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Prologue: Too Many Cooks — A Soup of Bitter Greens By Joe Ortiz They say that too many cooks spoil the broth—but in our apartment back in Long Island City, Queens, everybody wanted to stir the soup. Full Story page 13
Grand Jury Says Measure G Mislead Voters
6,400 Workers Gone: What to Do? Editor’s note: For all the employers who put up a “We’re hiring” sign and are still looking, here’s the explanation: 6,400 fewer workers. Will the job market ever return to normal? Read on. ••• The Santa Cruz County Workforce Development Board contracted with BW Research of Carlsbad to prepare the “2022 State of the Workforce Report.” This year’s report has particular importance as the
local and global economy recovers and evolves from the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. These disruptions have reshaped labor markets and the balance of power between employers and employees, resulting in new challenges. Another challenge is skyrocketing rental rates: Between 2019 and 2021, the average rental rate for a 2-bedroom apartment grew from $2,400 to $3,000 per month. ... continues on page 4
Full Story page 21
Capitola Beach Festival Seeks Float Builders
Capitola Beach Festival returns to Capitola Village on Sept. 24 and 25. The Beach Festival picks up where the Begonia Festival left off ... Full Story page 17
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No. 7
Volume 27
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Table of Contents
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Cover
SMILES NEVER GET OLD.
6,400 Workers Gone: What to Do? Community News 7
Kids Under 5 Eligible for Covid Vaccine, By Jondi Gumz
10 Grease: Musical Theater at its Best, By Mindy Pedlar 16 Seacliff Inn Refreshed: Aptos Hotel Joins A Tapestry Collection 17 Capitola Beach Festival Seeks Float Builders 20 Capitola Vacant Home Tax Proposal on Pause, By Jondi Gumz • Three Council Seats Up for Election 21 Did Measure G Mislead Voters? Yes, Grand Jury Says: How to Prevent A
831-684-2700
Disconnect in the Future National News 9
Biden: Three-Month Federal Gas Tax Holiday Business Profile
18 Kirby School: College-Prep Education in a Pandemic, By June Smith Letter to the Editor 20 WomenCARE Asks for Support Monthly Horoscope • Page 26 – U.S. Birthday, Conflict, Chaos and Harmony, By Risa D’Angeles Community Calendar • Arts & Entertainment – Pages 28, 29 Featured Columnists 12 Capitola By The Numbers, By Sam Storey, Mayor, City of Capitola 13 Prologue: Too Many Cooks: A Soup of Bitter Greens, By Joe Ortiz 27 Staying On Track: District’s Strategic Plan Updated, By Rebecca Gold Rubin 30 HomeKey Developer in Soquel to Meet Community Monday, By Manu Koenig, Supervisor, First District 31 Minestra di Verdura: Broccoli Rabe and Garlic Soup, Submitted by Joe Ortiz
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COVER STORY Patrice Edwards Jondi Gumz
publisher editor
contributing writers Jondi Gumz, Mindy Pedlar, June Smith, Risa D’Angeles, Sam Storey, Joe Ortiz, Rebecca Gold Rubin, Manu Koenig layout Michael Oppenheimer, Ward J. Austin graphic artists Michael Oppenheimer, Ward J. Austin photography Michael Oppenheimer, Ward J. Austin, Brad King website Michael Oppenheimer, Camisa Composti production coordinator Camisa Composti media consultants Teri Huckobey, Brooke Valentine Cathe Race
office coordinator
distribution Bill Pooley, Taylor Brougham
“Missing Workers” from page 1 Half of renters spend more than 35% of their income for housing, leaving them less discretionary income to spend – and this may make talent attraction harder. This report highlights the disruptions and include deep dives into industries that have seen the greatest workforce disruptions: Healthcare, hospitality, and agriculture. Key Findings 1) Santa Cruz County’s labor market has shrunk. In December 2021, there were 6,400 fewer workers than in December 2019. However, the unemployment rate in December 2021 is roughly the same (5.4%) as it was two years prior (5.2%). This represents nearly a 5% decline in workers over two years. Labor force participation is part of the problem; between January 2015 and 2022, labor force participation in the county declined roughly 9%. (This means more people opting not to work.) Not all of the decline is pandemic related. Labor force participation rate between January 2015 and January 2020 fell 5% before COVID-19 had arrived in the U.S.
Times Publishing Group, Inc. 9601 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA 95003 The Times Publishing Group, Inc., publishers of the Aptos Times, a bi-monthly publication, the Capitola Soquel Times and Scotts Valley Times, each printed monthly, Coastal Weddings Magazine, Coastal Home and Garden Magazine, Aptos’ Fourth of July Parade Official Program Guide and Capitola’s Summer Festivals Official Program Guide, is owned by Patrice Edwards. Entire contents ©2022. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form is prohibited without the publisher’s written permission PHONE: (831) 688-7549 FAX: (831) 688-7551 GENERAL E-MAIL: info@cyber-times.com Patrice Edwards: patrice@cyber-times.com Publisher’s Assistant: assistant@cyber-times.com Editor: info@cyber-times.com Calendar Listings: www.tpgonlinedaily.com Graphics Department: graphics@cyber-times.com Billing Inquiries: cathe@cyber-times.com Classified Sales: sales@cyber-times.com Production: production@cyber-times.com CHECK OUT OUR WEB SITE AT: www.tpgonlinedaily.com mission statement We at the Times Publishing Group, Inc. are dedicated to providing a voice for the individuals and organizations in our community while highlighting the outstanding accomplishments of our local businesses. We seek to promote healthy family values through our coverage of youth activities, school news, senior events, community groups and entertainment 4 / July 2022 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com
An aging population in Santa Cruz County likely plays a significant role in these trends. The county has more people 55 and older compared to the state as a whole and more people age 18 to 24, thanks to UC Santa Cruz. Combined with early retirements driven by COVID-19, this has led to an accelerated loss of workers and a lack of younger workers to replace them. The California Department of Finance estimates a net 4,600 residents moved away from Santa Cruz County between July 2019 and July 2021, representing a notable decline in population (273,000 in 2020). Many were likely low-and middleincome workers. 2) Job quality in Santa Cruz County has improved from 2015 to 2021. There has been an increase in higherpaying, higher-skill jobs and a decrease in lower-paying, low-skill jobs. Higherearning jobs pay an average of $75,000 a year. The lowest paying jobs pay on average less than $45,000 a year. In the middle are jobs paying $45,000 to $75,000. While local job quality remains lower than the statewide average, the county has seen improvement. In the third quarter of 2021, there were 1,300 more highest-paying Tier 1 jobs, 850 more Tier 2 jobs and 1,100 fewer lowestpaying Tier 3 than in the third quarter of 2015. This indicates a shift towards a more skilled, more educated workforce with higher median annual earnings. 3) Industries with the lowest average annual wages per worker all experienced declines in employment between 2015 and 2021, while many better-paying industries saw growth. About 2,200 accommodation and food services workers were lost between 2015
and 2021 — down 19%. That sector comprises 10% of the county’s jobs. Healthcare and social assistance-which accounts for 15% of countywide jobs and is one of the mid-earning industries--grew by 2%. Construction industry, another midearning industry, saw the most growth, 67%. Although the information industry is among the highest-earning industries in Santa Cruz County, it shrank the most, 46%. 4) Santa Cruz County residents changed their shopping and employment behavior, and they have not returned to pre-pandemic patterns. As of March 2022, people in Santa Cruz County were still spending 7% more time at home than they were before the pandemic, and they were spending 19% less time at retail and recreation locations, which include shopping malls and movie theatres. The nature of work may have also permanently changed for many; people were spending an average of 27% less time at workplaces than before the pandemic. The rise of remote work may have significant impacts, including changes in commuting patterns and businesses that relied on office lunch hours for revenue. 5) The healthcare industry, which represents 14% of jobs in the county, has seen significant disruption. According to a fall 2021 nationwide poll of healthcare workers, 18% in the healthcare industry had quit their job and another 12% had been laid-off or lost their job at some point during the pandemic. The most common reasons included the COVID-19 pandemic (54%), wanting more money or better benefits(50%), finding a better opportunity (50%), and feeling burned out or overworked (49%) .
