Aptos Times: December 15, 2023

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December 15, 2023 • Vol 32 No. 24

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Iman Moshari, 18, Founder of Bikes4All

Aptos High School senior Iman Moshari, 18, came to the United States from Tehran, Iran, at age 4 with his mom looking for a better life.

Full Story page 5

Soquel Football: County’s First State Champs Full Story page 7

Twin Lakes Church Breaks Record Congregation Donates $512,725 to Second Harvest Food Drive

ever donated by an organization during the Holiday Food & Fund Drive and double their goal of $200,000.

This figure translates to 1,530,494 healthy meals.

This is a third of the Food Bank’s goal is to raise enough to provide 4,500,000 meals. ... continues on page 4

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Volume 32 No. 24

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Table of Contents

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Cover Twin Lakes Church Breaks Record: Congregation Donates $512,725 to Second Harvest Food Drive Community News 4 Reb Rebele, Philanthropic Giant: 1930-2023 5 Iman Moshari, 18, Founder of Bikes4All 10 A Miracle in Harlem, By Joyce Vissell • County to Ask Voters March 5 for Sales Tax Hike 13 Aptos Voters to See $116 Million Bond Measure for Watsonville Hospital,

By Jondi Gumz • Watsonville Nurses Give OK toThree-Year Contract 14 Giving Back 16 Our Community Reads: The Monk of Mokha, By Denise Ward • RTC Approves $61.3 Million For Projects 17 Late Takeoff 18 What’s Next at Willowbrook Park: Memorial Reflection Area Underway,

By Forrest Revere 22 New County App Adds Purchase Option • No Crab Season Before Christmas 23 Cabrillo College to Offer Wine Studies Degree • PVUSD Promotes Rich Moran 24 Tribute Tables: A Memorable Gift for Your Loved Ones • ‘Let’s Be Blunt’ Attracts 360 to Moe’s Alley 25 Reading Scores Climb at Struggling Schools after Phonics Lessons,

By Carolyn Jones, CalMatters 31 Meet Pastor Jonas, Christ Lutheran Church, By Edita McQuary 7

Local Sports Soquel Football: County’s First State Champs, By Jondi Gumz

Letter to the Editor 12 Motion Pacific Director Asks for Help In Memoriam 12 Celebration of Life Dec. 15 in Aptos for Debra Towne Business Profile 20 Two Birds Books: The Little Bookstore That Can, By Teresa Hidalgo Dance Monthly Horoscope • Page 26 – In the Magic of Mercury Retrograde — Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All, By Risa D’Angeles Community Calendar • Arts & Entertainment – Pages 28, 29 Featured Columnists 11 What Makes Mariners Grateful, By Dr. Alison Hanks-Sloan, aka Dr. AHS, Aptos High Principal 27 El Nino Extreme Weather Travel Survival Guide, By Christopher Elliott 30 County Sales Tax Measure Coming March 5, By Zach Friend, Supervisor, Second District SCCAS Featured Pet • Page 31 – The Tri Guys Try Hard For Your Heart

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COMMUNITY NEWS

publisher

Patrice Edwards

editor

Jondi Gumz

contributing writers

Joyce Vissell, Jondi Gumz, Denise Ward, Forrest Revere, Carolyn Jones, Edita McQuary, Teresa Hidalgo Dance, Risa D’Angeles, Alison Hanks-Sloan, Christopher Elliott, Zach Friend

layout

Michael Oppenheimer

graphic artists

Michael Oppenheimer, Ward Austin

photography Michael Oppenheimer

website Michael Oppenheimer, Camisa Composti

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Camisa Composti

media consultants

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office coordinator distribution

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Times Publishing Group, Inc. 9601 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA 95003 The Times Publishing Group, Inc., publishers of the Aptos Times, a bi-monthly publication, the Capitola Soquel Times and Scotts Valley Times, each printed monthly, Coastal Weddings Magazine, Coastal Home and Garden Magazine, Aptos’ Fourth of July Parade Official Program Guide and Capitola’s Summer Festivals Official Program Guide, is owned by Patrice Edwards.

Entire contents ©2023. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form is prohibited without the publisher’s written permission PHONE: (831) 688-7549 FAX: (831) 688-7551 GENERAL E-MAIL: info@cyber-times.com Patrice Edwards: patrice@cyber-times.com Publisher’s Assistant: assistant@cyber-times.com Editor: info@cyber-times.com Calendar Listings: www.tpgonlinedaily.com Graphics Department: graphics@cyber-times.com Billing Inquiries: cathe@cyber-times.com Classified Sales: sales@cyber-times.com Production: production@cyber-times.com CHECK OUT OUR WEB SITE AT: www.tpgonlinedaily.com mission statement We at the Times Publishing Group, Inc. are dedicated to providing a voice for the individuals and organizations in our community while highlighting the outstanding accomplishments of our local businesses. We seek to promote healthy family values through our coverage of youth activities, school news, senior events, community groups and entertainment

Reb Rebele, Philanthropic Giant ~ 1930-2023 ~ T ributes are pouring in for Rowland “Reb” Rebele, publisher turned philanthropist who died Nov. 25 at age 93. He came to Santa Cruz County in 1979, and his family home was in Rio del Mar for 40 years.

He made money as a newspaper publisher in the pre-digital era, and he took his lessons on generosity at St. Ignatius Prep School to heart. He told Brad Kava’s journalism class at Cabrillo College that his goal was to give away all his money before he died.

The following are public comments from around the community:

UC Santa Cruz

R

owland Rebele, a distinguished publisher, philanthropist, homeless advocate, and unwavering supporter of the arts, died Saturday, Nov. 25, at the age of 93. His indomitable spirit and fervent commitment to Santa Cruz have left an indelible imprint on both the community and the UC Santa Cruz campus.

Rowland and his wife, Pat, were active supporters of UC Santa Cruz for more than four decades, providing valuable advice to campus leaders as well as generous financial support.

“Rowland Rebele’s influence on UC Santa Cruz has been broad and deep,” said UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Cynthia Larive.

“Every future artist, social-justice leader, engineer and scientist who passes through our doors will continue to be beneficiaries of Rowland’s generosity, passion, and vision.

He and Pat have been instrumental in transforming our campus.”

The Rebeles created the Patricia and Rowland Rebele Endowed Chair in History of Art and Visual Culture and the Rebele Art History Endowment at the University Library. A gift of $1 million was used to

Photo Credit: Carolyn Lagattuta

Rowland Rebele with his wife, Pat. jumpstart the Institute of the Arts and Sciences at UC Santa Cruz.

Their philanthropy extended to a wide variety of campus programs, including the Genomics Institute, where a recent gift is still helping researchers and health-care providers understand the COVID-19 genome. They also supported the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, Mary Porter Sesnon Gallery, UC Santa Cruz Opera, the Arboretum, the University Center, Arts & Lectures, the Pacific Rim Music Festival, and Friends of Long Marine Laboratory.

The couple’s impact on the campus was recognized in 2009 when they were given the Fiat Lux Award at the Founders Day gala.

The award is given by the UC Santa Cruz Foundation to alumni and friends who have demonstrated outstanding achievement, dedication, and service in support of the university’s programs and goals. The Rebeles were honored for their extraordinary support of the arts and education and their vital role as advocates for the homeless.

Rowland Rebele, a prominent figure

in Santa Cruz for decades, engaged in philanthropic endeavors that spanned a wide spectrum, touching numerous organizations and individuals through direct donations, scholarships, and various forms of support.

The couple were key contributors to the River Street homeless center, now bearing their name, showcasing their commitment to addressing societal challenges.

Rowland Rebele was born in San Francisco. He met Pat in middle school there.

After obtaining his education at Stanford University and Harvard Business School, he served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. He went on to manage several small newspapers in California, maintaining an avid interest in journalism throughout his life. Roughly 40 years ago, the Rebeles transitioned from the newspaper business to retirement in Santa Cruz.

Rowland Rebele is survived by wife Pat, children Marianne, Andrew, and Chris, as well as an extended circle of family and friends. Memorial service details are pending.

CASA

Court Appointed Children’s Advocates We are saddened to learn of the passing of the amazing Rowland Rebele. His generosity and commitment made a lasting impact on countless lives.

We will be forever grateful for his contributions to our community. Rest in peace, Rowland. Our hearts go out to his family.

Santa Cruz Shakespeare

Reb was one of the first donors to pledge his support to Santa Cruz Shakespeare in 2013; he and his wife Pat have been generous supporters of the festival ever since.

Our love goes out to Pat and the rest of the Rebele family. Flights of angels.

“Remembering Rebele” page 6

COVER STORY “Twin Lakes Food Drive” from page 1 When asked to explain his congregation’s generosity, Pastor Rene Schlaepfer said, “I have a theory. When your imagination is captured by a vision of God’s love, then that overflows from you to others.

Loved people love people. I always hope our community sees the love of God showing through churches in practical ways. There are too many religious loud mouths getting negative attention. I hope this helps,” he noted.

He commended Second Harvest as “a beautiful organization that works with many churches and other partners to help people get healthy meals.”

In this campaign, 100% of the money

4 / December 15th 2023 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

raised goes directly to food, and food distribution in Santa Cruz County and supports the mission of Second Harvest Food Bank to alleviate hunger in the community.

“We are perennially grateful for the generous support from Pastor Rene and the Twin Lakes Church congregation,” said Erica Padilla-Chavez, CEO Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County. “TLC is a true partner in our mission to provide healthy meals to food-insecure families in our community. It’s organizations like this that form the backbone of our community.”

Twin Lakes Church began participating in the food bank’s Holiday Food Drive in 2006. Total donations that first year were $947.70.

Over 17 years, the food bank has captured

the heart of Twin Lakes Church and has grown each year.

Second Harvest kicked off this year’s drive at Cabrillo College on Nov. 3. It runs through January 15. This campaign is the largest community-wide fundraiser for The Food Bank and supports year-round food distributions.

Co-chairs are Susan True, CEO of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, and Dr. Faris Sabbah, county superintendent of schools. n ••• For information www.thefoodbank.org/ holiday-food-fund-drive Cover Photo: Twin Lakes Church Pastor Rene Schlaepfer, left, announces the food drive success.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Iman Moshari, 18, Founder of Bikes4All A ptos High School senior Iman Moshari, 18, came to the United States from Tehran, Iran, at age 4 with his mom looking for a better life.

He’s a cycling fanatic who saved up his money to buy a pricey bike.

He’s entrepreneurial, starting his own nonprofit called Bikes4All. He and fellow classmates collect bikes that are abandoned or not in use, repair them and give them to people who apply — more than five dozen.

He’s ambitious, applying for the Rise Challenge along with 143,000 other teens, aiming for a full-ride four-year college scholarship and becoming one of the 99 finalists.

Aptos Times interviewed Iman Moshari via email.

••• How did your family land in Aptos?

When my mother and I immigrated to the United States, we were simply following a path left by my father’s family.

When my parents separated, we found ourselves in Aptos — the rest is history. I guess you can call it fate in a sense.

How big is your family? Do you have siblings?

My family is incredibly large, but they are largely in Iran.

I love them so much and I miss them every day. Maybe I can have them come to U.S. one day, but until then I’ll be Facetiming them as much as I can.

I do not have any siblings.

What do you love about biking?

Do you have a favorite trek?

Cycling serves as my sanctuary — a way to break free

from our ever-imploding world and a relaxation from the stresses that constantly ache our minds.

I don’t have a favorite trail. I like to think of Santa Cruz as one big trail that I have yet to finish riding. Everywhere you explore will be just as stunning as the next.

When did you get this brainstorm about recovering abandoned bikes for kids in need?

This idea originally came back to me in my sophomore year of high school, just before summer break. I heard from a friend that the state parks were throwing away dozens of bikes every couple of months and I was shocked.

I know a lot of deserving kiddos and adults whose lives would be changed for the better if they had a bike. So I started Bikes4All — with the bright goal of serving everyone in Santa Cruz County by providing them with a free bike You’ve gotten bikes from the Capitola Police Dept.

How much repairs do the bikes need? How many students have done repairs to earn community service?

Bikes are like humans, each one has a unique ailment that makes them different from the rest—which makes fixing them complicated, but a lot of fun.

The bikes are repaired by high school students under my mentorship and guidance, and then they are rigorously tested before they go out.

As a result, we have around 10 kids who have completed their community service requirements through us.

How many bikes have you matched with kids?

Less than half of the bikes we have given out have gone to kids.

Most of the applications we receive are from adults without a means of transportation. We help them with that.

Is there a waitlist?

The people who apply are all over the Santa Cruz County.

That’s who we serve and who we will continue serving.

“Bikes4All” page 8

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“Remembering Rebele” from page 4

Dan Haifley

Our community lost a piece of its heart last Saturday. Reb devoted the last four decades to making our community a better place. I most recently was fortunate to work with him and Catherine Segurson in support of Catamaran Literary Reader. May he rest peacefully, having lived a life of purpose in partnership with Pat, in service to others.

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(When the county broke ground for the skate park at Seacliff Village County, Rebele, a donor, was on hand.)

Veronica Elsea

Owner, Laurel Creek Music Designs R I P, Rowland Rebele. It’s amazing what a difference one person can make.

My work with you goes way back. Oh when I think of all those hours sitting across the table, really going at it with you over symphony players’ pay and other things.

You made me work for everything we got. Yet, pretty much thanks to you, we have a symphony. Your passion is equaled only by your compassion. Everything from engineering to the unhoused.

Thanks for everything you did and gave, yes, even throwing that chair during contract talks. But no matter what happened, we could go out for dinner after we were done. You were one of a kind and wherever your spirit finds itself, I’m sure you’re putting out a lot of beautiful art.

So long for now and we’ll miss you. R I P Rowland Rebele.

Santa Cruz Symphony board president With deep sorrow, we acknowledge the passing of Rowland Rebele, one of the finest people in our community. “Reb,” as his friends knew him, passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 25.

Reb and his wife Patricia were completely devoted to each other, and together they supported numerous nonprofit organizations in Santa Cruz County and beyond.

