How Bystanders Can Become Leaders: For Men’s Violence Against

COMMUNITY NEWS How Bystanders Can Become Leaders

For Men’s Violence Against Women, Challenging Norms is Key

By Jondi Gumz

When Santa Cruz County Sheriff 4232, is the only rape crisis and human Jim Hart saw the video of George trafficking center in the county and saw an Floyd killed during his arrest increase in domestic violence reports during last year, it was clear to him that Derek the pandemic shelter-in-place order. Chauvin (found guilty of murder) was the The sheriff restarted the county’s alpha officer, the guy in the charge. Sexual Assault Response Team in February,

Other officers on the scene didn’t have reducing the need for the survivor of an the courage to step in or didn’t attack to drive an hour to a clinic know how to because they were in Santa Clara County. so new. Lauren Zephro heads

Hart’s conclusion: There forensic services, which reports needs to be a lot of training on the receiving 36 rape kits over the duty to intervene. past 12 months of the pandemic,

That’s one reason the Sheriff’s with the most — six — coming in Office sponsored a virtual visit November. April 14 by educator-activist-author Jackson Katz, whose TED talk “VioJim Hart Michael Henderson, who taught computer science at San lence Against Women is a Men’s Issue” has Lorenzo Valley High School through 2019, been seen 2.5 million times. is to stand trial for four felony counts of

The visit was supported by the Santa inappropriately touching a minor, and invesCruz Commission for Prevention of Violence tigations are ongoing into allegations by Against Women. It was one of several events students of sexual misconduct by four former scheduled for Sexual Assault Awareness San Lorenzo Valley school district employees. Month and promoted by Monarch Services, “Leaders” page 23which has a 24-hour crisis line, 1-888-900-

“Mayor Brooks” from page 12

Future agenda items include reviewing the City’s pension debt, which the City has no control over, and has increased an average of 20% annually for the last five fiscal years, and develop a strategy to address the rising costs. In addition, the FAC will be reviewing the Capitola Village parking program and making recommendations to the City Council.

Historical Museum Board

The Capitola Museum’s purpose is to bring a better understanding and appreciation by the Capitola community of its history, architecture, culture, technology, and its creative and natural environments. The museum plans to reopen in May on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Their current exhibition, “Capitola Then & Now,” will be up through the end of the year. The exhibit compares historic photographs with pictures of the same scenes today and shows the interesting ways Capitola has changed over the years.

Planning Commission

The Planning Commission is a City Council-appointed board whose members are charged with reviewing land use and development permits for consistency with the Capitola General Plan, and the Capitola Zoning Code. Planning Commission decisions may be appealed to the City Council.

Thank you to Commissioner Courtney Christiansen, Design + Project Manager at Fuse Architects Inc who has continued to offer her support and expertise to the Commission the past two years.

Lastly, I would like to acknowledge my fellow Council members, Vice Mayor Sam Storey, Jacques Bertrand, Kristen Petersen and Margaux Keiser who in addition to their elected positions, all sit on additional boards and commissions.

While it often goes unnoticed, the job of serving on the City Council, as well as so many other boards and commissions is nearly a full time job, and I am deeply appreciative of the time and effort my peers take to do the job well.

Getting involved is important to our community and there are many agencies still in need of your support. Again, thank you to all of the volunteers in our community. n

•••

Your time is invaluable. I encourage everyone to get more involved and become a volunteer today. As always, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to email me at brooksforcitycouncil@gmail.com

A rally at the Santa Cruz Town Clock.

Best of Senior Home Care Now Hiring Caregivers

Competitive Pay Flexible Schedules Training Programs Experience Preferred

$100

hiring bonus for new employees

“Food Biz Grants” from page 14

Another key form will be IRS Form 4506T, which authorizes the IRS to enable SBA to get tax transcripts from the business applicant.

Grants can be used to pay any business expense, including monthly payments and credit card debt, but not to make a lump-sum payoff of a long-term loan, she said.

The first 21 days will give priority to women, veterans and socially or economically disadvantaged business owners. They self-certify they have 51% ownership and day-to-day control over the business.

