Aptos Times: August 15, 2023

Heartbreaking Fentanyl Kills Her Only Child

By Jondi Gumz

Fernando Sanchez was an only child — a witty, smart, a boy who loved rap music and who kept journals. He was 17, an 11th grader with his whole life ahead of him.

On March 26, 2020, when the lockdown prevented

his family from their usual Wednesday night dinner with Aunt Marie, he decided to hang out with two friends. They had bought pills they thought were Xanax — which teens consider a party drug — from a dealer on Snapchat. ... continues on page 4

Mountain Lion Research & Protecting Livestock

We live in mountain lion territory.

In June, Audubon Canyon Ranch, a nonprofit based in Stinson Beach, posted a blog by Quinton Martins, a conservationist PhD from South Africa and the founder of Living with Lions in Sonoma, on protecting wildlife and livestock in mountain lion territory.

Full Story page 5

Supervisor Zach Friend: No Fourth Term Full Story page 8

Tiny Homes Built By Students

Did you know students in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District are building tiny homes? They are in the building and construction trades pathway in Career Technical Education, a program of career exploration and work-based learning.

Full Story page 6

Cover Heartbreaking: Fentanyl Kills Her Only Child, By Jondi Gumz

Community News

4 End Overdose Event

5 Mountain Lion Research & Protecting Livestock

6 Tiny Homes Built By Students: Granite Construction Gives $50,000 To Support Work Experience

7 Homeless Point in Time Count • Point in Time Homeless Count • New Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency Leader

8 Supervisor Zach Friend: No Fourth Term, By Jondi Gumz • He Actually Works for the Common Good, by Rene Schlaepfer • A Very Caring Individual, by Jess Brown • A Force for Cohesion, by Robley Levy

9 Kristen Brown to Run For Supervisor, By Jondi Gumz

10 Thoughtful and Inclusive, by Michael Watkins • A Person Who Sees the Big Picture, by John & Karen Hibble

11 CASA Welcomes New Advocates

12 Rick Kepler in Maui: How to Help, By Jondi Gumz • Red Cross Aids Maui after Wildfires, By Jondi Gumz • Twin Lakes Church: Our Hearts With Maui

14 Gene Castillo of Lahaina Asks for Help

17 Cabrillo College: No Name Change Yet, By Jondi Gumz • Learn from History, by John Marinovich • Focus on High School Seniors, by Andrew Morrissey

18 Construction on Sgt. Gutzwiller Memorial Moves Forward, By Kieran Kelly

20 Rio Del Mar Walkway Closed Off

21 Aptos History Museum Needs a New Home, By John Hibble

22 New in Aptos, Photo Credit Brooke Valentine • Soquel Drive Buffered Bike Lane Project Begins

23 Update: SB 14 Sex Trafficking of a Minor, By Jondi Gumz

30 Janus Awarded Federal Grant

Local Sports

13 MVCS’ New Tennis Coach: Haley Loredo

Monthly Horoscope • Page 26 – August — the Rising of Sirius & the Light of Leo, By Risa D’Angeles

Community Calendar • Arts & Entertainment – Pages 28, 29

Featured Columnists

24 Should They Allow Phone Calls on Planes?, By Christopher Elliott

27 Sharing Secrets & Finding Freedom, By Barry and Joyce Vissell

30 County Behavioral Health & Homeless Funding, By Zach Friend, Supervisor, Second District

831-359-4670

Patrice Edwards editor

Jondi Gumz

contributing writers

Jondi Gumz, Rene Schlaepfer, Jess Brown, Robley Levy, Michael Watkins, John & Karen Hibble, John Marinovich, Andrew Morrissey, Kieran Kelly, John Hibble, Risa D’Angeles, Christopher Elliott, Barry and Joyce Vissell, Zach Friend layout

Michael Oppenheimer graphic artists

Michael Oppenheimer

“Fernando Sanchez” from page 1

But the pills were not Xanax.

They contained the opioid fentanyl, deadly in a tiny quantity equivalent to 10 to15 grains of table salt, and Tramadol, a painkiller that can cause difficulty breathing.

Fernando’s friends passed out, so Fernando walked to his best friend’s house, where his friend’s mom checked on him and called 911.

Paramedics administered Narcan, which is reported to reverse the effects of fentanyl but it didn’t revive him, recalled his mom Lisa Marquez of Gilroy.

When she went with her sister to the hospital, she thought “he’s in the ambulance — they’re able to save people” but she was told point-blank, “he didn’t make it.”

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Now Marquez, who is 43, is on a mission to educate parents and children about the dangers of buying drugs online.

“The majority of pills you order are doing to have fentanyl, it’s so cheap and easy to make,” she said. “Everything you have for yourself could be thrown away because of one pill.”

As for her son, she said, “He should have been able to make dumb mistakes and learn, but he didn’t get a second chance.”

Marquez’ first reaction: “I have to warn these kids.”

She posted on Facebook, sharing what happened, not worrying what anyone would think about her or her son.

She didn’t know anything about fentanyl then.

The post was shared 2.8 thousand times.

She has become an expert on fentanyl.

“It’s odorless,” she said. “You can’t tell the difference.”

And if Narcan saves you from fentanyl overdose, you can end up addicted — because fentanyl is 50 times more powerful than heroin — “that’s scary,” she said.

Test strips are not the answer, she added, because if you cut the pill in half to test it in water, the fentanyl can be in the untested half.

“We just went to court,” she said.

The man who sold the deadly drug to her son got three years for that crime.

“He’ll do maybe a year,” she said. “It won’t bring my son back.” n

End Overdose Event Aug. 31

Lisa Marquez will speak Thursday, Aug. 31 at the #EndOverdose event hosted by Watsonville Community Hospital, 75 Nielson St., Watsonville.

A resource fair include free Narcan will take place 3-4 p.m. Speakers from 4-5:30 p.m. in the community room will include family who have lost a loved one, survivors, first responders and health care workers.

For information, contact Ashlee_ DeHerrera@watsonvillehospital.com

Michael Oppenheimer, Camisa Composti

Michael Oppenheimer website

photography

Fernando Sanchez with his mom Lisa Marquez

Mountain Lion Research & Protecting Livestock

Editor’s note: On the night of July 15, five goats were killed on private property inside Nisene Marks State Park. Photos showed mountain lion fur in the goat’s horn. On July 28, a monitoring camera at a neighboring home snapped a photo of a mountain lion on the prowl after midnight. Last week, on NextDoor, another three goats were reported gone. How can you protect yourself and your livestock?

Read on.

•••

We live in mountain lion territory.

In June, Audubon Canyon Ranch, a nonprofit based in Stinson Beach, posted a blog by Quinton Martins, a conservationist PhD from South Africa and the founder of Living with Lions in Sonoma, on protecting wildlife and livestock in mountain lion territory.

He wrote:

Recent studies by Audubon Canyon Ranch and True Wild of what mountain lions eat and the ways they interact with their prey is shedding light on these elusive predators in the San Francisco North Bay region. Through the analysis of satellite data and field observation, our researchers

are gaining a better understanding of the dietary preferences and challenges faced by mountain lions. This research has revealed intriguing insights into the prey choices of mountain lions, emphasizing the need for effective animal protection measures to mitigate conflicts between humans, livestock, and wildlife.

Diet and Hunting Behavior

Overthe past year, our data has shown that black-tailed deer account for approximately 68% of the prey items recorded in the diet of mountain lions.

This finding underscores the crucial role played by black-tailed deer as a primary food source for these predators.

The study identified other prey species such as wild boar, coyotes, opossums, badgers, and even an otter.

It is important to note that the high percentage of livestock (17%) in the diet was influenced by the presence of a female mountain lion, P1, who suffered a debilitating injury from a gunshot wound and was later killed after depredating livestock.

House cats (3%) were targeted by specific lions, indicating the potential threat posed to domesticated pets, as well as the threat of disease transmission from pets to mountain lions.

The presence of fences appears to have an impact on lion hunting behavior. Lions seem to gain some benefit from the presence of high-density fencing, which can act as barriers or hurdles to deer, enabling lions to improve their foraging success. We have determined that lions are making kills about 280 feet from fences on average and we have, on several occasions, found deer (or livestock) caught up against fences.

“Mountain Lions” page 10

Security camera image of a mountain lion prowling on July 28 in Aptos.

Tiny Homes Built By Students Granite Construction Gives $50,000 To Support Work Experience

Did you know students in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District are building tiny homes?

They are in the building and construction trades pathway in Career Technical Education, a program of career exploration and work-based learning.

Tiny homes are increasingly considered a potential solution to housing needs, from sheltering disaster victims to creating permanent communities.

In March, Granite Construction, a $3 billion company headquartered in Watsonville, donated $50,000 to the Pajaro Valley Education Foundation, specifically for students in the building and construction trades pathway.

Ashley Stinson, Granite’s VP of risk management and chair of its Corporate Charitable Contributions Committee, said, “Today’s students will play a vital role in the skilled, educated workforce of the future, and in the economic health and wellbeing of our communities.”

Dusten Dennis, a teacher in the

building and construction trades CTE pathway who also teaches AP computer science, said it is extremely meaningful for community partners like Granite to support such learning opportunities.

“It has an incredible positive, synergistic effect on our community when

Granite is able to help our students by supporting a hands-on project such as building a tiny house,” Dennis said. “Many of my students expressed it was the highlight of their year, that they got to learn from the experience and were able to contribute to such a large and important project.”

Offered at Watsonville High and Aptos High, the building and construction trades courses are among 26 CTE pathways throughout the Pajaro Valley district’s high schools, ranging from biotechnology and computer science to graphic design and sustainable agriculture.

More than 3,200 students in CTE gain work and life skills while taking CTE courses where they can earn college credits while in high school.

These career-oriented courses advance student readiness whether they plan to pursue higher education, enter a training program, or go straight into the workforce.

Granite also created a paid summer internship based in Watsonville for a PVUSD student or 2023 PVUSD graduate.

One recipient, Watsonville High graduate Robert Caput, was a freshman when he first heard about the building and construction trades pathway.

“High School Construction” page 9

Add Light In Your Home With A New Skylight

Granite Construction team checks out one of two tiny homes being built by Pajaro Valley students.

Homeless Point in Time Count

On Aug. 3, Santa Cruz County reported its federally required point-in-time count tallied 1,804 homeless people in 2023, compared to 2,299 in 2022.

This is a 21.5% decline and the fewest since the count began in 2011.

Although Santa Cruz County is the least affordable rental market in the U.S., the numbers give some hope for the future.

“While the numbers show the lowest levels of homelessness since the PIT Count was first conducted and reflects our efforts to prioritize housing, we still have a long way to go,” said Robert Ratner, director of the Santa Cruz County Housing for Health Division. “Addressing homelessness in Santa Cruz County requires long-term, systemic change, but we are heading in the right direction.”

With the closure of the Covid-19 sheltering system in June 2022, Santa Cruz County and its partners, including the Housing Authority of Santa Cruz County, moved more than 600 individuals into permanent supportive housing.

The count was taken on Feb. 23 during wintry conditions.

Of the homeless total, 378 were counted in shelters, and 1,426 were unsheltered, on the streets or in tents or vehicles.

Nearly half were counted in vehicles:

• Vehicle: 46%

• Tent: 35%

• Outdoors/on streets: 18%

• Abandoned building: 1%

By jurisdiction, the count reported:

• City of Santa Cruz: 1,028

• Watsonville: 421

• Unincorporated: 249

• County Office of Education: 59

• Scotts Valley: 24

• Capitola: 23

The 51-page report said number of unhoused declined in Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Capitola, and unincorporated areas but the number in Watsonville increased from 366 to 421.

More Findings

Ofthe families experiencing homelessness, 65% had shelter, but nearly all unaccompanied minors and transitionage youth (adults less than 24 years old) were living on the streets.

44% identified as Hispanic or Latino

More than two-thirds of people experiencing homelessness were male.

Three in ten had some form of employment. Of the unemployed, more than half are looking for work.

Nearly a quarter have been in the foster care system.

The number of homeless families with children increased, as did the numbers of K-12 students experiencing homelessness.

75% were County residents when they became homeless.

Nearly half reported substance abuse issues, while more than one-third reported psychiatric/emotional conditions or posttraumatic stress disorder.

Point in Time Homeless Count

Primary

2023: Lost job: 35% • Substance use: 24%

• Eviction: 19% • Divorce/breakup: 13%

2022: Eviction: 37% • Lost job: 33%

• Alcohol/drug use: 9% • Divorce/ breakup: 9%

Benefits

One-third have a physical disability.

The Housing for Health Partnership remains committed to moving as many formerly homeless individuals into housing as possible.

The County is working with community partners to secure Project Homekey and other grants to increase the capacity to provide housing for formerly homeless individuals and families.

Those grants include a recent $10.1 million Behavioral Health Bridge Housing award to build a 34-unit housing development to serve homeless adults with behavioral health challenges, as well as a partnership with the County of Monterey and the City of

2023: 72%

2022: 83%

Self

2023: Subtance use

• Psychiatric condition: 39%

2022: Drug/alcohol use:67% • Physical disability: 57% •••

Source: housingforhealthpartnership.org/ LearningCenter/DataandReports.aspx

Watsonville to move individuals out of the Pajaro River channel and into housing. The 34 units need not be in one location, but all the units must have wraparound services, such as being prioritized for behavioral health services.

County officials report 100 new supportive units through projects already underway will soon be accessible. For youth, the county is retrofitting a building on 5300 Soquel Avenue with 24 crisis stabilization beds so youth have local options for care. n •••

For the full report, visit https://housing forhealthpartnership.org.

New Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency Leader

Dr. Miku Sodhi is the new assistant director of the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency.

He comes from the Tulalip Health System in Washington State, where he was health administrator & CEO. Before that he was deputy CEO at Shasta Cascade Health, a federally qualified health center, and chief quality officer at Peach Tree Health in Marysville, and vice president physician leadership and medical policy at Satellite Healthcare in San Jose.

