Capitola Soquel Times: May 2020

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May 2020 • Vol 25 No. 5

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Capitola Library Faces Power Pole Hurdle Rain delays and a problematic PG&E power pole

mean the new Capitola library under construction will not be ready to open until the fall.

Full Story page 5

Capitola Shutters McGregor Skatepark City of Capitola officials decided to close the McGregor Skatepark in Capitola in the wake of the Santa Cruz County Health Officer’s action to reopen beaches and parks April 16 following a weeklong Easter closure to slow the spread of the contagious coronavirus, COVID-19.

Capitola Police Chief Terry McManus explains why:

Fo r

“We had a number of violators at the skate park in the first couple of days after the reopening of the beach, parks and trails.”

Since then, signs and patrols “have significantly minimized the illegal activity,” he said. “We have issued 3 citations for shelter-in-place violations in the last seven days.” ... continues on page 4

Aptos’ New Leaf Closed For Now

New Leaf Community Markets closed its new store in Aptos Village Wednesday after seven employees were confirmed to have the contagious coronavirus, COVID-19.

Full Story page 6

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No. 5

Volume 25

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30

Table of Contents

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Cover

Capitola Shutters McGregor Skatepark

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8 9 11 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24

Community News Capitola Library Faces Power Pole Hurdle, By Jondi Gumz Aptos’ New Leaf Closed For Now: Seven Staff Diagnosed With COVID-19; Reopen Date Not Announced, By Jondi Gumz Ex-Rivals Back Koenig in 1st District Runoff, By Jondi Gumz • Capitola Hazard Plan: Comments Due April 29 • CASA Offers Online Training to Help Children • Children’s Day Celebration: April 27 • Transit Comments Due May 11 • Business Workshop: Social Media During COVID-19 • Sheltering in Faith Starts May 4 Face Coverings Order Is In Effect Boardwalk’s Summer Up In The Air: June Weddings Nixed But Kids Camps May Be Possible, By Jondi Gumz Mask Crusader to the Rescue, By Jondi Gumz Five Agri-Culture Scholarships Given 2020 National Ag Day Poster and Poetry Contest Winners • Santa Cruz County Health Assesses Nursing Homes Refund Premiums to Customers Affected by COVID-19 Employing Data Analytics to Make Sound College Admission Choices,

By Chad Storlie Felton, SV Farmers’ Markets Postpone Opening Til June, By Nicole Zahm Campesinos: Workers of the Land: Pajaro Valley Arts Gallery’s Newest Exhibit Opening Soon Jeff Heitman Joins Bay Federal Newsom: Hospitals Can Do Elective Surgery, By Jondi Gumz Parks Leaders: Stay Close To Home Small Business Relief: $310M Available, By Jondi Gumz More People Requesting Help From Meals on Wheels, By Edita McQuary

California News 23 Empty Highways Bring Speeding Drivers: CHP Citations Jump by 87% for Violators Speeding More Than 100 mph

Monthly Horoscope • Page 26 – Your November Horoscope Community Calendar • Arts & Entertainment – Pages 28, 29

Featured Columnists 24 An Intimate Letter from My Body to My Mind, By John Wilkins 25 Our Community Is Making A Difference, By John Leopold, First District Supervisor 26 Increase the Vigor of Your Immune System, Nisha Manek, MD, FACP, FRCP (UK).

27 Five COVID-19 Facts Saying We Should End Total Isolation, By Dr. Scott W. Atlas, MD 29 Exotic Species Can Become Prolific, By Tony Tomeo 30 County Budget in Light of COVID-19: $40M Hole, By Zach Friend, Second District Supervisor

SCCAS Featured Pet • Page 31 – Elsie: Looking For New Friends

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COVER STORY publisher

Patrice Edwards

editor

Jondi Gumz

contributing writers Camisa Composti, Jondi Gumz, Chad Storlie, Nicole Zahm, Edita McQuary, John Wilkins, John Leopold, Nisha Manek, Scott W. Atlas, Tony Tomeo, Zach Friend layout Michael Oppenheimer, Jim Johnson graphic artists Michael Oppenheimer, Jim Johnson photography Michael Oppenheimer, Jim Johnson, Brad King

“Skatepark” from page 1 Here is the official order: ••• ORDER OF THE DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY SERVICES FOR THE CITY OF CAPITOLA NO. 2-2020 WHEREAS, on March 26, 2020, the City Council of the City of Capitola declared the existence and anticipated spread of COVID-19 to be an emergency situation, as defined in California Government Code Section 54956.6, because it severely impairs public health and safety; WHEREAS, on March 26, 2020, the City Council further declared the existence and anticipated spread of COVID-19 to be

website Michael Oppenheimer, Camisa Composti production coordinator Camisa Composti advertising sales Don Beaumont, Teri Huckobey Cathe Race

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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 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 Begonia Festival Official Program Guide, is owned by Patrice Edwards.

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a local emergency, as defined by the California Emergency Services Act (California Government Code Sections 8634, 8550, et.seq.); WHEREAS, Government Code Section 8634 empowers the Director of Emergency Services to promulgate orders and regulations necessary to provide for the protection of life and property; WHEREAS, Capitola Municipal Code Section 8.08.050A designates the City Manager as the Director of Emergency Services; and WHEREAS, on March 31, 2020, the County of Santa Cruz Health Department issued an Order extending the current shelter in place requirements for all resi-

dents to May 3, 2020, and providing further clarifications and limitations on allowable activities; and WHEREAS, Section 12.a.3 of the County’s March 31, 2020 Order states that individuals may leave their residence to perform “Essential Activities,” and defines engaging in outdoor recreation as an essential activity, so long as the outdoor recreation at parks, beaches and other open spaces is “in conformance with any restrictions on access and use established by the Health Officer, government, or other entity that manages such area to reduce crowding and risk of transmission of COVID-19.

Such restrictions may include, but are not limited to, restricting the number of entrants, closing the area to vehicular access and parking, or closure to all public WHEREAS, Section 12.a.3 of the County’s March 31, 2020 Order prohibited use of certain shared facilities for recreation, such as golf courses, climbing walls, and gyms; and prohibited use of high-touch equipment in recreations areas, such as playgrounds and outdoor gym equipment. The County’s Order did not specifically address skateparks; and WHEREAS, City Staff and Capitola Police have observed that crowding and gatherings continue to take place at McGregor Park, despite the County’s Order, causing risk to those who are gathering, as well as the greater Capitola community.

NOW THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED by the Director of Emergency Services of the City of Capitola that, effective April 16, 2020: McGregor Park, including the skatepark and restrooms, is closed to the public.

Jamie Goldstein, Director of Emergency Services, City of Capitola

Protecting Our Water Supply for Future Generations

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 4 / May 2020 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

The 2019 Water Quality Report is Now Available!

The report includes information on source water, levels of any detected compounds, compliance with drinking water regulations, and educational information.

soquelcreekwater.org/ waterqualityreports/2019wqr.pdf

COMMUNITY NEWS

Capitola Library Faces Power Pole Hurdle

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ain delays and a problematic PG&E power pole mean the new Capitola library under construction will not be ready to open until the fall.

The contractor, Otto Construction, is making progress on the $15.15 million project despite the COVID-19 crisis, which has shuttered many non-essential businesses.

“It’s starting to look pretty good,” said Steve Jesberg, Capitola’s public works director.

He got a 5-0 vote Thursday night from the City Council, authorizing him to pay PG&E up to $400,000 to remove the power pole at the corner of Wharf Road and Clares Street.

It’s just beyond the new library’s wide expanse of windows.

At the groundbreaking in November 2018, officials expected the 11,700-squarefoot building would be complete in late 2019. The next date was for completion in May and now September or October.

Delays were caused by rain and by discussions on what to do about the power pole.

The idea of undergrounding the utility lines was explored first, but that was too expensive, leaving removal of the power pole as the only option.

Meanwhile, PG&E — burdened by wildfire bills — filed for bankruptcy in

2019 and has been trying to find its way out ever since.

Jesberg said he had approached PG&E to get a cost estimate for the power pole relocation but never got one.

He said he expected PG&E to invoice the city, with the city required to pay upfront and the project starting eight to 10 weeks thereafter.

Previous city estimates put the cost at $300,00 to $400,000.

Jesberg had some good news: With some unexpected revenue and careful spending for furnishing and fixtures, about $650,000 is left in the library project budget to cover the power pole expense.

With the city facing a $2.2 million shortfall in hotel room tax revenue due to COVID-19 shutdowns, the council voted 4-1 to hire pollster Gene Bregman for $15,000 to ask voters if they would support higher taxes.

The poll will ask about three options, raising the sales tax, raising the utility tax and extending Measure F, the 10-year increase in the sales tax by one-quarter percent for essential city services.

Councilwoman Yvette Brooks voted no. Councilman Ed Bottorff voted yes, but he questioned whether a higher sales tax would be a solution given the COVID-19 store shutdowns. n

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Removal of a problematic PG&E pole is holding up completion of the new Capitola Library.

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / May 2020 / 5

6 / May 2020 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

COMMUNITY NEWS

Aptos’ New Leaf Closed For Now

Seven Staff Diagnosed With COVID-19; Reopen Date Not Announced

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By Jondi Gumz

ew Leaf Community Markets closed its new store in Aptos Village Wednesday after seven employees were confirmed to have the contagious coronavirus, COVID-19.

“We were notified Wednesday that we have seven confirmed staff members from our Aptos store diagnosed with COVID-19,” Lindsay Gizdich, New Leaf’s marketing specialist, said Friday, adding, “We have not been informed of any additional confirmed cases.”

Once the results were confirmed, Gizdich said, “We took immediate action to notify the Santa Cruz County Public Health Department and our store staff,” opting to close the store “out of an abundance of caution.”

She added, “We quickly identified staff who may have been in prolonged close contact with affected individuals and have required them to stay home, monitor for symptoms, and remain in regular contact with their healthcare providers.”

New Leaf will pay employees while they stay home, she said, adding, “We will reopen the store when staff have been tested and cleared to return to work.”

She shared an announcement that said, “We are working with a healthcare provider in the community to make testing available to all of our Aptos staff, and will cover all costs of screening staff members for COVID-19. Our optimism grows with each negative test that has come back thus far.”

This is the second time that Aptos New Leaf closed due to COVID-19. The grocery closed April 18 after one worker was diagnosed and, after cleaning, reopened April 19.

When New Leaf was recruiting in 2019, a staff of 100 was expected.

Followed Protocols ew Leaf had restricted entry to the Aptos store, put up signs saying “Keep a Healthy Distance,” laid down emblems six feet apart on the floor showing where customers should wait for an open checkstand and installed plexiglass shields to protect cashiers.

At a Thursday morning press conference on COVID-19, Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel said New Leaf had followed all of the protocols.

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“New Leaf” page 10

Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz

Aptos New Leaf closed Wednesday after staff tested positive for COVD-19 and won’t reopen until employees have been tested and cleared to work.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Ex-Rivals Back Koenig in 1st District Runoff

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By Jondi Gumz

hree former First District supervisorial candidates have endorsed Manu Koenig in his runoff race with incumbent John Leopold, who is seeking his fourth term.

Leopold finished first in the March 3 primary with 45.4 percent of the vote.

Koenig, partnerships lead with Paystand and formerly executive director of Santa Cruz County Greenway, was second with 30.5 percent.

Because no candidate received more than 50 percent, the top two go to a Nov. 3 runoff.

The First District includes Live Oak, Soquel, the Summit, Santa Cruz Gardens and Carbonera. County supervisor is a nonpartisan position.

Mark Esquibel, Betsy Riker and Benjamin Cogan, the candidates who came in third, fourth and fifth, offered their support to Koenig.

Esquibel got 11.5 percent of the vote, Riker 5.2 percent and Cogan 4.1 percent.

Their votes plus Koenig’s add up to 51 percent, a winning margin if their supporters vote for Manu Koenig Koenig in November.

Leopold said he didn’t see a movement for change but Koenig, a firsttime candidate, said he believed he could attract supporters of his former rivals.

“We need to demonstrate the postpartisan politics locally that we’d like to see nationally,” Koenig said. “I’m putting together a coalition of common sense that welcomes all voters.”

“I’m supporting Manu because of his approach to infrastructure,” said

Esquibel, an environmental safety manager. “I’ve spent my career handling large, potentially hazardous and multimillion-dollar projects.

Thanks to John Leopold COVID-19, we now live in an era of needs, not wants. We don’t need freight and passenger rail running through our neighborhoods; we need a safe place to walk, run and bike. Now more than ever, we have to use taxpayer dollars more efficiently. Manu gets that.”

Riker, a former physician’s assistant at UC Santa Cruz, said, “I ran for supervisor to champion women’s rights, improve SC Metro, curb UCSC growth, work toward developing responsible

housing, support a 1:1 needle exchange and open up the rail corridor for immediate public use. Manu is the candidate who echoes my stand on the issues facing the county.”

Cogan said he is endorsing Koenig to improve how the county bureaucracy serves residents.

“Today, the County Planning Department makes it impossible for people to improve their property,” he said. “We need a representative who will stand up for us against crushing bureaucracy and get things done for our community.”

Asked about the endorsements for his opponent, Leopold said, “I am proud of the endorsements I have from health care and public safety leaders. In times of crisis, those are the relationships that can really help our community.” n

COMMUNITY BRIEFS Capitola Hazard Plan: Comments Due April 29 he City of Capitola is updating its “Local Hazard Mitigation Plan,” which identifies critical facilities and guides the response to natural disasters such as earthquake, flood and coastal erosion as well as mitigations needed.

The public comment period is open from April 15 through April 29. Written comment can be emailed to planning@ ci.capitola.ca.us(link sends e-mail).

••• CASA Offers Online Training to Help Children ASA of Santa Cruz County is offering online trainings for new CASA advocates. In this time of shelter-in-place, the risk of abuse and neglect for babies, children and young adults has increased.

With this increased stress, the need for volunteers who decide to stand up for these children has never been greater.

CASA is offering a special training on Zoom starting the evening of May 12 and running through mid-June. This training will occur two nights a week for five weeks from 5-8 p p.m. using the online Zoom platform.

The safety of volunteers is of paramount importance, so the training program was moved online so that children do not have to wait for an advocate.

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Information sessions will take place online in the weeks leading up to the training for interested community members.

For information on how to become a CASA volunteer Advocate, contact CASA Outreach and Recruitment Manager, Cita Rasul, at (831) 761-2956, ext. 102, or visit www.casaofsantacruz.org/volunteer.

••• Children’s Day Celebration: April 27 uentame un cuento (Santa Cruz Public Libraries’ Spanish storytime) presents its first Dia del Niño virtual event on Facebook live with 123 Andrés!

123 Andrés are the Latin Grammywinning duo of Christina and Andrés, and their bilingual tunes and irresistible Latin beats will get your family up, moving and laughing. Get ready to enjoy catchy tunes, in both Spanish and English, and an interactive show.