Clowes said the PPP forgivable loan program is still open on the SBA site and those who applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan are allowed to increase their request up to $500,000.

For information: https://www. sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/ covid-19-relief-options/restaurant-revitalization-fund#section-header-8 •••

To view the webinar: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=XxeiJ1iw1rQ&feat ure=youtu.be

To view the slides in the webinar, see https://eshoo.house.gov/sites/eshoo. house.gov/files/eshoorestaurantswebinar. pdf

“Student Research” from page 15

“These fellows are phenomenal ambassadors for our work in the community,” said Rebecca London, the grant’s principal investigator. “They each have a lot they can share about ethical and actionable communityengaged research. I’m looking forward to working alongside them in the formation of this partnership, and I think the young people in our community will be really excited about it too.”

The project is also designed to position undergraduates as mentors for local youth. First-generation Latinx college students face inequalities in access to research opportunities, but new community-engaged research projects can help to close that gap while fostering meaningful connections with youth from similar backgrounds. The combined benefits of these relationships and research experiences could improve educational outcomes.

“This is an opportunity to truly connect our youth to college students and the college experience,” Keisha Browder explained. “The sense of belonging builds their confidence for college and research. You see high school students walk with pride that they are doing this type of work. It gives us a chance to ignite that passion in a student and get them imagining who they could be once they step onto a college campus.”

Using Research Findings

Sarah Emmert, Director of Community Impact at United Way of Santa Cruz County, will advise on the program’s research projects as a community fellow.

Through this process, Emmert, a 2011 UCSC graduate, will learn new research methods and strategies for applying and disseminating findings throughout the community. The goal is to strengthen United Way’s role as a local leader in using research to inform practice for public service programs.

The grant will also give UC Santa Cruz an opportunity to build new internal structures and policies that will help advance the university’s impact in the community. With the support of the Office of Research, the project will develop ethics guidelines for community-based research and incorporate input from partners like United Way. The grant project will also recommend university-wide standards for how the value of community-engaged work is weighed in processes like tenure decisions and departmental reviews.

Additionally, UC Santa Cruz will create a new Campus + Community center to offer resources, support, and relationship-building that will connect university scholarship and research with the needs of community partners. Rebecca London will be the center’s inaugural faculty director.

“We’re hoping to be a landing spot for the community so that it’s easier for local organizations to access the expertise of researchers on campus,” she said. “There are many folks on campus who really want to do work out in the community. We can help match them and make sure that those partnerships work well.”

A recent inventory of community engagement among staff and faculty at UC Santa Cruz over the past five years documented 176 teaching and research projects and 153 service projects, which involved thousands of undergraduates. The new grant project and partnership with United Way will ensure that efforts like these continue to grow and improve in the future. n

“COVID Update” from page 8

The Toll

COVID-19 has claimed the lives of 60,000 Californians.

Deaths in Santa Cruz County have leveled off at 204, with 50 percent of deaths at nursing homes and assisted living facilities, a percentage that was higher early in the pandemic.

Locally, 79 percent of those who died were age 70 or older and 77 percent had other health conditions – those percentages have remained stable.

A year after the pandemic began, with 27 million vaccine does administered and case rates plummeting, 38 counties are in the Red Tier and 38 in the Orange Tier.

On Friday, Santa Cruz County reported only four people hospitalized with COVID, none in intensive care. •••

County COVID Deaths 204

As of April 23

Age 90 and up: 56 • 80 to 89: 62 • 70 to 79: 43 60 to 69: 27 • 50 to 59: 5 • 40 to 49: 7 30 to 39: 4

Race/Ethnicity

White: 114 • Latinx: 72 • Asian: 15 Black: 1 • Amer. Indian/Alaskan Native: 1

Gender

Male: 100 • Female: 104

Skilled Nursing/Residential Care Santa Cruz Post Acute: 20 Watsonville Post Acute: 18 Pacific Coast Manor: 14 Hearts & Hands Post Acute: 8 Sunshine Villa: 7 • Aegis: 4 Maple House 1: 4 • Valley Convalescent: 4