Dr. Sodhi was named to Cal State East Bay’s 40 Under 40 award for improving the health of underserved populations during COVID and the American College

of Medical Practice Executives’ Harwick Innovation Award for innovating and improving health services.

During the pandemic, when many medical appointments were cancelled, he implemented telehealth visits to monitor patients and prevent financial losses.

He has integrated medical, dental, mental, and public health services, according to the county announcement.

Dr. Sodhi has two master’s degrees in health administration and public administration from Cal State East Bay; a doctorate in health sciences from Eastern Virginia Medical School; and a medical degree from the University of Mauritius. He is a Fellow of the American College of Medical Practice Executives and of the New York Academy of Medicine.

“Dr. Sodhi will be instrumental in strengthening our clinical systems of

care, particularly with the integration and alignment of preventative and behavioral health services,” said Health Services Agency Director Mónica Morales.

“I am delighted to join Santa Cruz County and look forward to partnering with everyone to advance health care delivery and equity,” said Sodhi. n

Miku Sodhi

Supervisor Zach Friend: No Fourth Term

By Jondi Gumz

On Aug. 4, Santa Cruz County Supervisor Zach Friend, who represents the Second District and chairs the board, announced he will not seek a fourth term. His term ends in January 2025.

Friend, 44, of Aptos, was elected to the county board in 2012 and re-elected easily in 2016 and 2020. He represents the coastal communities of Aptos, La Selva Beach, Seacliff and Rio Del Mar, some of the most productive agricultural land in the country in Corralitos, Freedom and the Pajaro River basin, and parts of Capitola and Watsonville.

“Representing this county has been the nonpareil opportunity of a lifetime,” Friend said. “We are a region blessed with the most caring people, unrivaled natural gifts and unmatched innovation. The privilege of representing our area has been remarkable.”

Friend’s decision will leave a void in terms of knowledge and experience but will create an opportunity to bring diversity to county board.

Ever since his wife, Tina Friend, previously known as Tina Shull, left her job as Scotts Valley city manager in September 2021 to be city manager in Coronado –population 19,550-- in San Diego County, locals have wondered if Friend, too, would head to Southern California. The couple has a 7-year-old son.

Friend’s next gig is not known but Linked bio in positions him a “government affairs public policy senior communications advisor” with more than 500 connections.

In January, when epic rain and ocean swells sank the pier to the historic Cement Ship in Seacliff, caused an estimated $100 million in damage to Seacliff State Beach,

He Actually Works for the Common Good

Rene Schlaepfer

Pastor, Twin Lakes Church, Aptos Ikeep hearing about the American public no longer trusting their elected officials. Good people won’t run for office. If there’s a politician in a movie, you know they’ll be a villain. Well, if our politicians were all like Zach Friend, trust would be soaring, our kids would all want to grow up to be in government, movie politicians would be our new action heroes, and stuff would actually be getting done all across the nation.

When I learned Zach wouldn’t seek reelection, I thought about the floods, fires, storms, budget crises, water emergencies, and housing shortages he has led us through. Zach has the force it takes to move bureaucracies, and the empathy it takes to make individuals feel heard.

How does someone with such biting sarcasm enjoy so many friends? I don’t know, but he pulls it off. I think it’s because Zach embodies what everyone longs for in an elected: He’s totally candid, funny, authentic, wise, doesn’t take himself too seriously (yet takes his responsibility very seriously), and actually works for the common good, not just some interest group.

Everyone knows Zach represented his district exceptionally well. He’s also been a trusted confidant. Never has an elected enjoyed a more fitting name. n

broke the historic Capitola Wharf in two, stranding businesses, and flooded the restaurants on the Esplanade in Capitola, Friend swung into action.

He had connections with state and federal officials — early in his career he served the White House Council of Economic Advisers, U.S. Senate, the U.S.

A Very Caring Individual

Jess

Brown

Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau

Many people may not know that the 2nd District has more agricultural land than any of the other four supervisorial districts. Supervisor Friend has been able to effectively balance the needs of agriculture, beach communities and residential areas. His political acumen, professionalism, and great sense of humor makes him an effective and approachable leader.

Supervisor Friend is a unique elected official for our County because he came with national political experience. This experience helped Santa Cruz County throughout his terms. Most recently, it played a role in his ability to secure federal funding for the Pajaro River improvements and, also, in getting the President to visit our area after the recent floods.

Zach is very caring individual. He takes a genuine interest in his constituents. There are many examples, for instance, he was interviewed many times by Noel Smith of the Aptos Times. Although they had different political views Zach appreciated Noel’s perspective. When Noel was terminally ill, Zack would visit him and chat about politics and life in general. That’s a rare quality in an elected official.

Zach will truly be missed in Santa Cruz County when he leaves office. n

House of Representatives and was press secretary for the Obama presidential campaign in 2008 and media surrogate for the Biden campaign in 2020– and soon Gov. Gavin Newsom was visiting Capitola’s Esplanade and Seacliff State Beach, creating photo opps for reporters and TV cameras.

Eight days later, President Joe Biden visited Capitola’s Esplanade and Seacliff State Beach, drawing even more media attention.

In March, when the Pajaro River levee, built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1949, breached, flooding homes of 3,000 people –mostly farmworkers-- and some of the most productive farmland in the Pajaro Valley, once again federal help was needed. As chairman of Food 7 Flood Control and Water Conservation District, he lobbied state legislators who approved $400 million in state funds for the Pajaro River levee project to meet the federal “local share” that Pajaro residents could not afford to provide themselves. His advocacy helped secure millions of new federal funding for ongoing broadband expansion in rural Santa Cruz County, where some neighborhoods are Internet desert

“Friend” page 10

A Force for Cohesion

Robley

Levy

Second District supervisor, 1982-92

Zach Friend has served the 2nd District and Santa Cruz County exceptionally well during his time on the Board of Supervisors.

Zach has been directly responsive to his constituents and always well-informed. He has been a force for cohesion on the Board that will be greatly missed.

Zach’s many close connections with officials at the State and Federal level, together with collegial relationships with his fellow local officials has been a great benefit to our County.

How many local politicians can wrangle the President of the United States, as well as numerous cabinet members, to a small county like Santa Cruz? That’s what Zach did this year in response to the disastrous storms and flooding, with so many of our neighbors forced out of their homes.

I particularly appreciate that work since during my time on the Board, we also faced major disasters; in the early 80’s, coastal flooding and landslides, including the Love Creek Slide where so many died; and the 1989 San Francisco Earthquake which hit Santa Cruz hard, with its epicenter in the Second District.

Thanks so much, Zach, for all that hard work this winter on disaster response and recovery. We will miss you, but know you will enjoy all the new adventures ahead of you. n

Zach Friend, who recently announced he would not run for county supervisor again, speaks during a tour of the winter storm damage with Gov. Gavin Newsom (second from left).

Kristen Brown to Run For Supervisor

By Jondi Gumz

On Aug. 7, Capitola Vice Mayor Kristen Brown declared her candidacy for the Second District seat on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, currently held by Zach Friend, who is not running for another term.

Brown, 36, is a two-term City Council member who has been involved in government since 2012, when she became an aide to U.S. Rep Sam Farr for four years.

A fourth-generation Santa Cruz County resident, she has a bachelor’s degree from CSU Monterey Bay and a master’s degree in public administration from CSU Northridge.

She joined the Silicon Valley Leadership Group in 2019, and is currently vice president of government relations.

She has deep roots in Capitola, where her grandfather Herb Ross spent 28 years with the Capitola Police Department and is remembered every year when the Herb Ross Community Achievement Award is presented.

“The top issues I see in the 2nd District, and throughout the County, are housing,

“High School Construction” from page 6

“Everyone I looked up to highly suggested the class,” Caput said, “and it was one of the best decisions I have made. That class showed me more about the real world than any other.”

Caput credits teacher David Patino with giving him the foundation to secure his internship in the Small Tools Program at Granite, where he will work while attending Cabrillo College.

Granite’s Ashley Stinson said partnering with CTE benefits local businesses and industries by ensuring students have the opportunities, resources, and experiences they need to succeed in their chosen careers.

“We are helping to advance new options in education and work-based

transportation, and climate change,” she said. “These are interrelated issues that we need to address comprehensively. Being the most expensive housing market in the Country is driving more people away from our area, causing more people to commute further to get to where they need to work and play, and leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions. These issues are impacting the quality of life in our otherwise ideal community.”

Housing is an issue that affects her personally.

“I am a renter in Capitola Village,” she said. “In the last 7 years that I have been on Capitola City Council, I have had to move twice. Both times, I felt the concern that comes with wondering if you will be able to find housing within your price range, especially since I had to find a place within the small footprint of Capitola city limits in order to stay on City Council.”

She added, “I have seen my parents, my sister and her family, and several

learning that ready students for the highskill jobs that we and other employers are eager to fill here in the Pajaro Valley,” she said.

Julie Edwards, CTE coordinator for PVUSD, said the program will soon be reaching out to seek more partners.

“Local companies and organizations who become CTE partners not only enrich student learning, they gain connections to talented, motivated young people who may one day be their employees,” she said. n •••

For more about Pajaro Valley Education Foundation see https://pvef.net/

For more about Granite Construction see www.graniteconstruction.com

For more about CTE, contact Julie Edwardsb at julie_edwards@pvusd.net

friends, relatives, and neighbors move hours away in order to find a more affordable housing market. I want to work towards advancing solutions that allow our locals to remain local.”

As for ideas, she said, “I am interested in focusing on increased affordable housing production, preservation of current affordable housing stock, safeguarding rental assistance, and other housing protections, investing in our transportation and transit systems, and mitigating the impacts of climate change that impact all areas of our region.”

She began these efforts with her election to the Capitola City Council in 2016.

She is vice chair of the Santa Cruz Metro Transit District, which this summer began outreach to the public to “reimagine” service and double ridership in five years.

She is vice chair of the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, which in April broke ground for

auxiliary lanes and a bus-on-shoulder program (with an overcrossing for Mar Vista) in an effort to reduce Highway 1 congestion for 100,000 vehicles.

During her time as chair of the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments, she led the Regional Housing Needs Assessment process by which each local government is given quotas for housing production.

She also is an active member of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Advisory Committee. She supports voluntary vessel speed reduction programs in the underwater national park to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Encouraging young people, especially young women, to get involved in local government is incredibly important to me,” she said. “In my first year on City Council, I successfully advocated for adding student seats to our city boards and commissions. I’d like to see more student involvement on county commissions also.”

“Kristen Brown” page 11

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

Epicenter Cycling

Trek Bicycles for All Types of Riders 662-8100

Dentistry

Erin Kuhlman, Granite chief marketing and communications officer, Ashley Stinson, Granite VP of risk management, Dr. Jennifer Holm, PVUSD Board President, Dr. Michelle Rodriguez, PVUSD superintendent of Schools, and Julie Edwards, PVUSD CTE coordinator, welcome $50,000 to support the Tiny Homes CTE project.

Kristen Brown

“Mountain Lions” from page 5

In California, “hobby farmers” or landowners with small numbers of livestock are considered the primary threat to mountain lions (Benson et al., 2024) due to inadequate protective measures against predation from wildlife. This emphasizes the need for proactive measures to safeguard domesticated animals and promote coexistence.

Protect pets like cats and small dogs by keeping them indoors at night, when

mountain lions are most active. For small livestock such as sheep and goats, predator-proof pens provide a secure space during the night.

While mountain lions are primarily nocturnal, the level of risk may vary depending on location, habitat, and specific threats.

Collaboration between organizations like True Wild and Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue has resulted in innovative solutions, such as the development of automated pen systems that enable

people to secure their farm animals remotely.

With these efforts, we can foster harmonious coexistence between humans and wildlife in the San Francisco North Bay region.

Puma-proof pen

Sonoma County Wildlife Rescur has created a 3-minute video at https:// scwildliferescue.org/puma-proof-pen to show how to build a puma-proof pen.

The video points out that a mountain lion can jump 15 feet high, and advises

While mountain lions are primarily nocturnal, the level of risk may vary depending on location, habitat, and specific threats.

people keep their sheep and goats in an enclosure at night.

The recommendation is to wrap the pen with shade cloth and top it with corrugated roofing, filling in gaps with hardware cloth. n

“Friend” from page 8

“We should always strive to amplify our voice at the state and federal level,” Friend said. “We have local challenges of national importance and local solutions with national impacts — the more we can create our future rather than react to it the better off our region will be.”

Locally, Friend led efforts to remodel Seascape Park and Hidden Beach Park, build and provide bike and skate opportunities at Seacliff Village Park and Pinto Lake Park and add new fully-accessible park features to multiple parks throughout the Second District.

This year, the largest investment in over 20 years will be made in the baseball fields at the Polo Grounds in Aptos, providing better playing opportunities for youth and sports teams.

During the Covid-19 pandemic emergency, he hosted weekly virtual town halls with experts to provide information for constituents and answer their questions.

He spearheaded the effort to upgrade and rename Willowbrook Park in honor of Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, who died on duty in 2020, with regular updates in Aptos Times on the fundraising efforts to pay for the project. Major work is now underway.

Thoughtful and Inclusive

Michael Watkins

He also pushed to create Seacliff Village Park and was a major supporter to upgrade libraries in La Selva Beach, Capitola, and Aptos, where the newly built library is about to open.

Friend prioritized investments in parks and youth activities and to improve public spaces like the not yet open government center in West Marine’s former headquarters in Watsonville.

“Whether it was the creation of the new Mid-County Public Safety Service Center in Aptos, working to save Watsonville Hospital from closure or the construction of the new South County

Government Center, my goal has been to ensure that areas of historic underinvestment in county services — like the Mid and South County — received equitable access and resources,” Friend said.

Friend is on state and national commissions. He chairs the California State Association of Counties Health and Human Services Committee, with responsibility for advocating on behalf of California’s 58 counties on issues related to behavioral health services, public health and homelessness.

He’s on the National Association of Counties Executive Committee where

A Person Who Sees the Big Picture

John & Karen Hibble

he has advocated in Washington, DC, for transportation, rural broadband and flood-protection.