Tune in at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, April 27 at www.facebook.com/santacruzpl ••• Transit Comments Due May 11 he Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Commission is seeking public input for Milestone 2 of the Transit Corridor Alternatives Analysis through an online open house that closes May 11.

The analysis is a year-long study that

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will evaluate high-capacity public transit alternatives that provide an integrated transit network for Santa Cruz County using all or part of the length of the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line.

Intercounty and interregional connections to Monterey, Gilroy, the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond will be considered.

Since March, RTC staff and their project team have been working to screen the initial list of alternatives to narrow them down to a draft shortlist of alternatives that will be evaluated more quantitatively.

The online open house provides an update on the planning effort and an opportunity to provide comments on the draft shortlist of alternatives as a result of the initial screening.

Public input will be sought through the online open house from April 13 – May 11. To view the online open house and provide input, visit www.sccrtc-tcaa.com.

For more information, visit www.sccrtc. org/transitcorridoraa ••• Business Workshop: Social Media During COVID-19 he Santa Cruz Small Business Development Center at Cabrillo College will present a free webinar, “Managing your social media for your business,” 12:15-1:15 p.m. Tuesday, April 28.

Matthew Swinnerton, programs director for Santa Cruz Works and founder of Event Santa Cruz, will host a panel with Frank Scott Krueger of Humble Sea

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Brewery and Jennalee Dahlen of Yoso Wellness Spa along with special guests Jill Stone from Miller Maxfield Inc and Bryce Root of The Root Group.

They will talk about how local business owners and marketers are adapting to the changing circumstances, what has been working for them and what has not.

Register at https://www.santacruzsbdc.org/calendar The SBDC also has recorded webinars related to COVID-19 small business assistance at https://www.santacruzsbdc.org/ covid-19 ••• Sheltering in Faith Starts May 4 anta Cruz Public Libraries is introducing a new four-part series called Sheltering in Faith, which brings together Santa Cruz County leaders of diverse faith traditions, perspectives and practices to help with Sheltering in Place. The series includes: • Crisis & Recovery: 10 – 11:30 a.m.

Monday, May 4 • Grief & Loss: 3 – 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 6 • Separation & Connections: 10 – 11:30 a.m. Monday, May 11 • Meaning & Productivity: 3 – 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 13 Register to receive Zoom invitations on the Virtual Events Calendar at santacruzpl.org/calendar. n

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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / May 2020 / 7

COMMUNITY NEWS

Face Coverings Order Is In Effect S anta Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel has announced an order requiring customers and staff at essential businesses to wear face coverings to slow the spread of COVID-19.

The order follows new requirements in place throughout much of the San Francisco Bay Area.

The order impacts public, commercial and governmental spaces where face-toface interactions may pose a risk of transDr. Gail Newel mission, including grocery stores, health care offices, restaurant pickup counters, public transit, essential government offices and more.

“We are making great progress in flattening the curve and preventing the spread

of COVID-19,” Newel said. “However, we now know that COVID-19 can be transmitted by infected patients for days before they are symptomatic. These measures are intended to protect our essential workers and each other, and I urge everyone to follow this order closely.”

Businesses must take reasonable measures, such as posting signs, to remind visitors about face coverings, and may not serve customers who do not observe the order.

Workers do not need face coverings if they are alone in a personal office but must put them on when others enter.

Residents are encouraged to continue to practice safe physical distancing when they go out to exercise or for recreation. Individuals engaged on outdoor recreation and who are able to practice distancing (joggers, cyclists, hikers, etc.) are not required to wear

face coverings, but should move to avoid close proximity with passers-by.

The order also includes people riding on buses and waiting at bus stops, rideshare services, and passengers in private cars who are not members of the same household.

The order does not require children 12 and younger to wear face coverings.

Children 2 years old or younger must not wear them due to risk of suffocation.

When donning and doffing face coverings, be careful not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth. Face coverings should be washed regularly.

Face coverings can be: • Homemade masks • Bandanas • Neck gaiters • T-shirts • Towels or other cloth materials

Face coverings should: • Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face • Be secured with ties or ear loops • Include multiple layers of fabric • Allow for breathing without restriction Due to ongoing shortages of personal protective equipment, the public is discouraged from using medical-grade masks, such as N95 masks or surgical masks. Those supplies should be reserved for health care workers and first responders.

If you have medical-grade masks and would like to donate them, go to www. santacruzcounty.us/ppedonate.

The county Shelter-in-Place order remains in effect through May 3. For guides on homemade face coverings, see https:// www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.htm. n

ORDER OF THE HEALTH OFFICER GENERALLY REQUIRING FACE COVERINGS Please read this Order carefully. Violation of or failure to comply with this Order is a misdemeanor punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both. (California Health and Safety Code§ 120295, etseq.; Cal. Penal Code§§ 69, 148(a)(l)) UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTIONS 101040, 101085, AND 120175, THE HEALTH OFFICER OF THE COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ (“HEALTH OFFICER”) ORDERS: 1. This Order temporarily requires the use of Face Coverings in order to further slow transmission of Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”). This Order shall become effective at 11 :59 p.m. on April 24, 2020 and will continue to be in effect until it is extended, rescinded, superseded, or amended in writing by the Health Officer.

All individuals, businesses and government agencies in the County of Santa Cruz (“County”) are required to follow the provisions of this Order. This Order applies to the unincorporated areas of Santa Cruz County as well as the cities of Capitola, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and Watsonville.

2. This Order is issued in accordance with and incorporates the March 31, 2020 Order of the Health Officer of the County of Santa Cruz Directing All Individuals in the County to Continue Sheltering at Their Place of Residence Through May 3, 2020; and Providing Further Clarification and Limitation.

3. This Order is based on evidence of increasing occurrence of COVID-19 within Santa Cruz County, California and the United States. In

the County, as of April 22, 2020 there are 111 cases of COVID-19 and two fatalities.

4. The Health Officer has determined that this Order, and her prior Orders, were and are necessary because COVID-19 is present in the County, is highly contagious, and is spread through respiratory droplets that are produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. These droplets may land on other people or be inhaled into their lungs, may land on and attach to surfaces where ·they remain for days, and may remain viable in the air for up to three hours, even after the infected person has left. When worn properly, Face Coverings have the potential to slow the spread of the virus by limiting the spread of these droplets. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health now believe that wearing a Face Covering, when combined with physical distancing of at least 6 feet and frequent hand washing, may reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19 by reducing the spread of respiratory droplets.

5. As used in this Order, a “Face Covering” means a covering made of cloth, fabric or permeable materials, without holes, that covers only the nose and mouth and surrounding areas of the lower face. A covering that hides or obscures the wearer’s eyes or forehead is not a Face Covering. Examples of Face Coverings include a scarf or bandana; a neck gaiter; a homemade covering made from a t-shirt, sweatshirt, or towel, held on with rubber bands or otherwise; or a mask (which need not be medical grade). A Face Covering may be factory-made or may be handmade from ordinary household materials.

Note that any mask that incorporates a one-way

valve (typically a raised plastic cylinder about the size of a quarter on the front or side of the mask) that is designed to facilitate easy exhaling is not a Face Covering under this order and is not to be used to comply with this Order’s requirements.

Valves of that type permit droplet release from the mask, putting others nearby at risk.

A video showing how to make a Face Covering and additional information about how to wear and clean Face Coverings may be found at the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at www. cdc.gov/corona virus/2019-ncov/preventgetting-sick/div-cloth-face-coverings.html 6. All members of the public, except as specifically exempted below, must wear a Face Covering in the following situations: a. When they are inside of, or in line to enter, or when conducting business through a car window or walk-up counter with any Essential Business (as that term is defined in Section 12.f of the March 31, 2020 Shelter-In-Place Order), including, but not limited to, grocery stores, convenience stores, supermarkets, laundromats, and restaurants; b. When they are inside of or at any location or facility engaging in Minimum Basic Operations or when they are inside of or at any location providing Essential Government Functions ( as defined in Sections 12.g and 12.d, respectively, of the March 31, 2020 Shelter-In-Place); c. When they are engaged in Essential Infrastructure work (as defined in Section 12.c of the March 31, 2020 Shelter-In-Place Order); d. When they are obtaining services at Healthcare Operations (as defined in

Section 13.b of the March 31, 2020 ShelterIn-Place Order) including hospitals, clinics, COVID-19 testing locations, dentists, pharmacies, blood banks and blood drives, other healthcare facilities, mental health providers, or facilities providing veterinary care and similar health care services for animals, unless specifically directed otherwise by an employee or worker at the Healthcare Operation; or e. When they are waiting for or riding on public transportation, paratransit or are in a taxi, private car service, or ride-sharing vehicle.

7. Each driver or operator of any public transportation or paratransit vehicle, taxi, or private car service or ride-sharing vehicle must wear a Face Covering while driving or operating such vehicle, regardless of whether a member of the public is in the vehicle, due to the need to reduce the spread of respiratory droplets in the vehicle.

8. All Essential Businesses, as well as entities and organizations with workers engaged in Essential Infrastructure work, Minimum Basic Operations, or Essential Government Functions ( except for Healthcare Operations, which are subject to their own regulations regarding specified Face Coverings) must: a. Require their employees~ contractors, owners, and volunteers to wear a Face Covering at the workplace and when performing work off-site any time the employee, contractor, owner, or volunteer is: · i. interacting in person with any member of the public;

8 / May 2020 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

“Face Coverings” page 10

COMMUNITY NEWS

Boardwalk’s Summer Up In The Air

June Weddings Nixed But Kids Camps May Be Possible

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By Jondi Gumz

r. Gail Newel, Santa Cruz County health officer, dropped a bombshell at the county’s COVID-19 press conference on April 16: “I don’t anticipate the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk will open this summer at all.”

The award-winning family-owned oceanfront amusement park, one of the largest private employers in the city of Santa Cruz, has been a summer tradition since 1907.

Newel, who later softened her Boardwalk statement, delivered bad news to a reporter asking about her plans to get married in late June: “You need to think about moving the date of your wedding.

I’m so sorry. I’ve already had this conversation with my niece.”

As for Junior Guards, a popular kids’ summer camp in Santa Cruz and Capitola, Newel said, “If it happens, it will look different than last year. It just can’t happen that way this year.”

She said she is talking to parks and recreation leaders “to have activities happen in a different way.”

With 98 COVID-19 cases, 17 hospitalizations, two deaths and 2,514 negative test results, return to normalcy is not on the horizon.

Late in the afternoon, Newel put out a statement on the Boardwalk, saying no decision for it to stay closed beyond May 3, when her “shelter in place” order expires, had been made and “speculation about future operations at this time is premature.”

Newel had indicated Tuesday the March 16 order could be loosened May 4, allowing construction, landscaping and gardening, and golf courses. She reiterated those possibilities Thursday, noting rules to stay six feet apart must be followed and stretching out her arms to illustrate.

No Gathering eaches and parks across Santa Cruz County reopened April 16 after a weeklong closure for the Easter holiday to prevent large gatherings, where the contagious COViD-19 virus could easily spread by large droplets via coughing, sneezing or simply talking.

A case study released Wednesday by the federal Centers for Disease Control showed the impact of a family gathering in the Chicago area for a funeral and a birthday party: Seven confirmed cases and nine probable cases — ranging in age from 5 to 86 — and three deaths.

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Newel reminded everyone to wash their hands with soap and water and advised that homemade face coverings protect people around you.

Though beaches and parks are open, gatherings are not allowed.

“If we see large gatherings, we may need to close them again,” Newel said, identifying picnic tables, barbecues, dog parks and skate parks as potential problem areas.

San Mateo County has told residents their outdoor recreation must be no more than five miles from home. Newel hasn’t, but she said, “It’s best to stay in your own neighborhood.”

Newel commended Sheriff Jim Hart for keeping COVID-19 out of the jail and nursing homes and assisted living facilities for keeping occupants COVID-free. One healthcare worker at a skilled nursing facility tested positive, Newel said, but there was no spread.

Asked if any grocery workers tested positive, she said, “I don’t think so.”

Metrics ospitalizations are a key metric, and the county and state report them differently.

The county posts all hospitalizations, according to Mimi Hall, director of the county’s Health Services Agency.

The state gets daily data from hospitals and posts current hospitalizations, confirmed and suspected cases, and patients in intensive care unit beds, confirmed and suspected.

The state reported six hospitalized patients in Santa Cruz County as of April 15 with five in intensive care, three confirmed and two suspected.

Newel said the county’s numbers are more up-to-date.

Hall recall an instance when the state posted “a crazy number of suspected cases and they were all negative.”

Testing n Santa Cruz County, the number of negative tests has doubled.

Early on, tests were rationed for

I

people showing symptoms and health care workers, as specimens had to be sent to a state lab in Santa Clara County, a much bigger jurisdiction, which as of April 16, reported 1,800 cases, 188 hospitalizations, 71 ICU patients and 69 fatalities.

Starting this week, more testing will occur in Santa Cruz County. New machines have arrived at three locations, the county’s Emeline clinic, Dominican Hospital and a Dignity Health outpatient clinic.

Hall’s goal is to have a 30-day supply of personal protective equipment, which must be worn by lab technicians.

She has “enough to get by” with weekly shipments from the state and hopes to get more, from either the state or federal government.

Forecasts n Santa Cruz County, new cases since April 15 have been flat, varying from four a day to two a day but Hall said a surge — in which 100 intensive care beds with ventilators are needed — once expected April 14 is now projected for mid-May or June.

The county has 45 to 49 ICU beds, and Dr. David Ghilarducci, the county’s EMS medical director, is in charge of figuring out how to fill the gap if the need arises.

“It requires lots of labor,” he said, noting patients in ICU beds may get six or seven medications intravenously.

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“County Announcements” page 12

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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / May 2020 / 9

“New Leaf” from page 6 “We applaud them for all of their good work,” she said.

Groceries, as essential businesses, have remained open after the “shelter in place” order was issued March 16 but workers face exposure.

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which advocates face coverings for shoppers, estimates 30 workers died after exposure to COVID-19.

New Leaf has been giving employees a bi-weekly bonus and boosted the staff discount to 30 percent. According to a notice to shoppers on the New Leaf website, “symptom checks” take place at the start of every shift, and face coverings are provided and required for employees are working in the store.

Face Covering Order ewel said she is ordering people to wear cover a face covering when in

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“Face Coverings” from page 8 ii. working in any space visited by members of the public, such as by way of example and without limitation reception areas, grocery store or pharmacy aisles, service counters, public restrooms, cashier and checkout areas, waiting rooms, service areas, and other spaces used to interact with the public, regardless of whether anyone from the public is present at the time; 111. working in any space where food is prepared or packaged for sale or distribution to others; 1v. working in or walking through common areas such as hallways, stairways, elevators, and parking facilities; or v. in any room or enclosed area when other people (except for members of the person’s own household or residence) are present.

