Aptos Times: June 1, 2024

County Teacher of the Year

He is the lead teacher at New School Community Day School, which has a mission to help students in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District accept responsibility for their actions, believe in themselves and learn to set and achieve goals. The motto is: “Never give up.”

Love started there as a teacher and coach in 2010 and became lead teacher in 2015, specializing in science, biology, and physical education.

His main teaching credos, hewn from his own academic beginnings and experiences raising his three sons, are: Learn by Doing, Learn Together, and !No

He created New School’s Outdoor School & Character Development program, now in its seventh year and 12th iteration, behind those philosophies and New School founder Don Eggleston’s belief that “students aren’t supposed to sit still in classrooms for six hours a day.”

As coach of beach volleyball, basketball, soccer and now flag football, Love has led the New School Aztecs to 14 Monterey Bay Alternative Schools Athletics League championships in as many years. ... continues on page 4

Cabrillo College Graduates

1,520

Record 53.2% of Graduating Class is Latinx

On May 24, Cabrillo College honored 1,520 graduates and transfer students in an in-person graduation ceremony on a sunny day where proud families filled the Carl Conely stadium on campus in Aptos.

Full Story page 9 PVUSD: $315 Million School Facility Bond Full Story page 10

Alexa Flores & Mireya

Zamora Garcia

According to her Advanced Placement Statistics teacher at Aptos High School, Alexa Flores always shows up to class early whether to ask questions about the material or to get a jumpstart on the day’s assignments.

Full Story page 5

Aptos resident Russell Bryan Love is the Santa Cruz County Teacher of the Year.

Aburrimiento Permitido! (No Boredom Allowed!)

623

Jondi

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COVER STORY

“Bryan Love” from page 1

He says none of the above would be possible without his wife, Kimberly Dawn Love, shoving him out of the house in the morning or the overwhelming brew of love and vibrant passion that swirls through their household where they live with their daughter, Dylan, son-in-law, Josh, and their three grandchildren, Jagger, Journey and Jett.

Before going into teaching, he worked in the corporate world, spending five years with ADP selling payroll service to small businesses. He is a graduate of UC Santa Cruz with his bachelor’s degree in literature and creative writing.

The award is one of several chosen by the Santa Cruz County Office of Education to recognize exceptional educators “who embody the values of our school community.”

coordinator and classroom aide, Pacific Elementary School, Pacific Elementary School District. A Davenport resident, her responsibilities include aiding in mathematics instruction for 6th graders, a camp counselor, coordinating recreation activities, assisting in the Food Lab, substitute teacher, and offering support

her expertise in restorative practices, social-emotional learning, traumainformed approaches, and multi-tiered systems of support.

• Community Partner of the Year: Woodstock’s Pizza Santa Cruz, which each year provided work experiences for three to five students in Special Education for over a

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Alexa Flores & Mireya Zamora Garcia

Community Foundation Awards 37 Scholarships

According to her Advanced Placement Statistics teacher at Aptos High School, Alexa Flores always shows up to class early whether to ask questions about the material or to get a jumpstart on the day’s assignments. It’s the first class of the day and starts at 8:30 a.m.

This is typical Alexa, a scholar and athlete who seizes every opportunity to advance herself academically and try her hardest whether it’s on the flag football team, on the track, or volleyball court.

After experiencing homelessness her freshman year, when the pandemic led to remote learning, Alexa was afraid she would be back academically, but she quickly got back on course. When she tore her ACL and meniscus requiring surgery, she found her healing process gave her a window to the field of sports medicine which she wants to pursue in college as a biology major.

“Having this firsthand experience will allow me to understand what an athlete is going through and most importantly, how I will be able to help heal their injury,” she said. “I had always enjoyed giving back to my community and helping others, so by being a physician, I can continue to do this as a profession.”

She was awarded the Emmett & Elsie Geiser Scholarship for student athletes, $7,200 over three years, as she attends Texas Christian University.

Alexa is one of 37 graduating seniors awarded scholarships this year through Community Foundation Santa Cruz County.

Another winner is Mireya Zamora Garcia, a senior at Pajaro Valley High School, awarded the Isabel Fowler Sewell Scholarship for $5,000.

The daughter of two Mexican immigrants, her first languages were Spanish and Zapoteco, making integrating into elementary school in the United States difficult.

Mireya took advantage of after-school programs to hone her language skills, dedicating herself to mastering English.

“Scholarships” page 7

Alexa Flores

Beneficial Plants for California’s Mediterranean Climate

Aptos High Principal’s Office Vandalized

On May 28, the morning after Memorial Day, a message from Aptos High Principal Alison Hanks-Sloan about vandalism on campus was posted on the Aptosia Facebook page, getting supportive comments, “This is really unfortunate. She is a great principal.”

The principal told Aptos Times the incident occurred at 3 a.m. and that her office is “out of use.” She added, “It’s an active investigation.” Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies are on the scene.

Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Ashley Keehn provided an update via email: “We are investigating a vandalism/break-in that occurred overnight at Aptos High School where an office was vandalized. No arrests have been made yet. This is an active investigation and anyone with information is encouraged to call our detectives at 831-454-7640.”

She added, “Yesterday afternoon (5/27), in an unrelated incident, deputies were dispatched to a physical fight on Freedom Blvd and Mariner Way in Aptos. California Highway Patrol was in the area and contacted two individuals. They were both juveniles and were found in possession of two guns. We arrived shortly after CHP and took over the case. Both juveniles were arrested and taken to Juvenile Hall. No further information on them will be released due to their age.”

A video tweeted on X (formerly Twitter) on April 5 from State Senate candidate

Michael Oxford saying it was filmed at Aptos High catching a teacher admonishing her students, “You privileged white boys always want to push it,” got 200,000 views including a comment from X founder Elon Musk saying the teacher should be fired.

A commenter said the video was recorded illegally, the first-year teacher had been bullied and harassed by the boys in question, and asked him to remove the video. The content is no longer available. n

The following message was posted on Aptosia:

Greetings, Mariner Families.

The following message was shared with our students and staff …

There were supposed to only be a few extra sheriffs today after an unsubstantiated threat.

However, we arrived today to find my office had been vandalized, including broken glass and spray paint. The extra sheriffs were here to investigate. If you know anything, please use STOPIT to help us solve the crime or call the Sheriff’s Office.

Thanks for SAILing together! Dr. AHS

To report information to help find who’s responsible, use this app: https://www.pvusd. net/StudentsFamilies/Students/STOPit--StopBullying/index.html

First Pitch-in Cleanup: 1,500 lbs of Litter

More than 30 organizations and 431 individuals joined the May 11 first Pitch-In All Santa Cruz Cleanup, collecting 1,548.5 pounds of litter.

Volunteers targeted more than two dozen sites from Davenport to the Pajaro Valley, including the cities of Scotts Valley, Capitola, Santa Cruz and Watsonville.

“This was a terrific community effort that brought us together to help make Santa Cruz County the cleanest in California,” said Sally-Christine Rodgers, who spearheaded organization of the first Pitch In.

County Association of Realtors, Rugged Coast, Driscoll’s, the Adventure Gift Store, and members of the Pajaro Valley, Aptos and Capitola chambers of commerce.

Volunteers from Freedom, Sunrise and Watsonville Rotaries participated as well as church groups from Twin Lakes Christian, The Watsonville Buddhist Temple, and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.

School groups from UC Santa Cru\z, Watsonville and Pajaro Valley high schools, Lakeview Elementary and Pajaro Valley Middle School picked up litter on and near campuses.

Neighborhood groups like Davenport/ North Coast Association, San Lorenzo Park Neighbors, and Friends of County Parks joined in.

She added, “Litter and illegal dumping are a scourge on our landscapes, wildlife and natural resources, and these community cleanups help raise awareness so that we al all ‘Pitch In’ every day of the year to keep our county clean.”

Nonprofits Watsonville Wetlands Watch, Ecology Action, Monterey Waterkeeper, Save Our Shores, O’Neil Sea Odyssey, Downtown Street Teams, Watsonville Works and The Volunteer Center pitched in.

So did business groups, the Santa Cruz

“This is what happens when a community comes together. Our goal is to make Santa Cruz the cleanest county in California!” said Ramon Gomez, an analyst with Supervisor Felipe Hernandez who organized a cleanup along Salsipuedes Creek.

“Cleanup” page 8

“Scholarships” from page 5

Her grade-point average is 4.1. She earned an A in her Advanced Placement English course, proving to herself that with determination and commitment, she could accomplish anything. She has a passion for science, technology, coding, and her community and she plans to attend UC Berkeley to study electrical engineering.

Mireya said the scholarship will help pay her cost of attendance at UC Berkeley “and allow me to focus more on my academics while having to worry less about working. Thank you this is a great honor and I hope to return to Watsonville and PVHS to give back what I learned.”

This year, donors funded $283,000 in scholarships, ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 and 74% are first- generation college students. Over four decades, the Foundation has awarded $2.2 million in scholarships to 450+ students.

The class of 2024 started high school at home due to the global pandemic and had to navigate the emotional and economic fallout, and cope with this year’s chaotic rollout of a new federal financial aid application process.

“These students,” says Kevin Heuer, director of community engagement & impact at the Community Foundation, “are so ready and eager to shape their own futures and chase the ambitions they’ve been holding onto. Despite all the challenges they faced, this year’s awardees continued to excel in class, volunteer in the community, play sports, participate in clubs and extracurricular activities, and work nights and weekends to help their families make ends meet. Among them are future physicians, teachers, aerospace engineers, mathematicians, pilots, nurses, electrical engineers, artists, and builders. It’s an extraordinary group of young people and we can’t wait to watch them succeed.” n

Scholarship Winners

JUDY ANTON WOMAN OF VALOR / LUPITA LOVES TO READ PROJECT

Natalie Martinez, Watsonville High School (Cabrillo College)

R.H. BEEL MEMORIAL

Zena Reyes Lopez, Santa Cruz High School (San José State University)

Alicia Guzmán Serriteño, Santa Cruz High School (UC Santa Cruz)

BURTON

Miguel Martinez-Villalobos, Watsonville High School (CSU Long Beach)

Derick Freitas, Harbor High School (UC Davis)

BOB & BETSY DARROW

Emerson Portillo Rodas, Santa Cruz High School (San José State University)

Itzel Vega Andrade, Watsonville High School (Cabrillo College)

RICHARD & THERESA CROCKER

Jaime Lopez, Costanoa High School (Cabrillo College)

Dasia Amick, Watsonville High School (San José State University)

Olivia Robinson, Harbor High School (San Diego State University)

JACK DEBORD MEMORIAL

Aliyah Bowers, San Lorenzo Valley High School (De Anza College)

Alyssa Struthers, San Lorenzo Valley High School (Concordia University)

HANK GARCIA JR. & FAMILY

Sydney Roth Bensusan, Aptos High School (Chapman University)

Matthew Enright, St. Francis High School (Cabrillo College)

Makayla Rader, Monte Vista Christian School (University of Mount Saint Vincent)

Kimberly Aguirre, Pajaro Valley High School (UCLA)

Damian Vazquez-Guevara, Watsonville High School (Cabrillo College)

EMMETT & ELSIE GEISER

Alexa Flores, Aptos High School (Texas Christian University)

Kimberly Aguirre, Pajaro Valley High School (UCLA)

Yaretzi Arias-Luna, Watsonville High School (UC Davis)

LAURA SEGURA MEMORIAL

Freddie Lopez, Pajaro Valley High School (CSU Monterey Bay)

Kyndra Imperial, Cabrillo College (Cabrillo College)

ISABEL FOWLER SEWELL

Aidaleydi Hernandez, Pajaro Valley High School (Cabrillo College)

Angel Soliven, Pajaro Valley High School (Cabrillo College)

Cynthia Pina-Corpus, Pajaro Valley High School (Cabrillo College)

Mireya Zamora Garcia, Pajaro Valley High School (UC Berkeley)

Natalia Garcia-Lazaro, Pajaro Valley High School (CSU Monterey Bay)

Nicole Alfaro Magana, Pajaro Valley High School (UC Santa Cruz)

BERT & CAROLYN POST

Valeria Lopez, Watsonville High School (CSU Fresno)

Jennifer Gonzalez Huerta, Watsonville High School (UC Berkeley)

LOUIS J. & MARY ELLEN SCHULTZ

Alma Leonor-Sanchez, Cabrillo College (UC Santa Cruz)

SIMUNOVICH FAMILY AGRICULTURE

Jaciel Luna Farfan, Watsonville High School (CSU Monterey Bay)

BARBARA J. THOMPSON

Chanya Nguyen, Santa Cruz High School (UC Berkeley)

Vanessa Marroquin-Guzman, Santa Cruz High School (San Diego State University)

Cecilia Peralta, Delta Charter High School (Cabrillo College)

Ashley Arriaga Sanchez, Harbor High School (Cabrillo College)

ERNEST V. COWELL

Victoria Choi, Santa Cruz High School (UC Santa Cruz)

JOHN L. TURNER

Sindy Hernandez-Villanueva, Watsonville High School (UC Santa Barbara)

Mireya Zamora Garcia

The Central Coast YMCA and Temple Beth El, in Aptos, are now offering programs aimed to reach yet more Santa Cruz County residents. Check out what’s in store for your community!

Group Fitness Classes

Make friends, improve your health and feel better. Embark on a journey to a stronger, happier you!

Zumba

Tuesday · 6:00p Thursday · 9:00a From May to August.

Senior Fitness

Friday · 11:00a

Will be held in May and August only.

