Aptos Times: January 1, 2023

Dorothea Lange’s “Migrant Mother” is one of the best-known images of Depression-era California.

Marisa Silver’s Mary Coin is a richly imagined back-story — and after-story — of that photograph. Her book is the focus of the 2023 Our Community Reads, a program of the Friends of the Aptos Library.

Community members read the book and then come together for a series of events presented with the friends of the Capitola, Felton, La Selva Beach, and Scotts Valley libraries, and in partnership with Cabrillo College and Aptos High School. ... continues on page 4

Aptos Community Youth Program: A New Resource

In a small portable classroom at the edge of Aptos Junior High’s campus, a group of kids ages 12-17 sit around a comfortable lounge area in conversation about the upcoming year while watching a quick ping pong battle on the table beside them. Full

In January

On the eve of her wedding, a young woman’s quest to discover her father’s identity brings three men from her mother’s past back to the Greek island they last visited 20 years ago.

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“Mary Coin” from page 1

New this year: Our Community Reads Passport offers special incentives to attend all the 2023 events. For Passport information, go to: www.FriendsofAptosLibrary.org

Mary Coin is one of the thousands of Oklahomans displaced by the Dust Bowl. She — and her many children — end up in the migrant camps of California, where photographer Vera Dare encounters her and captures an image that takes on a life of its own. And in the present, college professor Walker Dodge finds that the photograph might have significance in his own life.

NPR called the book “... a fresh angle on the Great Depression and a lesson in learning how to really look and see ... remarkable, quietly heroic yet very human characters.”

Goodreads summed up: “In luminous prose, Silver creates an extraordinary tale ... a reminder that a great photograph captures the essence of a moment yet only scratches the surface of a life.”

All events are free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Doors open half an hour before programs begin.

This year’s Our Community Reads events will take place in person and via Zoom (H for hybrid, P for in person only, and Z for Zoom only.

To register: Go to www.SantaCruzPL. org and click on Calendar at the top of the home page. Scroll the Calendar page to the event you want to attend, and click the link for the name of the event. You will find registration instructions. •••

Thursday, Jan. 26 at 10:30 a.m.

Passionate Readers Book Discussion (H)

A spirited discussion of Mary Coin, led by Marjorie Bowles. La Selva Beach Library, 316 Estrella Ave., La Selva Beach Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 10:30 a.m.

Capitola Book Discussion Group (Z) led by Dian Duchin Reed Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m.

A Talk with the Author (H) From her home in Los Angeles, Mary Coin author Marisa Silver talks about creating the fictional world of an iconic image.

Watch online at home or join us in the Ow Family Community Room of Capitola Library, 2005 Wharf Road, Capitola, with moderator Geneffa Jonker, Cabrillo College English professor.

Sponsored by Friends of the Capitola Library.

Sunday, Feb. 5 at 3 p.m.

Concert: Songs We Sang in the Great Depression

“Going Down the Road Feeling Bad,” “Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime,” “If You Ain’t Got the Do Re Mi” (In-person only).

Join local singers Aileen Vance, Bob Reid & Judi Jaeger, Jack Bowers & Vicki Coffis at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, 2402 Cabrillo College Drive, Soquel, for a live concert of songs that deepen our understanding of the world of Mary Coin and millions of other Dust Bowl migrants.

Host Julie Olsen Edwards

Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 5:30 p.m Workshop: “Our Community Writes” (H) Here’s your chance to create flash fiction, mini-essays, or poetry based on the world of Mary Coin.

Using evocative prompts and plenty of encouragement, writer June Langhoff and members of the Monterey/Santa Cruz

chapter of Shut Up & Write will focus on the joy of the creative process at Fireside Room, Scotts Valley Library, 251 Kings Village Road, Scotts Valley. Writer fuel will be provided.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Scotts Valley Library.

Thursday, Feb. 9 at 6:30 p.m.

Panel: “The Photographer’s Eye” (H) Fireside Room, Scotts Valley Library, 251 Kings Village Road, Scotts Valley.

Local photographers Shmuel Thaler, Kevin Painchaud, and Mary Altier will talk about their work, show examples, and contrast their experience with that of earlier photographers like Dorothea Lange.

Moderated by Jim Bourne, whose photographs are on exhibit in the library through March 2023. Refreshments served.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Scotts Valley Library.

Saturday, Feb. 11 at 1 p.m. Hands-on Art Event

In-person only at Live Oak Grange, 1900 17th Ave, Santa Cruz

Using the medium of collage, participants will create an “extended” pencil drawing using a photo of the Dust Bowl era to which a six-word memoir is added for deeper meaning. Presenters Jo-Neal Graves and Sharon Ferguson, Open Studios artists and art educators, will provide background information, drawing pointers, memoir development, and lots of encouragement.

No prior skills necessary to be successful.

Thursday, Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m.

Panel: “Farm to Table: Smooth Road or Bumps Along the Way?” (H) Temple Beth El Social Hall, 3055 Porter Gulch Road, Aptos

Panelists will compare the working conditions of today’s farmworkers to the conditions of the Depression era, look at labor issues from a historical perspective, and show how best practices are being applied in today’s farming.

Dr. Ann López, Executive Director of the Center for Farmworker Families, Dick Peixoto, owner of Lakeside Organic Gardens, Peter Shapiro, author of Song of the Stubborn One Thousand: The Watsonville Canning Strike, 1985-87 .Alicia Bencomo Garcia (Professor of Ethnic Studies, Cabrillo College), moderator. Sponsored by Friends of the Aptos

Sunday, Feb. 19 at 1 p.m.

Film: “The Grapes of Wrath” In-person only at La Selva Beach Library, 316 Estrella Ave., La Selva Beach.

Topsy Smalley, Librarian with a special interest in Steinbeck, introduces John

Ward J. Austin graphic artists

Michael Oppenheimer, Ward J. Austin production coordinator

Camisa Composti media consultants

Teri Huckobey, Brooke Valentine office coordinator

Bill Pooley, Taylor Brougham

Michael Oppenheimer, Camisa Composti

Michael Oppenheimer, Ward J. Austin, Brad King website

photography

Sponsored by Friends of La Selva Beach Library.

Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 6 p.m.

Film: “Dolores”

In-person only at Garden Room, Museum of Art and History, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz.

A documentary about Dolores Huerta, co-founder—with César Chávez—of the precursor to the United Farmworkers Union. Introduction by Jerry Kay, longtime friend of Ms. Huerta.

Come a few minutes early to view a video display of the work of Aptos High School students, whose class assignment was to redesign the book cover for Mary Coin or use art to tell the story behind the photo. Student work will be judged by members of the Bookshop Santa Cruz staff and awards given to the top work.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Aptos Library.

Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m.

Reading in the Redwoods In-person only at Felton Library Community Room, 6121 Gushee St., Felton.

Book group discussion of Mary Coin led by April Zilber.

Sponsored by Felton Library Friends.

Saturday, Feb. 25 at 2:30 p.m.

Music & Film: The Depression, the Dust Bowl, and Dorothea In-person only at Felton Library Community Room, 6121 Gushee St., Felton

During the 1930s, music painted a vivid picture of a nation in crisis. Felton’s own Patti Maxine, along with Alison Steele of Sugar by the Pound, will play songs of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression.

The music will be followed by the short documentary “Dorothea Lange, An American Odyssey,” a portrait of the photographer portrayed as Vera Dare in Mary Coin, best known for her work documenting and humanizing the plight of migrants and farm workers in the 1930s. Refreshments served.

Sponsored by Felton Library Friends. Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m.

Reminiscence: A Universal Language (H) Rio Sands Hotel, 116 Aptos Beach Drive, Aptos.

A personal glimpse into the life of Dorothea Lange—portrait photographer, witness to the Great Depression and the Japanese Internment, visual chronicler of the Irish Country people—as told by her son Daniel Dixon.

Presented by Dixie Dixon, widow of Daniel and herself a photographer.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Aptos Library.

Thursday, March 2 at 6:30 p.m.

Trivia Night

In-person only at Steel Bonnet Brewing Company, 20 Victor Square, Scotts Valley.

The ever-popular Trivia on Tap, hosted by the Santa Cruz Public Library’s Victor Willis, poses challenging questions from Mary Coin. Book groups may participate, or fly solo. Beer available for sale, a food truck out front or eat elsewhere in Victor Square. n •••

NOTES: This calendar is as accurate as was possible at the time of printing. For the most up-to-date Our Community Reads information, go to www.FriendsofAptosLibrary. org

There might be a photographer present at in-person events. If you do not wish to be photographed, please inform the photographer or a member of the Friends.

Expand your mind, engage your senses, challenge your creativity, and be a part of the Our Community Reads community! The more events you attend, the more enriching the experience will be, which explains the Passport: To encourage participants to attend as many events as possible.

• Those who attend 12 events will win a “Grand Prize.”

• There will be “runner-up” prizes for those who attend 10 or 11 events.

• At each in-person event you will receive a stamp in your passport.

• For virtual events, you will get a write-in code.

Pick up your Passport at library branches or when you check in at the first event. The Friends’ website (www.FriendsofAptosLibrary. org) will tell you how to turn in your Passport at the end of the season.

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CALL FOR CITIZEN PARTICIPATION

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is now recruiting for its Measure D Taxpayer Oversight Committee.

Vacancies open for Districts 1 & 2 representatives

This committee will be tasked with reviewing how the funds generated by the Measure D transportation tax are being spent to ensure they conform to the ordinance. The responsibilities of the Committee include:

■ Reviewing Expenditure Plan expenditures on an annual basis to ensure they conform to the Ordinance

■ Reviewing the annual audit and report prepared by an independent auditor, describing how funds were spent

■ Producing a publicly available Annual Report of Oversight Activities Application Deadline is January 13, 2023.

For application and more information, e-mail smunz@sccrtc.org

www.tpgonlinedaily.com

Ford’s classic adaptation of the immortal Steinbeck novel.

Aptos Community Youth Program: A New Resource

By E Evans

In a small portable classroom at the edge of Aptos Junior High’s campus, a group of kids ages 12-17 sit around a comfortable lounge area in conversation about the upcoming year while watching a quick ping pong battle on the table beside them. Surrounding them are fairy lights, balloons, Pride flags, and drawings they have created.

This lounge area was built piece by piece and designed by the students in the Aptos Junior High School Leadership Class and Aptos Community Youth Program who helped start a community-based youth program at Aptos Junior High, which now offers a free after-school program and other youth engagement opportunities.

Every year, the new program members add a small piece to the space to make it their own.

The youth program director for the Aptos Community Youth Program is Lisa Freeman. She has been the director since she moved to the area in 2019. After speaking to parents and

students around Aptos, she explains that she started to hear that students felt isolated and like there were no spaces provided for youth to hang out together.

“The way that I look at how well and how healthy a community is how well we support young people, how many youth programs are available to them, and what kind of opportunities

and experiences we are able to provide them,” Freeman said.

Aptos Community Youth Program integrates volunteer work with social events and opportunities for youth to design their own projects and experiences. In December, they celebrated the 3rd birthday of the program as well as held a craft night and the program also volunteered to help package food to give to families over the winter holidays with Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes.

An ongoing and popular event are cleanups at the beaches of the community. This event allows the students to interact and get outside as well as clean up the environment.

The program started with a group of 8th and 9th graders, who are now juniors and seniors at Aptos High School.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, youth members started a podcast called “Gen Impact” which focuses on the important issues that impact youth today.

“Aptos Youth” page 10

Photo Credit: Alivia Dapar Aptos Community Youth Program members enjoy a retreat at Monte Toyon in Aptos (from left): Michelle Zapata, E Evans, Juana Anaya Campos, and Alivia Dapar.

Omicron Variants Shift Again

By Jondi Gumz

In the past two weeks of December, the less deadly Omicron subvariants shifted again, according to weekly Nowcast projections by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

BQ1.1: Down from 38.4% of cases to 35.7%.

BQ.1: Down from 30.7% to 27.4%.

XBB: Up from 7.2% to 18.3%

BA.5: Down from 10% to 6.9%.

The most recent “bivalent” booster targets the once-pervasive BA.5 variant along with the original 2020 coronavirus.

This is important because scientists in new independent studies published in Nature and the Lancet report the bivalent booster “did not produce robust neutralization against the newly emerged BA.2.75.2, BQ.1.1, or XBB.1” — in other words, these newer subvariants can evade immunity from infection and vaccination.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stopped reporting Covid cases on Sept. 21, recognizing 95% of Americans age 16 and up had some immunity from vaccination or infection.

Now that immunity may be in question.

The bivalent combo was expedited by federal officials who asked drug-makers to test on mice rather than humans.