For clarity, a Face Covering is not required when a person is in a personal office (a single room) when others outside of that person’s household are not present so long as the public does not regularly visit the room. By way of example and without limitation, a construction worker, plumber, bank manager, accountant, or bike repair person is not required to wear a Face Covering if that individual is alone and in a space not regularly visited by the public, but that individual must put on a Face Covering when coworkers are nearby, when being visited by a client/customer, and when anywhere members of the public or other coworkers are regularly present. b. Take reasonable measures, such as posting signs, to remind their customers and the public of the requirement that they wear a Face Covering while inside of or waiting in line to enter the business, facility, or

public, starting at midnight on Friday, April 25, as a way of slowing the spread of COVID-19.

She said the county had 114 cases as of April 23 but declined to say how many work at Aptos New Leaf.

“We are trying to protect people’s privacy,” she said, describing the Aptos cases as a “cluster.”

Though New Leaf wants to test all the employees at the store, Newel said that is not a good idea.

“We’re not requiring testing,” she said.

“Testing for asymptomatic people is not validated.”

The federal Centers for Disease Control has warned that when people who have no symptoms are tested, the nasal swab test may produce a false negative when the person actually has COVID-19.

In Santa Cruz County, the number of negative test results has grown to 2,953.

The county is pushing to ramp

location. Essential Businesses and entities or organizations that engage in Essential Infrastructure work, Essential Government Functions, or Minimum Basic Operations must take all reasonable steps to prohibit entry to any member of the public who is not wearing a Face Covering, and must not serve that person.

9. Any child aged two years or less must not wear a Face Covering because of the risk of suffocation. Moreover, this Order does not require that any child between the ages of 2 and twelve years wear a Face Covering, including but not limited to, when attending childcare activities (as described in Section 12(f)xxvii of the March 31 , 2020 Shelter-InPlace Order). Parents and caregivers must supervise use of Face Coverings by children to avoid misuse.

10. Wearing a Face Covering is recommended but not required while engaged in outdoor exercise such as walking, hiking, bicycling, or running. But each person engaged in such activity must comply with social distancing requirements including maintaining at least six feet of separation from all other people to the· greatest extent possible. Additionally, it is recommended that each person engaged in such activity bring a Face Covering and wear that Face Covering in circumstances where it is difficult to maintain compliance with social distancing requirements, and that they carry the Face Covering in a readily accessible location, such as around the person’s neck or in a pocket, for such use. Because running or bicycling causes people to more forcefully expel airborne particles, making the usual minimum 6 feet distance less adequate, physical distance of greater than 6 feet should be maintained when engaging in these activities. People should avoid spitting in conjunction with exercise.

11. This Order does not require any person to

10 / May 2020 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

up testing, with newly arrived testing equipment at its Emeline campus, Dominican Hospital and a Dignity Health clinic.

A Dominican spokesperson said the hospital has received “a limited supply of COVID-19 testing kits that enable a shorter turnaround,” and these will be used for the Emergency Department and admitted patients who meet criteria.

UC Santa Cruz has obtained federal certification to do testing, Newel said, with a potential capacity of 900 tests a day with staff working 12-hour shifts.

Jeremy Sanford, a molecular biologist on campus, leads that project, which will take advantage of newly purchased robotic equipment.

Bottlenecks hough more test equipment is available, there are bottlenecks: The standard COVID-19 test requires a nose or throat swab, and the county has only 200 swabs — there’s a nationwide shortage

— and not enough protective gowns and face shields that must be worn by testing personnel.

“We’re not getting supplies from the state,” said Dr. David Ghilarducci, the county’s EMS medical director. “We get 30 percent of what we order.”

He said employees at Bay Photo, based in Scotts Valley, and workers at Santa Cruz Bicycles are using their equipment to make face shields.

Bay Photo is taking orders online at https://support.bayphoto.com/s/article/ COVID-19-Updates Santa Cruz Bicycles spent 10 days developing prototypes and getting feedback from health care, has enough material to produce 8,000 face shields in two different designs.

At Cabrillo College, art instructor Payson McNett printed up 150 face shields, using the MakerSpace on campus, and donated them to the county for health care workers. n

wear a Face Covering while driving alone, or exclusively with other members of the same family or household, in a motor vehicle.

12. A Face Covering is also not required by this Order to be worn by a particular individual if the person can show either: (1) a medical professional has advised that wearing a Face Covering may pose a risk to the person wearing the Face Covering for health-related reasons; or (2) wearing a Face Covering would create a risk to the person related to their work as determined by local, state, or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines. A Face Covering should also not be used by anyone who has trouble breathing or is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the Face Covering without assistance.

13. Face Coverings should be comfortable, so that the wearer can breathe comfortably through the nose and does not have to adjust it frequently, so as to avoid touching the face.

For as long as medical grade masks such as N95 masks and surgical masks are in short supply, members of the public should not purchase those masks as Face Coverings under this Order; those medical grade masks should be reserved for health care providers and first responders. In general, even when not required by this Order, people are strongly encouraged to wear Face Coverings when in public. Also, for Face Coverings that are not disposed after each use, people should clean them frequently and have extra ones available so that they have a clean one available for use.

14. The intent of this Order is to ensure that all people who are visiting or working at Essential Businesses and all people who are seeking care at healthcare facilities or engaged in certain types of public transit or transportation with others wear a Face

Covering to reduce the likelihood that they may transmit or receive the COVID-19 virus.

The intent of this Order is also to ensure that people who work for or seek services from entities engaged in Essential Infrastructure work, Minimum Basic Operations, or Essential Government Functions also wear a Face Covering when they are in close proximity to others. In so doing, this Order will help reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus and mitigate the impact of the virus on members of th~ public and on the delivery of critical healthcare services to those in need.

All provisions of this Order must be interpreted to effectuate this intent. · 15. Pursuant to Government Code sections 26602 and 41601 and Health and Safety Code section 101029, the Health Officer requests that the Sheriff and all chiefs of police in the County ensure compliance with and enforce this Order. The violation of any provision of this Order constitutes an imminent threat and menace to public health, constitutes a public nuisance, and is punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both.

16. Copies of this Order shall promptly be: (1) made available at the County offices at 701 Ocean St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060; (2) posted on the County Public Health Department website (www.santacruzhealthservices. org); and (3) provided to any member of the public requesting a copy ofthis Order.

17. If any provision of this Order or its application to any person or circumstance is held to be invalid, the remainder of the Order, including the application of such part or provision to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected and shall continue in full force and effect. To this end, the provisions of this Order are severable.

IT IS SO ORDERED: Gail Newel, Health Officer of the County of Santa Cruz

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Mask Crusader to the Rescue

By Jondi Gumz

W

hen Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel announced that she would

Betty Lopez of Capitola is busy at her sewing machine making facemasks to keep people from spreading COVID-19.

require people at essential businesses to wear face coverings to reduce the spread of the contagious coronavirus COVID-19, the Santa Cruz Regional 9-1-1 Center asked for help.

The agency posted a request at the SC Mask Sewers Facebook group founded by Santa Cruz residents Penny Cotter, Lisa Locatelli, and Joann Hughes.

Soon, the 9-1-1 Center posted “we have received so much community support and (heart emoji) … we have enough masks for our staff based on what we have received and what we are going to get.”

The face-covering mandate, which applies to anyone over age 12 going out in public and engaging with others, is effective April 25.

Cotter, a childcare provider, hasn’t been working; that business was deemed non-essential in the health officer’s March 16 order to shelter in place. But she knew masks were needed because she has a friend who works at a hospital. She knew sewing because she helped her mom,

Sharon Ciraulo, 74, when she owned the Felton Fabric Store.

Now she’s the hub of a group that in a month has grown to 330 people, a virtual community of mask makers helping everyone cover up, so to speak.

In Capitola, she counts on Betty Lopez, a friend since their Girl Scout days.

“She taught me how to sew,” said Lopez, 62. “We do a lot of crafting together.”

Nowadays, that togetherness is all online, as people stay at home and avoid face-to-face interactions to avoid spreading the coronavirus.

Lopez is staying home with her daughter and 3-year-old grandson, who live with her. Ordinarily she would drive a shuttle at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, but the amusement park closed March 13 to slow the spread of COVID-19. She doesn’t think it will reopen anytime soon.

Her volunteer gig, taking senior citizens to the grocery, the bank and the hairdresser, is on hiatus, too.

Sharon Ciraulo of Capitola at work.

use.

So she’s putting her time to good “SC Mask Sewers” page 13

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / May 2020 / 11

COMMUNITY NEWS

Five Agri-Culture Scholarships Given A gri-Culture, Inc. has selected five local students to receive college scholarships. They are:

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Jimmie Cox Memorial Scholarship $4,000 for a student majoring in agriculture.

This award includes $2,000 from American AgCredit.

• Jessica Rodriguez-Reyes is a senior at Watsonville High School, where she has carried a 3.6 GPA. She was a member of the French Club and Social Emotional Club.

She plans to attend Jessica Rodriguez-Reyes CSU Fresno to pursue a career in agricultural education. Jessica is receiving a $4,000 Jimmie Cox Memorial Scholarship.

• Henry Danner is in his first year at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he is majoring in animal science and preparing for a career as a veterinarian.

He had a 3.7 GPA Henry Danner in his first quarter of college, and earned a spot on the Dean’s List. In high school, his peers selected Henry for the “Kindest Student Award.” He is receiving a special $1,000 Jimmie Cox Memorial Scholarship.

Jeannie Witmer Memorial Scholarship $1,500 for a student active (past or present) in California High School Rodeo Association District 4 or California 4-H Horse Program, and majoring in agriculture and/or animal sciences.

• MaryGrace Dudek is a senior at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, where she has earned a 3.67 GPA. She plans

“County Announcements” from page 9

Attractive financing options available! On approval, ask for details of different plans.

12 / May 2020 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

Asked about the surge forecast, Hall said it’s a mathematical algorithm predicting more hospitalizations.

While she is planning for the worst-

to attend Oregon State University and major in animal science/sustainable ag.

Gracie has competed in MaryGrace Dudek horse riding competitions for several years, and started riding when she was 6 years old.

J.J. Crosetti, Jr. Memorial Scholarship $1,000 for a student majoring in agriculture.

• Jose Villanueva-Vigil is in his second year at CSU Fresno. He is majoring in plant science, and preparing for a career as a farm supervisor or pest control a d v i s o r.

Jose’s parents Jose Villanueva-Vigil migrated from Mexico and worked in the fields.

They installed a strong work ethic in Jose. He is receiving a $1,500 JJ Crosetti, Jr. Memorial Scholarship.

Laura Brown Memorial Scholarship $2,000 for a student majoring in agriculture a related field, or culinary arts. This is the first year for this award.

• Meghan Clifton is in her second year at CSU Fresno, where she has a 3.56 GPA. She is majoring in agricultural communication and preparing for an agricultural career in marketing, public relations, sales or human Meghan Clifton resources.

She wants to use her voice to be a champion for local agriculture. n case scenario, she said a middle-ground scenario is “more likely.”

She said the county has five full-time epidemiologists working on forecasts, with part-time staff partly funded by the state. n

“SC Mask Sewers” from page 11

the nonprofit that supports women with cancer, asked for 50 — and then 50 more.

Requests are often handled geographically. Betty Lopez is the point person in Capitola along with Sharon Ciraulo; Christina Amaya and Kristie Shulman are busy in Scotts Valley. Jehna Caron in Aptos teamed up with her neighbor, Chrissy Cyr, to make masks for workers at Deluxe Foods.

Some people don’t sew but they have donated fabric, like the box full of colorful pieces on Cotter’s porch. Others take care of deliveries.

On the Facebook group, volunteers ask for help; “What am I doing wrong?

This doesn’t pleat right,” and advice; “Can these be used for a nose bridge? Twist ties from the grocery store.” And they get plenty of answers.

Sometimes they share bits of humor, advice from the 1949 Singer sewing manual – “never try to sew with a sink full of dirty dishes or beds unmade,” and a photo of a cat at a sewing machine.

“Everyone connects,” said Caron.

“There such a sense of community on that page.”

Last week, more than 500 masks were delivered, arriving at Dominican home services, Brookdale Senior Living in Scotts Valley, Zoccoli’s Deli in Santa Cruz, and the Palo Alto Medical Foundation.

Cotter thanked everyone with a post: “It is so amazing how we can all come together at our own pace and help our community out with masks.” n

“Some days I sit at the table and sew and sew and sew,” she said. “Oh my goodness, my back hurts.”

She welcomed the chance to provide masks for FedEx Capitola.

That’s where she goes once a week to drop off a package for her daughter in Houston.

Ciraulo sews masks when she’s not working as a caregiver at La Posada, the assisted living facility in Santa Cruz.

“Anything I can do, I’m willing to do,” Ciraulo said. “Penny usually takes the orders, the rest of us just sew.”

She was prepared to help.

“You know how fabric people are, we always have a back stock,” she said.

Ciraulo said she wears a mask and gloves when working with her clients at La Posada, some in their 90s. Some requested she sew them a mask.

“They don’t want to get that nasty flu,” she said, noting meals are no longer in the dining room but delivered to individual rooms.

Recommended asks, or face coverings, were recommended April 3 by the federal Centers for Disease Control for people going out to grocery stores and pharmacies to slow the spread of the contagious coronavirus COVID-19, which has proven fatal for people with heart disease, asthma or diabetes.

The Domo.com COVID-19 tracker reports more than 51,000 deaths in the U.S. including 1,562 in California, where the projected peak of hospitalizations was April 17.

Officials said a face covering can keep people who have the virus but no symptoms from spreading it to others.

As of April 24, Santa Cruz County reported 115 confirmed cases, 18 requiring hospitalization at some point, two deaths, and 3,090 negative test results.

The state database reported six hospitalized in Santa Cruz County, three confirmed and three suspected cases, with one confirmed case in the intensive care unit, down from nine earlier in the month.

Making a Difference ominican Oaks, the assisted living facility for the elderly, asked for 200 masks. So did the Metro bus service.

Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz Salud Para La Gente, the Penny Cotter is co-founder of the SC Mask Sewers group on nonprofit healthcare clinic, Facebook, which responds to requests for face coverings across asked for 100. Womencare, Santa Cruz County.

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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / May 2020 / 13

COMMUNITY NEWS

2020 National Ag Day Poster and Poetry Contest Winners E ach year, the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau and Agri-Culture cosponsor a poster contest for grades K-6 and a poetry contest for grades 7-12 in Santa Cruz County and Pajaro Valley schools.

The 2020 winners are: Dimiana Sarah Trigg, 7th grade, St. Lawrence Academy, Felton, for her poem and Zoe Alma Torres, 6th grade, Tierra Pacifica Charter School, Live Oak, for her poster.

Poster runner-up winners are: 2nd place, Carem Ho, 6th grade, Linscott Charter School, Watsonville; 3rd place, Amelie Skelton, 5th grade, Bay View Elementary School, Santa Cruz.