COVER STORY This high turnover is likely to have lasting implications in Santa Cruz County. Many high-demand healthcare occupations, including personal care aides, home health aides, nursing assistants, and medical assistants, are projected to see high rates of demand in the next year, as well as low unemployment rates. These factors, paired with the specialization required for most healthcare occupations, mean that the industry is likely to continue to see a shortage of workers until training and education pipelines can fill some of the gaps. Cabrillo College graduated 188 students in healthcare professions in 2020, then had enrollment rates compared to 2018 drop 20%. Some healthcare workers may be able to work remotely but it requires workers who are tech-savvy and emotionally intelligent. 6) The pandemic accelerated the decline in agricultural employment in Santa Cruz County. In summer, ag jobs typically grew to about 10% of all the county’s jobs. While nonfarm employment across the county has risen steadily over the last decade or more, farm employment has seen a steady decline. Peak farm employment in July 2010 was 32% higher than in July 2021. Some—but not all—of this shift was
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Case Study: Discretion Brewing, Soquel
iscretion Brewing has observed the tight labor markets that their clients, including regional bars and restaurants, have experienced. Fortunately, Discretion itself has not experienced significant turnover. They have been able to retain all but two of their full-time employees, who were laid off in the middle of the pandemic. Discretion Brewing retained employees by offering a comprehensive benefits package that includes health insurance, 401k (retirement) matching, vision and dental insurance, life insurance, and a generous paid time off policy. Despite having to lay off all their part-time front-facing staff at the beginning of the pandemic, the company’s staff is back to pre-pandemic levels; there has been a mix of new and old hires for positions they had to refill. Discretion has found rehiring for these positions easy: “We kept in touch with our old staff,” said Discretion Chief Beer Ambassador Dustin Vereker, “and we’ve had a mix of people coming back to the roles because of it.” On attracting new hires, Dustin highlighted how “[Discretion] attracts a lot of applicants because we have that ‘cool factor’ — it’s considered cool to work in a brewery — and we treat our people well, which is very important to us.” Provided there aren’t any new major disruptions to the industry in the near future — like “new variants of the virus [that could] lead to restrictions and indoor sitting limits” — the company is projecting strong growth.
driven by the pandemic, as peak farm employment fell 17% between July 2019 and July 2021. This will have long-term effects as farmers look to automation, downsizing their plots, or changing crops to address the labor challenges.
Workers will need to have IT knowledge and experience. 7) Accommodation and food services saw employment plunge 57% in the early days of pandemic — a loss of 11,600 jobs. By the start of 2022, the industry had
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largely adapted and recovered — but not fully — by the start of 2022. The summer of 2022 is expected to experience continued increased demand for hospitality workers and is likely to test employers’ ability to find workers. ••• Recommendations any of these will require collaboration and partnership with other organizations and institutions across the county. 1) Initiatives to increase labor force participation and pull residents from the employment sidelines. Unemployed, underemployed, and adults who are disengaged from the labor force present an economic opportunity for a county that is looking for talent. Several populations typically have lower labor force participation rates because of barriers, and removing those barriers may help those individuals enter the workforce. These include parents with young children, those with lower educational attainment, formerly incarcerated, and long-term unemployed and discouraged workers. In South Santa Cruz County, 28% of residents do not have a high school diploma compared to 5% in North County.
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COMMUNITY NEWS
Kids Under 5 Eligible for Covid Vaccine O
By Jondi Gumz
n June 21, Santa Cruz County Public Health announced children under 5 years of age are eligible to receive Covid-19 vaccines – interested parents can contact their doctor. Three days earlier, Dr. Rochelle Walensky announced a recommendation to vaccinate all 20 million children 6 months to 5 years old. On June 17, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use of Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna for those young children. The Western States Scientific Safety Review Committee and the California Department of Public Health also approved Pfizer’s three-shot series and Moderna’s two-shot series. On June 21, Josh Guetzkow, a PhD at Hebrew University, posted the CDC response to his Freedom of Information Act request asking if the CDC is analyzing the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System for “safety signals” from Covid-19 vaccines. This database, https://vaers.hhs. gov/, is where health care providers are to report adverse events after a vaccine. It was created after Congress passed a law in 1986 protecting vaccine manufacturers from civil personal injury lawsuits and wrongful death lawsuits resulting from vaccine injuries. Observers were curious why there’s been no government study to evaluate if the injuries reported in VAERS were caused by a vaccine. An early briefing document said, “The CDC will perform Proportional Reporting Ratio (PRR) data mining on a weekly basis or as needed.” This would compare the proportion of an adverse event after getting a specific vaccine vs. the same adverse event after another vaccine. A higher rate would count as a safety signal to trigger a more thorough investigation. The June 16 letter from FOIA Officer Roger Andoh to Children’s Health Defense said that “no PRRs were conducted by CDC. Furthermore, data mining is outside of the agency’s purview, staff suggest you inquire with FDA.” Guetzkow called PRRs “one of the oldest, most basic and most well-established tools of pharmacovigilance.” A handful of countries, including China, Cuba, Venezuela, vaccinate children under 5. Denmark’s health minister, Seren Brostrom, has regrets, saying the country should not have vaccinated children for Covid. Young Children & Covid he CDC reports 400 children 0-4 have died of Covid since it arrived two years ago.
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Deaths of young children represent a tiny percentage of U.S. Covid deaths: More than 1 million. Covid has claimed the lives of many elders, those 85 and older with pre-existing medical conditions and it’s easy for kids to catch Covid, especially the highly contagious Omicron subvariants, but deaths of children are few and far between. In 46 states plus Puerto Rico, 0.00%0.02% of all child Covid cases resulted in death, the American Association of Pediatrics reported in June. Dr. Vinay Prasad, who has a master’s in public health, struggled to understand how Pfizer calculated 80% efficacy during the Omicron surge for the third booster shot for the initial coronavirus. Pfizer reported on its clinical trial involving 1,678 children — 10 got sick. In its report, Pfizer looked at Covid cases 7 days after dose 3, not cases before that. “You can’t exclude days,’ Prasad said, “You don’t get to say the first seven or 10 days don’t count.” Prasad said Pfizer’s “emergency use authorization” reports an analysis of this age group was “found not to be reliable” because of the low number of Covid cases. He point to the “confidence level” present by Pfizer, which ranged from 99.6% to minus 370%, a big range “that gives you little confidence that it’s areliable result.” The Kaiser Family Foundation reports 18% of parents of children under 5 plan to vaccinate them immediately, with 38% planning to wait to see if there are side effects, 27% with no plans to use the Pfizer product on their children, and 11% saying thy would do so only if required for school or day care. Parents were surveyed in April, when Omicron subvariants began increasing cases. Among parent concerns: Long-term effects. Could it be that young children represent an untapped windfall for the drug-makers? It all depends on whether these vaccines are added to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine schedule for children. See www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/ hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html At a press event filmed and posted on Twitter, President Biden said Dr. Ashish Jha, who heads White House Crisis Response, is “the guy that’s running the CDC for me these days basically.” Cases Up he highly contagious coronavirus Omicron subvariants have pushed up case numbers in California– but Santa Cruz County cases are on a rollercoaster, 1,715
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on May 23 then 1,472 on May 26 and 1,705 on June 13, then 1,924 on June 23. This spring, the biggest spurt, May 9, after Mother’s Day, was 182 cases, followed by four days of 128 or more cases. After Memorial Day came five days of 113 or more cases per day. Then 179 on June 6 — graduation? — low compared to 1,312 on Jan. 20. On Friday, the state reports 20 people hospitalized with Covid, one in intensive care, in Santa Cruz County. With 54,000+ county residents having had the infection, natural immunity may be a factor. The county posted three more deaths, all over 65 with medical conditions, all vaccinated. Santa Cruz County updates the numbers on Mondays and Thursdays. Santa Cruz County along with much of California is rated “medium” transmission by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on its COVID tracking map. Hotspots are Monterey County, Central Valley and most of Florida, all rated high risk. Subvariants of omicron (and waning immunity from vaccines) are suspected to be behind the latest wave of cases. The CDC said BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants are estimated to make up about 8.3% and 13.3% of the coronavirus variants in the U.S. Hospitalizations from Omicron peaked in January, then plummeted and have been rising albeit slowly. The state Department of Public Health reports test positivity, 23% in January, has ticked up from 1.7% to 11.4% and hospitalizations — 20,000 in January —dropped to 950 before topping 2,800. Test to Treat anta Cruz County offers “Test to Treat” sites, including the three OptumServe testing sites, open to anyone regardless of insurance or documentation status. Visit https://lhi.care/ covidtesting/ and make an appointment. The closest are the Santa Cruz County Governmental Center in Santa Cruz and the Felton library. Test positivity has dropped from 12.25% in January to 7.06% on June 22, with 308 cases, according to the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, which has completed 527,400 tests with Inspire Diagnostics.. For those who test positive and are at risk of severe illness, the CDC recommends asking your doctor for a prescription for Paxlovid, pills developed by Pfizer for higher risk individuals age 12 or older and given emergency use authorization by the FDA in December. Lagevrio, produced by Merck, also got emergency use authorization for mild to moderate Covid.
