Teachers’ Union, PVUSD Agree on $4,000 Raise

COMMUNITY NEWS

Teachers’ Union, PVUSD Agree on $4,000 Raise

On Feb. 16, the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers and the Pajaro Valley Unified School District closed negotiations for 2021-2022 with an agreement to raise teacher salaries by $4,000 retroactive to July 1, 2021.

The agreement is expected to be ratified by PVFT membership and the Board of Trustees in the next few weeks.

The district will submit the required paperwork to the County Office of Education for review upon ratification. The intention is to have it ready for the March 23 board meeting for final approval, according to the district.

Both teams came to the table with good intentions, worked collaboratively, listened to each other’s concerns and were able to close negotiations quickly and efficiently, according to the district. •••

All ongoing salary increases are retroactive to July 1, 2021.

TK-12 Teacher Salary Schedule:

Increase each step on the schedule by $4,000

Counselors, Athletic Director, Activity Directors:

These salary schedules are based on the TK-12 teacher salary schedule and adjusted for days. They will see an increase, based on the

TK-12 teacher salary schedule. Nurse/Psych/SLP/Program Specialists:

Increase all steps on the salary schedule by $2,000. Provide a one-time off-schedule payment of $1,000.

Child Development & Migrant

Seasonal Headstart: One-time offschedule $600 payment . 6% increase to associate, assistant, teacher, &

FCCS salary schedules

Eliminate Steps 1-2.5 and Columns A & B on teacher salary schedule for

MSHS: Column C will become 12-24

ECE Units. Eliminate steps 1-2 on Children’s Center Teacher salary schedule Adult Education: 5% Increase to the

Adult Education salary schedule Health & Welfare: No changes to benefits

•••

To review the full tentative agreement, it can be accessed at https://tinyurl.com/ y7cv92vq.

“Main Street” from page 18

“Caltrans has partnered with communities throughout California to identify and develop projects that meet the specific needs of each region while also enhancing and beautifying public spaces,” said Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. “By working together, we’re better able to restore public pride in our communities and help change the habits that create litter in the first place.”

Developed in collaboration with tribal and local governments, nonprofits and businesses, the 126 state beautification projects include art installations, green space, and ones that improve safety and promote community connections. Construction will begin in April.

In Monterey County, projects are Alisal Neighborhood Beautification (three under-crossings) under US 101 in Salinas; pedestrian enhancements along Hwy. 156 in Castroville, Monterey County and restoration of the Arch landmark on Hwy. 183 in Castroville,

In San Benito County, projects are: Hwy. 25 Pinnacles National Park Highway Beautification and pedestrian enhancements on Hwy. 156 in San Juan Bautista.

A full list of projects can be found at https://cleancalifornia.dot.ca.gov/ projects.

Governor Newsom made the announcement on Friday, Feb. 11 in San Francisco, at the site of a Clean California project that will include a tree nursery, dog park and other features.

The 12 projects ($11.5 million total) located in District 5 include: • Highway 154 in Santa Ynez, Santa

Barbara County — Chumash Museum

Beautification

Caltrans has been reviewing project proposals from cities, counties, transit agencies, tribal governments, and other governmental entities to almost $300 million in grants and will announce grant recipients on March 1.

Over three years, Clean California will remove an additional 1.2 million cubic yards, or 21,000 tons, of trash from the state system alone — enough to fill the Rose Bowl three times over.

The initiative has already resulted in 6,300 tons of litter being removed from the State Highway System and, to date, Caltrans has hired 528 new team members, including 428 maintenance workers who collect litter and perform maintenance duties like graffiti removal. n

“Pastina” from page 24

When my mother got done gabbing with Aunt Rose downstairs, she came back up and threw a handful of tiny star macaroni into the broth.

“Don’t put too much in,” she told me. “It grows when it cooks.”

All I could think about was my head expanding in the bars.