Pfizer submitted data based on 8 mice, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization.

On Dec. 8, the FDA amended that emergency use authorization to allow bivalent Covid-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer for children as young as 6 months.

California reports 60.7% of people have primary vaccinations and boosters, and 21.4% got the bivalent booster.

In Santa Cruz County, 60.7% have primary vaccinations and boosters, and 29.4% got the bivalent booster.

Gov. Newsom plans to lift the state of Covid-19 emergency in California on Feb. 28.

Meanwhile in Uganda, health officials report they are not seeing Covid cases in the hospitals, not seeing people getting vaccinated, not seeing people with respiratory distress, according to John Campbell, a retired nurse educator with a PhD based in England who has been producing daily video reports on studies and data.

Treat at Home After Thanksgiving, Santa Cruz County health officials reported a surge in influenza and respiratory syncytial virus cases along with Covid and asked people with no symptoms or mild cases, or other

non-serious illnesses, to “avoid unnecessary trips to already burdened hospital emergency departments.”

People with significant difficulty breathing, intense chest pain, severe weakness, or an elevated temperature that persists for days are among those who should consider seeking emergency medical care for their condition, health officials said.

They said people with “relatively mild” respiratory infections “can effectively recover from their illness at home, or by seeking primary care treatment and/or speaking with their primary care provider.”

See the CDC guidance for RSV at https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/clinical/index. html

Researchers say the new Covid-19 variants are more spreadable, but the state’s test positivity rate slipped from 11.7% to 10.6%, and there is no indication they are more deadly than previous versions.

According to CDC data, vaccinated people made up 42% of Covid deaths in January and February 2022 during the peak of the Omicron surge, compared with 23% during the Delta surge in September 2021.

Grand Jury

On Dec. 22, the Florida Supreme Court agreed to convene a grand jury as requested by Gov. Ron DeSantis to investigate any wrongdoing with respect to Covid-19 vaccines. The grand jury will meet for one year.

Studies funded by drugmakers that developed the vaccines have been published in peer-reviewed journals, and federal regulators granted emergency use authorization after reviewing data on their safety and effectiveness.

Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo pointed out that pharmaceutical companies have not provided their data on Covid-19 vaccines to independent researchers.

DeSantis contends the drugmakers had a financial interest in creating a climate in which people believed that getting a coronavirus vaccine would ensure they would not spread the virus to others.

Fired Employees Settle

On Dec. 19, U.S. District Judge John Kness approved a $10.3 million settlement for about 500 workers fired by NorthShore University Healthsystem in Illinois for refusing to get a Covid-19 vaccine.

Each fired worker stands to receive $24,225. The named plaintiffs are in line to receive an extra $20,000.

Lawyers for Liberty Counsel, who represented the 13 initial named plaintiffs and won class action status for others, said Kness approved of the settlement verbally and will release a written judgment next week.

NorthShore in a statement wrote, “We are pleased with the Court’s approval of a supportive resolution to this matter.”

“This case should set a precedent for other employers who have violated the law by denying religious exemptions for their employees,” Harry Mihet, vice president of legal affairs for Liberty Counsel, said in a statement.

On Nov. 27, a published report by six pathologists from Heidelberg (Germany) University Hospital who performed autopsies on 25 individuals who died unexpectedly at home and within 20 days after Covid vaccination.

They found five cases where “autopsy findings indicated death due to acute arrhythmogenic cardiac failure. Thus,

myocarditis can be a potentially lethal complication following mRNA-based antiSARS-CoV-2 vaccination.”

None had signs of a pre-existing heart disease.

The study, “Autopsy-based histopathological characterization of myocarditis after anti-SARS-CoV-2-vaccination,” appeared in Clinical Research in Cardiology, official journal of the German Cardiac Society.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says on its website that deaths after COVID-19 vaccination are rare and that reports of adverse effects after vaccination, including deaths, “do not necessarily mean that a vaccine caused a health problem.”

Deaths per day in the U.S. jumped this week to 1,024, according to ycharts.com, compared to 3,000 last winter when the Delta variant raged.

Data for 2021 and 2022 show deaths peak in January.

New County Site for Mental Health Services

Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors are in the process of acquiring a two-story office at 5300 Soquel Ave., across from the Sheriff’s Office, for about $9.5 million to create new mental health facilities.

The 30,220-square-foot building, which has housed Sinsational Smile, Ifland Engineering and Santa Cruz Answering Service, would become a place for children in crisis to stabilize and 16 inpatient beds for short-term residential therapy.

County staff secured nearly $13 million in state and federal grants for the purchase. A pending $11.7 million grant could underwrite improvements for the project’s later phases.

Escrow is expected to close in May, and County Health Services Agency Director Mónica Morales hopes to open in mid-2024.

Morales said hospitals are struggling with diversion options for youth and adults.

Santa Cruz County does not have an inpatient program for youth in a mental health crisis and has been taking those youth to facilities in neighboring counties.

The county has about four chairs for crisis stabilization, offering limited comfort. The new building will create room for eight beds, more space for patients and a higher level of care.

The building, part of the Live Oak

Business Park, was built in 2001 by Swenson on a .47 acre lot.

It houses Sinsational Smile teeth whitening business and offices for Bay Federal Credit Union, which bought the building in 2005 for $7.9 million and has employees working on the second floor.

In today’s pandemic environment, so many employees are working from home that less office space is needed, and Bay Federal will consolidate staff at its headquarters in Capitola.

“We’re doing the right thing,” said Amy Ivey, Bay Federal’s vice president of marketing and development, of the sale to the county. “We’re honored to partner with them.”

Asking lease rate was $6,282 a month.

Rachael Shelton of J.R.R. Parrish Commercial, who had been showing the property to prospective subtenants and found it challenging because the zoning is “light industrial.”

Sinsational Smile, Ifland and Santa Cruz Answering Service will have their leases transfer to the county, and be able to stay until the lease expires and the county is ready to take over the space.

A substantive remodel will be needed, adding showers, bathrooms and sleeping space inside the office building.

County Administrative Officer Carlos Palacios noted that building a new building for children’s mental health services would double the overall expense. n

COMMUNITY BRIEFS

CASA’s New Program Director

Nicole Irigoyen has joined CASA of Santa Cruz County as program director. She is passionate about uplifting and upholding human rights, particularly the rights of marginalized groups.

She has previously worked to prevent gender-based violence, end the school-toprison pipeline through policy change, and create dialogue through restorative practices.

Irigoyen was prevention education director with the Monterey County Rape Crisis Center, then deputy director at Rancho Cielo, a 100-acre ranch that serves as a learning and social services center for underserved and disconnected youth in Monterey County.

She is in her final semester of obtaining dual master’s degrees in public administration and education management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.

•••

Jobs in Santa Cruz County Sector Nov. 2022 Change from Nov. 2021

Government 23,400 Up 1,300

Private education 17,800 Up 600 & health

Manufacturing 7,700 Up 200

Other 4,800 Up 200 Trade/transportation/ 16,800 Up 100 utilities

Professional/business 10,900 Up 100 services

Construction 4,900 Up 100 Information 600 0

Financial 3,300 0

Leisure/hospitality 12,600 Down 100

Nonfarm 102,800 Up 2,500 Farm 6,000 Down 300

Total 108,800 Up 2,200 ~~~

Labor force 134,500 Up .2%

Employment* 128,600 Up .8%

Unemployment 5,900 Down 10.5% Unemployment rate 4.4% 4.9%

Count is on the 12th of the month

*Includes commuters out of the county

Source: California Employment Development Department •••

Unemployment in Santa Cruz County rose from 3.6% in October to 4.9% in November as the labor force declined from 136,700 to 134,500.

Before November, unemployment has hovered around 3.8% for the three months, compared to 17+% in 2020, fueled by pandemic restrictions.

Santa Cruz Community Health and

Dientes are hiring for positions at their new complex at 1500 Capitola Road, Live Oak.

Construction, a typically higherpaying sector, is healthy with nearly 5,000 jobs. So is manufacturing, which tops 7,500 jobs. n

Nicole Irigoyen

Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz

The two-story office at 5300 Soquel Ave. is across from the Sheriff’s Office.

‘Mamma Mia!’ Onstage In January

On the eve of her wedding, a young woman’s quest to discover her father’s identity brings three men from her mother’s past back to the Greek island they last visited 20 years ago. Set to the hit songs of the Swedish pop band ABBA, “Mamma Mia!” tells the story of Sophie Sheridan and her mother, Donna, in a hilarious, “take-a-chance” tale of love, laughter and friendship as portrayed on stage by Mount Madonna School’s high school cast.

After headstrong Sophie secretly reads her mother’s journals, she narrows down her father’s identity to three possibilities. The story heats up as Sophie, unbeknownst to Donna, invites all three men to her wedding.

Performances are Friday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m., Saturday Jan. 28 at 2 p.m. and a special sing-along performance is offered on Sunday, Jan. 29 at 2 p.m. at the Hawks’ Nest Theater at Mount Madonna School. Tickets are available at mms-mammamia.brownpapertickets.com.

Adult tickets are $15; $10 for 18 and under; all seats are reserved. Tickets for the sing-along performance are $20.

The original musical premiered onstage in 1999 and was later adapted into a 2008 film starring Amanda Seyfried and Meryl Streep.

“ABBA’s music will get the audience excited and up on its feet,” commented junior Anya Gonzalez, who plays Sophie in the MMS production.

“In ‘Mamma Mia!’ there’s a universal theme of identity and the struggle revolving around finding one’s identity, which is part of human nature. Sophie is a prime example of that in that she is attempting to find her dad to fill in the missing piece of herself. Through the experience of portraying Sophie, I think I’ve learned how to be more carefree and bubbly.

“The story itself has characters who

“COVID Update” from page 7

Santa Cruz County reports 51 Covid deaths after Omicron, compared to 225 as of Dec. 15, 2021, before Omicron.

No deaths were reported in the past month, leaving the total at 276 since the pandemic began in 2020.

The last nine deaths were people who were vaccinated, according to the county dashboard, all 65 or older with medical conditions.

Tests at Home

Santa Cruz County reports 801 active Covid cases, double from a month ago.

Dr. John Swartzberg, clinical professor emeritus of infectious diseases and vaccinology at UC Berkeley School of Public Health, contends Covid case data are not valuable for monitoring the virus because so many people buy tests sold at drugstores for use at home, which escape tracking by public health officials.

The Santa Cruz County Office of Education last reported 684,700 tests with Inspire Diagnostics before the holiday.

According to the Santa Cruz Office of Education, cases in schools peaked at 4,407 on Jan. 27, 2022, and rose in the past month from 161 to 363.

The 14-day positivity rate, 12.25% in January 2022, rose in December from 1.61% to 2.71%.

Due to the holiday, the California Department of Public Health has not

updated the patient count hospitalized in Santa Cruz County with a positive Covid test.

2023 Recommendation

The CDC plans to provide a recommended vaccine schedule in 2023.

On Oct. 20, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted unanimously in favor of adding the Covid vaccine to the federal recommended immunization schedule for children and adults.

The existing schedule recommends 27 doses of vaccine between birth and age 6.

Starting at 6 months, children should get the Covid vaccine, plus boosters, the committee said.

The committee heard Dr. Tom Shimabukuro report the death of a boy 13 days after his first dose of Pfizer Covid vaccine. The autopsy showed the cause of death was heart inflammation known as myocarditis; tests found no evidence of viral infection.

The death was reported to the federal Vaccine Adverse Effects Reporting System, and verified by the CDC. Committee members determined Covid vaccine benefits outweigh the risks.

The CDC said its recommendation is not a mandate, with the decision up to states, counties and municipal officials.

California’s SB 277 requires students be vaccinated to attend public school; no exemptions for personal belief. Homeschoolers are exempt.

are all longing for something bigger than themselves and I think that’s something that high school students can all relate to,” continued Gonzalez. “It also sends the message that it’s important to let loose from your everyday life and be a little bit more carefree. The show completely counters the idea of the hustle culture that is prominent in today’s society.”

Mount Madonna’s high school performing arts program includes all students; grades nine through twelve.

“The arts are a marvelous place for a community to gather, and in the spirit of creativity and collaboration, we are pleased to see the student cast “own” this story, embrace the soundtrack and entertain us with their inspired movin’ and groovin’,” commented Director Chelsea Otterness.

Director Seán Boulware agreed.