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Paxlovid side effects information can be found at: https://www.fda.gov/ media/155051/download So far, the new subvariants are very easy to spread but do not seem as dangerous as Delta. There are more people hospitalized — 2,800 in California, double from where it was — but ICU admissions are rising much more slowly, and the number of deaths per day has not spiked up. The CDC estimates almost 60 percent of the populace — including 76% percent of children over age 5 — have had Omicron or another coronavirus variant. Omicron Less Deadly he Omicron variants are less deadly than the Delta variant, which raged in 2021. Santa Cruz County reported 40 Covid deaths after Omicron, compared to 225 as of Dec. 15, before Omicron. One statistic is similar: 79% to 81% of those who died had medical conditions. Why do people fear Omnicron? They may have a medical condition (diabetes, obesity, asthma, high blood pressure). Half of Americans do, so they are at higher risk for severe Covid illness. So are people 85 and older. California reports 83.8% of residents age 5 and up have had at least one shot. On the CDC Covid tracker, Santa Cruz County reports 91.2% of residents age 5 and up have at least one shot and 83.3% fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated means having two shots (Pfizer or Moderna) or one Johnson & Johnson shot. All were developed for the initial Wuhan Covid-19 strain. For Omicron, a booster shot is needed after the Pfizer vaccine, because protection against hospitalization wanes after three months, a Kaiser Permanente study of 11,000 hospital admissions and emergency room visits found. Santa Cruz County Office of Education reports cases in local schools peaked at 4,407 on Jan. 27, dropped to 44 on April 1, rose to 1,025 on May 23 and dropped to 442 on June 11 and now 308. The 14-day positivity rate, 12.25% on January, dropped to .79%, then rose to 5.4% and 7.06%. Myocarditis n a 2022 report in the Journal of American Medical Association online, Dr. Matthew Oster of the CDC reported the government’s VAERS database received 1,991 reports of myocarditis after one dose of mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccine and 1,626 met the CDC’s definition for probable or confirmed myocarditis. “Covid Update” page 9
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NATIONAL NEWS
Biden: Three-Month Federal Gas Tax Holiday Editor’s note: This statement came from the White House on June 22, when many gas prices in Santa Cruz County top $6.50 per gallon. ••• he price of gas is up dramatically around the world, and by almost $2 per gallon in America, since Putin began amassing troops on the border of Ukraine. President Biden understands that high gas prices pose a significant challenge for working families. That’s why he has taken action in recent months to boost the supply of oil and gas, including an historic release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and encouraging oil companies and refiners to boost capacity and output to get more supply on the market. Today, he is calling on Congress and states to take additional legislative action to provide direct relief to American consumers who have been hit with Putin’s Price Hike. Specifically, he is calling on Congress to suspend the federal gas tax for three months, through September, without taking any money away from the Highway Trust Fund. And he is calling on states to take similar action to provide some direct relief, whether suspending their own gas taxes or helping consumers in other ways.
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“Covid Update” from page 7 Oster’s conclusion: “The risk of myocarditis after receiving mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccines was increased across multiple age and sex strata and was highest after the second vaccination dose in adolescent males and young men. This risk should be considered.” Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart, which can lead to clots, a stroke or heart attack. Public health officials say the scientific consensus is that Covid vaccines are safe, but some are skeptical about relying on science from drug-makers, which saw profits rise in 2021. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar invoked the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act, a 2005 law allowing him to provide legal protection to companies making or distributing critical medical supplies such as vaccines unless there’s “willful misconduct” by the company. This protection lasts until 2024. A military whistleblower told journalist Michael Nevradakis that 120,000 troops remain unvaccinated and the U.S. Army may push back the June 30 deadline to comply. according to Children’s Health Defense. After mRNA COVID-19 vaccines were
Federal Gas Tax Holiday ight now, the federal government charges an 18-cent tax per gallon of gasoline and a 24-cent tax per gallon of diesel. Those taxes fund critical highways and public transportation, through the Highway Trust Fund. But in this unique moment, with gas prices near $5 a gallon on average across the country, President Biden is calling on Congress to suspend the gas tax for three months – until the end of September – to give Americans a little extra breathing room as they deal with the effects of Putin’s war in Ukraine. The President is also calling on Congress to make sure that a gas tax holiday has no negative effect on the Highway Trust Fund. With our deficit already down by a historic $1.6 trillion this year, the President believes that we can afford to suspend the gas tax to help consumers while using other revenues to make the Highway Trust Fund whole for the roughly $10 billion cost. This is consistent with legislation proposed in the Senate and the House to advance a responsible gas tax holiday. President Biden understands a gas tax holiday alone will not, on its own, relieve the run-up in costs we’ve seen. But the President believes that at this unique moment
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mandated for the military in 2021, cases of heart attack, pulmonary embolism, cancers, and myocarditis spiked dramatically, according to the Defense Military Epidemiological Database queries by the whistleblowers. The Department of Defense responded that a glitch in the database affected the data from 2016-2020. Testing he Santa Cruz County Office of Education offers drive-though testing for students, staff and families at: Cabrillo College, Aptos, Parking Lot K, Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Santa Cruz County Office of Education, 399 Encinal St., Santa Cruz, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. See: https://tinyurl.com/ get-tested-santa-cruz. Booster shots: https://myturn.ca.gov/ Vaccine providers: www.santacruzhealth.org/coronavirusvaccine. Local information: www.santacruz health.org/coronavirus or (831) 454-4242 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. n •••
when the war in Ukraine is imposing costs on American families, Congress should do what it can to provide working families breathing room. State and Local Action n addition to federal gas tax relief, the President is calling on state and local governments to provide additional consumer relief. Already, some states and local governments have acted: for example, in Connecticut and New York, governors temporarily suspended their gas taxes, and in Illinois and Colorado, governors delayed planned tax and fee increases. And, around the country, in states like Michigan and Minnesota, states and local leaders are considering a number of forms of consumer relief – from temporary suspensions and pauses on state sales tax on gas to consumer rebates and relief payments. The President believes more states and local governments should do so. Ongoing Actions oday’s announcements follow a series of actions the President has taken to lower gas prices for American families. • The President announced the release of a record 1 million barrels per day from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which just last week a leading oil
market analyst confirmed has been critical to keeping prices from rising even more. • He rallied international partners to join us, releasing a combined 240 million barrels of oil on the market. • He expanded access to biofuels like E15—gasoline uses a 15 percent ethanol blend—to increase supply and lower prices at thousands of gas stations across the country. • He and his Administration are engaging with oil and refining companies to ask them to work with the Administration to bring forward concrete solutions that increase refinery capacity and output. Secretary Granholm is meeting with these CEOs this week. Already, the United States produced more oil under the first year of this Administration than it did under the first two years of the prior Administration, and is on track to set new records next year. At the same time, the President understands our efforts to increase energy production in the near-term must be coupled with medium- and long-term efforts to transition our economy away from fossil fuels produced by autocrats and to clean energy. n
As of June 23 Age 85 and older: 114 • 75-84: 62 • 65-74: 47 60-64: 15 • 55-59: 4 • 45-54: 10 35-44: 8 • 25-34: 5 Underlying Conditions Yes: 215 • No: 50 Vaccinated: Yes: 31 • No: 234
Race White 152 • Latinx 90 • Asian 16 • Black 3 Amer Indian 1 • Hawaiian 1 • Another 2 Gender Men: 136 • Women: 129 Location At facility for aged: 117 Not at a facility: 148
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Total COVID cases: 1,924 ••• COVID Deaths: 265
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COMMUNITY NEWS
Grease: Musical Theater at its Best By Mindy Pedlar Skip Epperson’s simple, classic set design takes us back to 1959, transporting us to Rydell High School’s reunion in Cabrillo Stage’s production of Grease now playing at the Crocker Theater. Jon Nordgren leads a group of fine musicians that recreate the style and feel of 50s rock & roll. Caleb Wildman’s creative lighting design aids in setting the mood. Bethany Deal‘s costumes are spot on and well suited to the fresh yet 50’s choreography of Director Cassie Nordgren. Why is it so much fun to see full skirts swirl in the big dance numbers? It just is. And then there’s the cast. Tall, blonde and handsome, Jack Bloome commands the stage as Danny Zuko, leader of the Burger Palace Boys--the cool kids of Rydell High. His love interest, the new girl in town Sandy Dumbrowsk, is convincingly played by Haley Clarke. Though petite, Haley matches Bloome’s vocal strength, and you can’t help but root for this couple. Scott Boynton as Kenickie has the perfect look and Elvis-like moves as he sings Greased Lightning, while the whole gang has a blast singing and dancing around the 1959 Nash Metropolitan that Epperson and Technical Director Marcel Tjioe have overhauled for its moment in the spotlight. The entire cast gives their all. There are magical moments: Jennifer Taylor Daniels’ rendition of Beauty School Dropout is a must-see, and
“Missing Workers” from page 5 Strategies that expand access to childcare, improve digital literacy, and increase educational attainment and awareness of relevant career pathways--especially when they are targeted and refined to support specific populations--can increase labor force participation and improve economic mobility. 2) Workforce attraction and retention for healthcare and hospitality industries. Both have seen considerable churn and challenges over the last two+ years of the pandemic, and attracting new workers is necessary to fully meet their workforce demands. The Santa Cruz County Workforce Development Board may be able to help with attraction and retention efforts by working with regional employers to develop career profiles and pathways that illuminate the purpose, earnings potential, and upward trajectory of these jobs. Developing strategies to educate students and jobseekers on these potential employment opportunities could also be valuable in the larger effort to bring more workers into the industries. Surveys have shown that factors like pay, purpose, and flexibility are particularly important and salient for those looking for new job opportunities in the post-pandemic world, and employers would benefit from readily advertising these aspects of their jobs.
local favorite David Jackson adds harmony and heart to Raining on Prom Night. In short, the youthful enthusiasm of this talented cast uplifts the spirit. This show is simply a joy to watch. Only two weeks left, don’t miss it. Now playing ThursdaySunday until July 10. ••• Next Up: Candide andide, with its magnificent score by Leonard Bernstein, is Cabrillo Stage’s next offering directed and choreographed by Gary John La Rosa of New York. Mounting this show, originally scheduled for 2020 but cancelled due to Covid-19, is a tremendous undertaking.