When the macaroni was cooked, Mom chopped up a few springs of the parsley and added it to the soup. We all sat down to a golden, glowing bowl of pastina. With a few sprinkles of black pepper and a little parmesan grated on top, a warm bowl of pastina can lift the weight of any little agony a soul may have to endure. n •••

Joe Ortiz, author of “The Village Baker,” wrote and produced a musical inspired by bread and created a musical based on his family story, Escaping Queens, that was a hit at Cabrillo Stage. He and his wife Gayle received the 2016 Gail Rich Award for contributions to the arts in Santa Cruz County.

The 1940s

ACROSS

1. Decree 6. *U.S./U.S.S.R.’s cold one 9. Harry Potter’s mark 13. Syrup flavor 14. ____ Khan 15. Bird of prey’s nest 16. Lieu 17. H+, e.g. 18. Bashful or Happy 19. *”1984” author

George 21. *Best-selling pop artist Bing 23. Writer ____ Monk

Kidd 24. Genghis or Kubla 25. Cranberry habitat 28. Not nice 30. Saddle holders 35. *Boris Karloff’s movie

“The ____,” pl. 37. Actress Barrymore 39. Asian goat antelope 40. Supernatural life force 41. Seethes 43. South African antelope 44. Cook from above 46. Rotisserie part 47. Not odd 48. Italy in Italian 50. What snob puts on 52. .0000001 joule 53. Sound of a dropped tome 55. Beer acronym 57. *____ Doctrine, U.S. foreign policy 60. *”How Green Was My ____” 63. Another word for nutria 64. Ciao in the U.S. 66. Trip guide 68. Surveyor’s maps 69. Afflict 70. Will alternative 71. Additionally 72. Nucleic acid 73. Term of endearment

DOWN

1. Emergency acronym 2. *1949 international org. 3. Copycat 4. Chicken feet 5. Christian hymn (2 words) 6. Graveside sound 7. Gone by 8. TV’s Yellowstone, e.g. 9. Uses a Singer 10. Underwater hermit 11. Ethereal 12. Gridiron official, for short 15. Apollo Creed’s son 20. City in northern

England 22. Old towel, e.g. 24. Rollerskater’s protector (2 words) 25. *Disney’s 1942 orphan 26. Abstractionism using optical illusion 27. Kind of salami 29. Crafts’ companion 31. Network of nerves 32. Treasure collection 33. Dreamer? 34. *Popular music style 36. Ship canvas 38. *1939-1945 42. Parallel grooves 45. Acid turns it red 49. “Bingo!” 51. Daryl Hannah’s 1984 movie 54. Open up 56. In spite of the fact, arch. 57. Church sound 58. Swedish shag rugs 59. Plotting 60. Velum, pl. 61. Zeal 62. New Haven University 63. IRS employee? 65. Yang’s opposite 67. Canny

Each year, at the end of February and much of March and just before spring arrives, we are under the light, love and influences of the Lords of Pisces, sign of two fishes held together by a silken cord, one facing heaven, the other looking down into form & matter. The two fish represent the Soul, the other, the personality of each of us. The fishes cannot be separated. Eventually the personality when strong enough accepts the direction, care and tending of the Soul. The two fishes gaze in all directions, longing for their release (to save the world).

Pisces understands these things. Pisces understands imprisonment, captivity, being confined, abandoned, betrayed, looked down upon, judged, criticized, not having freedom, caught so often in sadness, illusions and glamours, cults, drugs and sex. Pisces, the last of the zodiacal signs, and containing impressions from all the previous eleven signs understands sadness, sorrow, grief, melancholy, woe, and most of all, being misunderstood. All of which makes Pisces, after many lifetimes, able to offer understanding, compassion and care, which “saves the world.”