Summer Day Camp

It's the season to laugh, explore, create, and make memories that will last a lifetime. Dive into a summer of themed weeks, hands-on crafts, interactive games, and more!

July 22- August 2

Monday - Friday 8:30a - 5:30p

COMMUNITY NEWS

Mount Madonna School Valedictorian & Salutatorians

Mount Madonna School announces Ona Musoll-Buendia as the 2024 valedictorian and Anya Gonzalez and Emma Monclus as co-salutatorians.

These graduating seniors earned this distinction through hard work and focused effort, edging out their peers at the Central Coast school known for strong academics, environmental education, learning journeys, performing arts and scholar-athletes.

The graduation ceremony will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 13, at the upper campus.

Head of School Ann Goewert called the trio of honor students “scholars, caring friends, athletes and budding scientists.”

Oma will attend the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and plans to major in environmental science.

“I chose Cal Poly because of its ‘learn by doing’ philosophy,” she said.

“She teaches with such grace and humor, and her dedication and hard work never fail to inspire me,” Anya said.

Emma is choosing UC Davis and will study biomedical engineering.

“Some factors for me in choosing UC Davis were the beautiful campus, you can bike everywhere, second-year housing is easier to find, and it is relatively closer to home,” she said.

Emma, who came to Mount Madonna School as a seventh grader, said she looks up to math teacher Sam Lee.

Located at 3055 Porter Gulch Rd Aptos, CA 95003

Oma, who came to Mount Madonna School in seventh grade, said, “I have been very grateful for teacher Nicole Silva Culbertson. She is an inspiration to me because of her love for the topics that she teaches. She is very passionate and loves what she does, which translates to her students being interested and eager to learn.”

Anya will attend Gonzaga University, where she plans to study nursing.

“One factor in my decision to choose Gonzaga is because of its well-established, direct-entry nursing program,” she said. “Other factors that are important to me are the university’s social environment and school spirit.”

She began attending Mount Madonna School in kindergarten, and like classmate Oma, she is grateful for teacher Nicole Silva Culbertson.

“Cleanup” from page 6

They were joined by County Administrative Officer Carlos Palacios, representatives from Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas’ office, Claudia Mejia from Environmental Innovations, Watsonville Works volunteers and community members.

Supervisor Hernandez along with Supervisor Justin Cummings put forth the

“Same Lee always teaches his class with excitement and passion,” she said. “This encourages his students to try their hardest in his class and have fun while doing so. Even though the class is super-fast paced, Sam Lee does a wonderful job of thoroughly explaining the lesson of the day with infinite patience for us.”

Mount Madonna School’s Class of 2024 includes 13 more students. Here are their names and their college choices.

Beatrice Miller, University of Washington; Bella Sol Padilla, Santa Barbara City College; Cooper Padilla, Berklee College of Music; Cy Harris, UC Santa Cruz; Erik Howley, University of Hawaii, Manoa; Erin Kavitsky University of Portland; Ethan Lee, Cabrillo College; Irulan Cockrum, San Francisco State University; Isaiah Orozco, Sacramento State University; Logan Shaw, UC Davis; Peter S., San Jose State University; Sophia Manzur, UC Los Angeles; and Wyatt Adams, Santa Barbara City College.

“The graduating class is comprised of academically strong, talented and creative students who are ethically minded,” said Goewert. “They will attend some of the finest universities and prestigious programs. May the senior class continue to develop their capacity to think independently and advocate for change.” n

Photos Courtesy of Mount Madonna School

resolution designating the second Saturday in May as a countywide cleanup day as part of the Pitch In Initiative to eliminate litter and illegal dumping.

The Santa Cruz County Department of Community Development and Infrastructure offered free use of the Buena Vista Landfill. n

Next year’s Pitch In All Santa Cruz Cleanup has already been scheduled: May 10.

Mount Madonna School’s Class of 2024

Oma Musoll-Buendia

Anya Gonzalez

Emma Monclus

Cabrillo College Graduates 1,520

On May 24, Cabrillo College honored 1,520 graduates and transfer students in an in-person graduation ceremony on a sunny day where proud families filled the Carl Conely stadium on campus in Aptos.

A record 53.2% of the graduating class is Latinx, and one graduate, McCay Ruddick, was selected to receive one of the 60 Jack Kent Cooke undergraduate transfer scholarships awarded nationwide.

The award enables recipients to complete their undergraduate degrees at four-year institutions with minimal financial burden. Ruddick plans to major in computer science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

He is one of more than 330 graduates and non-graduates intend to transfer to fouryear universities.

To see a replay of the ceremony, go to: www.cabrillo.edu/events/graduation-ceremony/ or Cabrillo’s YouTube channel.

Cabrillo’s 65th graduating class included 1,196 receiving A.A. degrees and 439 A.S. degrees.

And 368 students earned an associate’s degree for transfer, a special degree offered by California Community Colleges for those transferring to CSU. Students who earn this degree and meet the CSU minimum eligibility requirements are guaranteed admission to a CSU.

“I’m incredibly proud of our students,” said Cabrillo President and Superintendent Dr. Matt Wetstein. “This year, more than 53% of our graduates are Latinx, and more than half of our students earning associate’s degrees for transfer into a CSU are Latinx, meaning they are graduating and transferring at a higher rate. As a federally-designated Hispanic Serving Institution, our dedication to increasing the ‘servingness’ of our Latinx students is paying off with impressive student success achievements.”

Cabrillo graduates earned 301 certificates of achievement and 88 skills certificates. Graduates ranged in age from 16 (a dual-enrolled high school junior) to 87. The average age was 28.

In this class, 63.7% are women and 34.5% are men.

There were 176 graduates with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average.

Another 242 students graduated with high honors (3.75-3.99 grade-point average), 310 students with honors (3.5-3.74 gradepoint average) and 486 students with honorable mentions (3.0-3.49 grade-point average).

A notable 38 students will graduate as Honors Scholars, students who have completed all required courses for transfer to a four-year college or university and at least 15 units of honors coursework with a gradepoint average of 3.4 or higher.

Students are transferring widely to competitive universities including: Cal Poly SLO, Michigan, Santa Clara University, UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Santa Cruz.

Scholarships

The Peggy and Jack Baskin Award is given each year to a Cabrillo graduate in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields. This year’s recipient is Shivani Patel, who will transfer to UCSC and major in politics.

The UC Santa Cruz Karl S. Pister Award is an up to $20,000 scholarship given

to a Cabrillo student planning to transfer to UCSC. This year’s winner is Alma Soledad Leonor-Sanchez. Cabrillo’s graduation ceremony began with a processional of the Governing Board, faculty, and staff, and members of the graduating class. Vice President of Student Services Amy Lehman-Sexton welcomed all. The Cabrillo Chorale, directed by Cheryl Anderson, sang the national anthem. The Cabrillo Mariachi Ensemble, directed by Rudolph Vega, performed La Colebra, (Rubén Flores) and My Way/Ami Manera (Paul Anka/Vicente Fernandez).

Cabrillo President and Superintendent

Dr. Matthew Wetstein, Cabrillo Faculty Senate President Anna Zagorska, and Cabrillo Classified Employees Union Second Vice President Sara Castillo made congratulatory remarks.

President of the Student Senate Denisa Rozsypalova, Student Trustee Yefry MataDiaz, Karl S. Pister Scholarship Award Recipient Alma Soledad Leonor-Sanchez shared their experiences.

Dr. Travaris Harris, vice president of instruction, presented the graduating class, and Cabrillo Board President Dan Rothwell conferred the degrees as each student’s name was announced. n

PVUSD to Ask Voters for $315 Million School Facility Bond

By Jondi Gumz

Voters in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District will decide on a $315 million bond measure in the Nov. 5 election to upgrade and repair school facilities. A 55% yes vote is needed.

The district stretches from Aptos and Watsonville in Santa Cruz County to Pajaro in Monterey County.

On May 22, the school board voted 6-0 to place the measure on the ballot.

Oscar Soto, board vice president, was absent.

A voter survey last fall showed support for a $315 million bond.

For comparison, Pajaro Valley voters in March approved a $116 million bond to buy the Watsonville Community Hospital property from an out-of-state investor.

Also on the ballot in Santa Cruz County: A permanent $87 parcel tax for fire resilience, flood protection and recreation.

The $315 million bond would result in a tax levy on Pajaro Valley property owners, $60 per $100,000 of assessed valuation for four years, then drop to $30 per $100,000 assessed valuation. This would raise $18.3 million annually.

Why now? Most of the money from Measure L, a $150 million bond voters approved in 2012, has been spent, and there wasn’t enough money to build a performing arts center at Pajaro High School as promised because construction costs have risen.

A report by 19-6 Architects of needs at the 33 schools calculated that $1.2 billion was needed to make all the repairs and upgrades. That includes $400 million to replace portable classrooms, which can be expected to last 20 to 30 years.

Board members are hopeful that passing a bond measure for school facilities will help the district qualify for state matching funds if available.

If approved by voters, a long list of projects would be authorized with the new Superintendent Heather Contreras, responsible for getting the job done.

The board resolution lists:

• Repair or replace leaky roofs

• Repair or replace deteriorating plumbing and sewer systems

• Upgrade inadequate electrical systems

outdated and inefficient heating and boiler systems, HVAC, ventilation and air conditioning systems

• Develop, construct, retrofit vocational training classrooms including labs for, but not limited to robotics, coding and construction trades

• Modernize and upgrade outdated classrooms, restrooms and school facilities

• Replace, repair, upgrade old and deteriorating plumbing and sewer systems including waterlines, storm drains and valves

• Make security improvements, including improving pedestrian access, lighting and fencing

• Improve pedestrian access, walkways, student drop-off and pick up locations

• Improve general school and student safety and security by upgrading fire alarms, security and emergency communication systems

• Construct, renovate, modernize new classrooms, restrooms and other facilities

• Improve play structures, playgrounds and playfields for school and community use

• Improve safety and traffic flow including improving and resurfacing parking lots

• Make energy efficiency improvements, including installing solar panels

• Repair, replace and upgrade deteriorating portable classrooms

• Replace outdated and energy inefficient windows

• Upgrade District wide physical education and sports facilities

• Increase water conservation by making landscaping and irrigation improvements

• Federal and State-mandated Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility upgrades including site access, parking, staff and student restrooms, relocation of some existing electrical devices, drinking fountains, playground equipment, etc.

• Address unforeseen conditions revealed by weather, construction and renovation (e.g. hazardous material abatement and removal, plumbing, drainage, flooding, gas lines, electrical repairs, seismic or structural issues)

• Upgrade technology infrastructure to improve student access to computers

• Replace, repair, upgrade, modernize

• Repair, replace and/or upgrade paved surfaces, turf, and other grounds to eliminate safety hazards and improve outside instructional areas

“School Facility Bond” page 12

Ballot Measure: $87 Parcel Tax to Address Fire Resilience, Flood Protection, Recreation

By Jondi Gumz

Local environmental leaders are gearing up for a campaign to persuade voters to support an $87 permanent parcel tax for property owners in Santa Cruz County.

If approved by 50% plus 1 voters in the Nov. 5 election, the tax will be in place until ended by the voters.

The parcel tax is designed to “safeguard water quality, preserve clean ocean and beach areas, reduce wildfire risks, protect forests, enhance wildlife habitats, and improve community spaces,” according to an analysis prepared by the Santa Cruz County counsel.

Santa Cruz County has 101,311 parcels, and supporters say the parcel would raise about $7.5 million each year. There are no senior exemptions.

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors would distribute funds, with 40% going to eligible applicants for eligible projects as grants, 20% going to the four cities for projects, 20% going to County of Santa Cruz projects, and 20% to the Resource Conservation District and “a local land stewardship implementation partner” — not named — for projects on private lands resulting in a public benefit.

The initiative says each city should get at least $200,000 if the per capita allocation is less than that amount.

The measure also says: $600,000 for projects to increase fire resilience on forested property in North County protected by “the largest conservation easement in the County.” The property owner is not named, but the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County is leading the campaign and owns more than 3,137 acres of conservation easements in the county. Sempervirens Fund has conservation easements over 495 acres in Santa Cruz County.

The measure also says: $600,000 a year for projects that benefit the residents of Pajaro Valley, including the City of Watsonville, 7 urban areas bordering the city, and areas within a mile of the Watsonville Slough system, Pinto Lake, and the Pajaro River and its tributaries. Funds are to go to one to three entities.

Many projects are eligible, including those focusing on water conservation, water quality, flood protection and restoration, protection of public access to beaches, wildlife

protection, pollution reduction, development of shaded fuel breaks and reduction of hazardous fuels, forest management, wetlands restoration, trail development, park improvements, recreation programs, and climate risk-reduction.

Priority will go to projects that “address extreme weather and natural disasters, climate change impacts, water pollution, or saltwater intrusion impacts,” or “meet the greatest need of communities lacking adequate access to parks and recreational facilities in the incorporated cities,” or “repair or enhance existing parks and recreational facilities.”

The measure also gives priority “to the extent feasible,” to:

• Projects that are a local source of match funding that makes eligible or makes more competitive grant applications to other public or private sources

• Support multiple benefits maximizing climate resiliency and adaptation, including water conservation, air quality improvements, climate pollution reductions, habitat protection, and public health improvements

• “Invest resources for stewardship, development, restoration, Community Development, and other improvements in Disadvantaged Communities for flood protection, drought protection, improved water quality, groundwater supplies, improved public access to resources, or recreation, including improvements to lakes, rivers, creeks, beaches, ocean, wetlands, and the coast.”