Regionally, he chairs the Monterey Bay Air Resources Board, the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency, and co-chairs the Oral Health Access Santa Cruz County board.

He is on the Criminal Justice Council, Library Financing Authority, Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, Santa Cruz County Sanitation District, Santa Cruz Mid-County Water Agency, Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), and Santa CruzMonterey-Merced Managed Medical Care Commission.

Before his election as supervisor, Supervisor Friend spent eight years as a crime analyst and spokesman for the Santa Cruz Police Department.

His 2013 book “On Message: How a Compelling Narrative Will Make Your Organization Succeed” was an Amazon. com best-seller in the marketing category.

“We have a lot of great things left to accomplish in the next 17 months,” Friend said. “I am excited to stay actively engaged locally and keep contributing to our community in any way possible, well beyond my term.” n

Seacliff, the installation of the roundabout in the Rio Del Mar flats and pushed for solutions to the flooding in that area.

Retired superintendent, county Office of Education

Ihavehad the pleasure of working with Zach even before he was elected to the Board of Supervisors representing the 2nd district. I’ve always found him to be both thoughtful and inclusive. He handled controversy with grace and class and always listened to both sides of controversial issues before making a decision.

He was strong advocate for public education and Juvenile Justice reform both here and in Sacramento. I had the honor of representing him in the 2020 redistricting process and saw firsthand how he created space for all points of view.

I found him to be courageous and passionate about tackling and solving environmental issues, the unhoused population dilemma and creating and equitable education for all students.

His leadership and national recognition will leave a void in our county. n

Aptos Chamber of Commerce

Zach Friend has been tireless in trying to improve the lives of Second District residents and Santa Cruz County as a whole.

He was able to move the Aptos Village project forward after decades of planning and establish a Mid-County Public Safety Service Center in the Village and he helped to establish the South County Government Center in Watsonville. He was instrumental in working on transportation solutions and expanding broadband to underserved areas of the county.

His experience at all levels of government allowed him to assist in saving Watsonville Hospital from closing also in securing funds to rebuild the Pajaro River levee, and in bringing President Joe Biden and Gov. Gavin Newsom here to expedite relief from this year’s winter storms and the CZU fires.

He oversaw the undergrounding of utilities in

Zach worked to improve Seascape Park and Hidden Beach Park. He helped establish a skate park in Seacliff. He oversaw the remodel of Willowbrook Park in honor of fallen officer Sgt. Damon Gutzweiller and helped establish the first all-inclusive playground.

Zach helped in the remodeling of the Capitola and La Selva Beach Libraries and found additional funding to build the new Aptos Library. He had the foresight to include rotating exhibits from the Aptos History Museum in the new Library.

During Covid, Zach instigated town hall meetings on Zoom to bring us the most accurate and up to date information from the best and the brightest people.

Zach is a person who sees the big picture and has worked on policies that will benefit our community now and in the future.

Zach has been an outstanding Supervisor and we wish him well in the future. n

Zach Friend (left) watches President Joe Biden speak during tours of the winter storm damage in Santa Cruz County.

CASA Welcomes New Advocates

On Aug. 10, Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Timothy Schmal swore in 9 community members as Court Appointed Special Advocates for children in foster care.

They all completed a 35-hour training program.

CASA of Santa Cruz County recruits, trains, and supervises volunteer Advocates who are matched one on one with a child in the county’s dependency (foster care) court system advocating for them the entire time they have a case open with the Court.

As officers of the court, CASA volunteers ensure that the children’s needs are recognized and their best interests are

“Kristen Brown” from page 9

A year after being elected to City Council, she worked to organize a Capitola Women’s Leadership mixer to encourage other women to run for office.

“Young women are often told not to be bossy or cause trouble,” she said, “but we need to change that narrative to remind them that they have leadership

considered in the courtroom, school, and in the community.

Although there is a great need for bilingual and male volunteers, CASA always encourages people from all cultures and professions and of all ethnic and educational backgrounds to learn more. n

•••

For information on how to become a CASA volunteer advocate, contact Clarita Cortes at (831) 761-2956, ext. 102, or visit www.casaofsantacruz.org/volunteer

skills and their advocacy can make a difference. I would be interested in holding additional events that help to educate, train, and encourage young women to take on leadership positions within their community.”

In Capitola, which has about 7,000 voters, elections tend to be low-budget affairs, with $3,700 enough to run a successful campaign. In contrast, the 2nd

Supervisorial District has 36,000 voters, and in 2020 Friend spent about $25,000.

Asked about campaign finances, Brown said, “We are still in the early stages of our campaign and will be working with a consultant to determine our fundraising goals and budget.”

When Brown ran for office in 2016 and 2020, she was Kristen Pedersen.

“I have been married to my husband,

Nick Brown, for a year and a half,” she said.

“We have a deaf Jack Russell terrier named Fender and a grey tabby cat named Wally. We spend our free time playing music (we are both musicians), going on road trips, beachcombing, cooking, and relaxing with our friends and neighbors.” n

•••

For more info: www.votekristenbrown.com or email info@votekristenbrown.com

Decades of commitment. Generations of caring.

At Dignity Health – Dominican Hospital, we’ve had the privilege of caring for you and your family for generations. Santa Cruz County relies on Dominican for comprehensive, advanced, award-winning care—including our nationally recognized cardiac program, Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, our Wellness Center with classes to keep patients healthy and strong, among many other medical specialties. Learn more about us at DignityHealth.org/Dominican.

Pictured: Shawn Cornejo, Rodney Sellers, Deborah Bodine, Tavia Shaaf, Valerie Bertolini, Dale Edwards, and Heather Vanderslice. • Kathleen Weiland and Catherine Perrin attended online.

Ruth Bates

831.359.2212

ruthbates1@gmail.com

CalBRE#01799929

LONG DAYS ON MARKET

Across Santa Cruz County there are only 250 homes for sale (as of 8/11) and the Average Days on Market is up to 71 days! A wellpriced home will sell in the first 14 days, and we are in the middle of summer, so the conclusion is that many homes are way overpriced. In Aptos, we have 36 Active listings and an Average 43 Days on Market. The Average List Price in Aptos is $2,241,254 and the Median List Price is $1,862,500. The Median Sales Price in Aptos for the past 30 days is $1,700,000; Prices are going to come down.

ACTIVE LISTINGS

120 Debernardo is the High list at $5,699,000. This property has been for sale for about 10 years with at least 10 different agents. Low list is 626 Bonita, a 2 bed, 1 bath, 1056 SF home in the SCC Affordable Housing Program, listed for $556,255. Listings around the Median List Price include: 7215 Mesa –3/2/2124SF, asking $1,899,000, 4 DOM, 144 Victoria Lane - 4/2.5/2751SF, asking $1,895,000, 24 DOM, 204 Highland – 4/2/1629, asking $1,839,000, 43 DOM, 762 Estates – 3/2/2094, asking $1,799,000, 80 DOM.

SOLD PAST 30 DAYS

25 homes sold. High sale is 960 Via Malibu, $3,500,000. Low sale is 3182 N. Polo, $835,000 for a 2 bed, 1 bath, 864SF home. I represented the Buyers on 201 Augusta which sold for $1,526,000, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1698SF single-level home. Four condos/townhomes sold – 291 Marlin Court - $850,000 – 3/1.5/1234, 2619 Willowbrook #92 - $806,000, 3/2/1433SF, 2603 Willowbrook #20 - $802,500, 3/2/1398SF, 439 Sailfish$775,629 – 2/1/844SF.

HISTORICAL PRICES

Zillow tracks Average Sales Price for Aptos as: Jan 2017 - $864K, Jan 2018 - $916K, Jan 2019 - $963K, Jan 2020 - $940K, Jan 2021 - $1085K, Jan 2022 - $1318K, peaking at $1492K in June 2022, and declining since then to $1360K as of June 2023. This still represents a 57% increase in value in just over 5 years.

Call, email, text anytime and Get Results With Ruth!

Rick Kepler in Maui: How to Help

By Jondi Gumz

Rick Kepler, the former tennis director at Seascape Sports Club in Aptos and Aptos High tennis coach who relocated to Maui in 2011, is a Coldwell Banker real estate agent in Wailea, Maui, 28 miles southeast of Lahaina, where wildfires have claimed 106 lives and caused $5.5 billion in damages.

Asked about his situation in Maui, he told the Aptos Times via email, “All my friends are there and my Dad is there too.”

He is with Coldwell Banker Island Properties, where agents, staff, and community members have been affected by the fires on Maui.

Broker Steve Baker of Coldwell Banker Island Properties sent out an update with hashtag #MauiStrong on what the company is doing and how people can help.

Coldwell Banker Island Properties closed offices in Paia and Kapalua, kept open locations at Kukui and Wailea, collected donations to help, and called for a pause on open houses for 30 days.

During this time, the company calls for agents to connect with clients and the community and support Maui relief efforts.

In Wailea, the marketing team is designing materials to educate the public about relief efforts. Possibly this office could become a donation point.

Office operations on the Big Island, Kauai and Oahu will continue as usual, with transactions expected to remain on schedule.

“Mahalo for your support and patience of those on Maui,” Baker wrote.

However, for West Maui and Kul, real estate is in limbo.

Coldwell Banker Island Properties has been told that no homeowner insurance policies can be written. People with an active escrow on Maui are advised to tell their buyers to contact their lender

for guidance. Some areas may require an additional inspection to confirm the property is habitable.

Baker pointed out, “Tragically, disasters often attract opportunists. We’ve received reports of scammers and realtors from the mainland reaching out to those affected by the fires. Please stay alert and guide clients to be cautious, reporting any suspicious activities.”

•••

How to Help

For details, see: blog.islandproperties. com/support-for-maui-how-you-can-assistour-local-communities-in-need

Coldwell Banker Island Properties suggests making donations to Maui Food Bank, Hawi’i Community Foundation, or Maui United Way.

• mauifoodbank.org

• www.hawaiicommunityfoundation. org/maui-strong

• mauiunitedway.org

All have a long-standing presence within the Maui community.

GoFundMe has created a list of verified fundraisers for Lahaina and

Red Cross Aids Maui after Wildfires

By Jondi Gumz

The American Red Cross is in Hawaii, working to help those affected by wildfires that damaged or destroyed 2,200 structures, 80% residential, and great loss of life in the western Maui town of

Lahaina. The downtown commercial area in the town of 13,000 is gone.

On Wednesday, the death toll was 106, with 1,300 people unaccounted for.

“Red Cross” page 16

Upcountry victims and families on their Maui hub page: www.gofundme.com/c/ act/wildfire-relief/maui

Community organizers have created a document at Google Docs with links to hundreds of fundraisers directly contributing to individual family needs at tinyurl. com/Help-Maui-List.

For those who need housing, the Realtors® Association of Maui and Hawaii Island Realtors® are working to connect people with homes in Hawaii who have been displaced by the fires. n

See: mauikokua.com/housing/ n

Twin Lakes Church: Our Hearts With

Twin Lakes Church in Aptos is helping people in Maui.

Here is the post:

“As you probably have seen on the news, the island of Maui and the island of Hawaii have had a number of fires

Maui

breakout. The worst has been the fires in Lahaina, Maui that destroyed most of the town. We are working with Hope Chapel in Kihei, Maui.”

“Twin Lakes” page 14

Rick Kepler

Photo Courtesy of FEMA

On Aug. 16, President Biden authorized the federal cost share for debris removal for the Aug. 8 Maui wildfire to

Photo Courtesy of FEMA The first of 32 generators arrive at the FEMA staging area to support the ongoing response and recovery to the Maui wildfires.

MVCS’ New Tennis Coach: Haley Loredo

Monte Vista Christian School introduces Haley Loredo as the new head girls’ varsity tennis coach. Here is the announcement: With a lifelong dedication to tennis, Haley’s passion for the sport shines through her impressive playing and coaching background.

Haley’s own journey in high school tennis began at Aptos High School, where she played varsity tennis for all four years. During her high school career, she earned several titles, including the CCS singles championship in 2011 and the Doubles League championship in 2012.

She then took her talents to the next level, playing collegiately at Cal Poly, a NCAA Division I school.

Haley is no stranger to tennis, as her parents own Seascape Sports Club and she has been around the game her entire life. After competing at the collegiate level, she spent many summers coaching higher-level tennis as well as a hitting partner for a number of young junior players who were preparing for the collegiate level. Over the years, Haley has had the privilege of coaching a number of sports, but tennis has been her favorite.

Matt Coleman, director of athletics at MVCS, shares his excitement: “Haley brings energy, enthusiasm, and invaluable experience to lead our girls’ tennis program to the next level. Her unique ability to teach and motivate players of all levels is a true asset. Whether it’s someone new to the sport or an aspiring collegiate player, Haley’s goal is to make tennis enjoyable, interactive, and challenging. She strives

to inspire her players to transcend their perceived limits and continue progressing.”

Coach Loredo shares her vision for the team: “I am committed to nurturing not just exceptional players but also resilient, passionate individuals. I look forward to the countless victories we’ll achieve, both on and off the court. Go Mustangs!” n

•••

Tennis tryouts took place August 7-8 and August 9-10.

Monte Vista Christian School New Head Tennis Coach Haley Loredo

Gene Castillo of Lahaina Asks for Help

Photographer Howard Boots McGhee posted on Facebook a photo showing the wildfire’s destruction in Lahaina: A line of burnt-up cars next to the waterfront.

McGhee is in Seacliff but Ted King, who lost his house in Wahikali and his business, Pacific Jet Sports, in Lahaina, has posted photos on Facebook of the destruction.

McGhee shared posts from the Maui tourism agency Maui Hawaii asking visitors who had planned trips to postpone but not cancel the trip. The reason is Maui business will need support and the majority of the island is still great to visit. Hotel rooms are being cleared to provide space for displaced Lahaina residents.

Owners of AirBnBs and VRBOs are

“Twin Lakes” from page 12

Pastor Rene Schlaepfer knows their senior pastor very well and he has preached there often. The church has already sent $15,000 initially to help with fire relief.

