible immunocompromised children ages 5-11. Booster shot appointments can be

scheduled at https://myturn.ca.gov/ and are by checking with your local doctor and pharmacies. For a list of local COVID-19 vaccine providers, visit www.santacruzhealth.org/coronavirusvaccine. Those needing assistance in scheduling an appointment can call the Community Bridges Helpline at 831-2198607 or 831-440-3556 (English, Spanish, Mixteco and Triqui). For local information on COVID-19, including on where to tested, go to www. santacrushealth.org/coronavirus or call (831) 454-4242 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. n ••• Total COVID cases: 6,677 ••• COVID Deaths: 237 As of Jan. 24 Age 85 and older: 100 • 75-84: 53 • 65-74: 43 60-64: 15 • 55-59: 3 • 45-54: 10 35-44: 8 • 25-34: 5 Underlying Conditions Yes: 188 • No: 48 • Unknown: 1 Race White 133 • Latinx 85 • Asian 16 Black 1 • Amer Indian 1 • Unknown 1 Gender Men: 122 • Women: 115 Location At facility for aged: 111 Not at a facility: 126

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Cabrillo Youth String Music

Begins Friday, February 25 • Cabrillo College Music Building, VAPA 5000

tring players ages 5 to 18 are welcome to join the string orchestral and chamber music programs. Registration for the Cabrillo Youth Strings Music Program is underway. Classes will take place for 9 weeks on consecutive Fridays in the Music Building beginning Feb. 25. An entry level String Orchestra Class, 4th-6th Grade Beginning Strings for violin/ viola/cello will be on Fridays, 4-5:15 p.m.

Auditions for Festival Strings (beginning note-readers) and Cabrillo Strings (intermediate-advanced) will be on Friday, Feb. 25, 3:45-4:15 p.m. with a rehearsal following. Festival Strings will meet 4:15-5:45 p.m. and Cabrillo Strings will meet 4:15-5:55 p.m. Students must provide their own instruments and bring pencils & music stands. Covid-19 distancing will be followed. Students and parents must wear KN94,

N95, KN95 or double mask that includes a surgical mask outside and inside the music building except when alone. A concert is planned at 7 p.m. April 29. For those interested in participating in or making contributions to this program, call (831) 479-6101 or visit https://www. cabrillo.edu/cabrillo-youth-strings. You may register through Cabrillo Extension, 479-6331, or extension.cabrillo.edu before the first class. n

“Roaring Camp Railroad” from page 6 RTC spokeswoman Shannon Munz responded with this statement: “The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission will receive a report during the public session of the Commission’s Feb. 3 meeting related to a potential adverse abandonment action for freight service only on the Felton Branch Line and the relationship of that action to the potential for future railbanking of a portion of the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line north of Watsonville.” To view the Feb. 3 meeting online, visit sccrtc.org. The agenda was not posted on Jan. 19 or 20. Typically, the agenda is posted 3 days before a meeting. To make a comment, email info@sccrtc.org Loss of the right to freight use would have a highly negative impact on Roaring Camp’s business, the company maintains. Roaring Camp has more than 60 permanent employees. Roaring Camp CEO Melani Clark provided this statement: “Roaring Camp is strongly opposed to the RTC’s proposed action to pursue forced abandonment of the rail line we’ve owned and operated since 1984 because doing so will seriously harm our local, family-run, women-owned business, and our local economy. The RTC’s proposal represents an aggressive attack on our railroad and rail transportation in our county, fueled by special interests that are lobbying hard to end rail in Santa Cruz County. We encourage our community to join Roaring Camp in standing up against this poorly conceived, shortsighted move.” Roaring Camp, incorporated in 1958, offers tourist trains on the Felton branch line, which it owns, has a contract with Progressive Rail to provide freight service on Santa Cruz branch line in Watsonville. Progressive Rail intended to stop service. Most of that 32-mile line — bought by the RTC in 2011 for $14 million, including

Roaring Camp CEO Melani Clark (center) attends the electric street car demo in Watsonville. $11 million in voter-approved funds — includes both a rail and a trail system for has been inactive. A 1.2-mile trail for our county. This isn’t just about Roaring pedestrians and cyclists was installed next Camp. It’s about our entire community to the track in Santa Cruz for $6.4 million. and our future.” RTC Says Roaring Camp contends South County is seeing growth in multiple local unz, the RTC spokeswoman, said industries but RTC failure to repair two rail the agency has been negotiating line bridges is preventing freight service in with Roaring Camp about railbanking the areas north of Watsonville, thus hampering sections of the rail north of Watsonville, economic growth and expansion of jobs. which would save the RTC $50 million to Roaring Camp also contends the RTC $65 million in repair costs so as to focus plans threaten its tourist trains, which on building a bicycle and pedestrian trail carry 200,000 guests a year pre-pandemic, next to rail line. helping fill local hotels and taking 9,000 Roaring Camp has indicated that it beach visitors’ cars off the road. will oppose railbanking the Santa Cruz In Roaring Camp’s view, Roaring Branch Rail Line, according to Munz. Camp’s rail line would be the first domino Munz said the RTC has offered Roaring to fall in a series of moves that would con- Camp a long-term license on the RTCclude with abandonment of entire 32-mile owned branch line, which would permit Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line, which would continued Roaring Camp recreational rail end any possibility of passenger rail service to the Boardwalk and potential new service for Santa Cruz County. recreational service to Davenport. The railroad operator calls this She said the RTC has also offered “potential aggressive action,” which financial considerations if Roaring Camp’s should be “a major wake-up call for equipment needs to be to be delivered by anyone who is interested in a future that truck.

10 / February 1st 2022 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

Railbanking is a method by which federally regulated freight rail lines proposed for abandonment can be preserved for future re-activation of freight service through interim conversion to trail use. Filing the adverse abandonment action for the Felton Branch Line would provide clarity on whether the RTC might be able to railbank the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line, according to Munz. She contends railbanking would ensure the RTC’s property rights to use the railroad easements for the construction of trail segments without the potential need to purchase additional property rights. Munz said the RTC has not taken any action to approve filing an adverse abandonment application, which is what Roaring Camp is referring to. If the RTC were to authorize filing of an adverse abandonment action, Munz said, the RTC would ask the federal Surface Transportation Board to order the abandonment of only federally regulated freight services on the Felton Branch Line. She contends Roaring Camp would be able to continue its passenger tourist service on the Felton line and could potentially also continue the same type of service on a portion of the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line upon entering into a mutually acceptable agreement with the RTC. Guy Preston, RTC executive director, said, “The Commission would prefer to reach an agreement with Roaring Camp to not oppose railbanking, but to date we have been unsuccessful in negotiations. Adverse abandonment of the Felton Branch Line is a potential procedural action toward accomplishing railbanking of the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line, in the event an agreement cannot be reached.” He added, “We have a lot of respect for Roaring Camp. They are a valuable asset to the Santa Cruz County community, and we want to ensure that they continue to have a successful business for the long term.” n

COMMUNITY NEWS

Help Ethiopian Reunite with Local Family By Edita McQuary

any of us in the community either know, or know of, the Lapp Family. Jim Lapp is the pastor of St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church in Santa Cruz. In 2018 he led his congregation to donate church land and to partner with local government and Wells Fargo Bank in building a senior living community on their church property. His wife, Leslie Lapp, is the church administrator at St. Stephen’s. Leslie was in the local news last year when she was hit by a truck while walking their dog. With lots of prayers and by a miracle, she survived. Their daughter, Rachel, flew back from her Peace Corps work in Ethiopia to help her mother in the recovery. Leslie is now back to work but is still undergoing physical therapy. A graduate of California Lutheran University, Rachel has volunteered on

mission trips to Central America and Africa. Since 2019, she has been with the U.S. Peace Corps in Ethiopia. She met and married Ethiopian national Dawit Yerdea in early 2021 but in February 2021 had to leave her husband behind to come back to care for her mother. She found out she was pregnant when she got back to the U.S. and their daughter, Zellie, was born on Nov. 11, 2021. Dawit had applied for the CR1 spousal visa to come to the U.S. and he was good to go, except for the final, perfunctory interview. Due to the civil war in Ethiopia, the U.S. Embassy there recalled non-essential employees to the U.S. and cancelled all visa interviews, leaving Dawit and others in limbo. Family friend Ron Dwyer-Voss says, “The U.S. Embassy in Zambia had agreed to take this case from the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia and will schedule

an interview once the case has been officially transferred. Mr. Yerdea can safely travel there to complete the process, however, the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia is not responding to our requests to transfer his CR1 spousal visa application file to the U.S. Embassy in Zambia. But so far this has not been done.” Pease take a few minutes and call California Representative Jimmy Panetta, Senator Dianne Feinstein, and our Secretary of State Antony Blinken and ask them to help in this family reunification matter. n ••• Rep. Jimmy Panetta: 831-429-1976 or 202-225-2861. Senator Dianne Feinstein, San Francisco: 415-393-0707. The Honorable Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State: 202-647-6575 or 917-7101946 or email rquinn@nyc.edu. If you would like further information or a sample letter that can be sent, email ron@ pacificcommunitysolutions.com.

Rachel Lapp and her husband Dawit Yerdea on their wedding day.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Record Year at Santa Cruz County Bank S anta Cruz County Bank, on the cusp of 18 years in business, reported earnings for 2021 was a record $21.3 million, 21 percent more than in 2020. Fourth quarter net income was $4.7 million, up from $4 million in that quarter a year ago. Pretax, pre-provision net earnings for 2021 exceeded 2020 by $9.4 million. Santa Cruz County Bank President and CEO Krista Snelling said, “We recorded an incredible year of growth as evidenced by double-digit percentage increases, comparing 2021 to 2020, in assets, loans, deposits and net income, all of which set new historical milestones for Santa Cruz County Bank.” Our amazing # employees logged more 500 hours in community volunteer hours in 2021. Bank staff supported business owners, providing guidance on the PPP forgiveness process to help position them for success. The bank opened in February 2003.

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831.479.6000 • www.bayfed.com • 888.4BAYFED * Cash back offer of $100 will be paid as a deposit to a Bay Federal Credit Union savings account upon loan closing. First payment deferred for 90 days. Interest will continue to accrue from date of loan disbursement and becomes due once payments begin. Offer available on the refinance of a 2012 or newer vehicle currently financed at another financial institution. Refinances of current Bay Federal loans and purchase transactions are not eligible for this offer. Minimum loan amount is $10,000. All loans subject to credit approval with credit score (Experian FICO V9 Auto Score) of 640+, income verification and valid Social Security Number or ITIN per Bay Federal Credit Union lending requirements. Must have a valid driver’s license. Bay Federal Credit Union membership required at the time of closing. Loan must be funded now through March 31, 2022 in order to qualify for this offer. This offer is subject to change without notice. Other terms and conditions may apply. For more information, visit any Bay Federal Credit Union branch or call us at 831.479.6000 or toll-free at 888.4BAYFED, option 3.

