RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER www.tpgonlinedaily.comTimes P ublis h i ng G roup, I n c . Family Owned For Over 30 Years • Aptos, La Selva Beach, Corralitos, Freedom & Watsonville Times Publishing Group, Inc. 9601 Soquel Drive Aptos, CA 95003 August 15, 2022 • Vol 31 No. 16 GARVEY PAINTING, inc. THE REPAINT SPECIALISTS (831) 688-6913 | www.garveypainting.com License #1057716 seanpoudrier.com WHO YOU WORK WITH MATTERS CalRE#01932326831.531.7171 On Saturday morning, July 23, Andrew Theriot, 37, had a grand mal seizure at his home in Aptos with his wife, Stephanie, and their daughter, Audrey. He had a quick succession of seizures within the next hour until he was able to be sedated at the emergency room at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz. He was transferred to the intensive care unit later that day. He remains intubated and in a medically induced coma. ... continues on page 4 By Rebecca Dutro SanctuariesreleasewatercelebratesCelebratingMarineSanctuariesTheU.S.PostalServicethenation’sundertreasureswiththeoftheNationalMarinestamps. Full Story page 14 Sweep: 3 District 39 Champs! Aptos Little League completed a rare sweep of all three District 39 tournaments as each division won their respective brackets this summer. How unusual is this? Full Story page 6 Homeless Count: 2,299, Up 6% Full Story page 11 AndrewNeedsTheriotYourHelp
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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / August 15th 2022 / 3 GETSMILESNEVEROLD. 831-684-2700 Cover Andrew Theriot Needs Your Help, By Rebecca Dutro Community News 6 Rare Sweep — 3 District 39 Champs! 7 Omicron Levels Drop, But Outbreak Cancels Cabrillo Stage’s Candide, By Jondi Gumz 8 Educational Equity & Support For Every Student 9 HIP Community Forum: Health Careers 11 Homeless Count: 2,299, Up 6%, By Jondi Gumz 14 Celebrating Marine Sanctuaries • Capitola Aids Watsonville Com munity Hospital Purchase 16 Utilities Tops in Average Weekly Wages • Hourly Wages in Santa Cruz County 18 New Assistant Principals: Aptos High, Jr High 19 Elaine Johnson To Head Santa Cruz Housing Nonprofit • Tax Credits for 397 Affordable Apartments 20 County Offers Pesticide Notice to Senior Village 23 CalTrans Innovation Winner: 360 Tours 24 Coastal Cleanup Needs You! 25 ‘The Land of Milk & Honey’: New Exhibit at MAH: Sept. 1-Dec. 31 California News 8 Attorney General: More Poultry Disclosure 12 Legislative Analyst: How to Fix Unemployment Insurance 16 State Lands Grant for Forestry Jobs Monthly Horoscope • Page 26 – Sirius – Where Love & Freedom Originate, By Risa D’Angeles Community Calendar • Arts & Entertainment – Pages 28, 29 Featured Columnists 21 Watermelon Arugula Salad, From Jill Troderman 25 Travel Troubleshooter: British Airways Canceled My Flight and Refuses To Give Me a Refund, By Christopher Elliott 27 Can We Be Too Old?, By Joyce and Barry Vissell 30 National Group Supports Local Efforts: Can Disaster Repairs Start Construction in Two Years?, By Zach Friend, Supervisor, Second District 31 Thinking About Aquatic Plants?, By Tony Tomeo SCCAS Featured Pet • Page 31 – Meet Scooby 16No.31Volume www. tpgonlinedaily.com 7 21 23 25 ContentsofTable
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Starting this morning, he did not show signs of seizure activity as his sedation medication was slowly lowered, until he regained consciousness. He saw a physical therapist and, by the end of the day, was able to sit, stand, feed himself, and take a few steps.Heis weak and unbalanced and needs assistance with these tasks; we are unsure whether physical therapy will be needed. He will likely remain in the hospital for a few more days while they monitor him but will not need to be transferred to another hospital at this time. Andrew continues to defy the odds and work miracles with his will and pos itive However,outlook. this is the beginning of a new, more difficult phase in Andrew’s health rather than a happy ending to one traumatic event. It is unknown how long it will take and what kind of assistance he will need to recover, whether it is ongoing physical therapy, a third brain surgery, or more invasive and aggressive cancer treatment.Many unknowns and obstacles remain in the road ahead, with the first step being another MRI and a consultation with his neuro-oncologist.Nomatterwhat happens, it is certain that Stephanie and Andrew will need to adjust their lives to accommodate this new level of their reality. The generosity of you all is allowing them a bit more grace, space, and options to move forward. Stephanie is blown away by the support they have received and wants us to convey her deepest gratitude to each of you. Your continued support is lifechanging and much appreciated. We will keep the updates coming. Thank you!
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“Help Andrew” from page 1 At this time, there are many more questions than answers and his doctors are determining whether he can be removed from sedation and whether he will need to be transferred to a hospital that can offer more specialized care.
For those unfamiliar with Andrew’s story, in March 2018, he suffered his first grand mal seizure and was eventually diagnosed with a Stage 4 glioblastoma brain tumor. He underwent his first brain surgery in May, followed by chemo therapy and radiation through the end of 2018.After three years of continuous monitoring and treatment through top oncologists and neurosurgeons at UC San Francisco, Andrew needed a second brain surgery in September 2021, followed by more months of chemotherapy treatment. The last of his monthly scans at UCSF revealed a slightly worrisome anomaly, and they were due to return to find out more this Despiteweek.this harrowing diagnosis so early in life and the relentless and brutal effects of the tumor and its treatment, Andrew has remained entirely himself and led a beautiful and rich life these last few years.This is primarily due to his brilliant wife, Stephanie, who has been by his side and in charge of his treatment and care for this entire ordeal, and who has always ensured that Andrew is surrounded by love and living life to its fullest. And the brightest spot in this time has, of course, been the birth of their angel baby girl, Audrey, who has given Andrew the role of a lifetime: Father. They also survived this all with the help of their amazing community of family and friends, who have rallied around them with support in the form of love, time, connection, financial aid, and countless home-cooked, hand-delivered meals. Thankfully, Andrew has not had sei zures since his initial one back in 2018, and this abrupt emergency indicated a shocking change in his health and a mountain of unknowns facing him and his family. We are asking his community to rally around them once again and provide financial support to alleviate some of the pressure and burden that Stephanie faces with this next phase. In the probability that Andrew is transferred to another hos pital, she will need money for hotel rooms, childcare, and living expenses. There is a chance she will not be able to return to teaching math at Aptos High School when school starts again in a few weeks. She is the department chair. Thank you so much for your support. It has been truly life-changing for them. Stephanie asks that we pray / send love out into the universe / whatever you do to help Andrew to return to us and have more time with his beautiful family. If you prefer 100% of your donation to go immediately to Stephanie, you can Venmo her at @Stephanie-Paureau. The last four digits of her cell to verify her account are 6684. We will keep you updated here and through their existing Meal Train. If you would like to read through all of the updates since 2018, you can access them here: needTraintrains/1mmd7z/updates/https://www.mealtrain.com/ThatwillalsobewherewepostMealinformationifAndrewandStephanieadditionallocalsupport.
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Here to share another wonderful devel opment: Andrew is home! After steadily progressing in physical therapy and responding well to his new medications, Andrew was discharged yes terday and was able to return home. His appetite, balance, strength and mobility are all slowly but surely returning! He had a sweet reunion with Audrey at home and has been cared for by Stephanie and his family at the ranch. He was even up for a few short visits from close friends yesterday.Hehas an MRI at UCSF early next week, where his next steps will be determined.Fornow, Stephanie and Andrew are wanting to focus on his current good health and the happiness of this remarkable recovery.She is sure that a large part of why Andrew has defied the odds is due to his incredibly positive outlook and his ability to enjoy the present moment, as well as the love and support he has received. When Andrew saw everyone who had donated here, he was really shocked and moved.
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July 25 Today there was an amazing devel opment -- Andrew woke up!
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Aptos Little League completed a rare sweep of all three District 39 tour naments as each division won their respective brackets this summer. How unusual is this?
page 9 Rare Sweep — 3 District 39
theroundsManagerChamps!TroyCopehigh-fivesDominikCastilloashe3rdafterhishomerunatHarveyWestduring12-year-oldAllStartournament. 2002 World Series team reunion at Aptos Junior High.
Aptos
The head of District administration, Gene Carlisle, stated that he doesn’t remember a year when a single Little League from District 39, which encom passes the Santa Cruz County area, went on to win all three age brackets for 10-, 11& 12-year-old All Stars. “I don’t remember ever having a single league accomplish a sweep like this in All Stars. It is remarkable what these boys did,” said Gene Carlisle, District 39 headAddingadministrator.even more meaning to the accomplishment, Aptos Little League completed the sweep of All Stars on the 20th anniversary of the 2002 Aptos Little League All Star Team that went all the way to the Little League World Series. Talk about a tip of the cap to a team that was honored as the grand marshals for the 4th of July parade this year, com plete with a reunion of former players and coaches.“The baseball community here in Aptos remains strong, and the generations of players, coaches and families that were here to support past, present and future players during the tournaments and the 4th of July parade was extremely heart warming to witness and be a part of,” said John Paul Bergh, president, Aptos Little League.First to win out: The 10-year-old Aptos All Star team led the way with a rousing, undefeated run through District play. The team was led by Manager Garret LaTorre, who was quoted as saying, “Our boys kept pitching, hitting, and came back no matter what the odds were. Kiran Yager, Mitch Anderson, Hunter LaTorre, Miles Lee and Ryan Santillan all pitched well, along with great hitting and run support from the entireTheteam”second to win out was the 12-yearold Aptos All Star team. They finished their bracket to clinch the District title behind phenomenal pitching by Dominik Castillo, Colton Hand & Clayton Cope. Behind the plate for Aptos’ 12s was Parker French, catching nearly every pitch in the tournament. “The boys came in, no expec tations, no stress, just playing baseball, having fun. As the tournament progressed, they started to believe in themselves more and succeeded, as a team, and I could not be prouder of this group and what they did on the baseball field,” said Manager Troy Cope. “Champs!”
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Everything you have done so far already has been life-changing, and we cannot adequately convey their appre ciation and gratitude. Please continue to share their story, and consider donating if you are able and seeing this for the first time. n
On Thursday, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed guidance for Covid-19. According to a statement from Greta Massetti, PhD, MPH, “This guidance acknowledges that the pandemic is not over, but also helps us move to a point where COVID-19 no longer severely disrupts our daily lives.” The guidance elimi nates the “test-to-stay” protocol — testing for students exposed to the coronavirus but not fully vaccinated that allowed them to continue in-person learning, as they tested negative and showed no symptoms. “Handling exposures would involve masking rather than a quarantine,” Mas setti Thesaid.change is in recognition that an estimated 95% of Americans 16 and older have some immunity, either from vacci nation or infection, according to the CDC. The announcement comes in the wake of wastewater data in Santa Cruz County showing Covid-19 Omicron levels plunging since July 26. The number of active cases in Santa Cruz County has dropped from 2,197 to 1,665 in the last month as students head back to school. Pajaro Valley Unified begins classes on Aug. 15. Masks and vaccination are recom mended, not required.“We are excited to see our student back in the classroom,” said Santa Cruz County Superin tendent of Schools Faris Sabbah in a message to the community. His office has distributed 97,000 stateprovided antigen kits to school districts for homeLastuse. year, the State of California said the U.S. Food and Drug Admin istration must give full approval of vaccines before rulemaking to require the Covid-19 vaccine. That has not happened; vaccines have been made available with the FDA granting emer gency use authorization. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff ruled against the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Covid-19 student vaccine mandate in July, saying only the state — not a school board — can require students to be vaccinated to attend in-person school.
The news from this latest scan have been really hard for Andrew and Stephanie. They are grateful to now have an action plan in place, for the time Andrew has been recovering and feeling well at home, and for all of the support from family, friends, community members, and generous strangers.Stephanie would like us to share that a portion of the money raised so far has been used to improve safety and accessibility for Andrew in their tiny home. They will also use part of it to rent a private place to stay near UCSF for the duration of Andrew’s radiation treatment, as he will likely be feeling very unwell. They also hope to use the money to pay for daycare for their daughter, Audrey, since Andrew has been her primary caretaker during the school year while Stephanie is teaching. This family has been through so much, and deserves peace and togetherness. Although Stephanie is extremely dedicated to teaching, additional contribu tions would alleviate stress and financial burden to allow her to take time off work and support her husband, and take care of herself and their daughter.
Sometime soon we will be updating the Meal Train with dates and times for hang seshes with Andrew and/or Audrey, and possibly meals. Thank you all again, so much, for filling Andrew’s cup and showing the power of community care. We are all so grateful!
By Jondi Gumz
••• Editor’s Note: Andrew Theriot grew up in Aptos, graduated from Aptos High in 2002 and got his degree in electrical engineering at Cal State Fresno. He went to work at Fox Thermal. He met his wife-to-be, Stephanie Paureau, while playing on the same coed softball team in 2012. She grew up in Santa Cruz, graduated from Santa Cruz High in 2002, and graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where she majored in engineering. They got married in the summer of 2017. Andrew has not been able to work since his initial seizure in 2018. Stephanie was chair of the Aptos High math department until her maternity leave in 2020.
The very contagious variant BA.5 and waning immunity from vac cines boosted cases this summer. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported BA.5 com prised 9.4% of cases on June 4 and 81.9% as of July 23. Locally, a Covid outbreak in the cast of “Candide” presented by Cabrillo Stage in Aptos resulted in cancellation of the final weekend of perfor mances. The Box Office is reaching out to ticketholders to process refunds. BA.5 drove “reinfections,” people vaccinated and boosted getting Covid for a second or even a third time as the corona virusWithevolves.the U.S. averaging about 300 deaths a day, compared to 3,000 last winter, there is no evidence this subvariant causes more serious illness. Santa Cruz County and most counties of the nation are rated red for high transmission by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on its COVID tracking map. In Santa Cruz County, no deaths were reported in the past two weeks. The last six deaths were people who were vaccinated, according to the county dashboard, all 65 or older with medical conditions. On Friday, the state reported 23 people hospitalized positive for Covid in Santa Cruz County, and none are in intensive care.
page 10 Omicron Levels Drop, But Outbreak
August 5
“COVID Update”
Unfortunately the results from Andrew’s stat MRI on Monday showed several new areas of tumor progression adjacent to the original resection cavity. All of this growth occurred within the last several weeks and is no doubt the cause of the seizures. The quantity and location of the tumors prevent a third brain surgery from being an Today,option.Andrew’s neuro-oncologist presented Andrew’s case to the UCSF Tumor Board. They agreed that the best treatment plan is to proceed with a new brain tumor chemotherapy, CCNU, along with several weeks of radiation therapy at UCSF. He starts this chemo tomorrow morning. The radiation therapy will likely begin next week.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Inspire Diagnostics offers Covid-19 tests in a Cabrillo College parking lot.