Poster honorable mentions went to: Cameron Carlock, 3rd grade, Delaveaga Elementary School, Angela Gonzalez-Rojas, Delaveaga Elementary School; Piper James Jessee, 2nd grade, Vine Hill Elementary School, Scotts Valley, Jaden Qian, kindergarten, Vine Hill Elementary School, Scotts Valley, Jolene Qian, 2nd grade, Vine Hill Elementary School, Scotts Valley; Leonardo Cerillos, 4th grade, Linscott Charter School, Watsonville, Lenna Rose Jordan, 4the grade, Linscott Charter School, Watsonville; and Fernanda Pinho Chagos, 5th grade, Bay View Elementary School, Santa Cruz.

These winning entries will be displayed on next year’s National Agriculture Day Placemat, which will be distributed to restaurant throughout Santa Cruz County.

All poster and poetry contest winning entries will be displayed at the National Agriculture Day spring luncheon.

The luncheon, previously scheduled for March 18, was postponed until May

Winning Poster by Zoe Alma Torres

27 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The date could change due to the evolving shelter-in-place restrictions. Tickets and sponsorships are available on Eventbrite (search for “National Agriculture Day Spring Luncheon” in Watsonville). If you make a purchase, you will be informed of any changes. n ••• Of Our Blessings Dimiana Sarah Trigg When one’s grown in the Santa Cruz County, The beauty of the mountains and the beaches,

One may treasure the best of Earth’s bounty.

Shining over the redwoods, the first light, The first breath of the morning’s crisp, cool air, Birds bursting into melody, into flight!

One finds fruits and vegetables, transcendent, Orchards filled with lush apples and peaches, Farms where fresh greens are more than abundant.

And the glorious nights so clear and cold, The moon hangs high and stars litter the sky, All these things make our county truly gold.

Santa Cruz County Health Assesses Nursing Homes

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he County of Santa Cruz Public Health Division has completed assessments of local skilled nursing facilities to prevent the spread of contagious COVID-19.

As of Thursday, there were 114 reported COVID-19 cases in Santa Cruz County, but none among skilled nursing facility residents.

“The success of our local COVID-19 response is dependent on the readiness of our healthcare facilities,” says Michelle Meszaros, the lead Public Health nurse for the skilled nursing facility assessments.

Outbreaks of COVID-19 and fatalities have occurred at nursing homes in California and long-term care facilities in Washington

14 / May 2020 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

State as medically-vulnerable individuals living in close quarters are at higher risk.

Public Health staff have visited facilities, assessed needs for safety measures and provided guidance, and are prepared to direct additional public health resources should an outbreak occur.

On March 20, Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel issued a no-visitation order at residential health care facilities throughout Santa Cruz County. The order has since been

extended indefinitely and covers all visitation other than end-of-life situations.

In early April, Public Health developed a seven-member team of Communicable Disease Unit staff to coordinated and complete on-site assessments of each of the seven skilled nursing facilities in Santa Cruz County.

This team worked with skilled-nursing staff on reviewing the facility’s capacity for isolation and quarantine of residents, reviewing their process for managing staff and/or residents with COVID-19, and ensuring each facility had policies in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. n

COMMUNITY NEWS

Refund Premiums to Customers Affected

by COVID-19 O n April 13, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara ordered insurance companies to return premiums to consumers and businesses to provide financial relief during the COVID-19 emergency.

His order covers premiums paid for March and April — and May if “shelter in place” restrictions continue — to insure private passenger automobiles, commercial automobiles, workers’ compensation, commercial multi-peril, commercial liability and medical malpractice insurance, and any other line where the risk of loss has fallen substantially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With Californians driving fewer miles and many businesses closed due to the COVID-19 emergency, consumers need relief from premiums that no longer reflect their present-day risk of accident or loss,” said Lara. “Today’s mandatory action will put money back in people’s pockets when they need it most.”

Insurance companies are required to provide a premium credit, reduction, return of premium, or other adjustment as soon as possible, and no later than August.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, the largest auto insurers providing relief are: Geico, Progressive, Allstate, USAA, Liberty Mutual, Farmers, Travelers, American Family, State Farm and Nationwide.

Lara earlier requested a 60-day grace period for policyholders to pay premiums so that insurance policies are not cancelled for nonpayment during this challenging time.

According to a UC Davis Special Report on the Impact of COVID-19 on California Traffic Accidents, reduced driving has resulted in fewer accidents, injuries, and fatalities on public highways and roads. Falling payroll and receipts due to closure orders have dramatically reduced risk of a liability loss for businesses.

A premium refund will not require prior approval by the Department of Insurance if an insurance company follows methods outlined in the commissioner’s bulletin, such as using an average percentage based on estimated change in risk or exposure. Consumers will have the opportunity to provide their individual

Ricardo Lara

actual or estimated experience to their insurance company.

Lara also ordered insurance companies to report to the Department of Insurance within 60 days all premium refunds they have issued or expect to issue.

“I applaud efforts made by insurance companies to date that have offered grace periods and flexibility to consumers and businesses during this national emergency,” added Lara.

Previous actions by the Department of Insurance to assist consumers during the COVID-19 emergency: • Requesting a 60-day grace period for consumers and businesses to pay insurance premiums • Extending deadlines for insurance claims until 90 days after the statewide “state of emergency has ended related to COVID-19 • Maintaining auto insurance for those with an expired license and/or car registration • Extending personal auto coverage for delivery drivers for essential businesses • Eliminating cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing and screening • Reminding insurance companies that workers’ compensation insurance applies regardless of a worker’s immigration status • Urging uninsured Californians to obtain insurance to protect their health • Directing health insurance companies to provide more telehealth access for consumers • Directing health insurance companies to submit emergency plans on prescriptions and health access n

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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / May 2020 / 15

COMMUNITY NEWS

Employing Data Analytics to Make Sound College Admission Choices

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By Chad Storlie

OVID-19 has parents and students alike rethinking their college choices. With the COVID-19 driven economic reality, students and parents alike are thinking towards value colleges and universities. A value college is exactly what it sounds like: how do I pay the least amount in tuition and still get the best post-graduate outcome?

The use of Data Analytics methods combined with publicly available data from the US Department of Education College Scorecard makes a difficult sounding task surprisingly straight forward.

A Quality Source of Data Comes from The US Department of Education’s College Scorecard. Publicly available and unbiased data are the most important pieces to evaluating colleges and universities.

The Department of Education College

Sadly, none of these equate to any post-graduation educational value for students. There are seven key educational outcome measures that can clearly differentiate one college from the other.

In this model, the in-state tuition and fees had to be lower than $13,000 to be considered.

Scorecard gathers, cleans, organizes, and stores over 1900 different variables on how

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different student segments perform at different colleges and universities across the United States. In the consideration set for this optimization model were over 1500, 4-year bachelor’s degree granting institutions across the United States.

All the 1500 educational institutions considered were accredited, receive federal education funds, and have classrooms ready and able to accept new students. The challenge now becomes what variables to select for the optimization model.

The Most Important Outcome Variables to Choosing a College.College admission websites are filled with pictures of new dormitories, notable alumni quotes, shimmering world class fitness centers, multi-level food courts, and sport team highlights.

Seven Key College Outcome Measures 1. In-state tuition and fees – Must be less than $13,000/year.

2. Graduation rate for first-time, full-time students (within 6 years) – Average of 79% 3. Median earnings of working students (10 years after graduation) – Average of $55,000 4. Five-year debt repayment rate for graduates – Average of 85% 5. Median debt of graduates – Average of $19,000 6. Transfer rate for first-time, full-time students – Average of 10% 7. First-time, full-time student retention rate – Average of 90% • Transfer Rate + Retention Rate Do Not Equal 100% Due to Department of Education Measurements How the Schools Were Chosen & Ranked — Optimization Model Method.

The goal of using data analytics in the college choice process is to help prospective college students answer one of their most important questions, “What is the best educational value for my educational dollar?”

“Choosing College” page 19

COMMUNITY NEWS

Felton, SV Farmers’ Markets Postpone Opening Til June

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By Nicole Zahm

s Santa Cruz County and the State of California move further into the second month of the Shelter in Place Ordinance we at the Markets continue to work hard, creatively and in an informed manner to keep our markets safe, functioning and available to you.

Currently our year-round markets, Downtown Santa Cruz, Westside Santa Cruz and Live Oak, are open. The opening dates for our two seasonal markets, Felton and Scotts Valley, have been postponed to the first week of June.

The Felton Farmers’ Market will begin June 2 and the Scotts Valley Market will open its doors on June 6. This is an educated decision considering the predicted trajectory of COVID-19 in our community.

Our hope is that physical distancing and shelter-in-place requirements will be easing on a local and state level by June and we will be able to open the markets in a cautious but semi-normal way. If restrictions are still in place we may need to make some structural changes relating to limited space. The markets will become more focused on farms and a few essential food items adding all the other businesses we love as weeks pass and safety guidelines allow. Be prepared for it to look a bit different for some weeks.

Certified farmers’ markets are considered essential food outlets and fall under the same category as grocery stores in the Shelter in Place ORDER instated by Santa Cruz County on March 17 and extended and amended on March 31. We ask for your support as we continue to implement and enforce the following changes. These will ease and shift as county and state requirements/recommendations change.

• All vendors are to use gloves, face coverings and hand washing stations.

• All sampling of fruits, vegetables and other foods is suspended.

• No seating or tables are offered.

• No bike valet offered.

• Music area and kids zone are suspended.

• Additional hand washing stations are provided at all markets.

• Limiting interaction between customers and produce to minimize cross contamination.

• Mandated physical distancing: o Spacing out vendor stands. o Marking official entrances and exits for each vendor stand. o Establishing customer queues/ lines that visually illustrate six feet between customers.

We ask that customers: • Please stay home if you aren’t feeling well.

• Customers are required by the County to wear a face covering.

• Avoid touching your face, nose and mouth (especially after handling money).

• Practice physical distancing of six feet from any other person at the markets and respect the infrastructure we have created.

• Only touch what you purchase.

• Wash your hands often and for a minimum of 20 seconds.

In a time of isolation we are staying in close contact to make sure you have the most up-to-date information regarding our markets.

Please sign up for our NEW weekly newsletter where we share essays, clips and notable ideas from the farming community and our partners. We offer comfort-food recipes, poems and current updates regarding our response to COVID-19. Stay connected here. n ••• For the most up-to-date information visit www.santacruzfarmersmarket.org.

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / May 2020 / 17

COMMUNITY NEWS

Campesinos: Workers of the Land

Pajaro Valley Arts Gallery’s Newest Exhibit Opening Soon

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xhibit will open when shelter-inplace is lifted and be on view in the gallery through August 2, 2020.

We have a spectacular exhibit at the Pajaro Valley Arts Gallery, sitting behind locked doors. While our gallery door is closed for the safety of our staff, guests and community, our virtual door is open for you to experience Campesinos: Workers of the Land online at: my.matterport.com/ show/?m=UmneBURGKjJ We are grateful for the dedication of our agricultural workers, and celebrate

Espacia Sideral—Outer Space

by Arleene Correa Valencia

their contributions through Campesinos: Workers of the Land.

Exhibit planning started late in 2019 as collaboration between Consuelo Alba, Watsonville Film Festival; Gabe Medina, Watsonville Artist Meet-up; and Pajaro Valley Arts.

Ms. Alba was looking for a venue to show the work of two artists who were to be highlighted during the film festival.

Farmworkers are central themes for both artists.

Together, we expanded this concept so that regional artists would have the opportunity to show their work.

This exhibit was conceived to honor the dignity of our campesinos/agricultural workers and farmers. We asked artists to create and bring us work that represent what they see, feel, and believe as they pass by our fields everyday.

We asked for artwork that represents the issues of dignity, labor, workers’ rights, immigration, and the duality of every day living for migrant workers. We received incredibly personal, visual and audio stories that celebrate the lives and contributions of our families and community of agricultural workers.

Artists: Hannah Baldrige • Carlos Campos • Jessica Carrasco • Ruth Carroll • Victor Cervantes Warren Chang • Arleene Correa Valencia • Linda Curtis • Kati D’Amore Francisco Joseph Dominguez • Jenny Dowd • Veronica Eldredge • David Fleming Armando Franco • Juan R. Fuentes

Flower Girl by Warren Chang

• Ome Garcia • Michele Hausman Hedwig Heerschop • Erica Hernandez • Rosa Gabriela Hernandez • Bill Kennann Lucien Kubo • Barbara Lawrence • Yesenia Magdaleno-Solis • Mac McWilliams Gabriel J. Medina • Jay Mercado • Jonathan Sánchez Moreno • Don Monkerud Ed Penniman •

Joel Rigler • Jaime Sánchez • Craig Sherod • Leon Sun • Shmuel Thaler Samuel Torres Jr. • Graciela Vega Curated by: Gabriel J. Medina and Judy Stabile Juried by: Consuelo Alba, Gabriel J. Medina and Judy Stabile

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18 / May 2020 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

Unseen by Linda Curtis

COMMUNITY NEWS

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Jeff Heitman Joins Bay Federal

eff Heitmann has joined Bay Federal Credit Union as business relationship manager, managing the future business lending and banking initiatives. He has 23 years of banking experience and will work out of the Capitola headquarters.

He first joined Bay Federal as a part-time teller in 1997, eventually working his way into a management position at the credit union’s River Street branch. He then left and spent 11 years in business banking, becoming vice president and business relationship manager at Bank of the West in Santa Cruz. He lives in Santa Cruz with his wife and three children.

“Choosing College” from page 16 Specifically, how do I achieve a high post-graduation income, on time graduation, the ability to repay a low amount of student debt, and a school where I have a high chance of success while spending the least amount possible?

The optimization model method ranked these 30 schools against the 1500 considered to determine which schools had the best possible combination of the seven key college outcome measures.

The model finds the best combination of all seven variables among the 1500 schools and then delivers the rank of each one compared to the others.

••• The Top 10 Not What You Expected • Bernard M Baruch College, New York, NY • Binghamton University, Vestal, NY • California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo • Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL • Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA • North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC • San Diego State University, San Diego • University of Florida, Gainesville, FL • University of Maryland, College Park, MD • University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC The Next 10 Cost Effective with “Best Of” Results • Appalachian State University, Boone, NC • California State University, Fullerton • James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA • Texas A & M University, College Station, TX

“I’m excited to be able to take Bay Federal’s philosophy of ‘people helping people’ and share it with our business members in our area as well, especially in these difficult times.”

— Jeff Heitmann

“When I found out that Bay Federal was intending to expand their Business Banking program, I couldn’t wait to be a part of that movement,” he said. “I’m

excited to be able to take Bay Federal’s philosophy of ‘people helping people’ and share it with our business members in our area as well, especially in these difficult times.”

Bay Federal intends to invest in the development of a comprehensive business lending program, however, the COVID-19 pandemic and providing resources for businesses has taken precedence. The credit union can connect small business owners with many resources, and more information is at encouraged visit www. bayfed.com to learn more. n

Jeff Heitmann

• • • • • •

University of Texas, Austin, TX Towson University, Towson, MD Truman State University, Kirksville, MO University of Georgia, Athens, GA University of Washington, Seattle, WA University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI The Final 10 High Admission Rates with High Results • Auburn University, Auburn, AL • George Mason University, Fairfax, VA • Indiana University, Bloomington, IN • Iowa State University, Ames, IA • Ohio State University, Columbus, OH • Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN • Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, PA • University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA • University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT • Worcester State University, Worcester, MA ••• The Top Data Location for Further College Research: Department of Education College Scorecard(https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/).