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The bank has five branches in Santa Cruz County, including Aptos and Capitola and Scotts Valley, one in Cupertino and one in Monterey, plus online banking. The bank plans to open a Salinas branch by third quarter of this year. Highlights for the quarter ending Dec. 31, 2021 included: • Assets of $1.7 billion, up 20% • Total gross loans (excluding PPP) of $1.11 billion, up 21%, Deposits of $1.5 billion, up 25%. The bank ranked 4th in overall deposit market share in Santa Cruz County, 2nd in Santa Cruz and 3rd in Watsonville based on FDIC once a year data as of June 30. • Basic earnings per share of $1.11 and $5.01 for the three and twelvemonth periods ended Dec. 31, 2021, respectively. • Net interest margin was 3.78% for the fourth quarter of 2021, as compared to 4.04% in the trailing quarter and 4.08% in the same quarter of 2020. • For the quarters ended Dec. 31 and

COMMUNITY NEWS

Santa Cruz County Bank raised more than $8,000 for Second Harvest Food Bank’s annual Holiday Food & Fund Drive, creating 32,381 meals for local families and children. From left: Santa Cruz County Bank, Kim Luke, community engagement & communications specialist; Sham van der Voort, EVP chief operations officer; Jon Sisk, EVP regional president/chief banking officer; Krista Snelling, president & CEO; with Richelle Noroyan, corporate & community relations director, Second Harvest Food Bank. Sept. 30, return on average assets was 1.09% and 1.30%, respectively, and the return on average tangible equity was 11.85% and 14.10%, respectively. • Efficiency ratio was 45.40% for the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to 42.63% in the trailing quarter and 49.45% in the same quarter of 2020. • All capital ratios were above regulatory requirements for a wellcapitalized institution with a total

t s e B

risk-based capital ratio of 14.89 percent. • Continued strong credit quality, with nonaccrual loans totaling $376,000. ••• Fourth Quarter In the fourth quarter, the loan loss reserve was boosted $200,000 due to growth in the non-PPP sector loans and factors associated with the Omicron variant. n

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14 / February 1st 2022 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

BUSINESS PROFILE

Curves Aptos

Start Your New Year Right! By Edita McQuary

espite the difficulties of Covid and having to small-group instruction. These classes are shut down several times, Curves-Aptos owner focused on balance & posture, strengthAnnette Hunt is still on a mission to help women ening your pelvic floor and stretch and stress management. to take care of themselves virtually and in-club. “Our specialty classes are six weeks She has been a dance aerobics instructor for six years, a swim coach, a dietitian and now a personal and long and our members have really seen great improvement group fitness coach at Curves in in their core and Aptos for three years. Perseverance pelvic floor strength,” may be her middle name. according to Annette. Members are comfortable with Personal coaching their commitment to working out at is and has always been Curves-Aptos because they know the key critical benefit exercise is a vital part of staying that Curves has to offer healthy during these times. They its members to stay the appreciate the extra attention to course toward their remaining open as a clean, safe, Curves Aptos staff goals of their routine protected space to work out with plenty of air flow, light, space, and continuous sanitizing and desire to get stronger, enjoy increased stamina and achieve weight loss. of the equipment. “Walking for your health is good, but “The pandemic has forced us to stay creative in motivating our members both in-club and virtually, and it’s just not enough,” says Annette, “one to keep their bodies strong for joint health, flexibility needs to work on core strength for stability, rotation and prevention and upper and overall well-being,” Annette said. On top of the in-person experience, Curves-Aptos body strength to build strong bones, offers virtual workouts that are 10-30 minutes long, support brain health and memory, and increase energy levels. Strength training focusing on a full-body workout every time. Annette says the online program has added some also enhances relaxation and sleep quality, unexpected dividends. In addition to her local clients, reduces the risk of chronic diseases and Enthusiastic about workouts at Curves Aptos she has expanded globally with virtual members in other pain and, finally, it lifts your spirits. And There is a special offer at the moment — you can who doesn’t need that nowadays?” areas of California, New York, Hawaii and Australia! Even during the pandemic, Curves Aptos has con- join Curves for just 30 cents! Call 831.688.2348 or email Curves now offers health and wellness classes that Annette teaches virtually once a week for a tinued to support our local community by participating AptosCurves@gmail.com for a free consultation. n ••• in our local Santa Cruz Volunteer Center “Stars Program,’’ Curves is located at 7000 Soquel Drive, Suite 1, Aptos. helping more than 400 families and raising more than $400 plus a huge truckload of gifts. Also, their club raised more Phone: 831.688.2348, email AptosCurves@gmail.com. Photos contributed by Curves-Aptos than $2,000 to the Alzheimer’s Association as well as contributed more than 15,000 meals to Second Harvest Food Bank. “I’m so proud of the generosity of ALL my members by helping keep our community strong through their monetary, gift and food donations. Our members are simply the best and so supportive of the community they live in!” Annette said. The beginning of the year is a good time to set your health and exercise goals for the year and now is a good time to call Curves to set up an appointment for a free Annette Hunt, Curves Aptos owner, with teddy bears donated by consultation. You will be glad you did! Curves Aptos staff and members participates in an Alzheimer’s Association fundraiser. members for a benefit.

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / February 1st 2022 / 15

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FEATURED COLUMNIST

Dark Chocolate Mousse A Inspired by Bobby Flay

s a part of their capstone culinary arts class, Mount Madonna School high school seniors prepared and served a gourmet four-course meal for staff and visitors last month — a hands-on experience that built confidence. The meal, which consisted of a butternut squash risotto, an apple walnut salad, bread and chocolate mousse, was executed entirely by the students from concept to presentation. They picked Bobby Flay’s recipe for Dark Chocolate Mouse. While some students separated eggs, others were toasting walnuts, chopping herbs, preparing the broth, and keeping up with dishes. “ T h e trick to risotto is to toast everything together for two minutes, and then add the broth,” teacher Sara Sobkoviak instructed the class. She leads Adulting 101, a class that equips students in real-world skills such as culinary arts, gardening, financial planning, construction, child development, college readiness and more. “The love and the care that these students put into making our food – you could taste it,” said Head of School Ann Goewert. “The best part was listening to them talk about the process of making the food and seeing their pride. They put thought, intention, and effort in everything they did.” “It was amazing across the board. And that mousse? Divine,” Goewert said. “Once you become a senior at Mount Madonna School, you get put in all these leadership roles and given all these responsibilities and are actually in charge of projects. Like cooking a whole meal, for example. It’s pretty awesome to know that I’m capable of doing that,” said student Kayla Goldstein. Added Grace Timan, “Even though I’m not the best cook, I’m learning so much alongside my peers. We are a really close class, and we lean on each other. I’m not afraid to make mistakes

or try new things. I think that’s what I really love about the Adulting 101 class…I might be no good at separating egg whites, I’m going to try anyhow. And my friends make it fun.” ••• Dark Chocolate Mousse Ingredients 51/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 14 ounces cold heavy cream 3 large egg whites 1-ounce sugar Sweetened whipped cream, for garnish, optional Shaved bittersweet chocolate, for garnish, optional ••• Place chocolate in a large bowl set over a bain marie or in a double boiler at a low simmer. Stir chocolate until melted. Turn off the heat and let stand. Beat the cream over ice until it forms soft peaks. Set aside and hold at room temperature. With a mixer, whip egg to soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and continue whipping until firm. Remove the chocolate from the bain marie and using a whisk, fold in the egg whites all at once. When the whites are almost completely incorporated, fold in the whipped cream. Cover the mousse and refrigerate for approximately 1 hour or until set. Serve in goblets topped with more whipped cream and shaved chocolate, if desired. n

Share A Recipe!

o you have a recipe that is a family favorite? Or maybe one from your childhood you would like to share? The Aptos Times will be publishing one recipe each issue from a community member. Feel free to add a little history to the recipe if you want (approximately 75 words). Every issue we will randomly choose a recipe to publish. Find your favorite and send it to cathe@cyber-times.com today!

COMMUNITY NEWS

Aptos Jr. High Student Wins Peace Poster Contest By Krista Brassfield

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adilyn Pollock, a 7th grader at Aptos Junior High School, won the Peace Poster competition sponsored by the Capitola Coast Lions Club. She’s 12. Her poster, featuring hands in various shades being grasped in friendship, was selected for its originality, artistic merit and portrayal of the contest theme, “We are all connected.” As Madilyn put it, “Hope for unity, equality and peace for all.” Madilyn’s teacher, Lion Kira Martin, encouraged students to enter. Taylor Leibelt, a student at San Lorenzo Valley Jr. High, won the Peace Essay portion of the contest. Judging was Nov. 9 at the Capitola City Hall Community Room. The local entries were among more than 450,000 worldwide in the annual Lions International Peace Poster/Essay Contest. Capitola Coast Lions Club President Keaven Shine said he was impressed by the expression and creativity of the students. “It is obvious that these young people have strong ideas about what peace means to them,” he said. “I’m so proud that we were able to provide them with the opportunity to share their visions for peace.” T h e Capitola Coast Lions Club, formed in 2020, is open to resiMadilyn Pollock with Mike Mans- dents all over field, new Aptos Jr. High principal. Santa Cruz County. Members typically meet on the 2nd Tuesdays of every month. Lions seek out ways to make a difference and serve their communities in areas of need. Email coastlionsclub@ gmail.com if you would like to serve your community in the focus areas of youth, environment, pediatric cancer, vision, hunger, disaster relief, and diabetes. Donate your used eyeglasses, hearing aids, cell phones and laptops to the Lions’ collection box in

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Madilyn’s peace poster

the lobby of the California Highway Patrol station, 10395 Soquel Drive, Aptos. For more information, see e-clubhouse. org/site/capitola_coast/. Madilyn’s poster advanced to the district level of competition where it competed with posters submitted by 45 clubs. One international grand prize winner and 23 merit award winners will be selected. The grand prize includes a cash award of $5,000 plus a trip for the winner and two family members to an award ceremony at the Lions Clubs International convention in Montreal, Canada, in June 2022. The 23 merit award winners will each receive a certificate and $500. “We are inspired by both the Peace Poster submitted by Pollack and the Peace Essay written by Leibelt,” Shine said. “We hope that they will both decide to compete again in our local contest next year. In the meantime, we are confident they will continue to share their visions of peace with the world.” The Multiple District 4 Lions (State of California level) winner will be recognized and presented with a $500 award at the convention in February 2022 in San Diego. n Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization with 1.35 million members in 210 countries and geographical areas. Since 1917, Lions clubs have aided the blind and visually impaired and made a strong commitment to community service and serving youth throughout the world.