“Help Andrew” from page 4
Cancels Cabrillo Stage’s Candide
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / August 15th 2022 / 7
8 / August 15th 2022 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com COMMUNITY NEWS
••• Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year! Pajaro Valley Unified School District continues to prioritize nurturing relation ships and creating meaningful, rich oppor tunities to grow and learn with students, families and staff. Built on hope and belief in our collective com mitment, this year, our theme is Together We LIFT (Learning and Innovation for Transformation) Up! We believe that every person in our educational ecosystem which includes students, families, staff and community contributes to developing vibrant, con fident students on the pathway to fulfilling their individual aspirations.
• Development of Learning Hubs at sec ondary schools
Educational Equity & Support For Every Student
• Expansion of academic and enrichment opportunities until 6pm for all TK-6th grade students
CALIFORNIA NEWS
Editor’s note: With classes starting Aug. 15, here is the welcome letter from Pajaro Valley Unified School District Superin tendent Dr. Michelle Rodriguez.
Attorney General: More Poultry Disclosure
Alongside dedicated staff, community partners and families, we have mobilized and will continue efforts to bridge the gap between our collective vision for the future and the implementation of equitable, cul turally and linguistically relevant learning in these upcoming years. Our commitment remains to our expanded definition of student success that includes a focus on the Whole Child, Whole Family and Whole Community while preparing all students for college, career, and life. As we begin our systemic transfor mation efforts this year, you will see many examples of hope and belief embodied in our theme Together We LIFT Up!
• Investment in all staff around traumainformed instruction and social emotional learning Our focus on educational equity and support for each and every student will only strengthen. Each PVUSD student will have the necessary resources to ensure their success on a social emotional and aca demic level. This year: Covid: Recommend testing on Aug. 12 & Aug. 14 using home kits. Masks: Recommended Expanded Learning Opportunities: Afterschool, intersession, summer school for TK-grade 6 Transportation: Bus passes & routes at busrouteswww.pvusd.net/transportation/ New Start Times: For all schools Family Wellness Center: Access to food, tutoring & more. Transitional kindergarten: All children who turn 5 between Sept. 2 and Feb. 2 qualify. Meals: All students eat for free every day at all schools. We pledge to learn with all stake holders by actively listening and investing time in you, to innovate and accelerate our students with culturally and linguistically relevant learning linked to their passions, interests and talents, and to transform our system so all of our students are success fully prepared for college, career and life. Together we will LIFT up! n
• Expansion of investment in com munity partners such as PVPSA, EAOP, Food What?!, Life Lab, El Sistema and Latino Film Institute
• Maintenance of additional support staff including social emotional counselors, mental health clini cians, intervention teachers and instructional assistants at TK-1 grade level
Much of the meatpacking industry today is vertically integrated with meat processors owning each stage of production and holding contracts for the services of the farmers. Over 90% of “broilers,” chickens raised for meat production, are produced underUndercontract.the contract system, chicken farmers do not own the chickens they raise, but are compensated for them by weight.
Attorney General Bonta joined the attorneys general of Minnesota, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania in filing the comment letter. n A copy of the letter is at https://tinyurl. com/ag-poultry-disclosure.
Rob Bonta
Half of chicken famers in the United States work in a region dominated by only one or two meat processors, leaving them little ability to negotiate with poultry processors.TheUSDA’s proposed rule would amend the Packers and Stockyards Act to increase the number of financial and legal disclosures poultry processors must provide to chicken farmers before they enter into or choose to continue their con tracts. These amendments would allow farmers to better analyze the agreement they are entering into and understand the baseline profits they can expect. In the letter, the attorneys general urge the USDA to strengthen requirements relating to the new governance system for poultry processors to reduce or eliminate opportunities for manipulation and con sider an external audit.
• Identification of Community Schools and growth of Family Engagement and Wellness Centers to deepen wraparound supports aligned with Whole Child, Whole Family, Whole Com munity needs
• An increase in relevant, meaningful curriculum through Career Technical Education, Visual and Performing Arts and Ethnic Studies
On Aug. 8, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, with a bipar tisan coalition of nine attorneys general, expressed strong support for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposed amendment to the Packers and Stock yardsTheAct. amend ments aim to support competition in the agriculture industry by decreasing the information imbalance and increasing trans parency between chicken farmers and processors.InDecember 2021, Attorney General Bonta joined a bipartisan coalition in support of the USDA’s efforts to promote competition in the agriculture industry by strengthening enforcement under the Packers and Stockyards Act. The new 4-page letter is a continuation of this effort. “Consumers and farmers alike are paying the price for recent consolidation in the agriculture industry,” said Bonta. “The USDA’s proposed reforms to the Packers and Stockyards Act will provide chicken farmers with critical information as they consider entering into contracts with poultry processors. With the price of meat on the rise, I urge the USDA to continue its efforts to increase trans parency and strengthen enforcement in this industry.”California is an agricultural leader in the United States, generating more than $50 billion in economic output in 2019 alone. Nearly one-quarter of that value comes from livestock production, including $704 million in poultry production. As a result, California has a strong interest in main taining a fair and competitive marketplace, supporting the farms that have long been the bedrock of California’s economy, and protecting quality and consumer choice in the agriculture industry. For a century, the Packers and Stock yards Act has served as an important tool to ensure competition and fair practices in the livestock, meat, and poultry industries. However, structural changes, including corporate consolidation and changes in sales and marketing practices, have reduced competition in meat processing markets and driven many smaller meat producers out of business.
Attendees will learn about the 2022 Santa Cruz County State of the Workforce Report featured July 1 in Aptos Times, state funding for the healthcare workforce, proven strategies that stimulate diversity, and strategies used locally. “Now is the time to focus our energy, conversations, and actions on nurturing Santa Cruz County’s healthcare work force,” said Maritza Lara, HIP’s deputy director & health strategist. County residents, healthcare students, and those working in health, education, business, and faith-based organizations are invited. n
The third and final District title came for the returning 2021 District Champions, the 11-year-old Aptos All Star team. Behind great pitching by Colin Cormier and Brady Christensen, plus solid, timely hitting by Phoenix Meisser, James Reilly and Blake Weston and some great defense from Shane Melenudo, the 11-year-old team powered their way through the District Championship to complete the sweep. The 11s went on to win the Section 5 Title and compete for State. “We lost our 2nd game and after that we kept our heads up and finished strong. Everyone on the team con tributed,” said Aptos Manager Aaron Meisser. n
— Elisa Orona, Executive Director, HIP
“Champs!” from page 6
••• Cover Photo: All 3 Championship Aptos All Star teams pose for a historic photo after winning all 3 All Star tourna ments in District 39. 20-year Aptos All Star commemoration flag flies high during the 2022 District tournament.
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / August 15th 2022 / 9 Plenty of Free Customer Parking Wilder Associates Inc. Property Management Specialists 662-0291 Kumon Math & Reading Center Learning for the Long Run 508-8200 Village Liquors For All Your Beverage Needs 688-5691 Joy of Movement Pilates & Gyrotonic® More Zest for Life 688-8077 Epicenter Cycling Trek Bicycles for All Types of Riders 662-8100 Dentistry for Animals Dr. Judy Force, DVM 768-7148 CQENS International Inhalation Market www.cqens.com
••• To register, see community-forum-tickets-397235872187com/e/hip-of-santa-cruz-countys-2022-annual-https://www.eventbrite. Noon-2 p.m. • Twin Lakes Church, Aptos Van Ton-Quinlivan “We hear from healthcare employers every day that workforce is a top priority. Recruiting, training, and retaining a diverse staff that can serve the community’s healthcare needs is a common goal. At HIP’s annual forum this year we’ll be discussing how to create pathways to wellpaying jobs, that stabilize our healthcare system and serve to improve the health and wellbeing of the community. Join us!”
COMMUNITY NEWS
The Health Improvement Partnership of Santa Cruz County will present its Annual Community Forum, “Growing our Own: Cultivating Health Career Pathways in Santa Cruz County,” noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14 at Mon schke Hall, Twin Lakes Church, Aptos. This event, in partnership with the Santa Cruz County Workforce Devel opment Board, comes in the wake of reports that 20% of healthcare workers have left their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic due to stress, burnout and lack of work-life balance. A statewide campaign, Stand Up 4 Nurses, contends the state is short 41,000 nurses because enrollment is limited by the state Board of Registered Nursing. “We hear from healthcare employers every day that workforce is a top pri ority,” said Elisa Orona, Executive Director at HIP. “Recruiting, training, and retaining a diverse staff that can serve the community’s healthcare needs is a common goal. At HIP’s annual forum this year we’ll be discussing how to create pathways to well-paying jobs, that stabilize our healthcare system and serve to improve the health and wellbeing of the community. Join us!” Keynote speaker is Van Ton-Quinlivan, CEO of Futuro Health in Sacramento and author of Work forceRx: Agile and Inclusive Strategies for Employers, Educators, and Workers in Unsettled Times. Formerly executive vice chancellor of the California Community Colleges, TonQuinlivan’s work has been highlighted in The New York Times, Chronicle of Higher Education, and Inside Higher Education. She is an appointee of Gov. Newsom to the Health Workforce Education and Training Council.Local and statewide experts will share data insights, updates on state funding in the health workforce, and innovative solutions to implement locally. They are: Josh Williams, president at BW Research Partnership, Inc., and Laura Marcus, CEO of Dientes Community Dental Care, and a recorded presentation from Abby Snay, deputy secretary at the state Labor & Work force Development Agency.
HIP Community Forum: Health Careers September 14 •
FOIA Officer Roger Andoh’s June 16 letter said that “no PRRs were conducted by CDC. Furthermore, data mining is outside of the agency’s purview, staff suggest you inquire with GuetzkowFDA.”called PRRs “one of the oldest, most basic and most well-estab lished tools of pharmacovigilance.”
The CDC was expected to analyze data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System for “safety signals” from Covid-19 vaccines. This database, https://vaers.hhs. gov/, is where health care providers are to report adverse events after a vaccine. It was created after Congress passed a law in 1986 protecting vaccine manufacturers from civil personal injury lawsuits and wrongful death lawsuits resulting from vaccine injuries. An early briefing document said, “The CDC will perform Proportional Reporting Ratio (PRR) data mining on a weekly basis or asThisneeded.”would compare the proportion of an adverse event after getting a specific vaccine vs. the same adverse event after another vaccine. A higher rate would serve as a safety signal to trigger investigation. On June 21, Josh Guetzkow, a PhD at Hebrew University, posted the CDC response to his Freedom of Information Act request asking about this data mining.
Santa Cruz County Office of Education, cases in local schools peaked at 4,407 on Jan. 27, dropped to 44 on April 1, rose to 1,025 on May 23 and dropped to 442 on June 11, and now 237. The 14-day positivity rate, 12.25% on January, dropped to .79%, and is up to 9.63%.
The Omicron variants are less deadly than the Delta variant, which raged in 2021.Santa Cruz County reported 43 Covid deaths after Omicron, compared to 225 as of Dec. 15, before Omicron. One statistic is similar: 79% to 81% of those who died had medical conditions. Why do people fear Omnicron? They may have a medical condition (diabetes, obesity, asthma, high blood pressure).Half of Americans do, so they are at higher risk for severe Covid illness. So are people 85 and older.
Data Analysis
Feds for Medical Freedom, which rep resents federal employees and contractors, is awaiting appellate review in New Orleans of President Biden’s Sept. 9, 2021 order requiring 3.5 million federal employees to be vaccinated for Covid-19. The group, which has about 6,000 members, contends the president over stepped his authority.
10 / August 15th 2022 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com “COVID Update” from page 7 With 60,000+ county cases, natural immunity may be a factor. Cases Santa Cruz County cases are on a roller coaster, 1,705 on June 13, then 2,000 on June 27, and 1,871 on June 30, then 2,040 on July 11 and now 1,665. Cases jumped after Father’s Day and Fourth of July but the high of 199 on July 5 and again July 18 is low compared to 1,312 on Jan.Santa20. Cruz County updates the numbers on Mondays and Thursdays. California reports 79.9% of the popu lation have had at least one shot. On the CDC Covid tracker, Santa Cruz County reports 91.8% of residents age 5 and up have at least one shot and 83.6% fully vaccinated.Fullyvaccinated means having two shots (Pfizer or Moderna) or one Johnson & Johnson shot. All were developed for the initial Wuhan Covid-19 strain, which is no longerDeliveriescirculating.are expected in “early fall” of new booster shots targeting Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 as requested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Biden administration has a $3.2 billion deal to buy 105 million doses of Pfizer’s Covid vaccine for adults and children for Californiafall. hospitalizations from Omicron peaked in January, then plum meted, rose and now are declining. The state reports 4,000 people hospi talized and the Department of Public Health explains about half are due to Covid, with the other half coming to the hospital for another reason and testing positive. The state reports test positivity, 23% in January, fell to 1.7% before rising to 16.1% then falling to 12.9% while hospitaliza tions — 20,000 in January — dropped to 950 before rising. Football Coach Claim Nick Rolovich, the football coach fired by Washington State University for refusing to get the Covid-19 vaccine, is claiming wrongful termination and seeking $25 million from the university, according to the Seattle Rolovich,Times.whois Catholic, was denied a religious exemption after the governor mandated state employees get the vaccine. There’s a 60-day waiting period between when a claim is filed and when a lawsuit can be filed. At the time of his firing, Rolovich was paid $3.2 million per year and had three seasons left on his contract. The athletic director said he was fired for “just cause.” In July, Dr. Douglas McKenzie, a plastic surgeon in Santa Barbara County, and Phy sicians for Informed Consent, sued William Prasifka, executive director of the Medical Board of California, challenging attempts to sanction physicians who disagree with the government’s Covid-19 edicts.
Test to Treat Santa Cruz County offers “Test to Treat” sites, open to anyone regardless of insurance or documentation status. To make an appointment, visit https://lhi. care/covidtesting/.Accordingtothe
The Medical Board opened an investi gation in December 2021, then closed it after the lawsuit was filed. McKenzie contends his comments are protected by the First Amendment.Assembly Bill 2098 was proposed to make it a disciplinable offense for a phy sician to publicly challenge public health Covid edict. McKenzie contends that would violate the First Amendment. The bill was first amended to apply only to doctorpatient communications, then shelved after a hearing Aug. 1.