The initiative creates a Citizens Oversight Advisory Board that would conduct hearings and receive public input, receive reports from local agencies on funded projects, and approve a five-year vision plan to help prioritize expenditures.

The measure, named the Water and Wildfire Protection Act, has support from Sen. John Laird, (D-Santa Cruz), Assemblymembers Gail Pellerin (D-Santa Cruz) and Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay), Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley, and Watsonville City Councilmember Eduardo Montesino.

“Parcel Tax” page 12

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“Parcel Tax” from page 11

“Flooding, fires and other threats from climate change are real. We’ve seen the impacts in the Pajaro Valley, as well as throughout Santa Cruz County. We have to do more now and for future generations to become climate change resilient,” said Supervisor Felipe Hernandez, who represents Watsonville.

“Sempervirens is proud to help lead the effort to pass this essential ballot measure in Santa Cruz County,” said Sara Barth, Sempervirens Fund executive director.

Sarah Newkirk, executive director of Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, said the CZU lightning wildfire and the Pajaro River levee flooding were wakeup calls.

She added, “I’m excited about the coalition that has come together to support this measure because, for the first time, we have the opportunity to take collective action to stand up to climate change in Santa Cruz County.”

The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County has been working with the Peninsula Open Space Trust to develop easement terms with the owners of the 1,204-acre Estrada Ranch tin South County to permanently protect that property under the management of the Estrada family.

“School Facility Bond” from page 10

• Construct, modernize retrofit Performing Arts Center(s)

• Acquisition/Construction of teacherstaff rental housing, to include:

° Design, construct and acquire teacher-staff rental housing units

° Parking lot construction and improvements, as needed

° Architect and engineering fees

° General contractor fees

° Labor and material costs

° Sewer capacity improvements

° Environmental review

° Rezoning application fees, as required

° Municipal licensing fees, as required

In addition, where construction or repairs take place, the resolution calls for removing and mitigate hazardous materials (asbestos, lead, PCB, mold, mildew, etc.) where necessary.

For transparency the resolution specifies:

• Improve contingencies as required to comply with existing building codes and state/federal requirements, including access requirements of the Americans with Dasabilities Act.

• Provide adequate furniture and equipment for all classrooms, and spaces to be newly constructed, modernized or reconstructed.

• Acquisition of any of the facilities through temporary lease or lease-purchase arrangements or execute purchase option under lease for any of these authorized facilities.

• Necessary site preparation/restoration in connection with renovation or remodeling, including ingress and egress, removing, replacing, or installing

The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County has been working with the Peninsula Open Space Trust to develop easement terms with the owners of the 1,204-acre Estrada Ranch tin South County to permanently protect that property under the management of the Estrada family.

The measure also has the support of: Save Our Shores, Fire Safe Council of Santa Cruz County, Coastal Watershed Council, Watsonville Wetlands Watch, Save the Redwoods League, Regeneración - Pajaro Valley Climate Action, County Park Friends, Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks, Friends of Watsonville Parks & Community Services, Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau, Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship and Mid County Democratic Club. n For info, see www.sccforwaterandwildlife protection.org

irrigation, utility lines, trees and landscaping, relocating fire access roads, and acquiring any necessary easements, licenses, or rights of ways to property.

• If the Board of Trustees determines that replacement is more economical than rehabilitation, improvement, or renovation of existing classrooms/ school facilities, in those particular cases replacement/new construction will be explored/pursued.

• Provide temporary (interim) classrooms and other school facilities as needed to accommodate students and school functions displaced during construction, including, but not limited to, relocation costs.

• The costs to demolish/remove facilities when no longer needed and the costs to restore site and utility systems after removal.

• Modernization upgrade or replacement of structures includes permanent, portable, or modular structures.

Project Costs for furnishings and equipment for some or all of the withinidentified District campuses may include, but are not limited to, some or all of the following: security, safety and communication systems and equipment, storage and casework, school furniture; window, wall, and durable floor coverings (including tiles and carpeting); media recording, distribution and presentation equipment, including, but not limited to, audio systems, kitchen equipment, improvements and furnishings, fire alarm, security; science laboratory equipment; and/or other infrastructure equipment and systems.

The board would appoint a citizens’ oversight committee as required by state law, with annual financial audits, agreed funds would not be spent for administrators’ salaries, pensions or benefits.

NEIGHBORHOOD NIGHT every tuesday happy hour specials 3-10pm live music 6-9pm WINE30 30% off 30 wines every thursday monthly local winery feature third thursday sip & stroll

7500 Old Dominion Ct. Aptos, CA 95003

COMMUNITY NEWS

Community Foundation: $1.97 Million to 92 Local Nonprofits

Community Foundation Santa Cruz County announces $1.97 million to 92 local nonprofits including those supporting the wellbeing of youth, seniors, and families, contributors to arts and culture, and partners working toward a sustainable and resilient Santa Cruz County where all can thrive.

Annual grants are made possible thanks to the generosity of dozens of families who have entrusted the Community Foundation with their charitable visions or made a gift to the Greatest Needs Fund. That includes the extraordinary legacy of the Borina family whose giving to support the Pajaro Valley for years to come is a cornerstone of the Community Grants program.

Kevin Heuer, the Community Foundation’s director of engagement and impact, said, “The charitable funds that families have established here serve as our community’s permanent resource for addressing the issues of today and tomorrow. Our Community Grants fund community solutions that improve the quality of life here. This year’s record investment is supporting a diverse group of nonprofits we see as trusted performers and creative solvers of local challenges.”

Flexible Funding

Teen Kitchen Project, one of this year’s grantees, engages about 45 youth each week in the preparation of medically tailored meals that are delivered to 300+ clients.

Executive Director Angela Farley said, “The flexibility of unrestricted funding is essential for us. General operating support allows us to put the funds where they are most needed most so that we can respond to the needs of the community in real time.”

“While we continue to offer core support to frontline service providers, we’re also investing in smaller nonprofits that are working to strengthen their strategy, connect deeply with community, and scale their programs to meet increased needs,” said Community Foundation CEO Susan True.

Jamey King, co-founder of Mountains 2 Sea, an outdoor adventure learning program for youth enrolled in alternative education, is ready to expand beyond their

two-person team to meet the demand. “Expanding our team is bringing new ideas, new energy, and the opportunity to serve more youth,” King said.

People and Places

The Community Grants help protect the people and places by supporting nonprofits that work on youth and senior wellbeing and water and climate resilience. Examples include:

• Helping youth who need the most support to thrive:

CASA of Santa Cruz County will further refine and expand their Juvenile Justice program so they can offer an advocate to every single youth in the local system.

Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos is scaling their cultural education and leadership development programs. Mountains 2 Sea is growing their staff to support mental and physical health for youth through challenging activities.

Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Santa Cruz County will work to recruit and train 100 new volunteer mentors in 12 months to mentor a growing number of youth. Aztecas Youth Soccer Academy Program is growing, a healthy outlet, safe space, tutoring center, and mentoring program.

• Providing elders with connection, community, and essential services:

Hospice of Santa Cruz County is growing Latino outreach programs with a focus on trust building and partnerships with patients, families, and Latino-serving organizations.

Health Projects Center will expand in-home senior care management programs to assist more low-income individuals and extend into rural and underserved communities.

Senior Citizens Organization of the San Lorenzo Valley will expand the hours of the senior center and develop programming.

• Conservation of climate resilient and culturally significant lands:

The Elkhorn Slough Foundation will scale restoration projects that promote greater climate resilience and mitigate wildfire threats to communities like Las Lomas and Pajaro.

Amah Mutsun Land Trust will strengthen their organizational capacity to chart the course for land acquisition, communications, and Tribal land stewardship.

Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship will continue building 19 miles of new trails at Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument on the Santa Cruz Coast.

Susan True

COMMUNITY NEWS

• Supporting the arts community:

Pajaro Valley Arts will build staff capacity to support their expansion goals, particularly on-site education programs and remodeling the 12,000 square foot Porter Building which they purchased debt-free in 2022.

Watsonville Film Festival is growing their team to curate and present a powerful and inspiring film program all year round.

Community grants are providing key sponsorships to the 2024 seasons for the Santa Cruz Symphony, Santa Cruz Shakespeare, and the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. n

2024 Community Grant Partners

Activities4All - $20,000

Agricultural History Project - $10,000

Amah Mutsun Land Trust - $25,000

Association of Faith Communities of Santa Cruz County - $10,000

Aztecas Youth Soccer Academy - $20,000

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Cruz County - $20,000

Birds of a Feather - $1,500

Black Surf Santa Cruz - $10,000

Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz County

- $20,000

Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music

- $4,172

CASA of Santa Cruz County - $40,000

Catholic Charities Diocese of Monterey

- $25,000

Central Coast - Watsonville YMCA

- $25,000

Coastal Kids Home Care - $10,000

Coastal Watershed Council - $20,000

Communities Organized for Relational Power in Action - $20,000

Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County - $50,000

Community Bridges - $50,000

County Park Friends - $10,000

Cradle to Career Santa Cruz County - $30,000

Dientes Community Dental Care - $25,000

Digital NEST - $20,000

Diversity Center - $17,300

El Sistema Santa Cruz - $25,000 †

Elkhorn Slough Foundation - $40,000

Esperanza Community Farms - $20,000

Esperanza del Valle - $20,000 †

Families in Transition, Inc. - $45,000

Family Service Agency of the Central Coast - $25,000

Food What?! - $20,000

Girls Incorporated of the Central Coast$25,000 †

Grey Bears, Inc. - $45,000

GSA LGBTQ+ Club Grants (12) - $6,000

Health Projects Center - $20,000

Homeless Garden Project - $15,000

Hospice of Santa Cruz County - $100,000 †

Housing Matters - $5,000

Housing Santa Cruz County - $5,000

Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support

Services - $30,000 †

Juneteenth - $2,500

Kuumbwa Jazz Center - $3,000

Life Lab Science Program - $40,000

Martha’s Kitchen - $10,000

Pajaro Valley Unified School District - $62,305

Mid-County Senior Center - $15,000

Monarch Services - $20,000

Motion Pacific Dance - $20,000

Mountains 2 Sea - $20,000 †

NAMI Santa Cruz County - $25,000

O’Neill Sea Odyssey - $10,000

Pajaro Valley Arts - $10,000

Pajaro Valley Historical Association - $10,000

Pajaro Valley Loaves & Fishes - $25,000

Pajaro Valley Prevention & Student Assistance - $30,000

Pajaro Valley Pride - $2,500

Pajaro Valley Shelter Services - $30,000 †

Positive Discipline Community Resources - $15,000

Queer Youth Task Force - $10,000

Regeneración/Regeneration-Pajaro Valley Climate Action - $10,000

Reggie Stephens Foundation - $15,000

Salud y Cariño - $25,000 †

San Lorenzo Valley Historical Society - $10,000

Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos - $5,000

Santa Cruz Black - $5,000

Santa Cruz Community Health - $10,000

Santa Cruz County Black Health Matters Initiative - $15,000

Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Foundation - $25,000

Santa Cruz Local - $20,000

Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship - $40,000

Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History - $10,000

Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History - $20,000

Santa Cruz Pride - $2,500

Santa Cruz Shakespeare - $3,000

Santa Cruz Symphony - $3,000

Santa Cruz Welcoming Network - $5,000

Save Our Shores - $10,000

Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County - $45,000

Senderos - $25,000

Senior Citizens Organization of the San Lorenzo Valley - $15,000

Senior Legal Services of Santa Cruz & San Benito Counties - $25,000

Siena House - $20,000

Tandy Beal (Friends of Olympia Station) - $3,000

Tannery World Dance & Cultural Center - $25,000

Teen Kitchen Project - $30,000 *

The 418 Project - $5,000

Ventures - $25,000

Vets 4 Vets Santa Cruz - $20,000

Walnut Avenue Family & Women’s Center - $25,000

Watsonville Film Festival - $25,000

Watsonville Law Center - $35,000

Watsonville Wetlands Watch - $45,000

White Hawk Indian Council - $3,000 * Two-year commitment

SENIOR

$60 for 1 person – 8 tasting tickets

$110 for 2 people – 16 tasting tickets

$125 for VIP ticket – 8 tasting tickets, early entry, special appetizers, SHFB SWAG bag

Scan to Purchase Tickets thefoodbank.org/Sip24

We are the Food Bank

For Sponsorship Opportunities Contact Michele Bassi, CDO • Michele@thefoodbank.org, (831) 206-1461

‘World’s Shortest Parade’

July 4 10:00 am - 2:00 pm • Party in the Park 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Welcome to the world’s shortest parade this July Fourth!

The parade begins at 10 a.m. at the corner of Soquel Drive and State Park Drive and will continue to Trout Gulch Road in Aptos.

Soquel Drive closes at 9:30 a.m. for the parade.

The Aptos Chamber of Commerce is looking for sponsors of the parade to raise $10,000.

Afterward, there’s a party in Aptos Village Park from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring local favorite James Durbin.

The Aptos Times is producing the Official 4th of July Parade Program.

Call to Artists for Capitola Plein Air

October 21 thru 27

Capitola Plein Air 2024 is happening! Plein Air Artists are invited to apply to paint in Capitola Art and Cultural Commission’s 9th annual Plein Air event scheduled to take place one week earlier than past years.

During the week of Oct. 21-26, the selected artists will paint out of doors in Capitola. The public is invited to watch the artists paint throughout the week, but particularly on Saturday, Oct. 26, when all the artists gather in Capitola Village from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

All completed paintings will be on exhibit and for sale at New Brighton Middle School auditorium on Sunday, Oct. 27.