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BUSINESS PROFILE

Safe At Home Senior Care Superior Service

By Edita McQuary

o man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main,” wrote John Donne, English poet and pastor. However, family life in these current times can be especially challenging when family members live far away from each other. It can be difficult to be certain that seniors and/or disabled loved ones get the proper care they deserve. Safe at Home Senior Care has been helping families do this for 21 years. Started by Cindy and Steve Glenn, the company has now passed the torch on to their son, Ryan Colligan, and his wife, Debora. Ryan grew up in Capitola and attended local schools. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Cal State-Chico and a master’s in business administration degree from UC Berkeley. Debora, originally from Brazil, is a documentary film maker and will soon preview her latest film here in Santa Cruz. Safe at Home Senior Care is a local, non-franchise business which is fully invested in our local community. They are registered with the State of California. They also own Oceanside Supported Living in Santa Cruz, which provides in-home care for developmentally disabled adults.

Award-winning staff at Safe at Home Senior Care. Care Plan “We have a customized in-home assessment process with an in-home assessment by a care coordinator who meets with the family to get a thorough understanding of the client’s needs,” said Ryan. Taken into account is what kind of help is needed and for what time period. The client’s medical history, activities,

Caregiver of the Quarter Vanessa Estrada with Safe at Home director Ryan Colligan. 18 / February 1st 2022 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

interests, and services necessary are also contracted with “Home Care Plus,” considered. This very careful and delib- an outside agency, to do anonymous erate assessment process enables the care monthly surveys on client satisfactioncoordinator to come up with the right regarding whether the client feel match of caregiver, whose personality supported, the caregiver is prepared, has matches that of the client. good communication skills, and what, if Covid anything, can be done better. “Covid has made it challenging to Caregiver Socials hire good people. Because of California At one time, Ryan himself was a carestate vaccine mandates, we have had giver so he knows how important it is to to let some of our employees go. Also, recognize good service. As a result, he there is a fear surrounding working in has started “Caregiver Socials” every 2-3 this field. Some of months which take our employees have place at a different “Covid has made it challenging opted to leave and local restaurant each to hire good people. Because of wait until things get time. Caregivers and California state vaccine mandates, better,” according to clients are invited to we have had to let some of our Ryan. relax and socialize. employees go. Also, there is a fear “However,” says There is recognition surrounding working in this field.” Ryan, “There is no of the “Caregiver of — Ryan Colligan shortage of new custhe Quarter” award” tomers needing care with a cash bonus. A providers. We need experienced people newsletter comes out quarterly to keep all with compassion and a good attitude. informed and “in the loop.” Training is provided on-line as well as in••• house. Also, there is an orientation process Safe at Home Senior Care is located one-on-one with an experienced Caregiver at 820 Bay Ave., Suite 101, Capitola. For a as well as on-going refresher training.” free home in-home assessment, please call Due to having fewer workers and 831.462.3500 or go to the website at www. having to pay lots of overtime, Safe at safeathomeseniorcare.com. All caregivers Home Senior Care did take advantage are bonded, insured and covered by Workers of the government’s Paycheck Protection Compensation, have clean criminal backProgram with the outstanding help of ground checks, are T.B. tested, trained, and Santa Cruz County Bank. registered by the State of California. “Home Care Plus” Photos courtesy of Safe at Home Safe at Home Senior Care has Senior Care

COMMUNITY NEWS

Central Fire Elections Re-Districting: Have Your Say C entral Fire District of Santa Cruz County plans a virtual hearing 9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 10, to review two proposed maps for the 2022 board elections and listen to public input. The newly merged Central Fire, which encompasses Aptos, La Selva, Capitola, Soquel and Live Oak, has an atlarge election system, where voters elect all board members. Current board members are Orbrad Darbro, George Lucchesi, Ken Radliff, Dave Ronco, and John Scanlon. Lucchessi was elected in 2016, Darbro and Scanlon in 2018, all three to the Aptos/ La Selva fire board. Radliff and Ronco were elected in 2020. After receiving public oral communication on the possibility of violating the California Voting Rights Act — costly for other jurisdictions — it was decided to convert to a district-based system. This new system creates five geographic areas, after which voters would choose their representatives who live in that district area. Each district must contain about 15,330 people. The Central Fire District chose National Demographics Corp. to implement the planning, mapping and population data collection/analysis for this process. Thus far, three public workshops have taken place. At the Jan. 13 public hearing, four draft maps of potential voting districts were presented, and orange and purple emerged as the best two options. The orange map proposes a 2022 election: Scanlon and Darbro in District 5 and District 4 which covers seat vacant. In 2024, District 1 (Ronco), District 2 (Radliff0 and District 3 (Lucchesi) would be up for a vote. For the maps, go to the library in La Selva Beach or Capitola or see https:// w w w. c e n t r a l f i r e s c . org/2279/Re-DistrictingProcess-2021-2022 A fourth public hearing will be via Zoom at 9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 10, to hear input from the public on the two maps or offer new suggestions.

Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/96492480486?pwd =OXFJWE1QTG9FMm8vL1d1Q3p4VGNqQT09 Meeting ID: 964 9248 0486, Passcode: 870046. You may also dial in by telephone at 1-669-900-6833 and enter the meeting ID and passcode above at the prompt. If you have any connection issues, call the Administration Office at 831-479-6842. The public is encouraged to give input up to and including any proposed revisions or suggestions for how to improve the proposed district map sections. Public comments may be submitted via email to publiccomments@centralfiresc. org. Aptos resident Becky Steinbruner, who reviewed the four proposed maps, wrote via email: The purple map is a “mess” and should be ruled out. She contended Live Oak should not be split into three districts (1,2, and 4) because residents share interests. She suggested outreach at Aptos farmers’ market; that happened Jan. 22. If you wish your suggestions to be included in the next written communications and/or forwarded to NDC for consideration in the next review of draft map alternatives, send via the email above scans/photos of your suggested maps or changes and include your preference for forwarding. n For more information on this process, including information on the last 3 hearings, interactive and PDF map copies, visit: https://www.centralfiresc.org/2279/ Re-Districting-Process-2021-2022 Map Proposals: https://tinyurl.com/ central-district-proposals C

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COMMUNITY NEWS

SB 418: Pajaro Valley Health District Advances S tate Sen. John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) is authoring urgency legislation, Senate Bill 418, to preserve access to health care for Pajaro Valley residents by forming a health care district and allowing the return to public ownership of Watsonville Community Hospital. On Jan. 19, SB 418 received unanimous biparJohn Laird tisan support in Assembly Local Government Committee. The bill next heads to the Assembly Floor for a vote of the full house. SB 418 would form a health care district establishing public oversight

should the Pajaro Valley Healthcare District Project be successful in its attempts to acquire the hospital from current ownership. Leaders in the healthcare district project are the County of Santa Cruz, the City of Watsonville, the Community Health Trust of the Pajaro Valley and Salud Para La Gente. The nonprofit aims to facilitate a sale through the bankruptcy process and avoid closure of the hospital. “SB 418” page 23

Our Family Caring for Your Family. At Watsonville Community Hospital, we are proud to treat every patient as family. Our physicians and staff work hard every day to make our hospital a place of healing, caring and connection for patients and families in this wonderful community that we call home. We also offer the kind of advanced care that many community hospitals do not provide. Our surgeons perform robotic-assisted, minimally invasive surgery using our da Vinci Surgical System. And we are the only hospital in this area to offer the Mako SmartRobotics™ System which uses advanced robotic technology for joint replacement surgery. • • • • •

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FEATURED COLUMNIST

Planning Ahead for the 3G Shutdown By David Witkowski

pproximately every 10 years, wireless cellular networks around the world evolve by implementing newer generations of technology. Each generation typically remains active for about 20 years. The third generation of cellular technology, known as 3G, was first deployed in October 2000. This year, U.S. wireless carriers will begin shutting down the 3G network, and Santa Cruz county residents—especially those who live or travel in rural areas—should begin preparing for this transition. First, let’s talk about why 3G is shutting down. As the number of cellular users grows, and as subscriber equipment becomes more sophisticated, older network technologies cannot keep up with user demand. Newer technologies make more efficient use of the limited frequencies

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Older 3G mobile phones may have to be replaced. assigned to cellular use, so older systems must be upgraded. In 2000, the cellular network carried mostly voice calls and SMS text messages. “3G” page 25

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COMMUNITY NEWS

AG: Settlement Against Student Loan Servicer

43,000 Californians Could Get Payments of $260 Each from Navient

n Jan. 13, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a multistate settlement against Navient, one of the largest student loan servicers in the country, to resolve allegations of misconduct in the servicing and collection of federal student loans. The settlement, which is subject to court approval, Rob Bonta includes $95 million in restitution for student loan borrowers and $1.7 billion in private student loan debt cancellation, including $11.5 million in direct restitution and $261 million in debt cancellation for California borrowers. “SB 418” from page 20 Following two decades of ownership changes, Watsonville Community Hospital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December. Public and private funding for the acquisition of Watsonville Community Hospital is being sought separately. Currently, the hospital is open and offers a full range of medical services. However, employees and local residents are worried, not knowing the outcome of bankruptcy. Due to the precarious future of the hospital, the bill is proposed as urgency legislation needed to preserve the public peace, health, or safety under Article IV of the California Constitution. Co-authors of SB 418 include Assemblymembers Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) and Mark Stone (D-Scotts Valley), and Sen. Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) whose constituents receive services at Watsonville Community Hospital. “The successful passage of SB 418 will ensure the continued provision of vital services to the community and protect the jobs of those who work tirelessly to keep Pajaro Valley residents and their loved ones healthy,” said Laird. “It is our responsibility as a state to ensure no person, parent, or child is left without access to care.” Watsonville Community Hospital serves an area with disproportionately low household income and access to quality housing, transportation and health care, according to the California Healthy Places Index.