Omicron Less Deadly
toorg/coronavirusorg/coronavirusvaccine.VaccineBoosterhttps://tinyurl.com/get-tested-santa-cruz.shots:https://myturn.ca.gov/providers:www.santacruzhealth.Localinformation:www.santacruzhealth.or(831)454-4242from8a.m.5p.m.MondaythroughFriday. n ••• Total COVID cases: 1,665 ••• COVID Deaths: 268 As of Aug. 11 Age 85 and older: 117 • 75-84: 62 • 65-74: 47 60-64: 15 • 55-59: 4 • 45-54: 10 35-44: 8 • 25-34: 5 Underlying Conditions Yes: 218 • No: 50 Vaccinated Yes: 34 • No: 234 Race White 155 • Latinx 90 • Asian 16 Black 3 • Amer Indian 1 Hawaiian 1 • Another 2 Gender Men: 137 • Women: 131 Location At facility for aged: 117 Not at a facility: 151
Young Children & Covid As of July 20, about 544,000 children under age 5 had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, which reviewed CDCThisdata.is about 2.8% of the 19 million children in this age group in the U.S. In California, 4.5% of kids under 5 have been vaccinated. Seven countries offer vaccines to the youngest children. Eligibility starts at age 2 in Cuba and Venezuela, and age 3 in Chile and Argentina, Bahrain, Hong Kong and China. In Santa Cruz County, parents who want their children under 5 to receive Covid-19 vaccines should contact their doctor. The Santa Cruz County Office of Edu cation and the county Public Health hosted two town halls for parents on the vaccine for children under 5. The recordings are at child-adolescent.htmlcdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/schedulevaccinesdrug-makers?representresenthavefederalchildrenconditions,elders,covid-19-vaccine-for-under-5-year-olds/https://santacruzcoe.org/town-halls-Covidhasclaimedthelivesofmanythose85andolderwithmedicalbutrelativelyfewchildren,442age4andunder,accordingtotheCentersforControl&Prevention.Morethan1millionpeopleintheU.S.diedofCovid,soyoungchildrenrepatinypercentageofdeaths.CoulditbethatyoungchildrenanuntappedwindfallfortheItalldependsonwhethertheseareaddedtotheCDCvaccineforchildren.Seehttps://www.
Myocarditis In a 2022 report in the Journal of American Medical Association online, Dr. Matthew Oster of the CDC reported the govern ment’s VAERS database received 1,991 reports of myocarditis after one dose of mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccine and 1,626 met the CDC’s definition for probable or confirmed myocarditis. Oster’s conclusion: “The risk of myocarditis after receiving mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccines was increased across multiple age and sex strata and was highest after the second vaccination dose in adolescent males and young men. This risk should be considered.” Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart, which can lead to clots, a stroke or heart attack. Public health officials say the scien tific consensus is that Covid vaccines are safe, but some are skeptical about relying on science from drug-makers, which saw profits rise in 2021. Analysts say Pfizer has been one of the largest winners in the last two years, doubling revenue to $81 billion in sales in 2021 due to its Covid vaccine. This year, it’s selling Paxlovid, a Covid pill that has a higher price per dose.
The Santa Cruz County Office of Edu cation has completed 540,700 tests with Inspire Diagnostics.
At a school board meeting in August 2021 via Zoom, McKenzie said, “We are not going to get to Zero Covid ever. We can’t make it disappear with a vaccine, especially one that may improve symptoms, but as we are seeing won’t stop reinfection or transmission.”
Health and Human Services Sec retary Alex Azar invoked the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act, a 2005 law allowing him to provide legal protection to companies making or distributing critical medical supplies such as vaccines unless there’s “willful mis conduct” by the company. This protection lasts until 2024. Testing The Santa Cruz County Office of Edu cation offers drive-though testing for students, staff and families at: Cabrillo College, Aptos, Parking Lot K, Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Santa Cruz County Office of Edu cation, 399 Encinal St., Santa Cruz, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. See:
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Since 2019, Santa Cruz County made progress in finding homes for unshel tered families and young people age 18-24, but the number of homeless veterans and chronically homeless people with mental illness or drug addiction more than doubled, resulting in an 6% increase overall, from 2,167 to 2,299, according to the 2022 Point-In-Time Count.
A man without a home finds a spot to rest by the Post Office in Santa Cruz.
Data:
• 61% decrease in homeless young people age 18-24
Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / August 15th 2022 / 11
COMMUNITY NEWS
He cited a recent report that found a wage of $60.35 an hour — up from $58.10 in 2021 is needed to afford a two-bedroom apartment.“Youneed four full-time jobs, two people working two full-time jobs,” Morris said. “A lot of our staff can’t afford to live here.”Asked why more veterans were homeless, Ratner was not sure. “We need to do a little more research,” he said, noting 40 to 50 have rental vouchers but haven’t found a local landlord willing to accept that payment.
• 818 people report serious mental Santaillness Cruz County Board of Super visors got a summary of the findings Tuesday from Robert Ratner, director of the County of Santa Cruz Housing for Health Division, and Randy Morris, director of the county Human Services Department. Applied Survey Research of Watson ville, which carried out the homeless count, will have a complete report in a couple months.Morris said 322 people were served with 145 moving into permanent homes.
• 128% increase in chronically homeless people with mental illness or drug addiction, from 403 to 921
page 20 Homeless Count: 2,299, Up
• 120% increase in homeless veterans, from 151 to 332
• 1,073 people report substance use
Cancer care as unique as you.
• 59% decrease in homeless families –only five unsheltered
Another 441 households have rental vouchers from the housing authority, with 167 finding a place and the rest still looking.“The biggest challenge is available rental units in a tight market,” Morris said. “We’re looking at options outside Santa Cruz County.”
One factor may be the loss of 900 homes in San Lorenzo Valley and Bonny Doon during the 2020 CZU fire. Federal disability payments, currently $841 per month, do not cover rental costs. Despite the need, little affordable housing is being built, with 153 of 734 building permits targeting very-lowincome housing — 21%. Health issues are another factor. “Homeless” 6% By Jondi Gumz
12 / August 15th 2022 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com
••• Limit Improper Claim Denials
• Audit claim denials to learn more about claim types that EDD regularly denies.
• Give Unemployment Insurance appeals board authority and staff to correct state practices that make it dif ficult to get benefits. Minimize Delays
Third, demic—laidheightductedassessment—conadministration’stheduringtheofthepanouthow difficult the Unemployment Insurance program is for workers. Fourth, we catalog state rules and application steps that make it unreasonably difficult for workers to prove eligibility and timeconsuming to apply for benefits.
• To reduce unneeded investiga tions, reword employer notices so employers know they should only respond to the notice if they dispute the worker’s claim.
• Stop asking workers to list detailed work history and salary information that EDD already maintains.
Improving Although these problems are not new, the pandemic has highlighted the need for the state to rebalance the Unem ployment Insurance program to make getting benefits to eligible workers a top priority.Inour assessment, today’s problems do not call for fundamental reforms that could upend longstanding tenants of the state’s labor market. Instead, targeted changes to state practices could improve the experience unemployed workers have when they need Unemployment Insurance. We suggest more than a dozen tar geted changes to place greater priority on getting payments to eligible workers.
denials cause lengthy delays for workers who appeal and raise concern that the state denies many eligible workers. Likely between $500 million and $1 billion annually in payments go unpaid each year due to improper denials.
Second, pressure from the federal over sight agency to avoid errors encourages the state to conduct lengthy reviews. These steps probably catch some mistakes, but make getting benefits challenging and timeconsuming for everyone else. Finally, to keep the program solvent, the state may look for ways to contain Unemployment Insurance costs. The state trust fund does not build large enough reserves during normal times to weather downturns. Without legislative action to address this imbalance, the department may feel pressure to prevent the fund from becoming insolvent.
• To shorten application and limit mis understanding, reevaluate need for extra questions on Unemployment Insurance application that affects eligibility for only a small number of applicants.
• Assess surcharge to discourage unsub stantiated employer disputes and appeals that cause long claim delays. Simplify Application The state’s Unemployment Insurance application and ongoing requirements are difficult to understand and unneces sarily lengthy.
More than half of the Unemployment Insurance claims the Employment Development Department denies are over turned on Overturnedappeal.
Program Design Encourages Focus on Fraud & Containing Costs
R ecent failures can be traced back to the Unemployment Insurance pro gram’s basic design, which results in more emphasis being placed on mini mizing fraud and business costs than making sure eligible workers can easily get benefits. Without safeguards to make sure eli gible workers can get benefits easily, the state’s Unemployment Insurance program has tilted out of balance. During normal economic times, this emphasis leads to unneeded complexity. During downturns, EDD’s policies and practices cause long delays and frustration for unemployed workers.
• To limit disputed claims, reassess practice of allowing all prior employers (not just the most recent employer) to dispute a claim.
• Require employers to report layoffs to speed up Unemployment Insurance application and increase take up. (State law already requires employers to report new hires.)
CALIFORNIA
NEWS
California’s Unemployment Insurance program provides temporary wage replacement to unemployed workers. The program helps alleviate workers’ economic challenges and bolster the state economy during downturns.Theprogram faltered during the two most recent downturns. At the Employment Development Department — which oversees Unemployment Insurance —payments were delayed for roughly 5 million workers during the pandemic and phone lines were overwhelmed by frus tratedThesecallers.failures caused hardship for unemployed workers and their families, held back the economy, and spurred frus tration among Californians with their state government.
LAO Recommendations
Legislative Analyst: How to Fix Unemployment Insurance
• Instead, make initial payment based on EDD’s internal information and allow for recalculations.
• For claims denied because an eligible worker did not follow EDD rules, reevaluate rules to make sure benefits outweigh costs.
Three key features of the program’s basic design have encouraged the state to adopt policies that make getting benefits difficult. First, the state operates the Unem ployment Insurance program with an orientation toward businesses (as the entities financing the program), which have a clear incentive to contain costs. Policies formed under this orientation tend to emphasize holding down business costs.
Signs of Imbalance In this report, we highlight five key signs of the state’s imbalanced Unemployment Insurance program.
• To reduce unneeded investigations, limit current practice of stateled investigations (which may be incon sistent with existing state law).
• Continue work to rebalance notifi cation procedures so workers have sufficient time to respond to EDD requests, understand why EDD’s decision was made, and know what to do if they disagree. n
Failures Trace Back to Program Design
More than half of Unemployment Insurance claims were delayed during the peak of the pandemic, for many workers by several months. Between 15% and 20% of workers who apply for Unemployment Insurance during normal economic times experience delays.•Review usefulness of state’s current identity proof requirements, which frequently delay eligible claims.
First, the department improperly denies many Unemployment Insurance applications. More than half of denials are overturned on appeal, while less than onequarter are overturned in the rest of the country.Second, Unemployment Insurance claims are regularly delayed by weeks and often months, especially during downturns.
••• To read the report, see https://lao.ca.gov/ Publications/Report/4615
Finally, we highlight several con cerning steps taken by EDD in recent years that suggest ensuring eligible workers get benefits is not among its top priorities.
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / August 15th 2022 / 13 kp.org/downtownsantacruz Save time getting high quality care for your whole family. Pharmacy, X-ray, mammograms, pediatrics, and more are now available at our new downtown Santa Cruz Medical Offices. Get more done in one stop Santa Cruz Medical Offices 110 Cooper Street Santa Cruz, CA 95060 Now open, come visit.
The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the nation’s underwater treasures with the release of the National Marine Sanctuaries stamps. For 50 years, U.S. national marine sanc tuaries and marine national monuments have protected areas with special eco logical, cultural and historical significance. The 16 new Forever stamps showcase the abundant wildlife and diverse eco systems that can be found throughout the National Marine Sanctuary System. The stamps include photographs taken by Daryl Duda, Michael Durham, Mark Sullivan, Peter Turcik, Norbert Wu, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employees Wendy Cover, Jeff Harris, Elliott Hazen, Joseph Hoyt, Ed Lyman, Greg McFall, Matt McIntosh, G. P. Schmahl and Kate Thompson. Art director Greg Breeding designed the pane using existing photographs. A map of the National Marine Sanctuary System illustrated by Todd M. Detwiler is printed on the back of the pane. Orders for the Marine Sanctuaries Forever stamps can be made online at usps.com/stamps.
I n a special meeting Thursday, the Cap itola City Council authorized a 60-day loan agreement for $5 million with the County of Santa Cruz to help close the purchase of Watsonville Community Hos pital by a Pajaro Valley nonprofit. The vote was 5-0, contingent on the cities of Santa Cruz and Watson ville each putting up a $5 million 60-day loan.After Watsonville Community Hospital filed for bankruptcy, Santa Cruz County faced the challenge of raising $67 million to buy the hospital operation from the out-of-town owner or see it close, leaving county residents with just one hospital with an emergency room. About 40% of emergency room visits are at Watsonville Community Hospital, which County Administrative Officer Carlos Palacios said is “critical to the overall medical system of the entire county.”More than 400 donations came in, with state legislators agreeing to allocate $25 million from the historic budget surplus. However, due to a budget drafting error, the state is unable to release those funds before the Aug. 31 hospital sale date, Capitola City Manager Jamie Goldstein explained.Palacios expected a budget amendment would make the $25 million available by mid-September. So Palacios reached out to community partners to ask for a $5 million “bridge loan” until the budget error is rectified.
“Capitola Supports WCH” page 24 MarineCelebratingSanctuaries
Capitola Aids Watsonville Community Hospital Purchase
Customers also may purchase stamps through usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826, or at Post Office locations nationwide.ThePostal Service reports it gen erally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its opera tions. n
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Wages represent an important economic indicator. Let’s take a look at average industry weekly wages on the Central Coast. All five Central Coast counties had an average weekly wage greater than $1,000 in the 3rd quarter of 2021. The highest wages were in Ventura County ($1,209), followed by Santa Cruz County ($1,159). The lowest was in Mon terey County California($1,070).wages averaged $1,576 per week, topping the U.S. average of $1,251. One reason is California has a greater share of information sector jobs, which pay higher wages. In San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Francisco counties, home to Silicon Valley employees, information sector wages average $9,878, $7,694, and $5,740 per week,Thoserespectively.jobsaccounted for 8.0 to 13.7 percent of employment in those counties. Wages differ significantly between industries. In Santa Cruz County, utilities average $2,664 a week, followed by management, $2,512, professional and technical services, $1,911, and finance and insurance, $1,887, and construction, $1,629.The lowest paying industry was accommodation and food services, $585, followed by arts, entertainment, and recre ation,These$626.two make up leisure and hospi tality, which had the greatest losses during the pandemic.Agriculture, another major sector locally, averaged $934 weekly, ahead of retail, at $774. n
Aproposal to expand forestry and fire-safety training programs in the Sierra Nevada and Cascade regions of California is one of 32 projects in the nation selected for funding as part of the $500 million Good Jobs Challenge funded by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.Some 509 proposals were submitted, all industry-led workforce training partnerships.Thewinning projects will support 15 key industries, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.TheGood Jobs Challenge is administered by the Com merce Department’s Economic Development Administration, with the goal to invest in innovative approaches to workforce development and secure job opportunities for more than 50,000 Americans.Foundation California Community Colleges, a nonprofit and the official auxiliary of the California Community Colleges, Chancellor’s Office and Board of Governors, submitted a winning proposal. Worker Shortages Projected California’s record-breaking wildfires destroyed multiple communities and 2.5 million acres in 2021. There are projected shortages of 6,000 fire managers, 4,000 conservation scientists and foresters, 7,000 loggers, and 1,500 utility line clearance technicians, well-paying jobs with benefits. California proposes to partner with industry to expand forestry and fire-safety training programs with a regional hub to equitably catalyze outreach, training, and placement, reaching adults with barriers to employment -English-language learners; Hispanic/ Latinx; indigenous; low-income workers; veterans; and Accordingwomen.tothe foundation, this is a generation-changing moment to place skilled workers in quality, demand-driven jobs that will rebuild communities and promote economic recovery and resilience. The 116-community college system comprises the largest provider of work force training in the nation. The project will be staffed primarily by FoundationCCC’s Workforce Devel opmentTimDepartment.Aldingeris executive director of Workforce Development, heading a 20-person team. Two FoundationCCC programs will support the Hub: Upskill California, which will manage utility line clearance preinspector training with Butte Community College, and Career Catalyst, a training and placement network led by Joshua Modlin that will support placement of 500 workers.Employers committed to the project include private sector and public agencies in the Northern interior, Sacramento, and Northern parts of the San Joaquin forest regions.The Hub will help partners deepen relationships and start new ones to support additional placements for trainees. “Good Jobs Challenge”
page 24
State Lands Grant for Forestry Jobs Hourly Wages in Santa Cruz County Workers in Santa Cruz County averaged $30.52 per hour in May 2021, about 9 percent above the nationwide average of $28.01, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report issued in July. Legal occupations were highest paid at $59.82 per hour followed by healthcare practitioners and technical occupations at $58.09 per hour.