Here’s an excerpt from an email from Hope Chapel with some details:

“Our church body has mobilized to meet the tremendous need here on Mauithank you for being with us as we are the hands and feet of Jesus right now.

“We are holding onto the words of the Apostle Paul, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

“The devastation in Lahaina is so tragic and hard to comprehend. The casualty numbers are increasing as search teams continue their work, and we grieve for those in our community who are learning that they have lost loved ones. We know many who have lost their homes and businesses. We are so grateful for all of our firefighters and emergency responders. The stories that are coming out are heartbreaking — we have a long road of physical, emotional, and spiritual care ahead of us. It will take years to rebuild physically, and much longer to care for the souls of all those affected.

“The outpouring of love and help these past few days has been incredible:

• We’ve sent many truckloads of donations over to Lahaina, as well as donations on boats, and we’re continuing to get more to Lahaina every day

• Our Kokua fund is set up for those in the community who need it most — immediate needs of supplies and money for groceries are being given out daily

• Hope Chapel Kids Ministry is going into

asked to give people refunds, let them change the date of their visit and keep their homes open to the thousands in shelters.

“Castillo” page 16

shelters to set up craft tables and activities for children, and backpacks of school supplies are being packed and given out

• Teams are forming to visit shelters to give Bibles, pray, and counsel people who have been displaced

• Countless members are housing those who’ve been displaced

• We’re partnering with our local missions to help them do the work to minister to those in need

“Maui Rescue Mission has a shower unit and resources to help the homeless community that has now increased by the thousands.

“Vertical Sports, our sports ministry, is sending teams to spend time with the kids and youth at the shelters and run sports activities on site.

“Village of Hope ministers to foster kids. We are working with them to fill backpacks with essential items, toys and a Bible, to give to all the children and youth that have lost everything.

“We’re a Maui Food Bank collection center, ready to distribute food, and also partner with Feed My Sheep to distribute food and fresh produce.”

Here’s a link to a 5-minute interview Pastor Rene did with Pastor Ben Pragnell: https://youtu.be/BI6lvt-bRzk

If you would like to give, see https:// www.tlc.org/relief/ n

Pastor Rene Schlaepfer (right) interviews Maui Pastor Ben Pragnell.

Lahaina homeowner and business owner Gene Rey Castillo with his wife who is pregnant and his daughter who is 8.

“Red Cross” from page 12

Red Cross disaster workers have opened shelters across Maui to provide refuge for thousands of residents and tourists displaced by wildfires that began Aug. 8 and were made more destructive by winds from Hurricane Dora. A video by Shane Treu shows a wooden power pole snapping, falling an igniting dry grass.

As of Aug 11, about 240 Red Crossers from Hawaii and across the U.S. are either preparing to leave, en route, or on the ground supporting those affected; 15 responders are from the Northern California Coastal Region, and more local volunteers remain on standby.

“My heart and soul are with the people of Maui. The unimaginable devastation tallied in lives, and property is beyond horrific,” said Megan Erk, a long-time Red Cross volunteer from Santa Cruz County and board member of the Central Coast Chapter, whose family lived in Lahaina part-time for many years.

“My family has deep connections with West Maui,” she said. “The waters off Maui were where our son Aleks learned to swim, and snorkel. The historic church in Lahaina where Aleks and thousands of other keiki (children) first danced the hula has been reduced to ashes. Everything is just gone.”

On this deployment, she has been tapped as assistant director of external relations.

“She added, “Please know that the entire team working on this response will lean in with everything we have to fulfill the mission of the American Red Cross. It is what we do, and who we are.”

Working with officials and disaster partners, Red Cross teams are providing evacuees with a safe place to stay, food to eat and emotional support. More help is on the way as disaster teams deploy from the other Hawaiian Islands and across the country.

“We’re doing what we do best: helping people in their time of need,” said Hanna Malak, CEO of the Northern California Coastal Region of the Red Cross. The death toll is expected to climb.

“Castillo” from page 14

Show that you have Aloha. As for hotels that aren’t giving refunds and not housing the displaced, Maui Hawaii suggests, “Give them hell! Most of these mega-resorts are owned by giant mainland corporations and they don’t feel the Aloha quite the same way we do.”

McGhee also reposted about GoFundMe drives to help individual residents.

“This is our friend Gene, that we personally know,” posted Kelly Saldavia Luizzi.

Here is his story:

“Aloha, my name is Gene Rey Castillo my family has lost our home and business in Lahaina, Maui we were not able to grab

As

The Los Angeles Times reported: “Records indicate that neither the state nor the county activated sirens ahead of the fire, though other systems were used, including messages broadcast to television stations, radios and cellphones. But with the power out and communications systems down, many residents reported receiving no alerts.”

Hawaii Emergency Management Agency spokesman Adam Weintraub told NPR that the siren system was not activated, but he did not explain why.

He emphasized that alerts were sent to cellphones and to TV and radio stations. On Twitter, some said the government prevented people from provided supplies to those in need because they were not FEMA-approved. People stood in long lines to get orange placards allowing them to drive. An officer announced with a loudspeaker that the placards were discontinued, and he didn’t know why.

Some compared $700 per household FEMA offered to Maui residents, about $1.9 million, to the $100 billion in aid the U.S. has sent to Ukraine to defend against the Russian invasion.

President Biden, who declared a national disaster on Aug. 10, is to visit on Aug. 21. n •••

How to Help

Make a donation: Financial donations are the quickest and best way to help those who need it most. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-REDCROSS (800-733-2767), or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

too much belongings as our neighborhood was severely burning. We are just asking if anyone would be willing to donate to help us with something little enough to continue to provide for my 8 year old daughter and my wife who is 4 months pregnant. I am self employed who ran a business under Lahaina Underground, my shop did not make it and my business was my only source of income. Please help my family. Anything helps. Thank you again and continue to pray for us and family’s in Lahaina.”

He is hoping to raise $20,000. So far, 199 people have contributed. n

•••

To help, go to https://gofund.me/b42b441c.

Photo Courtesy of FEMA

of Aug. 16, FEMA provided $2.3 million to 1,330+ Maui households, including $800,000 in initial rental assistance. FEMA asks survivors to register for aid; call 800-621-3362.

Cabrillo College: No Name Change Yet

By Jondi Gumz

Aptos College was the top choice of 1,300 votes cast in an online survey to rename Cabrillo College and no longer honor explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who became wealthy in the New World due to indigenous slave labor.

On Aug. 7, after hearing three hours of impassioned testimony pro and con, Cabrillo College trustees voted 6-2 to defer a decision until Nov. 6 on the name change proposed by faculty three years ago, with plans to “better assess and engage the wider community on a naming timeline and process that unifies rather than divides the greater college community.”

Voting in favor: Christina Cuevas, Dan Rothwell, Rachael Spencer, Adam Spickler, Martha Vega, and Donna Ziel.

Voting no: Stephen Trujillo and student trustee Yefry Mata, who introduced himself as a formerly incarcerated student.

Trujillo, who ran three years ago on a platform of change, said change was overdue. He said he researched Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo 31 years ago and found

Learn from History Cabrillo College Alumnus

John Marinovich of Aptos

Havingbeen a longtime supporter and alumni of Cabrillo Community College, I am opposed to the name change.

The Board of Trustees and the subcommittee have taken it upon themselves to produce a new name to our beloved community college. This was based on a request from a few, and does not reflect the views of the community and alumni overall.

Juan Cabrillo was an explorer who charted the coast of California in the 16th century. He was also was a slave owner and subjugated indigenous people and tribes. This is known and documented history. The Trustees and subcommittee want the name changed because of this.

I believe that the Cabrillo name should stay. Learn the history of Cabrillo and his contributions, the good and bad.

“Marinovich” page 23

he “committed unspeakable horrors, including spreading syphillis.

He wanted to move forward but none of the others gave a second to his motion.

The vote to delay confirmed a 24-member community task force recommendation to delay due to lack of a scientific poll, lack of student voices, lack of funds to pay for name change expenses, and potential loss of donations and impact on future bond issues.

In 2020, a $274 million bond measure for technology upgrades, infrastructure and accessibility got 53% yes, short of the 55% needed to pass.

Some donors have threatened to withhold their financial contributions if the name is changed.

“Name Change” page 23

Focus on High School Seniors

Cabrillo College Student Andrew Morrissey

lived so far, my entire life, in the Aptos area, having gone from Rio del Mar Elementary, to Aptos Jr. High, then Aptos High, and now Cabrillo College.

I view the name change as a sad representation of where my college is putting its efforts towards.

This name change is an indictment that the trustees are out-of-touch with the real problems facing students on the campus.

The burden for many students who study, and work is overwhelming, causing high class attrition rates and many students spending 4, 5, and even 6+ years at a community college; it is appalling that not only our college trustees, but also the upper echelons of our community, choose to fight some senseless crusade at the expense of community foundational support for Cabrillo students.

“Morrissey” page 24

Chris Davis Andrew Morresy

John Govsky

Construction on Sgt. Gutzwiller Memorial Moves Forward

By Kieran Kelly

Aptos residents might have noticed some big changes are underway at Willowbrook County Park. After a delayed start due to this past winter’s storms, construction workers installed a new flagpole, flowers, and plaques at the park’s southern entrance.

However, the major work will begin later this month as crews begin construction of a circular memorial bench area in a serene corner of the park surrounded by trees. The project is a touching tribute to Santa Cruz County Sheriff Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, who was killed in the line of duty on June 6, 2020, leaving behind his wife and two young children.

A Santa Cruz County native, Damon owned his first home in the Willowbrook neighborhood and could often be found at the park playing with his beloved dog, Shasta. His friends and family thought Willowbrook Park would be a fitting place to remember him.

“I’m pleased to see the progress on the memorial for our beloved coworker, Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller. It will be a beautiful place to honor his memory,” said Chief Deputy Jacob Ainsworth.

The memorial bench area will be

constructed out of granite boulders and concrete benches and will feature the engraved footprints of Damon alongside those of his children and wife.

The Santa Cruz County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association and County Park Friends raised most of the funds for the memorial from local residents and businesses.

“This is an inspiring example of the generosity of the Aptos community. So many people came forward ready to support this tribute to Damon,” said County Supervisor Zach Friend.

Crews will also start the demolition of the park’s old playground this month to make way for a new modern playground with rubberized surfacing. The new playground should be completed later this year.

“It is heartening to see the next phase of the Willowbrook Park renovation moving forward,” said Tricia WiltshirePotts, county parks commissioner for Aptos. “The memorial is a beautiful way to honor Sgt. Gutzwiller, and the new playground will provide hours of enjoyment for our community’s children.” n •••

Photo Credit: Rebecca Hurley

Rio Del Mar Walkway Closed Off

People who are used to strolling along Beach Drive in Rio Del Mar to enjoy the ocean views found the way from the 202 to 300 stretch blocked by heavy red construction barriers.

The property owners — part of the Rio del Mar Beach Island Homeowners’ Association — say the walkway is their property.

The County of Santa Cruz disagrees but Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Tim Volkman decided last year that the property owners can put up temporary fencing blocking public access.

The California Coastal Commission may take up the issue. n

Aptos History Museum Needs a New Home

By John Hibble

Editor’s note: The building at 7605 Old Dominion Court where the Aptos Chamber and Aptos History Museum has been located for 29 years has been on the market for two years and has finally sold. The Chamber and Museum must move by Oct. 10.

•••

Aptos is an amazing place today, and it has an amazing past. These great stories come alive at the Aptos History Museum.

Back in the day, in the 1950s and ‘60s, Aptos had a historical society. Members met monthly at the Bay View Hotel for lunch. They called their group “Le Club Rafael,” (after Rafael Castro,) and they had their own cups, saucers, plates, and ash trays with logos. We have a cup, saucer, and ash tray in the museum collection thanks to Karl Mertz of the Mangels family. Members of pioneer families reminisced about the past and sent out newsletters to members. Vincent Leonard, who grew up in Aptos, wrote history stories in the local newspapers. And then, Vincent Leonard retired to Calistoga and “Le Club Rafael”

faded away. Historian Carolyn Swift visited him to retrieve his historic collection of Aptos photographs.

The rich history of our community has always been subject to the ebb and

flow of the stewards who carry that history with them. That is why the Aptos History Museum has become so important. For the first time, there is a place to preserve the stories, photographs, and artifacts locally.

The museum began as a community service of the Aptos Chamber of Commerce.

About 1985, Bob Bailey, the father of Robert and Paul Bailey, had a real estate office in Redwood Village and so did the Aptos Chamber. One of Bob’s clients was moving away and gave Bob a great old photograph of the Aptos railroad station. Bob gave that photograph to my wife Karen and me, and we put it up on the wall in our Redwood Village office. The photograph drew much attention from visitors and locals. Soon people were offering us more historic photographs and items of historical significance and the museum grew from that original donation.

We went to a very entertaining presentation on Aptos history by Sandy Lydon, one of the leading experts on the history of Santa Cruz County, also known as “The History Dude,” who, at that time, was the history professor at Cabrillo College. Sandy is great at making history fun and interesting.

“Aptos History” page 25

Come see the new Style Line black vinyl window on display

New in Aptos

Rachael Cartright, holding the golden scissors, welcomes the Aptos Chamber of Commerce to her art studio for kids, Drawn2Art, which is new in the Rancho Del Mar shopping center, 19C Rancho Del Mar.

Cartright, daughter of founders Ed and Sher Warren, plans a grand opening with games, prizes and a chance to win free classes (painting/ drawing) 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26. Information: 831-661-5652. n

Soquel Drive Buffered Bike Lane Project Begins

On Aug. 10, the Santa Cruz County Department of Community Development & Infrastructure announced that construction will begin for the long-awaited Soquel Drive Buffered Bike Lane and Congestion Mitigation Project.

The contractor is Monterey Peninsula Engineering, with Ivan Khoshnevis as resident engineer.

The project includes resurfacing, new striping and building 2.7 miles of buffered and 2.4 miles of protected bike lanes on each side of the street.