“We are thrilled that MMS high school students chose “Mamma Mia!” as their winter production,” said Boulware. “It has wonderful themes and music that takes you back to the golden age of disco and ABBA. What a joy to be part of this stellar production.” n •••

“Mamma Mia!” music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, with additional lyrics by Stig Anderson. “Mamma Mia!” was originally produced in London by Judy Craymer, Richard East and Björn Ulvaeus for Littlestar in association with Universal. Additional Material & Arrangements by Martin Koch. Music published by Universal Music Publishing Group and EMI Grove Park Music Inc. and EMI Waterford Music Inc. “Mamma Mia!” is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.

Local information: www.santacruz health.org/coronavirus or (831) 454-4242 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon. through Fri. n •••

Santa Cruz County

In hospital with positive Covid test: 28 Intensive care: 2 •••

COVID Deaths: 276

As of Dec. 17 Age

85 and older: 121 • 75-84: 64 • 65-74: 49 60-64: 15 • 55-59: 4 • 45-54: 10

35-44: 8 • 25-34: 5

Underlying Conditions

Yes: 226 • No: 50 Vaccinated

Yes: 39 • No: 237 Race

White 163 • Latinx 90 • Asian 16 • Black 3 Amer Indian 1 • Hawaiian 1 • Another 2 Gender

Men: 140 • Women: 136 Location

At facility for aged: 118 Not at a facility: 158

Decarbonizing Requires All-Electric Homes

To mitigate the impacts of climate change, starting Jan. 1, 2023, the County of Santa Cruz will require all new residential construction in urban unincorporated areas to be designed with permanent sources of electricity as the only form of energy.

“This is a major first step in our ongoing efforts to reduce our carbon footprint from the built environment,” said David Reid, the County’s director of the Office of Response,Recovery and Resilience. “Through our Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, we can achieve

carbon neutrality and protect the planet for future generations by taking more actions to decarbonize our lives like this one.”

The rules, adopted Nov. 15, 2022 as part of a State Building Code update, do not affect construction in Capitola, Scotts Valley, Watsonville or the city of Santa Cruz.

Electricity is required for all forms of energy consumption in homes, including heating and cooling, cooking appliances, water heating including pools and spas, and clothes dryers.

The rules apply to all newly constructed residential developments, including residential areas of mixeduse projects, multi-family, single-family and accessory dwelling units within the urban services line.

The rules do not apply to non-residential buildings, non-residential sections of mixed-usebuildings, or buildings outside the County’s urban services line.

Nor do they apply to existing or permitted residential buildings or CZU Fire rebuilds in San Lorenzo Valley and Bonny Doon, which are outside the urban services line. n

Supportive Housing on the Way In Soquel

Contruction is underway at 2838 Park Ave., Soquel, to build Park Haven Plaza, a three-story building with 32 one-bedroom apartments and four twobedroom apartments for veterans, foster youth aged out of the system and families at risk of being homeless.

EECAR is doing the undergrounding work now.

The developer is 2838 Park Ave. LP, affiliated with Novin Development of Walnut Creek.

The cost is projected to be $19 million, funded by state, county and private sources.

Modular units built off site are expected to speed up construction time and lower the carbon footprint.

Completion is projected for June 2023, according to developer Iman Novin.

This is supportive housing with an on-site manager, and assistance from nonprofit Abode Servcies of Fremont o help residents apply for services such as healthcare, education, and food.

The project received $10.7 million in from the state’s Homekey program created By Gov. Newsom.

All told, Homekey has awarded $2.753 billion to create 12,676 housing units across California.

In December, Homekey awarded $36 milliuon statewide, including $2.4 million to the County of San Benito to buy 11 factory-built homes and $2.2 million to the County of Santa Cruz to adapt a former medical office in the city of Santa Cruz into two studio and five one-bedroom units.

The Department of Housing and Community Development will release a third round of Homekey funds in early 2023.

“Aptos Youth” from page 6

So far, they have done episodes on the environment, social media, interviewed elected officials including Congressman Jimmy Panetta and Supervisor Zach Friend, and had many more insightful discussions. The podcast is a fun way for youth to connect with people in their community and share their ideas in a fun and collaborative way.

Youth programs not only open opportunities for the students to meet up with other kids but also with caring adults. With this,

For information, visit hcd.ca.gov and the Homekey Awards Dashboard where Homekey project awards are tracked by dollar totals, project type, progress and region.

not only do the adults support the kids, they support each other. For the Aptos Community Youth Program, Freeman is that adult.

“Actually a lot of adult-led organizations…need youth,” says Freeman on why there is a common misconception around youth just needing adults.

This connection creates a strong and connected community in Aptos.

Especially during the pandemic, Aptos Community Youth Program provided an essential role in creating a lot of chances for Aptos youth to experience new things in a group even during a disconnected time.

“The program has given me opportunities through events and trainings that I believe I wouldn’t have found on my own,” says Aptos Community Youth Program member Michelle Zapata. She says it strengthened her leadership and her communication skills.

These skills are very valuable to the future of youth and provide backbone skills like interviewing, managing, and problemsolving -- all of these skills open doors for careers and a better future for the youth.

Freeman added, “I think it’s helpful to just to have a program where you can

try something…that’s how it prepares you because it helps you kind of discern that voice within yourself that’s like ‘who am I?’...that’s why I try to offer a wide variety of things in our program as much as we can.”

Aptos Community Youth Program acts as a never-ending outlet for youth to figure themselves out and gain confidence in doing that through a safe and fun group. n •••

For information, see aptoscommunity youthprogram.org or check Instagram @ aptoscommunityyouth.

Dr. Vasavi Chinnam, a dentist, maintains the office at 2340 Park Ave., Soquel. Thrive Natural Medicine, a holistic medicine practitioner that had shared that site, has moved to Aptos at 36 Seascape Village. n

Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz

The first step in building housing at 2838 Park Ave. is undergrounding.

Janus of Santa Cruz New Board Members

Janus of Santa Cruz announces three new board members who will help expand substance use disorder treatment services in Santa Cruz County. They are: Ana Ventura Phares, Freny Cooper, and Angela Chesnut.

The Santa Cruz County SheriffCoroner’s Office reported 57 acute drug-related deaths in 2019, then 61 in 2020 and 95 in 2021. This year, from January to September this year, there were 64 such deaths.

The increase is due to highly addictive methamphetamine and more recently poisonings, in which pills, often ordered online, are tainted by deadly fentanyl. Fentanyl deaths have risen from five in 2019 to 19 in 2020, then 42 in 2021. From January to September this year, there were 39.

Ventura Phares, an attorney, is a native to Santa Cruz County and the first Latina mayor of Watsonville in its over 100-year history. She is the executive director of Catholic Charities, development consultant for the Siena House (Maternity Home) of Santa Cruz,

former Equal Employment Opportunity officer with the County of Santa Cruz for 22 years and is the human resources consultant and workplace trainer for Sloan, Sakai, Yeung and Wong, LLP. She has prior board experience with Dignity Health Foundation, O’Neill Sea Odyssey and the United Way. She will assist Janus with strategic resourcing .

Cooper is the former chief operating officer and broadband director at Monterey Bay Economic Partnership. Her background is in tech and Fortune

500 companies with a focus on growth strategies, revenue generation, customer acquisition /retention, brand building, and change management. She is a consultant at CTC technology and Energy. Her nonprofit board experience includes Community Foundation Santa Cruz County and Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History Santa Cruz. She will help lead the finance committee.

Chesnut, who has national fundraising expertise and a passion for social justice, is the former district director

for Senator John Laird, supervising and directing staff in the Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Luis Obispo offices. She also has been an analyst for the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. She will focus on strategic resourcing and fundraising at Janus.

Janus Board Chair Edison A. Jensen said the organization “is very fortunate to have such highly qualified and remarkable members of our community join us in fighting the war against addiction.” n

Janus of Santa Cruz was founded in 1976 by Dr. Robert G O’Brient, who introduced a highly effective approach for treating alcoholism.

Janus became a private nonprofit and has expanded over the years to serve 2,500+ clients annually.

Care includes a medically supervised detox unit, inpatient and outpatient treatment, perinatal services, DUI education, medication-assisted treatment, mental health services and supervised “Sober Living Environment” housing.

Angela Chesnut

Freny Cooper

Ana Ventura Phares

Joe ortiz MeMoir: episodes & recipes

Joe

The Capitola Soquel Times is sharing the exclusive publication of various episodes from the book — including a recipe that helps shape each installment. Below is a reprint of the latest recipe.

The idea of weaving anecdotes

about food with an ongoing narrative came to Joe after reading Heartburn by Nora Ephron.

“Using recipe descriptions to help tell a story seemed the perfect way to weave the angst of a father’s chaotic life with the salvation of a mother’s cooking,” Ortiz explains. “For me, the soothing aromas and descriptions of my mom’s food became the salve to assuage my father’s abusive actions, and the ironic humor of it all helped to dull the pain.” n

Braciola — Stuffed Skirt Steak

Serves: 4

This recipe is linked to the time Dad fixed the knife cut on Eddie Ryan’s shoes by gluing ground shoe leather into the crack, then — according to my Uncle Johnny — grinding it down so “the naked eye couldn’t tell da difference.” It was the same night we caught Johnny bragging about his secret technique for adding the egg.

But now I’m realizing no one uses egg at all, it was just Johnny’s penchant for fictional elaboration (read “lying”) in telling a story.

1 skirt steak weighing 1 1/2 pounds Salt and pepper to taste

5 to 6 slices of Prosciutto ½ cup chopped spinach ½ cup chopped parsley

6 cloves garlic, minced fine 3/4 cup breadcrumbs

1 ½ cup grated Parmesan 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter

2 (28 ounce) cans Italian plum tomatoes. (To prep the tomatoes, sauté 6 cloves of garlic, minced, in a few tablespoons of olive oil, add the tomatoes and simmer with a little water for a few hours over low heat, stirring frequently.)

•••

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the steak between 2 pieces of wax paper and, pound until it’s about ¼ inch thick (thin as possible). The steak should measure about 6 to 7 inches wide by 20 inches long. Set aside.

Poach the spinach in a little pan

of hot water over low to medium heat for a few minutes. When cool, squeeze it try with your hands.

Heat the butter in a skillet and sauté the garlic until translucent. Let cool.

In a medium bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, parsley, spinach, and until well blended.

Lay the steak out on a flat surface, fat side down, and cover the meat with the prosciutto slices, then about a ¾-inchthick layer of the filling.

The mixture should be an inch or so from the back edge, and then roll it into a log of about 2 inches in diameter.

Secure with toothpicks (tying with kitchen twine is best). Heat the olive oil and butter in a casserole pan large enough to hold the log (or cut in 8-inch lengths to accommodate) and fry the meat until brown on all sides (4 to 5 minutes).

Pour 4 to 6 cups of the tomato sauce over the meat and bake in the 350-degree oven for 1 hour 30 minutes.

Let the logs cool ten minutes, then slice and serve with some of the sauce on top. n

Ortiz’s memoir, Pastina — My Father’s Misfortune, My Mother’s Good Soup, became the framework for the musical Escaping Queens, which ran at Cabrillo Stage in 2012 and 2013.

CALIFORNIA

Put Opioid Antidote on College Campuses

As California students head back to public colleges and universities in the new year, the California Department of Public Health is working to provide students with greater access to the life-saving drug Naloxone in case of a suspected opioid overdose.

Deadly fentanyl is taking many lives as young people, used to ordering everything online, order pills online to ease stress and help them sleep and get deliveries of a product tainted by a killer drug.

According the Santa Cruz County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office, 2019 saw 57 drugrelated deaths, 61 in 2020 and 95 in 2021, with 64 from January to September in 2022.

Coroner Stephany Fiore said there were five fentanyl deaths in 2019, then 19 in 2020, and 42 in 2021 with 39 in first nine months of this year.

Warning students and faculty about the dangers of fentanyl and opioid abuse could help them keep their students alive — 46% of overdose deaths nationwide could have been prevented simply with a bystander getting involved, according to recent data posted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CDPH is working with college and universities statewide to deliver materials for use during orientation to build awareness of Naloxone, a life-saving medication used in an emergency to treat a known or suspected opioid overdose.

These efforts are made possible in part by the Campus Opioid Safety Act (Senate Bill 367), which provides the federally approved opioid overdose reversal medication on campus at no cost and takes effect Jan. 1, 2023.

The law requires participation by the California State University system

and California Community Colleges, and requests participation by the University of California system.

“Some colleges already make Naloxone and overdose education a top priority, said State Public Health Officer and CDPH Director Dr. Tomás Aragón. “Our goal is to continue supporting them while also breaking additional barriers and stigma that may be preventing us from talking about overdose and keeping students alive.”

Colleges and universities can order Naloxone at no cost through the Department of Health Care Services Naloxone Distribution Project. The life-saving drug is provided at no cost to the institution with federal and state funding.