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3) Assess and compile the emerging employment skills and pathways in agriculture. The slow march of automation in agriculture was briefly accelerated by the pandemic, though shortages of human workers highlighted the role that humans will continue to play in agriculture. Many agriculture roles will increasingly rely on some knowledge of web technologies and the Internet of Things and some may even require working alongside robots to maintain them and serve as quality control. Working with farmers to develop programs that incentivize and upskill current workers may have some success in attracting new entrants and retaining talent. In some cases, these techn skills may be paired with basic education, ESL, computer literacy, or intermediate math or sciences courses to ensure workers have the sufficient background knowledge necessary to operate the technical equipment. This opportunity for workers to advance their knowledge and abilities may help adopters of these programs differentiate themselves from other farms and allow ag workers to increase their education while working. 4) Emphasize education and workforce development among younger adult residents in South Santa Cruz County. Residents in the Southern sub-region of the county are, on average, younger, less educated, more likely to be in lower-paying
10 / July 2022 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com
Fortunately, Candide is on the bucket list of most musicians — including Artistic Director Jon Nordgren, who decided to produce it again in 2022, Cabrillo Stage’s 41st season. Musical Director Cheryl Anderson and Director Gary John La Rosa have assembled a cast of exceptional singers to present this beautiful show, complete with a 14-piece live orchestra conducted by Ms. Anderson. Michael Stahl as Candide and Lori Schulman as Cunegonde, who both starred in last season’s production of Pirates of Penzance, head the large cast of 27. The story, based on French Philosopher Voltaire’s 1759 satirical novella, takes our hero, Candide, and his true love, Cunegonde, on separate journeys around the world, where they meet misfortune at every turn. Reunited in the end, the disillusioned couple focuses with humility and appreciation on the simple, beautiful things in life — family, friends, home and, of course, a garden. Thus, the stage is set for Bernstein’s vocal masterpiece, Make Our Garden Grow. Candide runs Thursday-Sunday, July 21 through Aug. 14. Both shows play at the Cabrillo Crocker Theater on the Cabrillo College campus, 6500 Soquel Avenue, Aptos. Tickets can be purchased individually or at a discounted rate for the season. Tickets available online at cabrillostage.com. Box office is open for phone and walk-in sales Thursday-Saturday noon to 6 p.m. n
employment, and more racially and ethnically diverse than residents in North County. Workforce development programs in South Santa Cruz County should include these priorities: Increase educational attainment for those that have a high school diploma or less as their highest level of education. Labor force participation, overall earnings, and economic mobility are all improved with higher educational attainment, particularly if those individuals have less than a high school diploma. Emphasize career education and career pathways that are available in the county and provide an onramp to a sustainable career. Increase communication and engagement between employers and young people. Field trips, site visits, and career days can help middle and high school students better understand the full range of career opportunities and how to best work toward them. Rather than having all students attend a four-year university to figure out what their interests are, some students may be more interested to learn about healthcare careers that start with a certificate or associate’s degree but allow for growth and strong earning potential down the road. Identify employment opportunities that allow for additional training and education for current workers. Employment opportunities that serve the joint purpose of inspiring and offering young workers more opportunities for training and education, while also
providing some income and work experience, would be quite valuable. This could include pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeship programs,as well as paid internships and more traditional full-time employment paired with training and/or educational programs. 5) Promote efforts that will expand affordable housing options around Santa Cruz County’s work and transit hubs. Between July 2019 and July 2021, the California Department of Finance estimates that Santa Cruz County’s population declined by a net 4,600 residents. This was driven by nearly 5,000 residents leaving the county. While this data does not provide countylevel detail on the demographics of these workers, we know that low-and middleincome workers make up the greatest share of residents who are leaving statewide. High costs of living are likely a significant driving force for this migration. Promoting additional housing — including the initiatives that are already underway — is one way to increase affordability. Improving traffic and commute times is another area of opportunity to increase the livability of the county for a broad range of workers. n ••• Read the full report at: https://workforcescc.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/ Santa-Cruz-County-SoW-Final-2022.pdf Cover Photo: KFC in Capitola is hiring, and pay depends on experience.
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / July 2022 / 11
FEATURED COLUMNIST
Capitola By The Numbers By Sam Storey, Mayor, City of Capitola
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apitola has passed its budget for the 2022-23 year and I thought this would be a good time to share what Capitola looks like through the numbers. These are things that most people don’t see and, maybe, frankly don’t care to see, but the numbers are what makes everything function. The numbers are what keep us safe, clean, moving about, and generally enjoying life. The numbers start with some basic statistics. Capitola is 1.6 square miles with 27.05 miles of road. Yes, I know, small by comparison to most cities. Within those 1.6 square miles there are about 10,000 people on a cloudy, winter weekday and almost 40,000 people on a sunny, summer weekend. Doing the math, the number of people per square mile will range from 6,250 in winter to 25,000 in summer. That density is higher than most cities. To serve the population, Capitola city has a staff of 67 people. There are 31 in the police department to keep us safe, 16 in public works to keep us clean and moving,
To serve the population, Capitola city has a staff of 67 people. There are 31 in the police department to keep us safe, 16 in public works to keep us clean and moving, and 20 in support positions, including 5 council members. These 67 people serve the community whether it be only 10,000 people or 40,000 people. That takes a lot of flexibility and resourcefulness. and 20 in support positions, including 5 council members. These 67 people serve the community whether it be only 10,000 people or 40,000 people. That takes a lot of flexibility and resourcefulness. So how much money does it take to provide these level of services? For the 2022-23 year we have approved expenditures of $22,217,278. Within that figure we have budgeted $8,600,494 for police and parking enforcement; $3,844,780 for public works; $2,283,395 for streets; $1,022,752 for the
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building department; $1,389,372 for the recreation department; and $2,670,000 in capital projects. The balance of $2,406,485 goes to fund a variety of other needs such as the museum, arts, community services, and reserve funds. For our resident population of 10,000 people that amounts to expenditures of $2,222 per person. Where does the money come from to pay for these expenses? The vast majority — $14,746,269 — comes from sales, property, or transit occupancy taxes. The majority of the taxes come from sales taxes - $8,662,300. We are grateful to the consuming public that mostly finances the quality of life in Capitola. Although the sales tax rate in Capitola is 9% we only receive 1.5% of that. The state of California keeps the rest. The balance of revenues - $7,471,009 — comes from fees, fines, grants, and carryover balances. After the fiscal year 2022-23 is over and done, we are projecting to end up with a positive fund balance of $1,338,033. In addition to this projected fund balance, Capitola has a contingency reserve balance of $2,192,346 and an emergency reserve balance of $1,461,506. The mission of Capitola is to provide high quality service for our residents, visitors, businesses and employees. Our vision is to be recognized as a model organization that provides excellent and responsive public services. As the mayor I am proud of the high quality of services that are delivered by the Capitola staff. This article is dedicated to their service on behalf of the public. This is only a summary of the 2022-23 budget highlights. If you would like to see all the nitty-gritty details please go to the Capitola city website at www.cityofcapitola. org and search for Budget 2022/23. Thank you for your interest and making it to the end of this article. n ••• Sam Storey is mayor of Capitola. Contact him at samforcapitola@yahoo.com
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“Bitter Greens” page 14
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had better lift a spoon to even taste it. As Mom’s chief helper and nemesis, Laura had an opinion about everything, from soup to nuts, and she was always ready to get right in your face and tell you all about it. That is, until the back of Dad’s hand got in the way. And Dad? He stirred the pot, all right. He hollered at Mom when dinner was late, roared like an animal when he smelled something burning (but refused to get up from his cozy spot on the couch), never failed to mention when the meatloaf needed more salt, and complained to high heaven when the alio olio (that’s pasta with garlic and oil) wasn’t hot enough for a Puerto Rican’s fiery taste buds. “More pepper flakes, Nonny. More pepper flakes!” he would thunder. One night he recited his entire recipe for Arroz con Pollo while lounging on the couch smoking Camels and picking lint from between his toes. Poor Mom had to crane her neck out the kitchen doorway and listen to him squawk—all the while taking notes with one hand and making her famous meatballs with the other. (Have you ever tried to roll a meatball with one hand? Mom sure could!)