We are honored that Santa Cruz Symphony has been a longtime recipient of the Rebeles’ generosity. They were present for nearly all of our concerts and special The San Lorenzo Valley events. Reb was typiMuseum cally the first to stand for So very very sorry to an ovation and could be hear that Rowland Rebele heard yelling “Bravo!” at has passed. What a wonmost concerts. derful Santa Cruz County Your Symphony benefactor. recently honored Reb as one of our Distinguished Don Lane Board Alumni. It was a Board president of Housing well-deserved accolade, Matters not only for his generous Rowland “Reb” financial support, but Rebele’s impact on Photo Credit: CASA Santa Cruz County Housing Matters and all of also because of his commitment and dedication Rowland Rebele and family at the Imagine 2022 us who worked alongside to Santa Cruz Symphony. benefit for the nonprofit CASA. He attended him cannot be undersHis continued good every year and celebrated his birthday. tated. Reb and his wife Pat counsel and his larger-than-life presence at cared deeply for our unhoused neighbors in our performances and events have been trea- Santa Cruz County. As founding members of sured through the years. Reb was a member Housing Matters, they built and opened the of the Santa Cruz Symphony Board for many doors of the Rebele Family Shelter, which is years and served as Board President from named after them.

1982 to 1987. Right to the end, in his typical When Reb joined in the work, we fashion, he was discussing the needs of local were not a large organization and had just nonprofit entities. a small handful of programs. Reb didn’t The entire Symphony organization just contribute generously himself, he sends our deepest condolences to the Rebele recruited countless others to make contrifamily. Reb defined commitment to his com- butions. These contributions fueled our munity, displayed character and passion of growth and higher rates of success with our spirit, and showed us what charity of heart participants. looks like. We have lost a man of great value David Snyder to his family and his community.

First Amendment Coalition The County of Santa Cruz The First Amendment lost one of its most The county has lost a giant in activist/ passionate champions on November 25, with philanthropist Rowland Rebele. Rebele cared the death of Rowland Rebele at the age of 93. deeply about the Santa Cruz County comThe First Amendment Coalition lost a munity and in making it a better place for all dear friend, family member, and guiding residents. inspiration.

He gave generously to many local And all of us lost an exceptional human causes, and his name is on everything being. from UCSC’s Patricia and Rowland Rebele Reb, as he was known to all who had the Endowed Chair in History of Art and good fortune to meet him, was FAC’s most Visual Culture to the Family Shelter at the stalwart and generous supporter for the 33 Housing Matters campus on Coral Street. years he served on our Board of Directors.

Solving homelessness was one of Rebele’s “Remembering Rebele” page 8 foremost issues.

LOCAL SPORTS

Soquel Football: County’s First State Champs

A

By Jondi Gumz

shout out to the Soquel High School Knights, the first football team in Santa Cruz County to win a state championship.

On Dec. 6, the Knights, coached by former NFL safety Dwight Lowery, defeated Jurupa Hills, 28-7, at Pasadena City College to claim the 4-AA title.

Soquel has fewer than 1,000 students.

Jurupa Hills has more than 2,000.

“Soquel is our only Nor-Cal and State Champ,” said Aptos High Athletic Director Mark Dorfman.

“Both Aptos (‘18) and Santa Cruz (‘19) reached the Nor-Cal Championship Game, but both lost.”

The Soquel Knights played 15 games and earned 13 wins.

They finished the season ranked 70th in the state by MaxPreps.

In their playoff run, they recorded two shutouts, against Monterey and Christopher.

They did not earn the League crown because they lost to Salinas, which has three times the enrollment, so a much bigger pool of talent.

The League used to consist of high

Senior Tito Ramirez (center) revs up the Soquel Knights on Senior Night vs. Palma. schools in Santa Cruz County, but due to Lorenzo Valley, Malakai Ross-Graves, a transfer from Santa Cruz, and Justice Grauel Tebong, realignment, Salinas is in.

The other loss was to Los Gatos, which who leads the team in tackles, and junior Gabe has twice the enrollment of Soquel. This Virgalito, who leads in interceptions.

Players on offense made highlight reels was the first game of the season when teams schedule tougher competition to prepare for in the state championship.

Senior running back Cruz Ferris pushed the post-season.

Defense — stopping the opponent — has his way through a lot of bodies to score.

Senior receiver Jordan McCord, who runs been the key to Soquel’s success, thanks to three seniors, Cade Petersen, a transfer from San track, outpaced caught a pass from sophomore

Photo Credit: Sam Crane

quarterback Sam Whelan, keeping a foot inbounds to score. Then he caught a pass and outran two defenders to score again.

Senior Braylon Noble caught a touchdown pass and had two interceptions.

McCord has scholarship offers from San Jose State and Eastern Washington and Coach Lowery thinks Ross-Graves, Grauel Tebong and Petersen should be recruited, too.

Congratulations to everyone involved! n

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“Remembering Rebele” from page 6

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Born in San Francisco in 1930, Reb graduated in 1951 from Stanford, where he was editor of the Stanford Daily. He met his future wife, Patricia, in junior high school and went on to own a series of small newspapers across California and beyond.

Reb was elected to FAC’s board of directors in 1990, when it was called the California First Amendment Coalition. He served as board president from 1999-2000, and remained on the board until his death.

A journalist and newspaper publisher by training and trade, Reb had a particular passion for the public’s right of access to government information. The issue of public access and a free press drove Reb — the ideals behind the First Amendment, not the particular political or social controversy that may have brought those rights into the headlines.

He understood at a granular level the indispensable role that newspapers play in a free society — and the risks to all our freedoms that arise when journalists can’t do their jobs.

All of this is to say that Reb was a true believer — but, perhaps uncommonly for idealists, he was also eminently reasonable.

Exacting but empathetic. Passionate but grounded. Opinionated but open to hearing the other side.

I can only speculate that this rare combination of traits helped fuel Reb’s business success. What I know for certain is that these traits made FAC a much better institution – stronger, healthier, and better able to carry out its crucial mission.

FAC is so much better for having known Reb and we look forward to sharing more stories and celebrating his impact in 2024. We are so grateful for the time we had with him.

We only wish it lasted longer.

Santa Cruz Community Health

Today, we remember the life of Rowland

Rebele, a longstanding and generous supporter of Santa Cruz Community Health.

Rowland’s commitment to our mission has left an enduring impact on the well-being of our community.

We’re thrilled to have been selected this year as a participant in Santa Cruz Gives!

As proud participants, we’re committed to supporting our community and creating positive change. From our vibrant Latino outreach program to music therapy and Camp Erin for grieving children, we’re raising awareness and support for these vital initiatives.

This year, we’ve received a generous Challenge Gift from Pat and Rowland Rebele.

Every contribution goes twice as far to help the most vulnerable in our community.

Donations are open until Dec. 31. Give at https://hubs.ly/Q029DV-R0

California Press Foundation

With your support, we can make a lasting impact on the future of journalism in California.

We’ve launched our ”Funding the Future of Journalism” campaign. Our goal is to raise $500,000 by July 31, 2024. To kickstart this initiative, our full board and Rowland and Pat Rebele are contributing a combined $75,000.

We invite you to join us in this important mission. Your support will help expand our foundation’s impact, empowering the next generation of journalists and ensuring the continued growth of California’s journalism landscape. n To contribute, visit: www.cal-press.org/ fundraising

be marked for the dump simply because we don’t have the overpriced tools to fix it.

Our waitlist is quite large at the moment Monetary donations allow us to get the — though we are very grateful — because of bikes working again and ready to go. the recent influx in applicants as a result of Folks can go to bit.ly/bike4all and email more people talking about us. us to find out how to donate.

We are not a first-come-first-serve orgaWhat’s the update on your early nization. If your situation is dire, you will be admission college applications? placed favorably in line so that we can get I have decided to rescind my early you out of whatever situation you are in. decision application.

However, if your situation is After some more research, I not dire, you will still be served, have become interested in more regardless of your need. colleges and programs that I would Parents will be buying new bikes like to have the option of attending. for kids who have outgrown their When will you find out old bikes. Could they donate those about the Rise scholarship? bikes to your nonprofit? How? I have already found out about Parents or folks who would like the Rise scholarship! I won it! to donate a bike they have laying Who will take over Bikes4All Iman Moshari around, left by their kids, or are just when you go to college? not riding anymore can go to bit.ly/bike4all That’s a tough one. and follow the directions to donate.

We have so many passionate people curWe will pick up the bike for you and find rently working in our organization that it will a time that works with your schedule. be tough to choose.

How else could people in the I will continue overseeing the organicommunity support this effort? zation when I am in college, but there will Monetary donations are greatly, greatly be new leaders who will physically run the appreciated. Sometimes a bike will simply organization to serve the community. n “Bikes4All” from page 5

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / December 15th 2023 / 9

COMMUNITY NEWS

A Miracle in Harlem

I

By Joyce Vissell

n the spring of 1966, as a naïve, energetic 19-year-old woman, I placed my life in extreme danger without even the faintest idea of what I was doing.

Strong-willed and stubborn, I was used to setting my will to achieve a goal and pushing aside every barrier that came my way.

I always considered myself a spiritual person, but when it came to making decisions and achieving my goals, I depended on my own will power. I sometimes followed the decision with a prayer, but it was always an afterthought.

In my sophomore year at Hartwick College, I decided I needed to get a specialty education so that I could begin working at a good job as soon as I finished college. I chose nursing and selected Columbia University in New York City. I could graduate with an RN and BS. And yes, there was another reason for leaving Hartwick. I just couldn’t see a way to make my relationship with Barry really work.

Our religious difference seemed too big at the time.

Saying a tearful good-bye to Barry, I left the security of small-town Oneonta and traveled to New York City for an admittance interview. I had never been to the Big Apple and didn’t know what to expect. I set my will, braved buses and subways and arrived at the school in the afternoon.

The interview the next day went well, and I decided this was the next step I would take in my life. I would transfer to Columbia Presbyterian Nursing School in the fall. That night, I became homesick for all that was familiar, especially Barry.

I looked at the bus and subway schedules and realized if I left the dorm at 3:30am, I could catch a 5:00am bus out of Grand Central Station and be back with Barry by 10:00am.

After that, the next available bus to Oneonta would arrive in the evening.

I set my will; I was getting on that earlier bus. I got up at 3:00am, quickly packed and quietly crept down to the front entrance of the dorm. The way was barred by a big security guard who was sound asleep in a chair immediately in front of the door.

He woke with a start as I tried to exit,

O

took a moment to focus his eyes on me, and finally said gruffly, “Where do you think you’re going, young lady?”

I politely explained my plans to him, “I’m taking a subway to Harlem, then I’ll transfer and take a subway to Grand Central.” A look of alarm came across his face. “I can’t let you out of these doors!” was his urgent reply.

“You’re risking your life going to Harlem in the middle of the night!”

“You can’t stop me!” was my stubborn reply. “I’m a guest here, not a student.”

I stood there resolute, completely ignorant of my foolish plan.

To my surprise, his eyes filled with tears as he looked at me and said, “I’m afraid for your life. Please let me say a prayer for you.”

He took my hands and said a fervent prayer for my protection.

My will was so set, however, that I hardly heard his prayer.

I pushed open the door and set out into the night. The early morning air was cool and I zipped my coat up higher. I got on the subway at 168th Street and got off at Harlem.

As soon as I exited the train and stepped onto the litter-strewn platform, the enormity of my mistake hit me.

With growing panic, I looked around as the train sped away and saw that I was alone.

There were no police. I later learned that the situation in Harlem in the mid-60s was so dangerous that no policeman would take the subway night shift in the section I was in.

I had put myself in a definitely dangerous situation.

A nearby group of young men turned around to gawk at me, obviously taken aback by the audacity — or maybe they felt insanity — of this young woman who had just entered their dark world.

One man pointed at me, said something to the others, then they all stood up. For a moment, I thought it was all over. They would come after me, a helpless girl. To my horror, I realized that my own will power was not going to be enough for this nightmare. I stood frozen with fear, my legs suddenly feeling unsteady beneath me.

My mother’s words came to me, “When you’re afraid, just repeat the 23rd Psalm and it will give you courage.”

In a quiet but urgent voice, I began, “The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want ...”

This is an excerpt As I spoke this prayer, from the new book, A which the young men could Couple of Miracles: One probably hear, I noticed the one Couple, More Than a man, obviously the leader, sudFew Miracles by Barry denly look nervous, glancing and Joyce Vissell, a around quickly, almost as if psychiatrist and nurse he was afraid of something therapist, who live or someone. He turned to his in Aptos, telling the group, said something seemstory of their lives. The ingly urgent, and they all turned book costs $18.95 at and briskly walked away.

Bookshop Santa Cruz It was as if I represented and Amazon.com. something more powerful than I looked.

I took that as my cue to The train finally came, the doors start walking, shakily at first, but then gaining strength and purpose. I walked past a pair of opened, and I rushed in. There were a few drunken men, swaying back and forth passing conservative-looking business men on the a bottle between them. As if that wasn’t train, absorbed in their newspapers. The enough, I even noticed a young man sitting on doors closed and we left that desolate world behind us. a bench injecting something into his arm.

As the train accelerated, I felt the full I repeated these soothing words as I walked past a group of men with knives impact of what had just happened to me. in their hands, past rowdy drunks who I could no longer hold back the tears and stumbled across my path, and past a des- they flowed down my face. None of the men perate-looking man shaking so violently he seemed to notice, but it didn’t matter.

Something had changed within me. I could barely stand.

A wine bottle was thrown at me, but fell knew I could never go back to my old way short, smashing into pieces on the hard, cold of being. Asking for God’s protection and subway floor. Terrified, I pretended not to guidance in any situation had become more important than setting my own will. I had notice this attack.

Two rough-looking men approached me learned to trust in God’s protection and plan with sticks, or clubs, in their hands. They got for me as the most important priority in my within five feet of me, then suddenly stopped life. On that dark and gloomy subway on and backed off. Although I was still scared, I an early spring morning, God, the infinite felt as if I had an invisible wall of protective presence of love, had become primary rather than secondary in my life. n light around me.

••• As if in response to the men with sticks, Joyce & Barry Vissell, a nurse/therapist I repeated, “Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me …” as I climbed stairs filled with and psychiatrist couple the stench of urine. At the top of the stairs, since 1964, are counselors a young man almost knocked me over as he in Aptos who are pasran past, trying to get away from a second sionate about conscious relationship and personalman who was pursuing him.

I crossed platforms and, while I waited spiritual growth. They are for the next train, I continued to feel that the authors of 10 books invisible shield of protection around me, a and a free audio album of loving good Shepherd that was bringing me sacred songs and chants. Visit their web site at SharedHeart.org. back to safety.

County to Ask Voters March 5 for Sales Tax Hike

n Dec. 5, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to place a half-cent sales tax measure on the March 5 primary ballot.

Sales tax in the unincorporated area is 9%, tied for the lowest among jurisdictions in Santa Cruz County.

If voters approve, the sales tax would increase to 9.5%.

All eligible voters in the county can vote

on the measure, but the tax increase would only apply in unincorporated areas, Aptos, Corralitos, Freedom, Soquel, Live Oak, San Lorenzo Valley and Bonny Doon.