DOWN WE GO! Locally, Home Prices are DOWN from a month ago, quite significantly in some areas. Last month, Zillow had the AVG Sales Price in Aptos at $1,544,619 vs. a year ago at $1,216,941, a 27% increase. The Actual AVG Sales Price (7/028/02/22) was $1,410,700, 9% less than Zillow’s prior month AVG, and $135,000 down in price. This compares to the current 33 Aptos Active Listings (as of 8/06) at an AVG List Price of $2,353,484 and an AVG Days on Market of now 48 days. There is a lot of downward pricing pressure here. On the ‘positive’ side, Interest Rates are also DOWN from a month ago; to 5.54% national average per Highbankrate.com.saleinRioDel Mar was 203 Claudius, 3 bed, 3 bath, 2140 SF home listed for $2,590,000 and sold for $2,200,000 after 22 days on market. High sale in Seacliff was 526 Harriet, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1452 SF, listed for $1,050,000 and bid up to $1,200,000. High sale in 95003 east of Hiway 1 was 1065 Larsen, 3 bed, 2 bath, 2050 SF on 4.9 acres, originally listed for $2,495,000, reduced to $2,149,000, and sold for $1,800,000 after 76 days on market. Country properties are definitely feeling more impacted than beach properties. Townhomes and Condos are moving very slowly now. There were only 2 sales in the past 30 days; 2824 Casa de Vida, 2 bed, 1.5 bath, 1273SF sold for $750,000 and 380 Sea Ridge #3, 2 bed, 1.5 bath, 1045SF also sold for $750,000. 13 homes are Active with long 35 days on market, and high Average List Price of $1,043,692; more pricing pressure here. In all of Santa Cruz County, there are only 260 homes for sale. The AVG List Price is $1,921,366, and the AVG Days on Market is a whopping 58 days! So, even though inventory remains very low, what is left on the market is not moving at these prices. All this said, … It is now a GOOD TIME TO BE A BUYER!! Call, email, text, and. Get Results With Ruth! Ruth Bates 831.359.2212 ruthbates1@gmail.com NEWS
Aptos Real Estate Update
Wages in the county were signifi cantly higher than national averages in 15 of the 22 major occupational groups, including engineering, social services, education, protective services, personal care and withwashomeatthesupportOfficetransportation.andadministrativeoccupationsaccountedforlargestshareoftotalemployment11.9%.Amongindividualoccupations,healthandpersonalcareaidesthemostcommonjobinthecounty3,610workers. n
Utilities Tops in Average Weekly Wages
16 / August 15th 2022 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com
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On July 27, the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees approved 14 administrative appointments. Rachael Jones is the new assistant principal at Aptos High School. She began her career teaching at Aiea Middle School in Hawaii. She has since been a teacher at an alternative school, special education in PVUSD and most recently as a new teacher mentor with the New Teacher Project. She has a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from University of Hawaii at Manoa. She earned her special education credential and her administrative cre dential from CSU Monterey Bay. Elizabeth (Liz) Ettinger is the new assistant principal of Aptos Junior High School. She started as a Montessori pre school teacher. She taught at Shoreline Middle School and came to Aptos Junior High School in 2004. Her most recent role was teaching computer science and lan guage arts. She has a bachelor’s degree in history and a single-subject credential from Humboldt State University. She has supplemental authorizations in computer science and English language arts and is enrolled in an administrative credential program at San Diego State University.
18 / August 15th 2022 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com COMMUNITY NEWS
John Navarrete has been appointed supervisor, maintenance. He previously worked in the construction trades He brings a knowledge of OSHA safety regu lations. Working for commercial building companies, he supervised staff and led large construction projects. He has a bach elor’s in project management from the University of Nevada Reno and has certifi cation in HVAC and Refrigeration.
Nicole Salles-Cunha is a program director for special education. Ms. SallesCunha has been working with students since 2014 as a special education teacher and instructional coach. She has also been a mentor with the New Teacher Project and most recently was the principal of the Early Childhood Services Special Edu cation program, which operates across 5 campuses. She has a bachelor‘s degree from San Diego State along with a master’s in educational leadership. Her education specialist credential is from CSU Monterey Bay, while her administrative credential is from San Diego State.
Rebecca Milburn is the new principal of MacQuiddy Elementary School. She has served students since 1992 as a classroom teacher, intervention teacher, English learning specialist and most recently as the Academic Coordinator at MacQuiddy Elementary. She has a master’s Degree and an administrative credential from Concordia University and a bachelor’s in Spanish and Latin American studies from Cal State Chico. Her multiple Subject Credential and Spanish bilingual authorization are from UC Santa Cruz.
Sergio Ambriz is promoted to super visor, maintenance. He has worked for the PVUSD for 5 1/2 years as a maintenance specialist with a broad background in various trades such as plumbing, car pentry, and HVAC.
Elizabeth
Rachael Jones Ettinger
NicolePhillipSalles-CunhaMenchacaJeanieAitken
Phillip Menchaca is a program director for special education. He has 20+ years of education experience, most recently as a principal with the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District. He also was a special education program administrator and site supervisor. He has been an alternative program teacher and a site administrator at various schools. He has a bachelor’s degree from National University, a multiple-subject credential from University of the Pacific and a master/s in education from CSU Stanislaus. He is a doctoral candidate with Northcentral University.
Susan Graulty is the new principal of New School. She started her career as an instructional aide in Fishers, Indiana, in 2002. Since then, she has been a music teacher, a 3rd, 4th and 5th grade teacher, social studies, and PE teacher as well as a Career Technical Education instructor in the juvenile justice system. She has been the coordinator of VAPA and GATE services for the last 6 years at PVUSD. Growing up in a family music business, she was a pro fessional flutist in the Illinois Air National Guard, retiring in 2000.
Esmerelda Flores is the new aca demic coordinator at Radcliff Elementary. A graduate of Pajaro Valley High, she attended CSU Monterey Bay where she earned her bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and her credentials for multiple subjects and administration. She started in 2007 as a student helper with the extended learning program. She moved into a teaching role at Radcliff in 2014.
Jeanie Aitken is the new director, Food and Nutrition Services. She has been super visor of operations for Food & Nutrition Ser vices at PVUSD since 2017. She has 24+ years of management expe rience including13 years managing school food and nutrition programs. She has an associate’s degree in Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management from Scottsdale Culinary Institute and a bachelor’s degree in health education from Western Michigan University.
Patricia (Trish) Unruhe is the new coordinator of extended learning for migrant education. She has a degree in biopsychology from UC Santa Barbara, a multiple-subject credential with a Spanish bilingual authorization, a master’s in edu cational leadership from San Jose State University and an administrative cre dential. She started as a science naturalist for an Outdoor School. She has been a bilingual teacher, literacy coordinator and a migrant teacher for afterschool programs.
“PVUSD Appointments” page 24 New Assistant Principals: Aptos High, Jr High
To Head Santa Cruz Housing Nonprofit
• Miles Lane in Watsonville, 72 apartments for families (MidPen Housing)
Housing Santa Cruz County has selected Elaine Johnson to be its first executive director, a mile stone for the nonprofit working to increase affordable housing for local residents and workers.Johnson is a native of the Bronx with a law degree from Monterey College of Law. She coms from the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office where she founded the Santa Cruz County Neigh borhood Courts, a diversion program giving people an opportunity to make amends without a criminal conviction.
Tax Credits for 397 Affordable Apartments
Elaine Johnson
• Pippin Orchards Phase II in Watsonville, 80 apartments for families (MidPen Housing)
Johnson has trained and worked in the fields of juvenile dependency, com munity and divorce mediation, criminal law, and nonprofits, and she has extensive experience working in restorative justice, fundraising, community out reach and engagement, and community collaboration.Shewas an integral member of the Yes on Measure H campaign in 2018 that garnered more than 50 percent of the vote but fell short of the 2/3 majority needed to pass a tax measure that would have funded affordable housing efforts in Santa CruzHousingCounty. Santa Cruz County launched in 2021 in the wake of that election outcome. “We are so excited to have Elaine on board,” HSCC Board Chairman Don Lane said. “She has deep connections in the community and is well-respected as an advocate for marginalized communities. We look forward to effecting great change with her leadership.” In 2022, HSCC is focusing on growing its supporter base, advocating for at least eight affordable housing projects, hosting community education events and speaking in support of specific affordable housing projects while monitoring the progress of affordable housing projects across the county at affordable housing project map and tracker. n Learn more at www.housingsantacruz county.com, Johnson
• 1500 Capitola Road Housing in Live Oak, 57 apartments for families (MidPen Housing)
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / August 15th 2022 / 19 School Begins August 29 ENROLL NOW! Meet our diverse, inspired creative and academically vibrant learning community 408-847-2717MountMadonnaSchool.or O ering bus transportation and financial aid COMMUNITY NEWS
The California Tax Credit Allo cation Committee delivered $16 million in annual federal fire recovery tax credits to Santa Cruz County, allowing construction of 397 affordable apartments in Santa Cruz, Live Oak, and Watsonville to this year.The $16 million investment over 10 years will facilitate permanent affordable housing in six locations where construction began in May and June.These include communities developed by MidPen Housing, Eden Housing, Pacific Housing, and For the Future Housing, Inc.
“Collaboration and making a dif ference in my community motivate me,” said Johnson, who lives in Live Oak. “I’m passionate about creating positive change in thisHousingcommunity.”Santa Cruz County is a countywide coalition of local organiza tions and individuals striving to ensure all county residents have access to safe, stable and affordable homes amid a housing crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pan demic and recent wildfires. “I want the playing field to be leveled for everyone to have a seat at the table, and for there to be no limits regardless of race or background,” Johnson said. “I believe there is nothing one cannot do if they are given the space, time and support — financial and emotional to do it.”
• 1482 Freedom in Watsonville, 53 apartments (Eden Housing) “Tax Credits” page 23
Elaine
Notification to residents within the community will be provided at least 36 hours prior to the scheduled pes ticide“Weapplication.welcome the opportunity to col laborate with DPR on this pilot project and look forward to receiving comments and feedback from our community and growers, which will be important as DPR develops a statewide notification system,” County Agricultural Commis sioner Juan Hidalgo said. DPR Director Julie Henderson said, “This pilot project, and others in Riverside, Ventura and Stanislaus counties, will provide valuable information, including feedback from community members, growers and other stakeholders that will inform the design of the statewide system.”Residents may use the system’s search function or sign up to receive a text or email notification by visiting the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office webpage at www.agdept.com, clicking on “Pesticide Notification Pilot Project” and selecting “Subscribe Now”.
No, Ratner said, it’s not either-or. Yet he is loath to have people suffer “while we’re waiting for years -- because these projects take years.”
Comparisons:
“People with really significant health issues need a lot of support to get back into housing,” Ratner said, referring to people with disabilities. “It’s really challenging to help them locate to another community without knowing if the supports are there… Families and youth have a little more mobility.”Ratner added, “We talk about this with staff. Having more realistic conversations analyzing the pros and cons of staying in current situations vs. taking a unit in another community. I think folks are doing more and more of that.”
A decision is pending on 801 River St., Santa Cruz, 7 units, up to $4 million requested for Housing Matters.
pilot
The development of the pilot notifi cation system is funded through the $10 million allocated toDPR in the 2021-2022 state budget.
• Alameda County (up 22%),
Morris estimated $8 million to $12 million in operational funds are needed to reach that capacity, and said federal or state funds would be essential.
potassium
2–6pm • On-site Registration Support • Financial Aid Counseling • Assistance VaccinationUploadingRecords • Student Support Services Registration Fairs Fall ’22 Semester Hit the Ground Running!
• Contra Costa County (up 35%)
“Homeless” from page 11
A recent report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition ranks Santa Cruz County as the second most expensive rental market in the country and the least affordable for local renters.
• Monterey County (down 15.5%)
agencyproviders.alongeachishousingforhealthpartnership.org/TheHousingforHealthPartnershipacollaborationoftheCountyandcitywithinSantaCruzCounty,withlocalhomelessnessserviceTheCountyofSantaCruzistheleadforthePartnership. n • Aptos Campus Tues,
T he County of Santa Cruz is one of four in the state to partner with the California Department of Pes ticide Regulation to offer a pilot program to provide advance notice to residents living near agricultural properties.
The voluntary pilot program pro vides residents of the Senior Village Community in Watsonville with an online database search, and the option to sign up for notifications for applications of 1,3-dichloropropene, chloropicrin and metam on crops within a onemile radius of a valid street address.
Does that mean you’re not going to try to build affordable housing?
• Santa Clara County (up 3%)
County Offers Pesticide Notice to Senior Village
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• San Benito County (up 21%) When available, the full Point-in-Time Count report will be posted at https:// Aug 9th
• San Francisco (down 3.5%)
COMMUNITY NEWS
Ryan Coonerty contends meth addiction is driving the crisis. “Even if we get a lot of dollars and build a lot of housing and take on a lot of neighborhoods, we can at best may be able to house one out of 10, maybe one out of every eight who are experiencing homelessness in this county, he said. “That leaves a lot of people on a list to nowhere... it’s not about putting people on buses and getting them out of our community. It’s about finding places where work and housing balance is more in line and they will have more oppor tunity to be supported. Support when they get there is key… Otherwise we are fighting an uphill battle.” Santa Cruz County applied to the state for $53.5 million in Homekey funds to create 155 affordable units. So far, the county got $17 million toward 56 units. One is the Vets Village in Ben Lomond , $6,425,000 for 20 units at the former Jay’s Timberlane Resort.