This is a juried show and only 40 selected artists will compete for cash prizes, ribbons and special accolades from fellow artists and exhibition attendees.

Interested artists can apply at www. onlinejuriedshows.com. The application fee is $50, and the process requires the artist to include 2-3 images of their plein air work to be reviewed by jurors. Deadline for applications is Aug. 1. n

Details: www.capitolapleinair.com

Lariisa Anaya from Texas

COMMUNITY NEWS

Latin Rhythms at Cabrillo Stage: ‘In The Heights’

By Mindy Pedlar

Rehearsals are underway for Cabrillo Stage’s production of In The Heights . This hip musical was an instant sensation when it premiered on Broadway 15 years ago.

It’s set in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood, a vibrant, tightknit community where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the apartment windows are always open, and the cool breeze carries the percussive rhythm of the bustling city and its three generations of music.

For this community on the brink of change, it speaks of hope, heritage and healing love; a universal story about chasing your dreams and finding your true home.

Winner of 4 Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Original Score, In The Heights is Lin-Manuel Miranda’s music-filled love letter to the community of his youth. Like his Pulitzer Prize winning Hamilton , Miranda effortlessly combines traditional musical numbers with a hint of rap and a lot of pulsating Latin rhythms.

Performances

July 11 – Aug. 4 — Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m.

Directing this summer’s production is the multi-talented Estrella EsparzaJohnson, who has a long history as an actor and creator with Teatro Campesino. Her overall artistic vision is one of “truth and authenticity. You will experience full Latino characters whose ethnic identity is rooted in their ideals of family, home, community and industry.”

Joining Esparza-Johnson is choreographer Chris “Boogy” Marcos who says, “The choreography is not just visual eye candy; it’s a tool to express feeling and emotion. The movement serves as a bridge between music and story with the cast as vessels to push the narrative forward in all directions.”

Marcos is using some high energy hip hop as well as a variety of Latin movements including salsa, bachata and a fusion of all styles.

The accomplished Michael J. McGushin returns as musical director, assisted by hip hop specialist, Ron Johnson. McGushin will also be conducting the live orchestra that is a key

ingredient to the success of all Cabrillo Stage productions.

In The Heights will win you over with its sweet story and tuneful score enlivened by the dancing rhythms of salsa and Latin pop. Don’t miss this entertaining, joyous and uplifting experience at the theatre.

•••

Online tickets are $55 general admission, $50 for senior citizens 65+ at cabrillostage. com

Performances: July 11 – Aug. 4, Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m., with a special matinee performance Saturday Aug. 3. Post-show discussion with the creative team on Sunday, July 14, immediately following the performance.

Box Office opens June 20 for phone and walk-up sales Thursdays - Saturdays 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. and 1 hour prior to each performance 831-479-6154. n

•••

Cabrillo Stage performs in the Crocker Theatre on the Cabrillo College campus, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos.

Aptos High School Wins Fourth Pat Lovell Award

Once again, Aptos High School is the winner of the Pat Lovell Award, which goes to the school that earns the most points in Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League varsity competitions.

Points are awarded for 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place, and so on, in the final varsity league standings for every SCCAL sport, and points are also awarded for winning an SCCAL End-of-Season Championship Tournament. The school with the highest point total at the end of each school year is awarded the Pat Lovell trophy.

2023-24 Final Standings

1) Aptos - 121.5 pts.

2) Santa Cruz - 108

3) Soquel - 86

4) Scotts Valley - 83

5) Harbor - 66

6) SLV - 56.5

7) Mt. Madonna - 10

Aptos High School has been dominant, winning this award all four times it has been awarded.

The award was established in 2019 to

honor the legacy of SCCAL Commissioner Pat Lovell, who helmed the SCCAL for 30 years. In 1989, Pat was hired as the commissioner of the SCCAL, a post he held for 30 years. The importance and impact of Pat’s leadership as the SCCAL commissioner

cannot be overstated. He grew the SCCAL from a tiny regional league into a CCS powerhouse. He pushed for the expansion of women’s sports. He mentored hundreds of local coaches and athletic directors. He modeled professionalism, selflessness, and respect at all times.

Pat also was an Olympic wrestler, a collegiate all-conference football player, a football and wrestling official, and a teacher and coach. Pat is a member of the Aptos High School Sports Hall of Fame, the Sequoia High School Sports Hall of Fame, the San Mateo County Sports Hall of Fame, the Cabrillo College Sports Hall of Fame, and the California Wrestling Hall of Fame.

He passed away in November of 2018. n

Past winners

2018-19 — Aptos High School

2019-20 — Aptos High School

2020-21 & 2021-22 — no award given due to the Covid pandemic

2022-23 — Aptos High School

2023-24 — Aptos High School

Pat Lovell

Estrella Esparza-Johnson

Nugent Promoted to Assistant VP

Bay Federal Credit Union has promoted Holga Nugent to assistant vice president of the Member Service Center.

She joined the credit union in November 2021 during the pandemic, and immediately recognized the imperative for expansion and efficiencies at the Member Service Center.

Co-workers say she made “remarkable’ contributions supporting staffing, developing improvements to wait times, and establishing a new level of member service. Her recent advancement into a leadership role has resulted in an energized sense of morale for her team and exceptional quality of service for members.

“My ongoing goals encompass fostering a culture of collaboration, driving operational efficiency through process optimization, and empowering our talented team with ongoing training and development initiatives,” Nugent said. “Together, we’ll continue to elevate the member experience to new levels of delight!”

Before joining Bay Federal, Ms. Nugent worked nine years for Logix Federal Credit Union in Burbank She had a collegiate soccer career at Concordia University where she earned a bachelor of science degree in exercise and sports science, before receiving her master’s degree in leadership and organizational studies from Azusa Pacific University. She continues to dedicate time to developing her process improvement expertise and has gained Six Sigma professional certifications, methodologies to improve quality and efficiency.

When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, including her adorable baby girl. n

Bay Federal Credit Union Announces Scholarship Winners

Bay Federal Credit Union announces the winners of its 2024 Education Scholarship and Mac McCormac Employee Scholarship.

Members Felicia Mitchell, Kayla Magdaleno, and Katherine Hodges were named Bay Federal’s Education Scholarship recipients.

Felicia Mitchell, who is pursuing a bachelor of science degree in nursing at University of San Francisco.

Kayla Magdaleno, who is pursuing a degree in cellular molecular biology at CSU East Bay.

Katherine Hodges, who is pursuing a degree in human biology and a double minor in occupational science and psychology at the University of Southern California.

Brittany Saldana, member service representative at the Salinas branch and accepted into the CSU Monterey Bay master’s program for business administration, was awarded the

Mac McCormac Scholarship in honor of the credit union’s first employee.

Each winner will receive $1,500 toward education-related expenses.

To promote education amongst its membership, Bay Federal has given back $90,000 in scholarships over many years.

“Each year I am inspired by the potential of our scholarship recipients,” said Carrie Birkhofer, Bay Federal’s president and CEO.

“Bay Federal is proud to invest in these students. We look forward to the difference these individuals will make in the future.”

The application process included an essay exploring ways in which one can cultivate financial resilience such as saving for emergencies or managing student loan debt. Applicants were asked to share any personal anecdotes, research, or innovative ideas that can inspire positive change when building financial resilience. n

SCCRTC Holding Passenger Rail Hearing

Thursday June 6, 10:30 a.m. or later, Watsonville City Council chambers, 275 Main St., and online

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission will host a public hearing in Watsonville and via Zoom on the Zero Emission Passenger Rail and Trail Project initial conceptual alignment and potential vehicle types during its meeting at Watsonville City Council chambers, 275 Main St., Watsonville, no earlier than 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 6.

The vehicle type selected will affect platforms, bridges, signaling and power supply.

The proposal is for zero emission passenger rail along the 22 miles of the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line from the city of Santa Cruz in the north to Pajaro, south of Watsonville.

“Rail Hearing” page 23

Some Americans Have Stopped Tipping. Should You?

By Christopher Elliott

Tipping is dead.

At least tipping, as you and I understand it. A mandatory 20% gratuity on every restaurant meal? Obligatory tips for housekeepers, concierges and tour guides? Kiss them goodbye.

And if you want to know why, just ask Gerri Hether.

Like many Americans, she’s tired of the attitude that all service workers are entitled to a tip. She became exasperated with the point-of-sale terminals that solicited a gratuity before even serving her food. But then the final straw was when restaurants started to add automatic gratuities to their bills for her “convenience.”

give service workers year-end tips, according to the digital personal finance company Achieve. The reason? Tip fatigue.

Americans Have Had Enough

An increasing number of Americans believe that tipping expectations are unfair, says Carla Bevins, an expert on business management communication at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. And that’s led to a shift in public attitudes toward gratuities.

“The momentum behind the no-tipping movement stems from growing scrutiny over the fairness and necessity of traditional tipping practices,” she explains.

“I don’t tip anymore,” says Hether, a retired nurse from Mesa, Ariz.

Americans are known for generosity and willingness to tip for good service. But a recent poll by USA Today’s Blueprint found 63% of respondents say too many businesses are asking for tips, and 48% are tired of being asked for a gratuity.

To hear people like Ian Duncan talk about it, it’s a reaction to the widespread attitude of entitlement in the hospitality industry. It’s tip jars at coffee shops, laundromats and grocery stores. It’s having to pay a gratuity before you even receive a meal or service.

Duncan, a small business owner from Toronto, booked a cruise recently.

Almost the same number of Americans (62%) in another survey said they wouldn’t

“Stop Tipping” page 23

Ivy

Deborah Cypert Owner Bobbie Frandeen

CALIFORNIA NEWS

Going from Oakland to Bakersfield?

Caltrans announces its passenger rail service on the route now offers travel on a new more accessible Venture by Siemens passenger rail car.

Seven are planned.

The run from the new station in Jack London Square takes 6.2 hours, according to Caltrans.

Caltrans runs on the Pacific Surfliner, Capitol Corridor, and San Joaquins services.

The San Joaquins feature the new passenger cars, with ADA-accessible aisles, doors, and restrooms, increasing transportation equity, state officials said. Individuals in wheelchairs can access the entire train.

When all of the new passenger cars are on the tracks by 2026, they will represent a $132 million investment in infrastructure spending.

The new cars are the first addition to the passenger rail fleet in more than 20 years.

Caltrans said 430 passengers can ride per trainset on the San Joaquins line, and 864,000 rode that train last year.

Director Tony Tavares said, “These new rail cars encourage more people to get out of their cars and take the train. That lowers planet-warming pollution, improves air quality, shrinks our collective carbon footprint and further reduces our contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.”

A reviewer on YouTube noted the trainset does not include a café car to order food and drink; that was a decision by the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority to replace it with a car with vending machines, prompting readers to voice their disappointment. n

Caltrans Turns to AI for Traffic Solutions

On May 9, Caltrans announced the first “generative artificial intelligence” contracts to address bottlenecks, pinpoint critical areas for biking and walking, prioritize locations that need safety improvements and achieve zero road fatalities and serious injuries by 2050.

Deloitte Consulting and INRIX were selected to investigate crash sites where people on foot or bicycle have been killed or injured, predict highrisk locations and propose potential solutions.

Accenture and Deloitte Consulting were selected to process and interpret data to improve traffic patterns, address bottlenecks, and improve traffic flow.

Contracts were awarded by Caltrans, with the California Department of Technology and the Department of General Services.

The state will pay each proof-of-concept vendor $1 to test in the “sandbox,” a secure and isolated testing environment. This gives the state and the vendors time to see what works, what doesn’t, and make adjustments during a 6-month window.

Generative AI is the next evolution of artificial intelligence, able to identify underlying patterns in data and produce something new, text, images, video. One example of generative AI is ChatGPT, developed by Open AI with funding from Microsoft.

“With an average of 12 Californians dying on our roadways every day, we need to use every tool available to end the roadway crisis and reach our goal of zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2050,” said California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin. “Today represents an important step in exploring how GenAI can help save lives.”

Caltrans Director Tony Tavares added, “We are excited and optimistic of the ideas and solutions these vendors are working on in terms of improving safety on the highways and limiting gridlock in our busiest corridors.”

The vendors will collaborate with Caltrans to test their technology with publicly available data to determine if it can help find innovative solutions to two of the state’s most complex transportation challenges: Roadway safety and traffic management.

The AI contracts are in response to an executive order last September by Gov. Gavin Newsom tasking state agencies to study use of GenAI and begin a process to evaluate and deploy GenAI technology.

Caltrans and the state technology office will work with the vendors to evaluate the technology’s capability in a virtual testing environment.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of fatal and serious injury collisions in California, especially those involving pedestrians, cyclists and highway workers, is on the upswing.

With nearly 36 million registered vehicles on California roads, Caltrans is challenged in effectively analyzing data to get insights to address bottlenecks and improve traffic flow on more than 50,000 miles of highway and freeway lanes.

One of the challenges is the volume of data generated from traffic sensors, cameras, third-party data streams, photos, and incident reports.

Caltrans will also study AI technology to assess impacts of climate change at various locations and assess before and after impact of a infrastructure project on traffic patterns. n

Caltrans

19

This would include the historic Capitola trestle, which has been deemed unsafe for people to walk on.

The project would eventually require train stations along the rail line.

The project also includes 12 miles of trail from Rio Del Mar Boulevard through La Selva Beach and the City of Watsonville, as well as the Capitola Trestle reach.

“Stop Tipping” from page 20

But when he received his invoice several weeks before his departure, the cruise line had added more than $200 in automatic gratuities to his bill.