The Board adopted these funding priorities: • Wildfire, flood and other disaster response, prevention, and recovery services; • Affordable housing to support working families and frontline workers;

10 / December 15th 2023 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

• Critical community programs providing mental health crisis services for children, substance use disorder treatment, and homelessness services.

• Continuing ongoing work to enhance the local road network, maintain and improve parks and recreation programs, and deliver high-quality public safety services to the community.

In June, the board passed a proposed

budget for fiscal 2023-24 but it was “austere and did not forecast significant new investments in our priorities, staff or community, while maintaining minimum levels of budget reserves and projecting significant future deficits through fiscal year 202728,” according to county spokesman Jason Hoppin.

“Sales Tax Hike” page 14

FEATURED COLUMNIST

What Makes Mariners Grateful

I

By Dr. Alison Hanks-Sloan, aka Dr. AHS, Aptos High Principal

truly love my job, most of the time. As the holiday season makes me reflective, I have been thinking about how much I appreciate our campus and community.

Curiosity made me wonder what others were thinking, so I asked several Mariners what makes them grateful.

Veronica Rodas-Otero, grade 12, said she is thankful for “having a supportive and loving family, as well as a community that doesn’t judge.” She also said she is grateful to have the “opportunity to freely study and get educated for many years.” She is also thankful for “living in a diverse area, be it of people or nature.”

Nami Banks, grade 11, said he is thankful for the beach, because “it provides a fun place to go with friends.” He is also thankful for friends filling his life with laughter. He is also especially thankful for food that keeps him alive and happy.

Sofia Bartee, grade 12, said she is “thankful for opportunities and experiences” that she gets at school.

Maverick Belcher, grade 10, shared that he is thankful for the home he has and the things he has at home. He is happy for “the ability to go to a nice school with many

people” he can happily talk to. He is also thankful to have a family that loves and supports him.

Aidan Hughes, grade 12, said he is thankful for Albert, who is “always such a positive guy.”

Albert is our student information specialist. I asked Albert what makes him so positive. He has been in the district for over two decades, and he has been at AHS for six years. He said that working alongside Teresa, our attendance specialist. He also said the kids keep him going.

Teresa chimed in that we have awesome students. She said we also have nice staff. Albert added that they are all respectful, and it’s what gets him to work. Both of them are willing to drive more than 45 minutes to get to work.

Lemi Anastasopoulos, grade 9, said she thinks “the teachers are really great and really supportive. The office staff and the administration are always walking around

on campus. You always see them, and they are really friendly.”

Melisa Silver, our English chair, said, “Our administrative team listens to us and values our experience. My students, including my AP community, are so invested. I love this place and the students in Mock Trial.” It is her 14th year at AHS. Travis Fox, our athletic director said he is grateful for our coaches, parents, students, and teachers.

“I’m extremely thankful for the culture and engagement, especially our coaches for their dedication to our campus and their craft, for their long hours and unwavering support for our student athletes. Our parents always ask how can they help. We applaud their support, their commitment to driving to and from practices, and their making lunches and preparing snacks for the team.”

Kristin Fox, our counseling department chair, said she is “thankful for her co-workers and a positive working environment.” She said she gets to be a part of a community

that values success in all different forms. She has been at AHS for seven years.

Dominic Lis, our newest assistant principal, moved here from Michigan in August.

He said he is grateful that he moved all the way across the country to be here, and the community has been truly accepting. “They helped me learn why Aptos is such a great community,” he said.

Aaron Bielenberg, our assistant principal who joined the team at the end of the school year, said he appreciates the mindset of the staff at AHS. “They are student oriented and solution oriented,” he explained.

“I have enjoyed meeting all the students at this school.”

He showed two personalized holiday ornaments that he received during the holiday art activities at lunch.

Rachael Jones, our assistant principal who is also an Aptos parent and former Aptos teacher, said, “Aptos High is a vital part of our Aptos community. Aptos residents and alumni are proud of their school for its strong academic and athletic programs.

“Being Thankful” page 14

Exercise your well power.

This Open Enrollment, choose a plan that gives you access to Dignity Health.

If you’re comparing health plans this season, consider the advantages of a plan that connects you to Dignity Health, the largest physician network in Santa Cruz County.

Like our more than 200 primary and specialty care providers located in more than 100 locations throughout the region. All backed up by Dominican Hospital’s nationally recognized programs for heart, cancer, obstetrics and other specialties.

Learn more at DignityHealth.org/SantaCruz.

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / December 15th 2023 / 11

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

DECEMBER 2023

Aptos Real Estate Update

Ruth Bates 831.359.2212

ruthbates1@gmail.com CalBRE#01799929

INTEREST RATES As of 12/07/23, the 30-year mortgage rate is 7.05%, (was 8.07%-11/13, 7.64%-11/16, 7.13%11/30), going in the right direction.

NEW CONFORMING LOAN LIMITS FOR 2024 The new conforming loan limit is $766,500, up from $726,200 in 2023, a 5.5% increase. High limit areas, which includes Santa Cruz County, is up to $1,149,825, 150% of the conforming limit.

ACTIVE LISTINGS There are 35 Active Listings in Aptos as of 12/07/23 and the Average Days on Market (DOM) is a whopping 60 days!! The Avg List Price is $2,359,300 and the Median List Price is $1,699,000.

Homes near the Median include 316 Spyglass – 4 bed/2.5 bath/2275SF, 51 DOM, asking $1,795,000; 117 Victoria Lane 4 bed/3 bath/2677SF, 69 DOM, asking $1,710,000; 186 Creek, 4bed/2 bath/1688SF, 54 DOM, asking $1,699,000, and 391 Belle Monti, 4 bed, 2.5 bath/1755SF, 25 DOM, asking $1,599,000. High List is 733 Via Gaviota at $10,000,000 and 70 DOM, Low List is 3221 Redwood, 2bed/2bath/1091SF, 60 DOM, asking $789,000. There are 10 Townhomes/Condos for sale. High is 391 Racquet Landing, 2bed/2.5bath/1202SF, 66 DOM, originally listed for $1,395,000 and now listed for $1,195,000. Low is 3050 Marlo Court #1, 2bed/1bath/1045SF, 62 DOM, asking $685,000.

APTOS SOLD PAST 30 DAYS Only 10 homes sold in the past 30 days. High is 277 Thunderbird, 3bed/2.5bath/2207SF, 7 DOM, sold for $2,300,000, next is 251 Farallon, 3bed/2.5bath/2485SF, 7 DOM, sold for $1,920,000. Low sale was 243 Siesta 3bed/2bath/1425SF, 21 DOM, sold for $$1,135,000. Avg Sales Price was $1,628,700. Three Townhomes and three Condos sold. High sale was 1113 Via Tornasol, 2bed/2bath/1504SF, 109 DOM, sold for $1,225,000 on original list price of $1,499,000. Low sale was 281 Perch Way, 2bed/1bath/842SF, sold for $815,000.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL! Try to buy Locally when and if you can.

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

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY Paid Advertising

Motion Pacific Director Asks for Help Dear Santa Cruz Community, ollette Tabone here. Director of Motion Pacific Dance.

I am currently on maternity leave. I’m writing this message from Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, holding my daughter Austen, and wrapping up almost four months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. During Austen’s many treatments and surgeries, I have been away from Santa Cruz — my home — and my home away from home — Motion Pacific. With the immense support of Motion Pacific staff and community, I have been able to take a step back from my role as Director during this time of need.

A silver lining: This time away has allowed me to appreciate Motion Pacific from an even wider lens. As I look at my daughter and reflect on the unexpected nature of her arrival, as well as how I’ve needed to reimagine her future, I can’t help but think of the parallels between this experience and Motion Pacific.

Through it all, one word continues to pop into my head: Resilience. Resilience has meant a lot to me in these past few months, and a lot for Motion Pacific in our 25-year history.

Through three different relocations, through the pandemic, and through an ever-shifting Santa Cruz landscape, Motion Pacific has persisted. The evolution of Motion Pacific has been multi-faceted and driven by the needs and desires of our community. Providing non-competitive and body-positive classes for youth and adults, supporting a free Dance for Parkinson’s program, presenting Santa Cruz Dance Week, offering opportunities to perform and present work for local and regional artists, producing and hosting Queer events and programming including MAJESTY and BBQueer, continuously looking for opportunities to partner and build and dream with local organizations—creating

C

a home for arts and expression is at the core of our values and mission.

These programs, amongst others, are worth fighting for.

And now, Motion Pacific is in need.

We have lost our home at 131 Front St., Santa Cruz, and will need to move in 2024. We are looking for new space in a very difficult time, in a very difficult market. We need your support, now.

Despite being in the throes of this transition, Collette Talbone and her daughter Austen Motion Pacific has continuously been there for me and give anything you can to keep Motion my family, and for the larger community. Pacific open and thriving.

Throughout this time, Motion Pacific I wish each of you well as we enter dancers, staff, and supporters have rallied this holiday season and new year. n on my behalf.

— Collette Tabone, Director & Motion So, I am asking that you rally for Pacific Board of Directors and Staff Motion Pacific in this time of giving. We ••• have always been a community-minded Editor’s note: Motion Pacific (https:// AND community-funded organization. motionpacific.com) is part of the 2023 Santa Your contributions, no matter the size, Cruz Gives campaign to raise money for local carry us forward as we create, reimagine, nonprofits and award $1,000 each for most and build resilience. Make a donation at donors, project of the year and most creative https://motionpacific.com/donate campaign. Motion Pacific is one of five chosen We have been nimble, resourceful, arts organizations and one of the smallest staff and responsive in these past 25 years to and volunteers. There is a $2,000 challenge to provide a space for you — our community match gifts up to $2,000 before the campaign — and now we are asking you to employ ends Dec. 31. See https://santacruzgives.org/ those same qualities to dig deeper and nonprofit/motionpacific/

IN MEMORIAM Celebration of Life Dec. 15 in Aptos for Debra Towne

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n Saturday, Nov. 18, Debra Jean Towne tragically passed away at age 70 in Capitola.

She was walking across Crossroads Loop near Bay Avenue when she was fatally struck by a vehicle that did not stop. Her friends and family want safety improvements such as better lighting in this area.

Capitola Police have arrested Aurora Lopez, 58, of Soquel, who has pleaded not guilty to not guilty to charges of felony hitand-run and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.

Debra was a woman of many wonderful traits. She loved her family, the beach,

12 / December 15th 2023 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

cooking and enjoyed Hawaiian dancing.

Debra loved helping anyone that needed her.

She will be forever missed and cherished by all that knew her.

Debra was preceded in death by her husband, Martin Towne, her parents, Donald Pocock and Helen Pellicia, and her brother, Rocky Pocock.

She is survived by her children, Patrick Towne, Adrienne West and Andrew Towne, her sister Rebecca Roesner, and 7 grandchildren. n ••• A Celebration of Life service took place at Twin Lakes Church beginning Friday, Dec. 15 at 10 a.m. and was followed by a reception. In honor of Debra, Hawaiian dress was requested.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Aptos Voters to See $116 Million Bond Measure for Watsonville Hospital

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By Jondi Gumz

n Nov. 29, the Pajaro Valley Health Care District board of directors unanimously voted to authorize a $116 million bond measure for the March 5 election.

If approved by voters in the Pajaro Valley Health Care District, which spans from Aptos in the north to Pajaro in the south, the money would be used to improve the quality of healthcare at Watsonville Community Hospital with these projects: • Double the size of the emergency room; renovate and upgrade X-rays, MRI and CT scanners • Replace aging roofs and plumbing; renovate or replace outdated heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems • Buy the hospital property to save $3 million a year in rent that could be reinvested to modernize the facility and expand patient services.

The proposed measure would mean an estimated $24 annual tax per $100,000 of assessed property valuation.

Watsonville Community Hospital

The tax is based on assessed value, which is established by the county assessor, not market value.

For example, someone who bought a home decades ago and now assessed at $500,000 would pay $120. Someone who bought a home in the past three years with an assessment of $1 million would pay $240.

The payments would be for 30 years.

“We are excited about the possibility of what this bond measure would mean for the Pajaro Valley community,” said John Friel of Aptos, board chair of the Pajaro Valley Health Care District. “When the hospital almost

closed in 2021 because the previous forprofit owners had a loss of $30 million that year, I think we all realized how important this facility is to all of us. Together with the community, we’ve worked hard to establish a plan for financial sustainability. This bond program would help ensure not only longterm financial stability, but also allow us to expand services and upgrade our hospital to the high standard of quality this community deserves.”

“This bond represents an investment in the future of healthcare for the Pajaro Valley,” said Friel. n

Watsonville Nurses Give OK to Three-Year Contract

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egistered nurses at Watsonville Community Hospital in Watsonville voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new three-year contract, according to the California Nurses Association/ National Nurses United.

Highlights of the contract, the nurses said, include: • Improved retention of experienced nurses, with a hospital guarantee that 20% of staff positions be reserved as part-time. Management had sought to convert part-time positions to full-time for efficiency while nurses wanted part-time for more work-life balance and flexibility.

• Precedent-setting infectious disease standards, in the event of a novel virus, outbreak, epidemic, or pandemic, and a newly created “Infectious Disease Task Force” to incorporate nurse input • Safeguards against mandatory overtime and exploitation of nurses working on-call “WCH Nurse Contract” page 14

'tis the season FOR GIVING

$10 Million Invested in projects over 4 decades

4,000+ Student-athletes served annually at AHS and its feeder programs

100% Of donations go directly to facility improvements, program development for our kids.

Leave a lasting legacy Donate to the ASF Endowment Fund

aptossportsfoundation.com

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / December 15th 2023 / 13

14 / December 15th 2023 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

COMMUNITY NEWS

Giving Back

When Watsonville Community Hospital declared bankruptcy two years ago, the community stepped up big time and raised more than $64 million to save the hospital. Since then, hospital employees have committed themselves to giving back to the community. One example took place Dec. 9 with the help of the Center for Farmworker Families when 258 children of farmworker families were invited to the hospital to visit Santa and receive a gift. This initiative was underwritten by an internal fundraising by hospital staff and physicians that raised more than $12,000.

“WCH Nurse Contract” from page 13 • Protections against outsourcing, with a hospital guarantee to prioritize union nurses The contract is the first collective bargaining agreement since Watsonville Community Hospital became a public-sector employer operated by the Pajaro Valley Health Care District following the 2021 bankruptcy.

Ratification by the Pajaro Valley Health Care District Board of Directors will be scheduled this week.

Contract negotiations began in July. Nurses held an informational picket in November.