“We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with DPR on this pilot project and look forward to receiving comments and feedback from our community and growers, which will be important as DPR develops a statewide notification system,” — Juan Hidalgo, County Agricultural Commissioner
Morris noted the downside of people relocating to get an affordable place to live. “For some, this is their com munity,” he said. “They lose all their connections.”Abouthalf self-report substance abuse and three-quarters report a dis abling“Wecondition.willwork more closely with behavioral health to address that,” MorrisSupervisorsaid.
The other is the future Park Haven Plaza, 2838 Park Ave., Soquel, $10,660,000 for 36 units for young people 18-24, fam ilies and veterans.
• Watsonville Center Thurs, Aug 11th 4–7pm
20 / August 15th 2022 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com
A request for up to $39 million to convert a 95-room Rodeway Inn,1620 Beach St., Watsonville, into permanent supportive micro-units was denied, and is being appealed. For the future, Morris said the county will partner with Central California Alliance for Health; relaunch Home Safe for seniors and people with disabilities to retain or secure housing; and reach out to homeless people camping in San Lorenzo Park in Santa Cruz. The county currently has 387 shelter beds; the target is 600.
••• For info on the county-led pilot projects see the DPR’s website. People with questions may call the Santa Cruz County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office at (831) 763-8080.
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / August 15th 2022 / 21 Transforming Your Water for Tomorrow soquelcreekwater.org/transform DISCOVER THE JOY OF LEARNING AT Kirby School is a 6th-12th grade independent school serving families in Santa Cruz and beyond for over 25 years. We offer Tuition Assistance and a Test-free Application process. Visit KIRBY.ORG to learn more. Kirby School 425 Encinal Street Santa Cruz, CA 95060 admissions@kirby.org | kirby.org FEATURED COLUMNIST Fresh, crisp and so delish! Perfect on a hot summer day. Ingredients 6 cups arugula, washed and dried 6 cups watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes 1/3 cup olive oil 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons honey 1 tsp Dijon mustard ½ red onion, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon sea salt Fresh ground black PineCroutons1OptionalpepperAdditionscupfetacheesecrumblesnutsorchoppedwalnuts
4)
Directions 1) Put the arugula, watermelon, and onion together in a bowl. 2) In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. 3) Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss until coated. Add additional items and serve. Jill Troderman is an award-winning cer tified holistic nutritionist and nutrition educator in Soquel. She received her certifi cations as a holistic nutrition consultant and nutrition educator from Bauman College. She is the author of The Food Tree Holistic Nutrition and Wellness Curriculum: A Mind, Body, Soul Approach to Teaching Kids How to Eat Well and Be Healthy. Jill maintains a private nutrition counseling practice and teaches work shops on holistic nutrition, healthy cooking, crafting herbal tea blends, and organic gardening. See http://santacruzholisticnutrition. com/
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From Jill Troderman A Recipe! Do you have a recipe that is a family favorite? Or maybe one from your childhood you would like to share? The Aptos Times will be publishing one recipe each issue from a community member. Feel free to add a little history to the recipe if you want (approximately 75 words). Every issue we will ran domly choose a recipe to publish. Find your favorite and send it to cathe@cyber-times.com today!
ArugulaWatermelonSalad
Jill Troderman
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August 15th 2022 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com
1500 Capitola Road, Live Oak, apartments for families are under construction as part of the Dientes & Santa Cruz Community Health complex.
n Photo Credit Jondi Gumz
• Pacific Station South in Santa Cruz, 70 apartments (For the Future Housing, InInc.)2020, 22 California counties were ravaged by wildfires Santa Cruz County lost more than 900 homes in its unincorpo rated area due to the CZU Lightning Fire. As part of the State’s recovery plan, the California Tax Credit Allocation Com mittee allocated more than $80 million in annual federal fire recovery tax credits to those counties, including $12 million to Santa Cruz County in 2021. An additional $4 million was allocated this year which permitted the County’s entire shovel-ready affordable housing pipeline to leverage local investments and start construction, according too Housing Santa Cruz County.
tate department of transportation projects in California, Alaska, Idaho, Texas, and Washington earned regional recognition in the 2022 America’s Transportation Awards competition.“StateDOTs are overwhelmingly focused on innovative solutions to address the transportation issues of today and tomorrow, meeting chal lenges involving climate change, equity, resiliency, and safety,” said Jim Tymon, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, which sponsors the competition. “The Amer ica’s Transportation Awards program shows just how they’re doing that.” The five states emerged as winners in the Western region, where 12 states nominated 22 Nominationsprojects.are in one of three categories: Operations Excellence, Best Use of Technology & Innovation, and Quality of Life/Community Development.Theycompete against projects of their own size: “Small” (up to $25 million), “Medium” (between $25 million and $200 million), and “Large” (more than $200 million). Caltrans was a winner in the Small category for Best Use of Technology. Caltrans found a new way to connect with customers on current and upcoming projects through a $250,000 public engagement tool.
During the pandemic, Caltrans strategies for engaging with internal and external stakeholders changed dra matically. With limited opportunities for face-to-face meetings, the department found it challenging to communicate its intent on numerous issues. Caltrans’ 360 Tours addressed that problem, while taking public engagement to the next level. The agency’s interactive, web-based interface allows stakeholders to explore a construction project using virtual reality.The system works without spe cialized software or skills. Visitors to the website can “zoom in” to areas of interest and view simulations of impacts like sea-level rise on existing or future roadways. Demonstrating these things visually opens up the process for non-English speaking users, creating more equitable engagement.Thethree highest-scoring projects from each regional competition earn a place on a “Top 12” list of projects that will compete for the national grand prize – selected by an independent panel of industry judges – and the People’s Choice Award, chosen by the public through online voting. Those top national winners each receive $10,000 cash awards to be donated to a charity or scholarship of the state DOT’s choosing.The12 finalists will be announced and online voting for the People’s Choice Award will begin in September. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials will reveal winners for the People’s Choice Award and the grand prize in October at its annual meeting in Orlando. n See https://americastransportationawards. org/ Winner: 360 Tours Credits” from page 19
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / August 15th 2022 / 23 COMMUNITY NEWS
CalTrans Innovation
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• Calvary Church/Cedar St. in Santa Cruz, 65 apartments (Pacific Housing, Inc.)
“We lost a significant portion of the local housing stock due to the fires, so we needed these critical resources to support the construction of new housing, espe cially affordable housing” said Santa Cruz County Supervisor Ryan Coonerty. “This additional federal investment in affordable housing is of great help, and we’re thrilled to see new shovel-ready affordable housing developments break ground. I’m particularly happy to see the support for the two projects in the City of Santa Cruz’s downtown.”“Wethank the CTCAC Board for ensuring that these funds were allocated in the most effective way to help the counties that have been devastated,” said Housing Santa Cruz County Executive Board member Gretchen Regenhardt of Wat sonville. “It’s wonderful to see apartment complexes break ground in Santa Cruz County and that dozens of families, many in South County, will soon have a safe, affordable place to call home.”
“Tax
SOLUTION: Silicone stretch lids OR –even better – beeswax wrap. n ••• Sign up for the cleanup at: saveourshores. org/coastal-cleanup/.
Save Our Shores needs volunteers for the largest cleanup event of the year, Annual Coastal Cleanup Day, 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 17. Save Our Shores has been the regional coordinator for this event since the early 1980s, and now this event is recognized statewide as the California Coastal Cleanup, part of International Coastal Cleanup Day. Last year, Save Our Shores coordinated 62 cleanup sites resulting in 4,800+ pounds of debris removed from the environment by 1,774Forvolunteers.thesecond year Krista Rogers will coordinate the day for Save Our Shores. Here are some common items pol luting the aquatic habitat and alternative products.
24 / August 15th 2022 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com COMMUNITY NEWS
“PVUSD Appointments” from page 18
SOLUTION: reusable/washableUse produce bags made from natural fibers when possible. Ethos sells them locally. As for those poop bags, well the solution isn’t as straight forward. Corn-based “biode gradable” ones are probably the most reliably able to break down, but they still take a long time to get there. One Green Planet has some interesting solutions.
Jorge Bermudez will be assistant prin cipal at Rolling Hills Middle. A graduate of Pajaro Valley High, he was a teacher at New School. Before that, he taught 6th and 7th graders in Washington State. He also served as the lead academic intern for the Gear Up program at Watsonville High. He has a bachelor’s in psychology from UCSC, and is working on his master’s in educational leadership from CSU Monterey Bay. Judith Woods is the new assistant principal of Lakeview Middle School. She joined the school in 2003, working as activities director, department chair, Washington DC trip lead teacher and has been on the site leadership team. She has a bachelor ‘s from the UC Santa Cruz in modern literature and a teaching credential from CSU Monterey Bay. She earned her administrative credential from the Leaders in Educational Administration program through Santa Clara County. Blanca Madriz is the new assistant principal of E.A. Hall Middle School. She graduated from Watsonville High School and got a bachelor’s degree in from CSU Monterey Bay as well as her multiple-subject credential. She has a master’s degree in administration ands supervision and administrative services credential from San Jose State. She joined PVUSD in 2011 as a reading intervention teacher at Hall District. Her most recent role was after school coordinator at E.A. Hall and Mintie White Elementary. n
Partners Salud Para La Gente and Community Foundation Santa Cruz County have made commitments. Palacios was loath to get a private loan, because the fees would be more than $250,000.
“This entire project is an extraordinary testimony to the generosity of our community and the strength of our region’s leaders,” said Susan True, CEO of the Community Foundation. “From Senator John Laird’s heroic work on Senate Bill 418 to establish the new health care district, to County Administrative Officer Carlos Palacios pulling together a team and resources, to Salud Para La Gente CEO Dori Rose Indra’s persistent work to keep all the pieces together, to Steven Salyer’s work to run the hospital, and so many more. It has taken manyPalacioshands.”said the hospital’s payor mix is 50% MediCal and 30% Medicare, and government reimburses less than private insurance. A new business plan maps out a turnaround in one year, and Palacios is confident that can happen based on Natividad Medical Center and Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital, as both have a balancedJaminebudget.Najera, Joe Gallagher and Marcus Pimental are candidates for two seats on the Pajaro Valley Healthcare Dis trict Project board in the Nov. 8 election. n To donate, see http://www.cfscc.org/ PajaroValleyHealth. “Good Jobs Challenge” from page 16
For example, colleges engage employers through faculty who have connections to industry, and take students on field trips to employer sites, invite employers to speak during class, and identify other ways to drive engagement between employers and students. This is a lot of work for faculty, and there is not a centralized way to connect students to employers at a pace to meet workforce needs, according to the foundation. The Hub will identify solutions to provide centralized support, including through Career Catalyst or existing technology platforms that connect and place trainees with employers. During the first two phases of the project, addi tional employers will be identified. An employer advisory committee aims to ensure industry partners drive design and deployment of training programs.
Produce Bags PROBLEM : Produce bags are typically made from polyethylene or other plastic film. They’re often single use and thrown into the landfill or reused as dog-poop bags (and often left on beaches).
Coastal Cleanup Needs You!
Surveys of employers will be used to solicit feedback on key hard skills, such as safe equipment operation, fire safety and sus tainable forest practices, and soft skills such as reliability, dependably, honesty, and work ethic.In exchange for participating, employers gain access to more qualified workers, resources to help them improve their business practices such as equitable hiring and retention strategies to mitigate staff turnover, and partnerships with training programs to ensure trainees develop skills that meet their needs. Processes for engaging employers will be solidified during the first two phases of the project.In 2019, California’s utility companies called for an additional 2,950 qualified workers to clear power lines of vegetation to reduce fire danger.Inpartnership with industry, Butte College developed standardized utility vegetation management training programs. Its Utility Line Clearance Arborist training successfully placed 169 men and 37 women in jobs by 2022. The second program, Utility Vegetation Management Pre-Inspector, has seen 45 job placements.Through Senate Bill 247, companies are required to pay arborists prevailing wages. Butte College’s role will be to partner with FoundationCCC to increase enrollments via the Utility Arborist Association, Tree Care Industry Association, and International Society of Arboriculture.TheUniversity of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, and Colorado Utility Sector Partners provided a letter of support expressing a desire to replicate Butte College’s program. The United States is overdue and ready for a standardized Utility Vegetation Management workforce development program, according to the foundation.CSUChico, a designated Hispanic-serving institution, has training programs and rela tionships with the 7,835-acre Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve, the North State Planning and Development Collective and the Northern Rural Training and Employment Consortium. The reserve is eyed as a prime spot for training on prescribed burns. CSU Chico will cultivate relationships with tribal governments in thc region it serves through its tribal liaison working on campus. Other partners are Feather River College, Lake Tahoe Community College, Reedley College, Shasta College, Sierra Business Council University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, California Conser vation Corps, Cal Fire and tribes working with Hub partners. n
“Capitola Supports WCH” from page 14
SOLUTION: Opt for reusable sets that are easy to travel with. You can purchase lightweight bamboo sets that easily stash in your car, purse, or backpack. Or use your metal utensils from home. A little more work for you, but it’s a lot less work for our environment. :) Cling Wrap PROBLEM: Cling wrap is typically made from Polyvinylidene Chloride (PVC) or Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) and has been correlated to disruption of the human hormone system.
Plastic Utensils PROBLEM: Plastic utensils are typically single-use and it can be hard to tell whether they are recyclable, compostable, or landfill bound. In reality, most are not actually recy clable. Nor do compostable ones break down all that readily without employing specific composting methods – our system is just not set up for it.