Pisces, when building the personality, experiences drugs, alcohol, dramatic emotions, drowning in a world of senses. On the Soul/Spiritual level, Pisces is the “Light of the World....the light that

reveals the Light of Life itself. Pisces light ends forever the darkness

of matter.” Those words “light of the world” sound familiar. Many of the Saviors who came to Earth were born in Pisces. They appear on Earth as Avatars to help humanity struggling towards the light. Jesus, the Christ, was One (savior). So was Buddha, Zarathustra and all the many religions teachers that have appeared on Earth since time’s beginning. In these dark times of the Kali Yuga Age (our present time, where the darkness is allowed to manifest so humanity can make a choice), we await the Reappearance of the Christ, the new Savior and World Teacher of the Aquarian Age. They say, “He will come soon to restore the Law. He comes with a fiery sword repelling those as do evil”. We too, in Pisces, stand with our fiery swords and lamps held high. So the way is not so dark for our brothers and sisters on the Path. n

ARIES While busy with professional shifts, changes, reorientations and rebalancing, turn your imagination more towards kind thoughts of forgiveness, towards friends and the future — where the true reality is. Set goals with others, helping them to stabilize and be successful. Don’t demand too much from others. It creates disappointments. This is a time of great creative potential. Do I see greenhouses & natural warm pools when I enter your realm?

LEO You’re sensitive, more than usual. Leo, Cancer and Pisces (and hidden Scorpio) are most sensitive. Here you are in your reality and it seems something, over there somewhere, is either calling to you or opposes you. What this means is an integration (of things & thoughts, new & unusual) is attempting to occur. An absorbing and balancing of new realities. One reality may be that creating more companionship & alliances would assist you. Assist your heart, actually.

SAGITTARIUS New thoughts and/or ideas, very unique, very futuristic, may be streaming through your mind, creating a feeling of Tesla-like electricity in your body. People can sense you’ve become a bit different. You need a close companion. Tesla’s closest companion was a dove. They communicated daily. Begin to speak from the heart with everyone around you. Focus on them more. Soon a strange new spirit of adventure unfolds. A new learning, a new lesson. It is not in form and matter. Not yet.

TAURUS The times call you to retreat, inner solitude, rest, repose and relaxation. This prepares you daily to be able to withstand and work with the important reorientation and changes taking place in our world. In that inner time, consider new goals & plans, tending to their manifestation. This is “white magic”. Magic is the ancient word for using the imagination to create a thought form, then focusing on it till it appears in form and matter. You have that gift. This is esoteric.

GEMINI You become more practical with resources because you know needed changes, new experiences and a new education are coming that reorient your beliefs. That is, if you have the courage to step into a new reality, enter into a group of like-minded others, join the New Group of World Servers, work cooperatively with others creating the plan that saves the world. You have only a bit more time to prepare. Education in the New Aquarian Age calls to you. It’s never too late.

VIRGO There’s always so much to accomplish, so many people to contact, so many ideas to jot down & create goals with. It’s good that Virgos have a welldeveloped and orderly work ethic. Virgo is always responsible and intelligent. Creativity is to be practical & purposeful this month. You remember something. It makes you sad, glad, wondering, concerned, happy, joyful. All those things together. Clap your hands! Write a poem!

LIBRA You want to play a little more. Some Libran’s are very serious; they don’t play much. They feel injustices in the world and seek to alleviate them. You do this. However, now’s the time for a bit of lightness — for friends, entertaining, communicating with loved ones, interacting with children. In the coming weeks and months, tend carefully to health. See a natural doctor, dentist, care provider, and a deeply listening therapist. Get new shoes. A new endeavor may appear. Don’t spend on things you cannot see.

CAPRICORN Capricorn identities (who am I, really?) continue to appear, disappear, shift, change and be transformed. Venus, Mars and Pluto are in your sign, creating a great transforming field around your sense of friendship and choice of actions. People respond to you differently now. They see something – a light perhaps, a sense of focus, a power, a beauty. Stay close to loved ones. And should you require it, call forth all the resources needed in your life. They will arrive like angels at just the right time.