Choosing a College is A Choice Best Done with Data Measuring Concrete Outcomes. It is extraordinarily difficult to select a college based on marketing material the college and the traditional college admission industry provide because clearly defined outcomes are often not available.

Parents and students need to focus on college outcomes because the best way to make a bachelor’s degree pay off is to graduate on time, pay the lowest tuition possible, and graduate with the lowest amount of debt. n ••• Chad Storlie is a retired US Army Special Forces officer, an Iraq combat veteran, and has 15 years university teaching experience as an adjunct Professor of Marketing. He is a midlevel B2B marketing executive and a widely published author on leadership, business, data, decision making, military and technology topics.

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / May 2020 / 19

COMMUNITY NEWS

Newsom: Hospitals Can Do Elective Surgery

By Jondi Gumz

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ith hospital beds kept open across the state for COVID-19 patients that haven’t materialized, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday that hospitals are free to schedule elective surgeries that are critical to health.

He gave examples such as heart valve replacements, tumor removals and colonoscopies.

Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel said the governor made the decision “to keep hospitals economically feasible so they can respond to the surge if needed.”

Added Dr. David Ghilarducci, the county’s EMS medical director, “Other needs were being drowned out by COVID-19 preparations.”

What does the governor’s order mean for Dominican Hospital, the only medical facility in Santa Cruz with an emergency department?

A Dominican Hospital spokesperson provided this statement: “Now that we have data showing that the initial peak of the pandemic is behind us, we are

preparing to safely resume some elective procedures at our care sites in the coming weeks. The safety of our patients and staff always come first … We won’t be able to provide every service right away--rather this will be a gradual process, with the most urgent procedures being prioritized using a process created by our clinical teams …

We hope to share more information soon.”

The criteria for resuming procedures will be based on guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control, US Surgeon General, American Hospital Association, and the national associations of nurses, surgeons and anesthesiologists.

Precautions such limiting visitors and requiring masking for staff and patients will stay in place.

As of Friday in Santa Cruz County, a total of 115 people have been confirmed positive for COVID-19, two people have died, 18 people have gotten hospital treatment, and 3,090 have gotten negative test results.

Of the positive cases, 19 are health care workers, according to Newel.

As of April 23, six people in Santa Cruz County were hospitalized – three confirmed and three suspected -- because of COVID-19, according to the state’s database, and one confirmed patient was in the intensive care unit.

Epidemiologists had predicted Santa Cruz County would need 100 ICU ventilator beds at the worst of the COVID-19 emergency, and a peak was projected for April 14, but the peak did not materialize and the forecasts have changed.

On Thursday, county health officials made public for the first time the modeling used to predict future COVID-19 cases.

The model is based on the time it takes for the number of cases to double.

Initially, cases were doubling every six days.

Since the “shelter in place” order was issued March 16 and non-essential businesses were ordered to close, it took 11 days for cases to double.

Since April 5, it’s taking close to 24 days for cases to double.

During the past two weeks, new cases

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Becky Steinbruner of Aptos has been waiting to get surgery at Stanford Hospital. trickled in at one to three per day with a spike of four on Wednesday.

“Surgery” page 23

COMMUNITY NEWS

Parks Leaders: Stay Close To Home W ith temperatures warming up across the state, park officials from the Santa Cruz area are reminding Californians to “Stay Home, Save Lives” as California continues to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

While the State of California understands the public’s need to enjoy the benefits of nature, it is more important than ever to stay the course and avoid visitation surges at parks and beaches. The longer people stay home and avoid congregating, the sooner they can begin recreating and celebrating with family and friends in the outdoors.

Park officials across the state have implemented a variety of temporary safety measures to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Santa Cruz area, California State Parks has partnered with Santa Cruz County Parks, Santa Cruz City Parks, Watsonville City Parks, Capitola City Parks and Scotts Valley City Parks to help the public understand and comply with directives from local public health authorities.

At this time, some state, county and cities parks and beaches in Santa Cruz

County are temporarily closed to vehicular access — meaning there are no parking facilities and parking on roadways is prohibited or restricted to county residents.

The parks are available to local county residents that can actively walk, jog or bike into and at these park units, provided that they maintain the proper physical distance from others and congregating is not allowed. Additionally, if there are too many people at a park, beach or trail that comprises physical distancing, visitors are being asked to leave. Driving to parks and beaches is strongly discouraged.

Though law enforcement agencies have the authority to issue citations, the expectation is that the public will adhere to the advice of the public health officials and the closures.

Park officials will continue to monitor visitation and social distancing at all parks

and beaches and if the safety measures implemented to date are not sufficient to protect public health and slow down the spread of COVID-19, additional measures may be taken to fully close parks.

Safety measures implemented (to date) elow is a summary of the temporary safety measures that State Parks, Santa Cruz County Parks and Santa Cruz City Parks have implemented to date to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 disease: State Parks o date, some park units have temporarily fully closed, meaning all vehicular access, trails and restrooms within these parks are closed. State Parks has also closed vehicular access at all parks statewide, including for off-highway vehicles and recreational boats; closed all campgrounds, museums and visitor centers; and cancelled

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all events. The closure list is available online at parks.ca.gov/FlattenTheCurve. This list is dynamic and will be updated with new information as it becomes available.

As the state continues to prepare and protect Californians from COVID-19, State Parks continues to monitor the situation and is following guidance provided by the Governor’s Office via the California Department of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

The department is also working closely with local county and public health officials, and assessing park operations on a daily basis to provide access to healthy outdoor options while emphasizing the need for safe, physical distancing. State Parks understands that local agencies each have unique operational considerations and strategies. As such, the department is partnering with locals to align park operations and help the public understand and comply with directives from local public health authorities.

“Stay Close To Home” page 23

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / May 2020 / 21

COMMUNITY NEWS

Small Business Relief: $310B Available

By Jondi Gumz

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ith another $310 billion in relief available Monday morning for small businesses devastated by shelter-in-place orders for COVID-19, there was another mad rush to apply online.

Congress approved the new allocation for the Paycheck Protection Program as part of a $484 billion coronavirus spending bill after the initial $349 billion for “paycheck protection” ran out in two weeks.

President Trump signed the new legislation Friday.

The Paycheck Protection Program, under the auspices of the Small Business Administration, provides small-business loans of up to $10 million to cover payroll and certain other expenses, or 2.5 times your total payroll expenses for the loan period. The interest on the loan can be forgiven if you are able to keep paying employees during the first eight weeks after you receive the loan.

The program had a rocky launch, with the SBA’s computer systems overwhelmed and reports that big banks such

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relationships. According ot the Washington Post, 80 percent of the small businesses that applied for a loan were still waiting for an answer as of April 17, the day after the program ran out of money, and many did not know where they stood.

In Santa Cruz County, 82 percent of businesses have nine or fewer employees.

Many businesses were deemed nonessential by the Santa Cruz County Health Officer and ordered on March 16 to close to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Interest rates for the Paycheck Protection Program were initially set at 0.5 percent but were increased to 1 percent due to lender concerns. The law caps the interest rate at 4 percent.

What’s different this time, according to Rep. Jimmy Panetta-Carmel Valley, who supported the legislation, is that $60 billion is set aside for credit unions, community financial institutions, and other small institutions, which serve smaller businesses.

Specifically, $30 billion is set aside for institutions with assets between $10 billion and $50 billion, and $30 billion set aside for institutions with assets under $10 billion.

“This will help to ensure that there is money set aside for smaller businesses,” said Panetta.

Locally owned Santa Cruz County Bank, which recently merged with Lighthouse Bank, has assets of $1.1 billion and is participating in the Paycheck Protection Program.

The bank posted this on its website: “We are accepting applications from customers who have an established banking relationship with Santa Cruz County Bank

as of February 15, 2020 as well as businesses located in Santa Cruz, Monterey, Santa Clara and San Benito counties. This includes Lighthouse Bank customers who are now Santa Cruz County Bank customers as a result of our merger. Due to constraints within this government funded program and due to a significantly high volume of requests, it is not certain as to whether your request can be funded. Acceptance of any applications is not a guarantee of funding.”

Bay Federal Credit Union, based in Capitola, has more than $1.1 billion in assets but does not do business lending.

“We are in the process of getting certified to do SBA lending for the PPP funds; however, we are not there yet,” said Tonee Picard, Executive Vice President, Chief Development Officer. “We are working through the process to be able to offer this in the future.”

Santa Cruz Community Credit Union, with $121 million in assets, participated in the first round of “paycheck protection,” and found demand was high.

“We have reached our maximum limit for accepting any new Paycheck Protection Program applications,” the credit union said in a post on its website.

The Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture emailed members Monday about the loan program with a list of banks operating in the county.

Asked if the loan process takes the number of employees into account, the answer from Panetta’s office was: No, there is not a process that is based on business size. This legislation instead sets aside funding for smaller, community lenders which serve smaller companies.

It’s not clear whether banks and credit unions have to report how many Paycheck Protection loans they made and the average loan size.

The most recent application form is posted on the Treasury Department’s Cares Act resource page. Once you gather the necessary information, you should contact an SBA-approved lender. You can find one by plugging your Zip code into an online tool on the SBA’s website.

Borrowers are advised to apply online or by phone rather than in person. If you don’t already have an established banking relationship, your application will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Usually, the SBA has a requirement requires that borrowers must be unable to obtain credit elsewhere.

“SBA Loans” page 24

CALIFORNIA NEWS

Empty Highways Bring Speeding Drivers

CHP Citations Jump by 87% for Violators Speeding More Than 100 mph SACRAMENTO — Caltrans announced today a joint effort with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to urge drivers in the state to slow down given a recent 87% increase in citations for speeding in excess of 100 mph that coincides with decreased traffic volumes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

From March 19 when the state’s stayat-home order began to April 19, the CHP reports issuing 2,493 citations statewide for speeding more than 100 mph, as compared to 1,335 during the same period last year. This increase in citations occurred as Caltrans has measured an average decline in traffic volume on state roads of approximately 35% as compared to this time last year.

“Excessive speed and unsafe driving threaten everyone using our highway system,” said Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. “Viewing less congested roads as an invitation to drive dangerously jeopardizes the safety of construction and maintenance crews who are working to maintain reliable access to our highways when people need it most.”

“It is alarming to see the number of

“Stay Close To Home” from page 21 Any decision to reopen state parks will be made in close coordination with state and public health officials, the Governor’s Office and the state office of emergency services.

Santa Cruz County Parks n the hopes to avoid another countywide park closure, Santa Cruz County Parks is severely limiting parking in the coastal zones. Santa Cruz County Parks has very limited parking near parks and beaches, permitted for county residents only. All county parks are currently open but restrooms are closed.

To see specifics, please visit their website or follow the County Park Friends link for a regional status of all parks: www.scparks.com/ and www.countypark friends.org/covidclosures.html.

The county is responsible for 33 beaches and beach access points throughout the county as well as 32 regional parks.

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Santa Cruz City Parks o date, specific amenities in the City of Santa Cruz parks system

citations officers are writing for excessive speeds on California roadways,” said CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley. “Higher speeds can lead to much more serious injuries and significantly increase the chance of death should a crash occur. Keep yourself and those on the road around you safe. Slow down and drive at a safe, legal speed.”

California’s “Move Over” law continues to be in effect and requires all drivers to move over a lane, or if unable to do so safely, slow down when they see

amber flashing lights on Caltrans vehicles, law enforcement and emergency vehicles, and tow trucks.

“Fewer cars on the road doesn’t give drivers the green light to travel over the speed limit,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. “Driving at a safe speed when you must go out is one way to keep you and your family safe during this pandemic.”

California’s more than 700 electronic highway signs will also soon display the following types of safety-related messages:

••• IF YOU MUST TRAVEL DO NOT SPEED ••• KEEP ESSENTIAL WORKERS SAFE DO NOT SPEED ••• During the COVID-19 emergency, Caltrans continues to provide the general public with a safe and reliable transportation system. The department is maintaining all critical functions during this crisis, including ensuring roadway access to medical facilities and the convenient transport of essential goods and services throughout the state.

Some non-essential work has been deferred to limit spread of the COVID-19 virus, but maintenance and construction crews are still addressing hazards, safety concerns and other critical functions on the highways.

Please slow down and Be Work Zone Alert. n ••• For more information about COVID-19 visit https://covid19.ca.gov/

remain closed. These include basketball courts, skate parks, pool, golf and disc golf courses, archery, athletic fields and playgrounds.

Additionally, facilities including the Civic Auditorium, Louden Nelson Community Center, and Surfing Museum remain closed. Most park and beach parking lots are closed and parking on roadways is limited.

Full details for the City of Santa Cruz COVID-19 response are found by visiting www.cityofsantacruz.com/COVID-19.

closed. These include skate parks, athletic fields and playgrounds.

Additionally, facilities including Pinto Lake City Park, the Watsonville Senior Center, GHWR Youth Center and other recreation centers remain closed.

Full details please visit: https:// w w w. c i t y o f w a t s o n v i l l e . o r g / 1 9 1 5 / Novel-Coronavirus-COVID-19

City of Scotts Valley ome specific amenities in the City of Scotts Valley parks system remain closed. These include the skate park, pool, bocce ball and playgrounds. For up-to-date information, please go to the Scotts Valley homepage: www.scottsvalley.org n ••• Subscribe to California State Parks News online at www.parks.ca.gov/news or click here.

City of Capitola Specific amenities in the City of Capitola parks system remain closed. These may include skate parks, athletic fields and playgrounds. Additionally, parking is severely limited and reserved for county residents only. Please follow this link to see which park or park amenities in Capitola are closed: https://www.cityofcapitola.org/cityadministration/page/ covid-19-updates.

Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel pointed out those numbers can change quickly, as they did when 16 year-round farmworkers were diagnosed positive in Monterey County.

Mimi Hall, director of the county’s Health Services Agency, said Thursday that the peak is now projected for August.

Newel said the change in forecast is “a good sign we’re doing the right thing.”

Hall said a recovery team has been formed to discus what might resume besides elective surgery.

Dentistry especially for safety-net patients is under consideration.

City of Watsonville o date, specific amenities in the City of Watsonville parks system remain

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“Surgery” from page 20

S

For more businesses to reopen, health officials want more testing and “contact tracing” in place.

Contact tracing is the laborintensive task of finding out who has been exposed to someone who has tested positive.

Hall said Community Foundation Santa Cruz County has hired someone to oversee new testing sites.

As for the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and its rides, she said, “Those are going to be the last on the list” to reopen, suggesting the amusement park look at what could operate under new safety guidelines, such as retail shops and food services. n

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / May 2020 / 23

FEATURED COLUMNIST

An Intimate Letter from My Body to My Mind

By John Wilkins “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” — Aristotle ear John, I want you to know that I have always loved you, even when we were in our mother’s womb. As I was being formed, I felt the rush of creation bringing us together as one.