Many of these borrowers took out private student loans to attend for-profit schools with low graduation and jobplacement rates. As part of the settlement, Navient will be required to comply with terms governing student loan servicing. Bonta called the settlement “a victory for student loan borrowers in California and in our sister states who were exploited by Navient and trapped by poor servicing conduct into expensive loans that they couldn’t afford.” He added, “Navient has been one of the worst actors in the student loan servicing market, and this settlement is a step toward accountability, providing direct relief for many of our most vulnerable student borrowers. The broader fight, however, is far from over. There A look at the hospital’s gross revenue: 43% comes from the state Medi-Cal program, and 30% comes from the federal Medicare program serving the elderly and disabled. Government pays less than the cost of service. Mimi Hall, board member of Pajaro Valley Healthcare District, said, “Given the hospital’s bankruptcy status, this legislation is the only pathway to preserving access to health care, creating accountability and addressing glaring health disparities for the people of the Pajaro Valley. We are Mimi Hall grateful to our entire delegation for the urgent and focused attention they brought to this matter, and we look forward to seeing this bill become law in the not-too-distant future.” If adopted, SB 418 provides the Board of Directors of the Pajaro Valley Health Care District five years to divide the district into zones representative of the community. Those zones would be subject to local elections. Assemblymember Robert Rivas said, “Keeping the Watsonville Community Hospital open is crucial to guaranteeing every Central Coast resident has access to the care they need.” Sen. Anna Caballero said, “SB 418 will ensure that care is provided to residents that desperately need highquality affordable health care services.”

is a $1.7 trillion student loan debt crisis in this country — and we need decisive action from Congress and the Department of Education to solve it.” In June 2018, the California Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit alleging that Navient violated California’s Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Law by steering vulnerable borrowers into costly forbearances and failing to advise them on the benefits of income-driven repayment programs. The settlement resolves these allegations and requires Navient to make $95 million in restitution payments of about $260 each to 357,000 harmed consumers, including 43,000 Californians.

Navient will also cancel more than $1.7 billion in subprime private student loans owed by approximately 66,000 borrowers nationwide. Californians will receive around $261 million of that debt cancellation, going to approximately 7,400 borrowers. Borrowers who will receive restitution or forgiveness span all generations: Navient’s harmful conduct impacted everyone from students who enrolled in colleges and universities immediately after high school to midcareer students who dropped out after enrolling in a for-profit school in the early-to-mid 2000s. “Navient” page 27

County Pledges $5 Million to Buy Watsonville Community Hospital

n Jan. 25, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors agreed unanimously to provide $5 million toward purchase and operation of Watsonville Community Hospital by the Pajaro Valley Healthcare District Project. The funding is in addition to $500,000 the board previously provided to the new nonprofit. The $5 million is contingent on the nonprofit’s successful bid for the hospital, which filed for Chapter 11 reorganization through bankruptcy in December. The deadline to file a bid is Feb. 14. HealthCare Appraisers, founded in 2000, saw more distressed hospital transactions in 2016 through 2018, before Covid-19 when edicts to limit more profitable elective surgery hurt the bottom line for many. Often distressed hospitals have little to no earnings, making it difficult for appraisers to evaluate the hospital’s worth. To remain in operation, Healthcare Appraisers recommends optimizing staffing, leveraging better payor rates and investing in new service lines. •••

Laird added, “I thank our regional leaders who remain active partners in this effort to protect and expand health

oes Watsonville Community Hospital owe your business money? The deadline to file that claim with documentation is 4 p.m. April 4. You can do so online at https://cases.stretto. com/WatsonvilleHospital/file-a-claim/ In 2019, the 106-bed hospital, in financial difficulty, sold the property at 75 Nielson Road, Watsonville, to Medical Properties Trust, based in Atlanta, for $40 million, and has been leasing it but payments have been a struggle. Stretto is the debtors’ claims and noticing agent. Hearings will be held by U.S. Bankruptcy Court in San Jose often via Zoom. Dates are: Feb. 7 at 4 p.m. Deadline to object to the proposed sale of the hospital operations Feb. 14 at 4 p.m. Deadline to file a bid to buy the hospital operations Feb. 17 at 10 a.m. Auction of hospital assets Feb. 21 at 10 a.m. Deadline to object to the sale motion Feb. 23 at 10 a.m. Sale hearing n To reach Stretto, call 1-877-4764390 or email https://cases.stretto.com/ WatsonvilleHospital

care access for the residents of Pajaro Valley and surrounding communities,” said Laird. n

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / February 1st 2022 / 23

FEATURED COLUMNIST

For the Love of … Quotes About Water By Rebecca Gold Rubin

ere it is, February already! It’s the month with Valentine’s Day, which brings to mind that love is something that’s all around us, every day; it’s present throughout the world; it’s part of our daily lives; and it sustains us through the year. That description applies equally to our favorite subject: WATER. While humans have an unlimited supply of love, that’s not the case with the earth’s water. Water is crucial to maintaining thriving families and communities, sustaining healthy ecosystems and habitat, and supporting all life on our planet, including humans. Like love, water is global. It covers over 70% of the earth’s surface and is present in the air, rivers, lakes, icecaps, glaciers, and aquifers — and in all living things. However … while there can certainly be “new love,” there is no new water. As noted in National Geographic magazine, “All the water that will ever be…is right now!” Our water is absolutely a limited supply, constantly being reused through the natural water cycle. As the substance which literally gives us life, the substance on which we all depend, it must be appreciated, preserved, and protected. To bring that point home in this month of February, I’d like to offer a few

notable quotes that help express the true value of the limited supply of the very essence of life on earth — water. Some of these quotes compare love and water. In others, I think you’ll find that the word “water” could be replaced by the word “love,” which further illustrates the importance of both of these elements! ••• “When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.” — Benjamin Franklin “Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.” — W. H. Auden “Water is the most critical resource issue of our lifetime and our children’s lifetime. The health of our waters is the principal measure of how we live on the land.” — Luna Leopold “Love, like a river, will cut a new path whenever it meets an obstacle.” — Crystal Middlemas “Water is the mother of the vine, the nurse and fountain of fecundity, the adorner and refresher of the world.” — Charles Mackay “Anyone who can solve the problems of water will be worthy of two Nobel prizes — one for peace and one for science.” — John F. Kennedy “Love is like water. We can fall in it. We can drown in it. And we can’t live without it.” — Unknown “They both listened silently to the

water, which to them was not just water, but the voice of life, the voice of Being, the voice of perpetual Becoming.” — Hermann Hesse “Water links us to our neighbor in a way more profound and complex than any other” — John Thorson “We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.” — Jacques Cousteau “Wondering if you are Love is like the ocean wondering if it is water.”— Unknown “Clean water is inestimably precious to waste!” — Mohith Agadi “In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans; in one aspect of you are found all the aspects of existence.” — Kahlil Gibran “Pure water is the world’s first and foremost medicine.” — Slovakian Proverb “Water is the driving force in nature.” — Leonardo da Vinci “A river doesn’t just carry water, it carries life.” — Amit Kalantri “The water caresses in the glass, like love in the body.” — Charles de Leusse “Water is the lifeblood of our bodies, our economy, our nation, and our wellbeing.” — Stephen Johnson “Between the Earth and the Earth’s atmosphere the amount of water remains constant; there is never a drop more, never a drop less.” — Linda Hogan ••• Over the years we’ve done several columns in the spirit of “For the Love Of …” which have included books, movies,

and podcasts featuring water. I hope you enjoyed this year’s column of featuring a variety of water (and love!) quotes. Which one is your favorite, that particularly speaks to you? Do you know of another quote about water that you’d like to share? Send me an email at outreach@soquelcreekwater.org and let me know. And, be sure to visit www. soquelcreekwater.org to learn about all the things we’re doing to provide a safe, clean, reliable supply of water for the community. For us here at the District, water really is like love — it must be nurtured and protected, and we work every day to ensure the water supply thrives, so it can be shared with others. Have a great February and a wonderful Valentine’s Day! n

Trying to Get Concert Refunds Because of COVID By Christopher Elliott Tricia Lewis cancels a Dave Chapelle and automatic response Joe Rogan show in New Orleans because of that an agent would surging COVID cases. Vivid Seats refuses her respond to my email request for a refund. Is there a way to get her inquiry within 24 money back? hours. After two business days without ••• any response from them, I contacted ’m trying to cancel tickets to a Dave Vivid Seats via chat and they advised Chappelle and Joe Rogan me the only way I can receive show in New Orleans that I a refund if the event has been canceled or postponed. bought through Vivid Seats. At I informed them the the time of the show, there were numbers are extremely high too many COVID-19 cases and I in that state and that I am not didn’t want to risk attending the willing to risk my health for any show. event. A representative advised When I called Vivid Seats, me there is nothing they can do they were experiencing “high call volume,”so I tried contacting Christopher Elliott regarding this matter due to the the company via email. I received an cancellation policy.

24 / February 1st 2022 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

I told them I had cancellation insurance in case I couldn’t make it to the event because of COVID-19-related circumstances. Vivid Seats told me to contact my insurance company. I could not reach someone at the insurance company, so I contacted Chase and filed a chargeback and received a temporary credit. I lost the credit card dispute. On Sept. 2, two days before the event, I received an email stating the show had been postponed to October. I just want a full refund. I couldn’t make it to this event because of a scheduling conflict. I am extremely disappointed in the way Vivid Seats has handled this.

Dave Chappelle

Joe Rogan

Can you help me get a refund of $526 for my tickets? — Tricia Lewis, New York ••• think you deserved a full refund for your tickets. But your case was a little complicated. Let’s see if we can simplify.

“Problem Solved” page 26

“3G” from page 21 In 2022, the cellular network carries mostly high-bandwidth digital data for apps, multimedia messages, and highdefinition voice calls. Our usage of cellular networks continues to grow exponentially as users abandon wired landline telephones in favor of wireless cellular service, and 80% of calls to 911 emergency services come from cellular phones. This level of demand far exceeds the capacity of the 3G network, and is already straining the 4G network as cellular network usage notably increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and users shifted to work-from-home and school-from-home. The need for more network capacity has risen to a critical point, so wireless carriers must shut down the 3G network to make way for more efficient technologies that can keep up with usage. This isn’t the first time older networks have shut down— the original analog and 2G networks from the late 1990s were turned off several years ago to make way for 3G, and later 4G. Newer technologies are poised to replace the 3G network, but there may be a period of time with reduced coverage as county and city governments work to process the applications from carriers needed to make those upgrades. Knowing that 3G networks will shut down in 2022, you should consider now whether this will impact you. Depending on where you live or travel, and what types of subscriber equipment you own, the effects of the 3G shutdown may range from nonexistent to significant. Rural areas of Santa Cruz County are most likely to be impacted by the shutdown, but it’s possible we will see impacts in suburban and even urban areas. If you’re one of the 170 million people in the U.S. who rely on wireless cellular for your home phone use, you should turn off your phone’s Wi-Fi while in your home, and look at your phone’s display to determine what type of service you have. If your phone’s display shows 4G or 5G, you’re good to go for home service. If the display shows 3G, or if you still have a flip-phone or an older Blackberry, you’re definitely in the impacted group, and should contact your carrier to explore options for getting a new phone. Some carriers are offering promotions on replacement phones. If you’re not interested in a smartphone, some carriers offer 4G-capable flip-phones. Be aware that, as you travel throughout the county, you may lose