••• It most certainly does. If an airline cancels a flight, it owes you a full and prompt refund under its fare rules and federal reg ulations. British Airways can’t keep your money under any circumstances. I’m kind of shocked that your refund request dragged on this long. I reviewed the correspondence between you and British Airways. The facts were clear: You received an email from British Airways that said, “We’re sorry your flight has been canceled due to theyouconstraints.”operationalAndsentthatemailtoairlinewhenyou requested your refund. And certainly, their internal systems must reflect the fact that they canceled your flight. How much more do they need? You did a terrific job of keeping all of your records with the airline. If only British Airways had paid attention to its records, then you wouldn’t have a complaint at all. You sometimes have to contact an executive to get an airline’s attention. I list the names, numbers and email addresses of several British Airways executives on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org at havecompany-contacts/british-airways/https://www.elliott.org/Ithinkaquick,politemessagemightgottenthisresolved.Butamysteryremains—whydid
Traveler” (National Geographic). Get help by contacting him at http://www.elliott.org/help • © 2022
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American History ACROSS 1. Frill on a blouse 6. Consumed 9. Toothy freshwater fish 13. *Site of famous Texas Revolution battle 14. “Losing My Religion” band 15. Opposite of crazier 16. Marine polyp 17. “____ Te Ching”, book 18. Gastric woe 19. *First PresidentCatholic 21. Railroad*Undergroundconductor 23. Knot-tying vow (2 words) 24. Cold transmitter 25. Definite article 28. Popular fairy tale beginning 30. Woody tissue 35. X-ray units 37. Women in habits 39. It follows eta 40. Quantity measurementof 41. Crosswise, on deck 43. Old flames 44. Carryalls 46. Pavarotti’s song 47. European money 48. Hairy, of plants and animals 50. Charitable contri bution 52. Wrath, e.g. 53. American
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British Airways cancel your flight and then consider you a “no-show”? To find out, I contacted the airline directly on your behalf. It looks like your flight wasn’t can celed after all. British Airways generated the cancellation notice by mistake. The airline agreed to issue a full refund. Christopher Elliott’s World’s Smartest Christopher Elliott. Girl, e.g. 55. Life story, for short 57. *Louisiana Territory’s previous owner *Infamous 1995 Oklahoma City event 64. Olympic torch, e.g. 65. Toni Morrison’s “____ Baby” 67. The press 68. Fake duck, e.g. 69. “Home of the brave” 70. Choose by a vote 71. Stink to high heaven 72. Third degree 73. Hazards DOWN 1. “Boxed” clown 2. Burn-soothing plant 3. Owl’s hangout 4. Saudi neighbor 5. Canadian city on Lake Erie 6. Bohemian 7. *1773 overboardcargo Bring character to life Rodeo Drive tree Machu Picchu builder Hiking manufacturersandals Make a mistake 15. Hand over 20. Ritchie Valens’ 1958 hit 22. Modern address *Grant, Patton or Sheridan *”Ain’t I a Woman?” speaker 26. Capital of Vietnam 27. Marks on manuscripta 29. *Bay of Pigs location 31. Clarified butter Connection in a series Bega’s Poitier
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49. Brown of “Back to the Future” 51. Cook on low heat 54. Reduce pressure (2 words) 56. Obelus, pl. 57. What refugees do 58. Speed test 59. Crazily 60. Actor Pitt 61. “____ of March” 62. One of Jonas brothers 63. Gangster’s pistols 64. *The New Deal Pres. 66. Campfire residue © Statepoint Media Answers on 31 » By Christopher Elliott Travel Troubleshooter British Airways Canceled My Flight and Refuses To Give Me a Refund FEATUREDCOMMUNITYCOLUMNISTNEWS The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History with the MexiCali Biennial announce The Land of Milk and Honey, a traveling arts and culture exhi bition focused on the ideological concept of agriculture in California and Mexico on view at the museum, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz, from Sept. 1–Dec. 31. “MAH Exhibit” page 26 ‘The Land of Milk & Honey’ New Exhibit at MAH: Sept. 1-Dec. 31 La Cosecha Sagrada • Fernando Armenghol
33. Wombs 34. *Dixon’s partner 36. Dance move 38. Go yachting 42. Lou
••• British Airways canceled my recent flight from Boston to London. The airline said it canceled the flight because of “operational constraints.” British Airways sent me an email promising to “do everything we can to get you where you need to be.” I asked the airline for a refund. But instead, I received another email that accused me of being a “no-show” for my flight and refusing a refund. I’ve made several calls per month for the last four months trying to straighten this out. Finally, I received an email from British Airways that said per its fare rules, it could not offer a refund. But British Airways can celed my flight. Doesn’t it owe me a refund? — Carrie Christensen, Pittsfield, Mass.
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“_____ No. 5” 45. Actor
latest book is “How To Be The
n •••
When British Airways cancels Carrie Chris tensen’s flight, she asks the carrier for a refund. Instead, it accuses her of missing her flight. Now it’s refusing to return all her money. Can it do that?
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CAPRICORN In the public eye you are a rareness of many gifts, and often not fully understood. You bring both force and stability to all you do in the world. A new cycle begins with your work, profession, who you are in the world and what you are offering. You can expect more responsibilities to appear, along with more praise and recognition. Your presence positively affects your family and loved ones. You are the heart center. AQUARIUS There are many possibilities for Aquarians in the coming months based upon their states of awareness. Influenced will be new cycles of learning, possible teaching, long and adventuresome journeys and for the very few the building of the new era community and culture. For all Aquarians a wider view of reality emerges and this propels you into new areas of work and a different daily life. One you hoped for. We stand with you.
SAGITTARIUS You may soon find yourself going to and fro between old sets of friends, groups, hopes, wishes and dreams and new ones. The latter will be gathered slowly and over time. But some have already appeared. You will also con sider what new goals, ambitions and views of the world are changing your ways of thinking and relating. How are your finances? Are you sharing resources? How is your heart lotus unfolding?
There may be that tug of war in all interactions, with intimates, close family, friends and acquaintances. A new cycle begins in all relationships. Freedom and equanimity will be demanded more and more by everyone. You can help this to occur, offering them freedom that comes with unconditional love. With children this love is offered through loving structure and intelligent discipline. Always it is good for you to ask, “How do I love more?”
LEO It’s good to look at your outer environment. Does it need care and tending? It’s good also to walk through the rooms of where you live to see what rearrange ments and upkeep they need. It is also good to be in touch with your siblings, creating a deeper level of communication. This is your birthday month. Commu nication with your angelic protectors will help you navigate the new requirements needed by disciples to enter the Raincloud of Knowable Things. Do you know what that is? VIRGO If you listen quietly to your heart and mind and observe carefully your daily life, if you ask yourself about your values, you will realize, if awake, that they have changed over the years. It is no longer viable to maintain previous values. In order to evolve, to move more closely to the Path of Return, your values will need to expand into greater, more mature and responsible levels of harmony toward all. It’s all about love and sharing. All that we have increases as we share. You realize this. LIBRA Something new is occurring in your physical body. Perhaps it’s a health alert that will change the shape of your body. Perhaps it’s your self-image where you begin to value family more and understand your very important purpose within the family. Perhaps you’re forced to adopt newer disciplines to maintain the quality of your life. Whatever is changing, it’s good and purposeful. It’s also to go back in time and forgive. Forgiveness frees us.
GEMINI During this time, the heart of the matter has been creative selfexpression, gathering details and offering others important information concerning and for the future. Now this self-expression must begin to include enjoyment, playfulness and pleasure. What would that be for you? As your ruler, Mercury also rules Virgo, it’s important to tend to health as well. What are you pondering upon so deeply? Is it about the past? Your family perhaps, or your relationship? What is on your mind?
The Morning Star is closely related to Sirius and many humans will become disciples in the Sirian Lodge, called the Blue Lodge. These are all esoteric mysteries. The light from the heart of the Sun under Leo just hints of them. Under Leo and Sirius we are to develop our mental principles (seven) and unfold the twelve petals of the heart. n
ARIES
The biblical reference of a “land of milk and honey” first became associated with California as a tool for promoting the state as a land of opportunity, a destination for those in search of a better way of life a terra firma that would provide suste nance and abundance. This boosterism also served as an ethos that fueled “Manifest Destiny” and resulted in land grabs, labor exploi tation, ecological destruction, and social injustices.Participating artists include: Boo Alejo Sorondo, Janeth Aparicio, David Bacon, Pablo Castañeda and Eduardo Kintero, Carlos Castro Arias, Emily C-D, Cat Chiu Phillips, Janet Diaz, Melora Garcia, Katie Herzog, Cynthia Hooper, Albert Lopez Jr, Juan Luna-Avin, Narsiso Martinez, Hillary Mushkin, Isidro Pérez García, Sol2Soul Arts Collective (Fernando Armenghol, Yari Montes, Tarisse Iriarte Medina, Andrea YaYA Porras, Viviana Rubi Cruz Lopez), Devon Tsuno, Annabel Turrado, Jessica Wimbley and Chris Christion. The Land of Milk and Honey is orga nized by Ed Gomez, Luis G. Hernandez, Enid Baxter-Ryce, Rosalia Romero, and April“ItLillard-Gomez.isexcitingto start our 2022/23 exhibition program at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History,” said Luis G. Hernandez, MexiCali Biennial co-founder and co-curator. “We have worked with Northern California artists in the past, but this is the first time that we expand our program up north, and what better place to work with than MAH, with a location that fits perfectly with the themes addressed in The Land of Milk and Honey.”
The Month of August is overseen, directed and guided by the blue star Sirius, seen in the sky to the left of Orion. Sirius is to our solar system what our soul is to our per sonality and what Venus is to the Earth. The three form a triangle Sirius, Venus and our Soul. Sirius is a great spiritual center in our solar system as it is where love and freedom and liber ation come from. The Sirius Hierarchy helps create the United States. The United States Sun in Cancer, 13 degrees is the same degree as Sirius. All around Washington are symbols based on Sirius. Masonry is from Sirius. The founders (visionaries) of our United States and the signers of our Constitution were Masons. Sirius is Ray 2 of Love/Wisdom. This love and wisdom flows through the heart of our Sun and through all the planets and signs, especially Gemini, Leo, Virgo, Scorpio and Pisces. Along with love, wisdom and freedom, Sirius transmits universal mind, Divine Intelligence, into human minds. Sirius is especially important during Leo and especially during the new and full moons of Leo. Leo is the Soul of humanity.TwoBeings from Sirius have visited our Earth. One appeared at the time of our individualization (when we became human) eighteen million years ago. The second was 2000 years ago, when the Christ overshadowed Jesus for three years, to inaugurate the Pisces Age and to bring the Pisces Law into effect. The Christ was a great Arch angel from Sirius. The influence from Sirius was not known or recognized until the Christ came and revealed the love of God to humanity during the Pisces Age. Christ is the Sirian Initiate.
SCORPIO Something in your life is being ingathered, quite like a harvest. Perhaps great sorrows or death experiences, perhaps realizing all you’ve done in service for the world. Perhaps it’s a gathering of gifts offered to those in need. A great compassion has been cultivated in your heart. You realize life isn’t a movie or a film. Life is real and you play a leading role and this life determines your next life, and on and on. A ponderous thought indeed don’t you think?
Your health primarily, your daily work and those you work with begin a new cycle of planning new structures and realizing a new and higher level of service. It’s important to articulate and bring into con sciousness that everyone is always in service so everyone understands their value. Also, new skills will need to be developed as new opportunities come forth. There is something about family resources that needs tending. You must lead in this endeavor.
Sirius – Where Love & Freedom Originate Esoteric Astrology • Mid-August 2022 • By Risa D’Angeles ••• Risa D’Angeles • www.nightlightnews.org • risagoodwill@gmail.com
PISCES It’s good to begin to eliminate all that is unnecessary in your life, especially what in your environments has not been used in the past many months. This will allow newer, finer energies and resources, infinite and abundant, more appropriate to the coming times, to be available. Be prepared for unexpected changes, shifts and losses. But this has been occurring for a while now and you have become somewhat adaptable. Take Ignatia Amara (homeopath) for grief. Learn mudras. Recite mantras.
26 / August 15th 2022 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com “MAH Exhibit” from page 25
Drawing inspiration from John Steinbeck’s portrayal of the region as a cor rupted Eden, the biennial presents works that question ethical, cultural, and regional practices related to foodways, and the venture from seed to table.
CANCER You think about your home and family, perhaps about being a parent or considering one of your parents. You wonder what you are doing in the place where you live and if you are to move. You want a new foundation from which to live, work and garden in a true and sincere community. You need a Gate to walk through, a sense of leadership to lead with. You need friends who are not afraid of your moods or feelings. Pray for these gifts to be given. Pray with dedication.
The project is made possible with support from California Humanities, a nonprofit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Addi tional support provided by an American Council of Learned Societies Sustaining Public Engagement Grant, supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of the Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) initiative. The MAH is a thriving community gathering place that serves more than 130,000 people a year through art and history exhibitions, visual and performing artworks, festivals, education and outreach programs, and cultural celebrations. n The MexiCali Biennial is a nonprofit contemporary visual arts organization that focuses on the area encompassing California and Mexico.
TAURUS
I still love rafting rivers, but now choose easier rivers. I love backpacking into the wilderness, but find the easiest and quickest ways to get into the wilderness areas. A friend of ours loves her Zumba dance classes. She is close to our age, goes almost daily, does the moves that work for her body, and has a blast! In addition to physical activity, there are mental, emotional and spiritual activities. Don’t be tempted to give older age as an excuse for giving up writing, art, music, singing, learning new things, developing a new hobby (or continuing an existing one). Joyce and I sincerely hope we can continue leading our beloved retreats, counseling our clients, writing, and recording our weekly videos for many moreCanyears.you be too old? I don’t think so. n
But I missed softball too much to com pletely give it up. This past year, I tried practicing with a local 55-and-older senior league, the Santa Cruz Irregulars, but quickly realized that most of the players were closer to 55 than 76. They were too competitive for me. So I placed an ad on Craigslist for non-competitive softball players, men or women, any skill level. Initially, I made a mistake and titled the ad, “Softball Just for Fun.” I got a few legit imate responses, but I also got responses from people wanting fun in other ways. You have to be careful what you put on Craigslist. I quickly changed the ad to “Non-Competitive Softball,” and got more appropriate responses. One of the responders, who has now become a regular, is a man in his 50s who had a stroke. Before his stroke, he was an excellent, and competitive, ball player. Now he can still run to get quickly to the ball, he hits better and farther than the rest of us, but his throwing is the most affected by the stroke. He loves getting out there with us and doing what he still can do. I mentioned what I love about softball.
Can We Be Too Old?
••• Joyce & Barry Vissell, a nurse/therapist and psychiatrist couple since 1964, are coun selors in Aptos who are passionate about conscious relationship and personal-spiritual growth. They are the authors of 9 books and a new free audio album of sacred songs and chants.Call 831-684-2130 for information on counseling sessions by phone, online, or in person, their books, recordings or their schedule of talks and workshops. See their web site at SharedHeart.org.
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / August 15th 2022 / 27
FEATURED COLUMNIST
By Joyce and Barry Vissell The trick is to combine
islove,somethingexercisephysicalwithyouandthenthephysicalexercisenolongerachore.
We all know the expression, “You’re as old as you think or feel.” Yes, there’s a physical reality to aging, but even more importantly, there’s an emotional and spiritual reality. Too many people give up on activities just because of age. The real danger here is the giving up on life because we’re too old. Joyce and I are 76. We can no longer physically do some of the things we used to do. Joyce is a gar dener. She grows the most beautiful flowers all around our house. But she no longer has the physical endurance to be out working in the garden as much as she used to. So she chooses the jobs that bring her the most joy, and lets our beloved gardener (a refugee from El Salvador) who comes once a month, do the rest, especially the hard stuff.