With me, it was flesh and blood and bone coming together to fully support you — and for you, it was the beginning of your awareness of “being” … with me.

Right from the start there was an eternal plan emerging from us that was coming from the heart of creation. We were created and born out of love. We are a miracle of life. We were meant to be together — your spirit and soul

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within my body of flesh and blood. I was made to provide your connection to the physical world. We are lifelong companions.

If one were to ask, “what exactly is your relationship about and how does it work?” it would be appropriate to say, “It’s complicated.” Together, as mind and body, we are one of the greatest miracles of the universe.

A vital spark of life is infused into us. So strong and so frail. So smart and so foolish. We’ve been blessed with an opportunity to create a life experience while living for a brief time on this beautiful planet we call “Earth.”

As wonderful as your mind is, the meaning of our existence and full under-

standing of the world we live in is still out of your reach and is too much to comprehend. As great and powerful as your consciousness is, it’s insufficient to grasp the wonder of what you truly are…and what we are in relationship to each other.

Please, never forget that “wonder” is part of the joy and blessing of our life.

We’ve been given just enough understanding to know that being a human being on planet Earth is a unique experience. We have won the cosmic lottery!

We are evolved just enough to comprehend our seemingly insignificant place in the universe while at the same time being able to perceive our amazing capabilities as ultimate “Lords” of the planet.

You are intelligent… yes?

And yet there is always room for greater personal growth and expanded awareness.

We understand that we don’t need more stuff, but we certainly could use more wisdom.

John Wilkins Your great “intelligence” brings us to a place where we are able to realize the impossibility of fully “understanding” and yet… from time to time, we can sense our grandeur and wonder of “the miracle of our life.”

“Wilkins” page 31

COMMUNITY NEWS

More People Requesting Help From Meals on Wheels

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By Edita McQuary

emand for Meals on Wheels is up markedly since the COVID-19 outbreak, according to Community Bridges, a longtime local nonprofit that runs the program.

Last year Meals on Wheels provided about 2,700

“SBA Loans” from page 22 That was dropped for the Paycheck Protection Program.

Borrowers are expected to certify themselves “in good faith” that they need the loan, “taking into account their current business activity and their ability to access

meals a week to approximately 1,600 seniors. Since March 16, when the congregate dining sites were closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus, 162 new seniors have signed up to get a meal delivered to their home.

Amy Hanley, Community Bridges marketing

other sources of liquidity sufficient to support their ongoing operations in a manner that is not significantly detrimental to the business,” according to Treasury Department guidance released April 23.

The new loans can cover payroll costs, employee benefits, mortgage interest incurred before Feb. 15, rent and utilities

24 / May 2020 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

and communications manager, working from home, said the increase in demand for meals meant mobilizing staff, ramp up purchasing process and buy a new freezer to meet the need. Plans are to purchase a second freezer.

Meals on Wheels had delivered food to about 100 seniors at the Louden Nelson Community Center in the city of Santa Cruz until its closed last month. About half of these elders were homeless.

Now their drivers are going out into the community to find these participants and provide them with a meal.

There is no income requirement to receive Meals on Wheels. However, if a senior is able to pay, he or she can pay $2.50 per meal, or more if they so desire.

Enrollment is online at https://communitybridges. org/mealsonwheels or 831-464-3180 X10.

Additionally, Community Bridges Lift Line program, which serves 625 low income or disabled persons in Santa Cruz County, has expanded. Now any senior or person with a disability, regardless of income level, can get a ride to essential services including grocery stores. Rides can be scheduled in advance, but same day service may be available depending on capacity.

Lift Line can be reached at 831-688-9663. n

under lease agreements in force before that date, and utilities for which the service began before February. At least 75 percent of the loan must go to payroll, according to a regulation published April 2.

Payroll costs include salary wages, commissions and tips capped at $100,000 for each employee. It also includes benefits

for vacation, parental leave, medical leave, sick leave and some other limited benefit categories.

The Paycheck Protection Program excludes sick and family leave, according to an April 6 fact sheet from the Treasury Department. Information on Cares Act tax credits is at irs.gov. n

FEATURED COLUMNIST

Our Community Is Making A Difference

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n times of crisis, it is critical for a community to come together. We have seen this compassion and unity in Santa Cruz County during times of earthquakes, floods, and fires, and now during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our community is working hard to help slow the transmission of the coronavirus and protect the health of local residents.

From the outset of this pandemic, County Public Health decided to take swift action to limit the spread of the virus using the best available science. Our “Shelter In Place” order was put into place a few days before the state and ahead of most of the nation.

Working with the county Superintendent of Schools, local schools were shuttered to limit COVID-19 spread. Soon thereafter, visitors were blocked from entering nursing homes to protect some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

Most impressively, the community has responded in ways that would have seemed impossible just a few months ago.

The active effort of so many county residents to stay home and only venture out for essential services or employment has been incredible.

Our community stepped up and has played a leading role in slowing the spread of the virus in Santa Cruz County. Through the efforts of so many, we have lengthened the days of doubling new cases from six days to ten days.

The drive to “flatten the curve” has yielded some of the best results in the state, allowing our hospitals to prepare, for new care sites to be established, and to “stand up” new shelters to limit transmission.

When senior volunteers could no longer help with the Grey Bears food distribution, other community members stepped up and filled those roles to ensure healthy food for seniors. Volunteers have

By John Leopold, First District Supervisor

come forward to support the new shelters that have been put in place to prevent the spread of the virus among the homeless population.

Sewing machines have been buzzing all over the county to help provide critically needed masks to help protect disaster service workers, in-home supportive service workers and other essential staff.

These communal efforts really show how caring, supportive, and special our community is during this historic time of need.

We are, however, in the first inning of a long fight against the COVID-19 virus. Flattening the curve does not make the virus go away. We will continue to see new cases in our community as we work to expand testing. Our hospital census has remained low so far, but that could change.

The County has established a Testing Task Force to prioritize responsive testing so we have the best information about who is carrying the virus in our community.

We are also working with UC Santa Cruz to help meet the need for testing in our community.

Our Health Officer, Dr. Gail Newel, is working with her colleagues around the Bay Area on identifying the steps to expand testing, contact tracing, and other measures that will need to be in place before the “Shelter In Place” order can be lifted.

The County has partnered with the Community Foundation to hire a COVID recovery director to ensure all our efforts closely align the county with our hospitals and clinics to best serve the needs of local residents.

As we all look forward to the day when some or all of these restrictions are gone, it is now critically important to support our local business community. Treat yourself to a great take-out meal from one of our local restaurants or go online to purchase products from one of our local businesses.

The help you give now will help ensure

that we continue to have a bright and vibrant community in the future.

The strength of our community is defined by how we care for each other during these times of need. Our community has displayed incredible fortitude in our efforts during this COVID-19 pandemic so far. But we need to continue to work together to protect our community.

Keep yourself informed about the local situation by visiting the County website

at www.santacruzhealth.org/coronavirus, watch the weekly press conference on Santa Cruz County’s Facebook page every Thursday at 10 a.m., or listen in to my weekly Telephone Town Hall meeting with local leaders on Wednesdays from 6-7 p.m. n ••• John Leopold is the First District County Supervisor. His Telephone Town Halls can be accessed by calling 831-454-2222, and then enter the collaboration meeting code of 855976.

Mother’s Day

ACROSS

1. “Ali Baba and the Forty ____,” sing.

6. Eureka!

9. Schools of thought 13. Sound of artillery 14. Car nut 15. Without illumination 16. Nosey one 17. Kind of trip?

18. Lasso loop 19. *Little Women’s mom 21. *Tracee Ellis Ross on TV 23. ____ o’ shanter 24. Quitter’s word 25. Like a fiddle?

28. Like Charles Dickens’ Tim

30. Quarantine state 35. *Egyptian goddess of fertility 37. Insane, in Spain 39. Mother or daughter, in Italy 40. *Biblical Rebecca’s son 41. Online reviews 43. Research facil.

44. Fisherman’s decoys 46. Daytime entertainment 47. Furniture wood 48. End of the road, pl.

50. Blatant promotion 52. Swedish shag rug 53. Yours and mine 55. Little squirt 57. *Mother’s mom 61. *She fought for Mother’s Day, then against it

64. In advance 65. *Bambi’s mom 67. Fancy tie 69. Less than fernier 70. I have 71. “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” host 72. Fairies 73. Galley equipment 74. Feed the fire 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9. Part of a scheme 10. No neatnik 11. Sushi restaurant soup 12. One-pot meal 15. Like the States 20. *One of the Gilmore girls 22. Hill dweller 24. One-eyed giants 25. *She played Forrest Gump’s mother DOWN 26. May edition, e.g.

Kitchen meas.

27. *Worn atop the Queen Mother Stay out of its way!

Pelvic parts 29. Denials Tennis great Chris 31. Nike’s “Just ____ ____ ____” Particular arrangement 32. Private 33. “Take it back!”

Away from wind *Mother’s favorite 34. *Mother in Kraków gift?

36. Lard cousin Ancient marketplace 38. October birthstone

42. Plural of sputum 45. Rundown 49. Bottom line 51. Kind of ungulate, pl.

54. Where you’ll find AM 56. Living room centerpiece?

57. Gamecock’s spur 58. *Greek goddess of fertility 59. Bald eagle’s nest 60. *Mums’ mums 61. Opposite of cheer 62. International Civil Aviation Org. 63. Puppet precursor, possibly 66. *Female gametes 68. Café alternative © Statepoint Media

Answers on 31 »

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / May 2020 / 25

Your May Horoscope Times Publishing Group, Inc. Gemini (May 22-June 21)

Some new information excites you early in May, grabbing your attention and making you anticipate what comes next. It’s normally hard to distract you, but this tidbit is trying really hard. You find yourself in a whimsical mood mid-month. Any subject is on the table: work, politics, faeries, UFOs? You’re up for the conversation. Late in the month you’re feeling more focused. Plans you’ve been delaying are ready to be put in motion. Time to decide who to make the pitch to. Determining the right person could be the most important part.

Cancer (June 22-July 22)

There times when it’s best to forge your own path, but early in the month feels like a good time to go with the flow. Letting fate decide can be a blessing, especially if you’re conflicted about the path you should take.

There’s tension in the air mid-month, partially from some conflicting viewpoints, but also a surprising lack of emotional energy. It’s just a lull, but pay closer attention to what’s happening around you at this time. Later in May your options become clearer, if not less complicated. This is the time to sort through everything and pick one goal and move forward.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 23)

You are ready for everything as the month begins. The chaos in your mind isn’t enough to keep you from focusing on what’s important, nor is it preventing you from expressing what you need.

It’s a good time to bring your next project to those who need to hear it. You’re having some new encounters mid-May, ones that have promising futures, especially as your questions keep bringing more unusual and interesting knowledge. Late in the month you’re surprised with some acknowledgement of your past success, brining a renewed desire to accomplish more. The praise is definitely alluring, along with just feeling good.

Virgo (Aug. 24-Sep. 22)

Life on the internet can be perilous, especially early in May when you’re in an expressive mood. Visceral reactions to posts make you want to fire back a response, but take that deep breath before you post. You can’t be sure a post you delete hasn’t already been seen. You’re feeling confident mid-month, making it a good time to talk to those around you. Haven’t been able to make that first move? Looking to put yourself in for a promotion? Now’s the time. You are feeling sensitive late in the month; comments said in passing are weighing on you. No one is more critical of yourself than you, but it can be more painful when you hear others express those thoughts.

Libra (Sep. 23-Oct. 23)

You are not feeling the most secure as the month begins, leaving a feeling of isolation as the world moves around you. It may be a struggle to find an optimistic viewpoint, but forcing yourself down that path can help it feel real. Your confidence is stronger through the middle of the month, bringing with it a desire to put yourself forward. Late in May a negative interaction can bring your insecurities right back, leaving you feeling drained. Whether a business or personal relationship, it may be time to rethink this one.

Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Your feelings are being pulled in two directions as the month begins. Something that seems important also feels unnecessary, or could be a distraction. This could be a good time to remove some clutter from your life.

Your focus isn’t much better mid-May, making finishing projects difficult; whether they’re necessary or just something you want to do. Maybe it’s time to give yourself a break and give yourself a day or two to recover your energy. Late in the month you feel the need to vent, and finding the right person to listen will be important if you don’t want to wear your friends down.

Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

May begins with a feeling of endings and beginnings. Something in your life no-longer fits. A relationship turning sour? A collection you no longer care about? This might be the time to let them go. You find yourself questioning your decisions mid-month, particularly of ones already made. It may be time to re-examine the thinking behind those issues and decide if you’re just second-guessing or if there’s a real problem. Late in the month you’re feeling the need to talk things out, but only to those closest to you. It’s important to communicate, but you’re not up to trusting anyone else.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)

You’re feeling a sense of order early in the month, making it a perfect time to make plans and set up schedules for the next few weeks, ones that will be easy to follow even when your mind wanders. Your sense of wonder takes over mid-month, bringing with it a desire to see things from a different angle.

The more distance you put between yourself an a problem, the more complicated the answers may be.

Late in May you’re feeling motivated. This is the time to take on some extra work, or just push harder to finish a project.

Aquarius (Jan 21-Feb. 18)

Your senses are wide open early in the month, and you feel a need to be with people. Bringing some of your favorite minds together for a pow-wow sounds perfect right now. Mid-May is likely to be a busy time, as you are full of energy and everyone seems to know it. Messages are pouring in, and while you want to reply to everything ASAP, you may have to put some aside for later. Late in the month you find many doors are opening for you. The challenge will be deciding which one you want to walk through. It won’t be an easy choice, especially if there are many that seem like a good choice.

Pisces (Feb. 19-Mar. 20)

Are you seeing clearly at the beginning of May? Before making any important decisions, take a step back and look closer at the issue; there may be something clouding your judgment, and you wouldn’t want to regret your choice. Your sense of compassion is melding with your competitiveness mid-month, making it a perfect time to help someone else succeed. It’s not always necessary to take credit to feel accomplishment. You’re feeling even closer to your friends and family late in the month, regardless of how far apart you all are. It’s a good time to reconnect with some you’ve lost touch with over the years.

Aries (March 21-April 20)

Your focus is high early in the month, making it a perfect time to do some concentrated learning. It’s not about cramming; it just feels right to push through. As you move into the middle of the month, you can feel your concentration waning, but leaving you satisfied with the recent work you’ve done.

Now you can relax a bit, regardless of how foreign it feels. Your energy returns late in May, but this time it’s unfocused, leaving you bouncing between ideas, projects and even people and conversations.

There’s no reason to fight it.

Taurus (April 21-May 21)

You’re not feeling terribly secure as the month begins. It may not be the best time to be making decisions, if you can put them off. Even small ones feel like they’re going round-and-round in your head. You are feeling much more inquisitive mid-May, yet still finding decisions difficult. You want to learn so many things, but picking one to focus on is going to be the real task. Someone new entering your life may help. It’s back to struggling with choices near the end of the month. Every choice seems to be pulling you in opposite directions, making it hard to decide which is the right one. Your best bet is to pick one problem and focus on it until you’re confident in what comes next.