Our usage of cellular networks continues to grow exponentially as users abandon wired landline telephones in favor of wireless cellular service, and 80% of calls to 911 emergency services come from cellular phones. coverage in areas where you previously had no issues. Again, these gaps will be resolved as the carriers bring up 3G replacement networks, but for a time you may experience dropped phone calls, and text messages may be delayed until you move back into coverage. If you rely on cellular service for work, or for personal safety while bicycling or other forms of recreation, you will want to check coverage and have a backup plan. The 3G shutdown will impact more than just cellular phones—some medical monitoring devices, tablets, smart watches, vehicle tracking and emergency notification services, home or commercial security systems, and other systems may use the 3G network for connection to the internet. Some systems, such as security alarm panels, use cellular networks as a backup for wired internet connections. You should contact your equipment vendor, doctor, security monitoring company, and so forth o determine if 4G or 5G upgrades are needed and available. The timeframe for the 3G shutdown varies, depending on which carrier you use. AT&T is already shutting down their networks, and has said they will complete the process by February 2022. T-Mobile is already shutting down the 3G network they acquired from Sprint, and will complete this by the end of March. T-Mobile will then shut down their own 3G network by the end of June. Verizon will complete their 3G shutdown by the end of December. You may have service from a Mobile Virtual Network Operator, companies that buy and resell capacity from one of the three carriers. MNVO service will be affected by the shutdown dates of the carriers they resell. For example; Boost Mobile and Mint are on the T-Mobile network, Visible and Jitterbug/GreatCall are on Verizon. In the long run, the transition away from 3G will provide better coverage and performance for our county’s wireless networks. With a little bit of planning, you can minimize or eliminate the impact of this transition. n ••• David Witkowski is a nationally-recognized expert on wireless communications

who lives in Aptos. He is a Fellow in the Radio Club of America, an IEEE senior member, and the founder & CEO of Oku Solutions LLC. He serves as executive director of the Wireless Communications Initiative at Joint Venture Silicon Valley, co-chair of the Deployment Working Group at IEEE Future Networks, co-chair of the GCTC Wireless SuperCluster at NIST, a

member of the Connected Communities Forum in the Wireless Broadband Alliance, and an expert advisor to the California Emerging Technology Fund. ••• Editor’s note: The transition into 5G has been rocky for airline passengers. On Jan. 17, the CEOs of major U.S. passenger and cargo carriers wrote to federal regulators warning of “potentially devastating disruptions” when AT&T and Verizon were set to deploy 5G service. The two telecoms postponed 5G near some airports. The FAA said San Francisco, New York’s JFK, Los Angeles, Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway, and Seattle were affected. American Airlines delayed or canceled flights. United delayed flights. See https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/ faa-statements-5g It’s not clear whether a permanent fix is on the way.

Winter Olympics

ACROSS

1. Sleeps in a tent 6. Horror movie franchise 9. Varieties 13. Mozart’s “Die Zauberflote” 14. Road crew supply 15. Moron 16. Workman’s cotton, once 17. Exclamation of surprise 18. Monte Cristo’s title, in French 19. *Olympic Athletes from ____, 2018 hockey winners 21. *Figure skating jump (2 words)

23. Capone’s ilk, e.g. 24. Attention-getting sound 25. Eminem’s genre 28. Cashier’s call 30. Hit-or-miss 35. It will 37. *Triple one in figure skating 39. Hustle and bustle 40. German Mrs. 41. A mile racer 43. a.k.a. horse mackerel 44. Jargon 46. Workbench holding device 47. Health club offering 48. Diner, e.g. 50. Latin for “and others” 52. ____ Aviv 53. Ill-mannered one 55. Curiosity’s victim? 57. *2022 Winter Olympics location

61. *Torch Relay starting point 64. “____ ____ the Family” TV series 65. Refrigerator sound 67. Poppy seed derivative 69. Bitterly regretting 70. Egyptian cobra 71. Part of a stair 72. Seedy source of Omega-3s 73. More, in Madrid 74. Changes to a manuscript 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

DOWN

Cape ____, MA Copycat Carte du jour Spectrum maker Delilah’s lover Roofed colonnade

7. Expression of satisfaction 8. Angry 9. Revered one 10. Fancy ride 11. Japanese zither 12. Pas in ballet 15. “Freezing” Marvel character 20. Letter-shaped girder 22. “____ the land of the free...” 24. Designer’s studio 25. *Biathlon gear 26. Skylit lobbies 27. Manufacturing site 29. *2022 Winter Olympics number 31. Like Curious George 32. Monocot’s alternative 33. “Killers of the Flower Moon” Oklahoma location

34. *Olympic award 36. *Olympic sled 38. For fear that 42. Respond 45. Circling 49. Far, old-fashioned 51. Capital of Punjab 54. Early Irish alphabet 56. Sort of warm 57. Vomit 58. Twelfth month of Jewish year 59. Pelvic bones 60. Put a hex on 61. Concert units 62. Not yet final 63. Edible fat 66. *Miracle on Ice winner 68. Not Miss or Ms. © Statepoint Media

Answers on 31 »

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / February 1st 2022 / 25

Aquarius Sun, Nodes Shift: the Narrative Changes Esoteric Astrology • February 2021 • By Risa D’Angeles

ercury’ retrograde ends February 3rd.Venus’s retrograde ended January 29th. But during the retrogrades last week, two new aspects (North/South Nodal shifts) of great importance appeared in the heavens, their influence remaining with us for the next eighteen months. This is Part 1 of a beginning study of the North and South Nodes (present/ future and our past). In Vedic (Hindu) astrology they are referred to as the Dragon points or Dragon head (North Node) and Dragon tail (South Node). The nodes are not planets or signs.They are points in space created by the Moon’s path crossing the Sun’s path.They are like a loop or a tie or a binding together of the Sun and Moon, two cosmic principles, solar and lunar, and a binding together of the past and present/future. The North node faces the North Pole, the South Node, the South Pole. These points drift opposite each other through the months. Oppositions in astrology create integration. With the nodes, the past integrates into our present, creating our future. As the Sun entered Aquarius last week, the nodes also changed signs and both Aquarius and the nodal shifts humanity’s narrative changed. From Gemini (thinking) we shift to north node in Taurus (stabilization) north node, from Sagittarius (journey) to south node in Scorpio (dark to light). Every eighteen months, both nodes, always opposite each other, change ARIES

You may be dreaming more often, feeling more intuitive, perhaps sometimes confused, more sensitive, inspired and insightful. Study, prayer, meditation, contemplation and a bit more repose are good for you. They cultivate compassion and a deeply caring way of being. When you find yourself in a group calling you to lead and help create the future era, all needed skills, tools and virtues appear. The new world is what you are to initiate. TAURUS

You have one task now — a focus upon health. Tend to joints and bones, hands, thumbs, arms, knees, feet and most of all your heart, not allowing anxiety or stress, eating calming Ayurvedic foods. Swimming in warm salt pools is recommended. Use practicality to care for yourself. You must choose daily — to be out and about in the sun, even if it’s snowing. Remaining at home is best. Figure out your spring garden. This helps you build towards perfect health. Begin each day facing the early morning Sun. No glasses, eyes wide open, feet on the ground. GEMINI

signs. North Node representing the Sun, our present/future, our dharma (tasks, purpose). South Node representing the moon, past lifetimes, things not yet completed. The nodes hold gifts. North Node holes the gifts we are to develop in the present lifetime. South Node — the gifts, talents and abilities we have developed over lifetimes. We are most comfortable and familiar with the area of our life where our south node is. Each node has a task. South Node gathers together our past lives’ experiences, talents and abilities and these create stepping stones that, over a lifetime, lead us to our North Node. Here we then proceed forward into new life tasks. We meet our dharma, our purpose and the present/future life tasks to be developed this lifetime. The South Node provides us with all that we need to remember to develop our purpose and present life abilities. The North Node abilities are yet to be developed. The Nodes are the Path we traverse each lifetime and they are deeply connected to our Rising Sign (life purpose). (… Part 2 on the nodes next month) Note from Risa — for daily & weekly updates see Risa’s FB page Risa D’Angeles & website www.nightlightnews.org/

LEO

You’re becoming more perceptive, intuitive and enlightened and this affects those you work with. Someone, something (words, ideas, memories of someone in particular) creates a shift and deeper awareness of how you presented yourself in past relationships. Your mind sorts through previous ideas of intimacy. You wonder if you shared yourself and loved enough. There’s sadness sometimes, as old dreams reappear. You hear a voice saying … Love is patient, love is kind, even when it’s difficult, which means you’re learning. VIRGO

You will relate better with others, especially those close to you, if you offer love — pure, ceaselessly, unqualified and unconditional, with kindness and patience. Love is something many of us need yet to learn. We don’t quite know how to love. Or even what love is. But when we do love, we flourish and thrive and discover greater support and needed guidance. Challenging others doesn’t work. Curiosity, listening, care and compassion do. They nourish all thirsty hearts. Your heart too. LIBRA

Something revelatory happens between you and the world, you and work, you and Venus and Mercury (retrograde now), and you and your inner life. You’re inspired, encouraged and guided from within. With careful study, years of preparation, and viewing the past in terms of cultivating your gifts, a spiritual pathway appears. Previous choices and commitments are understood, and gratitude settles in your heart. The next festival is Candlemas, February 2. Plan on observing it. Bring all your candles out.

Think, visualize and pray daily for all that you want and need your life to be. Include beauty, happiness, forgiveness, creativity, art and loving relationships partnerships. If you’re not sure of your needs, ask yourself each day, “What are my hopes, wishes and dreams? What are my abilities and gifts?” In the coming months, you become stronger, more resilient. Take cautionary care with money and resources. You need fishes in a fish bowl and an apricot canary.

CANCER

Use your imagination, resources and investments in terms of preparing for the future. Find a forwardthinking money manager. Catherine Austin Fitts is one who helps humanity understand present and past money issues. Think seriously about a new economy needing to unfold. It’s not digital. Keep cash on hand. Don’t speculate in the old economy. Consider precious metals. Study books on greenhouses and bio- shelters and the resources needed to create these environments. You then become the forward-thinking disciple. •••

What have you been feeling and thinking of during these days of change? Do you sense you’re being introduced to new qualities within yourself, a new identity emerging? Do these days make you feel generous and at home? Is there a new reality or interest presenting itself? You want to participate fully. But you know it’s not quite the right time yet. Are you cleaning, singing, reading, redecorating, expanding your foundation? Love is close by.