“After a tumultuous few years, we’re thrilled to have a strong contract that reflects the priorities of nurses and the needs of our community,” said Shanandrea Castro, RN-special procedures and member of the bargaining team. “We fought hard to win critical measures to retain experienced nurses and secured health and safety provisions to improve the hospital’s infectious disease prevention efforts.”

Management also was pleased.

“We couldn’t be happier to have the labor contract with our nurses in place for the next three years, pending official sign-off by our board,” said chief nursing officer, Sherri

“Sales Tax Hike” from page 10 Santa Cruz County provides “municipal” services to more than half of the county population living in the unincorporated area, and provides

“Being Thankful” from page 11 My father-in-law was a teacher at AHS for over 30 years, and we are constantly reminded of his impact on his students to this day. Three generations of my family have either attended or worked at Aptos High, and it has effectively prepared my son for college.

Overall, AHS unites our Aptos community and provides important opportunities for

Stout-Torres, RN. “Our goal in the union negotiations was to provide competitive wages and benefits as well as flexibility to our nurses who work tirelessly on behalf of our patients, while at the same time ensure financial sustainability for the hospital, so it can be here to serve patients now and into the future.”

Besides allowing for more part-time positions for nurses, there is an agreement on share of cost that nurses will pay for their health insurance premiums, which helps offset the higher employer cost of having part-time positions with benefits.

“We are pleased to be able to offer wage increases to our nurses that keep them at the top of the market when compared to other area hospitals,” said Allyson Hauck, chief human resources officer. “We came to an agreement that allows for these wage increases to be paid out incrementally, which helps the hospital manage its cash flow. Overall, the contract demonstrates the spirit of collaboration that exists at our hospital. Staff nurses, management, we’re all doing whatever we can to keep this hospital viable so we can put patients first and serve our community.” n ••• CNA represents nearly 250 nurses at Watsonville Community Hospital. The new contract term will end December 2026. public safety, health and human services countywide. n Times Publishing Group, Inc. aims to publish pro and con opinions, 500 word maximum, on the proposed sales tax increase. Email editor Jondi Gumz at info@cyber-times.com. students to succeed in their future college and career endeavors.”

Thank you to all of them for their positive reflections. May we all take some time to celebrate the things around us that fill us with gratitude. If you need inspiration, find a musical tune from Ode to Joy to holiday tunes or just enjoy the positivity around you from family to friends and from the ocean to our surrounding mountains. Happy 2024! n

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

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16 / December 15th 2023 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

By Denise Ward

ur Community Reads, a program of the Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries, will kick-off the 2024 season on Jan. 24 with a book discussion facilitated by Book Shop Santa Cruz owner Casey Coonerty-Protti.

Be sure to pick up your copy of The Monk of Mokha, by best-selling author Dave Eggers, so you can join us for this, plus a vast selection of upcoming events that will be unveiled shortly.

This fast-paced true story weaves together the history of coffee, the ongoing Yemeni civil war, and the courageous journey of a young man--a Muslim and US citizen-following the American dream.

Our events will delve into the many themes of the book through a variety of types of events including an author talk with both Dave Eggers and the protagonist of the

story, Mokhtar Alkhanshali presenting in person.

There will be art, music, films, lectures, and our everpopular Trivia Night on the calendar plus so much more.

You won’t want to miss this season!

All events will require registration on the SCPL website calendar. For more information about Our Community Reads and a description of events visit: www.friendsofaptoslibrary.org. n

RTC Approves $61.3 Million For Projects

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n Dec. 7, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission approved spending $61.3 million of its anticipated share of state and federal funds on road, bike, and pedestrian projects and bus service.

The RTC is responsible for selecting transportation projects to receive funds from the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program/Regional Surface Transportation Program Exchange, the State Transportation Improvement Program, and the SB1 Local Partnership Program-formula.

This year, the RTC also programmed $34.7 million in one-time formula funds designated for transit capital and operations projects through the SB125 Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program and the Zero Emission Transit Capital Program.

All of these funds can be used to advance regional, state, and federal priorities.

Project that received funding include: • Santa Cruz Metro Rapid Corridors — to give buses traffic signal priority • Santa Cruz Metro transit operations — to provide more frequent service • Environmental analysis of Zero Emission Passenger Rail and Trail • Go Santa Cruz County Bicycle Incentives • Rehab projects on local roads including Murphy’s Crossing, Roggie Lane, Lee Road, West Beach Street, Corralitos Road, Amesti Road, Empire Grade Road, Bear Creek Road, Soquel San Jose Road,

Rio Del Mar Boulevard, Bay Street, Scotts Valley Drive, Mt, Herman Road, 41st Avenue and Green Valley Road • New and upgraded bicycle/pedestrian facilities in Capitola, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Watsonville, Ben Lomond, and on Green Valley Road in the county • Complete Streets improvements in the Felton-SLV Schools Complex area and the Bay corridor in Santa Cruz “This is a really exciting day, said Kristen Brown, RTC vice-chair and chair elect for 2024.

There are a lot of great projects that are before us that are either fully or partially funded.

We’re looking at road repair and improvement projects, bicycle and pedestrian projects, and projects that address equity and accessibility.”

She added, “The opportunity to move forward with Metro’s Reimagine Metro program and what that means for transportation and housing, and again equity, in our county, is all just really exciting.”

She saw consensus.

“We heard from almost every single interest within transportation within our county in support of the staff recommendation, and to me that is the best example of what it looks like to convene, collaborate, and build consensus to build good public policy.”

Project sponsors submitted 23 applications requesting more than $95 million.

“SCCRTC” page 19

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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / December 15th 2023 / 17

COMMUNITY NEWS

What’s Next at Willowbrook Park

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Memorial Reflection Area Underway

By Forrest Revere

t a recent event commemorating the reopening of the playground at Willowbrook Park the community was greeted by the sounds of joyous laughter, pickleball rackets clattering on the resurfaced athletic courts, and yet also a sense of serene calmness.

This community park has served the locals for many years, providing a slice of open space within our urbanized landscape.

The playground reopening was part of an overall reimagining of the park in dedication to the memory of Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, who was tragically killed in the line of duty on June 6, 2020. The playground, which includes improvements to accessibility for kids and caregivers of differing abilities, featured a new climbing wall, slides, swing bridge, monkey bars, and interactive learning panels.

Community members and major funders for the project, including County of Santa Cruz Department of Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services, Santa Cruz County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, County Park Friends,

Rotary Club, and Supervisor Zach Friend and Supervisor Bruce McPherson were in attendance.

“We are so excited for this project to come

to fruition and for the partners and donors who came together to honor Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller,” said Mariah Roberts, executive director of County Park Friends.

Sgt. Gutzwiller dedicated 14 years of service to the residents of Santa Cruz County with our Sheriff’s Department. Early in his career he was known to frequent Willowbrook Park and the Sierra mountains with his family and dog Shasta. Elements of the Sierras were included in the new playground including boulders integrated in as part of the seating area.

The playground is one part of the phased project, which has included a complete resurfacing of the tennis and basketball courts, a new flagpole and reflection area and the renaming of the park in Sgt. Gutzwiller’s honor.

Now the park moves to the most important and final phase, the memorial area dedicated to Sgt. Gutzwiller.

The memorial area is now under construction and the project is led by local contractor Tom Ralston, who also created a beautiful memorial area at the Santa Cruz Police Department after two of the department’s members were tragically killed in the line of duty.

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18 / December 15th 2023 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

COMMUNITY NEWS “Building a public works project always prompts a connection with my heart and soul as it is a meaningful monument for our community,” Tom Ralston said. “But when you are doing a public works project that is a memorial for a fallen officer who had his life needlessly taken, the emotional bar is taken to another heart felt level. The physical project transcends other public works projects.

It becomes a vehicle to elicit feelings of loss and grief for a brave peacekeeper, a loving husband, a father and a friend of our community.”

He is working with SSA Architects on the project, which is expected to be completed in 2024.

The project has been made possible, in part, due to the significant contributions made by many community leaders, stakeholders, non-profits, volunteers, and partnering associations.

“Capitola-Aptos Rotary Club has a decades-long history of supporting local park projects… it’s important for our members that all our local children have safe places to play,” noted Kendra Cleary, president of the Capitola-Aptos Rotary Club. “We hope that our small contribution honors the legacy of Sergeant Gutzwiller here in this community.

We also want to honor his family, and make sure they know we honor Damon and that their sacrifice is absolutely not forgotten.”

Supervisor Friend recognized the completion of this playground and the continued work on the memorial area as “fulfilling the promise to reimagine Willowbrook Park in Damon’s honor. Every day community members can come to this park and enjoy connection with nature and connection with

“SCCRTC” from page 16 RTC staff used metrics to evaluate the projects that align with regional, state, and federal goals in the areas of safety, infrastructure condition, system performance, sustainability, resiliency, equity, and public health.

Staff also assessed the potential for projects to leverage additional grants using RTC-discretionary funds. n •••

RTC Approved Funding

Capitola 41st Avenue pavement rehab $1,000,000 Santa Cruz Escalona Complete Streets $2,941,656 Bethany culvert replacement* $1,500,000 Bay Street paving $875,000 Bay corridor design $399,000 Scotts Valley Mount Hermon Road improvements $523,000 Scotts Valley Drive corridor improvements $500,000 Watsonville Green Valley Road rehabilitation $1,833,000

Damon’s memory. It’s a community-led project and community-led space that will ensure that future generations can have the connection to the park that Damon did.”

Parkgoers will find tributes to Sgt. Gutzwiller’s legacy throughout the park, from seating boulders selected from the Sierras to a self-reflection area where a plaque will be mounted in his honor.

This park embodies the legacy of Sgt. Gutzwiller who will always be remembered as one of our own while also providing a 21st century open space where all people can find great use of the facilities that will be managed by our County Parks, Open Space, and Cultural Services Department.

Ethan Rumrill, president of the Deputy Sheriffs Association, said, “The Deputy Sheriffs Association is very pleased to see Willowbrook Park take on its new form, which includes an area of reflection where we and other members of the public can come to remember Damon Gutzwiller… He left behind his own family and many friends and coworkers who loved him.

He was a widely respected and extremely capable and compassionate peace officer, but he was so much more than that. The Deputy Sheriffs Association is proud to have been a supporter of this Willowbrook Park project from the beginning, which bears Damon’s name and serves as a permanent reminder of him and the many qualities that made him special.”

Sgt. Gutzwiller remains a beloved member of the community and will be remembered in our hearts for generations to come. n Santa Cruz County Emergency Routes Phase 2 resurfacing $3,200,000 Glen Arbor Road Sidewalk $2,100,000 Intercounty Routes resurfacing $2,044,000 Green Valley Road multi-use path $2,000,000 Robertson Street and Soquel Drive signal $1,595,536 Hwy 17 corridors resurfacing $1,500,000 Corralitos corridor resurfacing (Amesti Rd & Corralitos Rd) $1,500,000 Rio Del Mar resurfacing $300,000 Ecology Action youth SRTS bike/pedestrian education $300,000 SCCRTC Zero Emission passenger rail and trail $2,000,000 Felton-SLV Schools Complete Streets improvements $1,800,000 Planning, programming, and monitoring $430,000 Go Santa Cruz County bicycle incentives $305,100 Santa Cruz Metro Transit operations* $28,339,199 Metro rapid corridors $4,000,000 Grand total: $60,985,491

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BUSINESS PROFILE

Two Birds Books

By Teresa Hidalgo Dance

The Little Bookstore That Can

W

hen some businesses were shuttering or downsizing at the height of the covid pandemic, Gary Butler and Denise Silva quietly opened a bookstore in Pleasure Point close to Capitola. Was it a brazen, foolhardy move? Hardly. Just two years later, in 2022, Publishers Weekly, a respected trade journal, chose Two Birds Books as one of the five best bookstores across the country partly to recognize its owners’ dedication to running a bookstore against such odds.

It’s been both an easy and hard road, Butler and Silva attest.

“Opening during the pandemic brought many challenges, but we had strong support from the community from day one,” said Butler.

Two Birds Books has kept its doors open by accommodating book-buying trends that buck long-ago predictions that print would be swallowed up by the digital age.

Butler said, “There’s still a strong desire for browsing and owning physical books, and the happy accident of finding the perfect book tucked away on the shelves.”

With only 900 square feet of available space, the bookstore owners have to be choosy about what to carry. They are known for their thoughtful curation of new and used books for all ages, giving special attention to their nature, sci-fi, and fantasy sections. For sale, too, are unique greeting cards and gift items, many of which are from local makers.

“We try to have a little something for everyone, and to reflect the interests and tastes of our neighborhood,” said Silva.

Both lifelong book lovers and bookstore haunters, Butler and Silva think indie bookstores are worth fighting for.

“Small, local independent bookstores reflect their community better than a national

company which is stuck with the corporate representation of what they feel a bookstore should be,” said Butler. “When you walk into these big companies’ bookstores in San Jose or rural Alabama, you’ll find they both sell the same titles.”

For all the drama that opening during a pandemic brought, at the end of the day, Two Birds Books was meant to simply be a nurturing nook in the community where readers could find meaningful experiences in books.

“Being a democratic, welcoming space is a big priority for us,” said Silva. “We want to be a safe haven. We want to be a source of inspiration and community and connection.”

Supporting local authors is big with Butler and Silva.

“We carry local well-known Santa Cruz writers like Jonathan Franzen, Elizabeth McKenzie, and Karen Joy Fowler,” said Butler.

They also offer a consignment program for local authors who don’t have national recognition or are published on a smaller scale.

Two Birds Books was named after

Owners Gary Butler and Denise Silva 20 / December 15th 2023 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

two ravens that stood watch during their engagement ten years ago.

“We see the ravens as good luck,” said Butler. “They’re like little mascots for us.”

Good fortune may have played a part in the bookstore’s success but there is also the owners’ passion for books and authors. They strive to be inclusive of everyone’s stories and literary tastes, not just their personal preferences. Butler has also been known to acquire a book just because he thought a particular customer might like to have it. Such personalized service and recommendations are a hallmark of the mom-and-pop shop.

To top it off, Two Birds Books is dog-friendly

with its owners very supportive of animal rescue.

Butler and Silva have high hopes that they will be around for as long as people love books. n ••• Two Birds Books is at 881 41st Ave. and can be found online at www.twobirdsbooks.com and @ twobirdsbooks on Facebook and Instagram.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

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22 / December 15th 2023 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

n Cyber Monday, Santa Cruz County launched a new MySCCounty+ app with a digital platform to purchase and store digital permits and other county services.