•••

www.tpgonlinedaily.com 26 / May 2020 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

FEATURED COLUMNIST

Increase the Vigor of Your Immune System

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Nisha Manek, MD, FACP, FRCP (UK).

n March 18 I sent out a newsletter to my family and friends advising them of key action steps to boost immune health in the face of the newly declared COVID-19 pandemic. Personal protective equipment (PPE) was constantly in the news, and strong immunity is like internal PPE. The advice in this column bears out in the field.

One element I recommend is vitamin Nisha Manek D. Researchers found that the nations with the highest death rates from COVID-19—Italy, Spain, and France—also had the lowest average vitamin D levels. Vitamin D deficiency weakens the immune system. On April 22, Public Health England in the United Kingdom issued a health advisory for everyone to consider Vitamin D supplements in the coronavirus lockdown.

Vitamin D is manufactured by an interaction in the skin to the ultraviolet rays in sunlight.

Many Americans are low in vitamin D, but those with darker skin tones are at a disadvantage because melanin inhibits production of the vitamin.

Supplemental vitamin D can jumpstart your immune system’s army. Take 10,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D3 per day for two weeks, then maintain at 5000 IU daily.

Vitamin C plays a central role in directing your immune system’s deployment. Studies show vitamin C shortens the frequency, duration, and severity of the common cold and reduces the incidence of pneumonia.

From the several formulations of vitamin C, liposomal preparation contains the vitamin inside tiny nanoparticles of fat which enable the body to absorb it quickly.

Take at least 1 gram (1000mg) daily and double or triple the dose of vitamin C during an acute viral infection.

Selenium, a crucial micronutrient, plays a vital role in our first line of defense against invaders: a tough physical barrier of skin and lining of the lungs preventing

virus entry. Selenium is also essential in the immune army’s vast communication lines to activate resting cells to fight at the front lines.

Supplement your diet with selenium 200 micrograms (mcg) daily. Brazil nuts are an excellent source of selenium, and one brazil nut provides, on average, 90 mcg of this mineral.

Zinc works synergistically to help the body’s immune army obstruct viral replication by inhibiting enzymes the virus needs to make more copies of itself.

Zinc also stops the virus latching onto the genetic code of the cells in your lungs. A typical daily dose of zinc is 50 mg.

Turmeric, the golden spice, holds important anti-viral properties. Turmeric fine-tunes the central switch of the immune army known as nuclear factor kappa B and marshals the natural killer cells.

The trick to turmeric is taking curcumin, the active component. Look for standardized formulations — the bottle should state “standardized,” which means the product contains 95% curcuminoid fraction.

The usual dose is 750 mg to 2000 mg daily. If you are not able to get the standardized version, take turmeric with a fatty meal to enhance absorption or buy lipid-based turmeric or one with black pepper (piperine).

As you prepare your internal PPE, guarantee its effectiveness by throwing out your junk food. Throw out the soda pop too.

Instead, enjoy tulsi tea.

Available from Trader Joes, tulsi is from the basil family and has an essential place in Ayurveda for its antiviral properties.

One of my favorite beverages is the “corona-bashing-tea”: steep 1-2 inch thinly sliced fresh ginger in hot water. Add fresh lemon juice, honey, and cayenne pepper.

Enjoy the spicy, tangy brew.

Other herbs such as dill and oregano also fortify your immunity. Add them to soups. Probiotic foods like sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, yogurt, and miso will feed the immense immune army in your gut.

“Immunity” page 31

FEATURED COLUMNIST

Five COVID-19 Facts Saying We Should End Total Isolation

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By Dr. Scott W. Atlas, MD

he tragedy of the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be entering the containment phase. Tens of thousands of Americans have died, and Americans are now desperate for sensible policymakers who have the courage to ignore the panic and rely on facts.

Leaders must examine accumulated data to see what has actually happened, rather than keep emphasizing hypothetical projections; combine that empirical evidence with fundamental principles of biology established for decades; and then thoughtfully restore the country to function.

Five key facts are being ignored by those calling for continuing the near-total lockdown.

••• Fact 1: The overwhelming majority of people do not have any significant risk of dying from COVID-19. he recent Stanford University antibody study now estimates that the fatality rate if infected is likely 0.1 to 0.2 percent, a risk far lower than previous World Health Organization estimates that were 20 to 30 times higher and that motivated isolation policies.

In New York City, an epicenter of the pandemic with more than one-third of all U.S. deaths, the rate of death for people 18 to 45 years old is 0.01 percent, or 11 per 100,000 in the population. On the other hand, people aged 75 and over have a death rate 80 times that. For people under

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away the strongest risk factor for 18 years old, the rate of death is hospitalization.” zero per 100,000.

Even early WHO reports Of all fatal cases in New York noted that 80 percent of all cases state, two-thirds were in patients were mild, and more recent over 70 years of age; more than 95 studies show a far more widepercent were over 50 years of age; spread rate of infection and lower and about 90 percent of all fatal rate of serious illness. cases had an underlying illness.

Half of all people testing Of 6,570 confirmed COVID-19 Scott W. Atlas positive for infection have no deaths fully investigated for underlying conditions to date, 6,520, or symptoms at all. The vast majority of younger, otherwise healthy people do not 99.2 percent, had an underlying illness.

If you do not already have an under- need significant medical care if they catch lying chronic condition, your chances of this infection.

Fact 3: Vital population immunity is dying are small, regardless of age. And prevented by total isolation policies, young adults and children in normal prolonging the problem. health have almost no risk of any serious illness from COVID-19. e know from decades of medical Fact 2: Protecting older, at-risk people science that infection itself allows eliminates hospital overcrowding. people to generate an immune response e can learn about hospital utilization — antibodies — so that the infection is confrom data from New York City, the trolled throughout the population by “herd hotbed of COVID-19 with more than 34,600 immunity.”

Indeed, that is the main purpose of hospitalizations to date.

For those under 18 years of age, hospi- widespread immunization in other viral talization from the virus is 0.01 percent per diseases — to assist with population 100,000 people; for those 18 to 44 years old, immunity.

In this virus, we know that medical hospitalization is 0.1 percent per 100,000.

Even for people ages 65 to 74, only 1.7 care is not even necessary for the vast majority of people who are infected. It is so percent were hospitalized.

Of 4,103 confirmed COVID-19 patients mild that half of infected people are asympwith symptoms bad enough to seek tomatic, shown in early data from the medical care, Dr. Leora Horwitz of NYU Diamond Princess ship and then in Iceland Medical Center concluded “age is far and and Italy. That has been falsely portrayed as a problem requiring mass isolation.

In fact, infected people without severe illness are the immediately available vehicle for establishing widespread immunity.

By transmitting the virus to others in the low-risk group who then generate antibodies, they block the network of pathways toward the most vulnerable people, ultimately ending the threat. Extending whole-population isolation would directly prevent that widespread immunity from developing.

Fact 4: People are dying because other medical care is not getting done due to hypothetical projections. ritical health care for millions of Americans is being ignored and people are dying to accommodate “potential” COVID-19 patients and for fear of spreading the disease.

Most states and many hospitals abruptly stopped “nonessential” procedures and surgery. That prevented diagnoses of life-threatening diseases, like

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cancer screening, biopsies of tumors now undiscovered and potentially deadly brain aneurysms.

Treatments, including emergency care, for the most serious illnesses were also missed. Cancer patients deferred chemotherapy. An estimated 80 percent of brain surgery cases were skipped. Acute stroke and heart attack patients missed their only chances for treatment, some dying and many now facing permanent disability.

Fact 5: We have a clearly defined population at risk who can be protected with targeted measures. he overwhelming evidence all over the world consistently shows that a clearly defined group — older people and others with underlying conditions — is more likely to have a serious illness requiring hospitalization and more likely to die from COVID-19.

Knowing that, it is a commonsense, achievable goal to target isolation policy to that group, including strictly monitoring those who interact with them.

Nursing home residents, the highest risk, should be the most straightforward to systematically protect from infected people, given that they already live in confined places with highly restricted entry.

••• he appropriate policy, based on fundamental biology and the evidence already in hand, is to institute a more focused strategy like some outlined in the first place: Strictly protect the known vulnerable, self-isolate the mildly sick and open most workplaces and small businesses with some prudent large-group precautions.

This would allow the essential socializing to generate immunity among those with minimal risk of serious consequence, while saving lives, preventing overcrowding of hospitals and limiting the enormous harms compounded by continued total isolation.

Let’s stop underemphasizing empirical evidence while instead doubling down on hypothetical models. Facts matter. n ••• Scott W. Atlas, MD, is the David and Joan Traitel Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and the former chief of neuroradiology at Stanford University Medical Center. He is at swatlas@stanford.edu.

This opinion piece first appeared on TheHill.com

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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / May 2020 / 27

COMMUNITY CALENDAR ANNOUNCEMENTS VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR THE MONTEREY SYMPHONY The Monterey Symphony is seeking volunteers. If you love music and want to be involved, please call (831) 646-8511 or visit www.montereysymphony.org for more info.

THE SCIENCE OF CHRISTIANITY Airing on Community TV — Comcast 27 and Spectrum 73 Saturdays: 11:00 am • Sundays: 3:00 pm In this video replay on Community Television, Mary Alice Rose, a Christian Science practitioner and teacher talks about parallels between the study of physical science and the study of Christian Science. She’ll help you to understand how Christian principles, scientifically applied, heal the body and transform lives.

Rose had a 20-year career in science and technology that included work as a meteorologist for the National Severe Storms Laboratory and a manager developing the ground system for the Hubble Space Telescope. Now her life work is Christian Science healing and teaching others to heal.

Visit www.cschurch.info for more information Sponsored by First Church of Christ, Scientist, Santa Cruz (Soquel)

ONGOING EVENTS Daily SANTA CRUZ ‘USED’ BOOKSHOP 10 am- 3 pm 2710 Chanticleer Ave. Santa Cruz Grey Bears: Every Monday and Friday is $10-a-bag

With the current COVID-19 Crisis, please check in advance before attending any ongoing or dated events listed here.

We will continue to print regular ongoing events that are expected to return. book sale. Fill up a shopping bag with books for only $10! Thousands of titles for $1.50 or less: cookbooks, gardening, sci-fi, mysteries, classics and all sorts of fiction and nonfiction. Non-profit Grey Bears has served our community for 45 years. Grey Bears provides recycling services and accepts books and other donations for our thrift stores.

Proceeds benefit our Brown Bag Program, distributing nutritious food to 3,900 seniors every week.

Do you have a problem with compulsive over- or undereating? Anorexia? Bulimia? Compulsive exercising? You are not alone. Drop into a free, friendly OA 12-Step meeting with the solution. All are welcome!

For information on other meetings in Santa Cruz County: www. santacruzoa.org/meetings Third Mondays STITCHERS BY THE SEA 7 –9 p.m., St. Stephan’s Lutheran Church, 2500 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz The Santa Cruz County chapter of the Embroiderers Guild of America meets on the third Monday of every month, except June and December. Meetings are free to attend. All are welcome.

Weekdays CASA ORIENTATIONS TO BECOME ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN CASA empowers volunteers to directly influence life-changing decisions affecting children in foster care. Court appointed special advocates are everyday people that, with just a few hours a week can have a Mondays & Tuesdays lifetime of impact for a child who has been abused or WOMENCARE ARM-IN-ARM neglected.

More info www.casaofsantacruz.org or call 831-761-2956 x102 12:30 - 2 p.m.

WomenCARE ARM-in-ARM support group for women with advanced, recurrent and metastatic Mondays cancers. Meets weekly Mondays & Tuesdays, with OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS MEETING a separate meeting every First and Third Tuesday 7 - 8 pm, Soquel Congregational Church, Ann Hutchinson every month.

Room, 4951 Soquel Dr., Soquel

28 / May 2020 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

Registration required. Call 457-2273 for more information and to register. No cost to attend. www.womencaresantacruz.org Tuesdays BUSINESS DEBTORS ANONYMOUS 5:15-6:30pm, Calvary Episcopal Church, Parish Hall, 532 Center Street, Santa Cruz.

We specifically focus on recovering from debting on one’s business.

For more information: 831-425-3272.

Tuesdays & Wednesdays SURVIVORS SUPPORT GROUPS Monarch Services offers a safe space to meet other survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking survivors, and to listen or share experiences. Childcare provided on site.

Spanish – Tuesdays 6:00-7:30 p.m. Servicios Monarca, 233 E. Lake Avenue, Watsonville (831) 722-4532 English – Wednesdays 6:00-7:30 p.m. Monarch Services, 1590 Seabright Avenue, SC (831) 425-4030 For more information, visit www.monarchscc.org Second Wednesdays SANTA CRUZ SONS IN RETIREMENT MONTHLY MEETING Noon, Elks Lodge at 150 Jewell St. This statewide group of retired men invites you to be our guest at our monthly luncheon. You’ll meet kindred spirits, have a fine lunch and learn something new from a top notch guest speaker.

Cost: $18. RSVP at 479-7096

COMMUNITY CALENDAR ONGOING EVENTS (cont.)

Second and Fourth Wednesdays WELLNESS ON THE CANCER JOURNEY 11-12:30 pm, Old Soquel Plaza Learn how to safely support your body and emotions through the journey of Cancer — from diagnosis to softening the impact of chemo, radiation, and recovering well from surgery. We’ll address nausea, low energy, weakness, digestion, immune support, grief, stress and more. Feel free to bring your partner or care team to this free class. Please come fed; water is available.

Limited Seats. Please register all attendees on Eventbrite — Wellness on the Cancer Journey or call 831-254-3270 to RSVP. Address given upon registration receipt.

ADHD SUPPORT GROUP 6:30-8 p.m., Aptos Fire Station, 6934 Soquel Drive, Aptos The Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay Branch of CHADD hosts monthly support group meetings for anyone who would like to learn more about ADHD or has questions or concerns. Come share with those who understand.

Second Wednesdays’ meeting is for parents of children, teens, and young adults with ADHD. The group for adults with ADHD, spouses, partners of someone with ADHD meets fourth Wednesdays of every month.

Judy Brenis: jbbrenis@comcast.net, or call 831-8189619.

Last Wednesdays Each Month MAGICIANS’ CLUB 7 p.m., Antonelli Club Room, 2655 Brommer St., Santa Cruz Attention Magic Lovers! Our new Magicians’ Club meets on the last Wed. of every month at 7pm in the club room at the Antonelli Mobile Home Park.

If you do magic or want to get started in this fun hobby, join us.