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

The planets are affecting your sense of self, your identity, your money, your family, home situation, creativity and possibilities in terms of relationships, partnerships, and for some, marriage. So many different realities pulsing and shifting here and there and all about. Something kind and benevolent, something sacrificial and something remembered in your family occurs. Are relatives and loved ones on your mind? Your remembering creates the needed loving contact. CAPRICORN

You’re thinking optimistically about doing something new in the field of art to be presented to the world. It combines your talents and gifts. You want to bring more grace, goodness, ease and beauty to your life and the life of humanity. You recognize everyone’s doing their very best, especially you, and you’re asking for more opportunities. Begin writing (journaling) in earnest and even drawing what you want to do, who you want to be and how you want to serve the world. Then your next creative endeavor appears. AQUARIUS

Money and resources are going through a definite change. You want adequate money in order to stabilize yourself in the future. This means more attention to the wellbeing of your finances. Don’t forget to always help others. When we serve others, our needs are always taken care of. What we give to others is returned to us in greater measure. The charts show a focus on home, past, present and future. Follow what calls to you. It loves you.

Risa D’Angeles • www.nightlightnews.org • risagoodwill@gmail.com 26 / February 1st 2022 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

PISCES

Neptune in Pisces brings forth revelations and visions. Neptune blends many realities into one reality. Order, organization and specifics dissolve away. Be aware and observe this occurring. Neptune is not the planet of detail. It’s the planet of refinement, of parting the veils, of creative imagination and realms where dreams are. Neptune transits can make us experience exhaustion. Magnesium, Vitamins A, B, C & D3 (sunlight) help stabilize the body. Tend very carefully to health in these times. Everyone is vulnerable. Especially the tender fishes.

“Problem Solved” from page 24 First, I think you were correct about canceling your tickets. At the time of the show, COVID cases in New Orleans were soaring, and even if you were fully vaccinated, this was no time to attend a large public event. Calling Vivid Seats was a mistake for two reasons. First, concerts were being canceled left and right and the company was probably overwhelmed with calls from customers. And second — and more important — you wouldn’t have had any proof of your conversation. An email or online chat, as you later discovered, gave you the paper trail you needed. A reliable paper trail is a key to solving any consumer problem. If you had cancellation insurance, you should have been able to file a claim. It looks like you decided to pivot quickly to a credit card dispute. You can file a credit card dispute under the Fair Credit Billing Act, but it has to be for the right reasons. Unfortunately, your cancellation didn’t meet the criteria. I list the names, numbers and email addresses of the Vivi Seats Executives at “https://www.elliott.org/companycontacts/vivid-seats/” on my consumer advocacy site. A brief, polite email may have changed the outcome of your case. But not after you filed a credit card dispute. The dispute is considered a nuclear option, and once a company has won, it will typically ignore you. But I think you have a stronger case now that the concert has been canceled, regardless of your unsuccessful dispute. I contacted Vivid Seats on your behalf. It reviewed your case and refunded your tickets as a goodwill gesture. n ••• Christopher Elliott is the chief advocacy officer for Elliott Advocacy. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help with any consumer problem by contacting him at http://www. elliott.org/help • © 2022 Christopher Elliott

Calling Vivid Seats was a mistake for two reasons. First, concerts were being canceled left and right and the company was probably overwhelmed with calls from customers. And second — and more important — you wouldn’t have had any proof of your conversation. An email or online chat, as you later discovered, gave you the paper trail you needed.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Our Community Reads 2022 starts Feb. 4

his season, Friends of Aptos Library has chosen “Red Letter Days” as the book and events represent collaboration with Friends groups in Capitola and La Selva Beach. The goal of these events is to create a shared experience that will increase appreciation for community libraries and for 24 local bookstores; foster pride in the varied experiences that our

“Navient” from page 23 Consumers do not need to take any action to receive the benefits required under the settlement. Consumers receiving private loan debt cancellation will receive a notice from Navient, and they are to receive refunds of any payments made after June 30, 2021. Consumers who are eligible for a restitution payment will receive a postcard in the mail from the Attorney General’s settlement administrator in spring 2022. More information is at www.NavientAGSettlement.com. This settlement against Navient also includes terms designed to prevent future misconduct. Navient is to:

area offers; and the enrichment — culturally, intellectually, and emotionally — that comes from the joy of reading! • All events will be free and open to the public. • Attendance at in-person events will be limited due to Covid restrictions and require preregistration.

• Ensure that call agents discuss the benefits of income-driven repayment with all borrowers seeking to lower or stop their payments; • Create a new cadre of repayment specialists trained to advise at-risk borrowers; • Stop compensating call agents in a way that encourages them to handle calls quickly, and instead ensure agents give thorough and accurate information to borrowers; • Implement changes to payment-processing procedures that will benefit borrowers; • Limit or reduce fees for late payments or entering forbearances; and • Improve its billing statements and other communications to better

• Masks will be required for in-person events. For up-to-date details on registration, locations and links to online events see: https://www.friendsofaptoslibrary.org/ourcommunity-reads-2022.html “Red Letter Days” page 29

inform borrowers of their rights and obligations. Navient must notify borrowers of the Department of Education’s important changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which offers millions of qualifying public servants a waiver that may count past payments, or previously non-qualifying periods of repayment, toward loan forgiveness. Bonta encourages all Californians working in the government or non-profit sectors to review the PSLF website to determine whether they might qualify for loan forgiveness. Borrowers seeking loan forgiveness under the Department of Education’s recent changes must take action by Oct. 31, 2022. Bonta joined the attorneys general

of 37 states — Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin — in the settlement. Read the settlement at https://tinyurl. com/navient-settlement. n ••• Share your Navient student loan experience with Times editor Jondi Gumz at 831-688-7549 x17.

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / February 1st 2022 / 27

COMMUNITY CALENDAR ANNOUNCEMENTS SENIOR OUTREACH Family Service Agency Senior Outreach offers free one-on-one counseling for people 55 and over via the phone, Skype or Zoom. Counselors are experienced. In-person counseling has been suspended to prevent Covid-19 spread. Groups for men and women will be restarted as soon as possible, with a women’s group starting in February. Dates are not available due to the changing Covid situation. Hopes are to restart peer training, for which there is a waiting list. To express interest in participating, call Barbara Salata, 831459-9351 ext. 206, who will return your call in 24 hours. UC MASTER GARDENER CLASSES UC Master Gardeners of Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties offers free and low-cost gardening classes for Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties. Coming up: Winter Fruit Tree Pruning: Feb. 24, 5-6:30 p.m. (online) and March 12, 10 – noon, in-person, San Juan Bautista Historical State Park Cost is Free. Donations appreciated. Register at mbmg.ucanr.edu Winter is the best time to prune most fruit trees while they are dormant and their structure is easily seen. Winter pruning invigorates fruit trees to produce and support strong fruit production. Join Diane Mahan, UC Master Gardener and professional landscaper, to learn the why and how of winter fruit tree pruning of both old growth and newly planted fruit trees. The class is free to all with the option to provide a suggested donation of $5 or more to support the all-volunteer Master Gardener program.

Have a virtual or live event you want to promote? Send your information to info@cyber-times.com by Feb. 11 not a GED — while gaining career skills in one of ten employment fields, from home care professional and office management to homeland security. SCPL awards scholarships to qualified adult learners on a first-come, first-served basis. Career Online High School is a solution for those who need extra academic support and flexibility. Once in the program, students are assigned an academic coach who helps keep them on track and connects them with tutors if needed. The online curriculum is accessible 24/7, which is helpful to those balancing work and family obligations. Students have up to 18 months to complete the program, but many finish sooner because previously earned high school or GED test credits are accepted. For more info, see https://santacruzpl.mycareerhs.com/. CENTRAL FIRE DISTRICT ELECTIONS HEARING Central Fire District of Santa Cruz County invites all interested persons to attend public hearings on districtbased elections at 9 a.m. on February 10 at 930 17th Avenue, Santa Cruz. Board members will discuss, consider, and take action on one or more district map(s). Actions may include modification of division boundaries, sequencing of elections. For more information , contact (831) 479-6842, or email: PublicComments@centralfiresc.org Information: https://www.centralfiresc.org/2279/ReDistricting-Process-2021-2022.

MAH EXHIBITIONS Thurs. thru Sun., Noon-6 p.m., 705 Front St., Santa Cruz Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History presents two exhibitions starting in January. Jan. 14–May 15: Atmosphere, an exhibition by artist and filmmaker Enid Baxter Ryce featuring paintings and soundscapes that explore the pheSUPPORT FOR MOTHERS OF SURVIVORS nomena of Monterey Bay’s fog and atmospheric Survivors Healing Center is offering online women’s rivers. Ryce’s work will be exhibited with collections of support groups and mothers of survivors of childhood archival photos, an interactive musical sculpture, and sexual abuse support group. The goals are to empower fog collectors created in collaboration with historian Dr. through a healing process and prevent sexual abuse of William Cowan, musician Lanier Sammons, sculptor children and youth. Natalie Jenkins, and scientist Dan Fernandez. You are not alone. You are not to blame. Jan. 21–March 20: Rydell Visual Art Fellowship More information: (831) 423-7601 or www.survivorshealing exhibition, honoring the legacy of local philanthropists center.org Roy and Frances Rydell and featuring the 2020-2021 Rydell Visual Arts Fund recipients: Printmaker and illusSENIOR CENTER WITHOUT LIMITS trator Ann Altstatt; sculptor and designer Marc D’Estout; This new program from Community Bridges brings choreographer Cid Pearlman; and photographer Edward enrichment activities like yoga, art, music, tai chi, Ramirez. Presented in partnership with Community cooking, tech and support groups to seniors age 60 Foundation Santa Cruz County. and up in their homes at no cost. Suggested admission: General, $10; students / teachers / To participate, you need an internet connection and veterans, $8, free for members and children under 5. a computer, tablet or smartphone. To participate, view the calendar at https://communityPUBLIC LIBRARY CAREER WORKSHOPS bridges.org/SCWOL/ and find a class. That day and time, The Santa Cruz Public Libraries presents career click on the link in the calendar to be connected. If you have development workshops for teens and adults through a problem connecting, call Clara Munoz at (831) 458-3481. April, thanks to grant funding. Second Wednesdays: Resume and interview skill CAREER ONLINE HIGH SCHOOL workshops at 10 a.m. The Santa Cruz Public Libraries invites you to jumpstart Third Wednesdays: Resume and interview skill your future by earning an accredited high school workshops in Spanish, 10 a.m. diploma and career training through Career Online Hours for English/Spanish bilingual career assistance High School. at the downtown Santa Cruz library will begin in January. Is your 2022 resolution to go back to school and get your high school diploma? Santa Cruz Public Libraries ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUPS Alzheimer’s Association is offering video and phone offers a program called Career Online High School, designed for adults who were unable to complete high meetings for caregivers throughout the month: Second and Fourth Wednesdays school and could benefit from additional job training. Santa Cruz, 2-3:30 p.m. via phone — Facilitators: This nationally accredited program allows adult students to earn an accredited high school diploma — Jill Ginghofer and Laurie McVay. 28 / February 1st 2022 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

First and Third Wednesdays Santa Cruz, 5:30-7 p.m. via video or phone — Facilitators: Francie Newfield and Kathleen McBurney. Second Saturdays Scotts Valley, 10-11:30 a.m. via video or phone — Facilitator: Diana Hull. Register by calling 800-272-3900 or email ymflores@alz.org. ••• Second Wednesdays Spanish, 7-8:30 p.m. via phone — Facilitator: Yuliana Mendoza. Register by calling 831-647-9890 or email ymflores@alz.org.