“Far too many families have had to bury their loved ones after they’ve overdosed on opioids,” said State Sen. Melissa Hurtado of Bakersfield. “This is unacceptable, and while more must be done, I am proud to have authored Senate Bill 367 — the Campus Opioid Safety Act. One death is one too many, and SB 367 helps ensure that life-saving medication is available to prevent these senseless deaths.”

Preliminary California data indicates there were 6,843 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2021, and 5,722 were related to fentanyl, which can often lead to a fatal overdose. n

Resources

To obtain naloxone at no cost, see https:// www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/sapb/ Pages/Campus-Opioid-Safety-Act.aspx

To stop a drug overdose, see https:// www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OPA/Pages/ Communications-Toolkits/Fentanyl-OverdosePrevention.aspx

Helping Job-Seeking Veterans

The California Employment Development Department recognizes and honors all military veterans for their service to our country.

While in the military, a veteran gains valuable skills and experience and the EDD is here to help maximize on those gains. The agency, which has an office in Capitola at 2045 40th Ave., offers resources for veterans to meet their career and employment goals to successfully transition from military service to a civilian career.

A recent success story is Andre Samayoa.

A working with fellow veterans following his discharge from the military, Andre Samayoa found himself unemployed in October 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He decided to seek help from America’s Job Center of California in Capitola as he began looking for a new job.

“As a veteran, he was referred to the Jobs for Veterans State Grant program, or JVSG, and was assigned to an EDD program representative Amy Vradenburg,” said Alan Burrafato, manager at the Capitola AJCC office.

An assessment determined that Samayoa would benefit from support with resume development, job searching, and mock interview practice.

“Andre was motivated and very focused on finding a job,” said Vradenburg. “He took advantage of all the tools we provided to help him with his job applications and subsequent interviews.”

At the job center, Samayoa also took advantage of labor data available and information on job openings to concentrate his job search around his home in Santa Cruz County.

“The help they gave me was very important in finding a job,” said Samayoa.

He applied for a job at the Service, Employment and Redevelopment Jobs

for Progress National, Inc. in Watsonville, a national network of community-based organizations that offers assistance to disadvantaged communities. He was called in for an interview, and was hired in November 2021 as a regional director for their National Farmworker Jobs Program.

Samayoa now oversees staff in Santa Barbara, Imperial, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties.

Samayoa partially credits his past experience assisting people in connecting with employment programs and services, but is also very grateful to the Capitola AJCC and its staff for their invaluable assistance, such as providing tips on interviews and preparation on how to answer specific behavioral and situational questions. He said the interview training made a positive impact on his confidence while he was answering questions from upper management during his job interview.

Samayoa is thankful for the “encouragement and counsel” from the center’s program representatives. n •••

Veterans who are job-hunting can call 831-464-6286.

Andre Samoyoa

Medals for Caltrans Heroes

In November, four heroic Caltrans employees received the Governor’s State Employee Medal of Valor Award, the highest honor California bestows on its public servants.

Caltrans equipment operator Travis Sutton earned the Medal of Valor for his heroic actions to save the life of a woman after her vehicle went over a snow-covered embankment in Butte County in March 2021, performing a dangerous rescue down steep terrain in extremely cold weather.

Caltrans highway maintenance leadworker Matthew Piña received the Medal of Valor for saving a man’s life by dissuading him from jumping off the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in January 2021.

Caltrans highway maintenance worker Ryan Aguirre earned the Medal of Valor for saving his coworker when an errant vehicle was speeding out of

control toward them in November 2020. Aguirre risked his own safety by pulling his coworker out from under their maintenance truck just before the crash occurred and, following the collision, offered aid to those injured.

Caltrans equipment operator James Burkhouse received the Medal of Valor for his efforts while off duty to save a man’s life when he came across a head-on collision that had occurred in rural San Bernardino County in April 2020. Burkhouse used his experience as a former paramedic to assist the injured driver.

“Our colleagues Travis, Matthew, Ryan, and James performed brave, selfless acts, putting their own lives at risk to help save the lives of others,” said Caltrans Director Tony Tavares.

More than 700 state employees have received the award since it was created in 1959. n

Clockwise from top left: Travis Sutton, Matthew Piña, Ryan Aguirre and James Burkhouse.

Bobbie Frandeen

First Day Hikes

Big Basin Redwoods State Park will be part of the First Day Hikes program on Jan. 1. Join staff for a hike up to one of Big Basin’s lookouts as part of the First Day Hikes program!

This is a fun-for-all hike with some incline up to the summit. Participants will go at an enjoyable pace and stop along the way to smell the flowers they may come across. Participants will see an overview of the park post-2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire and learn about the park’s flora and fauna.

Once reaching the summit, ocean views will be amazing if it is a clear day. Parking for the first day hike is through the park’s reservation system and must be made 24 hours prior to arrival at https:// www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30737

On Dec. 23, Big Basin reopened an additional four miles of roads and trails.

Visitors on foot can explore the newly renovated Meteor Trail, a one-mile segment of Skyline to the Sea Trail, and dog-friendly access along the first mile of North Escape Road.

The first mile of Sunset Trail is finishing reconstruction and is expected to

open sometime next month. Redwood Loop and Dool Trail, both which opened in the summer, are also available to visitors.

About 20 miles of multiuse fire roads near the historic park core remain open to hiking and biking. The Big Basin Redwoods State Park webpage at https:// www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=540 contains a map detailing new trail access.

Services in the park remain limited; there is no cell phone coverage, running water, or electricity.

“We are pushing to reopen fire damaged trail segments in Big Basin as they are safely reconstructed and look forward to welcoming more visitors in 2023,” said Santa Cruz District Superintendent Chris Spohrer. “These newly opened trails offer

a novel window to witness the remarkable recovery of the ancient forest – come visit and enjoy!”

•••

Since Big Basin reopened to the public on July 22, more than 16,000 people have visited through the online parking reservation system created and operated by nonprofit partner Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks. Visitors must make a reservation online in advance to guarantee access to the limited parking area.

The amount of parking available by reservation on a daily basis has nearly doubled, according to Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks Executive Director Bonny Hawley.

Most spaces of the 100 spaces offered daily are available up to 60 days in advance, while a limited number of reservations are released three days before the visit date. Entry is $6, plus a $2 reservation fee for daylong access. State Parks day-use passes and other park entry programs are honored with a reservation, including the Golden Bear Park Pass, which provides free access to state parks for families receiving CalWORKS benefits. n

2022 First Day Hikes participants on a snowy trail at Calaveras Big Trees State Park

My Samsung Dishwasher Stopped Working. Can I Get a Refund?

By Christopher Elliott

Jason Blanke’s Samsung dishwasher stops working after less than three years. And Samsung can’t seem

My Samsung dishwasher, which is less than three years old, recently started to leak and would not operate.

I called Samsung, and although the dishwasher is out of warranty, they agreed to cover any parts needed so long as I pay for the $200 service call. I agreed.

A Samsung technician came to my home and replaced a part. However, after a couple of weeks, the dishwasher stopped working again.

A technician returned, inspected the appliance, and told me the dishwasher needed “a few additional parts.” He said he would come back to install them.

But nobody came. When I called the service company handling the installation,

a representative said Samsung had canceled the service call. Samsung said they could not get the parts.

I then asked to be transferred to the department handling exchanges. A representative told me Samsung couldn’t exchange the dishwasher because it was out of warranty.

I am demanding Samsung give me a refund or exchange. I agreed to pay for the service call because they agreed to cover the parts. Otherwise, I would have just bought a new dishwasher. Can you help me?

— Jason Blanke, Parsippany, N.J.

Your dishwasher shouldn’t have broken down after just three years.

The average dishwasher lasts about a decade, with some minor repairs needed after five years. Even though your Samsung appliance was out of warranty, the company should have found a way to get you a working dishwasher quickly.

When you notified Samsung that the dishwasher broke again, it should have kept you posted on the parts instead of canceling your service visit without telling you.

Technically, Samsung is right. Your dishwasher is out of warranty, and the company owes you nothing. It repaired your dishwasher as agreed and had it working, and then the appliance broke again. Samsung has no liability.

But you don’t have to be a consumer advocate to look at this situation and know that it’s wrong. The dishwasher should have lasted longer than three years. The repair you paid for should have given you another eight years of life on the appliance — not a few weeks. Who cares what the warranty says?

A brief, polite email to one of the Samsung executives I list on my consumer advocacy site at https://www.elliott.org/ company-contacts/samsung might have convinced the company to help. I also publish a few exclusive strategies on how to fix a consumer problem at https://www. elliott.org/answers/ how-to-fix-your-ownconsumer-problem/ that might be helpful.

I contacted Samsung on your behalf. A representative reached out to you and agreed to refund the $700 you paid for your ailing dishwasher. 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.

2023 Warden Stamp

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s 2023 Warden Stamp, available for purchase online, features the lingcod, a member of the greenling family and an important native marine species in the state’s recreational and commercial fisheries.

These fisheries support tens of thousands of jobs within the state and are essential to California’s coastal communities.

For more than a decade, the stamp has celebrated a native California species, and members of the hunting, fishing and outdoor community have shown their support by buying the stamp for $5. Funds go toward better equipment and training for wildlife officers.

The lingcod image was digitally hand painted by CDFW staff member, Sarah Guerere, using digital watercolor brushes. The fish resembles those found off California’s coast, with gray and purple markings.

Since 1871, CDFW’s wildlife officers, also known as wardens, have been the department’s “boots on the ground” when it comes to protecting the state’s many plants and animal species, like the lingcod. They patrol on foot, by plane, boats, horseback and in a variety of vehicles.

“The 2023 Warden Stamp celebrates Californians’ commitment to helping CDFW manage California’s diverse fish, wildlife and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend,” said David Bess, CDFW deputy director and chief of the Law Enforcement Division. n •••

To buy the stamp, visit www. ca.wildlifelicense.com/InternetSales. Scroll to bottom and click “Continue as Guest.” Then click on “2022 Warden Stamps” under the Menu tab. Add stamps from the line that reads “Warden Stamp Decal — 2022 Edition” and follow prompts.

SCC Business Council Taps Zoë Carter

On Dec. 12, the Santa Cruz County Business Council announced Zoë Carter as the new executive, succeeding Emily Ham, who left after a year and half to relocate to Maine.

Carter garnered much of her experience in Monterey County, where she worked at the Panetta Institute, Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Naval Postgraduate School and most recently director of operations at the Monterey County Business Council.

She was a candidate for the Monterey City Council in 2020 and in 2022, the 30th State Assembly District which now spans from Live Oak in Santa Cruz County to San Luis Obispo County.

In 2011, while working on her master’s degree, she was an intern for First Lady Michelle Obama.

Carter is “highly experienced in government affairs and economic development in Monterey Bay,” said Melissa Whatley, SCCBC board chair and executive director of government and community relations for UC Santa Cruz. “The Santa Cruz County Business Council is fortunate to have found a leader with such skill, foresight and commitment to her community.”

Jesse Bristow of Swenson Builders, which is building Aptos Village, is vice chair.

The Santa Cruz County Business Council represents employers sharing the mission of making Santa Cruz County a better place to live, work and do business.

Key issue areas include housing, transportation, workforce, water infrastructure, and broadband. n •••

To learn more, contact Zoë Carter at zcarter@sccbusinesscouncil.

Zoë Carter

Judge Paul Marigonda: (1960~2022)

Amemorial service to celebrate the life of Paul Mario Marigonda will take place at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 7, at Holy Cross Church in Santa Cruz.

He passed away Dec. 10 at home surrounded by his family and his beloved canine companion, Duke. He died 15 months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

A first-generation American, Paul was the son of Laura and Cesare Marigonda of Trieste, Italy.

Italian was his first language; Paul was extremely proud of his Italian heritage. He spoke with his relatives in Italy on a daily basis.

Born in Oakland on May 9, 1960, he graduated from Skyline High School in 1978 and the University of California at Berkeley in 1982, where he studied political science, which became a lifelong passion. He was a proud Cal Bear and rarely missed a home football game.

He received his juris doctorate from Golden Gate University in 1986, then started his legal work at New and Kay in San Francisco. In 1989, he started a long career at the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office, where many treasured lifelong friendships were born.

He felt he had more to give to his community and decided to run for a seat on the Scotts Valley City Council in 2000, serving as mayor in 2005. In 2006, he left the City Council when he was appointed to the Santa Cruz County Superior Court.

He was passionate about his work as a judge, presiding over many different types of cases including criminal, civil, probate, and family law.

My Child Missed School Due to Illness. How to Catch Up?

