Trick or Treat: The Secret of Halloween, Poem by Peter Melton

Ruth Bates

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US Mortgage Rates Rise for Seventh Week to Highest in 16

Years — In September, US mortgage rates jumped to a 16-year high average of 6.75%, marking the seventh-straight weekly increase and spurring a huge slump in home loan applications. Freddie Mac’s 30-year loan was 6.7% for week-ending 9/29, the highest rate since 2007. Housing Prices Fall — Locally, the Monthly Average Sales Price (ASP) for Aptos and Santa Cruz (95060+95062) dropped signifi cantly from 2 months ago. Aptos – ASP last month was $1,462,598 and projected to drop 2.5% next year vs. August ASP of $1,527,425 and projected to grow 13% next year. Santa Cruz ASP last month was $1,429,215 and projected to drop 2.1% next year vs. August ASP of $1,524,416 and projected to grow 13% next year. That’s a negative growth swing of 15% looking forward. Active Listings — Across Santa Cruz County there are 244 Active single-family home listings. The Avg. LP is $1,867,734 and Median LP is $1,496,500. The Avg. Days on Market (DOM) is a whopping 65 days! (vs. 10-14 DOM for the fi rst ½ of the year). In Aptos, there are 29 Active Listings, Avg. LP is $1,886,614, Median LP is a high $1,740,000 and Avg. DOM is a whopping 55 days. Sold! — In Aptos in the past 30 days 18 homes, 2 condos, and 5 townhomes sold. High sale was 658 Bayview, $8,800,000 sales price vs. last sale in 2018 of $4,975,000, 77% appreciation in 4 years! Low sale was 743 Loma Prieta, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1556 SF, sold for $735,000 after 59 days on market, original LP $799,000. Two Willowbrook condos sold at record prices, $835,000 for 3/2/1428SF, 38 DOM, and $810,000 for 2/2/1210SF, 5 DOM. Townhome high sale was 115 Palo Alto Place at $1,375,000 and low sale was 6107 Abbey Rd 2/2.5/1190SF, sold for $760,000 on original list price of $849,000 after 31 days on market. My Sellers are weary, and my Buyers are excited!

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Get Results With Ruth! Poem by Peter Melton

Every year in the fall, there happens quite a scene a day I can be whatever I want, a day called Halloween. I dream up some great costume, anything from A to Z the hardest part is just choosing, what do I want to be? For on this very special day, I can be anything I want a frog, a prince, a fairy queen or a monster out to haunt. I know I’m not a monster, but everyone pretends that they don’t know the secret, I’m telling you my friends

My costume is not who I am, I’m hidden deep inside but once a year on this night, the real me gets to hide. I pretend that I’m a monster (Roarrrr) and I totally act it out and I forget who I really am, because that’s what it’s all about

Because in choosing to forget you see, I create the magical chance to remember who I really am and why we do this dance

Then my friends and I put on our masks and we go walking door to door, but I have already forgotten, what do we do this for? Sure we get some candy, but is that really all there must something deeper to this ritual of the Fall. Perhaps all this Halloween fun has a certain goal, is it trying to remind me, is it something about my soul? Like when I say “Trick or Treat?” What am I asking you to do?

To see past my trick to the treat that’s shining through?

And by putting that candy in my bag are you are you saying that you know that the secret underneath my mask, is the treat that is my glow My costume is not who I am, it only covers me and when you look into my eyes, is there a glow you see? A glow that’s coming from inside, is that another clue to handle? It reminds me of a pumpkin carved, inside of it a candle. And why is the Halloween mascot a pumpkin in the night? So when we look into it’s eyes we can see it shining bright? Just like your body or a costume the pumpkin knows what’s true that’s why the pumpkin’s smiling, it’s trying to show you That Halloween is just like life, they really are the same It’s our annual human version of a very much bigger game You see your body is not all you are, there is flame down deep inside and when I look into your eyes, your glow you cannot hide

And that’s the Halloween Secret, it’s scary and it’s sweet and remembering who I really am, now that trick is a treat. Boo! Happy Halloween! •••

Video version: https://youtu.be/AuQzuZZI2-8

“Inspired” from page 11

The speakers that followed: Rabbi Paula Marcus, Dr. Faris Sabbah, Kailash Pati Brown, our Model United Nations Club advisors Greg Shirley and Chrislaine Miller, and student speakers, all had important wisdom and perspectives to share about building peace and dismantling racism.

I appreciated the different voices that were shared, and I spoke with our Upper School Director Shannon Kelly, who shared similar sentiments.

“I was inspired by International Peace Day and grateful for the different speakers we had, including Dr. Sabbah’s story about his experience living in Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war, and emigrating to the U.S., which made the idea of cease-fire and peace-building seem more tangible,” Kelly noted. “Our student speakers were exceptional and I enjoyed how everything people touched on was interconnected and on theme.”

Our celebration of the International Day of Peace reflects our commitment to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals as a recently certified, global SDG school. I know we can go even further

Speakers (from left): Dr. Faris Sabbah, Rabbi Paula Marcus, and Kailash Pati Brown.

in how we create an equitable environment for all in our school community, and help those outside of it. I think that implanting these development goals into our lessons in the classroom, how we treat our school environment, and how we interact with the world will only benefit us as we go off to our future pursuits beyond Mount Madonna.

This is imminent for me as I apply to college, which will no doubt thrust me into a wealth of new perspectives. I will take these lessons with me as I figure out how I want to make an impact on the world, whether by utilizing a future degree in environmental biology or through community organizing and art advocacy. n ••• Zoey Ocampo-Sobkoviak is a senior at Mount Madonna School.