Dear America
COMMUNITY NEWS
Book to Action Program Covers Jose Antonio Vargas’ Story About Living as an Undocumented American
T
he Santa Cruz and Watsonville Public Libraries invite teens and adults to participate in Book to Action, an initiative for libraries to tackle important issues and encourage reading, discussion, and action in their communities. This summer, the series examines equity, immigration, citizenship, and identity with everyone reading Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by journalist and filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas, who was born in the Philippines and raised in the U.S. from the age of 12. Print copies of the book in English, Spanish, and Young Reader’s versions are available at library branches with
Community Conversation • Thursday June 24 • 7-8 p.m. ebooks and eaudiobooks in the collections. Visit bit.ly/WPL-B2A, santacruzpl.org, or bit.ly/SCPL-Book2Action. Summer reading events for adults and teens will take place in June and July, including a conversation with Vargas 7-8 p.m. June 24, presented with the Sunnyvale Public Library with simultaneous Spanish language interpretation. Visit santacruzpl.libcal. com/event/7659544 (https://bit.ly/ B2A-Vargas) for more information about the event. For the Book to Action Brochure see bit.ly/B2APrograms or pick up a print copy at branch libraries. Other events include: Book discussion groups in English and Spanish, the documentary
“Documented” produced by Vargas, a presentation of “Watsonville is in the Heart,” a storytelling workshop and Pastures of Plenty Radio Recap with KSQD Community Radio 90.7 FM, and a panel discussion with the Community Action Board and Thriving Immigrant Collaborative. Santa Cruz Public Library’s County Correctional Facility Team and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office are bringing Book to Action to incarcerated individuals in the re-entry and rehabilitation facility with an SCPL volunteer leading two book discussions. Learn more at: bit.ly/SCPLCCF. n ••• Book to Action is a program of the California Library Association, supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.
Jose Antonio Vargas
Caltrans Cleans Up Highway Litter
O
n Earth Day, Caltrans District 5 crews were out on the highways picking up trash. Caltrans invests significant time and resources collecting, recycling, and disposing of litter and hazardous waste each year. In 2020 alone, highway workers statewide collected 287,000 cubic yards of litter, enough to fill 18,000 garbage trucks. “We ask the public to do its part to keep our beautiful Central Coast litterfree,” said Caltrans District 5 Director Tim Gubbins. California Highway Patrol Officers actively enforce anti-littering laws, ticketing motorists seen littering or driving with unsecured cargo loads. Last year, CHP officers issued more than 3,100 citations for littering. In 2020, the Special Peoples Program, a Caltrans work mentoring program providing temporary litter collection jobs and life skills training to parolees resulted in removing 86,000 cubic yards of litter from state highways -- about 5,4000 garbage trucks. Adopt-A-Highway Volunteer partners consist of conscientious individuals, organizations and businesses that remove litter from their “adopted” sections of roadside. Since tis effort began in 1989, litter has been
Caltrans crews clean up litter in Shendon and Santa Barbara. removed from more than 15,000 miles of highway shoulder. Currently, nearly 13,000 volunteers participate, saving taxpayers an estimated $16 million annually in litter removal costs. Cigarette butts are the number one item littered in California, discarded by the millions, often causing roadside fires, clogged storm drains and threatening water quality. Much of the trash comes from illegal dumping and improperly secured and uncovered loads. n ••• To become a volunteer or support the program with a paid sponsorship, call 1-866-ADOPT-A-HWY or go to http://adopta-highway.dot.ca.gov
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / May 15th 2021 / 27