By Cabrillo College, street parking will be removed to make way for bike lanes.

In addition, 22 intersections will be

upgraded for priority for the Santa Cruz Metro #71 bus route. Sidewalk gaps will be closed, 10 pedestrian crossings will get flashing safety beacons, and 100 ADA ramps will be upgraded to current standards.

“Bike Lane Project” page 26

Photo Credit Brooke Valentine

Update: SB 14 Sex Trafficking of a Minor

By Jondi Gumz

Why did all six Democrats on the Assembly Public Safety Committee initially decline to advance SB14?

That’s the bill to make sex trafficking of a minor a serious crime that would count toward “three strikes.”

Currently it is not.

Republicans Juan Alanis and Tom Lackey were in favor but all six Democrats declined to advance the bill until -- with the leadership of Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Salinas, they changed their votes to keep the bill alive.

Ron Weitzer, professor emeritus at George Washington University and research associate at UC Santa Cruz, urged Aptos Times to contact the Democrats on the committee to explain their action.

He wrote: “Any reader of this (Aug. 1) article will ask, “Why?” “What’s wrong with the Democrats who have blocked the bill?”

If the author had taken the time to contact Democrats, I am sure they would have explained their actions to date.”

The Democrats on the Public Safety Committee are: Reginald Sawyer-Jones, Mia Bonta, Isaac Bryan, Liz Ortega, Miguel Santiago, Rick Chavez Zbur.

“Marinovich” from page 17

Do we eliminate Washington’s and Jefferson’s names from every school and structure? What about the colonizers who conquered what is now the United States of America? Manifest destiny? Our ancestors spread disease, raped, killed and stole the land of the First Nation Indians.

“Name Change” from page 17

The name change exploration process was led by a board task force: Christina Cuevas, Adam Spickler and the student trustee at the time.

The meeting room at the Horticulture Center was full of faculty members, staff, alumni and a few students while 105 people watched via Zoom.

And 162 people had emailed comments.

There were no microphones for speakers or trustees, so it was difficult for the audience to hear.

Board president Adam Spickler called out the names of speakers but their names could not always be heard.

Aptos Times called each office early in August to find out who would field a query on SB 14, with hopes of providing an update the Aug. 16 issue.

An email query was sent to these individuals before the summer break.

Of the six, Aptos Times heard back from one staffer, Vienna Montague, Communications Director for Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur.

Montague emailed: “Thank you for reaching out to our office. Unfortunately, Assemblymember Zbur is on vacation this week to spend some much-needed time with his family and is not taking any press requests until Monday, August 14. We do appreciate you reaching out to us, and please feel free to contact us in the future for any other requests you may have.”

In response to Aptos Times, Montague emailed: “I’ll go ahead and get this request in front of him next week and see if he has time before the final rush to get the bills out.”

On Aug. 15, Montague emailed, “Checking back in with you. Assemblymember Zbur is unable to make time for your request. Thank you so much for reaching out.”

On Aug. 4, ABC 7 San Francisco

You do not whitewash history. It is there to be read and analyzed, the good and the bad. Learn from it, don’t ignore it.

Cabrillo College is facing many challenges, including decreased enrollment, scaled back curriculum and financial challenges. There are more important issues than changing the name.

The Trustees actions do not represent

Spickler said the microphones didn’t work while Zoom was running.

Of the emails, Spickler said 60% were opposed, and 38% in favor of a name change.

Of those in the room who spoke, 13 were opposed or wanted a countywide vote and 29 supported the name change.

Spickler said this added up to 54% opposed and 45% in favor.

‘Aptos’ Most Popular

Asked about the result of the online survey, Spickler revealed Aptos was the most popular choice of the five finalists unveiled June 28, adding that in community forums, attendees switched from Aptos to other names as a favorite.

“I’m not sure about the results,” Spickler said.

reported that the FBI, along with Bay Area county district attorneys announced a human trafficking bust that rescued 200 victims, including 59 minors.

“Operation Cross Country, a nationwide effort to combat human trafficking, resulted in the identification or arrest of more than five dozen suspected human traffickers and more than 100 individuals accused of child sexual exploitation. Seventeen individual operations were recently conducted over a two-week period. Locally, agents arrested nine offenders. Three Bay Area juvenile victims were recovered and another was identified.

“… The FBI says the operation successfully rescued a total of 200 victims of human trafficking and located 59 minor victims of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation.

“Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton says California consistently leads all other states in reports of human trafficking to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, accounting for 13% of all reports in the last year.”

In California airports, travelers see signs asking them to report suspicious activity.On Aug. 16, the author of SB 14, Sen. Shannon

the community (taxpayers) as a whole, and certainly not the alumni of Cabrillo. This is an ill-advised undertaking that should be shelved.

Our community appreciates Cabrillo College. I for one use Cabrillo’s facilities 3-4 times a week. I had a great experience at Cabrillo Community College and it allowed me to further my education at UCLA. It is a huge asset to our community.

Dan Rothwell, retired after 47 years on the Cabrillo faculty, made the motion to defer, saying there is a faulty “perception that we are trying to ram this through.”

He added, “I’m very concerned ... we don’t have the money to pay for the name change. We need to concentrate on that.”

The name change expenses are estimated at $250,000 to $500,000. Cabrillo President Matthew Wetstein has promised that will not come out of the college budget.

Steve Trujillo noted Aptos means “the people” for the Amah Mutsun, the indigenous people who lived along Monterey Bay before the European explorers and the Catholic padres arrived.

“An excellent choice,” he said.

Martha Vega, who was appointed this

Grove, R-Bakersfield, announced the bill was moved to the Assembly Appropriations Committee’s suspense file.

The Appropriations suspense file is a procedure where a bill with a fiscal impact of more than $150,000 is held by the committee chair while considerations are made if it should be passed or retained based on the cost. The bill will remain on the suspense file until a hearing on Sept. 1.

Assembly member Chris Holden, D-Pasadena, is the chair.

“As the Appropriations Committee is evaluating the cost of incarcerating traffickers, I hope they will also take into account the basic services associated with the life-long rehabilitation of victims and survivors of this brutal crime,” Grove said, noting 22 arrests for trafficking during a sweep in Kern County. “There is no price tag that can be placed on a victim of human trafficking, especially a child.”

She said the bipartisan measure is coauthored by 60 members of the Legislature, including 46 Assemblymembers. n •••

As the Democrats explain their positions, Aptos Times will provide the explanations to our readers.

I appreciate the history of Cabrillo, both the good and bad.

I appreciate the history of Aptos, its indigenous people and tribes. This area has a rich and fascinating history of ethnic people. Keep the name Cabrillo. Cabrillo Community College is a respected educational institution and a valued part of our community. Don’t erase history, learn from it. n

year to represent Watsonville, did not vote on the motion three years ago to study the name change.

A teacher, she found it difficult to squeeze out time to listen to task force discussions from noon to 1 p.m. online.

She said some of her constituents oppose the name change, some support it and some want it to go on the ballot.

“We need to include all cultures,” she said.

Rachael Spencer said, “The process did not engage the community... You do not change people’s minds by being bullied.”

Christina Cuevas said, “We want time to explore it more.”

Spickler wanted to “better engage the wider stakeholder community.” n

Should They Allow Phone Calls on Planes?

By Christopher Elliott

Is it time to allow phone calls on planes?

European regulators think so. This summer, the EU quietly cleared in-flight cell phones for takeoff, saying that allowing cell phones on planes would allow for more technological innovation. The EU designated certain frequencies for in-flight 5G technology, which would allow airlines to create an in-flight network capable of handling phone calls.

“The sky is no longer the limit when it comes to possibilities offered by super-fast, high-capacity connectivity,” noted Thierry Breton, the EU’s commissioner for the internal market.

But most American air travelers still strongly oppose the use of cell phones on a flight, arguing that they don’t want to be in a confined space with someone making a call. A minority of passengers say having a conversation is harmless and that the ban is preventing them from getting important work done on the plane.

I’ll tell you who’s right in just a minute.

Totally Against

“I am totally against phone calls on planes,” says Stephanie Wolkin, a retired educational worker from White Bear Lake, Minn.

She says people talk too much on planes already, and they are “loud and obnoxious.”

“Can you imagine the cacophony?” she asks.

Allowing phones might also be unsafe, passengers worry.

“If the phone call policy was liberalized, I think it might make it difficult to hear important safety announcements,” says Susan Sherren, founder of Couture Trips, a travel agency. “Planes are confined spaces, and airlines should protect those spaces and keep them free from phone calls.”

Some etiquette experts agree that phones should not be permitted on planes.

“Oh, for the love of Pete!” says Jodi RR Smith, an etiquette consultant. “Please do not encourage passengers to make calls on planes.”

“Morrissey” from page 17

Cabrillo College has an excellent reputation among the community at large (a reputation I wholeheartedly agree with), however, it has a horrible reputation among young individuals, especially high school seniors.

Air travel is is stressful enough, she adds. “To have people engaged in extended conversations onboard would be torturous.”

So, to sum up the arguments against making voice calls on planes, it’s potentially unsafe and definitely annoying. Mostly annoying. So it shouldn’t be allowed. Some in Favor

For other passengers, and especially business travelers, the cell phone ban is silly. You can already make internet calls as long as you’re connected to the in-flight Wi-Fi network. Why not make it official?

“We put up with babies crying, nonstop conversation of passengers, and annoying seatmates who have to get up and go to the restroom constantly,” says Andy Abramson, a frequent traveler and a communications consultant from Las Vegas. “So I ask, ‘What’s the big deal?’”

He says many business travelers routinely ignore ban on in-flight calls. They simply log on to the plane’s Wi-Fi network and start talking.

“My phone has rung many times on a plane,” says Barry Graham, a sales manager based in Washington, D.C. “Which is really annoying when I know that I could be arrested for answering it.”

Graham says the in-flight ban doesn’t make sense to him because it prevents him from participating in all calls, including web conferences where he doesn’t even need to speak.

Practically speaking, the law against phone calls is almost never enforced. I couldn’t find any record of a passenger being arrested for making an illegal phone call. But you should mind what you say when you’re allowed to make a call. A few weeks ago in India, a man was arrested after discussing plans to hijack the plane before takeoff.

The pro-call passengers wonder how making phone calls became such a controversial topic. After all, you could make a call from a plane until 2013, when the last Airfones were decommissioned. What happened in the decade between?

This horrible reputation isn’t based on student nightmares about the name, it is based on the idea that Cabrillo College does not provide a meaningful opportunity for their higher education.

This name change affirms this reputation — that Cabrillo College and an obsessive community would rather focus

The likeliest answer: Airlines kept taking things away from passengers, including legroom, the ability to carry a bag on the plane, seat assignments. The one thing they haven’t removed yet is the peace and quiet at cruising altitude.

Bottom line: The pro-phone folks believe calls are safe and that banning them stands in the way of personal freedom and progress.

Who is Right?

The anti-call passengers make a valid point about unwanted noise. The cabin of an airliner can be chaotic and loud, so why add to the confusion?

But their main argument that it somehow makes a flight less safe doesn’t really fly. Swarun Kumar, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, says aviation safety experts are no longer concerned that wireless calls could interfere with cockpit equipment.

“In fact, using data when airborne is technically not a violation, and of course, plenty of travelers use in-flight Wi-Fi,” he adds.

I’m not aware of any evidence that in the Airfone days, the handsets distracted passengers from the in-flight safety announcements or somehow made flying less safe, either.

So maybe the time is right to consider allowing phone calls on domestic airlines, which EU regulators have already recognized. You can’t turn the cabin into a no-call zone in 2023. People need to communicate. But there’s a right way to do it.

Responsible Phone Calls

There are two key issues when it comes to in-flight phone calls. The first is, who gets to make a call, and when?

Airlines would have to communicate their policies clearly in advance. They would need to address issues like when calls are not allowed, such as during in-flight safety

their efforts on their own personal agenda than for the well-being of their students. I shouldn’t have to bike from work on a Monday evening to represent my fellow students and community, I shouldn’t have to bear a shield against fanatics, and I fear that my personal reputation will be tarred and feathered by fanatics.

announcements or during takeoff and landing. And they would need to enforce those rules, probably by disabling the network during those times.

More importantly, airline crew would need to brief passengers on proper phone manners, since this is a topic passengers have not been taught in school. It’s not OK to have a loud conversation in the middle of the night when your seatmate is trying to sleep, for example.

Issue number two: Where do we put the talkers? Nick Leighton, an etiquette expert, says airlines consider creating a quiet cabin where phone calls aren’t allowed, like Acela’s Quiet Car. I’m sure there’s an airline revenue manager or two out there imagining the extra fees that selling seats in a quiet cabin could generate.

“There are so many compelling and legitimate reasons to be reachable by phone at 35,000 feet that coming up with some sort of etiquette-approved solution is worthwhile,” he says.

We’re still a long way from being able to make legal phone calls from a plane in the United States. But it is time to start thinking about how we’ll handle voice calls when they become a reality.

It’s not a question of if it will happen, but when. n

•••

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org.

Yet in the end, somebody must stand and tell the trustees and their fervent bodyguards, that we next generation have little confidence in their ability to do their job in helping students achieve a higher education. This embarrassing crusade is merely proof to the community at large that this institution does not represent the broader interests of the student. n

“Aptos History” from page 21

Then we met Carolyn Swift, another amazing historian, born in Santa Cruz County and a former writer for the RegisterPajaronian and other publications. Carolyn was also the curator of the Capitola Museum. She shared, and continues to share, an amazing collection of photographs and stories about Aptos.

She has also helped correct some of the tall tales that showed up in some older newspaper articles. Some of those stories were embellished to make them more interesting, like gossip. That is why original research is the best way to pass on history stories.

I was invited to join the board of the Santa Cruz County Historical Trust from 1991 to 1994. During that time, I was able to collect lots of information and photographs from the Museum of Art and History. It was a great resource for our museum.