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hey say that too many cooks spoil the broth—but in our apartment back in Long Island City, Queens, everybody wanted to stir the soup. Certainly, Italian mothers wear the apron in their families. My mother was no exception. Mom ruled the kitchen with a firm, but loving hand and she knew how to put dinner on the table. Nevertheless, everyone on the block—neighbors, cousins, aunts, and uncles, and even, on occasion, the family bookie—somehow felt compelled to barge into Mom’s kitchen and regulate the sauce. A neighborly bit of advice was one thing—but most suggestions were laced with that full-throated “New York attitude.” That ultimate angst of repartee you somehow only learned years later was how you showed your love. I guess in a hot-blooded household like ours – where phrases like “Listen to me, mister,” and “Don’t get me started” were the very marrow of intimate conversation— food wasn’t just something you ate. It was something you talked about. Discussed. Or should I say argued over again and again. I found myself retreating from all the chaos with my own brand of fantasy—by “checking out” when the kitchen and the action got heated. To get me beyond the insanity, the soup kettle was just such a coping mechanism—the onion, celery, carrot, zucchini, all swirling about in a heady broth—all dancing in the same pot. Safe, soothing, even predictable on occasion. Then, as always, a reversal—someone would waltz into Mom’s kitchen with a peppermill or a few pepper flakes. Or a good-intentioned neighbor would sneak in and turn up the heat. Those so-called surefire remedies could easily unsettle the balance and easily cause the pot to boil over. Not only on the soup, but on the family dynamic as well. My sister Laura—perhaps Mom’s biggest pest—always had her hand and nose in one of Mom’s dishes. Streetwise at age 12, Laura stole meatballs, ate raw ravioli dough, and served as the selfappointed guardian angel of the spaghetti sauce. Sure, she could help Mom regulate the flavor of her gravy, but nobody else
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Many an afternoon I remember relatives and neighbors sitting around the table puffing cigarettes and sipping little tumblers of red wine, discussing the important things in life: How to reduce a broth without “bruising” it, how to sauté the onions to intensify a broth, how to boil a chicken without drying it out. Naturally, these food tales were heavily peppered with the events of the day—fishing trips to Coney Island gone sour, pieces of furniture Dad lost in a bet, promised Dodger tickets that never materialized. But for the most part, the conversation always came back to food: Either “gravy” or soup. In our family, soup came in many forms. Take Minestrone, for example. Some said you started it with a mixture of diced celery, onion, and carrot, nurtured, and coddled gently in olive oil over low heat. Then, you’d add your vegetables and sauté them for a while and add water and allow it all to meld together until the greens become soft and intoxicating. Dad had his own nononsense approach: “Ahhh, just trow da vegetables into da pot and let ‘em cook, fa chrissake!” There was bean soup, or what the Sicilians in our neighborhood called pasta fazool. If you put ten Sicilians, ten Neapolitans, and ten Venetians in a room you’d be offered a couple of hundred excellent variations of this peasant delicacy. And Ah! There was Pasta Lenticchie. Or what my mother called “pasta lendique.” A simple blend of boiled lentils and tubettini pasta, this meaty flavor could send me to high heaven. Years later, Laura and I would argue for hours about whether Mom started her lentils with a ham hock, a slice of bacon, or a few diced aromatic vegetables. “You’re supposed to know,” I would scream at my sister, with the same venom I’d learned from all of them
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back then—feeling sheepishly apologetic a moment later. Then there was Pastina. If Pastina brought us the salvation of chicken broth and all its curative blessings, its little pasta “stars” suspended in a translucent liquid firmament, then minestrone was the reality: The chaos of swirling vegetables, like sticks and stones tumbling in an earthy broth. If Pastina epitomized my mother ’s nurturing, minestrone represented Dad’s dark, reckless abandon. If Pastina was hope and salvation, minestrone represented the murky insanity of all our hopes of escaping Queens. But it wasn’t pastina that starts my story. It was Bitter Greens. Bitter because of Dad’s crazy lifestyle; savory because of Mom’s constant ability to assuage our anguish. You’ll hear all Pastina later and about the Sicilian, Freddie who moved into our apartment to make book— because Dad surely must have owed him dearly for some undisclosed gambling debt. For now, though, please be satisfied being soothed by Minestra di Verdura. It sure worked for me. Although I lived in a thick ethnic ragout of food, argument, and activity, a warm bowl of peasant soup, cut right through any stress, mild or aggravated and it was the main reason we managed to escape the Queens Bridge Projects and on to freedom in California. n ••• Editor’s note: Stay tuned for the next episode.
Joe Ortiz Memoir: Episodes & Recipes
oe Ortiz’s memoir, Pastina — My Father’s Misfortune, My Mother’s Good Soup, became the framework for the musical Escaping Queens, which ran at Cabrillo Stage in 2012 and 2013. Starting this month, The Capitola Soquel Times will begin the exclusive publication of various episodes from the book — including a recipe that helps shape each installment. You may have read one of the pieces in the Times a few months ago entitled, “Pastina, Food for the Soul — The Night Freddie the Bookie Showed Up with the Gun.”
The idea of weaving anecdotes about food with an ongoing narrative came to Joe after reading Heartburn by Nora Ephron. “Using recipe descriptions to help tell a story seemed the perfect way to weave the angst of a father’s chaotic life with the salvation of a mother’s cooking,” Ortiz explains. “For me, the soothing aromas and descriptions of my mom’s food became the salve to assuage my father’s abusive actions, and the ironic humor of it all helped to dull the pain.” n
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COMMUNITY NEWS
Seacliff Inn Refreshed
Aptos Hotel Joins A Tapestry Collection
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acifica Hotels, the largest owner and operator of boutique hotels along the Pacific Coast, announces Seacliff Inn in Aptos will join Tapestry Collection by Hilton. The classic California property has long been a favorite among families, beach lovers, and road trippers for its idyllic location, breathtaking views, and proximity to area attractions. Seacliff Inn will become part of Tapestry Collection by Hilton on June 1, with a remodel and rebrand that will conclude in late 2022. As part of this transition, Seacliff Inn is undergoing an extensive rebrand and remodel that focuses on the use of natural materials, landscaping enhancements, and the introduction of modern accents that will transform the beloved property into a refuge for travelers and destination for the community. Keeping true to its boutique hotels roots, Seacliff Inn’s unique personality, personalized services, and unmatched experiences will continue to provide the home-away-from-home stay travelers have been searching for. The neighborhood-centric, boutique hotel is centrally located between Pacific Ocean beaches, world-renowned surf destinations, and towering redwoods that bring together the Hwy. 1 family vacationers, the Silicon Valley corporate retreaters, and the nature-loving adventure seekers. Seacliff Inn brings 148 guest rooms and suites, flexible venues, and a longstanding local’s favorite restaurant, Sevy’s Bar + Kitchen, to Aptos with an excitement to rekindle nostalgic connection. “We are thrilled to transition to a Tapestry Collection by Hilton property and continue our partnership with Hilton,” said Matt Marquis, CEO at Pacifica Hotels. “This boutique property is truly a gem within our collection, and it is the perfect time for the hotel to receive a new, elevated
look while maintaining its local charm. We are ready to welcome back the community and travelers from around the world to see the newly re-imagined space and continue the service they’ve come to know and love for many years.” Featuring serene accommodations, Seacliff Inn is a down-to-earth haven for the not-so-average traveler and includes 148 rooms styled for the modern refuge or the immersive coastal road trip alike, with either a balcony or patio; comfortable workstations; app streaming; flat screen TVs and contemporary amenities. Looking to connect guests to the spirit of their surroundings, the new space celebrates Central California through its locally inspired design with warm wood tones, natural accents, and coastline inspired hues throughout. A longstanding local favorite, Sevy’s Bar + Kitchen — formally Severino’s Bar and Grill, has been an Aptos gathering spot for 36 years. Sevy’s redesigned layout includes a new bar, updated interiors, and fully refreshed outdoor seating and décor. True to its local nature, Sevy’s offers farm-fresh cuisine, classic cocktails, live entertainment, and a friendly face at every table. “Sevy’s has always held an important place in the Aptos community, and we are ecstatic to be giving it a fresh look without losing its original magic,” said Thomas Gregory, Senior Director of Food and Beverage at Pacifica Hotels. “Our goal is to make Sevy’s the place to be any night of the week with live music, trivia, and other weekly events – something for everyone. We are stepping up our culinary and cocktail programs to bring in new flavors and fresh ingredients; keeping with the traditional roots the community has always loved.” Belonging to the heart of Santa Cruz County, our Aptos hotel has 148 guest
COMMUNITY NEWS
Capitola Beach Festival Seeks Float Builders C apitola Beach Festival returns to Capitola Village on Sept. 24 and 25. The Beach Festival picks up where the Begonia Festival left off, providing two days of traditional family-friendly outdoor activities: Sand Sculpture Contest, Concert, Parade, Fishing Derby, Horseshoes, Chalk Art and Rowboat Races. This year the Festival has added a Scavenger Hunt, a Disc Golf Popup, and Corn Hole on the Beach. Float builders are needed for the Saturday evening Lighted Nautical Parade on Soquel Creek. This night-time parade thrills the crowd with illuminated barges that shimmer on the water as they gently float down Soquel Creek. The barge decorations have ranged from recycled holiday lights to computer-driven light shows. Creative builders will add music selections and tall tales to capture the Festival’s 2022 theme: “The Marvel of it All.”