ONGOING EVENTS Ongoing Through March 6 TAKE AWAYS: ART TO GO! Pajaro Valley Arts, 37 Sudden St., Watsonville. Open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday Pajaro Valley Arts is hosting its first exhibit of 2022. This diverse annual invitational exhibit features artists from Santa Cruz County. The art on view includes a wide variety of mediums including: sculpture, drawing, ceramics, fiber, mixed media, encaustic (wax), printmaking, photography, and glasswork. Masks are required. Information: Curators Jane Gregorius 831-332-8433 or Chris Miroyan 831-247-5921 Ongoing thru March 15 NAMI PEER-TO-PEER 5-7 p.m., Online Classes NAMI Peer-to-Peer is a free, eight-session educational program via Zoom for adults with mental health conditions who are looking to better understand themselves and their recovery. Taught by trained leaders with lived experience, this program includes activities, discussions and informative videos. Sign up at https://www.namiscc.org/peer-to-peer.html Signing up does not guarantee enrollment, but puts you on the list to be notified about enrollment. Check your email within 5 business days of completing the form, and save anastasia@namiscc.org as a contact to prevent emails from going to spam. Contact (831)-824-0406 or anastasia@namiscc.org with questions or if you do not hear back within 5 business days. First and Third Mondays Each Month SENIOR LIFE ONLINE 4 p.m., Online Meeting Join a local group of senior citizens for “Senior Life Online,” a free online (Zoom) program featuring a presentation by a local expert. View the full schedule at scottsvalleyseniorlife.org/current-activities/. To participate, you need an Internet connection and a computer, tablet or smart phone. A 1-time preregistration is required at https://tinyurl.com/SVSLA-6. Questions? Call George at (831) 334-7763. Senior Life Online is sponsored by Scotts Valley Senior Life Association (SVSLA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to promote healthy living for senior citizens. Information is at http://scottsvalleyseniorlife.org. Tuesdays FARMERS’ MARKET AT RAMSAY PARK 2–6 p.m., Ramsay Park, Watsonville El Mercado is a new farmers’ market hosted by Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley.

There will be healthy locally grown produce, a veggie Rx redemption site, cooking demonstrations and wellness screenings. Sponsors include Lakeside Organic, Salud Para La Gente and Kaiser Permanente. Visit pvhealthtrust.org/elmercado for more info. First Tuesdays of the Month UCSC ARBORETUM: FIRST TUESDAYS FREE 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., UC Santa Cruz Arboretum, 1156 High St, SC Community Day at the UCSC Arboretum means free admission on the first Tuesday of every month 9 a.m-5 p.m. Guests are invited to explore the biodiversity of the gardens, enjoy bird watching or relax on a bench in the shade. arboretum.ucsc.edu Third Thursday Each Month PET LOSS AND GRIEF SUPPORT VIA ZOOM 6 to 7:30 p.m., virtual meeting BirchBark Foundation’s Pet Loss and Grief Support Zoom group offers a free support group, moderated by a licensed grief counseling therapist, on the third Thursday of each month. Register at https://www.birchbarkfoundation.org/griefsupport or call 831-471-7255. Saturdays & Sundays ECOLOGICAL RESERVE TOURS AT ELKHORN SLOUGH Tours start at 10 a.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday,1700 Elkhorn Road, Watsonville Volunteers lead walks highlighting the natural history of the Elkhorn Slough. Capacity is limited due to physical distancing requirements, and individuals must sign up on a first-come, first-served basis. Groups of six or more should call ahead at (831) 728-2822 or visit https://www.elkhornslough.org/ group-reservation/ to reserve a tour. For more info, visit www.elkhornslough.org/esnerr/tours/ First Sunday Every Month WESTSIDE MARKETPLACE 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Old Wrigley Building Parking Lot, 2801 Mission Street, Santa Cruz Come by on Sundays and shop at over 40 unique & wonderful artists, makers & vintage sellers — there’s something for everyone at the Westside Marketplace! Rain dates are scheduled for the following Sundays. The Market is free to attend and is 100% local! All local and state health guidelines will be followed. Please wear your mask, maintain social distance while you shop and stay home if you don’t feel well. Hand sanitizing stations will be available. For more info, go to the event page: www.facebook.com/ events/ 170470481551895

DATED EVENTS Friday January 28 thru Sunday January 30

STARTUP WEEKEND MONTEREY BAY CSU Monterey Bay, Seaside Do you have an idea for a new business? Are you curious about entrepreneurship? Do you want to start a business but don’t know where to begin? Do you have technical or creative skills and want to understand how the business side works? At Startup Weekend at CSU Monterey Bay in Seaside, you will get experience with the process of starting a business, learn how to develop your idea, explain it to people, and meet coaches who will help you move your business ideas. Register at https://event.techstars.com/e/startupweekend_ mb/2022. If you have questions, email the organizing team at info@startupmontereybay.com.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR Monday January 31

Each year, nearly $20,000 in scholarship funds are awarded to UCSC students based on financial need, affording them the chance to share in outdoor adventures. Each night features a different lineup, Maple, Larch and Spruce. Tickets are $25 for Saturday and $23 for Friday and Sunday. To buy tickets, visit https://recreation.ucsc.edu/adventure/ banff

WORKSHOP ON BULLYING 5:30-7 p.m., Zoom Workshop Triple P presents a free Zoom workshop, “How to help your child deal with bullying.” Attendees will learn how to recognize different types of bullying, common reasons why children bully others and what you can do if your child is being bullied. Presenter is Gladys Gómez of Community Bridges – La Manzana Community Resources. To register and to see the classes scheduled monthly, see https://www.first5scc.org/triple-p-classes.

Sunday February 27

Friday February 4 CLAM CHOWDER COOKOFF EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION ENDS The Annual Clam Chowder Cook-Off, hosted by the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, will take place Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 26-27. Registration for competitors is underway. See how your recipe stacks up to the competition: • Amateur (Saturday) and Professional (Sunday) divisions • Boston & Manhattan categories • More than $3,000 in prizes • Fun atmosphere • Awards are given for Best Chowder in each category, plus People’s Choice, Most Tasted, and Best-Themed Booth Early bird registration includes free all-day rides wristbands and T-shirt for two people. Final deadline to register is Friday, Feb. 11. The participants will be lined up across the Boardwalk offering their chowders to the public as part of the competition. Tasting Kits are $12 each and include six taste tickets, spoon, cup and a People’s Choice ballot. Visit https://beachboardwalk.com/clam-chowder-cook-off/ for more details.

Saturday February 5 AFRICAN SHADE FUNDRAISER 2-5 p.m., Santa Cruz Convergence Center, 3375 Capitola Road, Capitola A fundraiser for African Shade, an organization in Zambia started by Lena Wikner and Kathleen Pruitt, two women who met while in recovery in Santa Cruz, will take place at the Santa Cruz Convergence Center (formerly Takara restaurant. Meet Lena and some of the local advisory committee supporting African Shade: There will be appetizers, raffle tickets and a silent auction. Entry fee is $10. All proceeds go to projects in Zambia. African Shade provides counseling for substance abuse, parenting and basic hygiene issues. Kuymabe House (which means starting point or new beginning) is a halfway house for young men who want to change their life away from drug and alcohol abuse. African Shade has found safe houses for women escaping domestic violence, and developed sports teams for children.The latest project is building a corn meal mill, which will provide food for the hungry and jobs for locals. For information, call 831-239-0878 or visit africanshade.org

PAJARO VALLEY QUILT SHOW Saturday February 26 • Sunday February 27

10 a.m., Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, Watsonville. The Pajaro Valley Quilt Show will once again go live at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville, with more than 300 quilts and wearable arts on display. There will be a large merchant mall, live auction and bargain garden. Featured speaker is Watsonville resident Rachel D. K. Clark, contemporary folk artist, teacher and lecturer who has been making wearable art since 1973, showing her vibrant quilted coats in shows throughout the country. County Covid standards will be followed. Shows end 5 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $10, and parking is free. To learn more, see https://pvqa.org/ Photo: Rachel Clark with many of her vibrant quilted coats. Coastal Candle Co.: hand-poured natural soy container candles with wood wicks and beeswax candles. Lavender Ladies: Eye pillows, and lavender items. Theas Touch: Tiny succulent table-top gardens and sea glass treasures.

This event benefits the UCSC Wilderness Orientation Willie Williams Scholarship Fund and Adventure Rec student scholarships.

Wednesday February 16

MARDI GRAS! 5-7 p.m., Seacliff Inn, 7500 Old Dominion Court, Aptos Swing into Spring presents Mardi Gras 5-7 p.m. March 1 hosted by Seacliff Inn and the Aptos History Museum, featuring Music by Ukes 4 You, tasty food, and a silent auction. Admission, general, $40; museum members, $35. RSVP at 688-1467. Proceeds benefit the Aptos History Museum

TITANS OF TECH 2021 7-10 p.m., Online Seminar (In-person if possible, location TBA) Santa Cruz Works’ annual Titans of Tech features community members who have made an impact on the Santa Cruz tech community that year, plus Hometown Heroes, who helped us get through the year of COVID and wildfires. Organizers hope this will be an in-person + streaming event. For tickets, available mid February, see santacruzworks.org n

Dream Mountain

“Red Letter Days” from page 27

Friday, Feb. 4: Capitola Film Night ~ Good Night and Good Luck Hosted by the Friends of the Capitola Library, 7 p.m. via Zoom. Tuesday. Feb. 8: From McCarthyism to Today: Demagoguery Then and Now With Isebill “Ronnie” Gruhn at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Thursday, Feb. 10: La Selva Beach Book Sunday February 6 Friday February 25 Discussion Group thru Sunday February 27 VALENTINE’S POP-UP ARTISTS’ STANDS Led by Margie Bowles, Red Letter Days is the book 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Izant Court, Soquel 2022 BANFF CENTRE MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL chosen for discussion. 10:30 a.m. a: La Selva Beach Valentine’s Pop-Up Event on Izant Court in Soquel WORLD TOUR Library. features unique hand-made gifts from local artists, Thursday, Feb. 12: Red Letter Days Art Project 7 p.m., Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz including: UC Santa Cruz Adventure Rec presents the 2022 Banff With Jo-Neal Graves and Sharon Ferguson, local artists Butterfly Dream Dyes: hand-tied and ice-dyed new Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour Santa Cruz at and art educators, 1-3 p.m. at Capitola Library, George Ow and upcycled clothing, purses and home goods. Room. the Rio Theatre. APTOS CHAMBER MIXER 5-7 p.m. (tentative), Seascape Beach Resort, 1 Seascape Resort Drive, Aptos Seascape Beach Resort will host the first Aptos Chamber of Commerce business mixer of 2022, taking all Covid safety measures into consideration.