“That did it for me,” he says. “I canceled the trip and asked for my deposit back.”

Duncan says he wants to decide who and when to tip — or if he should tip at all — and resents it when a company assumes it is entitled to a gratuity. He also doubts that the staff will receive any automatic gratuity added to his bill, which is a valid concern.

Even etiquette experts say the time has come to talk about tipping.

“Tipping evolves over time, and we are long overdue to revisit the legal and social norms for how employees are paid,” says Jodi RR Smith, an etiquette expert with Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting. “Expecting individual consumers to tip generously at every turn is not a long-term plan for economic success.”

Even Service Workers Agree

Even people who depend on tips understand that things have gone too far. Mike Aguirre, a blues guitarist who performs in the Caribbean, blames the new terminals that try to extract a tip from patrons before they receive their meal.

“Leaving a tip before you receive your order seems premature — no service has been rendered yet, but there is a palpable element of guilt involved,” he says.

It gets worse, actually. In Latin America, restaurant servers come to your table with a portable payment system and ask you to enter a gratuity while they watch. Talk about pressure!

But people like Aguirre are likely to suffer because of the understandable tipping backlash. Many service workers have come to depend on gratuities to earn a living. Squeezing a tip out of a customer before the meal is served or under the watchful eye of your server is hardly the fault of the employee. But the employees are likely to pay for these misguided policies.

Even etiquette experts have limited their tipping. Etiquette consultant Rachel Wagner says she no longer tips at hotel self-serve snack bars (even when there’s a tip jar), at restaurants where you order at the counter, and at airport food kiosks.

“When the terminal shows me the tipping options, I choose ‘no tip,’” she says.

The project aims to take advantage of the publicly owned rail right-of-way to provide passenger rail service to connect the most populated areas of Santa Cruz County to each other and to the greater region as well as to provide integrated intercity travel options for riders on the Central Coast.

With a rail option, transportation planners envision rail passengers bypassing the congestion on Highway 1 and local streets. n

She calls these kinds of tips “entitlements” and says she isn’t worried about the reaction from a service worker.

“All this person has done for me is take my money and place my items in a bag,” she says. “There is no need to tip!”

How to Avoid Tipping

Fact

is, most service workers continue to rely on tips, and many believe you should always leave a gratuity. But there are ways to sidestep this unspoken obligation.

• Go to a no-tipping business. Some hotels and restaurants advertise themselves as “no tipping.” The easiest way to avoid a gratuity — and to encourage other companies to adopt sensible policies on tipping — is to give these companies your business. Have dinner at Thattu in Chicago, an Indian restaurant that pays its servers a competitive wage and doesn’t solicit tips. Or Casa Bonita the Mexican Restaurant in Lakewood, Colo, that doesn’t accept gratuities.

• Get take-out. No reasonable person expects you to tip your restaurant worker when you get takeout. So one way to avoid leaving a gratuity is to get your next restaurant meal to go.

• Refuse to tip. You can also send a message to a business about tipping by putting a zero in the tip line. Hether, the retired nurse who has stopped tipping, says the reaction from service workers has been one of resignation. It seems they know the system is broken, but they don’t know how to fix it.

The Future: Good Service

Whenit comes to tipping, the future may look a lot like the past. Travelers say they don’t think it’s fair that they should subsidize a service worker’s salary with a mandatory gratuity. But they like the traditional idea of offering a service worker a little extra for exceptional service.

Hether says she’s still open to rewarding good customer service with a gratuity. But she’ll never again fork over 20% of her bill out of a sense of obligation.

“Tipping should be based on exceptional service,” she says. “It’s not an entitlement.” n •••

Christopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes Elliott Confidential, a travel newsletter, and the Elliott Report, a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can email him at chris@elliott.org.

Illustration by Dustin Elliott

Maximizing Water Reliability: Regional Optimization Study Underway

By Rebecca Gold Rubin

The Santa Cruz Mid-County Regional Water Optimization Study (Study) is an important initiative aimed at ensuring the sustainability of the Santa Cruz MidCounty Groundwater Basin by 2040.

This Basin is the sole source of drinking water for the District and its preservation is critical.

The Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Agency (MGA) was charged with developing and now implementing the State approved Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) to address and remediate the critical overdraft condition of the Basin.

The GSP outlines a series of projects designed to achieve groundwater sustainability. In February 2022, the MGA was awarded a significant grant of $7.6 million from the California Department of Water Resources through the Sustainable Groundwater Management Grant Program.

This grant, which does not require matching funds, is aimed at supporting the

implementation of the Groundwater Sustainability Plan.

Part of this grant is funding a Regional Water Optimization Study jointly conducted by Soquel Creek Water District and the City of Santa Cruz.

Study Focus

TheCity of Santa Cruz recently presented to their Water Commission on May 6 key findings from their past 10 years of modeling and planning efforts as they focus on addressing drought and climate change water shortage reliability issues:

• Surface Water Availability: Limited

due to climate change impacts and fish stream flow requirements.

• Beltz Groundwater Extraction: Insufficient to meet Mid-County Basin sustainability.

• City’s Aquifer Storage and Recovery Project Limitations: Constrained by available surface flows and basin sustainability.

• Pure Water Soquel Project: Provides opportunities for water supply for the City.

Given these challenges and opportunities, the primary goal of the Study is to optimize these projects to guide regional water agencies on longer-term projects and operations that will achieve Basin sustainability and meet regional water supply needs.

Progress and Findings

The Optimization Study, which kicked off in February 2023, is a collaborative effort by the Santa Cruz Water Department, Soquel Creek Water District, and the Regional Water Management Foundation with a current focus on technical input/analyses by Brown & Caldwell, Montgomery & Associates, Akel Engineering Group, Kennedy Jenks, Pueblo Water, and others.

Groundwater Modeling and Optimization

Groundwater modeling has been a critical component of the Optimization Study, with various tracks and alternatives evaluated to identify the most sustainable solutions. The modeling approach involved:

The Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Agency (MGA) was charged with developing and now implementing the State approved Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) to address and remediate the critical overdraft condition of the Basin.

• Evaluating water quality compatibility, financial/economic needs, and assessing project benefits against costs.

• Running thousands of groundwater model simulations using machine learning algorithms to optimize the alternatives.

• Identifying the alternatives for further evaluation:

1) Existing Baseline projects of Pure Water Soquel and Aquifer Storage and Recovery with no transfers.

2) Baseline projects with transfers between the City and District

3) Expanding the Aquifer Storage and Recovery project

4) Two combinations of expanding the Aquifer Storage and Recovery and Pure Water Soquel Projects.

Next Steps

The next steps in the Optimization Study involve:

“Optimization” page 26

COMMUNITY NEWS

Ventures Partnership with Bay Federal Credit Union Gets $70,000

In Watsonville, 82% of household identify as Latino and 50% of households don’t have a checking account or credit card and look outside the banking system using prepaid debit cards, money orders, checkcashing services, and payday loans to meet their needs.

In California, payday lenders can loan up to $300 and charge up to $45 in fees. State Attorney General Rob Bonta notes the average annual percentage rate for payday loans is 372% -- which is a much higher rate than most other loans or credit cards.

for grants to 75 recipients in Arizona, California, and Nevada.

One of the three programs highlighted by the bank is Bay Federal Credit Union’s partnership with Ventures, which received $70,000.

The nonprofit Ventures aims to educate residents about how to avoid such predatory loans and improve credit.

Bay Federal Credit Union, founded in 1957 to help teachers, has sponsored Ventures for several years.

This year, as the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Access to Housing and Economic Assistance for Development (AHEAD) program to boost low- to moderate-income communities, the bank allocated $4 million

Ventures, headed by Maria Cadenas, is devoted to community well-being and building equitable economies. Ventures used the funding to support staff and operating costs to assist rural Latino working-class families through the Familias con Mas program, which translates as Families With More. That program coaches participants on how to budget, avoid predatory lending, improve credit, and manage debt. n

•••

Applications for the AHEAD Program are open. The deadline for FHLBank San Francisco members partnering with nonprofits, government agencies, and Tribal organizations to submit applications for grants is June 3. Grant recipients will be announced in early September.

To learn about the AHEAD Program and the application process, visit fhlbsf.com.

CALIFORNIA NEWS

Chronic Wasting Disease Found in Two California Deer

On May 7, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported that deadly chronic wasting disease, which has no treatment or cure, has been detected for the first time in California’s deer and elk.

The agency has been monitoring California elk and deer populations for chronic wasting disease through lymph node sampling and testing since 2000, testing over 6,500 deer and elk, and since 2018 has been working to increase surveillance with the help of hunters, taxidermists and meat processors.

On May 6, confirmation of the disease came from samples collected from two deer, one in Madera County near Yosemite Lakes and the other in Inyo County near Bishop. The deer in Madera County was found dead due to unknown causes and the Inyo County deer was found dead after a vehicle collision. The fatal neurologic disease has been detected in free-ranging deer, elk, moose and

reindeer from 34 states, and five Canadian provinces as well as Scandinavia. For a map, see https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-wasting/ data-research/index.html

After the discovery, the state Fish & Game Commission bolstered disease testing requirements to meet with current U.S. Department of Agriculture standards.

A similar animal disease, “bovine spongiform encephalopathy,” or mad cow disease has been identified in cattle and linked to human fatalities by eating infected beef.

Both are prion diseases, which means normal prion proteins found on the surface of many cells become abnormal and clump in the brain, causing brain damage.

The World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend keeping the agents of all known prion diseases from entering the human food chain.

“Sick Deer” page 26

Gemini – Lines of Lightbeams

Esoteric

“Optimization” from page 24

Most of June is under the dual sign of Gemini, the two brothers, the two light – one waxing one waning. Gemini is considered the “fun” sign of the zodiac. Whereas Aries is always in a state of self-identity, And Taurus is learning the art of living, Gemini is having fun, being humorous, finding the world of duality interesting, while doing walkabouts in neighborhoods with siblings and friends. Gemini can be entertaining and fun to be with. It is the “fun of interplay.” The sign of Gemini is the sign of light beams revealing all the opposes in our material world. This is duality and is a characteristic of life on Earth.

Gemini is the sign of relatedness. Often Gemini will relate two things, introduce two people or events to each other and then suddenly disappear...their work of relating things is complete. Gemini will blend, merge, create conflict or seem to harmonize dualities. So often they simply step out of the picture, onto the next duality seeking harmony. These are the functions of Mercury and Gemini (gather, distribute, find information for dispersement creating awareness). When Venus (as Soul ruler) steps in, there is harmony and balance.

ARIES

You wonder these days what your true values and ideals may be. It’s important to know for they presage the future. You ponder upon your circle of friends. Do you all think the same and do they bring you comfort? Our friends are important for support and nurturing. In the coming months and for several years you will re-evaluate and re-examine who your friends are and why. You will also assess your importance to them, your communication, and will deepen the spiritual basis that holds you together. Or separate.

TAURUS

Long held dreams, hidden and perhaps buried for years may reappear, lighting the way toward your future and a possible new vocation and profession. It may be the right time for new study and training, venturing into new fields of endeavor. You will assess your needs and the needs of humanity during these trying times. Before entering once again into fields of service, it’s important to tend and care for yourself in all ways — physical, emotional, mental and spiritually. This orients you towards the needed personal care. Your health is most important now.

GEMINI

You constantly seek knowledge — that is your spiritual task. Assess all that you have learned, the many fields of study you’ve endeavored to assimilate. Where is it you would like to go now? What would you like to pursue? Study? Previous beliefs and ideas that held you are now becoming useless. You will need to fashion a new philosophy and delve deeper into those you know will expand you spiritually. Long distance travel may be involved. Is there something holding you back?

CANCER

In your daily life you often think of loved ones who have passed on. Perhaps you feel they have left you behind. But the reality is they are working quite closely with you. Always by your side. You simply need to communicate from the heart with them. They will respond. On another subject, how is your monetary situation? Begin to use your resources based on creating a future different than the past. You will be called to nurture humanity, to teach them, and provide them with food. We thank you for all that you nurture now.

Risa D’Angeles

Gemini’s task is to behave in such a way that everyone see, experiences and learns about the basic duality in form and matter. Duality is a relationship of two things. There is this and that, up and down, light and dark, right and left, you and me, etc. Gemini points out that not only is there duality in our world but there is a deep and abiding relationship between the two. It is the relationship between spirit and matter, the father and the mother. In between the two is the child, born out of love, Ray 2 of Love/Wisdom.

Gemini, flowing through Mercury, is the conversationalist in everyday life. It is the butterfly in the meadow, sipping nectar from each flower. It is the two dual columns one passes when entering the Halls of Masonry or Solomon’s Temple. When duality is understand, wisdom and love are the result. Behind Gemini is Ray 2, the star of emergence of love and wisdom. Gemini changes, mutates, rearranges and adjusts everything so that, over time, the Soul can come forth.

Gemini, an air sign, rarely touches ground, living within the field of the etheric where the chakras are located. Gemini can be a mystery (like Pisces). They need to be tended to very carefully. n

LEO

It would be good to review all relationships, past and present, seeking the truth of how you communicate, your vicissitudes, moods, and what you offer others. Always cultivate a depth of connection with others for this releases love. How were you in relationships? Did you expect too much? Did you create illusions, were you defensive and demanding? Or were you always kind, loving and understanding? Do you understand that love is based on communication and seeing the Life-spirit within the other? Then you (and they) remain free.