It was rumored that the old guest register from the Bay View hotel belonged to someone in the community and that Hawaiian King Kalakaua had stayed there. King David Kalakaua did come to Aptos to see Claus Spreckels, the sugar millionaire, but he did not stay at the Bay View Hotel. It turned out that the guest register in question was actually from Claus Spreckels’ famous Aptos Hotel (on Spreckels Drive), and that Karl Mertz of the Mangels family owned the register. After many years, Karl gifted that register to our museum collection along with many more incredible artifacts.

Next, we met Allen Collins who had meticulously researched and written the history of Rio Del Mar, initially in installments for the Rio Del Mar Improvement Association newsletter and later, in book form. This is our most accurate record of our history, and his book is available at the Aptos History Museum. Allen invited relatives of the Arano and Castro families to meet each other at the Bay View Hotel in 1994 which resulted in donations of the first photographs of Rafael and Soledad Castro and Joseph and Augustia Arano, the first Spanish/Mexican families of Aptos. When Allen passed away, he left all his research material to the museum.

Our growing collection was displayed at the Chamber of Commerce office in Redwood Village until 1994. When we moved the Aptos Chamber to its current location on Old Dominion Court, across from the Seacliff Inn, the collection continued to expand and was displayed within the new Chamber office, but most of the collection remained in storage. We began to host third grade school field trips on local history and soon we were too popular for the size of our office.

In 2005, additional office space in the building became available, and Karen decided that the Aptos History Museum deserved to

have its own larger facility and become a real museum. We appealed to the community, and an advisory committee was formed.

The new space was repainted and made ready. Linda Yamane, a Native American Ohlone descendent taught us how to make a tule boat for the museum. Nels Westman suspended it from the museum ceiling and installed the museum lighting system. Dick Garwood created new display cases and his wife Heidi created our graphic materials. Our now sizable collection was retrieved from storage and dusted off, and a crew of volunteers worked for many months to set up and organize the new museum.

The Aptos History Museum opened its expanded facility on May 24, 2006, and it has since garnered enthusiastic reviews and numerous citations of merit. Annually, it has hosted the Aptos public schools’ third grade classes for their “local history” field trips and education for residents, visitors, Realtors, and researchers.

The Museum Advisory Committee plans history events, walks and tours to help us get the stories out to the membership and the public. Bob Wall takes seniors from Aegis and Dominican Oaks on bus tours to historic locations. The committee wanted to produce a pictorial history book, so Kevin Newhouse volunteered. The book is part of Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series, simply titled “Aptos.” Copies are available at the Museum.

The museum has been created for, and by the community. Aptos is not an incorporated city, so the Aptos History Museum does not receive any funding by local governments. The Aptos History Museum has no paid staff. We are all volunteers.

The new Aptos Library is under construction and is currently expected to open in October. During the design phase, our County Supervisor Zach Friend, asked that the History Museum be included as an integral part of the new library. This has resulted in a large display case in the main hallway of the library where the museum’s talented group of volunteers will be creating rotating displays of the museum’s collection to tell fascinating stories about the history of where we live. We have also lent the library our Ohlone tule canoe, a reproduction of John Montgomery’s glider wing, and an entry sign from the Rio Del Mar entrance gate.

Meanwhile, we have two months to find a new location and move all of our exhibits to a new space.

Most museums in the county that are not funded by cities or taxes have acquired their own buildings, and that is the direction we hope to take for our future. The Aptos History Museum is in the process of becoming a nonprofit educational organization separate from the Aptos Chamber, which will make us eligible for grant funding and will also benefit our donors. We are hoping to raise enough to acquire our own building for our future.

Eventually, we would love to be in Aptos Village or the original village which

is Aptos Village Square. The two oldest commercial buildings are in Aptos Village Square. The Arano general store and post office, built in 1867 by Joseph Arano who later built the Bay View Hotel, and the David Rice house/hotel, built in 1874. Both buildings were built on Aptos Wharf Road, which connected to Rafael Castro’s wharf. After the railroad arrived in 1876, the town of Aptos moved across Aptos Creek to the east so that it would become the center of the lumber industry up Aptos and Valencia Creeks.

The Arano General Store and the Rice House are being acquired by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission so that the recreational trail alongside the rail line, can be constructed on a portion of the rear of these properties. The Rice house was in the middle of a remodel when it was purchased. That building is a possible future home for the museum.

In the meantime, we need a home in a hurry.

Please help! Call (831) 688-1467 or see aptoshistory.org for information. If you are not a member, please join. n

Back to School

57. Venus de Milo’s are missing

59. *Plural of #51 Down

60. Comments from prompt box

61. Do like Ella Fitzgerald

62. *PE in school

63. Make a choice

64. Piece of cake DOWN

1. Actress Ryan

2. Larry David’s “____ Your Enthusiasm”

3. Bizet’s “Habanera,” e.g.

4. Tabby’s mate

5. King with a golden touch

6. Rapidly

7. ____ up, to become more cheerful

8. Spring

9. Morays

10. Abdominal pain cause, acr.

12. Plunder

13. Dirty one

14. *One of 3 Rs in grade school

19. Genuflected

22. Letter-writing friend

23. *M in LMC, educationally speaking

24. Circular gasket

25. Big Dipper’s visible shape

Biblical gift-givers

Propelled

John Hibble Aptos Hotel guest register

August — the Rising of Sirius & the Light of Leo

In ancient Egypt (in August) the annual flooding of the Nile occurred as Sirius, the blue-white star left of Orion, became visible in the skies just before sunrise. This view of Sirius is called the “heliacal” (Greek, near the Sun; Helios mean “sun”) rising of Sirius, a flashing forth of the Light of Sirius at pre-dawn before the Sun appears. Rising before the Sun and over the dome of the sky, Sirius rising & the Nile’s floodwaters (helping grow foods for the year) appeared simultaneously.

The Pyramids (Temples of Initiation) were built to align with Sirius. A sculpture of Isis, aligned with the rising of Sirius, stood in the Egyptian temples. On her forehead a jewel was placed. As Sirius flashed forth in the pre-dawn sky, its light touched the jewel of Isis and it began to sparkle and glow. Soon the Nile would overflow. And the Egyptian new year began.

The days (heliacal rising, Sun and Sirius align) of Sirius (July 26 – August,) are called the Dog days (Sirius is located in the system Canis Major, Great Dog) of summer (hottest days in northern latitudes). During August, Sirius (via Regulus), Orion, Leo and the Sun

ARIES

It’s important to recognize what you know. It is a gift to be shared with others. You can be strong-willed, driven by self-confidence and authority. However, your fire soon burns out, your attention shifted elsewhere. It’s also important to acknowledge others’ beliefs and points of view, calling everyone to share their accomplishments. Then you become a true leader for others to learn from.

TAURUS

You remember many things about family and friends. Each memory has a message. Don’t allow other people’s beliefs, criticisms or behaviors deter you from your mission. Identify with your own thinking and intuition. It’s important to feel secure with the information you present to others. However, do not present ideas to those who will misuse it, appropriate it or test you with it. Maintain protection.

GEMINI

Your mind quickens with curiosity and creative expressions. Take a walk-about into neighborhoods. Interact with the five kingdoms. People will want to talk with you. Listen to what’s behind their words. Notice decision and indecision. It reflects the dual nature of our world. Careful with distractions and complete all tasks on time. Choose to do only what keeps your mind interested and focused. Initiate intelligent, heart-centered conversations. Don’t flutter about.

CANCER

It’s important to ponder deeply upon essential decisions needing to be made. You must have all the facts and be practical, while proceeding slowly. There’s value in taking your time, contemplating different and diverse choices. This allows for clear deliberation on final decisions. Determination colors your actions. You’re developing a greater level of concentration. Concentration is the first level of meditation (the Leo level).

align. A gate of great occult mystery opens when Sun, Leo, Sirius and Orion align. Potent light floods the Earth that cannot be extinguished. Sirius, the star of freedom, was behind the founding of the United States. Sirius thus oversees the evolution of the U.S. and its people. Sirius is where love originates, a love that flows through Leo, through the star Regulus (star of the Magician, Magi, Maga), into the heart of the Sun and the hearts of humanity. We are told when we make contact with Sirius, a divine love is released into our hearts. Christ, the World Teacher, who anchored love on Earth for the first time, is from Sirius. Upon completing our Earth (a mystery school for Initiations), journey, seven cosmic paths appear for us to choose from. One is the Path to Sirius (Path of Electric Fire). Sirius is a binary (two stars) star. Some say it is three stars. In Mali, West Africa, the Dogon tribe has known of Sirius A and its companion star Sirius B (Po Tolo, Seed of Creation). The Dogon’s source of information was the Nommo, amphibious beings from Sirius. Sirius B makes Sirius A glow and sparkle. Night Light News (our website), is named after Sirius B. n

LEO

Your voice is at times strong, serious, more practical. At other times it’s more spontaneous and filled with gladness. You might find yourself saying things you don’t mean or didn’t consider. Your tone may change, too. You wonder who is saying these things? Notice any inner arguments, a sense of competition, irritability, impatience and impulsiveness occurring. Concentration (Leo’s way of meditation) may seem impossible at this time, so you make quick decisions. All these observations help you get to the heart of yourself which is all that matters.

VIRGO

You’re able to communicate with angels, devas, inner teachers and many such unseen beings. Devas are the angelic builders living in nature. As you contact them and have conversations with them, new ideas begin to be impressed in your mind. Your intuition expands. The message is to use your imagination and visualization to create the world you seek to live in. Listen carefully to what others believe and value. Do they correspond with your values? Our minds change when we learn and listen and love more.

LIBRA

Your professional work, which is to be of service to humanity, becomes your Vesta lamp. This is a lamp lifted up in the darkness so others may see more clearly. Its light also fills you with confidence and well-being. You’ve worked hard, aspired, gained success and status, climbed every step of the ladder. You’ve been generous with knowledge, time and skills. You rule with order and ethics. You have pride in your work and the many life decisions made. It’s also essential to remember those who helped along the way. Always loving you.

SCORPIO

Scorpios are deeply aware of the underbelly (hidden realities) of life. This develops a keen awareness in Scorpio of sorrow and pain, death and betrayal, leading to trust and mistrust. You have a sense of ethics and justice for everyone. Your most important tasks are uncovering life’s mysteries and the truth of the matter. Then self-identity emerges. Knowing what you know, you could rule the world. You also know the dangers and the ability to destroy. Which we choose is the test of Scorpio.

SAGITTARIUS

In the past years, you’ve gained strength, expanded borders, extended horizons, projected yourself into new fields making yourself into a better human being. You often lead others through dramatic stories, explanations, long journeys. Your eyes are always on the prize (mountaintops ahead). Your search for and love of family, lineage and heritage have produced a true self-identity. Remain calm. When you overdo or overdramatize, consequences result. Don’t let your crown slip.

CAPRICORN

Your values, sense of tradition along with a willingness to explore new realities have always been sources of strength. As you share your values and resources with others, subtle changes occur in your perspective on life. Hidden gifts and talents come to the light. Remember anger, sadness, conflict and chaos offer us subtle messages. Learn to understand them. If overtired and overwhelmed, seek a respite and a refuge. Contemplate these things. Alone or with another.

AQUARIUS

Sometimes, in learning to understand relationships, we allow others to over rule our judgments and thus have more power. Eventually we become disheartened with this situation wondering what’s wrong. It’s not good for you to be in the shadows. You need freedom, truth, understanding, love and consistency. Then you begin to trust life and to settle down. It’s good when others recognize your leadership and special skills. You bring the future into the present life of humanity.

PISCES

What most do not realize is that Pisces is a leader. This leadership comes late in life. It’s governed by Pluto. Soon you sit at the helm, become the organizer, the achiever, the advisor of rules holding a time watch helping others become leaders, too. You swim through realities falling away, disappearing and appearing again. During Leo, place your entire heart into your work. Visualize and imagine, draw and paint, in detail, your perfect life which is a life of service. See the petals of your heart unfolding. Twelve petals.

“Bike Lane Project” from page 22

Traffic control with lane closures will be installed at various locations along Soquel Drive, from State Park Drive to the Soquel Ave/La Fonda Ave intersection. These activities will require lane closures at various locations between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Construction will continue through winter 2024.

The goals are to:

• Improve transit travel times

• Encourage bicycling, walking and the use of public transit

• Reduce emissions

• Reduce congestion for cars and trucks

• Improve access for emergency services

• Promote sustainable economic growth

• Improve access to housing, jobs, schools and healthcare

• Promote sustainable development and livable communities

The Department of Community Development & Infrastructure would like the motoring public to avoid this area if possible or be prepared for delays.

The schedule is subject to change due to weather or other unforeseen conditions. n

For info, visit: https://www.soqueldrive bufferedproject.com/ or https://cruz511.org/

Sharing Secrets & Finding Freedom

By Barry and Joyce Vissell

In 1977, Barry and I had the great fortune of having Ram Dass counsel and mentor us in person for over two years. He is the Harvard psychology professor who brought the teachings of his Indian guru to the United States.

His first book, Be Here Now, became a kind of bible to us, and was a world-wide sensation. Ram Dass went on to teach many thousands of people directly through his talks and also millions through his books. He was writing a book about his guru and moved to Soquel, a small town ten minutes from our home in Aptos.

He decided that, rather than isolate himself completely, he would choose six people who he would counsel and help over the several years he was writing his book.

Barry and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and he chose us. And we needed help to become humble and more grounded.

Ram Dass taught us many very important things, many of which we still use in our work 47 years later. Perhaps the most important is to accept and love ourselves completely and to not hide the darker sides of our being.

Everyone has something that they hide from others. They feel that if others knew their dark secrets, they would not like them. Therefore, it is easier to just show everyone the best part of themselves. He told us again and again that we must bring out these hidden parts and embrace and make friends with those parts of ourselves.

As we can love the parts we keep hidden, we become more authentic and powerful.

For 20 years, Barry and I worked in Europe leading workshops in Germany, Norway and Italy. In one of the training workshops in Germany, we asked everyone to share with a small group something they keep hidden and have difficulty loving.