rooms and suites, an expansive outdoor pool and stands on six acres of landscaped grounds with winding garden paths and entices you inside with all-new guest rooms and suites, perfect for tech travelers from Silicon Valley and family escapes from the LA traffic alike. Seacliff Inn’s onsite restaurant, Sevy’s Bar + Kitchen, offers offer farmto-table menus that feature ocean-fresh seafood, bountiful salads, Angus choice steaks, and other delights created from locally sourced ingredients on the Central Coast. Curated onsite amenities include flat-screen TVs, free high-speed Wi-Fi, outdoor pool & lounge chairs, and much more. Seacliff Inn is located at 7500 Old Dominion Court, Aptos, CA 95003. Reservations can be made at www.seacliffinn. com or by calling 831-688-7300. The completed full refresh will conclude in late 2022. ••• acifica Hotels was formed in January of 1993 to consolidate the hospitality operations of Invest West
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Financial Corp., which has been involved in the acquisition, development, refurbishing and operating of quality hotel properties and other commercial real estate properties for over 30 years. Today, Pacifica Hotels is the largest owner and operator of boutique hotels on the Pacific coast. Pacifica’s 33 independent and flag properties in key California cities from San Diego to San Francisco, and Hawaii, feature outstanding locations, AAA 3-diamond ratings, upgraded amenities and high standards of guest service. For complete hotel descriptions and reservations, visit www. pacificahotels.com. n
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / July 2022 / 17
BUSINESS PROFILE
D
K irby School College-Prep Education in a Pandemic
By June Smith
uring the pandemic, the Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School, founded in 1994, adapted to meet student needs. “COVID provided Kirby School with the opportunity to be creative in how to provide college prep education, feeling less like ‘recovery’ and more like adaptation,” says Communications Director Paige Berardo, “To adapt, we invested in professional development, supporting our teachers, and in technology for access to our program. We increased academic and mental health services to help students succeed in a more autonomous learning environment and changed the frequency of social connections (advisory groups, school meetings) to help overcome the effects of isolation.” On the impact of enrollment, teachers, fundraising and the student experience, she says it has been consistent with reports from colleagues in the Bay Area. COVID brought families closer together, both physically and emotionally. Parents were more attuned to their child’s needs and became their advocate. COVID also created stress for faculty, who had to quickly adapt to new technology and shift their curriculum for new delivery methods while caring for their own families. Students had to adjust to a completely different learning environment and a total halt to their social connections, vitally important during adolescent years. Tuition assistance was increased to ensure continuity of learning. “Now that we are in person, we have
responded to the national youth mental health crisis with full-time COVID-safe instruction,” Berardo said. “We added new events and activities, many of which took place outdoors, for fun and camaraderie.” All schools had to adjust and adapt, and Kirby saw a need for increased communication. Teachers leaned in with more frequency, frontloading upcoming activities to decrease student anxiety and offered more-advanced notice of assignments and assessments. When students struggled without the normal external cues that help skills develop, support was provided. A lot of trust was built. Students needing technical assistance were helped, and a mental health practitioner was added to support students’
18 / July 2022 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com
needs. Hybrid learning was offered all year for those needing to be home, and positive feedback came from parents about community Zoom meetings with the head of school. Parents felt the impact of COVID but through communication and a commitment to health and safety, had a higher level of comfort in sending their kids back to in-person school. Enrollment trends are consistent with schools across California. Lower birth rates mean fewer children to educate. School staff attribute a small reduction in enrollment with the lack of affordable housing and the CZU fires. As for fundraising, there was a strong commitment from the donor base, who funded several incredible projects over the past twoand-a-half-years, including a Recreation Area/Sport Court/ Amphitheater. Attention to safety led to good outcomes, according to longtime trustee Sandie Shoemaker. “There were no COVID cases transmitted, and weekly PCR testing, daily fever checks, and indoor masking was required through the end of the year,” she said. “We were fortunate to have Dr. Tom Deetz, a PAMF (Palo Alto Medical Foundation) infectious disease expert advising the school on COVID policy.” There was no impact with the elimination of SAT and ACT tests. Students were offered
over $6 million dollars in 4-year scholarships. Other criteria aside from test scores included student essays, recommendation letters from teachers and counselors, extracurricular activities, special projects students have completed, internships, and AP scores. Small class sizes and interactive classrooms mean that teachers know students well. Letters of recommendation provide excellent context of how students show up in an academic setting. A college counselor works closely with each student and writes personalized recommendations. Because English classes have a student-teacher ratio of 12-1, students develop excellent writing skills, and an essay workshop is held every summer. n
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Capitola Vacant Home Tax Proposal on Pause V By Jondi Gumz
oters in the city of Santa Cruz will decide in November whether to tax hundreds of vacant homes to increase affordable housing, but the Capitola City Council has decided the wiser option is to wait. So, no ballot question in November. (Deadline to put a measure on the ballot is Aug. 12) The Census Bureau reports Capitola, with a population of 9,800, has 4,585 housing units, with 861 empty. On June 23, council members voted 5-0 to not pursue the issue this year. They agreed it would make more sense to do community outreach and prepare for a potential vote in November 2024, a presidential election with higher turnout. Interviews of 168 city voters in the spring found an empty home tax was favored by a slender majority, and affordable housing was the top need, cited by 53%.
Out of that came a proposal for a tax of $4,000 a year on vacant single-family homes and $2,000 on vacant condominiums — if not occupied for 90 days each year. City manager Jamie Goldstein said passage would require a 2/3 yes vote –“very challenging.” Vice mayor Margaux Keiser said squeezing into November is “a little bit unattainable.” Councilwoman Yvette Brooks said the city isn’t ready to ask in November. One obstacle, she said, is potential litigation. Councilwoman Kristen Brown suggested outreach in summer 2023. Councilman Jacques Bertrand said he would like to have literature to share with residents. n To view the council meeting, see:https:// www.cityofcapitola.org/citycouncil/page/ city-council-meeting-5
Three Council Seats Up for Election
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here are three Capitola City Council seats up for election on Nov. 8. The seats are currently filled by Sam Storey, Yvette Brooks, and Jacques Bertrand (termed out, cannot run again). To run for City Council, you must: • be 18 years or older • be a resident of the City of Capitola • be a registered voter Nomination Period: July 18 – Aug. 12 Potential candidates can pick-up nomination papers from the Capitola City Clerk from Monday, July 18 to Friday, Aug. 12. Candidates must then collect 20 to 30 signatures from registered Capitola voters to qualify for candidacy, then turn in several required documents (such as Declaration of Candidacy and FPPC forms).
Sam Storey
Yvette Brooks Jacques Bertrand
More information on running for office is at www.votescount.us If you plan on running for office, call or email the City Clerk (cwoodmansee@ ci.capitola.us or 831-475-7300 x 220) to make an appointment to pull nomination papers from July 18 to Aug. 12 to ensure you will get all the information you need when you want it. n ••• City Hall is open Monday through Friday, and is closed from noon to 1 for lunch.