VIRGO

It’s good to be especially careful with health for several months. You can be extra sensitive. Do not stay away from any particular food, unless you have an allergy. Instead create a balance by eating all foods, prepared in all types of ways. Some people follow diets for religious reasons, ignoring what their body needs. All work should be thought of as service work. Tending to the house and garden serves the mineral and plant kingdoms. Tending to the animals serves the animal kingdom. They show their gratitude. Tending to self serves the human kingdom.

LIBRA

Sometimes certain situations or relationships haven’t met your needs. And perhaps you suffered silently through it. ‘til one day you removed yourself. On one level this was courageous. So you could feel independent, never again allowing yourself to be hurt. This is wise. On one level. It depends on the type of relationship. If you have children tend to them with extra care. Much of the past is coming to your attention. Reframe it and make that past one of love and not abandonment. Creativity comes a ‘calling. Art is your refuge.

SCORPIO

Has your home undergone perhaps strange and subtle shifts and changes in the past several years? Are you feeling strange and subtle changes within, too? Our homes are our psychological fortresses. When we change, they change, and those changes at first disassemble our sense of security and safety. Does home feel confusing, is communication with family difficult? Attempt to make your home, or wherever you find yourself, as beautiful as possible. Beauty and order sustains us. Use love language all the time.

SAGITTARIUS

You reflect on deep inner concerns. Outer success seems less important. Instead you question and evaluate your life in terms of values and the world of spirit. Are you seeking inner fulfillment? You wonder what’s real and true or a charade and masquerade? Spiritual dimensions are tugging at you, perhaps not completely apparent but they are there. At times you want to withdraw, find peace, drop into deeper dimensions, classify your knowledge, and make new plans for the future. It will happen slowly, over time. Then in a blink of an eye!

CAPRICORN

A need to ensure your future through expanded resources is important with financial security a focus and goal. Begin with a budget, jotting down in detail how your money is spent, what you must have and what you can do without. Assess your skills, gifts and talents. This is where your future resources will emerge. A fundamental change of values has appeared. They have spiritualized. Take great care in decisions concerning property and ownership. The transition (economic, housing) we are experiencing will last a long time. Do you have your greenhouse yet?

AQUARIUS

You will review who you think you are as a person and who you are with others. Do they synchronize? Attempt to be aware of beliefs, ideas, notions, and judgments learned from childhood. How are they serving you? What do you think of your life thus far? Is it exciting and wholesome or is it sad and dreary? You will ponder upon and learn more about yourself in the next few months. Then a new self-identity gradually emerges. Do not feel confused by this. Cultivate compassion with all others. Always be kinder than needed. This will save you.

PISCES

Assess your lifelong experiences, accomplishments and learnings. Make them a book. Take time to focus upon yourself. Find places of quiet and solitude. Establish yourself there and notice your thoughts centering on life and death, beginnings and endings, the physical and spiritual realms. Also notice previous hopes, wishes, dreams and endeavors may no longer important. Your life energy is being withdrawn internally in order to establish a deeper spiritual sense of direction. The future will appear slowly, over time. It’s formed in the etheric realms first, where you and Gemini live.

• Completing groundwater and hydraulic modeling.

• Documenting the modeling tasks and results in technical memoranda.

• Performing water quality compatibility analysis.

• Conducting cost analyses for necessary infrastructure upgrades.

• Initiating financial, economic, and needs assessment evaluations.

Tasks will continue to progress through the remainder of the year with the final report of the Optimization Study estimated to be complete by mid to late 2025.

Conclusion

The Santa Cruz Mid-County Regional Water Optimization Study represents a collaborative effort to ensure the long-term sustainability and reliability of the region’s water supply.

Through rigorous analysis, innovative modeling, and cooperative planning, the Study aims to secure a sustainable water future for the community. n

•••

For more information and to see the presentation from the May 7 board meeting, visit: https://tinyurl.com/optistudy

“Sick Deer” from page 25

Signs of chronic wasting disease include weight loss, clumsy movements and lack of coordination, listlessness, drooling, excessive thirst or urination and behavioral changes. Once these symptoms develop, death occurs quickly.

The incubation period can be months to years.

“CWD infected animals can excrete infectious prions before clinical signs appear and these prions can persist in the environment for years, making it very difficult to prevent or control the spread once it has been introduced,” says, Dr. Brandon Munk, CDFW’s wildlife veterinarian who oversees surveillance and response efforts. “The public can help limit the spread of CWD by reporting any signs of illness in deer and elk populations, and hunters should strongly consider testing their harvested deer or elk.”

CDFW provides surveillance, response, long-term management plans and public outreach and education through their “No Time to Waste” campaign. Hunters can assist by voluntarily participating in the state’s surveillance and sampling and encouraging other hunters to participate.

To report a sick deer or elk: Wildlife Mortality Reporting

To learn more and find out how to get your deer/elk harvest tested: Chronic Wasting Disease n

•••

For a map,

Healing the Father-Son Wound

Ijust had the opportunity to talk with Jed Diamond, mostly about this important topic. You can watch this video conversation on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/ pmJvM0_0ToQ.

I feel it is vital for not only men, but also women, to understand the father-son wound, and to know how to heal it.

Over the decades, I have watched (and of course helped) men become better fathers. I have seen men who have had difficult relationships with their fathers go on to father their own children with much more love and awareness.

Of course there are father-daughter wounds, mother-daughter wounds, and mother-son wounds too. But I want to focus on the father-son wounds for this article.

Let’s look at two broad categories: The wounds from abuse and the wounds from neglect.

The wounds from abuse include verbal, emotional, and physical abuse. My father would rage. He was like a volcano. The pressure inside him would build when things didn’t go his way. Then he would explode with loud yelling. Sometimes, the explosion would become physical. I particularly remember defying him when I was perhaps 12 years old. He used his fists on me until I was bloody.

The wounds from neglect include not being present enough (physically or emotionally) or withholding praise and love. My father often worked at a job swing-shift, the afternoon and evenings, a one-hour drive into New York City, making it 10 hours a day. I basically didn’t see him except for the weekends, when he mostly slept. I remember longing to have him play catch with me, but he never did.

Many people don’t realize that the

How do we heal these wounds? If our fathers are still alive, we can have important conversations with them, allowing them to hear our pain. Sadly, I never took the opportunity to do this before my father died. I expressed my anger at him plenty of times, but this did little good.

By Barry and Joyce Vissell

neglect of an absent father can hurt just as much as the abuse of a raging father.

I didn’t realize until I was well into adulthood that my father was often jealous of me. While my older sister, Donna, and my younger brother, Richard, seemed closer to my father, I was deeply bonded to my mother.

A typical evening on the weekend when my father was home involved watching television. There were two couches in our little TV room. On one couch sat my dad with my brother and sister on either side of him. On the other couch, I have fond memories of lying with my head in my mom’s lap, while she stroked my head.

Of course, he felt jealous. The way he expressed these feelings was not healthy. At every meal, when he was present, he insisted on being served first by my mom, and then the children after him.

How do we heal these wounds? If our fathers are still alive, we can have important conversations with them, allowing them to hear our pain. Sadly, I never took the opportunity to do this before my father died. I expressed my anger at him plenty of times, but this did little good.

It’s called dissociation. Joyce would be incredulous after these explosions that I wasn’t aware of what had happened. I realized I needed help to stay in my feelings. I humbly asked the person who was acutely aware of the pain and sadness resulting from these episodes… my wife.

Thanksgiving was approaching in three months. My parents were planning to be with us for a week. I asked Joyce to train me to stay present in my feelings when the inevitable explosions of rage took place. She asked me how these explosions made me feel. I dug deep and felt the pain, sadness, and yes, fear. This was my key vulnerability that I needed to feel, rather than dissociate. It was like I was training for a marathon. I needed help, and Joyce was a dedicated trainer.

I would like to offer a powerful method of healing: Vulnerability. Here’s an example from maybe 30 years ago. As a child, I learned to cope with my dad’s outbursts of anger by disappearing emotionally. He would yell and I would be gone.

My body would be in the same room, but my mind and feelings were elsewhere.

Finally, Thanksgiving came, and my father was in the kitchen wanting to cook something the day after they arrived. My mantra was “be ready, be ready.” My dad couldn’t find an ingredient in our cupboard, and I watched the old familiar build-up of volcanic pressure. The mantra kept going. Be ready. Be ready.

And I was ready when the explosion came. He started yelling at my mother, who was sitting at the dining room table. I allowed myself to feel the pain and sadness, then quickly approached my dad in the kitchen. I gently took hold of his shoulders, looked into his eyes and said, “Dad, your yelling is scaring and hurting me!”

It was just like I had awakened my

father from a dream or trance. He was completely unaware of his behavior. I noticed tears forming in his eyes, then he said, “Barry, that’s the last thing I would ever want to do to you.” Within seconds, we were hugging each other, while my mom sat at the table watching and wondering what had just happened.

I was prepared for these explosions to happen often during the visit, but it never happened again, so powerful was my vulnerable intervention.

The key here is to become aware of your feelings. Although Joyce helped me, you may need the help of a therapist.

And what if your father is no longer alive. The healing work can still be done. You can still voice your feelings to him, and it will help you.

Here’s another powerful healing tool: No matter how difficult your father was, nobody is all bad. Remember anything positive about him.

Once you open to even one good memory, others will follow. I now realize a great quality I inherited from my dad. He took social risks that would sometimes embarrass my mom, without caring what people thought about him.

Waiting on the checkout line at the supermarket, he would turn around and look into the shopping cart of the person behind him. He would say, “I see you’re buying asparagus.

What are you planning to do with it?

The person would hesitantly start to tell my dad their plans, but he would interrupt with something like, “Let me tell you what would be better.” And then he would, whether the person wanted this or not.

While I sincerely hope I am more sensitive than he was, I hope I have taken his gift to the next level, where I have spoken what I see even if it is met with resistance.

Thank you, dad, for this chutzpah! n

•••

Joyce & Barry Vissell, a nurse/therapist and psychiatrist couple since 1964, are counselors in Aptos who are passionate about conscious relationship and personal-spiritual growth. They are the authors of 10 books, including their most recent work

A Couple of Miracles: One Couple, More Than a Few Miracles, a semifinalist for the Online Book Club’s Book of the Year, and a free audio album of sacred songs and chants. Visit their web site at SharedHeart.org.

Jed Diamond

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CORRALITOS FOREST CLOSES FOR A YEAR

The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County plans to conduct a timber harvest at the 420-acre Byrne-Milliron Forest in Corralitos this summer. The property will be closed from July 1, 2024 – May 1, 2025.

The Land Trust’s statement says sustainable timber harvesting is good for the forest, good for land protection, and good for the environment.

The temporary closure will affect hikers who frequent this popular spot, but the goal is to ensure Byrne-Milliron remains a beautiful, healthy, and productive forest for generations.

The Land Trust acquired the property from Carlton Byrne in 1984, and proceeds from the first two timber harvests (50 acres in 1987 and 60 acres in 1990) were used to pay off the purchase part of the transaction.

Periodic will be provided at: landtrustsantacruz.org/protectedareas/byrne-milliron-forest

Byrne-Milliron Forest

APTOS LIBRARY ACTIVITIES

Mon-Thur: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. • Fri-Sat: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. • Closed Sunday • 7695 Soquel Drive, Aptos Sundays

First Sunday: ACT Advisory Council of Teens: 11 am to 1 pm

Mondays

Bridge Club, 10:30-noon, partnership with County Parks, except for Monday holidays

Writers Workshop, 1-3 p.m. 2nd & 4th Mondays

Tech Help in person, 1-3 p.m. weekly. Make an appointment (831-427-7713)

First Monday: SciFi Flicks, 6-8 p.m. Snacks provided. Scheduled movies for 2024:

June: The Sixth Sense

July: Independence Day

August.: Beetlejuice

September: The Truman Show

October: The Addams Family

November: Everything Everywhere All At Once December: Nightmare Before Christmas Tuesdays

Storytime for ages 3-5, 11-11:30 am weekly

Aptos Youth Chess Club, 3:30-4:30 pm weekly Wednesdays

First and Third Wednesdays: Tales to Tails: Kids age 6-17 read to dogs, 3:30-4:30 pm. Must make appointment: 831-427-7713 Through June 18

First and Third Wednesdays: Pilates Classes: 12:30-1:30 p.m. (Bring your own yoga mat please)

Programs are first come first serve, and beginner friendly. Minecraft for ages 8-18, 3:30-5:30 pm Thursdays

Tai Chi, 10-11 am weekly

Mah Jongg 2-4 p.m. weekly

READ Help for Kids 3-5 pm weekly by appointment. Ages 6 to 18 with credentialed teachers. Email elibrary@ santacruzpl.org

First Thursdays: Friends of Aptos Library Meeting, 5-6 pm.

Second Thursdays: Book Discussions, 1-2:30 pm online and in-person. Register at https://santacruzpl.libcal.com/ event/11782362

Fridays

Third Fridays: Bring Your Own Book Discussion, 11 am12:30pm

Have a virtual or live event you want to promote? E-mail info (no PDFs please) to info@cyber-times.com by June 5

SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK WALL OF HOPE

The Wall of Hope is designed to support Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County’s mission of alleviating hunger in our community.

Tiles range from $700 to $2,000. Proceeds support Second Harvest and will be viewed by visitors to the food bank for years to come.

The Wall of Hope is located on the patio, just outside Second Harvest’s main entrance. The tiles will be previewed at the Party in the Parking Lot event.

For more information, contact Michele Bassi at (831) 288-3002 or e-mail michele@thefoodbank.org

Tiles can be purchased at https://give.thefoodbank.org/ campaigns/32191-wall-of-hope.