An older man named Tom asked us to come us closer and sit with him as he shared. He was obviously very scared. He went on to share that he had a terrible secret, that to comfort himself he dressed in women’s clothing.

No one knew about this, except for his

wife who thankfully was very accepting. They raised two children together and these children never knew about this.

We gave him a lot of love and acceptance and then told him it would be good if he shared this with the whole group of about twenty people, who had been together as a training group for two years. Tom grew pale with fear.

But because he trusted us, he did open up. When he shared his shame, all of the people in the group were very accepting and loving.

This acceptance and love allowed Tom to more fully love himself and not live in shame for this part of himself.

The next year with the same group of people, we asked him to show us how he dresses in women’s clothes. His fear level was very great, but he excused himself and came back several minutes later wearing a woman’s flannel nightgown.

Most of the group imagined the outfit would be more sensual, but this is what brought comfort to him. He looked a bit like an old-fashioned grandma. Once again, the group was very accepting and loving towards him.

The act of soopenly sharing this secret with others brought great freedom to Tom. Over the following years that we saw him, he reported that as he loved himself more, he was able to love others more and was able to see beauty around him more fully.

He told his two grown children and they had great acceptance for him and they got even closer. The act of bringing forth his shame and feeling the acceptance of others was a very positive life change.

It takes great energy to hide a secret shame. It takes great energy to only show the positive side of yourself and be in fear that others might reject you if they knew what secret you had. As you bring this forth and feel love and acceptance for yourself, your whole life will change for the better.

I am currently counseling a woman who is gradually week by week sharing a secret she has held onto for 50 years. It was very difficult for her to first share with me, I am the first person to know her secret.

I have met everything she shares with me with the deepest love from my heart. It is an absolute privilege to hear her shame.

As she shares more, I find myself loving her more and more and seeing her beauty more clearly. She has shared

with me that since telling me of this secret shame, her work and love life have greatly improved.

There is great power in bringing forth the parts of ourselves that we keep hidden because of shame.

In the words of Ram Dass, “As you bring forth these hidden parts of you to love, they become part of your power.” We become more whole as we can love ourselves more fully.

I am suggesting this for all people, to find someone you can share something that you hold as shameful, something you have never told anyone. This could be a close friend, a partner or a therapist. Share with them this hidden shame.

You will find they will be able to accept you and love you and show no judgment. This act of sharing something you have kept secret will open you up to greater love and a more profound sense of freedom. n •••

Joyce & Barry Vissell, a nurse/therapist and psychiatrist couple since 1964, are counselors in Aptos who are passionate about conscious relationship and personal-spiritual growth. They are the authors of 9 books and a new free audio album of sacred songs and chants. Call 831-684-2130 for information on counseling sessions by phone, on-line, or in person, their books, recordings or their schedule of talks and workshops. Visit their web site at SharedHeart.org. Fly

Ram Dass

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

ANNOUNCEMENTS

APTOS HIGH CALENDAR

Back to School Night

Aptos Jr High: Aug. 31 • Aptos High: Sept. 6

More at Aptos High

Aug 30: 12th grade info night for families 6-7:30 pm, performing arts center

Sept 12: 10th and 11th grade info night, 6-7:30 pm, PAC

Sept 21: 9th grade info night, 6-7:30 pm, PAC

Upcoming Games

Aug. 21: Girls flag football starts!!! First game

Aug. 25: Girls Volleyball @ AHS (Marina); JV/Varsity Football Home vs Oakdale (1st home game)

Homecoming Events

Sept. 28: GVB @ AHS; Girls Flag Football @ AHS 6 pm with mini parade at halftime

Sept. 29: JV/Varsity FB 5/730 pm @ Aptos (Homecoming)

FAIR ENTRY DEADLINES

From LEGOs to livestock … poultry to poetry, it’s time to enter your animal, vegetable, hobby, invention, or collection into the 2023 Santa Cruz County Fair!

The complete Exhibitor’s Entry Guide is now available at santacruzcountyfair.com.

Or pick up a Guide at local libraries, feed stores, and the Fair office located on East Lake Avenue (Highway 152) in Watsonville.

Most online entry deadlines including livestock are Thursday, Aug. 24, but the poultry deadline is Aug. 5. Please check the Entry Guide to confirm the deadline. There are so many exciting divisions … AgHort, Amateur Wine, Fine Arts, Photography, Floriculture, Home Arts, and Innovation … to name a few! Call the Fair office with any questions 831-724-5671.

CALLING ALL ARTISTS

The Mid County Senior Center is looking for artists to be a part of the Craft Fair & Garden Harvest on Oct 7 at 829 Bay Ave., Capitola, behind Woodworm. Booths are $30. If you are interested in a booth, please email Cindy at MCSC4TREASURER@GMAIL.COM for an application.

SOROPTIMISTS AT SC SHAKESPEARE

Soroptimist International of Capitola-by-the-Sea will be renting cushions, beach chairs and blankets on cold nights at all 50 of the Santa Cruz Shakespeare shows in the Audrey Stanley Grove in Delaveaga Park, 501 Upper Park Road, Santa Cruz.

Potential members or others interested in learning more about the Club’s work and activities are invited to visit the rental booth and talk to a member.

Proceeds from the booth are the Club’s major fund-raiser and a portion is shared with Santa Cruz Shakespeare. For information, see www.best4women.org, This year’s season: The Book of Will, Taming of the Shrew, and King Lear.

The shows run through Aug. 27.

For the schedule, see www.santacruzshakepeare.org

STUDENT LOAN UPDATE

Starting September 1, 2023, interest on federal student loans will once again begin accruing after the Covid-19 pause ends. Payments on those loans will resume in October.

The new Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE Plan, will cut down the amount borrowers have to make on monthly payments by half — to just 5% of their disposable income, down from 10%. This new SAVE plan will replace the existing Revised Pay As

You Earn, or REPAYE, plan and “will go into effect this summer,” according to the U.S. Department of Education’s website.

Go to studentaid.gov to update your contact information so you won’t miss billing statements.

To find out your loan servicer, visit your account dashboard at studentaid.gov and scroll down to the “My Loan Servicers” section.

You might look into opening a high-yield savings account with no monthly fees or minimum deposits to make your payments.

FEMA EXTENDS DEADLINE TO SIGN UP

Renters and homeowners in 14 counties including Santa Cruz and Monterey impacted by the February and March storms and flooding now have until Sept. 1 to sign up for federal disaster assistance.

President Biden declared the federal disaster April 3. It covers damage caused by severe winter storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides and mudslides between Feb. 21 and July 10.

FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program may provide disaster assistance for eligible costs of home repairs, rental assistance for temporary housing, essential personal property, disaster-related medical and dental care, funeral expenses, transportation and childcare. There are three ways to apply for FEMA: Online at DisasterAssistance.gov, the FEMA mobile app or by calling FEMA at 800-621-3362. Helpline operators are available from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Press 2 for Spanish. Press 3 for an interpreter who speaks your language. If FEMA refers you to SBA, you must apply with SBA before you can be considered for certain FEMA grant money, such as reimbursement for damaged personal property, transportation assistance and Group Flood Insurance Policy. Residents are not obligated to take out a loan if they are approved, but a failure to return the application may disqualify them from possible FEMA assistance.

MONTEREY BAY ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP EVENTS

Thursday, Aug. 24, 5-7 p.m. — Monterey Bay Economic Partnership Board and Community Mixer (MBEP headquarters, UCMBEST, 3180 Imjin Road, Suite 153, Marina) — Refreshments. $39; free for members. RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ mbep-community-board-mixer-tickets-691903962377

Wednesday, Sept. 13, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. — Leadership Luncheon (Capitola Branch Library, 2005 Wharf Road) — Featuring members of MBEP’s Board of Directors. $39. RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mbepleadership-luncheon-tickets-691971113227

Thursday, Nov. 2, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. — MBEP’s 9th Annual State of the Region (Embassy Suites, Seaside) — $149-169. Register now for early-bird rates at https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/9th-annual-state-of-the-regiontickets-695045077537

TEXTILE ARTS GUILD

SIMPKINS POOL EVENTS

Various times, Simpkins Pool, 979 17th Ave., Santa Cruz Simpkins Pool will host a free swim on Labor Day, Sept. 7, from noon to 4 p.m.

Santa Cruz County Parks Department and the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter cohost the 6th Annual Parks & Rex “Pool Party” FUNdraiser on Aug. 21, noon – 4 pm, at the Simpkins Family Swim Center. Pre-register @scparks.com to guarantee your spot!

Price: $5/child, $15/adult (18+) free for kids under 3 years and all dogs

Event Day price: $10/child, $20/adult

Info: scparks.com

MATH CIRCLE RETURNS

The Santa Cruz Math Circle is a weekly math meeting for students in grades 5-8 who really love math. The 2023-24 session starts Oct. 7; registration takes place in September.

Each week students will meet with mathematical professionals in an informal setting to work on interesting problems or topics in mathematics.

The instructors are mathematicians, scientists and engineers who use math every day and many have their PhD in math. Math Circles are interactive and focus on problem solving. The topics covered are not normally included in the standard classroom curriculum. Meetings are Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 7-Nov. 18 at Cabrillo College Building 300; parking is in Garage A, top level, Aptos. The fee is $150; scholarships available. See http:// www.xacademy.org/

Learn more at National Association of Math Circles website, https://web.archive.org/web/20190127081938/http://www. mathcircles.org/what-is-a-math-circle/

POETRY IN THE PARK

The Santa Cruz County Parks Dept. announces the return of Poetry in the Park, featuring Santa Cruz County Poet Laureate Farnaz Fatima, live music and a poetry-themed afternoon from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. Free. All ages. Dates are: Oct. 8 at Mesa Village Park, 790 Green Valley Rd, Watsonville. Poets Bob Gomez (Watsonville Poet Laureate) and Magdalena Montagne

Nov. 5 at Brommer Street Park, Poets to be announced Mesa Village Park is located at 790 Green Valley Rd, Watsonville. Brommer Street County Park is located at 1451 30th Ave, Santa Cruz. Presented by County Parks and Santa Cruz County Poet Laureate Farnaz Fatima.

COUNTY FAIR BOARD MEETINGS

1:30 p.m., SC County Fairgrounds, 2601 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville

Here are the remaining County Fair Board meeting dates in 2023. Each meeting takes place on a Tuesday: Aug. 22, Oct. 24, and Dec. 5.

Meetings also take place on Zoom. For agendas, see santacruzcountyfair.com.

ONGOING EVENTS

Ongoing thru September

92ND ANNUAL LANDSCAPE EXHIBITION

Open 1-4 p.m., Wed. – Sat., Santa Cruz Art League, 536 Broadway

The highly anticipated Landscape exhibition is running until September at the Santa Cruz Art League. Immerse yourself in the breathtaking beauty of landscapes captured through the eyes of California’s talented artists.

Juried by Ed Penniman, this year’s exhibition promises to be a visual feast for art enthusiasts and nature lovers alike.

9:30 a.m., Aptos Village County Park, 100 Aptos Creek Rd. Santa Cruz Textile Arts Guild will have their first calendar Guild meeting at Aptos Village County Park.

See beautiful textile art by Guild members that were created the past few months and exhibited at the Santa Cruz & Monterey County Fairs.

More info at santacruztextileartsguild.com

August 15th 2023 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

Mondays

BRIDGE CLUB

10:30 a.m.-Noon, Capitola Branch Library, 2005 Wharf Road

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

Everyone is welcomed from beginners to social players. Make new friends and sharpen your mind. Bridge Club is a partnership between Santa Cruz County Parks and Santa Cruz Public Libraries. Register at scparks.com or in-person the day of the event.

Third Thursdays SIP AND STROLL

6-9 p.m., Seacliff Inn, 7500 Old Dominion Court, Aptos Come to the Seacliff Inn: Tapestry Collection by Hilton, for a Sip & Stroll event where local artists to show and sell their works.

Wines are 30% off, and the featured winery will offer tastings of three varietals for $10 per person.

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wine30-sip-strolltickets-668910307737

Fridays thru Sept. 29

MIDTOWN SUMMER BLOCK PARTY IS BACK!

5 to 8:30ish p.m., 1111 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz Celebrate the vibrancy of Midtown at the Summer Block Party, happening every Friday! Food – Artists –Live Music – Vendors

The free events will feature the talents of 30+ local bands, local eats, local artists and vendors. Midtown Fridays starts June 2 and runs through to Sept. 29. Live music brought to you by Off The Lip Radio Show. Bands:

Aug. 18: Mak Nova

Aug. 25: Cowboy’s After Dark w/opener Corrina & Rick

Sept. 1: The Joint Chiefs

Sept. 8: Locomotive Breath

Sept. 15: Funkranomicon

Sept. 22: AC Myles

Sept. 29: The Expendables

Details: https://www.eventsantacruz.com/event/midtownfridays-summer-block-party-2023/

The Cliffs of Davenport • Barbara Lawrence

Created by LeAnn Bjelle

DATED EVENTS

Thursday August 24

ALL CHAMBER MIXER

5-7 p.m., Specialized Aviation, 150 Aviation Way, Watsonville Specialized Aviation will host the all-chamber mixer, featuring all six Chambers of Commerce in Santa Cruz County.

See the great event space at Specialized Aviation for your next big event. There will be discounted helicopter rides, appetizers, beer, wine and raffle prizes. Admission is free, RSVP appreciated at https://web. santacruzchamber.org/events/All-Chamber-Mixer-SpecializedAviation-5370/details

MASTER GARDENER INFORMATION SESSION

5:30-6:30 p.m., Online Seminar

Interested in becoming a Master Gardener volunteer but have questions?

What do Master Gardeners actually do? What’s involved in becoming a Master Gardener volunteer? Do I have the necessary gardening experience? How long does it take?

UC Master Gardeners of Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties are accepting applications until Sept. 30 for the next cohort of trainees. The 2024 training and certification program begins January 2024.