Available on the App Store and Google Play, MySCCounty+ allows residents to access community services, apply for public benefits, sign up for emergency alerts, report potholes, abandoned vehicles and other nuisances, and access other programs – like the original app – but now there is a purchase option.

Moreover, residents can store permits purchased online, which makes them readily accessible.

“With the launch of the new MySCCounty+ app, the County has taken a technological leap forward that helps lay the groundwork for fully secure anywhere, anytime county services,” Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors Chair Zach Friend said.

“No other local government in California is as dedicated to leveraging the power of technology to serve residents.”

The MySCCounty+ app allows visiting relatives or anyone else to secure RV parking permits in unincorporated areas.

Also, the app allows public safety officials and residents to verify whether someone has permits without making contact with permit-holders.

The app is powered by HUMBL, a San Diego-based company that develops mobile apps for digital payments, including transactions founded on blockchain technologies. This is the first municipal app

developed with a local jurisdiction in California.

The app includes a library of credentials called a “Vault.” Payments are made online, and HUMBL does not store or have access to users’ financial information.

For additional security, residents can use biometrics to login. n

No Crab Season Before Christmas

T

he 2023-2024 California commercial Dungeness crab fishing season may not open before New Year’s.

The third delay to the commercial season opener is the California Department of Fish and Wildlife response to the number of humpback whales entangled in the fishing gear.

The decision also comes on the heels of a critically endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtle becoming entangled and drowning in commercial Dungeness crab gear, which CDFW suspects was lost during the 2021-2022 fishing season.

Pacific leatherback sea turtles have declined off California by 90% over the last 30 years and death of a single leatherback sea turtle impacts the species’ chances for recovery, according to Oceana. n

COMMUNITY NEWS

Cabrillo College to Offer Wine Studies Degree S tarting in fall 2024, Cabrillo College will offer its inaugural “Wine Studies Associate in Science” degree in response to industry demands.

The degree, approved in October and to debut in the 2024-25 course catalog, was developed over three years by instructor Deborah Parker Wong in conjunction with an industry advisory board drawn from Santa Cruz County.

“Cabrillo College is based in the Santa Cruz Mountains American Viticultural Area, a historic, world-class winegrowing region, and an ideal place to study wine,” Parker Wong said. “In re-envisioning the wine program, I wanted our students to have a pathway to higher education and to leapfrog into four-year programs with skills that ensure their success. When I returned to school for a master’s degree, it struck me that I was teaching my heart out — but if the courses were not transferable and there was no opportunity to earn a degree, I wasn’t giving my students every opportunity to advance.”

The “Wine Studies” program comprises 11 major courses — including basic winemaking, wine grape viticulture, and world wines — with seven transferable to the California State University and the University of California systems.

There are two companion certifications designed to introduce students to multiple career paths in the industry: • A certificate of achievement in Wine Studies, approved in fall 2022, offers a foundation for students seeking employment in the wine industry by successfully finishing 7 courses; • A noncredit global wine certificate of completion. Noncredit courses and certificates are tuition-free, repeatable, pass/ no pass offerings for individuals aiming to enhance skills, increase employability, or pursue personal interests.

“The introduction of Cabrillo College’s Wine Studies degree marks an exciting

Deborah Parker Wong

expansion within our career-focused offerings,” said Annabelle Rodriguez, dean of career education and workforce development. “This program aligns with industry needs, providing students with a robust foundation for diverse career paths in the dynamic world of wine.”

Wine Studies at Cabrillo dates back to the year 2000 when the inaugural wine course was crafted by then Department Chair Sue Slater, targeting wine service skills for students in the Culinary Arts program.

Parker Wong, who joined Cabrillo College in 2015, was recruited by Slater to develop curriculum and teach the Department’s first Wine Faults course (CAHM 33). Today, this course stands as the sole accredited, independent offering of its kind available to students in California.

After Slater retired, Parker Wong envisioned the future of the program as a path for students to matriculate to four-year and graduate degree programs in enology and viticulture.

Cabrillo’s Wine Studies department is housed within the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Division, and is an integral part of the Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Department.

Wine Studies is one of 142 Career Education degrees and certificates at Cabrillo.

PVUSD Promotes Rich Moran

R

High and Pajaro Valley High, ich Moran has been principal at Aptos Junior High promoted to director of and most recently was principal English Language Arts/ at Mintie White Elementary.

Social Studies and Ethnic Studies He has a bachelor’s degree for the Pajaro Valley Unified from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, School District. a single subject credential in This appointment was biological acience from Cal Poly approved by the board on Nov. 8.

San Luis Obispo and a master’s He joined PVUSD in 2005 as a Rich Moran in education leadership and an teacher. He taught at Pajaro Valley High, became extended learning coordinator administrative credential from San Jose State there, became assistant principal at Aptos University. n

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16. Concerning, archaic 43. Opposed to 17. Talking Heads’ “And 44. Tastes like lemon She ____” 46. Seven-year desire 18. Give a speech 47. Turf alternative 19. *2023 World Series 48. *Highest-grossing winners 2023 movie to-date 21. *Imploded submers- 50. Chris Hemsworth’s ible’s destination repeating role 23. *Kali Uchis’ “I Wish 52. Auction batch ____ Roses” 53. Cheese on 24. Don’t step on it twice!

Peloponnese 55. Kombucha, e.g.

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9. Sign of a saint 45. Combining two forms 61. *King Charles III’s 10. Kin group 49. What kneecap and Royal House leech have in common 65. On the radio (2 words) 11. South American monkey 51. Airbnb offering 66. *Ryder Cup 2023 12. Design detail, for short 54. Northernmost land, to runner-up 15. Sacred objects on a the ancients 68. 1000 kilograms pole 56. a.k.a. adobar or carne 69. “Beat it!”

20. Bitterly regretting de vinha d’alhos 70. Lake, in France 22. Dwight D. Eisenhower 57. Lion’s share 71. Manila hemp 24. Boat race 58. Beyond natural, in 72. Foot digits 25. Meat on a stick U.K. 73. Freudian topic 26. “Fear of Flying” author 59. Steak preference 74. Runner Jong 60. Days, in Havana DOWN 27. Post-it user 61. *Showtime’s “____: 1. Joust verbally 29. *Site of tragic The Aftermath” 2. Cat food flavor wildfires 62. Certain social media 3. Word before sesame 31. Objectivity preventer message 4. Gangly 32. Declare invalid 63. A third of thrice 5. Type of shower 33. Like 1950s style, 64. Infantry’s last rows 6. *Company from which today 67. *____-AFTRA #57 Across retired, 34. *”The Eras Tour” star ____ Corp 36. Balkan native 7. Nest egg, acr.

38. St. Louis attraction © Statepoint Media 8. Trattoria staple 42. Hindu garment

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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / December 15th 2023 / 23

COMMUNITY NEWS

Tribute Tables: A Memorable Gift for Your Loved Ones L ooking for a really memorable gift this holiday season? How about redwood picnic table with an inscription of your choice placed at local state park or beaches.

Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks has more than 200 “Tribute Tables” available to be placed in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties.

The minimum donation for a Tribute Table is $2,500; proceeds support local state parks and beaches.

Tribute Tables is a collaborative project between Friends and California State Parks, launched in 2019. Park supporters can honor a loved one, celebrate a milestone or demonstrate community support with their engraved message.

For Alex Conway, it was a lovely surprise for her partner Gilbert for his birthday.

The couple regularly walks together with their dogs at Manresa Uplands State Beach.

Alex thought a Tribute Table there would be a wonderful way to celebrate him and their relationship.

“Since we came to this beach a lot,

I thought this could be kind of a fun surprise for Gilbert,” she said. “He’s a terrific person and he’s a great gift giver. He’s very

24 / December 15th 2023 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

thoughtful, and I just thought, ‘Oh he will not be expecting this’ so I was trying to one up him.”

So far, 100 new picnic tables have been ordered or installed.

“Tribute Tables are a meaningful way to show appreciation for a loved one or special milestone in your life while supporting our beloved state parks and beaches,” Friends Executive Director Bonny Hawley said. “A gift of a Tribute Table also will give park visitors a place to pause and reflect, or to take a break to celebrate.”

In Santa Cruz County, Tribute Tables are available to dedicate in day-use areas and campgrounds at 19 state parks and beaches: The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park, Seacliff State Beach, Sunset State Beach, New Brighton State Beach, Wilder Ranch State Park, Castro Adobe State Historic Park, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Manresa Uplands State Beach, Natural Bridges State Beach, Rancho del Oso Unit of Big Basin State Park, Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park and Castle Rock State Park. n ••• To learn more, visit www.thatsmypark. org/tribute-tables or contact Jo Kenny at Jo@ thatsmypark.org or (831) 429-1840, ext. 312.

‘Let’s Be Blunt’ Attracts 360 to Moe’s Alley

A

free event for the Santa Cruz cannabis industry, organized by Jenna Gallant & Lo Núñez González of locally owned Treehouse Dispensary and hosted by Moe’s Alley, attracted 360 people, winning kudos from those who attended.

The official count at Let’s Be Blunt was 233 Santa Cruz County dispensary workers representing 20 Santa Cruz County dispensaries. And 29 California cannabis brands brought educational materials. Another 14 were local artists, musicians and vendors.

Bella Brown of Lowell Farms said, “Thank you so much, this is truly what everyone needed. I keep hearing about how great this was from all the [dispensary staff]!”

Xochitl Carrillo, of **Up North Humboldt**, raved, “More than anything, the South Bay has some of the most fun and friendly [cannabis industry] people to spend the evening entertaining. Thank you for creating a space for us to do that. I hope you realize how big of a success this was for everyone in your community. We can’t wait for the next!”

As the cannabis industry has evolved post Prop 64, those in it have felt a loss of solidarity and connection that was prominent during the days of Prop 215.

The appreciation of plant medicine shifted to competition between shops and brands, and many wanted to get back to the culture and compassion that used to be.

This brought together cultivators and manufacturers to every level of retail workers and brand workers.

Gallant called it “a convergence of ideas, a celebration of shared values, and a commitment to shaping the future of cannabis in Santa Cruz.”

“Let’s Be Blunt” page 26

COMMUNITY NEWS

Reading Scores Climb at Struggling Schools after Phonics Lessons

C

By Carolyn Jones, CalMatters

alifornia’s $53 million investment in teaching its youngest and lowest-performing students to read has shown dramatic — and relatively fast — results, researchers at Stanford have found.

In a study released Dec. 3, researchers at Stanford’s Graduate School of Education found that the percent of third-graders in the program who met or nearly met the state reading standards rose 6 percentage points, compared to students at similar schools.

“This study shows we can eradicate illiteracy at warp speed,” said Mark Rosenbaum, an attorney behind the lawsuit that spurred the state’s Early Literacy Support Block Grant program. “I wasn’t surprised at the results. But I was impressed with the speed, especially during a pandemic.”

The program came about in 2020 as part of a settlement of a lawsuit filed by Morrison Foerster and Public Counsel, a nonprofit public interest firm based in Los Angeles.

Far too many students in California, especially those who are Black, Latino and low-income, were not learning to read, with disastrous results, the lawsuit said. Students who can’t read well by fourth grade are significantly more likely to drop out of school and engage in risky behavior as adolescents, research has shown.

The lawsuit settlement called for California to spend $50 million on literacy programs at the state’s 75 worst-performing elementary schools. At most of these schools, fewer than 10% of students – in some cases, less than 3% – met the state’s reading standard prior to the pandemic, compared to about half of students statewide. Most of the money went toward training teachers, hiring classroom aides and purchasing books. But districts had some leeway to tailor funding to their own unique needs.

Most districts adopted phonics-based curricula inspired by the so-called “science of reading,” an approach to literacy focused on language comprehension and phonics, or matching sounds to letters. Until recently, most schools in California used a “balanced literacy” approach, which includes phonics but also encourages students to recognize whole words by sight.

“Reading wars” over various approaches to teaching literacy have raged for years, but this study is among the first to show distinct before-and-after results, comparing similar schools over time, boosting the idea that the science of reading is a more effective technique.

“Students were running up to me saying, ‘Mr. Humphrey, want to hear me read?’ The glimmer in their eyes, the smiles on their faces. I thought, that’s why we’re doing this.”

— Robert Humphrey, principal at Bel Air Elementary at the time

“The takeaway is that targeted, welldesigned science of reading interventions can make a big difference,” said Sarah Novicoff, a doctoral student who worked on the study.

“It demonstrated that efforts like this are worth pursuing.”

Becky Sullivan, English language arts director at the Sacramento County Office of Education and coordinator of the block grant for all the targeted schools, said she knew within months that the program was working, based on initial testing that showed 95% of students were making progress.

“I’m really proud of all the schools and teachers who put in the hard work. It shows,” Sullivan said. “We’ve impacted the lives of 15,000 students, from the north end of the state to the south.”

••• Literacy is a Moral Imperative Joshua Elementary in Lancaster, in northern Los Angeles County, was among the schools singled out in the grant. Five years ago, Joshua was one of the lowestperforming schools in the state, if not the country, with fewer than 3% of third graders meeting or exceeding the state’s Smarter Balanced reading standards. Using grant funds, the district tossed out part of its previous literacy curriculum and adopted a new one focused on the science of reading. Teachers were trained, children got new reading materials, and tests were given regularly.

Last year, the number of third-graders meeting the standard nearly doubled, and district officials expect the numbers to keep climbing.

“Our data is still low, but we are seeing vast improvements,” said Krista Thomsen, the district’s director of curriculum, instruction and assessment. “What we are seeing now is teacher buy-in, because they’re seeing success teaching kids how to read. …

The entire staff understands that literacy is a moral imperative.”

“Phonics” page 26

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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / December 15th 2023 / 25

In the Magic of Mercury Retrograde — Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All

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Esoteric Astrology • Mid-December 2023 • By Risa D’Angeles

ercury begins its retrograde in Capricorn and moves back to Sagittarius, stationing direct on the first day of the new year, January 1, 2024! We therefore have the rest of December (Advent, Winter Solstice, Christmas, first day of the new year) under Mercury’s retrograde. We can plan but everything turns out to be different than expected. Humor is suggested during Mercury’s retrograde.

Mercury retrograde presents us with unexpected changes, surprising events and outcomes. It is not a time of moving forward. Mercury retrograde is a time of review, re-examination, revision and reflection. Decisions are contemplated, past events and people appear seeking continuation or completion. What has not completed itself asks for another chance. It’s wise to have a sense of humor with whatever may occur. It’s a time of the trickster appearing and when hidden and secret knowledge is available.

Mercury dons different masks when retrograde, becoming architect and archetype for variations and adjustments. We adapt to Mercury’s retrograde, seeing Mercury less as creating disruption and more as offering a mischievous magical adventure for mortals.