CAPITOLA TWILIGHT CONCERTS START JUNE 12

6 p.m. Wednesdays, Esplanade Bandstand, Capitola Village

The Capitola Twilight Concerts are back for the summer of 2024.

All concerts take place at the Esplanade bandstand in Capitola Village.

These free events are made possible by the generosity of sponsors.

Schedule of bands:

June 12 Spun

June 19 Pacific Roots

June 26 Ribsy’s Nickel

July 3 Dirty Cello

July 10 Mike Hammar & The Nails

July 17 Extra Large

July 24 The Joint Chiefs

July 31 Dolce

Aug 7 Space Heater

Aug 14 The Inciters Band

Aug 21 Cowboys After Dark

Aug 28 The Alex Lucero Band

sessions will be at Watsonville Fire Station No. 2, 370 Airport Blvd., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 1 and June 8. The final training session will be at Central Fire District administration building, 930 17th Ave. in Live Oak, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 15.

All sessions are required to become a CERT volunteer. Spanish-language materials available. CERT training is a no-cost, FEMA-certified course. CERTs are trained in responding to emergencies in their neighborhoods and develop life-saving skills with emphasis on decisionmaking ability, rescuer safety, and doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people. CERT has 600+ local volunteers.

To enroll, visit https://www.signupgenius.com/ go/2024BasicWatsonville.

For questions, visit https://santacruzcountycert.org/contact-us

RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES

The Red Cross has teamed up with Tetris, creators of the best-selling video game, to celebrate their 40th anniversary and build the blood supply for patients.

All who give blood by June 9 will get an exclusive Tetris® + Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last, and be automatically entered for a chance to win a trip for two to New York to meet Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov. See RedCrossBlood.org/Tetris  Capitola

June 7: 9:30 a.m.– 2:30 p.m., Jade Street Community Center, 4400 Jade St. Santa Cruz

June 6: 10 a.m.–4 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 220 Elk St. Scotts Valley

May 31: 9 a.m.–2 p.m., Four Points by Sheraton, 5030 Scotts Valley Drive

To donate blood, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

HAM RADIO FIELD DAY

When the next disaster strikes, hundreds of amateur radio (ham radio) operators will be ready to assist government agencies in Santa Cruz County and beyond. These volunteers will demonstrate their radio skills during their annual Field Day event on Saturday, June 22, in Aptos.

former site of Par 3 Golf Course and the three large aluminum antenna poles by Highway 1. Follow directional signs from the entrance on Old Dominion Court off State Park Drive.

SUMMER ITALIAN CLASSES

Registration is now open for summer Italian language classes with Dante Alighieri Society. Learn the language of “la dolce vita” with native Italian-speaking Instructors. Whether you are new to the Italian language, totally fluent, or everything in between, you will have an opportunity to practice via reading and discussion. The 8-week session has in-person classes and online classes. Read the descriptions carefully to determine the best class for you. The cost varies. The last day to register is June 9. Classes start mid-June. To register go to: www.dantesantacruz.com/classes

SCLERODERMA SUPPORT GROUP

The Scleroderma Foundation of California announces a new support group for people living in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties.

The Monterey Bay Support Group will bring together individuals with scleroderma, also known as systemic sclerosis, a rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and thickening of the skin and other areas of the body.

The support group will be led by volunteers Cheri O’Neil of Live Oak and Annette Rahn of Carmel. The mission of the Scleroderma Foundation of California is to empower patients to live better lives through programs dedicated to support, education, and research.

The support group will start by offering virtual meetings, with the goal of meeting monthly in person at a location convenient for members.

To learn more, email mbsclero@gmail.com. The foundation’s website is www.myscleroderma.org.

Second and Fourth Saturdays SOQUEL HOMESTEADERS MARKETS

11 a.m.-3 p.m., 2505 and 2525 South Main St. parking lots Soquel Homesteaders Markets in in a new location and on a new day and time starting April 13 and active through Dec. 14.

The markets will be in the parking lots across from Soquel business’s Beer 30, Sunny Side Produce, Buzzo Wood Fired Pizza, and Carpo’s.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE TRAINING

Santa Cruz County’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Auxiliary is seeking South County volunteers to train to assist the community during natural disasters. Enrollment is open for volunteers to take CERT training on the first three Saturdays in June. The first two training

ART AT THE BEACH

Sundays: June 23 • July 7 & 21 • August 4

11 a.m.-5 p.m., Esplanade Park in Capitola Village

The Capitola Art & Cultural Commission presents Art at the Beach on four Sundays at Esplanade Park in Capitola Village where you can enjoy stunning views of Monterey Bay. From beautiful paintings to captivating photography, unique sculptures to dazzling jewelry, and everything in between, you’ll find it all here. Best of all, this familyfriendly event is totally free and open to everyone. Pacific Roots • June 19

Field Day is ham radio’s open house. Every June, more than 40,000 hams throughout North America set up temporary transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio’s science, skill and service to our communities and our nation. It combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event. Field Day has been an annual event since 1933 and remains the most popular event in ham radio. The general public is welcome to attend and participate. Admission is free.

This year’s Field Day site is in the large open field behind Sevy’s (Severino’s) on State Park Drive in Aptos. It is the

The Soquel Homesteaders Markets, organized by Jill Troderman of Holistic Family Nutrition, supports vendors of all good things, with a focus on promoting quality, natural, organic, and sustainable foods and products.

There will be vendors of locally grown produce, cottage industry foods, local meats, cheeses, ferments, natural products, homesteaders’ wares, arts and crafts, honey, candles, sweet treats, coffee and tea, health and wellness products, services, and practitioners, healers, spiritual endeavors, nonprofits, schools, plants, flowers, seeds and herbs, jewelry, green living and up-cycled garage sale items.

The Markets will include live music, food trucks, a gleaner’s table with free local produce, and a seed share/ seed bank.

There will also be homesteading classes from 12 - 1 p.m. Find “Soquel Homesteaders Markets” on Facebook.

ALL ABOARD TRAIN ART THRU AUG. 12

Studio Judy G presents All Aboard, an exhibition broadcasting the magnificence of trains through Aug. 12 with an artists’ reception, 2-5 p.m. Sunday, June 9, at 430 Main St., Watsonville. See artwork by more than a dozen artists. If you have ever been delighted by trains, or train curious, this show is for you.

All Aboard exhibits the possibility of investing in a new Santa Cruz passenger train as locally owned tracks exist from Pajaro to Santa Cruz along the stunning scenic coast. This branch line, once upgraded, could connect with the state rail system, and Amtrak to go up and down the West Coast. Judy Gittlesohn, owner of Studio Judy G, says, “The

public wants trains. There is a well-formed anti-train group — and their goal is to remove the tracks and eliminate public passenger trains forever.”

Felipe Hernandez, Fourth District supervisor for Santa Cruz County, says, “Watsonville residents voted overwhelmingly against Measure D (to tear out the tracks), in fact the highest percentage in the county. They’ve expressed the need for sustainable multi-modal transportation and Zero Emissions Rail & Trail, specifically. They just want to alleviate the gridlock they face every day in traffic.”

Studio Judy G will host two All Aboard artists in residence, Helen Dang, Stanford scientist, artist, and map maker, in June, and Stephen Mallon, Beacon, N.Y. photographer of Passing Freight, in July.

A portion of sales will be contributed to Coast Futura, the electric rail car, and FORT (Friends of Rail and Trail).

OPIOID GRANT APPLICATION DEADLINE

The County of Santa Cruz Behavioral Health Division has contracted with Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County to manage distribution of $810,000 for prevention, early intervention, harm reduction, and treatment of opioid addiction. This effort aims to support nonprofits that can provide innovative community-involved solutions for drugs that have been fatal for hundreds of county residents. The request for proposal period will be open until July 10 at 11:59 p.m.

Nonprofits providing services in Santa Cruz County are invited to apply. Applicants will be required to provide detailed responses on how they will address the “High Impact Abatement Activities,” including demographic information for current and projected program participants to ensure the needs of Santa Cruz County residents will be addressed. Allowed uses of these grants are detailed in Exhibit E of the settlement agreement.

Individual grants will be up to $400,000 each, with a performance period of up to two years. All grant funds must be spent by June 30, 2026.

COUNTY FAIR BOARD

MEETINGS

The Santa Cruz County Fair Board will meet each month in 2024 except September and November.

Remaining dates are June 25, July 23, Aug. 27, Oct. 22, and Dec. 3.

There is no meeting in September or November. Meetings typically begin at 1:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday in the Heritage Building at the fairgrounds, 2601 East Lake Blvd., Watsonville. For agendas, posted 10 days in advance, see santacruzcountyfair.com

ONGOING EVENTS

Mondays

BRIDGE CLUB

10:30 a.m.-Noon, 7695 Soquel Dr, Aptos, CA 95003

The Aptos Branch Library will host Bridge Club sessions on Mondays (except holidays).

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.

First Wednesdays SONS IN RETIREMENT

Time TBD, Elks Lodge, 150 Jewell St., Santa Cruz SIR (Sons In Retirement) is a nonprofit, nonpolitical public benefit organization of senior men. The organization’s mission is to enhance the lives of its members through social events while making friends.

The Twin Valleys, Santa Cruz Branch welcomes new members and meets the first Wednesday of each month. Contact Ray Disperati at 831-588-8876 for information.

Last Wednesday of the Month

PV HEALTH CARE DISTRICT BOARD MEETINGS

6 p.m., Watsonville Community Hospital Community Room, 85 Nielson St.

Pajaro Valley Health Care District Board, which oversees

Watsonville Community Hospital, is holding monthly meetings on the last Wednesday of each month through 2024, except Nov. 20 and Dec. 18 due to the holidays.

Third Thursdays SIP AND STROLL

6-9 p.m. (check-in starts at 5 p.m.), Seacliff Inn, 7500 Old Dominion Court, Aptos

Come to the Seacliff Inn: Tapestry Collection by Hilton, for a Sip & Stroll event where local artists to show and sell their works. Wines are 30% off, and the featured winery will offer tastings of three varietals for $10 per person. Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wine30-sip-strolltickets-668910307737

Last Thursdays of the Month CARS ON THE COURSE

6:30 – 9:30 p.m., Seascape Golf Club, 610 Clubhouse Drive, Aptos Love cars? Seascape Golf Club will host “Cars on the Course” through October. All cars are welcome (but not sideshows). Fridays (except First Friday of the Month)

Fridays (except First Friday of the Month)

LA SELVA BEACH LIBRARY BRIDGE GROUP

10:30-Noon, La Selva Beach Public Library, 316 Estrella Ave. Come for bridge from 10:30 to noon at the La Selva Beach library.

Call La Selva Library to reserve your seat: 831-427-7710.

Second Fridays of the Month FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS

4:30-7:30 p.m., Monterey Ave. Park, Capitola Food Truck Fridays are back at Monterey Ave. Park on four summer Fridays.

Local-centric food and entertainment in a fun, familyfriendly environment. There is plenty of open spaces as well as an adult-only beer garden in the center of the action. Live entertainment is scheduled:

June 14: TNT & the Explosions

July 12: Tsunami

Aug. 16: Digbeats

Sept. 13: Coffee Zombie Collective

Sundays THE FARM & GARDEN MARKET

11 a.m., 3 p.m., Corralitos Cultural Center, 127 Hames Road

The Farm & Garden Market is a small, friendly, open air market made up of local farmers and gardeners who grow within a five-mile radius of Corralitos at the Corralitos Cultural Center.

Seasonally there are strawberries, blueberries, cherries, lemons, tomatoes, herbs, squash, potatoes, carrots, peas, beets, and avocados, as well fruits, vegetables, lettuces and salad greens. Bakers offer treats, and there may be beautiful potted flowers, handmade natural soaps, and homemade jams and preserves.

The market is open to those who grow anything from a garden to a good back yard fruit tree.

For a booth, a $5 donation is requested to the CVREA, the nonprofit that maintains the Corralitos Cultural Center. For inquiries, contact Wayne Miller: wayne@catalyst2001.com / (831) 724-1332

Third Sundays of the Month

ANTIQUE FAIR & FLEA MARKET

9 a.m.-2 p.m., Cabrillo College, 6500 Soquel Drive

Clark’s Auction presents a monthly Antique Fair & Flea Market on the third Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

WOMENCARE VIRTUAL FILM FUNDRAISER ( FORMERLY

Available thru June 5 • Tickets at www.eventbrite.com

Did you know local favorite Clif/LunaBar was acquired by Cadbury maker Mondelez for $2.9 billion?

That shuttered the 2023 Lunafest film festival, a benefit for WomenCare, the nonprofit supporting women diagnosed with cancer. Lunafest raised $150,000 for WomenCare, averaging $16,000 annually, so this was a significant loss.

Local promoter Kathy Ferraro was heartbroken to lose such a brilliant and inspiring film festival, and the Santa Cruz Lunafest committee came up with alternative to raise money for WomenCare, a virtual film event with viewing from May 30-June 5.

There are 3 films about women, donated by the filmmakers. Tickets are $25-$40. Ticket buyers will receive an email with links and instructions on how to stream the films for one week from May 30-June 5. The three films together run about two hours. You can start and stop watching but you must finish before the links expire June 5.

The goal is to raise $10,000.

Presenting sponsor Lanai Financial Solutions and an anonymous local family foundation have donated $4,500 in matching funds. With sponsor support, $6,000 is in hand, and the committee hope community members will buy tickets — and make an additional donation if possible — to raise the rest for WomenCare.