My family goes to the Wellness Center each week. Will it be open during the break?

PVUSD is ensuring that the Family Engagement and Wellness Center at 530 Palm Ave. in Watsonville is open for our families during the winter break so students and families can continue to receive services. Here are the dates and times in January when the Family Engagement and Wellness Center will be open:

• Jan. 4, 5, 6 (11 am-7 pm)

• Jan. 7 (9 am-4 pm) with mass food distribution (9 am-11 am)

We are going out of the country for the next few weeks for Christmas. My son has some late work he has to submit to his teachers. Can he bring his Chromebook with him? Will it work in Mexico?

Once a PVUSD Chromebook is checked out to a student it is theirs to use as long as they remain a student in the district. They keep the same device even when they move from one PVUSD school to another school.

PVUSD is committed to supporting student learning during winter, spring, and summer breaks, so we allow students to hold onto their Chromebooks and encourage them to continue working in assigned instructional applications and to enroll in winter and summer instructional programs when possible.

PVUSD students can take their Chromebooks out of the country and they will work normally as long as they are able to connect to an available WiFi internet connection.

As always, it is very important for students to take very good care of their Chromebook and power adapter and make sure to protect it from damage, especially while traveling. They should never take off the protective cover for any reason.

Are there any travel restrictions for this year for the winter break? Are there guidelines that students and staff should follow? This year, there are no state or federal travel restrictions. We do encourage all families and staff to utilize the home test kits provided and to follow the California Department of Public Health Winter Virus Protection recommendations:

This Winter season, celebrate and gather in ways that limit the spread of

respiratory viruses like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), flu, and Covid-19.

Follow these five tips to protect yourself and others:

• Get Vaccinated, Boosted (and Treated) — Flu and Covid-19 vaccines continue to be your best defense to limit severe illness and death — and you can get both at the same time. If you test positive for Covid-19, contact your doctor or a test-to-treat site immediately to seek treatment. Treatments work best when started right after symptoms begin.

• Stay Home if You’re Sick and Test for Covid — Staying home when you’re sick slows the spread of flu, RSV, and Covid-19. Remember to test for Covid and contact your doctor immediately if you’re positive to discuss treatment options.

• Wear a Mask — There is no vaccine for RSV, so wearing a mask can significantly slow the spread and protect babies and young children who do not yet have immunity and are too young to wear a mask themselves. Wearing a mask in indoor public places is a good way to limit the spread of germs.

• Wash Your Hands — Frequent handwashing, with soap and warm water — for at least 20 seconds, is an easy and very effective way to prevent getting sick and spreading germs.

• Cover Your Cough or Sneeze — Remember to cough or sneeze into your elbow, your arm, or a disposable tissue to help prevent the spread of winter viruses. Just make sure to wash your hands or sanitize and dispose of your tissue after.

Why is the district spending tons of money on sending home Covid tests if they are not going to accept the results for them anyway? My child tested positive with a home test, and we are being asked to go to the district to get an official positive test. When someone tests negative with the home test, we are also asked to go to the district to get an official test before we can return to school. So what is the point of having home tests if you do not recognize their results whether positive or negative? Why waste money on them?

PVUSD receives the Covid tests free from the State and does not pay for any of the take-home tests.

The take-home tests are being used to safeguard our students, staff and community by providing them with a recent result to help them determine if they can safely return to school.

If a student or staff member is symptomatic or receives a positive test result, they do not need to test again at the Inspire testing sites until after their symptoms improve and the sixth day of quarantine.

Will Covid testing be available during winter break? What about vaccines?

Watsonville Veterans Building

215 East Beach St, Watsonville Sun-Thurs 7am-3pm (excluding major holidays)

Closed on Friday and Saturday Santa Cruz County Government Building 701 Ocean St., Santa Cruz Mon-Fri 7am-3pm

Testing

will continue to be available for all PVUSD students and staff during winter break.

The most current schedule and locations for testing: https://covid19test. santacruzcoe.org/ or call 831-466-5904 to confirm testing and locations during winter break and on any significant rain days.

Inspire drive-thru testing schedule for Pajaro Valley District Office:

• 294 Green Valley Rd, Watsonville

• Mon., Tues., Thurs. and Fri. 9-4 pm; Wed. 9-5 pm

• Reopens Tues. Jan. 3- Fri. Jan. 6

• Normal testing schedule resumes the week of Jan. 9th, 2023 (M/T/Th/Fri at 9 am-4 pm and Wed. 9 am-5 pm; closed on weekends)

Inspire drive-thru testing schedule for:

• Santa Cruz COE, 399 Encinal St, Santa Cruz (near Costco)

• Cabrillo College, 6500 Soquel Dr, Aptos

• Hours for both locations: Mon., Tues., Thurs. and Fri. 9-4 pm; Wed. 9-5 pm and Sat. 9-2 pm

• Reopens Tues. Jan. 3, 2023- Sat. Jan. 7th, 2023

• Normal testing schedule resumes the week of Jan. 9

For additional information on age eligibility and registration for Covid-19 vaccines & boosters, as well as flu shots, please visit: https://santacruzcoe.org/vaccines/

Additional Testing

Hi Dr. Rodriguez, I hope you have been staying healthy through this terrible season of illnesses. My question is, what are schools doing, in particular high schools, to support students who have missed school due to illness, and struggling to catch up.

My daughter is still behind from the last quarter. She has been sick for over a month. Also, she has had orthodontist, dentist, and counseling appointments (private, since she does not qualify for school counseling.). She is such a bright student, but has been struggling in her first year in high school. It makes me sad, because she has hopes and dreams about college, but with all of the sickness, it seems like it will be so hard to catch up, and get her GPA where it needs to be. What is the district doing? What are the schools doing? I have reached out to admin, teachers, psychologist, and her pediatrician. Even with all of these people on board, I just do not see any support being implemented. She has been attending after school tutoring,but no change in her grades. Help me, please. :)

The illnesses have picked up and we are seeing a slight upward trend in the number of student absences. At the high school, all 9th grade students have access to a 24 hour tutoring program called Paper.

Resources

The following testing locations, operated by OptumServe, offer free PCR testing for Influenza A & B, and Covid-19.

All OptumServe sites are walk-in, no appointment needed and no charge.

Questions for OptumServe? Call 888-6341-1123

The school site administration can help with the logistical information for your daughter to access this specific tutoring. Additionally, in case you were not accessing in person tutoring on site, tutoring is offered in the College and Career Centers and Learning Hubs during school days. If your daughter received a D or an F in a class, she can redo the class through credit recovery using programs such as Edgenuity or APEX learning.

Q&A With Dr. Michelle Rodriguez, Superintendent, Pajaro Valley Unified School District

FEATURED COLUMNIST

CARE: A Vision for 2023

By Carla Christensen, President, Soquel Creek Water District Board of Directors

Iam honored to welcome a New Year and begin my first term as Board President of the Soquel Creek Water District. We enter 2023 with a list of goals and objectives that are consistent with the District’s mission to provide our community with a safe, high-quality, reliable, and sustainable water supply.

I will focus on four areas summarized in an acronym: CARE — Collaboration, Adaptation, Resiliency, Economics/Environment. CARE embodies the principles behind the mission of the Soquel Creek Water District and its Board: to truly care about our community, our water, our economy, and our environment.

Collaboration

Collaboration with our neighboring communities and agencies remains a fundamental priority for 2023 and we will continue to work together on a variety of regional water-supply topics such as water transfers and recycled water.

The District is among the four agency members of the Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater

Agency charged with managing the groundwater Basin to ensure that water users have access to a safe and reliable groundwater supply that meets current and future Basin demand.

The District understands that regional solutions are critical to managing the health of the entire Basin, not just the portion that lies within the District’s boundaries.

We appreciate the continued collaboration with the City and County of Santa Cruz, City of Capitola, Central Water District, local community groups and with our customers!

Adaptation

The Pure Water Soquel (PWS) project, which will protect our water supply from seawater intrusion and allow us to replenish the aquifer with purified recycled water, is currently under construction, and

is a prime example of how the District is adapting.

Once the project is complete and operational, the District will transform from being solely a water district that extracts groundwater to serve its customers into a full-fledged groundwater replenishment district that will also be putting purified water back into the basin.

Resiliency

Climate change is testing everyone’s resiliency, and the District is committed to maintaining its efforts to adapt to climate change and its impacts.

As a water provider, preparing for drought and long-term water-supply shortages is one of our top priorities. When completed, PWS will provide a reliable, sustainable, and droughtresilient water supply that prepares our community for the impacts of a changing climate.

The PWS project, one of our key resiliency projects, was designed with the capability to double its purified water production capacity from its initial 1.3 million gallons per day to 2.6 million gallons per day in the future, should the need for additional water and suitable economic conditions exist.

The District has and will continue to discuss potential expansion needs with the Cities of Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley, and the Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Agency. In 2022, a state grant was awarded to our region to conduct a study on the feasibility of expansion of the PWS project and the study may begin as soon as this year.

Economics/Environment

Ibelieve that we can be good stewards of the environment and also support a healthy, vibrant economy. Our District’s mission includes a commitment to operating in an “environmentally sensitive and economically responsible manner.” Our Board fully supports transparency and community involvement.

This year we will once again be appointing a Rate Committee made up of interested customers to understand the rate setting process and make recommendations on upcoming water rate adjustments.

I was the chair of the Rate Committee during the District’s last rate-setting process and the experience educated me and my fellow committee members about all the factors that go into the rate-setting process, and reinforced my understanding of the value of water to our community.

We will strive to help ratepayers understand how their money is being spent and the work that District staff carries out every day to ensure that safe, reliable drinking water is being delivered.

I would like to acknowledge the community for its support and thank you for your confidence in the direction we are headed as a Board and District.

Finally, please remember that I CARE deeply and personally about water and our community. I am proud to be part of your Board of Directors and optimistic that the New Year will provide all of us — customers, staff, and community at-large and your Board — with opportunities to work together in meaningful ways to provide a safe and reliable water supply that supports our environment and economy. Thank you and best wishes for safe and abundant water in 2023! n

Carla Christensen has been on the SqCWD Board of Directors since 2014. She is a resident of Capitola and is a retired environmental scientist. Carla has been an active community member in the mid-county area for over 25 years and has served on the Board of the Capitola Junior Guard program for more than a decade and was a founding member of the Friends of Soquel Creek.

Pure Water Soquel project construction

For freshman, credit recovery can take place during intersession (the next three weeks) or during the summer. If you are interested in one of the options, please have your daughter reach out to their counselor or site administration.

Lastly, if you have not been able to develop a plan for your daughter to feel more successful, please reach out to our Secondary Assistant Superintendent, Lisa Aguerria at lisa_aguerria@pvusd.net.

How is the District able to fund such Saturday events to the Monterey Bay Aquarium like you had last week? Are you using general fund for that could be used for teacher salaries?

AAllschool districts in California received Expanded Learning Opportunity funding to provide additional after-school, weekend, winter intersession and summer school enrichment programs to transitional kindergarten through sixth grade students.

One of the requirements of the funding is to provide 30 additional days of enrichment and/or instruction outside of the regular school year.

Last year, when we surveyed our students, staff and families, of the 915 responses received, 87% of students and families named educational field trips as their top request as well as 86% of staff. Therefore, when we planned the six additional Saturdays, we identified educational locations around our District where our students and families would benefit from visiting, such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but often do not have the financial resources to do so.

The Saturday events are funded out of Expanded Learning Opportunity funding with no support from the general fund. The funding is also supporting teachers who select to work with the after school program with the higher pay of $70 an hour.

We loved the trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Do you have any more Saturdays planned? When will they be?

Do you know where they will be yet?

Expanded Learning has two more Saturdays scheduled. ELO-P Intersession Pajaro Passport Days 5 and 6 which will occur February 25, 2023 & March 18, 2023.

Aligned with our Expanded Learning Opportunities Program Plan, Intersession Saturdays are intended to be available to TK-6th grade students, however, our Intersessions Saturday have many opportunities available for the whole family. On both Passport Day 5 and 6 there will be Camp WOW with the City of Watsonville (TK-6), YMCA Enrichment Camp (K-6), Science Workshop, and a Wetlands Restoration Day.

Our PVUSD Parent Conference will

take place on February 25, 2023 and will be full of rich workshop opportunities for parents. After the conference, join Expanded Learning and The City of Watsonville for a fun afternoon roller skating together in downtown Watsonville.

The City of Watsonville will host a pop-up roller rink that includes free roller skate rentals for Pajaro Passport Families to enjoy.