True confession: I love softball! I love the feeling of the pitched ball meeting the “sweet” spot on the bat and hitting a line drive into the outfield. I no longer have the strength to hit the ball over the outfielder’s head, or over the fence for a home run. But a clean base hit really does it for me. And I love fielding the ball, getting under the long arc in the outfield, and hearing the snap of the ball hitting the glove (especially when it stays in the glove). Perhaps my favorite is playing infield and the feeling of quick reflexes to stop a hardhit grounder or line drive. I gave up softball six years ago when I had too much knee pain. Then I got a knee replacement and was told running would put too much stress on the new knee.
Now I need to share my limitations. I am by far the oldest person on the field. I love hitting, but I can’t hit nearly as many balls as the other players. We have perhaps 75 balls in several crates and buckets for pitching. Aside from the bad pitches, that’s a lot of swings. I have to pay close attention to my limit, and stop when my body says stop. Then there’s fielding. I can run, but slowly and for only a short distance. A fly ball to the outfield has to be carefully evaluated. If I can get under it without injuring my knees by running too far or too fast, great! If I can’t, and the younger, more competitive, part of me says “go for it, no matter what,” I have to choose the wiser path and just let that ball meet the grass instead of my glove. Nobody’s running the bases. Nobody will be judging or heckling me. There’s no competition. And it’s the same when I play infield. There’s even less time to get to the ball before it sails or rolls past me. Same rules apply. If I can get my glove on the ball without stressing, and therefore injuring, my body, therein lies the victory — and the wonderful feeling. The last Saturday I prac ticed, a ground ball was hit just out of my reach. Instinctively, I quickly removed my glove and threw it at the ball. Miraculously, the ball was caught by the flying glove to the loud cheering of everyone present. It was the “play of the day!” Okay, enough about softball. I am encouraging the seniors among us to simply modify the activities we love, rather than dropping them completely, or saying, “I’m too old for this.” Our bodies need physical exercise. The trick is to combine physical exercise with something you love, and then the physical exercise is no longer a chore.
DATED EVENTS Wednesday August 17 COLLEGE PREPARATION SEMINAR 6-8 p.m., Online and at Capitola Branch Library, 2005 Wharf Rd The Santa Cruz Public Libraries is partnering with the Princeton Review to bring college preparation assistance to local teens. The class can be attended in person at the Capitola Branch Library, and simultane ously live streaming to teens at home. Registration required via Princeton Review for both virtual and in-person attendance. Register at bit.ly/SCPL-essay or call 831-427-7713 for assistance.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
SEACLIFF STREET FAIR BOOTH REGISTRATION
WESTSIDE MARKETPLACE 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Old Wrigley Building parking lot, 2801 Mission St., Santa Cruz The Westside Marketplace is where local art, handmade and vintage shopping meet delicious food at the Old Wrigley Building parking lot.
COUNTY FAIR ENTRY INFO Most Entries due Thursday, Aug. 25 • Poultry Deadline Aug. 6 The Santa Cruz County Fair, which will be Sept. 14-18, is using the ShoWorks online entry system this year for all departments.Formostentries, the deadline is Aug. 25. See https:// santacruz.fairwire.com/Submittingyourentries online will save you time on receiving day and help the fair display your items.Youcan pay any entry fees by credit card online! Paying by credit card will incur a 3% processing fee. Checks can be dropped off at the fair office. If you prefer paper entry forms, they are in the entry guide. The first time you use the system, click on the blue button in the upper right corner of the page to create an exhibitor account using your name, address & email address. Youth exhibitors are asked to enter birthdate & age. This year, everyone needs to create an account. Write down your password. Once your account is created, you can use the username and password each time you visit the system. Use the blue buttons in the middle of the page to move to each step. Find the department, division and class you wish to enter. Departments are listed alpha betically with some departments broken into categories (Home Arts and Agriculture Horti culture.) Fill in the required fields, marked by blue asterisk (*), and any optional fields needed to describe your entry.
SUPPORT FOR MOTHERS OF SURVIVORS Survivors Healing Center is offering online women’s support groups and mothers of survivors of childhood sexual abuse support group. The goals are to empower through a healing process and prevent sexual abuse of children and youth. You are not alone. You are not to blame. More info: (831) 423-7601 or www.survivorshealingcenter.org
ONGOING EVENTS Tuesdays
Due by Aug. 30 The Seacliff Street Fair will be Oct. 8. Booth applications are due by Aug. 30. For booth information, email info@seacliffimprovement.org
CABRILLO YOUTH STRINGS FALL SEMESTER
BIG BASIN EXPANDS RESERVATIONS
PET LOSS AND GRIEF SUPPORT VIA ZOOM 6 to 7:30 p.m., virtual meeting BirchBark Foundation’s Pet Loss and Grief Support Zoom group offers a free support group, moderated by a licensed grief counseling therapist. Register at https://www.birchbarkfoundation.org/grief support or call 831-471-7255. Fridays through Sept 30 MIDTOWN FRIDAYS 5-8:30 p.m., Midtown Square, 1111 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz Featuring 25 local bands plus local eats and local artists and vendors. The live music lineup presented by Off The Lip Radio Show includes (in order of appearance): August Fuse (Opening – John Michael sings Sinatra) • Pacific Roots (Opening – The Dead Kampers) • John Michael Van Halen Tribute Band • Locomotive Breath September The Joint Chiefs • Papiba & Friends • Anthony Arya Band • Sweet Voodoo • The Grand Finale See Firstsummer-block-party-2022/https://www.eventsantacruz.com/event/midtown-fridays-Sundays
The Cabrillo Youth Strings Music Program will begin its fall semester Friday, Sept. 9. Classes will be s on consecutive Fridays for nine weeks in the Music Building, VAPA, at the campus in Aptos. An entry-level String Orchestra Class, Grades 4-6 Beginning Strings for violin/viola/cello will be offered Fridays, 4-5:15 p.m.Auditions for Festival Strings (beginning note-readers) and Cabrillo Strings (intermediate-advanced) will be 3:45-4:15 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9, with a rehearsal following. Festival Strings will meet 4:15-5:45 p.m. and Cabrillo Strings will meet 4:15-5:55 p.m. String players ages 5 to18 are welcome to join the string orchestral and chamber music programs. Students must provide their own instruments and bring pencils & music stands. Covid-19 distancing will be followed. Students and parents must wear N94/95 masks or a double mask that includes a surgical mask outside and inside the music building, except when alone. A concert is planned for Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. To participate or make contributions, call (831) 479-6101 or visit extension.cabrillo.eduRegisterhttps://www.cabrillo.edu/cabrillo-youth-strings.throughCabrilloExtension,479-6331,orbeforethefirstclass.
START YOUR NEW CAREER Laid off in the pandemic? Stayed home teaching the kids? Want to change careers? The Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act is designed to help job-seekers access employment, education, training, and support services. The program is designed to serve dislocated workers who need training to enter or re-enter the labor market. Now people can sign up for WIOA programs from 12 - 1:30 p.m. on the first and last Wednesday of each at the Downtown Library, 224 Front St., Santa Cruz. RSVP at: info@workforcescc.com and see the Life Literacies Center at the back of the library. Intakes are by RSVP only.
Back by popular demand, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Nature Bowl 2022: Family Challenge is open, with the deadline to enter Wed., Aug. 31. CDFW’s North Central Region initiated this familyfriendly competition during the pandemic as a delightful and educational way for families to explore nature close to home — in their backyards, neighborhoods and local wild areas — while having fun outside and working together to complete nature-related activities. The 2022 challenge includes two scavenger hunts, one provided by CDFW and the other to be created by your family. There is also an extra credit element of cataloging your found items – just like a scientist. To sign up and receive the Nature Bowl 2022: Family Challenge packet, email genelle.treaster@wildlife.ca.gov. The Family Challenge packet is available at https://wildlife. ca.gov/Regions/2/Nature-Bowl
Have a virtual or live event you want to promote?
The Aptos Chamber of Commerce annually honors individuals, businesses and organizations that have dedicated time and energy toward making our community a better place to live, work and play. This year’s dinner will be at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4 at Seascape Beach Resort. The chamber invites you for a roaring good time. Nominations for Man, Woman, Business, Organization, and Outstanding Achievement of the Year are now open! To nominate see: 2022nominations.https://tinyurl.com/aptos-chamber-
28 / August 15th 2022 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com
Visit foodtrucksagogo.com for more info.
HELP WITH STUDENT DEBT RELIEF
Employers in California can deliver tens of thousands of dollars in federal student loan relief to employees, by informing them about the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Providing this life-changing benefit to employees comes at zero cost to employers because it’s a free federal program. An estimated 825,000 Californians could benefit from the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program by having their federal student loans cancelled after 10 years of public service work, but fewer than 15,000 have benefited from this pro-gram to date. From now until Oct. 31, it is easy to get credit for the PSLF program. For information, see: https://www.californiaborrowers.org/ about-the-campaign
Saturday August 20 BACK TO THE WAY THINGS WERE 3 p.m., London Nelson Community Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz The SF Mime Troupe will present Back To the Ways Things Were, outdoors at the London Nelson Com munity Center, with the band playing at 2:30 p.m.
NATURE BOWL 2022: FAMILY CHALLENGE
The day use parking capacity at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in Boulder Creek has nearly doubled to 84 spaces, plus four ADA spaces. Reservations are required to park at Big Basin; reserve a spot at: https://bit.ly/3I78QGI. Also, 15 percent of parking spaces will be held and released three days before the reservation date for visitors who can’t make plans far in advance. The reservation system is a collaboration between California State Parks and Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks. Parking is $6 plus a $2 reservation fee. Parks passes are honored. Visitors without a reservation to park their vehicle will be turned away.
ITALIAN LANGUAGE CLASSES 10 Week Class (mostly online) beginning Sept. 12 Learn the language of “la dolce vita” with native ItalianspeakingWhetherInstructors.youarenew to the Italian language, totally fluent, or everything in between we are delighted to welcome you. No matter what your goals are for learning Italian: Business, travel, pleasure, or because you love the sound of this beautiful language and would like to understand it better, these classes are a fun way toPricinglearn. varies by class and most are online, with the exception of the Conversation Class. Registration ends Sunday, Sept. 4. Dante members receive an additional dis-count when they register with a coupon code. For information and to register go to: www.dantesantacruz. com/classes
ANNOUNCEMENTS WHO DESERVES RECOGNITION?
PAY IT FORWARD In seven years, one female cat and her offspring can produce 370,000 kittens That’s according to the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter, which has hundreds of adoptable animals awaiting a forever home. Through Aug. 31, all shelter cats and kittens will be available for a ‘Pay it Forward’ adoption donation of adopters’ choice. The suggested donation is between $20-$200 and adopters can select a fund for their donation to go to: Planned Pethood Fund (low cost/free spay/neuter) or Extra Mile Fund (specialty lifesaving procedures for homeless animals). The adoption fee includes spay/ neuter, microchip (including registration), age-appro priate vaccinations, routine treatment for fleas/worms, and a free pet wellness exam with a local participating veterinarian.Thecostof care for shelter animals always exceeds the adoption fee but helping the neediest animals is at the heart of the shelter’s mission. According to the ASPCA, the average annual cost of having a pet is about $1,300, with the first year costs of $3,000. When the community chooses to adopt a pet that is spayed/ neutered or get their own animals altered, they are joining the solution ‘RESEARCHING YOUR GENEALOGY’ CLASS Are you interested in Researching Your Genealogy, locating distant relatives, or creating a Family Tree diagram to give to your grandchildren and future generations? This course on Mondays & Fridays covers: Gathering family documents, the most relevant genealogy websites, useful historical records, DNA testing and privacy concerns, and more. This course, sponsored by the Scotts Valley Senior Center, is for novice and intermediate researchers. Instructor Maxine McCarthy researched her own ninegeneration family tree to identify ancestors dating to the mid-1700s, and located 102 extended family members living in seven different countries. Dates: Mondays & Fridays Aug. 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22 and Mondays29. :12-1 pm | Fridays: 2:30-1:30 pm. Cost: $72-104, depends on # of students PRE-registration required! To register, call Darshana Croskrey (Scotts Valley Senior Center Coordinator) at 831-438-2444.
Collaboration between Food Trucks A Go Go & the Santa Cruz Mountains Makers Market with live music. August’s featured artist is Ancestree, while food vendors include Pana, Cuevas, Three Waves Coffee, Cracked Cookies and Aunt LaLi’s.
Send your information to info@cyber-times.com by August 25
www.mygardenofathousandbees.com
SEVENTH-ANNUAL PARKS & REX POOL PARTY 12-4 p.m., Simpkins Family Swim Center, 979 17th Ave., SC Everyone will have a blast at this end-of-summer celebration at Simpkins Family Swim Center. Bring the whole family, including your dog! There will be inner tubes, Wibit inflatables, standup paddleboards. Local food vendors include New Bohemia Brewing Co., Sante Adairius and Alfaro Family Vine-yardsProceedsWinery.willgo toward free veterinary care for underserved pet owners and scholarships for youth recreation programs. Limited capacity: to save a spot, register at Active Seetyparks/home?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=truehttps://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/santacruzcounNetwork:youthere!Woof!Details:www.scparks.com
Thursday October 20 STATE OF THE DISTRICT 8:30 a.m., Watsonville City Hall community room, 250 Main St.
WILDR FORUM: NOVEMBER ELECTIONS 6:30 p.m., Online Forum Santa Cruz is poised to elect two women to statewide office — one of which would be the first woman from the County elected to state office … to elect diverse representatives to the County Board of Supervisors … to vote on statewide ballot initiatives to protect women’s right to choose … and to bring women’s voices to school boards and city councils. WILDR will bring diverse voices together on Zoom, so you can learn what support is needed for these very important elections and measures in November, plus give you the opportunity to network, teach and learn from diverse women in our community. Register at: https://bit.ly/WILDR092022.
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District will present “The State of the District” at Watsonville City Hall community room.
Saturday August 27 ‘NO RESPECT!’ PLAYS AT 14TH ANNUAL TESTICLE FESTIVAL 3-7 p.m., Estrada Deer Camp, Watsonville
The screening is part of the nationwide #PlantWildflowers campaign that highlights the critical role bees and other pollinators play in healthy ecosystems.
DAMON GUTZWILLER BENEFIT 8 p.m., Michael’s on Main, 2591 Main St., Soquel Michael’s on Main will host the Damon Gutzwiller Benefit featuring Mira Goto, Steve Seskin, and Bonny June (with Ken Kraft). This is an evening of songcraft and outstanding performers celebrating the life of Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller and raising money for the Damon Gutzwiller Park in Aptos. For more on the memorial, see: www.countyparkfriends. org/willowbrook.htmlAdmissionis$40; seated under 12 with parent 21 and over. Tickets at june-steve-seskin-tickets-300176986447damon-gutzwiller-park-benefit-featuring-mira-goto-bonny-https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
Saturday September 24 ADUS, GRANNY UNITS, & OTHER SMALL SPACES: DESIGN, COSTS, & CONSTRUCTION SEMINAR 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Cabrillo College, Room 609, Soquel Dr, Aptos
Saturday September 10 IMAGINE BENEFIT FOR CASA 3-7 p.m., Outdoors, Sesnon House, Cabrillo College, Aptos CASA of Santa Cruz County will celebrate 30 years of believing in foster youth out-doors at Sesnon House.