A 1-hour information session via Zoom is Thursday, Aug. 24, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. It’s free. You’ll hear from a few current Master Gardeners. Register at mbmg.ucanr.edu or https://bit.ly/44Ya3uR

Saturday August 26

15TH ANNUAL TESTICLE FESTIVAL FUNDRAISER

3-7 p.m., Estrada Deer Camp, 196 Hazel Dell Rd., Watsonville Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers hosts the festival at Estrada Deer Camp. Silent auction, raffle, live auction. Cow pie bingo.

Hors d’oeuvres: Rocky Mountain oysters — All you can eat! (3-4:45 p.m.)

Dinner: Chicken, salads, bread & dessert.

Ticket: $75 adults; $30 children 5 – 12; under 5 free.

RSVP to get your tickets by Friday, Aug.

18. Checks payable to: Agri-Culture ATTN: YF&R Send Payment to: 141 Monte Vista Ave., Watsonville, CA 95076

Questions? Email sccfb@sbcglobal.net.

DRAWN2ART GRAND OPENING

2-5 p.m., 19C in Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center, 140 Rancho Del Mar, Aptos Drawn2Art Studios, which teaches students realistic drawing and painting skills, will host a grand opening at its new Aptos location in Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center near Wonderland Toys.

The owner is Rachael Cartright, daughter of the founders Ed and Sher Warren.

Sign up for a free introductory art class and a chance to win a month of free classes! Games, prizes -& light refreshments while supplies last.  Family and friends are welcome!

Phone: (831) 661-5652. Email: Aptos@Drawn2ArtStudios. com Website: www.Drawn2ArtStudios.com/Aptos

Sunday August 27

CHRIS BERTISH BOOK SIGNING

6-8:30 p.m., Santa Cruz Boardroom, 825 41st Ave. Chris Bertish, internationally acclaimed speaker, author, big wave surfer, Guinness SUP World Record holder

IMAGINE! — A CELEBRATION OF OUR COMMUNITY’S YOUTH

Saturday Sept. 9

3-7 p.m., Cabrillo College’s Sesnon House, 6500 Soquel Dr, Aptos Join CASA’s wonderful outdoor celebration of our community’s youth!

Festivities include performances by Senderos and Activities for All Youth Mariachi, music, dancing, raffle, and silent auction.

Delicious full-course meal served family style during our program honoring former foster and justiceinvolved youth, followed by our always-exciting live auction and dessert. Proceeds support of our programs serving the youth of our community.

You won’t want to miss this fabulous community event!  All are welcome! Hope to see you there!

• 3:00-4:45 p.m. – Reception with Youth Performances, Silent Auction, Raffle, and more

• 4:45-5:30 p.m. – Full-course dinner served family style outdoors during our Program

• 5:30-6:00 p.m. – The ever-exciting Live Auction

• 6:00-7:00 p.m. – Dessert and Dancing

Tickets are $150 or $1,300 for a table of 10.

Proceeds support programs serving the foster and justice-involved youth of our community.

and conservationist, announces his newest book, “ALL IN! The Atlantic Standup Paddleboard Crossing - 93 Days Alone at Sea,” featuring never-before-told tales of his record-breaking 4,050-mile transatlantic solo and unassisted journey from Morocco to northern Florida from December 2016 to March 2017. He will be at the Santa Cruz Boardroom to talk about the book.

“This book is an example of using influence to do good and be the change we want to see in the world while constantly working to be a role model and beacon of hope to others and the world around us, because the easy way is often not the right way,” said Bertish. “We can all strive to just be a little better, each and every day in some small way.”

TOUCH-A-TRUCK BENEFIT

Noon to 4 p.m., Salinas Rodeo Grounds, 1034 N Main St. Salinas-based Coastal Kids Home Care is hosting its Ninth Annual Touch-A-Truck, a family-friendly event benefiting children in the community coping with cancer and other serious illnesses at the Salinas Rodeo Grounds.

Kids of all abilities can explore and learn about a variety of vehicles — construction, utility, agriculture, and emergency — all provided by local businesses and organizations. There also will be live local entertainment and food trucks S&M’s Clam Chowder Hut, Showoff California Craft Barbecue, Tacos Don Beto, Kona Ice, Sweet Elena’s Bakery, Rubio’s Corn and Mangos

Raffle to win tickets to Disneyland and other attractions. Admission is $5 per person, kids under 2 are free, available at: https://www.coastalkidshomecare. org/events/touch-a-truck-salinas.

Proceeds benefit Coastal Kids Home Care, which provides in-home nursing, social work, and therapy visits to children living with serious illness or disability.

Tuesday August 29

TAXPAYER’S BILL OF RIGHTS HEARING

10 a.m., California Department of Tax and Fee Admin, 450 N St., Sacramento, and online

The California State Board of Equalization will host its annual Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights Hearing in conjunction with the board’s August 2023 Meeting.

SKILLICORN BBQ

Wednesday August 23

5 p.m., Corralitos Padres Hall, 35 Browns Valley Road. The Skillicorn BBQ raising funds for Scouting in the Pajaro Valley and Loma Prieta District will be at Corralitos Padres Hall. Clint and Karen Miller will receive the 2023 Friends of Scouting Award, and the 16 Scouts who achieved the rank of Eagle in 2022 will be honored. The 3rd Annual Skillicorn BBQ Scholarship and the 2nd annual Skillicorn Family Ranches Scholarship will be presented to deserving Scouts who are high school seniors.

Taxpayers and stakeholders can attend in person, participate by phone, 1-877-336-4440 (access code 4192718#) or submit comments online in advance at https://boe.ca.gov/meetings/heartra.htm on items in the Taxpayers’ Rights Advocate’s Annual Report, and share suggestions, comments, or concerns on California’s property tax system.

Taxpayers and stakeholders can present any ideas or changes to the Alcoholic Beverage Tax Law or comment on their experiences regarding BOE services.

The Taxpayer Rights Advocate’s Office primarily resolves property tax cases directly with the County Assessors, Tax Collectors, and Audit-Controllers, and Clerks of the Assessment Appeal Boards. In contrast, alcoholic beverage tax issues are primarily resolved directly with BOE staff and the TRA Office of CDTFA, which collects alcohol beverage taxes.

For fiscal year 2021-22, the TRA Office completed work on 269 cases, all relating to property taxes. About 75% related to valuation issues such as base year value transfers, Proposition 19 transfers and exemptions for disabled veterans; the rest related to administrative issues such as delinquent taxes and special assessments.

The 2023 Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights Hearing will be livestreamed at https://www.boe.ca.gov/meetings/

Wednesday September 6

FLY FISHING FILM TOUR

6 p.m., Aptos Grange, 2555 Mar Vista Drive

The Santa Cruz Fly Fishing Club will host the Fly Fishing Film Tour Wednesday, Sept. 6, at the Aptos Grange. The 2023 show will feature locations from Cuba to Patagonia, Mexico to Australia, Alaska, Wyoming, the Deep South, Massachusetts and beyond. Experience the achievement of a permit slam, follow one man’s journey from Mexico to the waters of Wyoming, explore the best international waters and compete for the legendary belt buckle. Come for the action and stay for the giveaways and camaraderie.

Doors open at 6 pm, no admission fee. The public is invited. For information, visit santacruzflyfishing.org

Saturday September 9

VETS 4 VETS CHILI FEED

4 p.m., VFW Post 7263, 2259 7th Ave, Santa Cruz Vets 4 Vets will host a Chili Feed noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, at 2259 7th Ave, Santa Cruz. There will be live music, fun and games. Minimum donations: $10. n

Driscoll’s is the event sponsor. The Skillicorn BBQ is a major fundraiser to support the Scouts BSA programs in the Greater Pajaro Valley of the Loma Prieta District. This event has raised $575,000 since inception. The Skillicorn BBQ is all about fun and fellowship, with local friends and community members, outside, under the redwoods at the Corralitos Padres Hall. Attendees will meet Scouts and learn more about accomplishments in the Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council.

Tickets are $125. Scan QR code to RSVP.

Karen and Clint Miller

County Behavioral Health & Homeless Funding

By Zach Friend, Supervisor, Second District

Recently, Santa Cruz County was awarded a $10.1 million Behavioral Health Bridge Housing grant by California’s Department of Health Care Services to build a 35-unit development to serve homeless adults with behavioral health challenges. Once completed, it will provide housing for individuals enrolled in CARE Court and others with behavioral health challenges and part of an overall effort to reduce the impacts of homelessness, mental health and the housing crisis on our community.

In 2020, the Board of Supervisors created the Housing for Health Division to bring together a coalition of partners and resources focused on preventing and ending homelessness within the county. The division and its partners prioritize getting people off the streets and into permanent housing, particularly the most vulnerable. While homelessness continues to be one of our state’s most pressing challenges, locally some progress has been made -- as evidenced by the recent Pointin-Time Count showing a 21% decline in year-over-year homelessness in our county. Our COVID shelters represented the largest and longest sheltering operation in county history, and since then the county has moved more than 600 vulnerable individuals into permanent housing. Through two Encampment Resolution Grants, one underway and one recently awarded, more people are being moved out of encampments and into housing.

Permanent Supportive Housing

One of the largest housing challenges are for seniors, people with disabilities and those with behavioral health challenges. The county secured over $19 million in Project Homekey funding to build homes for formerly homeless veterans, families and others, and additional Homekey projects have been submitted for with an intent to

build additional permeant supportive housing for vulnerable populations. The county should be hearing about the status of those applications in the coming months.

Additionally, Santa Cruz County Behavioral Health will soon have access to 100 new supportive housing units through projects currently under development throughout the community — Harvey West Studios and Jessie Street in Santa Cruz, Bienestar Plaza in Live Oak and Tabasa Gardens in Watsonville.

Additional Crisis Services

Inaddition to the permanent supportive housing projects listed above, the county is building a new Children’s Crisis Stabilization Center, providing 24 crisis stabilization and long-term care beds. This will provide a significant (and needed) infusion of crisis stabilization beds for youth in our community.

The county has also established mobile crisis intervention teams for adults and youth. These teams pair mental health liaisons with law enforcement agencies to de-escalate potentially violent situations.

Additionally, the county has behavioral health homeless outreach teams that connect people with necessary mental health, substance abuse treatment and other services and the county supports a 24-hour mental health help line and a local suicide prevention hotline.

The Board of Supervisors has increased funding for jail mental health services, and proposed changes in MediCal health insurance will make it easier to enroll justice-involved individuals in Medi-Cal so county staff can transition those exiting local jails without a gap in coverage.

But the headwinds facing our community are strong.

Santa Cruz County is now ranked as the least affordable rental market in the U.S., and our residents struggle with

housing prices that place far too many at risk of homelessness. Studies show that homelessness spikes wherever the gap between incomes and the cost of living is high, and our own data show our homeless population are predominantly folks who lost housing because they could not find an affordable vacancy.

Too often, many families are competing for a single open unit causing significant housing insecurity and resulting in homelessness. While our region is building more new affordable and supportive housing than we have in a generation, the county, nonprofits and others are looking at other ways to partner to prevent people from losing their current housing.

For example, the county provided land and funding for Bienestar Plaza — 57 units of affordable housing and a low-cost health campus — and this is one way the county and other local jurisdictions can help provide additional housing to vulnerable populations. The county has pledged to make additional publicly owned parcels available for affordable and workforce housing.

As mentioned in previous articles, the county still faces a number of structural funding challenges. Due to state formulations, the county is systemically underfunded and have nowhere near the resources as other Bay Area and Central Coast communities — receiving just 13 cents out of every local property tax dollar compared to twice that amount in many comparable counties.

This means that much of your property tax dollar doesn’t come back to county government, requiring the county to meet these needs with less funding.

The federal funding we receive specifically for homelessness ($2,294 per individual) is low compared to other counties with high rates of homelessness, including San Mateo County ($9,294), San Francisco ($6,576), Marin County ($4,937), Sacramento ($4,867) and others. n

•••

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 and you can always call me at 454-2200.

Janus Awarded Federal Grant

U

.S. Rep, Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) announces a $520,911 grant from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services for Janus of Santa Cruz, a substance use disorder and behavioral health treatment center that has served the Santa Cruz community for over 45 years.

Janus of Santa Cruz offers programs and services for over 2,500 clients in withdrawal management, residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation treatment, perinatal treatment, medication-assisted treatment, DUI correction, and intensive outpatient services.

In 2022, there were 65 reported

fentanyl-related overdose deaths in Santa Cruz County.

“Rehabilitation services for our neighbors living with substance use disorders, has the potential to both save and change lives,” said Panetta. “Tackling addiction and other behavioral health issues is a community-wide endeavor that entails this type of significant federal investment.” n

SCCAS Featured Pet Fall 2023 Semester Classes Start August 28 th Enroll Now!

Cool Mama Coco

Beautiful Coco was surrendered to the shelter along with her daughter, Evie, when their person suffered an injury and was no longer able to provide the care and exercise they needed.

Coco’s spent most of her life living outdoors in her yard, but she’s been super adaptable since coming to the shelter — learning to go on walks and for car rides with lots of different volunteers, going to events, and meeting all kinds of new people and lots of other dogs! She’s extremely sociable with people and there’s nothing she loves more than petting — especially BELLY RUBS! She will absolutely melt into the ground if someone starts rubbing her belly…

She’s playful and confident with other dogs but will need a home without cats and other small pets because she seems to think of them as her next meal.

She’ll also need a bit of patience and understanding when it comes to housetraining and learning the rules and routines in a new household, but pretty much any newly-adopted dog needs that.

She’s already been spayed, fully vaccinated and microchipped, so she’s totally ready to go to her new home today. Since she’s over 6 years old, her adoption fee is just $75.

Coco is just one of several huskies or husky mixes we have available for adoption right now, including her blue-eyed daughter Evie, so if you’ve been wanting to add one of these gorgeous, active, and usually a bit silly dogs to your life, come on down to Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter today! n

•••

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

•••

Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter’s full-service, open-admission shelter: 1001 Rodriguez St., Santa Cruz, 95062

Hours: Daily 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. • Website: www.scanimalshelter.org

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