The Expanded Learning Team is exploring additional opportunities for families on these dates. More information will be shared when we return from Winter Break and at https://asp.pvusd.net

My site has tried to use as much of the certificated PO’s as possible this year. Will there be an additional opportunity for us to order again in the spring?

If there are teachers that do not use their Purchase Orders, can those be made available to staff who will?

The use of the $125 Purchase Orders (PO) is limited to each individual staff member and are not transferable between staff members. PVUSD’s Purchasing Department has partnered with Palace Business Solutions to create a unique PO and login credentials for each eligible certificated staff member.

If any staff members need assistance with use of their PO’s or accessing the Palace site to order, they should contact the Purchasing Department at x2195 or purchasing_help@pvusd.net OR Palace at 831-476-3815.

Beginning January 9th, 2023, all eligible certificated staff members will receive an additional $125 PO to be used by March 31st, 2023. Staff members will be able to use the same PO and login information that was used for Fall 2022.

As a District, 63% of the Fall 2022 allocation was utilized as of December 14th, 2022 (PO’s were available beginning September 17th and expired December 1st). As the online process is streamlined and takes limited time, we hope that more teachers and certificated staff members will take advantage of the allocated resource in the future.

The traffic by PVHS is horrible. When are you going to put in a pedestrian bridge so students have more places to walk?

The County and City were given a CalTrans multi-million dollar grant

to create a walking bridge and extend the sidewalk. As you will see from the information below, it is a lengthy process.

As this is not our property, we have secured the cooperation of both the County and the City. I have also connected with Rene Mendez, the new City Manager, and the Watsonville Fire

Department to create an emergency second entrance/exit to PVHS to increase safety and accessibility.

Grant Funding The overall project cost is $15.8M with $11.7M being provided by a State Active Transportation Program grant: $4.7M is preconstruction, $10.5M is construction and $0.6M is non-infrastructure.

Timing: The initial phase called the “Project Approval and Environmental Document (PA&ED)” phase is complete. This involves preliminary design and preparation of environmental documents.

Project plans, specifications and the estimate (PS&E) are currently being prepared. This should be done by January 2023.

The project will be out to bid in Summer 2023. Construction will begin in Fall 2023 and take 24 months. n

The Bird Chirps the Future

In sacred liturgy, the days of December 26 — January 8th are referred to as the 12 Days Of/After Christmas — a time in which we walk with the Three Astrologer Magi Kings carrying gifts to the holy child (the Soul within each of us).

Each of the days also represents one of the upcoming astrological signs — from Aries to Pisces — their characteristics, talents, gifts, abilities and tasks to develop. Each day we contemplate upon a sign. As we do so, the signs begin to communicate with us.

The “bird chirps of what’s to come ... the twelve signs become the future in each of us.” From beginning to end, from the Alpha to the Omega, in the silence of winter, in the quietness of the Earth, the signs tell us new life and new livingness is to come.

ARIES

A new phase of reality begins. Great aspirations push you forward into dedication and hard work. Your self-identity, sense of family and home, intimate relationships and professional career will change and expand. Work with others cooperatively. All that you aspire to do will come forth only if cooperation is foremost. Tend carefully to moods. Use them imaginatively to create all things new.

TAURUS

Your religion and spirituality, your mind (thinking, study, ideas), daily life, health, teaching and travel are all divinely influenced. Life will seem to be rather dreamy. You might not like this much as it feels impractical. However, it’s a time of rest and healing. Dreams help manifest long-held visions. Be in the Sun as much as possible. Write down plans and ideas. A new phase of life begins. Try not to be too distant with those you love.

GEMINI

We work in between incarnations. Each lifetime we attempt to discover our place in the Sun. When we die, it’s our last thought that determines where we go. In this lifetime, we are to train our minds in all ways. Planning and strategy are important in the coming year. We can also plan consciously for when we die. You are not dying at this time. This is only an exercise of preparation. Begin training your mind on what you will think about at the time of death.

CANCER

The New Year brings great promise of happiness. You won’t feel distracted. Your mind will be clear, harmonious and challenged to move toward what you’ve always wanted. You will be creative. When there are differences you will step aside (like the crab you are) circumventing disharmony. See each day as an opportunity to do your very best. Begin your spring garden early. Create a medicinal garden and a flower garden.

Each sign also signifies a different light. Like the new light of Winter Solstice. So, we consider Aries, the Light of beginnings. Taurus, the Light of Illumination. Gemini, the Light of Duality.

Cancer, the Light of life hidden in the womb of matter. Leo, the Light of our Creative Self. Virgo, the Hidden Light.

And Libra, the Light of “I & Thou” (relationships).

During these twelve days and into the new year, we stand with five words … recreation, regeneration, reorientation, renunciation and recapitulation.

Each year, we begin anew. And the rod of justice rules. The Ark reaches the shore. The past reaches the future in each of us. And, direction, sign by sign, is given.

LEO

The New Year is golden for you in terms of work, confidence and growth, both subtle and steady. You want will to make changes concerning health and healing. Become a member of a spa, begin an exercise and diet regime with yoga, tai chi, biking, swimming, etc. Continued focus on health is most important. You will seek the Diamond Light. Compassion and altruism become your newest psychological orientations.

VIRGO

Allow constancy of effort into your life, not turning back when difficulties arise. Stand at the middle point. You may feel your life is not moving forward. However, many things are occurring within. New realities, resources, and things social rise to the surface offering satisfaction and intimacy. Tend to partners and those who love you with care and nourishment. Let your mind be at ease.

LIBRA

You will work very hard this coming year. When in doubt call upon your angels to flood your life with light, information and assistance. It will happen immediately. You felt challenged this past year. The upcoming year offers greater progress and power. Avoid controversial decisions. Allow time for Right Decisions leading to Right Action. Don’t show dissatisfaction in relationships. Love is not a feeling. It’s a willingness to love more.

SCORPIO

You will look back on the past year and see that it was good. There was (and will be) exceptional growth, support, gains and progress with creativity rewarded. You might be too impulsive, leading to expectations that are unreasonable to others. Provide affection and attention to everyone, especially friends and loved ones. You will be busy socially for a while. Then your temperament becomes serious and internal. Spending time alone is part of your destiny.

SAGITTARIUS

You will feel quite dynamic as the New Year unfolds. There will be a fire within burning brighter and fuller. You may need to control that fire a bit lest conflicts with others are created. Use that inner fire for creativity, achieving greater goals, greater focus and direction. You will rise in stature through new ways of thinking. This has already begun. You’re more positive, bright like the Sun eliminating obstacles and hurdles. Do not compete. Share instead.

CAPRICORN

Saturn is your ruler, the planet helping you in all endeavors, especially climbing the mountain, which means ladder of success. Success in whatever way you see success for yourself. Saturn helps you choose good shoes, too. I wish you a happy birthday for your new year. Remember to speak with your angels. They stand by waiting for instructions. They are to help you with all that you need and want in the coming year. Make your list. Check it twice, three times.

AQUARIUS

The New Year focuses upon relationships, love, friendship and romance. Avoid any major changes at the first half of the year. Instead focus on building a firmer foundation of security and creativity. New realities can emerge the last half of the year. Travel when you can. It brings you pleasure, excitement, friendships and relaxation. Have pride in your accomplishments, in yourself, and the important social role you play in the world.

PISCES

Rest more in the coming year. Focus, stamina and vitality return gradually. Remain conscious of fluctuating finances. You want Right Use of money and resources. Past friends and lovers continue to occupy your mind. Send them on their way with love and blessings. Or invite them along the Path. Not many will be able to absorb the fiery field of the Path. You will be called to leadership. Step into this with confidence. The many years of the past struggles have prepared you.

People knew Paul as an incredibly fun and warm person. He was so full of joy and had an incredible love of life. He was enthusiastic about everything presented to him. Paul never lacked supportive friends or wonderful relationships, and he was blessed to have these friends carry him through this challenging illness.

“Marigonda” from page 21

He was an early champion of the collaborative courts, where he helped stabilize people with substance use disorders and mental illness. He served as presiding judge in 2014 and 2015.

Even when he was ill and undergoing treatment, he found the courage and the energy to hear cases whenever he could. Working with his Superior Court family was one of the biggest joys in his life.

In 2018, he accepted a nomination to serve on the executive board of the California Judges Association. During his three-year tenure, he was very active and served as vice president and chair of both board membership and CJP work groups. He found his efforts with this organization profoundly rewarding and a great deal of fun, and he gathered additional friendships and deep relationships along the way.

In 2021, he received one of his highest honors, the California Judges Association president’s award.

People knew Paul as an incredibly fun and warm person. He was so full of joy and had an incredible love of life. He was enthusiastic about everything presented to him. Paul never lacked supportive friends or wonderful relationships, and he was blessed to have these friends carry him through this challenging illness.

You often would hear Paul coming before you ever saw him with his loud voice and huge, booming laugh. He loved his daily walks, usually with his best friend Duke at his side.

Paul loved to travel, and he and his wife Margaret took many wonderful trips together to Europe and Mexico.

The highlight of his life was raising his two sons and enjoying his family. He was proud to say he never missed one of their sporting events and looked forward to attending all their activities.

He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Margaret (Baker), sons Peter and Patrick, daughter-in-law Brittney, and grandson Ryan. Rather than flowers, consider making a donation in Paul’s name to a charity of your choice. n

Bare-Root Stock Arrives For Winter

By Tony Tomeo

Spring is overrated. It is obviously the best season for planting warm season vegetables and bedding plants. It is the most colorful season with more flowers in bloom. There is so much more to gardening, though. Most plants prefer autumn planting. Some prefer winter planting. That is why this present bare-root season will be so relevant all through winter.

Dormancy is an advantage to stressful procedures such as planting. Spring bulbs prefer autumn or early winter planting while they are most dormant. For the same reason and to avoid late frost, summer bulbs prefer later winter planting. It should be no surprise that so many deciduous woody plants likewise prefer dormant planting during bare-root season.

Bare-root season is simply when bareroot stock becomes available for planting through winter. Unlike more familiar canned (potted) stock, bare-root stock lacks the medium that it grew in. Their roots are literally bare. Most bare-root stock awaits purchase at nurseries with its roots resting within damp sand. Roots of some are bagged within damp sawdust.

Bare-root stock is innately more practical than typical canned stock. It is significantly less expensive. It is much less cumbersome, and therefore easier to transport from nurseries. Planting is easier within much smaller planting holes. Formerly bare roots disperse new roots into their garden soils more efficiently than crowded formerly canned root systems.

Deciduous fruit trees and roses are the most popular of bare-root stock. Most of such fruit trees are stone fruits and pomme fruits. Stone fruits include almond, apricot,

cherry, plum, prune, peach and nectarine, as well as their unusual hybrids. All stone fruits are species of the genus, Prunus. Pomme fruits include apple, pear, Asian pear and perhaps quince.

Fig, pomegranate and persimmon trees should also be available. So should grapevines, currants, gooseberries, blueberries and various cane berries. Strawberries, rhubarb and asparagus are perennials that are available bare-root. Except for almond, most nut trees, including English walnut, pecan, filbert or chestnut, may be available only by mail order. Most mail order catalogs are online now.

•••

English Walnut

It has been in cultivation for several thousands of years. Throughout that time, it escaped cultivation to naturalize in many regions between the Balkans and the Himalayas. It most likely originated from a much smaller natural range within Persia. An interesting certainty of its dubious original range is that English walnut, Juglans regia, is not actually English.

English walnut likely arrived at Spanish Missions of California prior to 1800. It became a major agricultural commodity of both the Sacramento Valley and the San Joaquin Valley. A few old trees survive within urban areas that were formerly orchards of the Santa Clara Valley. Newer trees are unfortunately rare within home gardens because they get messy.

English walnut trees rarely grow more than forty feet high and wide here. Their abundant foliar, floral and fruit debris is toxic to young plants though, and stains hardscapes. Each type of debris sheds during a different season. Squirrels might claim most or all nuts, but drop shredded hulls. The deciduous and pinnately compound leaves can be a foot long. n •••

Bare roots might fail to impress.

Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo. com.

English walnuts are popular among squirrels.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

ANNOUNCEMENTS

THE U.S. & THE HOLOCAUST

The Santa Cruz Public Libraries plans a screening and discussion of the Ken Burns documentary The U.S. and the Holocaust, in partnership with Temple Beth El, the Resource Center for Nonviolence, and Santa Cruz County United for Safe and Inclusive Communities from 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Capitola Branch Library, 2005 Wharf Road, Capitola.

This is the day before International Holocaust Remembrance Day Jan. 27.

Light refreshments will be provided. Registration is recommended but not required. Register at https:// santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/10067554.

