Who’s Hiring inSanta Cruz County: 200 Jobs Listed by NonprofitSanta

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COMMUNITY NEWS Who’s Hiring in Santa Cruz County 200 Jobs Listed by Nonprofit Santa Cruz Works

By Jondi Gumz

With the Santa Cruz County jobless rate at a record 17 percent in May and unemployment claims at unprecedented levels, the nonprofit Santa Cruz Works announced at its Fourth Annual Get Hired meetup that 200 jobs are available.

Doug Erickson, who heads Santa Cruz Works, turned the June 3 event into a virtual meetup because of the rules for COVID-19 social distancing.

Here is who is hiring:

LifeAid Beverage Co., Santa Cruz, healthy beverages that come in a can and are sold at 30,000 retailers.

Co-founder Orion Melehan noted LifeAid was launched in 2011 when the county was deep in recession. Today, the company, has 80 employees, 30 working in Santa Cruz, and a new product in the lineup, ImmunityAid.

Jobs available: 10, including marketing project manager, content designer multimedia, staffaccountant, customer service.

Joby Aviation, Bonny Doon, building anall-electric flying taxi for five people.

Joby Aviation

Scott Berry, who oversees flight test and certification for founder Joe-Ben Bevirt, said the company, founded in 2009, got $590 million in Series C round, with backers such as Intel Capital, Toyota AI Ventures and Jetblue Technology Ventures.

Jobs: 150, mechanical engineers, certification engineers, IT, flight physics, software engineers, supply chain management, human resources, manufacturing, finance, accounting CPA

To Apply: Jobyaviationcom/#careers

Smith & Vandiver, Watsonville, body and bath products with the Natural Products Association seal.

President Jeff Sloboden said the 40-year-old company with 200 employees stayed open through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jobs: Branded and store brand account manager, purchasing expediter, R&D manager, maintenance mechanic

To apply: S-Vlabs.com email In@svlabs.com or call call 722-9526.

Digital Nest , Watsonville, tech training for young people.

“We value a growth mindset,” said Ximena Ireta-Lopez, who oversees human resources.

Jobs: Administrative assistant, accounting, systems admininstrator, educational specialists

To apply: Call 831-722-6378 or email Ximena@digitalnest.org

Santa Cruz County Bank , seven locations, based in Santa Cruz, nationally recognized and a leader in developing a small business application for the Paycheck Protection Program, which saved 29,218 jobs.

“We are expanding into Monterey County,” said Brianna Carabba, human resources manager, noting employees get 40 hours a year they can devote to of community service.

Jobs: Customer support, tellers, new accounts, loan officers, SBA loan servicing, and development officer, ebanking, security arcchitect, IT help desk project manager, training specialist , human resources generalist.

To apply: Email bcarabba@sccountybank.com or call 831-457-5003 x 2132.

Amazon , Alexa for Everyone in downtown Santa Cruz. John Nelson said his team is, looking for ways to help customers with disabilities. One project involves captioning.

Jobs: Software development engineers, android developers, server-side developers

To apply: Email Nlsonjn@amazon.com

Small Business Development Center, Aptos, assists 400-500 businesses a year and helps launch 40-50-new businesses a year.

Director Brandon Napoli is building out the ag team and tech team.

To apply: Email Brandon.napoli@ cabrilo.edu

Care from the Heart , Santa Cruz, providing personal care and housekeeping services since 1995.

COMMUNITY NEWS DA Seeks To Dismiss 1,169 Weed Convictions

On Thursday, Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeffrey Rosell announced that in recognition of the undue burden marijuana convictions can have on people’s lives has petitioned the Santa Cruz County Superior Court to reduce, dismiss and seal 1,169 marijuana cases involving 1,085 defendants.

The action comes in the wake of Proposition 64, which in 2016 passed in Santa Cruz County with nearly 70% approval and legalized the recreational use of marijuana for adults; changed the penalties for marijuana-related crimes, and allowed individuals convicted of marijuanarelated crimes that became lesser offenses, or noncrimes, to petition the court for resentencing, dismissal and sealing, or re-designation.

In 2018, the governor signed Assembly Bill 1793 requiring prosecutors to review marijuana cases by July 1, 2020, and decide whether to challenge any dismissals.

The Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office cited the “fundamental unfairness” for people suffering the consequences of a criminal marijuana conviction for conduct that is currently legal.

For many people, especially in communities hit hardest from the “war on drugs,” these old arrests and convictions, in some cases for minor amounts of marijuana, still haunt members of our community as they fill out job applications or apply for housing or other benefits, according to uncovered an illegal cannabis cultivation operation in the Santa Cruz Mountains, destroying more than 1,800 cannabis plants.

The reconnaissance and eradication operation took place on June 18, and was located in a rugged area of Castle Rock State Park near the headwaters of the San Lorenzo River. No suspects were on scene and no arrests have been made. Rosell, who saw this as an inequity that needed to be remedied.

During the past year, the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office worked with the California Department of Justice, the Santa Cruz County Probation Department, and the Santa Cruz County Superior Court to identify all cases that qualify for relief.

After a thorough review, the District Attorney’s Office opted to petition the court to dismiss all qualifying marijuana convictions dating back to 1969.

“Our office recognized the undue burden that these prior convictions can have on people’s livelihood, both past and present,” Rosell said. “The decision to dismiss these cases provides much-needed relief to the non-violent people caught up in the ‘war on drugs’ and level the playing fieldforpeopleconvictedofcrimesthatare

Illegal Cannabis Farm Found at Castle Rock State Park

California State Park Peace Officers

no longer crimes.” n

Illegal cannabis cultivations are very harmful to the environment and the wildlife that live in these habitats, and can potentially be harmful to humans as well, according to California State Parks.

State Parks plans to rehabilitate the environmental damage at this location, which included water diversion, terrain manipulation, native plant damage and the use of harmful chemicals. n

IN MEMORIAM Diana Chapman: 1949 ~ 2020

It is with great sadness that Diana Chapman (Gentile), 71, passed away on May 15th at her home in Soquel, CA, surrounded by her loving family. Diana was born in Fresno, the eldest of seven sib- lings. Diana met her future husband Chuck in 1970. Chuck began working for PG&E and he and Diana moved to Santa Cruz. Diana loved living near the ocean and especially enjoyed Santa Cruz’s temperate climate.

Diana was a devoted mother to her three children: Angela, Charlotte and Kevin. Diana was a proud grandmother to her granddaughter, Mary.

Diana was preceded in death by her parents Fred and Clara Gentile. Diana leaves her beloved husband (of 48 years) Chuck, daughter Angela, son-in-law Nick, granddaughter Mary, and daughter Char- lotte and son Kevin. Diana also leaves her siblings: Danny Gentile, Jeannie, Carol, Paul (Debbie), Fred (Chris), and Philip, sister-in-law Patricia, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. She also leaves the San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit and CalFire Firefighters Local 2881 are saddened to report that Capt. David William Lutz died June 17 in a hiking accident in Pfeiffer Burns State Park at the young age of 33.

David Lutz is known for his dedi- cation and love for his family and is survived by wife Tisha Lutz, step- daughter Alyssa, and young children Bailey, Caleb, and baby Hope (due any time); his parents Michael and Mary Anne Lutz; siblings Leah Lutz, Joshua Lutz (Stephanie) Erin (Lutz) Adams (Scott), Krista (Lutz) Sobrak-Seaton (Nick), Anna (Lutz) Anton (Willy), Daniel Lutz (De) Matthew Lutz, Eliz- abeth Lutz, and Jacob Lutz; and his nieces and nephews.

David was born July 1, 1986, in Los Gatos and raised in Corralitos.

He attended the Monterey Fire Academy and began his career as a vol- unteer firefighter with the Corralitos CAL FIRE station. extended members of her Coastal Com- mission family.

In the early 1970’s, Diana worked as a typist with the newly formed California Coastal Commission. Diana believed strongly in her work and in the Coastal Commission. Diana was especially fond of Peter Douglas’s statement that “the coast is never saved, it’s always being saved.”

CalFire Captain David Lutz Dies in Hiking Accident

On behalf of the Lutz family, CalFire

“Chapman” page 24

Capt. David William Lutz

David began his career in 2008 as a Fire Fighter I in the San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit and worked as a Fire Captain at El Granada Station within the Coastside Fire Protection District (Cooperative Agreement).

He was known for his deep faith; his personal relationship with God per- meating all areas of his life.

“Lutz” page 24