Mercury retrograde actually even disrupts and challenges the gods!

ARIES

Observe whether friends, events and dreams from the past appear. They show up for you to review their need and usefulness. We learn from our experiences and eventually we create rules out of what we’ve learned. Begin to eliminate all thoughts, ideas and possessions not absolutely necessary. Are plans being made for travel somewhere distant and far away?

Careful with those plans. They will change unexpectedly. All of humanity must become adaptable quickly.

GEMINI

Past friends, partners, intimates, relationships, and past resources need to be assessed, renewed and contacted. They’re valuable for reasons revealed in the not too distant future. A certain group, also from the past, holds the information, Love and Wisdom (Ray 2, Gemini’s ray) you need.

They hold out to you the possibilities of a new life, allowing you entrance into what you have sought for so long — understanding the mysteries. The foundation is astrology. Begin by gazing at your chart.

Christmas Bells A Poem by H. W. Longfellow I heard the bells on Christmas Day And in despair I bowed my head; Then pealed the bells more loud Their old, familiar carols play, “There is no peace on earth,” I said; and deep: “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; And wild and sweet “For hate is strong, The Wrong shall fail, The words repeat And mocks the song Of peace on earth, good-will to Of peace on earth, good-will to The Right prevail, With peace on earth, good-will to All.” All! All!”

LEO

SAGITTARIUS

You’re neither sentimental nor emotional. You see the need for nourishment and realize one source of nourishment is financial security. How would this security look in terms of work, home and land? Each area you live and work in calls for order and organization, purity of focus, warmth, color, beauty and quality. Do you have a work place for your creative arts and for preparing pure foods? If not build this place for yourself.

Should communication feel wounding, say a prayer.

You assess past and present relationships in terms of changing values. Simultaneously, it’s most important to assess the values you offer and if there is more you can give of Right Relations through intentions for Goodwill. Allow only the goodness of yourself in relationships. Goodness is a purity and an inner quality. What is your goodness and what do you offer others? Include all relationships. Remember true love isn’t a feeling.

TAURUS

You may struggle to maintain equilibrium between desires, wants and feelings of lack. Study the word, the etymology and the subject of sacrifice (sacra: sacred, from the heart). It is the 1st Law of the Soul. At the center of sacrifice is Love. A seeming paradox. Sacrifice emerges from love, which underlies all events and lives on Earth. We are the Sacrificial Ones. You may feel that you’ve been a nurturer all your life. Now, to nurture yourself, you need a solitary cabin in the woods next to a lake.

And so, Mercury retrograde moves from Capricorn (8 degrees) to Sagittarius (22 degrees). The easy-going fire of Sag comes down to earth in Capricorn. Humanity becomes less ideological and more practical.

The question Sagittarius asks, “Where shall we go next?” shifts to the Capricorn practical question of, “How is this useful?” From fire (adventure) to earth (anchoring the self somewhere!). Looking back, we prepare for the time when we look ahead.

And we realize during Mercury retrograde and through the holy season, that all times, all signs, all questions, all peoples, all of our days and nights are useful, an adventure and most of all, magical! n

VIRGO

CAPRICORN

Tend to all daily things small and necessary, giving them your deepest attention and loving awareness.

Observe habits and agendas (going awry), how you care for yourself, your work, all environments and everyone in your many worlds. We evolve slowly by tending to physical, emotional, then mental needs, progressing finally to the Soul. Each day “brood upon your service (work) for the coming day.” This is Soul Work.

The personality then quiets down, becomes poised and grateful for direction.

Things go into hiding for a while … especially you, for rest and protection. Someone else is hiding, too. They’re very valuable to you. Tend to them with care.

They’re knowledgeable and have skills needed for your next creative stage and for humanity’s educational future. Money too is hidden at this time. However, it’s still available but you must call it forth and tend to practical day to day things. Everything being holy.

AQUARIUS

Ponder upon the different ways you want to be seen, known and recognized in the world and in the LIBRA context of helping to build the new culture In the next month assess the many ways you are valuable. and civilization — your work now. You are Perhaps this is difficult? Ponder upon and to nurture the new era at its foundational make lists of your gifts, abilities, kindnesses, good associations, good deeds, thoughts, stages with visions of the future, which you hold. How is ideas and plans. Here is your value. Place your garden? Do you have a worm bin; do you know how these lists on walls, doors and mirrors, reviewing them each to create bio-dynamic soil? Remember to share your disday. This is the beginning of your self-identity as a server for coveries. What you intuit nurtures humanity’s knowledge of humanity — the great tasks for Libra (sun, moon, rising) in the future. the Aquarian Age. PISCES

CANCER

A return to previous, perhaps set-aside creative work allows you to recognize, redefine, reassess and reaffirm its importance to your life’s work. There’s a renewed fire in your mind, calling you to enter deeper into creative pursuits. They lead you to a sense of play, missed in your life recently. A specific creative work opening the door to a new emerging identity. All parts of you seek this which then creates a sense of spiritual unity. God’s body is nature itself. Spend more time there.

The next nine months you reassess goals, hopes, wishes and aspirations. Earth’s resources (soil, trees, Life becomes subtler, slightly different and you respond with plants) are vital for your well-being. Stand in mercy and compassion. Tend to all debts the Sun and work in nature (garden) — the and then tithe to those in need. St. Jude’s most balanced kingdom. The radiations of Children’s Hospital; Doctors Without Borders; the Heifer Project, etc., organizations that help earth and sky strengthen heart and mind, refocus your enthupeople and build community. There is a spiritual law — what- siasm (“filled with God”), allow practicality to emerge. It’s soever we give to others in need is returned ten-fold. As we time for your ideals to enter form and matter. New work to be serve others our life is cared for. The 3rd Law of the Soul is done in the world for humanity. Call forth your companions to help.

Service to the world. You become the disciple.

••• SCORPIO

Risa D’Angeles • www.nightlightnews.org • risagoodwill@gmail.com 26 / December 15th 2023 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

“Let’s Be Blunt” from page 24 For example, she reported: Unity: Participants engaged in open dialogue, sharing insights and expertise that has traditionally been siloed.

Empowerment: Attendees were treated to enlightening seminars, workshops, and panel discussions led by industry experts. Topics ranged from sustainable cultivation practices to navigating evolving regulatory landscapes.

Networking: Cannabis professionals could connect, exchange ideas, and form partnerships.

Community Impact: Talk about giving back to the broader Santa Cruz County community with initiatives such as supporting local charitable organizations to advocating for responsible cannabis use or collaborating with locally owned businesses outside the industry. n Photo Credit: Karli Adams

“Phonics” from page 25 Bel Air Elementary in Bay Point, in Contra Costa County, used its grant money — $1 million over three years — to hire reading specialists to work with students in small groups. The school also brought in a new phonics-based curriculum, closely tracked student progress and trained teachers.

The results were almost instant, said Robert Humphrey, Bel Air principal at the time.

“Students were running up to me saying, ‘Mr. Humphrey, want to hear me read?’ The glimmer in their eyes, the smiles on their faces. I thought, that’s why we’re doing this,” Humphrey said. “It’s been an absolutely amazing turnaround.”

He also noticed a decline in behavior problems and an overall improvement in morale, among teachers as well as students.

“Walking around campus, you could feel the difference,” he said.

He is worried, however, about what happens when the grant money runs out next year. He’s looking at ways to continue funding the reading specialists.

More grant money is available through the California Department of Education’s new Literacy Coaches and Reading Specialists program, which will bring $500 million to about 800 schools statewide. The program, authorized by Assembly bill 181, was started in 2022 and is available to any elementary school that has an enrollment that’s more than 95% low-income, English learner or foster youth.

Still, that leaves thousands of schools without funding to train teachers and buy materials to implement the science of reading.

Rosenbaum said that the results from the Stanford study are too promising to let the initiative fade away for lack of funding.

“It should be expanded throughout the country, at every school,” he said. “And if it’s not, we’ll just file more lawsuits.” n ••• CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

FEATURED COLUMNIST

El Nino Extreme Weather Travel Survival Guide

B

race yourself for a hard winter, fellow travelers.

“Prepare for the worst,” warns aviation expert David Doughty. “You might encounter ice storms, blizzards and other treacherous weather conditions.”

These won’t be ordinary storms, either.

Meteorologists say they’ll be powered by climate change and El Nino. Last month, the National Weather Service issued an El Nino advisory, predicting the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Will El Nino Affect Your Next Trip?

Travelers like Nikita Sherbina are ready.

“I’ve taken precautions for my winter travel plans,” says Sherbina, who runs a business software company in Seattle. “I’ve also booked refundable or flexible tickets for my trip, and I’m keeping a close eye on weather forecasts to adjust travel dates if necessary.”

Is Sherbina overreacting? No. Crazy weather could sink your winter vacation, and meteorologists expect the erratic conditions to continue through early spring. But there’s a way to weatherproof your next trip, and the time to do it is now. I am, but my solution is a little bit contrarian. I’ll tell you more in a moment.

So what happens when the weather disrupts your trip? An internal survey of 1,400 TripIt’s users found that 15% of its users were affected by extreme weather this summer, but it projects that number will rise as El Nino weather patterns form.

“Unpredictable weather could mean trouble for travelers this winter,” says Jen Moyse, vice president of product at TripIt. Of those surveyed by the travel planning app, 41% of travelers stuck to their plans and only 1% of respondents canceled their trip. If that pattern holds, it means more of us will be stuck in traffic, waiting at the airport, or trapped somewhere in a snowstorm, unable to get home. But what parts of the country will get the worst of it?

Winter Difficulties Traveling during winter is hard enough, with snowstorms, rain and flooding always a possibility. But El Nino has the potential to turn it up a notch. El Nino disrupts regular weather patterns and can trigger intense storms.

What does that mean for domestic travelers? Most of the action will happen in the Southeast, which will be wet and stormy, according to Ray Schmitt, president of the weather analytics company Salient Predictions.

By Christopher Elliott

“The East Coast, in general, should be rather wet, but not too snowy,” he predicts.

Paul Pastelok, the lead long-range forecaster and senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, says the Pacific Northwest could have active, El Nino-fueled storms later this year, with more “hit or miss” weather heading into 2024. For late November and December, he sees more storms and precipitation across California extending into the central Rockies.

“El Nino will be strong and can be a dominant factor in the forecast,” he says.

Translation: Remember the winter storms in January that prompted the cancellation of thousands of flights? You might see a few more of those early next year. They’ll be bigger than last year’s storms and bring more rain and snow.

Jeff Rolander, vice president of claims at Faye Travel Insurance, says the extreme weather is part of a broader trend, which some experts have attributed to climate change.

“The baseline of normal has changed significantly,” he told me. “A decade ago, there’d be a couple of large hurricanes per season. Now, storms are on the horizon quite frequently, and it’s a matter of severity, not if it will hit.”

Bottom line: It’s already been a busy few years for extreme weather, as far as travel is concerned. And it’s about to get busier.

Flexibility and Awareness El Nino could ruin any trip in late 2023 and early 2024, including yours, experts say.

“You should be mindful of this when you’re booking a flight to somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere that is prone to adverse weather conditions,” says Doughty, who is the CEO of an aircraft charter company.

Airlines use what’s called a hub-and-spoke system, which means if you’re flying somewhere, you might be making a connection in Atlanta, Chicago, or Dallas. So even if you’re headed somewhere that isn’t prone to extreme weather, you might be making a stopover there and subject to El Nino weather patterns.

If you’re driving, you’ll want to make sure your vehicle is ready for winter weather long before the first winter storm hits. Winter tires, a first aid kit, and maybe brushing up on your winter driving skills are a must.

For Sherbina, flexibility is the key to handling Mother Nature’s wrath. He’s implemented a remote work plan for his employees to ensure that harsh weather doesn’t disrupt his business. So if the weather outside is frightful, his employees stay home. It’s a

philosophy he applies to his travels, too. So if he can’t fly, he switches to driving -- or vice versa.

“My advice would be to always have a backup strategy in place to tackle any potential disruptions due to El Nino-induced weather,” he says.

Travel Insurance Yes, travel insurance can cover an extreme weather event like an El Nino-powered blizzard.

But the time to think about it is now.

“Once an event impacting a destination is named, like a severe winter storm, it’s too late to purchase travel insurance and have your prepaid expenses protected,” explains Daniel Durazo, director of external communications at Allianz Partners USA. Don’t forget to read the policy. Some insurance coverage is general, covering weather disruptions. But other policies can get quite detailed, and you need to know what’s covered before a big storm slams into your airport.

For example, a policy like Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP)’s AirCare, which specializes in covering flights, will kick in when there’s a snowstorm causing a flight cancellation or a delay caused by de-icing plane wings.

In addition to its air travel coverage, BHTP also has a policy called ExactCare Extra, which includes coverage for snowy mishaps like rental car collisions on icy roads or snowstorm-related delays and cancellations. Other travel insurance policies have similar coverage.

“Insurance is a small investment that can save you a lot of stress and money,” says Ajay Kumar Shrestha, a trekking guide in the Himalayas. “But you have to make sure it covers weather.”

Avoiding Weather Disruptions There’s only one way to avoid extreme winter weather and still travel -- and that is to select your destination carefully to steer clear of the worst of it. Head south to avoid severe blizzards. Or travel to Asia or Europe to escape the worst effects of this climate pattern.

That’s how I’m planning to sidestep El Nino this year. My next writing assignment is taking me to South America for the southern hemisphere summer in December, January

Illustration by Dustin Elliott

and February. I’ll be in Chile next month, which experts say will be a little warmer than usual because of El Nino. But, thank goodness, no snowstorms.

Elliott’s El Nino Travel Tips

Find a Travel Advisor who can Handle a Crisis Hire a competent travel advisor and make sure they know how to handle a crisis.

Agents who specialize in adventure travel and business travel should fit the bill. Here’s how to find an agent.

Give Yourself More Time to Get There If you’re traveling during El Nino, it may take longer if you get caught in a storm. “I personally always plan extra time on either end of my travels during the winter to ensure I’m not cutting it too close and missing an important meeting or event,” says John Gobbels, chief operating officer of Medjet.

Download a Weather App and Set up Alerts No one gives weather smartphone apps a second look, but you need them in an El Nino year.

Here’s a good place to start: Set up weather alerts for your destination on your iPhone at https://support.apple.com/en-az/ guide/iphone/iph39ae9474a/ios.

That way, you know what kind of trouble lies ahead. Bookmark the National Weather Service site and check out an app like MyRadar, which allows you to track a storm. n ••• Christopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes Elliott Confidential, a travel newsletter, and the Elliott Report, a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can email him at chris@elliott.org.

