COMMUNITY NEWS
Learn & Serve
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Join the Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury
By Judge Syda K. Cogliati
re you interested in learning more about how our local government works? Are you interested in helping improve our local government? Do you enjoy working in a collaborative setting with other community members? If you answered yes to these questions, you should consider applying to serve on the 2022-2023 Civil Grand Jury. The Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury is a 19-member body responsible for investigating and reporting on local government performance. Service on the Civil Grand Jury is for a one-year term, with an expected time contribution of about 20 hours per week. Prior members of the Civil Grand Jury have described the pride and satisfaction they experienced in working together to closely examine local government functions, write reports on their findings, and make recommendations
that have improved our community. Our Civil Grand Juries have accomplished incredibly important work. The 20202021 Civil Grand Jury investigated our county’s response to the pandemic, our county’s response to the CZU fire and how our county is preparing to prevent future wildfires, how the Pajaro Valley School District responded to students’ need for remote-learning technology during the pandemic, and more. Previous investigations have covered topics such homelessness, school safety, county elections, water districts, law enforcement agencies, and the public library system. The importance of having a Civil Grand Jury that reflects our entire community cannot be understated. The Civil Grand Jury needs people
8 / May 2022 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com
from all parts of our county and from diverse backgrounds. The Civil Grand Jury should consist of people who will bring a variety of perspectives to the important work of ensuring that our local government agencies are providing services in a fair, just, and transparent manner. The current Civil Grand Jury has been working both in person and remotely through videoconferencing and document sharing programs. We anticipate that the next Civil Grand Jury, which will begin its one-year term on July 1, 2022, will likewise have a hybrid system of remote and in-person work. As the supervising judge of the Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury, I humbly request that you consider applying to serve on the 2022-2023 Civil Grand Jury.
The deadline for the Court to receive applications is April 29. I am very optimistic that our applicants will include residents from all over the county, people of all backgrounds, and citizens with a strong commitment to the community. Please also spread the word to your friends and family. Let them know about this wonderful opportunity to learn and make a difference. The deadline for the Court to receive applications is April 29. n ••• If you have questions, email jury.information@santacruzcourt.org or go to the Civil Grand Jury website: www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/ Departments/GrandJury.aspx
New Look at Willowbrook Park for Gutzwiller Memorial
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he County of Santa Cruz Department of Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services invites the public to explore the conceptual drawings for the planned renovations to the play area at Willowbrook County Park — one component of reimagining the entire park in memory of Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller. “Unveiling this next element is an exciting milestone in the Reimagining Willowbrook Park Project,” said Parks Director Jeff Gaffney said. “Amenities like this play feature and the memorial seating area will be both a tribute to Sgt. Gutzwiller and a great community benefit to the families like his that enjoy this park so much.” County Parks along with the Santa Cruz County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, County Park Friends and Supervisor Zach Friend are releasing the initial drawings for updating the playground with new surfacing to make the play area accessible to more children. Other updates will include the construction
and installation of a memorial seating area on the south side of the pedestrian walkway bridge, park entry enhancements, a new flagpole and updates to the sport courts. “Damon was a devoted father and public servant and this project will provide a safe and inclusive place for his kids and other children to play and remember him,” Santa Cruz County Supervisor Zach Friend said. Current funding goals have yet to be met and opportunities to be a part of the legacy renovations of Willowbrook County Park are still available. n ••• For more information or to learn more about opportunities to participate in this project visit www.countyparkfriends.org/willowbrook.