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WomenCARE Asks for Support Editor’s note: WomenCARE is under the umbrella of Family Service Agency of the Central Coast, which received $0 in the Santa Cruz County community grants process; county supervisors will hear appeals on June 28. The Friends of WomenCARE, Marney Cox, Kathy Doctor, Alison Poandl, Margaret Madsen, LaVerne Coleman and Janette Waters write: s we continue to move through this pandemic, things are finally looking
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brighter. Yet even in the darkest moments, you have continued to provide the support that guides us through times of change. It is because of the charitable gifts of committed donors like you, and the work of dedicated volunteers, that WomenCARE can continue to provide no-cost support services to women at all stages of their cancer journey. “WomenCARE” page 26
COMMUNITY NEWS
Did Measure G Mislead Voters? Yes, Grand Jury Says
How to Prevent A Disconnect in the Future
Editor’s note: This Grand Jury report requires responses from the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, County Counsel, and the Santa Cruz County Administrative Officer by Sept. 19. We will print the responses. ••• n November 2018, Santa Cruz County residents passed Measure G, a one-half cent sales tax increase on transactions in the unincorporated area of the County for 12 years. After the election, members of the public expressed concern that Santa Cruz County government was not honoring provisions in the ballot question. The Grand Jury investigated. We found there was a significant disconnect between how some voters interpreted the ballot question for Measure G and what the Santa Cruz County administration thought it meant. The Grand Jury concluded that the ballot language was misleading. Specifically, Santa Cruz County staff could not provide consistent explanations as to why the provisions for annual audits and independent citizens oversight were included in the ballot question. Through our interviews, we learned that County staff had no intention of providing these special accountability provisions for Measure G. We also determined that the County Counsel’s impartial analysis of Measure G did not address the ballot spending priorities or how the audit and oversight provisions would operate. For future revenue measures, the Grand Jury encourages the County Board of Supervisors to review this report and consider adopting a policy requiring County staff to provide clearer, more succinct language explaining the nature of each tax and how it may be spent. If provisions are attached to promote accountability or other assurances, the County Counsel should explain to voters in the impartial analysis how they will operate. County voters deserve no less. •••
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Background
n Nov. 6, 2018, Santa Cruz County voters were asked to approve Measure G, as posed in this ballot
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“The problem [with ballot proposals] is that local officials are so vested in the outcome that they are frequently incapable of providing voters the impartial descriptions they deserve.” —Daniel Borenstein, editorial page editor, The East Bay Times
question: To continue funding 9-1-1 emergency response, paramedic, sheriff, fire, emergency preparedness, local street repairs, mental health services, homelessness programs, parks, economic development and other general county services, shall the County of Santa Cruz be authorized to increase by ordinance the sales tax on retail transactions in the unincorporated area of the County by one-half cent for 12 years, providing approximately $5,750,000 annually, subject to annual audits and independent citizens oversight? Measure G passed, with just under 66 percent approval. Prompted by a citizen’s complaint, the 2021–2022 Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury investigated the reasons County staff recommended the County Board of Supervisors place Measure G on the ballot. We reviewed the language of the ballot question, and the promises voters might have thought the Board made with Measure G. •••
Santa Cruz County’s Structural Deficit
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s the Santa Cruz County Administrative Office prepares for each annual budget cycle, the same challenge looms— how to generate sufficient revenue to pay for the ongoing essential services residents expect, as well as newly identified critical needs. While the County Board of Supervisors is responsible for directing available tax revenue to the County’s various programs, the County Administrative Office and other County staff are responsible for carrying out the Board’s direction. “Grand Jury: Measure G” page 23
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“Grand Jury: Measure G” from page 21 County staff must let the Board know when County revenues are not sufficient to meet the identified needs. Collectively, we refer to the County Board of Supervisors and County staff as “the County Government.” The persistent gap between the County’s general revenue and the cost of essential services causes a fundamental imbalance in the County’s budget known as a structural deficit. Santa Cruz County’s persistent structural deficit was created in large part by Prop 13, a 1978 voter-approved initiative. Prop 13 rolled back property tax rates and limited their increase to no more than 2 percent per year. A lesser-known effect, which is particularly challenging to Santa Cruz County, is Prop 13 also froze each California county’s share of property taxes. At the time Prop 13 was enacted, the County’s share of property taxes in the unincorporated areas of Santa Cruz County was much lower than in most California counties. Prop 13 locked in the County’s modest share of property taxes. County staff said that after distribution to the State and other local agencies with a share in ad valorem property taxes, the County’s share of every property tax dollar is very low compared to other California counties. Because Prop 13 is an amendment to the Constitution of California, this imbalance cannot easily be changed. County Government must look to other revenue tools to address the basic needs of its residents. Adding to this revenue strain on the County budget, Santa Cruz County has a relatively large percentage of its population living in the unincorporated area. The County Government must provide these residents with the same or similar municipal services that city residents enjoy such as parks, libraries, and transportation infrastructure. The County Government must also deliver countywide services that all residents expect (mental health, services to the homeless, healthcare, and safety net services). •••
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Ballot Measures to Address Budget Shortfalls
f a local government’s revenues are insufficient to pay for essential government services, let alone newly arising concerns due to a pandemic or bankrupt local hospital, voters may be asked to approve increased revenue through a ballot measure. The County Government has a limited toolkit for addressing revenue shortages that are not funded by property taxes. First, the County must consider revenue options, either general revenue or special revenue. Revenue Options • General Revenue: Income from a tax imposed for general governmental purposes. In California, ballot
measures seeking general tax revenue must be approved by a majority of voters (50% plus one vote). • Special Revenue: Income from a tax imposed for the limited purpose specified in the ballot. Ballot measures seeking a special purpose tax revenue have a higher threshold for approval— two-thirds of the vote (66.7%). Then the County Government must consider the type of tax that will meet the identified need. The County’s tax options are defined as follows. Tax Definitions • General Tax: Any tax imposed for general governmental purposes. In California, ballot measures seeking general tax revenue must be approved by a majority of voters (50% plus one vote). • Special Purpose Tax: Any tax imposed for a specific purpose. Ballot measures seeking a special purpose tax revenue have a higher threshold for approval— two-thirds of the vote (66.7%). • Sales Tax: A tax levied on the sale of goods and services. • Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT): A tax paid on temporary occupancy of hotels, motels, and short-term rentals. • Property Tax: 2 types. ° Ad valorem tax based on a property’s assessed value. The largest source of a county’s discretionary revenue. ° Parcel tax, a form of property tax assessed at a rate based on the characteristics of a parcel—or unit of property—rather than on the assessed value of the property. The types of taxes proposed to voters may vary but the ballot measures must be concise, accurate, and unbiased. California’s Elections Code Section 13119 (c) provides that in all local government ballot measures: The statement of the measure shall be a true and impartial synopsis of the purpose of the proposed measure, and shall be in language that is neither argumentative nor likely to create prejudice for or against the measure. While there is a requirement of impartiality, those who prepare ballot measures have a natural bias toward crafting the ballot to ensure the revenue measure will pass. After all, governments would not propose tax increases if they did not think they were necessary. With this bias in mind, the Grand Jury examined several aspects of the Measure G ballot language. These topics included whether the wording of the ballot question might have misled some voters in understanding how the funds would be spent, and how the accountability provisions of an annual audit and citizens oversight would operate. •••
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2018–2019 budget was going to require increased revenue. To weigh the pros and cons of the different types of revenue, the County retained TBWBH Props and Measures, a consulting firm that specializes in revenue measure strategy and communications for California local governments. In February 2018, TBWBH began work on a ballot revenue feasibility assessment, including a survey of voters to test different funding options for the November 2018 ballot. TBWBH subcontracted the survey work to EMC Research, a public opinion pollster. The County’s consultant polled voters regarding two types of tax revenues for the November ballot: • A special purpose tax for parks, polled as an annual parcel tax at both a $16 and $48 level • A general revenue sales tax increase The telephone survey of 502 likely voters in the unincorporated areas of Santa Cruz County was completed in March 2018. The poll also asked about voter priorities and trust in County revenue and/or expenditure issues. There are important takeaways from the EMC Research poll results: • Parks ranked at the bottom of essential services for which potential voters might be willing to tax themselves. • There was little likelihood that a special purpose tax for parks would secure the required two-thirds voter approval. • A slight majority of the polled voters did not trust the County Government to properly manage tax revenue. EMC Research noted 67 percent of likely voters had a favorable opinion of the draft ballot language for a sales tax increase. The poll results prompted County staff to recommend the Board have voters consider a sales tax increase for transactions in the unincorporated area of the County. The sales tax ballot question presented to the survey respondents is shown in the graphic below. •••
Placing Measure G on the Ballot
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t its Aug. 7, 2018, meeting, the Board approved the placement of Measure G on the November ballot with Resolution 181-2018. County staff’s recommended language for the ballot measure was remarkably similar to the ballot question in the EMC Research poll. There was one notable exception: County Government removed the limitation on expenditure of the funds “only in unincorporated areas,” where the tax was being collected. In a companion action, the Board adopted Resolution 182-2018, which expressly stated the Board’s budget priorities for use of Measure G funds should the ballot question pass, as noted in Table 1. Measure G was not a special purpose tax. The Board’s budget priorities were not mentioned in the ballot question, nor were they highlighted in the voter information guide. Instead, voters relied on the language of the Measure G ballot question and the broad array of government services. The sales tax measure—Measure G— was approved by 66 percent of the voters on Nov. 6, 2018 •••
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Ballot Measure Language
he notable similarity between the EMC Research poll question and the Measure G question that voters considered shows that Measure G was substantially drafted in March 2018. Our analysis of a number of similar ballot questions determined the County Government incorporated several elements commonly used to encourage voter approval: • Detailing County services and programs that voters like or need • Assuring that the revenue would be subject to an annual audit • Assuring that the revenue would be subject to independent citizens oversight • Providing that the tax increase would expire in 12 years “Grand Jury: Measure G” page 24
Genesis of Measure G
n late 2017 and early 2018, the County Administrative Office held meetings to discuss the County’s structural deficit and ways the Board could meet the needs of the 2018–2019 budget. County staff knew that balancing the
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“Grand Jury: Measure G” from page 23 It is important to include these provisions in a ballot measure if the provisions are promising something beyond what the agency is required to do, as in the case of the audit or citizens oversight. It is also important to express the agency’s intentions regarding the permitted use of the revenue or expiration of the tax. It is quite another matter when the agency’s intention behind the language is not clear or does not relate to the agency’s need for the revenue. Voters may pull the “yes” lever, only to realize the County Government intended something entirely different. •••
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What Did Measure G Mean?