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / December 15th 2023 / 27

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Have a virtual or live event you want to promote?

Send your information to info@cyber-times.com by December 20

Register at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/CERTBasic#/ Sign up for the class you want using the class tab or drop-down tab, not the landing page.

RED KETTLE CAMPAIGN UNDERWAY The Salvation Army has kicked off its 2023 Red Kettle — Imagined Memories, featuring creations by Santa Cruz transfer every year with the district of residency and the holiday drive.

County artists Wendy Aikin of Aptos, Jean Sheckler Beebe district you wish to attend.

Their bell-ringing, Christmas spirit-emoting volunteers of Aptos and Judy Stabile of Watsonville. The exhibit is on If you are within the district, you need to fill out display from Nov. 17 through Jan. 6. intra-district paperwork with the district when you switch can be found outside most large supermarkets in shopping This exhibition is an expansion of Aikin’s installation The schools. For example, all 8th grade AJHS students going to centers throughout the county.

Curator’s Office which was part of The Museum of Curious AHS next will need to fill out an Intra-district for next year.

Perceptions exhibition at Pajaro Valley Arts in 2018. Aikin created All incoming 7th graders from PVUSD feeder schools need TEDX SANTA CRUZ SEEKS SPEAKERS a life-size cabinet of curiosities of an imaginary museum curator. to fill out an Intra-district transfer to go to AJHS. Organizers are calling for speakers, volunteers, Aikin, Beebe and Stabile are expanding on their interpre- Transfer requests are processed based on space avail- and sponsors for the next TEDxSantaCruz: Rising tations of the characters in Aikin’s assemblages. Through ability. IF the school is at full enrollment, transfer requests Together, slated for Saturday, April 13, at Cabrillo sculpture, collage, assemblage, painting, found objects go on a wait list.

College’s Crocker Theater. The call is open to CHRISTMAS CLOSURES and fiber arts, the artists are creating environments for Transportation is not provided for intra-district transfers. everyone who lives or works in Santa Cruz County.

All Santa Cruz Public Libraries will be closed for their imagined lives.

“Santa Cruz County has been through so much Christmas and New Year’s on Sunday and Monday, Dec. NEW LEAF TEAMS WITH DOORDASH since we held our last TEDxSC event in 2019 – the 24, 25, 31 and Jan. 1.

PVUSD WINTER BREAK COVID pandemic, CZU fires, and back-to-back storms DoorDash has added New Leaf Community Markets the ••• and floods,” said event co-producer Nada Miljkovic, natural and County of Santa Cruz offices will be closed Dec. 24, 25 Dec. 21 thru Jan. 15 UC Santa Cruz program manager of the Center for organic grocer Winter break for Pajaro Valley Unified School District and Jan. 1 Innovation & Entrepreneurial Development. “Our begins next week; school resumes after the Martin Luther with locations in Aptos and Capitola, to its platform for on-demand delivery. community has literally risen together, disaster after King Jr. holiday on Jan. 16.

RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES The American Red Cross continues to experience a national The Family Engagement and Wellness Center, at 530 Palm It’s part of the DoorDash push into the grocery category, disaster, to meet each challenge.”

Consuelo Alba, co-founder and executive director of along with adding SNAP/EBT as a blood shortage and asks the public to book a time to give Ave. in Watsonville, will be open some days offering mental the Watsonville Film Festival, is working with Miljkovic payment method. as soon as possible. Donors of all blood types are urgently health support, food co-op and help for PVUSD families From Dec. 22 to Jan.4, shoppers can and Jenny Kurzweil of Community Foundation Santa experiencing homelessness, and those with foster youth. needed, especially type O and those giving platelets. enjoy the following deal from New Leaf: Cruz County to produce the event.

Dates and Hours: To make a donation appointment, download the Red The theme is meant to suggest “an immense Free delivery from all New Leaf Com• Dec. 21 & 22 (10am to 6pm) Cross blood donor app, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call munity Market locations and DashPass scale of collaboration,” Alba said. “How do we rise • Dec. 27 & 28 (10am to 6pm) 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) members get 20% off $50 (up to $15) together? How do we build effective and lasting • Dec. 30 (9am - 3:30pm) ••• collaborations?” off all eligible orders with promo code NL20.

• Jan. 3, 4, & 5 (10am to 6pm) Those who give Dec. 18-Jan. 5 will receive a Red Cross The theme was inspired by the Rise Together • Jan. 6 (23:30 pm) / (9 to 11am for Second Harvest long-sleeved T-shirt (while supplies last). coalition, a Community Foundation initiative that food distribution) BOOK CLUB WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS Capitola brings together local Black, Indigenous, and People of • Jan. 9, 10, 11, & 12 (10am to 6pm) A group of retired gals in Aptos has a book club and is Dec. 16: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Mid-County Senior Center, 829 Color leaders to advance racial equity. Rise Together • Jan. 13 (9 am - 3:30 pm) welcoming new members.

Bay Ave. members are volunteering to help organize the event, If parents/guardians or students need immediate support, call: They meet once a month on the third Tuesday, from 3 – Santa Cruz particularly lunchtime networking.

• Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 5 p.m. rotating the gathering among the members.

Dec. 19: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Chaminade Resort and Spa, 1 To apply to be a speaker, volunteer, or sponsor, see • Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 to connect Members say: “We have very eclectic tastes, so our range Chaminade Lane with a Crisis Counselor. of books is wide open, and we choose our books by voting tedxsantacruz.org. Speaker applications are due Dec. 3.

Dec. 23: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Santa Cruz Live Oak Grange • California Youth Crisis Line: 1-800-843-5200 on suggestions from our group at the start of the year.” #503, 1900 17th Ave. • LGBTQ+ Support Resources: The Trevor Project. Call If anyone is interested in finding out more, or joining, contact COMING SOON: EQUINE ASSISTED THERAPY Dec. 26: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of 1-866-488-7386 or Text START to 678-678 to text with Linda Mandel at Lindamandel@yahoo.com.

The Pregnant Mare Rescue in Aptos is expanding from Latter-Day Saints, 220 Elk St. a supportive person. Trans Lifeline 24/7 hotline (877) just rescue to offering equine-facilitated therapy to Scotts Valley CLAM CHOWDER COOKOFF COMING the community.

Dec. 20: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Four Points by Sheraton, 5030 565-8860 https://translifeline.org/ ••• The 43rd Annual Clam Chowder Cook-Off, will be Saturday and Founder Lynn Hummer is building a new Board of Scotts Valley Drive It’s easy to keep learning during winter break on the Sunday, Feb 24 and 25, at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Directors. She is seeking individuals who can bring Watsonville Footsteps2Brilliance app. Join the challenge and complete Amateur chefs will compete on Saturday, followed by their talents to the table: A marketing person, a social Dec. 19: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Community Health Trust of one square on the gameboard each day to become a professional chefs on Sunday. media person, a chief fiscal officer, SEO optimization Pajaro Valley, 85 Nielson St. Winter Reading Champion.

Order your tasting kits and merch at www.cityofsantacruz. and part-time website management.

Dec. 22: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Community Health Trust of Parents, you can create your free parent account and com/chowdermerch. Tasting kits are $15 and include 6 For details, reach out to Lynn at pmrhorses@ Pajaro Valley, 85 Nielson St. accounts for your unenrolled children by visiting www. tasting tickets, a bowl, a spoon, a napkin, and a ballot to vote pregnantmarerescue.com Dec. 30: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Community Health Trust of myf2b.com/register/pvusd for your favor-ite Boston and Manhattan Chowders!

Pregnant Mare Rescue is close having the operating Pajaro Valley, 85 Nielson St. Interested in competing in the cook-off? Register your capital needed; only $10,000 more to go.

PVUSD OPEN ENROLLMENT team by Feb. 19 at https://beachboardwalk.com/ClamWinterization is 95% done. Goal is to launch on Jan CURIOUS NARRATIVES: IMAGINED MEMORIES This is a reminder from the Student Services Department Chowder-Cook-Off/.

1.

Nov. 17, 2023 – Jan. 6, 2024, Santa Cruz Art League, 526 that the deadline for inter-district and intra-district Event details are at www.cityofsantacruz.com/chowder or call Hummer says, “It’s a very exciting time for us.

Broadway, Santa Cruz Malika’s foal is due in January/February making 2024 The Santa Cruz Art League will present Curious Narratives transfers for the 2024-2025 school year is Jan. 30. If you 420-5273. live out of the district, you need to fill out an Inter-district a huge new beginning.”

COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM CERT Basic Training is free. The 21-hour course is conducted HOLIDAY LIGHTS AT THE FAIRGROUNDS

by FEMA-certified instructors, with classroom and hands-on training on weekday evenings and/or weekend days.

Ongoing thru December 24 Training covers: Disaster Preparedness, Fire SupSanta Cruz County fairgrounds, pression, Medical Aid, Search and Rescue, Disaster 2601 E Lake Blvd., Watsonville Psychology, & Terrorism Response, Team Organization, Holiday Lights: Runs through Disaster Simulation Christmas Eve. — Driving Upcoming Classes tours on Friday, Saturday and • Market St. Senior Center, Santa Cruz, 4 Tuesday Sunday starting at 5:30 p.m. evenings and one full Saturday. Class is filling quickly.

Tickets are $20 per car and Begins Tuesday, Jan.16 $40 per RV/bus/limo.

• NEW! Central Fire Admin Building, Live Oak. 4 Thursday evenings and one full Saturday. Begins Thursday, Feb. 22 • NEW! Loma Prieta Elementary, Loma Prieta. 4 Photo Credit: Santa Cruz County Thursday evenings and one full Saturday. Begins Fairgrounds Foundation Thursday, April 18 28 / December 15th 2023 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

COMMUNITY CALENDAR COUNTY SEEKS LIVED EXPERIENCE EXPERTS The Housing for Health Partnership is seeking community members for two separate Lived Expertise and Youth Lived Expertise advisory groups, both to launch in spring 2024.

Once appointed, advisory group members will work with like-minded individuals to recommend improvements to County leaders regarding Santa Cruz County’s various housing systems, in an environment meant to develop leadership skills. The H4HP is seeking people from different backgrounds and life experiences, including people who identify as LGBTQ+, from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, and of different abilities and ages.

Robert Ratner, director of the County of Santa Cruz Housing for Health Division, said, “Together, this diverse collective of individuals will use their voice and experience to make a difference.”

Advisory group members must be: • Currently experiencing or previously experienced homelessness • Living in Santa Cruz County • Passionate about being a part of collaborative community change • Ages 18 – 24 for the Youth Advisory Group Advisory group members will be paid $25/hour for a 20-hour monthly commitment. Interest forms are due Jan. 19 and can be found at: https://bit.ly/LivedExpertiseActionBoard SENIOR OUTREACH Family Service Agency of the Central Coast offers Senior Outreach, peer counselors to help adults 55 and up maintain their independence and a higher quality of life.

Family conflict? Seasonal depression? Isolation and loneliness? Accepting changes? Peer counselors offer help at no cost. Services are provided in both English and Spanish.

Call: 831-459-9351

Fun for the family includes: • Saturday Night DJ from 7-9 p.m.

• Campground New Year’s Eve Ball Drop Party at 9 p.m.

• Scavenger Hunt • Palm Tree Climbing • Fun Train Rides • S’mores • Wine & Cheese Friday, 5-6 p.m.

• Breakfast ($) Saturday and Sunday, 8-10 a.m.

• Pizza ($) Friday and Saturday, 5-7 p.m.

Info: 831-722-0551

Saturday December 30

METRO STARTS WINTER SERVICE; UPDATING OLD ROUTES Begins Thursday, Dec. 21 and ends Wednesday, March 13

Santa Cruz Metro is revamping bus routes and frequencies to better meet our community’s needs.

Major changes include: New Routes 1, 2, 3, and 73, which replace Routes 10, 66, 68, 69A, 69W, and 71; the return of the Watsonville/Santa Cruz Express.

Route 1 — Soquel/Cabrillo/Airport: This new route follows the route of discontinued Route 71 from Santa Cruz to Cabrillo College, then roughly the route of discontinued route 69A from Cabrillo College to Watsonville.

Route 2: This new route mainly follows the route of discontinued Route 69W, but with some segments that used to be Route71.

Route 3A/3B — UCSC/Capitola Mall/Live Oak: This new route offers direct service from Capitola Mall, Live Oak, and Seabright to UCSC by combining segments of Live Oak routes 66 and 68 with former UCSC Route 10 that ran via High St. Route 73 — Soquel/Freedom/Cabrillo: This new route provides service along Freedom Blvd and Soquel Drive from Watsonville Transit Center to Cabrillo College, replacing the discontinued Route 71 between Freedom Blvd/ Airport Blvd and Soquel Dr. Route 90X — Watsonville/Santa Cruz Express Service: Route 90X brings back express service between Watsonville and Santa Cruz. This new route serves limited stops in Watsonville and Santa Cruz, but travels mainly on Highway 1.

View the new schedules and maps to see the changes in detail. https://scmtd.com/en/

NEW YEARS EVE EVE COMEDY 7:30-9 p.m., Scotts Valley Performing Arts Center, 251 Kings Village Road Celebrate New Years Eve Eve with laughter at Scotts Valley Performing Arts Center.

Live music, vendors, beer & wine benefit Scotts Valley Performing Arts, and world class comedy!

Featured performer is Myq Kaplan (pronounced “Mike”).

Also performing: Emily Van Dyke. Hosted by DNA. Tickets are $20 at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-years-eveeve-comedy-show-myq-kaplan-tickets-757455017347?

Sunday December 31 NOON NEW YEAR’S EVE FOR KIDS 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Capitola Mall, 1855 41st Ave. The Museum of Discovery hosting the popular Noon Year’s Eve Celebration for a fun way to ring in the new year with the little ones.

A timer will count down to 12 p.m. on Saturday, complete with a disco ball drop and a blast of paper confetti at the end.

Admission is $10 for just the event, and free with admission to the museum.

Info: 831-316-5200.

NEW YEAR’S EVE AT SEVY’S BLM RECRUITING FIREFIGHTERS Seating 6:30-8 p.m.; ends 1 a.m., Severino’s, 7500 Old The Bureau of Land Management is hosting recruiting Dominion Court, Aptos events Dec. 1-3 in Riverside and Feb. 2-4 in SacraRing in the New Year at Severino’s. mento to quickly fill 100+ vital wildland firefighter New Year’s festivities begin with a premium four-course Holiday Sale: Saturday, Dec. 9, noon – 5 pm and dispatch positions in California for the 2024 fire DATED EVENTS dinner at $109 per person.