AQUARIUS Careful with money, assets, facts and figures. Know you always have enough. Keep track of your bank accounts, what’s in, what’s out. Be orderly about this. Don’t allow a lack of time or attention to take you away from this task. Train yourself to have a clear idea of all financial transactions. Have a book where you jot down finances, facts and figures. This calls for a bit of discipline, more practicality and it allows you to have a firm idea of all that you’re worth. Write down too the perfect work you want to do. It’s waiting.

CANCER It’s tax time. Or soon will be. Sometimes that creates anxiety. This year with Neptune in Pisces and Chiron in Aries, it can be even more confusing. Sometimes taxes shift a person’s identity, feeling that everything’s just too complex. Like many, you may feel you’re on uncharted waters, in a boat with no captain, no shore in sight, and there’s rumors that pirates are just around the bend. Life feels like that now. Be sure to rest. And find soothing warm calm waters (or arms) to lay in.

SCORPIO Tend to family with extra care, touching in, making contact with all the family, even those not often seen. There’s a pull between home and work, family & the world, internal & external realities. Try to meet personal needs first. Remain at home in a state of calm and peacefulness. Let outer realities fall away. This gives you time to consider a different course of action concerning how to use your gifts, talents and abilities in the world. What needs tender care concerning your own self? •••

PISCES So, happy birthday, Pisces …yesterday, today, this week, next week. When our birthday month arrives, the Sun’s rose gold light shines through us. It’s in our eyes, radiating outward. We are beautiful. Our angels stand close by during our birthday month, waiting to hear our needs for the coming new year. A birthday celebration only truly occurs when we talk with our angels. Telling them of our wants and needs. They stand around us...waiting, listening, tending, patient as ever. They offer their gift of loving protection. And of helping us receive all that we need. Risa D’Angeles • www.nightlightnews.org • risagoodwill@gmail.com

Watsonville’s Garcia Named New Operations Manager in Salinas

Ana Garcia of Watsonville has joined The Center for Community Advocacy in Salinas as operations manager.

A Watsonville native, she worked for nine years as an administrative and legal assistant at the nonprofit Watsonville Law Center, which offers legal services for lowincome residents on the Central Coast.

She moved as a teen to Sacramento, then moved back to her hometown in 2008 after getting married. She started working at the law center after about 18 months back home, working with the after-school program at the Pajaro Valley Unified School District.

Her leisure hours are spent mostly on “mom time,” taking her two sons and daughter to their soccer matches or watching their favorite teams play on TV.

••• Soquel Creek Water District: Water Shutoffs Resume

During the height of the pandemic, a moratorium was placed on water shutoffs in the Soquel Creek Water District. This meant that customers that were behind on their bills could keep their utility services turned on. That moratorium ended December 31, 2021.

Beginning February 2022 Soquel Creek Water District resumed its normal shut-off procedures. This means you must pay your bill or sign a payment plan agreement to avoid shut off.

The district has billing representatives to help. The district asks that you reach out as soon as pos-sible to bring your past-due account current or to discuss a payment plan at (831) 475-8500 option 3 or billing@ soquelcreekwater.org. •••

Santa Cruz Chamber Awards Gala

Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce will celebrate its community award winners at a gala dinner 4-8 p.m. Thursday, March 24, outdoors at the Colonnade at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, 400 Beach St., Santa Cruz. Honorees are:

Person of the Year: Bonnie Lipscomb, Director, City of Santa Cruz Economic Development

Businesses of the Year: Bay Federal Credit Union, 1st Capital Bank, Santa Cruz Community Credit Union and Santa Cruz County Bank.

Organization of the Year: Dientes Community Dental Clinic

Lifetime (Legacy) Achievement: Willy Elliott MCrea, CEO, Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County

Reserve your ticket for this fun event, raising a glass and congratulating our award winners.

The year 2021 was a year for recovery from the novel coronavirus and its variants as businesses, nonprofits and the public sector worked to regain economic footing.

Tickets are $155. Register at www.santacruz chamber.org/recognition-awards-gala.html n