Discussions will focus on lessons learned and how to eliminate hate and violence from society. Facilitated small-group discussion followed by report-outs will provide a framework for attendees to glean lessons from the documentary and how those lessons can be applied here and now.

Attendees are encouraged to watch the entire 3-part documentary in advance of the discussion, which will air on local PBS Station KQED at 9 p.m. on Jan. 6, 13, and 20 and will be available to stream on the PBS website through Feb. 3. On Jan. 26, attendees will see a 40-minute screener from the series provided by PBS Books, who is supporting programming around the documentary for libraries nationwide.

Art at https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/us-and-the-holocaust/

Students help participating businesses redesign their websites for e-commerce, list product catalogs in virtual marketplaces, and offer other technical assistance as needed. Much of the website creation curriculum comes from Wix, a no-code website building platform.

In the Coursera class, those in the class build a website for themselves.

The GetVirtual program already has partnerships with the city of Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz County Small Business Development Center.

The GetVirtual team is now working on a Spanish version.

Nada Miljkovic, a continuing lecturer at UCSC co-founded GetVirtual two years ago with serial entrepreneur Toby Corey.

“Students can be anyone from those about to graduate to young professionals wanting to go out on their own to retirees wanting to continue having a purpose in life,” she said.

GetVirtual has completed more than 150 client projects with 70% of those businesses in the city of Santa Cruz, all at no cost to the clients.

Nonprofit Santa Cruz Works honored Miljkovic as one of its 2022 Titans of Tech for contributing to the growth of the local tech and entrepreneurial community.

See: https://www.coursera.org/learn/getvirtual

WINTER ITALIAN LANGUAGE CLASSES

Learn the language of “la dolce vita” with native Italianspeaking Instructors. Whether you are new to the Italian language, totally fluent, or everything in be-tween, the classes the Dante Alighieri Society of Santa Cruz is offering are for you!

The 10-week session begins the week of Jan. 23.

through a healing process and prevent sexual abuse of children and youth.

You are not alone. You are not to blame. More info: 831-423-7601 or www.survivorshealingcenter.org

CUP CHARGE STARTS JAN. 1

The County of Santa Cruz reminds local retailers, restaurants, food trucks, conven-ience stores, hospitality establishments and event planners that new rules for the collection of single-use cup taxes take effect Jan. 1, 2023.

In June, county voters passed Measure C, the Santa Cruz County Clean Wa-ter/Beaches, Public Health, Environmental Protection Measure. This measure mandates that businesses subject to the County’s single-use cup charge remit half of the $.25 collected for each cup — $.125 — to the County of Santa Cruz as a tax with the remainder retained by the seller. Payments are due to the county quarterly. Due dates are: April 30, July 31, Oct. 31, and Jan. 31.

Businesses using the online form online on the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s website will not need additional documentation. Those paying with check or cash will need to submit a reporting form with each payment. For an FAQ, see https://www.co.santacruz.ca.us/Departments/TaxCollector/SingleUseCupTaxFAQs.aspx

CONSIDER FOSTER CARE

Foster care is a critical program provided by the nonprofit Pacific Clinics with dedicated resource parents (formerly known as foster parents). Thousands of children and youth in California of varying ages, backgrounds, and need are looking for a temporary home with a nurturing family. Resource families provide the stable, supportive environment these youth need to be successful in school, their communities, and beyond.

family and child profile, complete a background check, and, finally, a home study interview is conducted to evaluate your readiness to foster. Your resource family recruiter will also coordinate with you to complete all required training, such as CPR and First Aid.

The entire process typically takes two to four months to complete.

FOR NEW MOMS

The Santa Cruz County Nurse Family Partnership is a program to support pregnant women expecting their first baby and new moms with their first baby.

For information, call 831-454-4339 or text 831-566-3592.

HELP MATCHINGDONORS.COM

Currently, 270 people die every day in the U.S. waiting for an organ transplant; those that live wait 7 to 12 years to receive a kidney transplant through the government’s deceased organ donor waiting list.

Many patients receive their kidney transplant within only six months of registering on MatchingDonors. com, which is appealing to people to help by becoming a living organ donor or donating cars, boats, RVs, real estate, or planes to support the nonprofit organization, founded in 2003 and based in Boston.

Supporters include NFL quarterback Tom Brady, who raises money in the memory of his College of San Mateo coach Tom Martinez, who died of a heart attack in 2012 while waiting for a kidney transplant.

Visit https://www.matchingdonors.com/life/ for more info.

RED CROSS JANUARY BLOOD DRIVES

Aptos

Jan. 4: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Resurrection Church, 7600 Soquel Drive

Jan. 7: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Twin Lakes Church, 2701 Cabrillo College Drive

Ben Lomond

Jan. 20: 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 9545 Love Creek Road

VOLUNTEER FOR MILES FOR SMILES

The independent nonprofit Partnership for Children, which increases access to medical care for children with serious illnesses and supports their families, needs volunteers for its Miles of Smiles holiday giving program.

Volunteers are needed at the organization’s “toy room” in Salinas, where they will wrap gifts from which Partnership for Children, children, will be able to select during the holidays.

To volunteer or for information, call (831) 422-3002.

OPEN STUDIOS SURVEY

Do you love Open Studios?

If you experienced Open Studios this year, we’d love to get your feedback. What worked well? What could have worked better?

Whether you visited one location or many, we’d love to hear from you.

The survey is at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ OS_Visitor_Survey

GETVIRTUAL: LAUNCH YOUR BUSINESS ONLINE

A popular UC Santa Cruz entrepreneurship class that pairs students with local business owners wanting to pivot from foot traffic to sales online is expanding beyond Santa Cruz.

The recently launched Coursera version, GetVirtual: How to Launch your Online Business, is available to students at other UC campuses as well as anyone with an internet connection. For people outside the UC system, it’s free.

Pricing & location (on-line & in-person) varies; see individual class descriptions for more information. The last day to register is Jan. 20.

See: https://www.dantesantacruz.com/classes. For information email: dan-tesantacruz1265@gmail.com

SUPPORT FOR MOTHERS OF SURVIVORS

Survivors Healing Center is offering online women’s support groups and mothers of survivors of childhood sexual abuse support group. The goals are to empower

IS YOUR PHOTO TOO SMALL?

Ready to get started on your foster care application?

Pacific Clinics, based in Loangeles and serving 18 counties, makes it easy to apply, with its online Foster Care and Adoption portal at https://family.binti.com/ users/signup/uplift-family-services-rfa

You must create a log-in with a password to get started. The application includes a criminal record statement, agreement forms, and policy and procedure forms. Once completed, a resource family recruiter will contact you to set up an informational interview, start a

HELLO DEAR READERS, One of my new year’s resolutions for 2023 is to help you get news into our community calendar.

You’ve probably noticed every issue has a “photo box,” a photo of an upcoming event with a description, what where, how much it costs to attend.

How does your event get into the photo box?

Step No. 1: Email me a photo with enough bytes so it doesn’t turn into pixels. This means actual size on a cellphone, or minimum 1 MB, for optimum picture quality.

I’ve seen too many small photos, 33 kb, or medium, 88 kb or 250 kb, which might be acceptable on our website, www.tpgonlinedaily.com but not in a print publication. We do both!

If I have to request a larger photo, that takes time, and often, we’re up against a deadline, and sadly the larger photo does not arrive in time.

You’ve seen photos accompanying other calendar events. Again, I recommend emailing a larger photo, actual size, 1 MB.

Step No. 2: Include a caption.

Step No. 3: Check the calendar of each issue for the next deadline. That way, your announcement will get to us in time!

Pro tips: To expedite your announcement, put it in the body of the email instead of an attachment. That way, I see it immediately — no waiting for a sluggish computer. For the subject line, put the date of the event first, followed by the name of the event.

Best wishes in 2023!

— Jondi Gumz, editor

Santa Cruz

Jan. 5: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 220 Elk St.

Jan. 18: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 220 Elk St.

Jan. 20: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Santa Cruz Firefighters at Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St.

Scotts Valley

Jan. 14: 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, 5271 Scotts Valley Drive

Watsonville

Jan. 17: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley, 85 Nielson St.

OPERATION GRATITUDE

Operation Gratitude gives Americans the opportunity to go say “Thank You” to all who raise their hands to serve. Writing a letter is a meaningful way for Americans to say “Thank You” support for all who serve. It only takes five minutes of your day but will bring lasting joy to the recipients.

Operation Gratitude includes handwritten letters in every Care Package sent to Military and First Responders. In these unprecedented times, our heroes need our unwavering support.

Fill out the form with detailed instructions and labels for shipping. You pay the postage.

For more information and ways to show support, see https://www.operationgratitude.com/volunteer/anywhere/ letters/

RESOURCE FOR CAREGIVERS

As families gather for the holiday, people may see grandma or grandpa, their mom or dad, or their aunt or uncle more forgetful or frail and in need of care.

Since 1988, Del Mar Caregiver Resource Center has

served Santa Cruz County families of persons living with neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke, traumatic brain injury and other conditions that cause memory loss and confusion. Trained staff are tuned in to the experiences and issues caregivers face, ready and able to connect, listen and support. The center receives funds from the state Department of Health Care Services. For information, see https://www.delmarcaregiver.org/ or call toll-free (800) 624-8304.

ONGOING EVENTS

Mondays

BRIDGE CLUB

10:30 a.m.-Noon, Capitola Branch Library, 2005 Wharf Road

The Capitola Branch Library will host Bridge Club sessions on Mondays (except holidays). Everyone is welcomed from beginners to social players. Make new friends and sharpen your mind. Bridge Club is a partnership between Santa Cruz County Parks and Santa Cruz Public Libraries. Register at scparks.com or in-person the day of the event.

Tuesdays

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. Register at https://www.birchbarkfoundation.org/ griefsupport or call 831-471-7255.

DATED EVENTS

Tuesday January 10

COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER TO SPEAK

6 p.m., Online Meeting

Dr. Gail Newel, Santa Cruz County Health Officer, will be the guest speaker for the Democratic Club of North Santa Cruz County via Zoom.

Dr. Newel will provide an update on the current status of Covid-19 cases in the county, as well as the uptick in flu and RSV cases.

She will also discuss the most common sources of exposure and precautions county residents can take to stay healthy and avoid contracting these viruses.

Members of the public are welcome to attend. Visit www. svslvdemocrats.org for the zoom meeting link. Social time starts at 6 p.m. and the meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday January 14

JUSTICE FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING SURVIVORS

1 p.m., Resource Center for Non-Violence, 612 Ocean St., SC

The Santa Cruz County Branch of the American Association of University Women will present “Justice for Survivors of Human Trafficking” at the Resource Center for Non-Violence.

It is free and open to the public.

Rose Mukhar, founder of Justice at Last, a San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit law firm that provides free legal representation for survivors of human trafficking, is the featured speaker. She has experience in cases involving children, women, refugees, and survivors of domestic violence, torture, and human trafficking.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

For information about this event and human trafficking issues, call AAUW at (831) 425-1306. For information on AAUW, see https://santacruz-ca.aauw.net.

Friday January 20

BLM FIRE COMMENT DEADLINE

The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comments on a plan to expedite fuels reduction treatments and fire protection efforts near high fire-risk areas on public lands in 44 counties throughout California and northwest Nevada. The BLM will consider all substantive comments received by Jan. 20.

The statewide Wildland-Urban Interface fuels treatments programmatic Environmental Assessment aims to facilitate projects on 900,000 acres of public land near rural communities.

“This initiative is designed to streamline on-theground projects to reduce hazardous fuels … and to protect local communities,” said BLM California State Director Karen Mouritsen.

Fuels reduction projects aim to reduce intensity, severity, and spread of wildfire on public lands by reducing overgrowth, creating fuel breaks and thinning forest density.

The goal is for reduced likelihood of loss of life, property, and community infrastructure from wildfires.

These treatments also aim to improve firefighting conditions when wildfires happen, allowing for greater success of fire suppression and fire perimeter control, increased safety for firefighters and decreased costs by reducing potential fire damage and fire size.

To submit written comments on the plan, potential impacts, and alternatives in the preliminary environmental assessment and the Findings of No Significant Impact, see https:// eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2016583/510 or email: blm_ca_swft_ea@blm.gov.

Saturday January 21

BIG SUR FORAGERS FESTIVAL

9:30 a.m. Hike, Big Sur | 4:30 p.m., Online

Festival

The annual Big Sur Foragers Festival, buffeted by wildfires, road closures and the pandemic, will take place at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, a virtual experience with participants receiving items shipped to prepare and enjoy at home. The event ben-efits Big Sur Health Center, which provides holistic approaches focusing on patient needs. There will also be two “Wild Foraging Walk and Talk” hikes.