Watsonville Nursing Center: 4

Montecito Manor: 3 • De Un Amor: 2

Dominican Oaks: 2 • Driftwood: 2

Hanover House: 2 • Maple House II: 2

Rachelle’s Home 1: 2 • La Posada: 1

Paradise Villa: 1 • Rachelle’s Home II: 1

Valley Haven: 1 • Westwind: 1 Total: 103 Not at a facility: 101 COVID Cases by Town

Aptos: 794 • Ben Lomond: 117

Boulder Creek: 147 • Capitola: 455 Felton: 149 • Freedom: 979

Santa Cruz: 3,866 • Scotts Valley: 430

Soquel: 352 • Watsonville: 8,013 Unincorporated: 254 Under investigation: 275 Total: 15,831

Source: Santa Cruz County Public Health •••

Editor’s Note: Would you like to share your family’s COVID-19 story? Email Jondi Gumz at info@cyber-times.com or call 831688-7549 x17.

For details on what can open in the Orange Tier, see https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy.

Erika Zavaleta Gets State Appointment

Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed Erika Zavaleta, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, to the California Fish and Game Commission.

Zavaleta will be one of five members of the commission, which sets policies and regulations implemented and enforced by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. This position requires Senate confirmation. A Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor, Zavaleta is a fellow of the California

Erika Zavaleta Academy of Sciences and the Ecological Society of America. She directs the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program mentoring future leaders in ecology at UCSC and the Center to Advance Mentored, Inquiry-based Opportunities (CAMINO), a program to increase student access to research-based field courses and internships at UCSC.

Her research focuses on terrestrial ecosystems and plant communities, links between biodiversity and human well-being, and the implications of interacting global and regional environmental changes. She coauthored the award-winning textbook Ecosystems of California.

Zavaleta earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in anthropology and a doctorate in biological sciences at Stanford University. She joined UCSC in 2003.

“Historically, there has not been strong science or diversity representation on the commission, and Erika’s appointment represents a marked change in the composition of the commission,” said Mark Carr, UCSC professor and chair of ecology and evolutionary biology.

•••

Commuters Rewards To Bike, Carpool

The GO Santa Cruz program, which has 1,100 people getting to work downtown via walking, biking, carpooling, skateboarding or riding the bus to win prizes, is expanding countywide.

The program, sponsored by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, is free. It’s partly funded by voter-approved Measure D to improve the county’s transportation network.

To sign up, visit https://my.cruz511.org and join the GO Santa Cruz County network.

To earn points that can be redeemed for electronic gift cards, log in. Participants also can enter for chances to win in quarterly drawings.

Participating employees and employers can participate in a series of free online educational workshops on topics such as urban cycling, eBikes and bike commuting basics.

The countywide expansion came in connection with Earth Day.

“Encouraging more climate-friendly transportation options is always important, and we hope people will take this opportunity to get out of their vehicles or consider a COVID-safe carpool option,” said Shannon Munz, Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission spokeswoman.

The GO Santa Cruz pilot program, launched in 2019 by the City of Santa Cruz, reports workers have logged 23,000 alternative trips and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 26.9 metric tons. •••

Cruzio Hiring

Cruzio Internet in downtown Santa Cruz expects to hire up to 20 field technicians and technical service representatives this year.

The Equal Access Santa Cruz project has connected more than 200 students and their families during the pandemic and more are expected to connect in 2021. The project has expanded to more school districts, lowincome housing units, UC Santa Cruz student programs, and senior living facilities. Cruzio seeks entrylevel applicants with an interest in gaining installation, technical, and customer service skills and is scheduling appointments for a Zoom Interview Hiring Fair. Email cruzio.com/careers with times you are available for a Zoom interview. •••

Affordable Housing Developer Sought

The City of Santa Cruz has issued a request for proposals for an affordable housing developer for the Downtown Library Mixed Use Project, to be located on the parking lot where the weekly Farmers Market takes place.

The project will have a at least 50 low- and very low-income housing units, so the city seeks an experienced developer who can provide deeply affordable units and maximize the number of affordable units within the footprint.

