Armstrong Appointed CalFire CZU Unit Chief? • Kaiser Gives $200,000 to New Mental Health Center in Watsonville

Presented by Aromas Hills Artisans An outdoor event at Aromas Sports Park, 300 Aromas Rd. Sunday, November 21st–10am to 3pm

A wonderful variety of art work and handcrafted gifts. hands-on workshops, live music and tasty refreshments. Raffle drawing. Rain cancels event.

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COMMUNITY NEWS Armstrong Appointed CalFire CZU Unit Chief

Chief Nate Armstrong is the new Cal Fire San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit CZU chief, succeeding Chief Ian Larkin who retired after 33 years of service.

Armstrong’s appointment, effective Nov. 6, was made by Cal Fire Director Thom Porter.

Armstrong leads the unit’s 280+ permanent and seasonal staff from CZU headquarters in Felton across 16 fire stations, one Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Conservation Camp in San Lorenzo Valley, one State Demonstration Forest in Soquel and 110 volunteers across 8 additional fire stations serving residents in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties.

As the CZU unit chief, Chief Armstrong also serves as fire chief through Cal Fire’s cooperative agreements system for

San Mateo County Fire Department, Santa Cruz County Fire Department, Coastside Fire Protection District and the Pajaro Valley Fire Protection District. Armstrong’s face may be familiar from briefings during the August 2020 lightning wildfires, which burned 86,500 acres and destroyed more than 900 homes, most of them in Santa Cruz County. He’s also familiar with the safety issues raised by people who live on Aptos Creek Road, the busy two-lane route to the heavily forested Nisene Marks State Park. Before this appointment, Nate Armstrong Armstrong was the unit’s deputy chief of operations. He has 22 years of experience in Cal Fire operations, paramedic services, training, emergency command centers, administration, and state Incident Command Teams. n

Kaiser Gives $200,000 to New Mental Health Center in Watsonville

Kaiser Permanente is granting $200,000 toward a new behavioral center in Watsonville with substance abuse treatment and other outpatient programs.

“Kaiser Permanente is making a significant investment in our community’s future,” said Monica Martinez, CEO of Encompass Community Services, a nonprofit that operates Sí Se Puede in Watsonville, a 23-bed program for men who speak Spanish and more than a dozen more behavioral health programs. “We are incredibly grateful.”

Kaiser Permanent’s grant to Encompass is one of 10 awarded to nonprofits in Santa Cruz County totaling $1.87 million: • Housing Matters: $500,000 to help fund 120 studio apartments for chronically homeless individuals who will have on-site access to 24/7 support services.

“Mental Health” page 26

“Vets Village” from page 17

He said the project has been nearly two years in planning and as it becomes a reality, “it will be a community effort, using local services, vendors, and workers.”

“It takes a village to support the Vets Village,” said Susan True, Community Foundation CEO. “Purchasing this property makes a significant step towards ending homelessness for our veterans and we’re honored to work with the Vets Hall, Santa Cruz County Bank, and generous community members to help solve local challenges together.” n

Instrumental support on this project came from Veterans Village Committee members and supporters: Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, United Veterans Coalitions, and Support Services for Veteran Families; Santa Cruz Free Guide; Robert Ratner with the Housing for Health Division of Santa Cruz County; Front Street Paget Center; and Supervisor Manu Koenig, real estate agent Paul Zech, Jack Tracey, Lynda Francis, David Pedley, Stoney Brooks, and Keith Collins. https://www.veteranshall.org/about/