Tuesday March 1

Wednesday March 2

Saturday February 12 FALLEN OFFICER FOUNDATION BALL 5:30-11 p.m., Coconut Grove The nonprofit Fallen Officer Foundation presents the Fallen Officer Foundation Ball at the Coconut Grove in Santa Cruz. There will be dinner, dancing to the Lost Boys featuring James Durbin, live and silent auctions. Dinner tickets are $125. The foundation assists first responders and families in times of crisis or special need, and 98% of funds go toward that goal. Make check to Fallen Officer Foundation, P.O. 67221, Scotts Valley CA 95067-7281. Info: Call 831-662-3105.

SURFER’S PATH 10K/5K Registration 7 a.m. / Start 8 a.m., 816 41st Ave Santa Cruz 95062 The seventh running of this beloved event will travel the Santa Cruz and Capitola coastline on Sunday, Feb. 27. Race Director Tom Bradley is happy to be present this event after a two –year break, this time following all Santa Cruz County Covid-19 guidelines, Participation will be limited to 1,000 participants, and for the first time, Bradley is mailing the race bibs and timing chips to all registrants to eliminate gathering at a packet pick-up event. The Surfer’s Path 10k/5k consists of a 6.2 mile and 3.1 mile run/walk. Coming up: the Surfer’s Path Half Marathon on May 22 and the inaugural Wahine 10k/6k on Oct. 16. For complete event information and to register, visit www. runsurferspath.com.

Tuesday, Feb. 15: Invasion of the Communist Body Snatchers: The Supreme Court, Weird Science Comics, and the Red Scare With Michael Pebworth and Nick Rowell at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Thursday, Feb 17: La Selva Beach Film Night: Trumbo Introduction by Robert Strayer, La Selva Beach Community Church, 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24: Red Diaper Babies: Growing Up During the HUAC Years of the 1950s Bettina Aptheker, Julie Olsen Edwards and Dena Taylor at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Monday, Feb. 28: What’s Black and White and Red All Over? With Claudia Sternbach, 7 p.m. via Zoom. Thursday, March 3: Trivia on Tap Steel Bonnet, 20 Victor Square, Scotts Valley. 6:30 to 8 p.m. n

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FEATURED COLUMNIST

A Look at the State Budget By Zach Friend, Supervisor, Second District

ov. Newsom recently proposed his budget for 2022-2023. In his propoal, he outlines investments in five primary areas. What exactly is in the Governor’s budget proposal and how will some of it impact Santa Cruz County? Here is a look at the proposed state budget and key elements. Budget Process he State Constitution requires the Governor to submit a balanced budget proposal to the Legislature by Jan. 10 of each year. This initial budget is generally revised closer to June in the “May Revise” as more details become known about the economic health of the state. Like our local County budget, the budget document outlines the state’s spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1. Nearly immediately after the introduction in January, the state Legislative Analyst’s Office, the Legislature’s nonpartisan fiscal advisor, publishes a series of reports that review the Governor’s budget proposal. These analyses often inform the budget debate in the Assembly and the Senate and include economic projections, context and background information and possible revisions. Ultimately, the Legislature has until June 15 to pass the budget. Proposed Investments he Governor’s budget proposes investments in five key areas: • COVID-19, including increased vaccines, testing, and medical personnel.

• Homelessness, including mental health housing and encampments. • Climate change, including forest management and drought response. • Affordability, including healthcare coverage, child care, housing, and small business relief. • Safer streets, including local law enforcement grants and gun buybacks. Within those buckets, the Governor is proposing the following new investments (with some of these funds proposed for counties although the exact distribution isn’t known at this point): • $1.3 billion for additional emergency COVID-19 response. • $2 billion for homeless behavioral health bridge housing and encampment cleanup. • $200 million ongoing for local public health infrastructure. • $1.2 billion over two years for wildfire and forest resilience. • $247 million for wildfire engines, helicopters and additional fire crews for surge capacity. • $750 million for drought. • $2 billion for affordable housing. The state has a projected surplus of $45.7 billion, which includes $20.6 billion in General Fund for discretionary purposes, $16.1 billion in additional Proposition 98 for K-14 education, and $9 billion in reserve deposits and supplemental pension payments. The proposed budget allocates 86 percent of the discretionary surplus to onetime investments and reflects $34.6 billion

in reserves. These reserves include: approximately $21 billion in the Rainy Day Fund for fiscal emergencies, $10 billion in the Public School System Stabilization Account; $900 million in the Safety Net Reserve and $3 billion in the state’s operating reserve. The proposal accelerates the paydown of state retirement liabilities with more than $8 billion projected to be paid over the next three years. For Santa Cruz County, some of the items of greatest interest include investments to combat homelessness, housing supports for behavioral health, climate, water and forest resilience and transportation funding. Here is a more in-depth look at some of these line items — and things that could end up providing some level of funding to our county. Behavioral Health he Governor included a $1.5 billion investment in immediate housing solutions for individuals with behavioral health needs. The funding is to bridge the gap in housing and services for unhoused individuals living with behavioral health needs. The funding will focus on purchasing, installing, and providing support for tiny homes, as well as operational support for other housing settings including assisted living settings. Homelessness or homelessness the budget proposal $2 billion in funding over two years including $500 million in the Encampment Resolution Program. This program provides for competitive grants for cities, counties, and continuums of

care to support encampment resolution and the transition of individuals into housing. Affordable Housing he Governor’s proposal builds on California’s previous investments in housing and provides an additional $500 million in Low Income Housing Tax Credits in 2022-23 and an additional $1.5 billion to the General Fund over two years to support construction of additional subsidized affordable homes. Wildfire Resilience or wildfire protection, the budget proposes significant investments in wildfire and forest resilience. Included in the funding is nearly $3 billion toward forest thinning, prescribed burns, local fuel break investments, community hardening (including improved defensible space), reforestation and vocational training to train, develop, and certify forestry professionals and expand the workforce available for forest health and fuels reduction. This is just an outline of the significant number of budget proposals and how they may impact our area. At this point, they are just proposals and still need adoption by the Legislature. If you would like to see more information, you can visit the state’s budget site at http://ebudget.ca.gov ••• As always, I appreciate any feedback you may have on this (or any other County issue). I’m maintaining regular updates on social media at www.facebook.com/supervisorfriend and you can always call me at 454-2200.

T F

Manu Koenig Chairs County Board of Supervisors

n Jan.11, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday selected Supervisor Manu Koenig as chairperson for a one-year term. Koenig, elected in 2020, represents the First Supervisorial District, which spans the Summit area east of Highway 17 to coastal Live Oak, including Soquel and parts of the cities of Santa Cruz and Capitola. Koenig, previously vice chair, succeeds Supervisor Bruce McPherson as chair. Supervisor Zach Friend was chosen to serve as vice chair. The board will continue hybrid meetings in

SPECIALTY SCREEN & GLASS SHOP Contact us for a free on-site consultation.

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30 / February 1st 2022 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

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2022. Residents may participate in board meetings, including offering public comments via phone or Zoom. For instructions, go to https:// santacruzcountyca.iqm2.com/ citizens/default.aspx. Residents who want to monitor Board meetings can view Manu Koenig meetings online at www.santacruz county.us, www.facebook.com/countyofsantacruz or www.communitytv.org/watch.

SCCAS Featured Pet

Pregnant Mare Rescue HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

408.540.8568

PregnantMareRescue.org

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Meet Archie!

crossword on 25 »

rchie is a social butterfly who’s always bouncing around the place. He loves hanging out in his fenced area and is always ready to play. Making friends and munching on tomatoes are some of Archie’s favorite pastimes. If you’re looking for a new furry friend Archie is the guy for you. Come meet Archie from noon to 5 at the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter at 1001 Rodriquez Street. 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

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / February 1st 2022 / 31

Deluxe Foods of Aptos

Supporting the Aptos community for 40 years Mon. thru Sat. 8am to 9pm • Sun. 8am to 8pm Peet’s Coffee Available Mon. thru Fri 6am • Sat & Sun 7am

Senior Hours: Wed. 7:30a.m.- 8a.m.

783 Rio Del Mar Boulevard, Aptos, CA 95003 (Located inside Deer Park Marketplace)

(831) 688-7442 www.deluxefoodsofaptos.com

Serving the Agricultural Community Since 1924

783 Rio Del Mar Boulevard, Suite 7 Aptos, CA 95003

(831) 688-1516 EyeShapes@sbcglobal.net

(831) 661-5697

Hours: Tues.–Fri. 10-5 | Sat. by Appointment Deer Park Marketplace #37 | Rio Del Mar/Hwy 1 Aptos | Above Deluxe Foods | www.EyeShapesAptos.com

www.scurichinsurance.com

deer park c e n t e r

Highway 1 & Rio Del Mar Boulevard, Aptos

One stop shopping right around the corner! BANKS:

Bank of America

BUSINESS SERVICES:

Anderson & Company-HOA Management / Employnet Contractor Advertising Galapagos Travel

PDM International / Peak Accounting Services / SAR Asset Mgmt. Inc. Scurich Insurance Cecy Insurance Services

FOOD & DRINK:

Deer Park Wine & Spirits DeluxeFoods / Panda Inn

Mangiamo Pizza & Wine Bar Red Apple Cafe

PERSONAL SERVICES: Agape Dance Academy Black Cat Tattoo Brian Del Core, DDS CVS Pharmacy

Del Mar Cleaners Eye Shapes Opticians Fig St. Design Highlights for Hair J-Bella Nails / Klub Nico Laser Hair Solutions Rad Academy Royal Paw Spa

Aptos Times: February 1, 2022

Articles inside

Community Calendar • Arts & Entertainment – Pages 28

Our Community Reads 2022 starts Feb. 4

Curves Aptos: Start Your New Year Right!, By Edita McQuary

SB 418: Pajaro Valley Health District Advances

Student Speaker’s Contest • Clean California Initiative • RTC Tax Oversight Committee Deadline • Santa Cruz County Jobs

Covid Solution?: Bill Would End Personal Belief Vaccine Exemption, By

Help Ethiopian Reunite with Local Family, By Edita McQuary

Sgt. Gutzwiller Tribute Planned at Willowbrook Park, By Kieran Kelly

Safe At Home Senior Care: Superior Service, By Edita McQuary

Central Fire Elections Re-Districting: Have Your Say