Another round of community engagement is planned for May, with a recommendation expected to be presented to the City Council in June. Ongoing updates can be found at cityofsantacruz.com/mixeduselibrary. n

“Leaders” from page 21

Bystanders or Leaders?

“This night is framed around ‘The Bystander Moment,’” Katz said, referring to his 49-minute educational film on how observers can intervene to challenge sexist cultural norms that lead to violence.

In the George Floyd case, he said, an officer was misusing his authority, and three officers on hand did nothing. Why?

Katz’ answer: Male peer culture, hierarchies.

When one guy makes a sexist remark, guys let it go. They know if they speak up and say “that’s not cool,” that comes at some risk to their status in the group.

That’s what Katz is trying to change, with the ultimate goal to change the social acceptability of harassment, abuse or violence, what he calls “rape culture.”

He believes it’s possible, just as cigarettes once promoted as healthy are now seen as a health hazard.

“We need more straight talk among men,” he said. “Men’s violence against women, it’s more accurate more honest.”

Instead of asking how many teen girls got pregnant, ask how many boys impregnated girls.

Boys are growing up traumatized by the abuse toward their mother — prisons are filled with men who are emotionally little boys. They develop a hard shell in reaction to violence by men in their families.

Men commit most of the violence.

“We have to connect all these things,” Katz said. “It can be done.”

MVPs

Katz is doing that, creating Mentors in Violence Prevention, MVP Strategies, which has brought the bystander approach to changing culture to various audiences athletes, the military, schools and the corporate world.

One example: Three guys are at a bar, and one makes an inappropriate sexual comment about a woman recently hired in their office. What do you do?

Who do you have a responsibility to?

The woman?

The guy who just made the comment?

Do you have a responsibility to yourself?

“Speak up when you see injustice,” Katz said. “Do you have a responsibility to the team at work for treating a co-worker with disrespect? Aren’t you speaking for the best values of the group?”

He added, “The person who speaks up is a leader, taking a risk for people who don’t have the confidence to do it…Men want to be on the side of doing the right thing. It’s not that complicated.”

Culture Shift

In his 33 years in the Sheriff’s Office, Hart has seen a shift in local law enforcement, from 10 percent women to 33 percent.

In 1988, deputies had one locker room, and Hart had to dress and undress in front of a female deputy – making him uncomfortable but he didn’t speak up.

“I didn’t want to be known as someone causing a problem,” Hart said. “I wish I would have said something. Now as the sheriff, I would be mortified if someone was going through that.”

In the past, a deputy was viewed as weak if he sought help after a traumatic incident such a shooting, but that has changed, according to Hart.

“We have a really strong employee assistance program to talk some of these problems through,” Hart said. “We have therapists coming.”

He said his deputies “need a clear head when they put the uniform on.”

Zephro, the forensics chief, added, “Yes, it’s encouraged, supported, seen as normal. Public service is a hard job, we need support.”

Concluded Hart, “I want happy healthy employees for 30 years.”

Claudia Llamas-Padilla, program coordinator for the Sexual Assault Response Team, watched the “Bystander” film with Zephro, knowing nothing about Katz.

“I found him super-inspiring,” Llamas-Padilla said, calling on men to intervene for women. “We need more men to speak up. Question your own attitudes, beliefs and actions. Do something to change things.” Some men embrace educator Jackson Katz’s call to change what’s acceptable.

Katz is based in Boston but Santa Cruz is home to an activist who has been working on these issues since 1984: Ann Simonton, founder of Media Watch.

Asked if outreach should begin in schools, Simonton said, “Absolutely, it’s an opportune time. Kids are desperate for it. It’s difficult, but it’s absolutely imperative we begin.” n

••• Resources

Film: The Mask We Live In, a film about boys talking about pressures on Book: Real Boys by Dr. William Pollock on how innocent boys become destructive

TED talk by Jackson Katz: https:// www.ted.com/talks/jackson_katz_violence_against_women_it_s_a_men_s_issue/ transcript?language=en

Website: MediaWatch.com

Website: MVPStrategies.com