Films:

A New Color — Decades before her nephew’s final words “I can’t breathe” ignited a national outcry for racial justice, Edythe Boone embodied the truth that black lives matter. A fearless muralist, activist, and educator, she works to tackle poverty.

Ice Mermaid — Melissa Kegler’s freezing quest to swim colder and longer than any American.

Mink! — Told by her daughter Wendy, Mink! is the story of the remarkable Patsy Takemoto Mink, a JapaneseAmerican from Hawaii who became the first woman of color elected to the U.S. Congress, on her harrowing mission to co-author and defend Title IX, the law that transformed athletics for girls and women in America.

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/womencare-virtual-film-event-fundraiser-tickets-906938075197

TOP PHOTO: Mink! The story of Patsy Takemoto Mink

Cabrillo College, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos, starting March 17.

Admission tickets are $8 at https://www.eventeny.com/ events/ticket/?id=9559&action=ticket&action_ticket=14707

Earlybird tickets are $15 to get in at 7 a.m.

DATED EVENTS

Saturday June 1

SUMMER READING KICKOFF AT APTOS LIBRARY

10 a.m.-2 p.m., Aptos Branch Library, 7695 Soquel Drive

The Santa Cruz Public Libraries will kick off the 2024 Summer Reading Program with a special event at Aptos Library, celebrating the newly opened branch.

Tour the remarkably designed, state-of-the-art library and to sign up to participate in the Read,

Renew, Repeat Summer Reading Program designed for all ages.

There will be performances for everyone to enjoy, from magician James Chan to a bilingual Musical Me storytime and a musical performance by Cement Ship, a local artist and Sound Swell artist from the SCPL SoundSwell local music database.

Children can get their face painted by Chelsea Wright of Wisteria’s Faerie Creations.

Remember when the grand opening with all of this entertainment was cancelled due to wintry weather? This is your opportunity to experience all those special activities.

Celebrate the building, pick up a brochure and a keepsake sticker.

A New Color: Muralist, activist and educator Edythe Boone

Review of a Challenging County Budget

By Zach Friend, Supervisor, Second District

Last week, the Board of Supervisors held budget hearings to review the elements of the over $1 billion County budget. County departments presented on their proposed programmatic investments, challenges surrounding the state budget (which the County is deeply connected to) and opportunities for the coming fiscal year.

Over the last year, the County has maintained strong reserves and a top tier bond rating, which helped provide some liquidity for the response to this year’s storms. However, significant unreimbursed disaster costs, new state mandates (in particular in the health and human services spaces) and potentially significant state budget cuts (which will provide large cuts to counties) are all part of this coming year’s budget reality.

What are the Key Accomplishments This Year?

Starting with the good news, here are some highlights of the countywide accomplishments this year. We were able to open the new South County Government Center, which will provide a significant level of access to services for South County residents and also remove a number of cars from the road as many South County employees will be able to work from this new Watsonville location.

The County’s Housing Element was certified, something communities throughout the state have struggled to achieve.

For behavioral health, significant investments were made in the development of the new Children’s Crises residential unit and a partnership youth in crises services at Watsonville Hospital.

New low-barrier navigation centers and the development of permanent supportive housing are in progress - helping increase access to services and reduce homelessness.

field), Hidden Beach (new restrooms coming soon) and the reimagining of Willowbrook Park for Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller.

The County recently reopened the Recovery Center, which provides a safe space and point of connection for residents who may be struggling with substance use disorder, while freeing up valuable public safety resources.

The Sheriff’s DNA Laboratory is also nearing completion and once accredited and fully staffed will help speed the delivery of justice for sexual assault survivors and others impacted by crime.

What are the Biggest Challenges Facing the Budget?

TIn our district, major investments in parks including Polo Grounds (new

wo of the biggest challenges facing this year’s budget are unreimbursed disaster costs and state mandates (ongoing responsibilities with either one-time state funding or state funding cuts).

Unreimbursed Disaster Costs :

The County faces stiff financial challenges due to storm repair costs from seven federallydeclared disasters since 2017, with $144 million in unreimbursed costs — roughly the equivalent of an entire year of General Fund property tax revenues.

In addition, the state has imposed a cap on the number of annual referrals a county may make to the Department of State Hospitals system for individuals charged with a felony but ruled “Incompetent to Stand Trial.”

Proposition 1 will also bring new challenges, with Gov. Gavin Newsom promising an accelerated implementation of the significant changes included in that measure. Proposition 1 will have major impacts to the County’s allocation of Mental Health Services Act funds -- with the County anticipating funding losses in key programs we currently provide.

This has left the County with little capital to address new and emerging challenges and requires bonding (borrowing) an estimated $85 million to maintain cash balances and assure the continuity of services to the community.

One concern expressed during budget time was that this removes nearly all available funding for emerging road repairs and in particular future storm damage.

Behavioral Health Initiatives: In the coming year, the County will be implementing significant behavioral health initiatives and state-mandated changes.

The Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment Act and CalAIM (California’s transformation of the Medi-Cal system), two significant changes intended to provide help to individuals with behavioral health issues including substance use disorder.

State Budget Deficit : The recent updates by the Governor, Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office show a remarkably challenging state budget deficit. Estimates average around $50 billion to $60 billion with the LAO projecting a deficit of $73 billion.

Regardless of the ultimate number, there will be cuts to programs and services that the County provides. According to the state, the budget deficit is largely because of a decline in expected income tax revenues due to cuts in the tech industry and high-income earners.

Given how dependent the state is on income tax revenues it’s difficult to predict when revenues might rebound and, therefore, how long these cuts will impact us locally. n

•••

As always, I appreciate any feedback you may have on the County budget (or any other County issue). I’m maintaining regular updates on social media at www.facebook.com/ supervisorfriend and you can always call me at 454-2200.

Over the last year, the County has maintained strong reserves and a top tier bond rating, which helped provide some liquidity for the response to this year’s storms. However, significant unreimbursed disaster costs, new state mandates (in particular in the health and human services spaces) and potentially significant state budget cuts (which will provide large cuts to counties) are all part of this coming year’s budget reality.

baseball

SCCAS Featured Pet

Not Peter … Justin!

Justin (A310026) is a male neutered shorthaired rabbit. He came into the Shelter as a stray initially with a wound on his ear and medical staff jumped in to help him heal. It took some time with cleaning and monitoring, but Justin has recovered and is ready to find his new family. Justin spent some time in a foster home so we could learn more about him. He appears to appreciate being the only bun in a home. Justin would thrive in a rabbitsavvy adoptive home that understands that some buns like their home set up a certain way and does not want people messing with their set up or food.

Justin is bunny that is full of personality and any rabbit knowledgeable home will be lucky to have him! n

The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter is full of adoptable animals. Fostering animals is an awesome way to improve a Shelter animal’s life and fill your home with love and fun! If you are interested in fostering any kind of animal please email jillian.ganley@santacruzcounty.us. You can also Follow SCCAS on Instagram and/or Facebook to stay up-to-date on shelter news and where to find adoptable pets around town at breweries, stores and events. •••

Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter’s full-service, open-admission shelter 1001 Rodriguez St., Santa Cruz, 95062 • Hours: Daily 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. 580 Airport Blvd., Watsonville, 95076 • Hours: Tues.-Sat. 9:30 a.m. – noon; 1–5 p.m. (Closed Sun/Mon)

Website: www.scanimalshelter.org

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

“Calendar” from page 29

Saturday June 1

POTLUCK PICNIC ITALIANO

Noon – 4 p.m., Thomas Family Farm, Aptos

Dante Alighieri Society of Santa Cruz invites you to the 2nd Annual Dante Scampagnata (Day Out in the Countryside)

Potluck Picnic Italiano at the Thomas Family Farm.

Live music, tour the working farm, visit the owner’s small art gallery with fruit & flower stand, and play corn-hole toss. Bring a favorite Italian dish to share, labeled with its name and the Italian region of origin, and a beverage to share. To reduce paper and plastic waste, bring your own plate, cup and utensils. Location, Italian cookies, sodas, and waters will be provided by Dante.

Limited tickets are at: https://bit.ly/Picnic-Italiano Cost: $10 for members & $20 for non-members. Registration & payment must be in by May 27, not at the door. Parking information will be emailed to participants once registration and payment are complete. Proceeds will be used to fund Dante’s Cabrillo scholarship program & the Film & Lecture Series.

DEMONSTRATION GARDEN GRAND OPENING

11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Pinto Lake County Park, 757 Green Valley Road, Watsonville

UC Master Gardeners of Monterey and Santa Cruz welcomes the community to the new Demonstration & Teaching Garden at Pinto Lake County Park.

This demonstration garden was established to provide hands-on community education for sustainable gardening practices.

This family-friendly free event will feature food, music, demonstrations, plant sale, children’s activities, and more. Visit mbmg.ucanr.edu for information.

Thursday June 6

NETWORKING MIXER

5-7 p.m., Aptos Vineyard tasting room, 105 C Post Office Way Aptos Chamber of Commerce presents a mixer at Aptos Vineyard tasting room.

Fee $5 includes one tasting.

Thursday June 6 thru Sunday June 9

45TH ANNUAL MUSICAL ‘RAMAYANA!’

7 p.m. Thurs/Fri | 2 p.m. Sat/Sun, Mexican Heritage Theater, 1700 Alum Rock Ave, San Jose

Mount Madonna School will present the 45th annual musical production of Ramayana! — a timeless classic — at the Mexican Heritage Theater in San Jose.

Watch students take the roles of Hanuman the warrior, the monkeys, Prince Rama and Prince Lakshmana, journeying to Lanka to rescue Princess Sita.

Listen to traditional and contemporary music, and more than a dozen original standout songs.

Admire the costumes, the masks, the sets and props. Every item in the show is a work of handmade art.

for our community embracing diversity and creative self-expression. The Ramayana is a timeless classic teaching the universal values of truth, duty, love and service to the greater good. As students work together to prepare for this ambitious show, they embody the values embedded in the Ramayana.” All seats are reserved. Tickets range from $30 to $55 at Ramayana.BrownPaperTickets.com

Saturday June 8

HABITAT DISC GOLF FUNDRAISER

8 a.m.-5 p.m., First Tee Facility at Twin Creeks Golf Course, 1551 Beacon Hill Drive, Salinas • Registration closes Saturday, June 1

Come to Twin Creeks Golf Course for fun, competition, and fundraising for Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay at a pop-up temp course at the First Tee Facility. Pros and amateur players welcome at this PDGA XC-tier tournament. Check-in is at 8 a.m. Awards are at 5 p.m. Registration closes June 1 at 8 p.m. Walk-ups may be accommodated but cannot be guaranteed. Registration is $50 at www.discgolfscene.com/ tournaments/Hucks_Fore_Homes_Habitat_for_Humanity_ Charity_Disc_Golf_Invitational_Supported_by_Innova_2024.

This includes t-shirt, disc and lunch. Goal is to raise $10,000 for Habitat for Humanity to build homes and hope for families in need.

Saturday June 8

Sunday June 9

CLASSIC CAR SHOW

9 a.m.-5 p.m., Capitola Village Capitola Village will host the 14th Annual Capitola Rod & Custom Classic Car Show.

Presented by the Capitola Foundation, this familyfriendly event features more than 200 classic cars plus vendor booths in the seaside village. Streets in the village will be closed for this event.

Register at https://www.capitolafoundation.com/classic-car-show

Saturday June 15

NATASHA’S RUN FUNDRAISER

9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Skypark in Scotts Valley Arukah Project, a Santa Cruz nonprofit that works to restore, renew, and rebuild the lives of sex trafficking survivors in Santa Cruz County, will host the third-annual Natasha’s 5K Run for Justice, a fundraiser at Skypark. The run registration is at 8:30 a.m. and the run/walk begins at 9:30 a.m. There is also a stroller division. The entry fee is $40; kids under 6 are free.

After the run/walk, there will be food trucks, a beer garden, face painting, bounce houses, and a concert by the Alison Sharino Band at 10:30 a.m.

The fundraising goal is $15,000.

•••

Every week between 100 and 200 people are sex trafficking victims in Santa Cruz County and Natasha was one of them. Advocates named the race to honor her courage and bravery.

© Statepoint Media

“The production of ‘Ramayana!’ has been central to Mount Madonna School since its founding,” said Head of School Ann Goewert. “With this show, we carry forward a tradition inspired by Baba Hari Dass (1923-2018) and supported by the Mount Madonna Center. It’s the culmination of months of work during the academic year and is a year-end celebration

Natasha’s run for justice took her over 15 years. She fought for her voice to be heard, for people to believe her, and to see her trafficker brought to justice. Due to her determination, her trafficker was sentenced to 174 years in prison, preventing him from ever terrorizing another.

Sign up at Natasha’s Run For Justice | arukahproject.org

FREE WELLNESS TALK

12:30-1:30 p.m., Capitola Library, 2005 Wharf Road

Dr. Tom Yarema, a local practice MD, speaker/educator and volunteer for the nonprofit Foundation for Wellness Professionals, will give a free talk at the Capitola Library. His topic will be “What To Do When Viagra/Cialis Fails For Erectile Dysfunction.”

THURSDAY JULY 4

WORLD’S SHORTEST PARADE: APTOS 10 a.m., Corner Soquel Drive & State Park Drive Now is the time to sign up to participate in the Fourth of July World’s Shortest Parade! Party-in-the-Park follows, 11 a.m.– 4 p.m. in Aptos Village Park with music by James Durbin & the Lost Boys. To participate in the parade, call 831-688-1467. aptoschamber.com/event/worlds-shortest-parade-aptos/ n