The festival will offer “foraging” by chef Gavin Schmidt from The Morris in San Francisco, who will assemble kits for participants to prepare a multicourse muchroom meal along with him in their own kitchens.

Moore will pair the menu with wines from Champagne

Laurent Perrier, Chappellet Winery and Flywheel Wines. Acquire, founded by sommelier Haley Moore, who spent 15 years as a sommelier and wine director in San Francisco, will create a cheese and charcuterie board to give guests something to snack on while they cook.

Participants can choose from three packages, priced for two people: The entire ex-perience, $500; cheese and charcuterie board with Champagne, $150; wine only, $90.

There is a $75 charge to participate in the hikes. See www.facebook.com/bigsurforagersfestival/ for more details.

www.tpgonlinedaily.com

Gail Newel

Reflections on My Tenth Year as Your County Supervisor

By Zach Friend, Supervisor, Second District

As I begin each new year as your County Supervisor, I like to report back in this column on some of the things we’ve accomplished because of your partnership and communication of priorities.

The year 2022 saw some historic South County investments, continued investment in roads and parks and some change at the Board of Supervisors. However, we still have a number of challenges in our community — from a number of local residents continuing to rebuild from the CZU fires, hospitals and health clinics facing continued strains from COVID, flu and RSV challenges, nonprofit and faith partners seeing a continued increase in demand for safety net services and more.

While the past year presented a number of challenges, as a community we still accomplished a lot. Here is a very small overview of what was accomplished in our district in 2022 and a window into what we will continue to work on, together, in 2023.

Preserving South County Health Care Access: One of the largest issues in 2022 was working to save Watsonville Community Hospital. The herculean effort saw the community raise about half of the one $60 million price tag and the County and State funding significant portions to bring the hospital back into community ownership and save it from bankruptcy.

The hospital is provides lifeline service to many residents in our district and is an essential part of the greater regional health system.

Additional South County Investments: Work continued to bring a new South County Service Center — a fullservice County government building similar to the one in downtown Santa Cruz.

The new center, located on Westridge Drive in Watsonville, will bring County services to residents in the southern and mid-county areas in ways never previously experienced. This will save on commutes and provide direct access to health, human services, public safety and many other services.

Using federal investment funds we also brought new high-speed internet options online for some South County residents near Bradley Elementary, Calabasas and some other schools. This year we will see additional investment in high-speed internet infrastructure to expand access and coverage to South County residents.

Local Roads: Measure D work continued this year in Rio Del Mar and some areas along Soquel near the library as well as some road prep work for next year’s Measure D work in Seacliff. Additionally, speed tables were installed in two sections of Rio Del Mar due to a neighborhood partnership and some new beacon crosswalks are planned with grant funding for multiple locations in our district — providing a safer pedestrian crossing option.

Storm damage repairs have continued, including awarding the contract for repairs on Trout Gulch. Additionally, storm damage work along Valencia and San Andreas was completed and tree work (to prevent road blockages and downed power lines) was conducted throughout the district.

With our securing of $107 million in State Congested Corridors funding, there will be significant improvements on Soquel (for bike and pedestrians), the new Mar Vista bike/pedestrian overcrossing will become a reality and additional auxiliary lanes on Highway 1.

Flood Control: One of the greatest accomplishments this year was the continued progress on the Pajaro River levee project. After successfully securing a $181 million investment from the State for the local share of the flood control project, we secured a federal commitment for the project that will ensure that the project becomes fully funded.

In addition, local voters supported an assessment for ongoing operations and maintenance. This is the largest investment, from any state, in a levee project like this one and the first time in history we’ve seen this level of federal investment in any local infrastructure project.

We’ve hosted regular visits from senior members of the D.C. Army Corps Headquarters and regional office, had a visit from Sen. Alex Padilla other Congressional, White House and State partners essential to the funding of the project and keeping the momentum going.

Parks: This year we broke ground on the reimagining of Willowbrook Park in honor of Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller.

The park, thanks to significant community contributions and a large investment from the County, will include a new reflection and memorial area in Sgt. Gutzwiller’s honor, a new playground with improved accessibility features and a revamped tennis, basketball and pickleball area.

The tennis/basketball/pickleball courts were completed and the memorial area is now under construction.

Libraries: Major steps have been taken toward fulfilling the promises of Measure S.

The Aptos branch remodel is wellunderway with stunning features, high ceilings and lots of natural light.

It will reopen to our community in the summer of 2023. The remodel follows La Selva and Capitola Branch libraries that

Community Meetings & Outreach: In 2022, we continued community meetings throughout the district.

Community and neighborhood meetings were held in Seacliff, La Selva, Rio Del Mar, Watsonville, Capitola and Corralitos.

In addition, I’ve written approximately 50 columns in local papers (like this one) and neighborhood newsletters to communicate with our district about county happenings while maintaining social media presence to share information about our district.

Moving Forward: The above is just a partial list of what has been accomplished this year and I know there is a lot more to do on all of these issues in 2023.

Looking forward, this year we can expect the new library to come online, the next phase of the Aptos Village to be under construction, a new hotel to begin construction in the Seacliff area, new affordable housing developments to begin in multiple locations in the County and much more.

We will also have two new County Supervisors taking office, Supervisor Justin Cummings in the 3rd District and Supervisor Felipe Hernandez in the 4th District.

This past year we estimate that as an office we received nearly 20,000 emails and calls from constituents and the communityat-large many with requests for service to our office on road issues, neighborhood public safety concerns, storm damage, environmental issues, PG&E outages, library remodeling, the Watsonville Community Hospital, behavioral health issues, criminal justice reform efforts, hotel and development projects, Internet access and more. n

As always, I appreciate your feedback. I’m maintaining regular updates on social media at www.facebook.com/supervisorfriend and you

SCCAS Featured Pet

“Calendar” from page 29

Saturdays & Sundays, January 21-29

MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM OPEN HOUSE

10 a.m.-5 p.m., 886 Cannery Row, Monterey

To show appreciation to the local community, Monterey Bay Aquarium will host a Community Open House for residents of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties (valid identification required).

No tickets or reservations necessary, but visitors must present a photo ID and proof of current Monterey, Santa Cruz, or San Benito county residence. This includes:

• Photo I.D. with a local address

• Matricula Consular

• Current student identification from any university or community college located within any of these counties

• Utility bill

• Monthly bus passes from Monterey-Salinas Transit, Santa Cruz Metro, or San Benito County Express

• Individuals who reside in a senior center or other group home may present a letter from the organization where they live with their name listed as a resident. Photo ID will be required.

education visit 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at 13777 Fruitvale Ave., Saratoga, sponsored by the Santa Clara Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. This is the closest local stop for Santa Cruz County. Admission is free.

The exhibit educates visitors about the service and sacrifice of our nation’s heroes and serves as an official ‘welcome home’ station for our nation’s Vietnam Veterans.

“The mission of Wreaths Across America is to Remember the fallen, Honor those who have served and their families, and teach the next generation the value of freedom,” said Karen Worcester, executive director. “The Mobile Education Exhibit provides the unique opportunity for communities to come together and share the stories of those who served and sacrificed.”

On Dec. 17, Wreaths Across America coordinated 596 truckloads of wreaths to all 50 states and beyond, delivering to 3,702 locations a total of 2.7 million sponsored veterans’ wreaths.

the Kitten!

Krissi greets everyone with big purrs. She loves people and is very engaging. She gets her kitten energy out with wand and feather toys and after a play session is happy to curl up in your lap. Krissi’s fur is sooo soft — it’s one of our favorite things about her!

You have to feel it to believe it. She is an easygoing kitten and we think she would do well in a variety of environments.

Now through the end of December SCCAS is having a “Home for the Holidays Adoption Special” where all Shelter pets will be available for a “Pay it Forward” adoption donation of the adopters’ choice. The suggested donation is between $50-$200 and adopters can select a fund for their donations to go to: Planned Pethood Fund (low cost/free spay/neuter) or Extra Mile Fund (specialty lifesaving procedures for homeless animals).

The adoption fee includes spay/neuter, microchip (including registration), age-appropriate vaccinations, routine treatment for worms/fleas, and a free pet wellness exam with a local participating veterinarian. If you are looking for a furry friend for the holidays, come to the Shelter and meet your new best cuddle buddy!

Adoptions are first come, first served! Please view available animals on our website and then visit the Shelter to turn in your application. All adoptions require proof of home ownership or landlord approval. Please have this information prepared. If an animal is in Foster Care, please bring in your adoption application and schedule an appointment to meet the animal. Call 831-454-7200 x0 during business hours or visit www.scanimalshelter.org for more information! n •••

Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter’s full-service, open-admission shelter: Santa Cruz Location (Public Entrance): 1001 Rodriguez St., Santa Cruz, 95062

Hours: Daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Watsonville Location: CURRENTLY CLOSED 580 Airport Blvd, Watsonville, CA 95076

SCCAS Main line: 831-454-7200. Animal Control: 831-454-7227. After-Hours Emergency: 831-471-1182 • After Hours: jillian.ganley@santacruzcounty.us

Don’t forget to bring your matching photo ID. Guests of local tri-county residents must pay regular admission prices and pur-chase tickets in advance.

Thursday January 25

LUNCH WITH SUPERVISOR ZACH FRIEND

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Seascape Golf Club, 610 Clubhouse Drive, Aptos

The Aptos Chamber of Commerce will have a lunch meeting at Seascape Golf Club, featuring Second District Supervisor Zach Friend as the speaker.

The price is $30 for members in advance, $35 non-members and at the door. RSVP at 831-688-1467.

Thursday January 26

VOLUNTEER FOR 2023 PIT COUNT

5 p.m.-10 a.m., Location TBD

The County of Santa Cruz is moving to conducting the Point in Time homeless count annually and needs community support.

The 2023 PIT count will be done using an app-based data collection tool, and will cover the entire county in one morning. Sign up at https://asr.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/ SV_2f3KayP7qtQJNdk

Volunteers will work in groups, meeting their team members either at a central deployment center location or a convenient location before walking/ driving their assigned routes and aiding with data collection.

Volunteers are asked to bring their vehicles to use in the count if they are able. Contact Alex Werner at alex@appliedsurveyresearch.org. for more information.

•••

The Housing for Health Partnership and Applied Survey Research will host community meetings to gather input and volunteers for the count Friday, Dec. 16, from 11 a.m. to noon and Thursday, Jan. 12, time TBA. Meetings will be in person.

Sponsoring a wreath is $15 at www.wreathacrossamerica. org. Each sponsorship goes toward a live balsam wreath to be placed on the headstone of an American hero on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, National Wreaths Across America Day.

Saturday February 11

25 YEARS OF HOPE & HEALING DINNER

6 p.m. (Dinner at 7 p.m.), Cocoanut Grove, 400 Beach St., SC Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support Services will celebrate 25 years of hope & healing at a gala at the Cocoanut Grove. There will be food, drinks, music, dancing, and inspiring stories.

Tickets are $125 per person (other options available) at https://jacobsheart.ticketspice.com/25years

Friday February 24

thru Sunday February 26

2023 BANFF CENTRE MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR

7 p.m. each night, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz

Get off the beaten path, stand on the highest peaks, ski the steepest slopes, and be a part of the gripping adventures waiting for you at the 2023 Banff Centre Moun-tain Film Festival World Tour, brought to you by UC Santa Cruz Adventure Rec.

Tickets are $23 for Aspen (Fri) and Juniper (Sun), $25 for Willow (Sat), with each night featuring completely different films. A special $10 rate is available for UCSC students for the Juniper show.

This event supports UCSC Adventure Rec student programs, affording UCSC stu-dents the chance to share in the magic of outdoor adventures.

Film ratings and advisories are included in the descriptions. Consider checking be-fore purchasing tickets for the young adventurers in your life.

For tickets and list of films visit https://recreation.ucsc.edu/ adventure/banff.html

Winter Fun

RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ santa-cruz-county-2023-point-in-time-count-planningmeeting-tickets-464743970727

Saturday January 28

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA

10 a.m.-4 p.m., 13777 Fruitvale Ave., Saratoga Local residents, veterans, active-duty military and their families are invited to Wreaths Across America mobile

Saturday February 25

PVUSD PARENT CONFERENCE

8 a.m.-3p.m.,

Krissi

Fabric, Hawaiian surfer Mainei Kinimaka (Aspen)

E. A. Hall Middle School, 201 Brewington Ave, Watsonville

Pajaro Valley Unified School District will host a daylong parent conference at E.A. Hall Middle School. n