Questions? Call Jim at 685-3829 Thursdays FRIENDSHIP PUT TO MUSIC! 6:30 p.m., New Hall, La Selva Beach Club House, 3124 Estrella Ave. Classes every Thursday night. For more info call Sue Harris or Don Benson (831) 726-7053 or email at caller4u@att.net LUCKY STEPPERS MODERN SQUARE DANCE 6:30 pm, La Selva Beach Clubhouse, 314 Estrella Ave., La Selva Beach, CA 95076 It’s fun and easy to do! Friendship put to music; family friendly. Class takes place every Thursday Night at our new home in La Selva Beach! (Take Mar Monte off of Hwy 1, turns into Playa Blvd., turn right on Estrella) For more information, contact Sue Harris or Don Benson at (831) 726-7053 or e-mail at caller4u@att.net.

Second and Fourth Thursdays CABRILLO HOST LIONS CLUB MEETINGS 6:30 p.m., Aptos Village Park, 100 Aptos Creek Road.

Want to make a difference in our community?

Join the Cabrillo Lions Club twice every month and see what you can do to help in Santa Cruz County.

Please RSVP cabrillolions@gmail.com

and friends of addicts. There are no dues or fees to join.

Just come to a meeting. You will hear others, who are going through similar problems, talk about how they cope and find recovery.

To locate additional times and locations of meetings, please go to our website at www.nar-anon.org.

DROP-IN GRIEF SUPPORT 12-1 pm, Hospice of Santa Cruz County, two locations: 940 Disc Dr., SV • 85 Nielson St., Watsonville Hospice of Santa Cruz County is offering a drop-in grief support group for adults grieving the death of a family member or a friend. This group is a place where you can share stories, learn tools for coping, and receive support from people who care.

For more information, please call (831) 430-3000. Preregistration is required.

First Fridays each month FIRST FRIDAY ART TOUR The First Friday Art Tour is a Santa Cruz Institute of Contemporary Arts event, managed in conjunction with the participating art venues. The event takes place year-round and illuminates some of the most talented local artists from local galleries.

To find out where to participate in a First Friday art tour, visit firstfridaysantacruz.com (Most galleries are open 12-9 pm for First Friday viewings.)

Saturdays PILLS ANONYMOUS (PA) 8 a.m., Sutter Hospital, 2025 Soquel Ave The purpose of PA is to provide a safe, secure, and supportive place for people who are addicted to pills who want to get off of them. PA is offered all over the world.

For questions, please contact Gary at (831)801-9578 or Kristin at (831)345-6515 SANTA CRUZ TENNIS CLUB 9 a.m., Soquel High School Tennis Courts The nonprofit Santa Cruz Tennis Club meets every Saturday morning at the Soquel High School courts beginning at 9:00 am. We play doubles and mixed doubles, mostly at an intermediate level, and switch around the players every 45 minutes.

Balls are provided. $2 for first time visitors.

Second Saturdays Each Month 2ND SATURDAY ON THE FARM 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Ag History Project Center at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Join us every 2nd Saturday on the Farm for free family activities. Each month we select a new theme to highlight historical agriculture with games, activities, and demonstrations that relate. We often have guest appearances from farm animals like llamas, draft horses, sheep, goats, chickens, rabbits, and more! You are sure to find something fun and entertaining for the whole family.

Check our website and Facebook page for more details. FREE

Sundays NAR-ANON SANTA CRUZ 6:30 p.m., Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center (Sutter Room), 2900 Chanticleer Avenue, Santa Cruz Nar-Anon is a twelve step support group for families and friends of addicts. There are no dues or fees to join.

Fridays Just come to a meeting. You will hear others, who are going through similar problems, talk about how they NAR-ANON SCOTTS VALLEY 6:30 p.m., Camp Recovery Center (Bison Center Room), 3192 cope and find recovery.

To locate additional times and locations of meetings, please go Glen Canyon Road, Scotts Valley.

Nar-Anon is a twelve step support group for families to our website at www.nar-anon.org. n

FEATURED COLUMNIST

Exotic Species Can Become Prolific

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By Tony Tomeo

very palm tree in local landscapes is exotic. Simply put, all palms are originally from somewhere else. The desert fan palm, the only palm that is native to California, came from isolated colonies in desert regions many miles away. In fact, most plants in common landscapes are exotic. Landscapes composed of Californian plants likely include some plants from other regions of California.

With few exceptions, exotic plants are not a problem. However, some of those few exceptions have become very serious problems. Himalayan blackberry, blue gum, silver wattle, pampas grass, giant reed and broom are some of the more notorious examples. They naturalized to become prolific and aggressively invasive weeds. Some are more common than natives in many situations.

Naturalized exotic plants such as these are problems for local ecosystems, even if they do not affect refined landscapes. They compete with native plant species for limited resources, space and pollinators. A lack of pathogens from their homelands can be a distinct advantage. They alter the lifestyles of some of the native fauna. Some enhance the combustibility of the forests they inhabit.

The justifications for importing exotic species are as varied as the species themselves are. It might have been for lumber, forage, fruit or vegetable production.

Giant reed might have arrived here as packing material for cargo from southern Asia. Nonetheless, most naturalized exotic species, including the most aggressively invasive, came here simply for home gardening and landscaping.

Realistically, of all the countless exotic species that came here during the past few centuries, very few naturalized. Fewer are now aggressively invasive. Some with

Naturalized Himalayan blackberry is detestably aggressive.

potential to naturalize may not have yet been able to escape the urban situations they inhabit. The problem now is there are so many more exotic species readily available from all over the world than ever before!

Online marketing facilitates procurement of exotic and potentially invasive plant species from other regions, with minimal regard to regulation of such commodities.

••• Highlight: Broom hortly after silver wattle finishes blooming up high, any of four species of broom begin blooming down low.

Brooms and silver wattle often naturalize together.

All bloom with the same delightfully brilliant yellow.

The four brooms are French broom seems to be indestructible.

French broom — Cytisus monspessulana, Scotch broom — Cytisus scoparius, Portuguese broom — Cytisus striatus and Spanish broom — Spartium junceum.

Sadly, none are desirable species. All are exotic weeds. They are only a topic for gardening because they are so aggressively invasive. Not only do they overwhelm and displace native species, but they also enhance soil nitrogen to promote the growth of other exotic weeds! They are unpalatable to deer, and are not bothered by insects or disease. Furthermore, brooms are combustible!

It is best to enjoy their cheery bloom from a distance, where they grow wild where they really should not. The various species tend to dominate distinct regions, with some degree of mingling. Big specimens can get eight feet tall, but do not live long as they are replaced by herds of seedlings. French broom is the only evergreen species; but any can defoliate in response to hot dry weather. n ••• Horticulturist Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com.

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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / May 2020 / 29

Business Guide

FEATURED COLUMNIST

County Budget in Light of COVID-19: $40M Hole

By Zach Friend, Second District Supervisor

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s the world economy has plunged toward recession the local economy, and County budget, are facing the same retraction.

With the tourism industry, one of the largest employers and tax elements (directly through hotel taxes and indirectly through sales tax spending from visitors) falling off of a cliff in the last month, the County is projecting significant impacts on our budget.

How Significant Will The Impact Be? n the Great Recession beginning in late 2008, the County faced declines in revenues and subsequent cuts of approximately 12 percent.

Many projections for communities across our state show that local cities and counties will face revenue loss and, potentially subsequent cuts, of at least double that, with the National Association of Counties estimating some will face more than triple the impacts on what was experienced during the Great Recession.

Nationally, the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to impact county budgets by more than $144 billion through fiscal year 2021.

This estimate includes anticipated increases in expenditures (health response costs), lost sales tax revenue, lost revenue from charges and fees, and other lost revenues such as hotel taxes. Other lost revenue comes from those that needed to delay or may default on property tax payments.

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TO ADVERTISE IN THE BUSINESS GUIDE SECTION

call our offices 831.688.7549

www.tpgonlinedaily.com 30 / May 2020 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

What’s At Risk? ounty governments provide critical services needed for the nation’s COVID-19 response and recovery efforts, but are facing serious revenue shortfalls and budgetary challenges resulting from the pandemic — just like many local businesses and households are experiencing.

Unfortunately, the County has seen a significant increase in the number of safety net program requests (food assistance, housing assistance, health care needs and more) and these state and federal

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programs all require local financial matches that are imperiled by the same economic impacts that caused the increased demand.

Additionally, public safety (Sheriff’s Office) and public health programs and staff are funded through the same revenue streams that are seeing significant declines -- all while costs for the public health and safety response have increased during the pandemic.

What’s Being Done To Address It? here are two small silver linings to mitigate some of the impacts locally. First, the Board of Supervisors has built up a reserve of approximately $58 million, which was done in anticipation of a possible recession but there was not an expectation of such a significant and sudden decline as we are experiencing now.

This reserve will be used to help transition the losses this current fiscal year (for losses beginning in March and continuing until the end of June) and then will be tapped for the coming fiscal year.

We anticipate using about $15 million of the reserves just to cover the losses from March-June of this year and then another $25+ million as part of next year’s losses (next year’s losses are anticipated at a factor of $25 million — so this will only cover a portion of the loss).

While the reserve is not enough to shoulder the extent of the loss by any means, it does at least provide some sort of cushion that, without it, would have led to even greater impacts.

The second silver lining is that

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there are major efforts to encourage Congress and the Trump Administration to provide funding for state and local governments to respond to the crisis.

A bi-partisan proposal was introduced, and then rejected in the Senate and by the Administration, that would have provided as much as $25 million to the County as part of the most recent stimulus bill.

Cities and counties under 500,000 in population aren’t directly eligible for what Congress has previously allocated (so 40 of the 58 counties in the state aren’t eligible, including ours) but we are hopeful that in the next stimulus such funding will be available.

If not, and if it takes as long as some economists predict it will take to climb out of this downturn, cuts to programs, services and staffing will be greater than what we experienced in the Great Recession ten years ago.

What other ways can I get information? ou can call 211 or text “COVID19” to 211211. I’m also maintaining regular updates on social media at www.facebook.com/supervisorfriend and during the shelter-in-place order I’m hosting weekly tele-townhalls on various issues on Tuesday nights from 6-7 pm.

The call in information for the town halls is 454-2222 with the Meeting ID: 145384#. n ••• As always, if you have any questions or concerns please do feel free to reach out to me. You can always call me at 454-2200.

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SCCAS Featured Pet

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Elsie: Looking For New Friends

crossword on 25 »

eet Elsie (ID#A260261), a silly, shy princess who will melt your heart!

She is a spayed female, gray and white Border Collie and Siberian Husky. Elsie is estimated to be about 3 years old and has been at the shelter or fostered since July, 2019.

Elsie’s a quirky girl, overflowing with love that she protects with a bit of a reserved exterior at times. It can take her a little while to come out of her shell, but once she’s warmed up to you, she’ll shower you with kisses and chatty affection.

Elsie craves security and companionship and will do well in a home where she has human and/or canine company most of the time.

Because Elsie is so gorgeous and sweet, she’s an attention-magnet! However, her sensitive nature means she can become easily overwhelmed. A great match for Elsie would be someone experienced with anxious or fearful dogs, who values her trust and is comfortable giving her guidance & space to navigate stressful situations. She will reward you handsomely with amusing antics, boundless love, and loyal, trusting devotion.

As great as she is, she is a herding dog so NO Cats in her new home. Because Elsie gains a large part of her confidence from other dogs, it is required that she go to a home with another dog.

If interested, please fill out an application from the website and submit it to us. We will review and look for the best person for this amazing girl.

The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter is doing adoptions by appointment and you can even submit your adoption application online! Call 831-454-7200 or visit www.scanimalshelter.org for more information! n ••• Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter has two full-service, open-admission shelters: Santa Cruz Location (Public Entrance): 1001 Rodriguez St., Santa Cruz, 95062 Hours: Daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Watsonville Location: 580 Airport Blvd, Watsonville, CA 95076 Hours: CURRENTLY CLOSED SCCAS Main line: 831-454-7200. Animal Control: 831-454-7227. After-Hours Emergency: 831-471-1182

Mother’s Day © Statepoint Media

“Wilkins” from page 24 Momentarily we see that illuminating light and then we retreat back into our familiar surroundings once again, slightly changed and uplifted, but still our perceived enlightenment is equivalent to jumping into the air attempting to touch the moon … and yet we jump.

As we grow and mature, we can see our life is like a magical dream that creates constant drama that is our life. You believe you are orchestrating every move with that magnificent mind of yours. And with me, your body, I’m always along for the ride, trying to keep up and dance to your every tune. I am your servant and always will be to the day you graduate on to the next life.

You are the eternal one, I am but flesh and blood and will return to the elements from which I came.

But, for now we are joined together as one “whole” and I wish to tell you that we will both be better off if you love me the way I love you and serve you. You were made to be wise, but wisdom is something that is earned and usually learned the hard way. Be patient and learn.

While in this world, pain and suffering cannot be avoided. No one gets through this life unscathed, but you don’t have to suffer the ills of my body…it’s not necessary.

There is enough suffering in life that is out of your control, but with basic wisdom regarding the care and feeding of our body, most physical suffering can be avoided.

So, my constant and beloved companion, this is my attempt to impart to

“Immunity” from page 26 If you are unsure which supplement to purchase, ConsumerLab.com is an independent lab that lists supplements and verifies the contents. You can compare supplements before spending your money: https://www.consumerlab.com/.

Next up, your body has an energy pump that primes the body’s army to

you what is necessary to avoid needless “bodily suffering.” It’s not difficult, in fact my needs are few and quite simple.

Provide me with natural food that grows out of the earth, some fish is good but mostly feed me plants because it’s the plants that have life and healing in them along with the nurturing elements that make me strong and resilient. And take me out for exercise on a regular basis. I will thrive on just 20 to 30 minutes a day.

A simple neighborhood walk will suffice, but you may get even more enjoyment walking in nature. And when your day is done, allow me to get my rest. Ample sleep is necessary to repair and restore my strength and build up my reserves.

Will you please help me to help you?

Surely, this is not too much to ask, is it?

Now let us strive to become “whole”… knowing that the whole is greater than the sum of our parts.

Let’s be wise and work as one, and always know I’m your loving body and humble servant — your best friend and constant companion — till death do us part. n ••• John Wilkins is author of To Thine Own Health Be True and founder and CEO of “Our Passion For Health,”a public health nonprofit dedicated to providing public health solutions for the betterment of mankind. For encouragement go to www.ourpassionforhealth.org Send questions and comments to: john@ourpassionforhealth.org

become super-immune. Together, we will crush the curve. n ••• Dr. Nisha Manek, who lives in Aptos, is an integrative rheumatologist and an alumnus of Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. She is the author of “Bridging Science and Spirit: The Genius of William A. Tiller’s Physics and the Promise of Information Medicine.” Visit her at www.nishamanekmd.com.

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / May 2020 / 31

As we navigate through these challenging times, I’m reminded of how fortunate we are to be part of this strong community that supports each other. It is the power of this community that will propel us through this to better times.

-Amber

I wish you and your loved ones health and safety.

AMBER MELENUDO REALTORÂŽ 831.661.5591 ambermelenudo.com amber@davidlyng.com DRE 01921098

TOP 1% PRODUCING AGENT IN SANTA CRUZ COUNT Y