Friday September 16
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Stereo Chickens
Friday August 26 and Friday Sept 2 MOVIES AT CAPITOLA BEACH 7:30 p.m. (or dusk), Bandstand stage in Esplanade Park
MONTEREY COUNTY FAIR Monterey County Fairgrounds, 2004 Fairground Road With a general admission ticket to the 2022 Monterey County Fair, you have free access to all the entertainment the fair has to offer this year, all concerts, including Nichols’ concert, magic, hypnosis, comedy and the always-popular racing pigs. For information on Fair entertainment, including performers, times, days and stages, go to entertainment/.https://montereycountyfair.com/concerts-Pre-saleticketsare$10generaladmission,$9for
Thursday September 1 thur Monday September 5
• The silent auction will take place online Aug. 27 – Sept. 10. See events/events/imagine2022.htmlhttps://casaofsantacruz.org/newsTickets are $150 per person at news-events/events/imagine2022.htmlhttps://casaofsantacruz.org/
WORLD HONEYBEE DAY
Tuesday September 20
As of Jan. 1, 2020, new state laws took effect to make it easier to construct ADUs, and Santa Cruz County code has been updated to comply. Learn about these changes, as well as zoning, code analysis, design concepts, and ideas for making small spacesWhetherwork.you are starting with a bare patch of land or an empty garage, this all-day in-person workshop on Sept. 24 from 10 to 3 at Cabrillo College Room 609 will cover the basics for homeowners who want to create an Accessory Dwelling Unit—aka ADU. Instructor is Jamileh Cannon, licensed California architect, experienced construction manager, and co-owner of Workbench, a Santa Cruz design-and-build company. Topics: How to determine ADU feasibility and a general timeframe for the entire process. • What to expect during each phase of the process, and how to avoid common pitfalls.
The theme is “Learning and Innovation For Transformation.” n
seniors 62 and up, $5 for children 6-12 and free for children under 5. Purchase at https://montereycountyfair.com/fair-tickets/. Parking is $15 at Monterey Peninsula College or $20 at Monterey Pines Golf Course.
Saturday August 20 10:30 a.m., La Selva Beach Library, 316 Estrella Ave. The Santa Cruz Public Libraries invites the entire community to celebrate World Honeybee Day with a film screening and discussion at La Selva Beach Library. See bees like you’ve never seen them before in the PBS Nature documentary, “My Garden of a Thousand Bees.”Locked down during the coronavirus pandemic, acclaimed wildlife filmmaker Martin Dohrn set out to record all the bee species in his tiny urban garden in Bristol, England. Filming with one-of-a-kind lenses he forged at his kitchen table, he catalogs more than 60 different species, from Britain’s largest bumblebees to scissor bees the size of mosquitoes. Over long months, Dohrn observes how differences in behavior set different species apart. He, eventually, gets so close to the bees he can identify individuals by sight, documenting life at their level as we have never seen it.
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The City of Capitola presents free movies at Capitola Beach, on the bandstand stage in Esplanade Park. Aug. 26: Jungle Cruise Sept. 2: Sing 2 Unfortunately, due to Covid, there will be no popcorn. Bring a picnic dinner or dine locally at area restaurants. Low back chairs, blankets and jackets recommended. No alcohol or dogs on the beach.
Sunday August 28 EIGHTH ANNUAL TOUCH-A-TRUCK Noon–4 p.m., Salinas Rodeo Grounds, 1034 N Main St Coastal Kids Home Care hosts the Eighth annual Touch-A-Truck, a day of fun for kids and kids-at-heart to climb and explore their favorite trucks at the Salinas Rodeo Grounds. More than 50 emergency, construction, utility and other vehicles will be available along with food trucks, entertainment, arts and crafts, and face painting. Enter a raffle for a chance to win tickets to Disneyland & local attractions.Admission is $5 per person or $20 per family. Proceeds benefit Coastal Kids Home Care, local provider of in-home medical, social service, and therapy visits to children living with illness. To purchase tickets see: https://coastalkidshomecare.org/ touchatruck/ or email coastalkidshomecare@gmail.com
• Ways you can save money during design and construction. By the end of class you will have a clear idea of how to get started, ways to determine what you may be able to build or afford, and steps to create a workable plan. There will be a short mid-day break, so bring lunch. The price is: $110. Register at https://extension.cabrillo.edu/
This new musical, with catchy tunes, features a five-person cast including veteran SF Mime Troupe collective member Keiko Shimosato Carreiro, who is joined by Andre Amarotico, Lizzie Calogero, Norman Gee and Alicia M. P. Nelson. 90-minute family-friendly show, no intermission. Free admission ($20 suggested donation)
SANTA CRUZ DINNER CLUB 5 p.m., Various Member Homes Throughout County Love to cook, entertain and socialize? Our monthly dinner club events are in homes throughout Santa Cruz County, where members enjoy gourmet meals, fine wine and conversation. Joining the club provides a great opportunity to cook, entertain, and meet vaccinated locals that share your interests. Want to join us? Learn more by contacting Rhonda Mills at info@SantaCruzDinnerClub.com
The 14th Annual Testicle Festival, put on by the Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee of the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau, will be at Estrada Deer Camp. The “No Respect!” band, known for their wide range of songs from rock n’ roll to Latin, willLocalentertain.chefLoretta Estrada, will prepare the Rocky Mountain oysters and firefighter Derek Witmer will bar becue the chicken. The price is $60 for adults, $30 for children 6-12 and free for children under 5. There will be a raffle, live and silent auction plus Cow Pie Bingo. Attendees will be able to vote on their favorites entered in “It’s All in the Sauce” Contest. For information, visit www.Agri-Culture.us or buy tickets at www.eventbrite.com (search for “Testicle Festival” in Watsonville).
The event includes: Full-course meal catered by student chefs in Cabrillo’s Culinary Arts pro-gram. • An interactive art wall, youth speakers, music, and dancing. • Performances by El Sistema and Activities for All Youth Mariachi. • Live auction items include vacation homes as well as a sailing trip on the bay.
Sunday September 11
The process of bringing a road repair project into the construction stage is time-consuming for a number of reasons: Right-of-way acquisition and construction easements, scoping with FHWA, backlogs from previous emergencies, litigation, environmental review and permitting requirements, limit on contractor avail ability in smaller communities, to name a few. As a result, it is common that recipients of FHWA assistance need more than two years to bring a project to the construction stage. While extensions are often granted, they aren’t guaranteed — so we proposed FHWA Emergency Relief funds six years after a disaster occurrence to advance projects to the construction obligation stage, as opposed to two in current law and to suspend any rejections of extensions while Congress debates a change to the current law. As you can imagine, this has sig nificant bearing on projects still awaiting construction from our storm damage of five years ago. The second resolution, deals how federally-funded water infrastructure projects (like the Pajaro River) compete for funds. While we’ve had some remarkable recent success regarding Pajaro funding, there are sys temic funding issues around these types of projects that make it hard for us (and others in similar situations) to compete for funding. Specifically, the process for conducting cost-benefit analyses for flood control projects does not properly acknowledge the value of agricultural land or socioeconomic factors. We proposed that a quantitative indexed value to life-safety, agricultural land value and the impacts of crop flooding, protection of low-income communities and environmental benefits to be considered in order to determine the benefit of federal investments in flood control projects. This will ensure that federally dis advantaged communities, rural and/ or agricultural communities are on an equal playing field with affluent and more urban communities when cal culating benefits and making funding decisions. n
The first deals with the use of Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Emer gency Relief funds. Current law does not allow enough time for Counties with projects to repair roads damaged in fed erally declared disasters to advance to the construction stage. After federal-declared disasters, it is common for Congress to provide emergency funding to federal agencies to address damages in communities impacted by the events. The FHWA at the Department of Transpor tation has an Emergency Relief Fund that is funded by Congress to assist with severe roadCurrentdamages.federal law governing the FHWA emergency relief account says that “Any project that has not advanced to the construction obligation stage by the end of the second fiscal year following the disaster occurrence will not be advanced unless suitable justification to warrant retention is furnished to the FHWA.”
National Group Supports Local Efforts Can Disaster Repairs Start Construction in Two Years?
The National Association of Counties (NACo) is an advocacy organization on behalf of America’s counties. They play a particularly strong role in representing county priorities in federal policymaking but also promote model county policies and practices, provide educational oppor tunities for county elected officials and staff on emerging issues, advocate county priorities in federal policymaking, provide educational materials to our community about issues ranging from broadband to health and human service issues and provide best practices on ways to reduce county costs. Why do the resolutions matter? Counties like ours have limited resources for state and federal advocacy. Organizations like NACo (and our state organization the California State Association of Counties) play a tre mendous role in advocating at the state and federal level on behalf of our interests. They hold strong relation ships with staff, legislators and the executive branch and, unlike some standard lobbying operations, since they only represent public agencies they are exclu sively known as a voice for public good. They have effectively advocated for improve ments in funding for counties during the waves infrastructure funding, broadband funding and more. What resolutions were adopted? Our County presented two resolutionsboth dealing with issues that continue to be problematic for our region.
By Zach Friend, Supervisor, Second District
Local News ... Local Sports ... Local Politics ... Local News ... Local Sports ... Local Politics ...
30 / August 15th 2022 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com FEATURED COLUMNIST
••• As always, I appreciate any feedback you may have on this (or any other County issue). I’m maintaining regular updates on social media at www.facebook.com/supervisorfriend
Every year, the National Association of Counties (NACo) holds an annual conference where members vote on the policy priorities for the coming year. Policies and positions that are adopted by the membership become part of advocacy efforts on behalf of NACo to federal poli cymakers — amplifying our local voice on a national stage. I serve on behalf of our County as a representative to NACo and have served on the national board of directors (executive board) for the AdministrationThefederalissuesthetionsforwardCruzThisorganization.year,SantaCountyputtworesoluforsupportbyorganizationonwhereadditionaladvocacyisneeded:timelineforFederalHighwayReliefFunds(related to our storm-damaged roads) and how fed erally-funded water infrastructure projects (like the Pajaro River) compete for funds. For your resolutions to be considered for adoption you must draft proposed res olutions, work with the relevant national policy committee at NACo for consider ation and approval (made up of County Supervisors/Commissioners from across the country) then, if supported at the com mittee level, seek approval from the full NACoThismembership.year,bothof our resolutions were unanimously supported at the committee and full membership levels. What is NACo?
leaves are typically less than a quarter of an inch long. Each floating leaf extends its single root less than three quarters of an inch into the water below. Plants produce no more than four rooted leaves before dividing into a few smaller plants to repeat the process. Bloom and subsequent seed are uncommon. As a floating aquatic plant, pro lific duckweed might obscure koi and submergent aquatic plants within garden ponds. However, it also helps stabilize healthy aquatic ecosystems. In fact, it is useful for bioremediation of agricultural and indus trial applications. It absorbs detrimental substances from water, while producing fodder and biomass for composting.
By Tony Tomeo
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / August 15th 2022 / 31 oncrossword 25 » American History © Statepoint Media Meet Scooby Our Pet of the Week for this week is a real cutie- a guinea pig named Scooby! He is one year and 4 months old and has been at the Shelter for a few months. He is s sweet and furry friend who likes carrots and squeaks for more snacks! Scooby can be shy at first but after time and attention he can be a lovely little companion and addition to your home. Guinea pigs can be great pets and with the right care and patience they are fun and social animals. If you are interested in meeting Scooby or any of our adoptable animals stop by the Shelter! Adoptions are first come, first served! Please view available animals on our website and then visit the Shelter to turn in your application. All adoptions require proof of home ownership or landlord approval. Please have this information pre pared. If an animal is in Foster Care, please bring in your adoption application and schedule an appointment to meet the animal. Call 831-454-7200 x0 during business hours or visit www.scanimalshelter.org for more information! n ••• Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter’s full-service, open-admission shelter: Santa Cruz Location (Public Entrance): 1001 Rodriguez St., Santa Cruz, 95062 Hours: Daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Watsonville Location: CURRENTLY CLOSED 580 Airport Blvd, Watson ville, CA 95076 SCCAS Main line: 831-454-7200. Animal Control: 831-454-7227. After-Hours Emergency: 831-471-1182 • After Hours: jillian.ganley@santacruzcounty.us SCCAS Featured Pet FEATURED COLUMNIST
Thinking About Aquatic Plants?
Both cattail and duckweed are native. Duckweed can thoroughly obscure a pond.
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••• Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com.
Home gardens and landscapes should be compatible with their respective climates. For local chaparral climates, plants that do not need much watering through the long and dry summers are appropriate. Aquatic plants are the extreme opposite. They require regular replenishment of the ponds that they inhabit. Arid warmth increases their need for water.Aquatic plants can not be ‘drought tolerant.’ Several, such as duckweed, water lettuce and water hyacinth, float over the surface of water. Water lily and lotus inhabit the mud below the water, and extend their foliage to float over the surface of the water. Waterweeds stay completely submerged, with or without roots. Aquatic plants need water for their survival. Marginally aquatic plants are somewhat less dependent on water. Cattail and yellow flag iris inhabit shallow ponds and saturated soil, but can survive if their situations drain for a while. If they stay too dry for too long, they can initiate dor mancy, and then recover when saturation resumes. Canna inhabits either shores of shallow ponds, or evenly moist soil. Regardless, all aquatic plants require maintenance that is completely different from what terrestrial plants require. Even those that need only minimal maintenance will eventually necessitate muddy and messy interaction. Much of such inter action is under water that is difficult to see through while murky. Aquatic plants are innately heavy and totally sloppy. Moreover, some common aquatic plants grow like weeds. Water hyacinth and giant reed are two of the most invasive exotic species in California. So, not only are they sloppy, but they are also voluminous! Because they are very invasive, they should not inhabit ponds they could escape. Besides, giant reed is too overwhelming for most homeFewgardens.home gardens include natural ponds or water sources to contain as ponds. Garden ponds are therefore mostly contained within some sort of sealed infrastructure, and need replenishment to compensate for evaporation. Fountains aerate the water for a healthier ecosystem, but also increase evaporation. Some tall aquatic plants also consume water, as the foliage that extends above water transpires.••• Duckweed Ducks somehow find water. They even tually visit most home garden ponds they can fit into. Duckweed, Lemna minor, is likely to come with them. It adheres to waterfowl and other wildlife for that purpose. It proliferates very efficiently, and almost typically becomes a nui sance. areduckweedashouldaproliferationEventually,inhealthypondstabilizetotolerablerate.Individualplantstiny.Theiroval
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