Information: (831) 336-3513 season.

Meals include champagne toast and party favors.

Details: Friday December 15 Dance the night away with the Live Again, performing Mondays Feb. 2-4: Friday, 12 pm - 4 pm; Saturday. 8 am to CABRILLO YOUTH STRINGS RECITAL hard rocking tunes from 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

4 pm; Sunday 8 am to 2 pm. at Doubletree by Hilton BRIDGE CLUB 10:30 a.m.-Noon, Capitola Branch Library, 2005 Wharf Road 7 p.m., Cabrillo College VAPA5000 Music Building, Room 5156, Reserve your table at 831-688-8987.

Hotel, 2001 Point W Way, Sacramento.

Soquel Drive, Aptos The Capitola Branch Library will host Bridge Club Staff will be on-site to review resumes, conduct The Cabrillo Youth Strings Chamber Music Program will Wednesday January 10 sessions on Mondays (except holidays). interviews and background checks and, at the present a Fall Recital at Cabrillo College’s VAPA5000 Everyone is welcomed from beginners to social TEXTILE ARTS GUILD MEETING Sacramento event, potentially make job offers.

Music Building in Room 5156. players. Make new friends and sharpen your mind.

“California’s need to build our wildland firefighter Donations are requested at the door: $10 General, $5 9:30 a.m.–Noon, 225 Rooney St., Santa Cruz Santa Cruz Textile Arts Guild will meet at 225 Rooney St., workforce is increasing and the Bureau of Land Man- Bridge Club is a partnership between Santa Cruz students/seniors, and children 17 and younger, free.

County Parks and Santa Cruz Public Libraries.

The meeting will feature a presentation by Youngmin agement is looking to expedite the hiring process,” For those interested in participating in or making contributions to Register at scparks.com or in-person the day of the event.

Lee, MFA, who will lecture and show her work on Bojogi, said State Fire Management Officer Peter Kelly. this program, call (831) 479-6101 or visit https://www.cabrillo.

Third Thursdays (Korean wrapping cloth), using hand-stitched remnants as See www.firejobs.doi.gov/crews for available edu/cabrillo-youth-strings. an act of wishing recipients happiness. jobs.

More information: santacruztetileartsguild.com A Webinar with tips for applicants will be Jan. 25. SIP AND STROLL Thursday December 28 6-9 p.m. (check-in starts at 5 p.m.), Seacliff Inn, 7500 Old Register at www.blm.gov/california-firehire PARENTS OF ADULTS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES Sunday January 21 Dominion Court, Aptos Salaries, application instructions and deadSUPPORT GROUP Come to the Seacliff Inn: Tapestry Collection by Hilton, lines, will be at www.usajobs.gov/Search/ ‘40 YEARS OF INSPIRED EXPRESSION’ OPENING RECEPTION Noon-1 p.m., Online Meeting for a Sip & Stroll event where local artists to show and Results?l=California&a=IN05&p=1 Parents of Adults with Disabilities Support Group meets 2 to 4 p.m., Pajaro Valley Arts Gallery, 37 Sudden St., Watsonville sell their works. Wines are 30% off, and the featured Applicants can visit www.blm.gov/california-firehire The next exhibit at Pajaro Valley Arts Gallery will be “40 on the fourth Thursday on Zoom. winery will offer tastings of three varietals for $10 per Years of Inspired Expression,” the annual members’ exhibit This is a chance to share information and support one person.

ONGOING EVENTS another in building a safe, engaging and fulfilling future for curated by Tim Sterling, from Jan. 17 to Feb. 25.

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wine30-sip-strollFor the past 40 years, PVA has presented extraorloved ones. tickets-668910307737 Ongoing thru December 23 dinary artworks in exhibitions that honor emerging Contact Sonia Plageman at splageman@spinsc.org or THE GIFT OF ART voices and established artists in the Pajaro Valley and (831) 423-7713 to get meeting info.

Second Friday Each Month beyond.

Open Noon-5 p.m., Thurs. thru Sun., 9341 Mill St, Ben Lomond https://www.spinsc.org NEW BRIDGE GROUP This is a significant anniversary, at a significant time, The Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center will host “The 10:30-Noon, La Selva Beach Public Library, 316 Estrella Ave. when more and more we rely on art to help us make Gift of Art,” a holiday exhibit through Dec. 23 at 9341 Friday December 29 sense of a complex and the uncertain world.

Mill St., Ben Lomond. There will be framed paintings, Come for bridge on the second Friday of each month from thru Sunday December 31 10:30 to noon at the La Selva Beach library.

Pajaro Valley Arts: 40 Years of Inspired Expression crafty wall hangings, functional ceramics, sculpture, First meeting was Oct. 13.

Bette Harken, Master KOA NEW YEAR’S EVE WEEKEND commemorates PVA’s history while also looking forward to jewelry, cards, glass, and woodwork.

Bridge player, will give an introduction for beginners.

KOA Watsonville will host New Year’s weekend fun at 1186 its future.

Events for this exhibit: San Andreas Road, Watsonville. https://pvarts.org n First Friday Open House: Friday, Dec. 1, from 5 – 7 pm Call La Selva Library to reserve your seat: 831-427-7710.

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / December 15th 2023 / 29

FEATURED COLUMNIST

County Sales Tax Measure Coming March 5

R

ecently, the Board of Supervisors voted to send a proposed sales tax to the voters in the March 5 election. What is the purpose of the proposed tax, how will the revenue be spent and how much will it bring it? Here is an overview.

What will voters be considering?

On the March 5, 2024 ballot, voters will be asked to consider a one-half cent sales tax measure. The funds will go directly to the County (all of the funds stay local) and would be collected on all consumer taxable goods and services.

The County’s sales tax rate of 9% is equal to the lowest rate among the five local jurisdictions (County and Cities of: Watsonville, Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, and Capitola).

With recent successful ballot measures, the Cities of Watsonville and Scotts Valley are both at the statutory cap of 9.75%.

The City of Santa Cruz is currently at 9.25%, and the City of Capitola is equal to the County at 9%.

Voters will consider increasing the current unincorporated rate from 9% to 9.50%.

Why is the new tax being proposed?

The County is unique in that more than half the population lives in the unincorporated area. Places like the San Lorenzo Valley, Live Oak, Aptos, Corralitos, and more rely on the County for traditional municipal services such as road maintenance, law enforcement, parks, and building permits. In reality, the County is the largest “city” in Santa Cruz County.

The County is unique in that more than half the population lives in the unincorporated area. ...

In reality, the County is the largest “city” in Santa Cruz County.

By Zach Friend, Supervisor, Second District

Simultaneously, the County is responsible for providing countywide services for all residents including public health and safety net support services, district attorney and public defender services, and conducting elections. The County serves a greater proportion of the county population than all our peer counties and higher proportion than the statewide averages.

Over the past several years, natural disasters resulting from climate change, housing affordability driving away essential frontline workers and increasing homelessness, and a challenging economic environment impacting the County’s ability to improve critical infrastructure, like roads and parks, are straining the County’s limited financial resources.

Due to historic state allocation models for public funds, Santa Cruz County only receives about $550 per resident in property and sales taxes. For comparison, Santa Clara County gets almost $11,000 per resident from property tax revenue, as compared to only $463 for Santa Cruz County.

Drilling down on this a bit more, we often receive questions about property taxes (given the high amounts people pay on local assessed value) and how much of your property tax dollar stays locally. Under this Prop. 13 formula, the County of Santa Cruz retains some of the lowest amounts of property taxes of any other County in the state. Only 13% of your property tax dollars end up back with County government to fund our local services.

As mentioned above, approximately 50% of residents live in the unincorporated county (compared to about 4.5% or so in Santa Clara County).

This low recovery amount has significant impacts on how the County provides services.

As you can imagine, counties that are able to retain higher amounts under their Prop. 13 formula have more money available for roads and services without needing new funding streams to backfill these needs. If the Prop. 13 formula were to change in the state at some point in the future, unincorporated

30 / December 15th 2023 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

residents could see significant improvements to services and infrastructure without increased taxes - by simply having more of your local property tax dollars stay with local County government.

As Prop. 13 was approved by voters as a state constitutional amendment, any changes to the formulation and distribution cannot occur at the local level.

In the meantime, local governments with challenging tax distributions like this often turn to local sales tax measures as they have complete local control over the funds and it’s a relatively stable income source for providing services.

How would the tax revenue be spent?

As part of the approval for the item going before the voters, the Board of Supervisors adopted a spending framework for how the tax revenue would be spent. Here is an overview: Housing and Essential Workforce Retention ($1 million) — Address the acute housing crisis, ensuring frontline workers can afford to live in the community, with funds to support housing plans and predevelopment costs on County campuses and other potential housing sites.

Countywide Homeless Services ($1 million) — Tackle homelessness with a focus on year-round, 24-hour navigation centers and other services distributed

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across Santa Cruz, Watsonville, and unincorporated areas.

Climate Resiliency and County Parks ($1 million) — Enhance the County’s response to climate change with funds for wildfire, flood and emergency response, prevention programs, and disaster recovery services. Additionally, support maintaining and improving neighborhood parks.

Road Repair and Infrastructure Projects ($1 million) — Address pressing infrastructure needs, including street repairs, potholes, and failing public facilities, to ensure safe and efficient transportation networks and government service centers.

Other Essential County Services — Address current challenges and emerging community needs, including mental health services for children and vulnerable populations, and invest in improved public safety.

How much would the tax bring into the County?

If approved, the half-cent sales tax is estimated to generate $10 million annually. In the first year, it’s estimated to generate approximately $7.5 million. n ••• As always, you are welcome to call me at 454-2200 with any questions on this or any other County-related issue. I am also maintaining regular updates on social media via Facebook at www.facebook.com/supervisorfriend.

COMMUNITY NEWS

SCCAS Featured Pet

Meet Pastor Jonas, Christ Lutheran Church

J

F

The Tri Guys Try Hard For Your Heart

or this week’s Pets of the Week we have the Tri Guys — Giovanni (#A306312), Francesco (#A306313) and Nico (#A306311).

They are the three best friends that anyone could have — and they are all looking for a home together!

These handsome gents came into the Shelter as a trio of strays. A good Samaritan took them in for a while where we learned that they eat well, are litterbox trained and are so sweet.

Since coming to the Shelter staff has observed that they really are THE BEST of friends, and even panic when they are separated.

Because of that — we are looking for a special adopter to take all three in as a family. They would likely do well in a home with another cat with a slow introduction and management.

We do not have any history of them with dogs or children.

These kitties are some favorites because they love pets and cuddling.

If you are looking for a whole bunch of fun and love this December come to SCCAS and meet these three sweet cats! n

crossword on 23 »

••• 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

Year-in-Review © Statepoint Media

By Edita McQuary

onas Ellison, the new pastor at Christ full-time pastor at Christ Lutheran Church Lutheran Church in Aptos, came to the right here in Aptos. pastorate a little late in life at age 44.

He and his family are very happy to be Born and raised in Modesto by a Roman here. Jonas’ passion in life is to create sacred Catholic mother and a Southern Baptist space where people can find respite from father, he attended occasional Catholic ser- the pressures and busy-ness of life in our vices with his mom. Jonas was an only child, modern digital world. He has a way of fusing and both of his parents passed away at a ancient church traditions with a warm and young age. hospitable heart and is a teacher of mystical While attending college in Carson City, Christian spirituality.

Nevada, Jonas, always interested in golf, left “Our modern world is based on percollege to be a full-time golf pro. In Nevada, formance and achievement,” he said. “It’s a he met the love of his life, Alexandra, origi- never-ending race. We’re all feeling the presnally from Chicago, and after a long-distance sures of this, both young and old. Church relationship, they were married in 2008. They should be the place to be vulnerable, let our lived in the Chicago area but guard down, share in each traveled back to the West Coast other’s stories, give our worries frequently. to the living God, and support Alex is a college and career one another.” guidance counselor. Jonas While living in Chicago, and Alex have a 10-year-old Jonas and his young family daughter named Rory. were feeling the pressure After the death of his of this modern busy-ness mother, Jonas drifted away when he found the Lutheran from the church in his teens church. The otherworldliness but always considered himself of the church was just what spiritual.

Jonas and his family needed.

“I was one of the ‘Nones’ Sunday worship was their Pastor Jonas Ellison with wife who didn’t affiliate with any opportunity to unplug, sing Alexandra and their daughter. one religion for a couple of old hymns, pray ancient decades before returning to the church,” prayers, sit in contemplative silence, and Jonas said. meet others who were just as burned out as Upon the birth of their daughter, Jonah they were and who had found such grace and Alex joined the Center for Spiritual in that church.

Living in Nevada. This sparked his interest in Jonas said, “I grew up Catholic and becoming a spiritual leader. Later, he started had images of a tyrannical God in my reading various Christian authors such as mind. The Lutheran church taught me that Nadia Bolz-Weber, Thomas Merton, and the message of Jesus is not, ‘Do more,’ it is, Richard Rohr.

‘Come all ye who are weary, and I will give He and his family returned to Chicago you rest.’ The Gospel is countercultural in when Rory was about 3 or 4. This is where this way.” they found the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran His goal for Christ Lutheran is to, as Church in America). Jonas was struck by the he says, “be the heartbeat of Christ in this beauty of the music and the bustling energy community.” of the congregation from the start. But what The church hosts the Aptos Community really drew him in was the combination of Garden on their property as well as the traditional liturgy with an open and affirming Secret Garden Preschool. They do various theology. outreach programs locally (such as the Ultimately, he decided to enroll in the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago County), feeding the homeless, and globally and eventually transferred to Wartburg (like the Santa Cruz El Salvador project).

Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. Their Stewardship of the Earth committee During the pandemic, his family moved from finds ways of helping people become good Chicago, to Loyalton, California, to be closer stewards of God’s fragile, created world. to family and the wild spaces of the eastern Learn more about Pastor Jonas on his Sierra Nevada mountains. personal blog at jonasellison.substack.com. n Jonas continued his seminary studies ••• remotely and served his internship year at Christ Lutheran Church, 10707 Soquel Ave., Lord of Mercy Lutheran Church in Sparks, Aptos, (above the California Highway Patrol Office), Nevada. He graduated seminary with his holds regular worship services every Sunday at 10 Master of Divinity degree in the spring of a.m. Connect at their website: aptoschurch.org or 2023, and he received his first call as the admin@christlutheranaptos.org.

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / December 15th 2023 / 31

Aptos & La Selva

BY THE NUMBERS November 2023 MLS Data

12

1.71m

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median sale price

15

95% list price received

25

median days on the market

homes sold

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