he text of Measure G shares a recipe followed by other ballot measures across the State of California. We found the similarities striking. Ballot questions commonly begin with a list of important government services that the tax could fund. If the tax is a general purpose tax, that important fact will be indicated—after the long list of popular government services—by use of such catch-all terms as “and general city services,” “other city services,” or “other essential services.” The list of possible uses of the tax revenue serves to remind voters what their government does. Accountability Provisions follow the list of uses to assure voters these needs will be met. Together, these assurances build voter trust. If there is no follow-through, the agency may lose the voters’ trust. With this assurance in mind, we compared the ballot question for Measure G with that of another Santa Cruz County sales tax measure — Measure D — which voters passed in November 2016. We have added emphasis to highlight the similarities in expiration dates, oversight committees, and audit provisions: ~~~ Measure G: To continue funding 9-1-1 emergency response, paramedic, sheriff, fire, emergency preparedness, local street repairs, mental health services, homelessness programs, parks, economic development and other general county services, shall the County of Santa Cruz be authorized to increase by ordinance the sales tax on retail transactions in the unincorporated area of the County by one-half cent for 12 years, providing approximately $5,750,000 annually, subject to annual audits and independent citizens oversight? Measure D: In order to improve children’s safety around schools; repair potholes; repave streets; improve traffic flow on Highway 1; maintain senior/ disabled transit; reduce global warming pollution by providing transportation options like sidewalks, buses, bike lanes, trails; preserve rail options; shall Santa Cruz County voters adopt an ordinance
establishing a half-cent sales tax for 30 years, raising approximately$17 million annually, requiring citizens oversight, independent audits, and funds spent locally? ~~~ Given the similarities in these two ballot questions—in both wording and structure—one might think they were both special purpose taxes with identical Accountability Provisions of an audit and citizens oversight. This assumption is incorrect. Measure G is a general revenue tax that does not need to be spent on any of the listed purposes. Measure D, on the other hand, is a special-purpose tax that only funds the listed specific transportation-related needs. The Regional Transportation Commission has established a citizens oversight committee to review Measure D expenditures and provides audit information specific to Measure D revenue readily available for review on its website. Understanding these differences is critical to informed voting. It is the role of the County Counsel’s impartial analysis to ensure voters have a clear understanding of ballot measures. Impartial Analysis Is to Inform Voters Every year the County’s Registrar of Voters publishes a Voter Information Guide to aid voters in understanding what and who is on the ballot. A key resource in the guide is the impartial analysis. Following the requirements of California’s Elections Code, the County Board of Supervisors directed the County Counsel to prepare an impartial analysis of Measure G. According to the code, the analysis should explain “the effect of the measure on the existing law and the operation of the measure.” In the case of Measure G and Measure D, the audit and citizens oversight provisions were written with similar phrasing in the ballot questions, but were implemented in very different ways. Neither impartial analysis offers an explanation as to how the audit or citizens oversight would operate. Absent an explanation in the impartial analysis, in the case of the County’s Measures D and G, the voter needed to know: • The phrase “for general County operations and services” means it is general revenue that can be used for any legal purpose—from census outreach to ballot consultants—and not just those listed on the ballot. • A statement that funds will be “deposited into the general fund” means it is general fund, and the Board is not limited by its own stated budget priorities or the ballot’s stated uses. • The difference in how general and special revenues are audited. • That the term “independent citizens oversight” may be interpreted quite differently from measure to measure. Voters in the City of Sacramento had a different experience when they voted for
24 / July 2022 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com
Measure U in 2018, a general revenue sales tax worded much the same as Measure G: Shall the measure to protect and enhance essential public safety services, including 911 response, fire protection, community neighborhood policing, and other essential services, including homeless supportive services, affordable housing, libraries, park maintenance, high-wage job promotion, and youth programming, by enacting a one-cent sales tax generating $95 million annually that is legally required to stay in the City’s General Fund, until ended by voters, with independent annual financial audits and citizens oversight, be adopted. The impartial analysis is an opportunity and a tool to aid voters in understanding how these Accountability Provisions will operate. Whether there should be such stark differences in the meaning and operation of the ballot Accountability Provisions may be debatable. In the case of Measure G, the County Counsel missed an opportunity to properly inform County voters. •••
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Is It Too Late?
egardless of the County Government’s reasons for including audit and oversight provisions, the Grand Jury wanted to know whether these Accountability Provisions could or should be implemented beyond what the law requires. Annual Audit Government audits are a highly regulated process designed to ensure taxpayer funds are fully accounted for. This accounting means the auditor verifies all revenue coming in, all revenue paid out, and balances remaining. The County’s elected Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector prepares the County’s audit, which is summarized in the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, which covers all County funds. The County’s adopted budget is the County’s spending plan for Fiscal Year 2021–22. In the world of government finance, budgets are planning documents that project future intentions; audits are an assessment of what actually occurred. The County’s CAFR does not report specifically on Measure G revenues, expenditures, or balance remaining. Because Measure G is general revenue, County staff considers current practice to be fully compliant with the legal requirement to audit its general revenue. The Grand Jury agrees with the County’s assessment, but the fact remains: The assurance of an annual audit had no special meaning with regard to Measure G. Measure G was not a special revenue tax that required an audit. Voters, however, might not have understood that distinction. •••
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Citizens Oversight
he County Government’s promise to provide for independent citizens oversight is another matter. Many California cities and counties have formed citizens oversight committees
to ensure that tax revenues were used as voters intended. However, in the opinion of County staff, the Measure G oversight language promised nothing beyond what the law already provides regarding public expenditures. The law requires a public record of planned expenditures adopted or approved at a public meeting, as well as the publicly available audit, also discussed in a public meeting. Beyond this existing obligation, County staff believed that citizens oversight had no special meaning with regard to Measure G. Other California cities and counties that have passed general revenue tax measures with a provision for citizens oversight have met their obligation to the voters quite differently. The City of Milpitas offers a good example. The seven-member advisory body serves on the Committee for up to a maximum of three, three-year terms. Members of the Committee are required to be residents of Milpitas and it is preferred they possess areas of expertise and/or are advocates for: 1.Business and/or residential community 2.Municipal or governmental services operations 3.Municipal finance, taxation, budgeting, and/or accounting. The Committee meets four times per year to review projected revenues, programs, and services funded by the proceeds of Measure F. Other examples of citizens oversight committees formed subsequent to the passage of general revenue sales taxes include: • City of San Leandro Measure HH Citizens Oversight Committee • City of Sacramento Measure U Community Advisory Committee • City of San Mateo Measure S Oversight Committee •••
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Can Measure G Spending Be Tracked for Oversight Panel?
he ballot language informed voters that the Measure G revenue would fund: 9-1-1 Emergency response, paramedic, sheriff, fire, emergency preparedness, local street repairs, mental health services, homelessness programs, parks, economic development and other general county services. But as noted above, the Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution that established the Board’s budget priorities for Measure G that were much more specific. The County Administrative Office has tracked Measure G expenditures with enough detail to inform the Board that its budget priorities for Measure G are being addressed. With the 2021–22 fiscal year, the County Administrative Office began including a Financial Summary of Measure G in its proposed budget document. However, this Measure G Financial Summary lacks the detail required for an annual audit or independent citizens oversight.
Approximately $8 million of Measure G revenue projected for Fiscal Year 2021–22, $2 million (25% of the revenues) will be spent on the big bucket of “other county essential services.” The only detail in the Measure G Financial Summary relates to the Board’s budget priorities for Measure G: • Office of Response, Recovery & Resilience, (addressing CZU Fire recovery) budgeted to receive just over $1 million • Focused Intervention Team (law enforcement dealing with low-level repeat offenders – about $1 million) • Housing for Healthy Santa Cruz (about $3.5 million) This detail indicates that the Board could direct the County staff to provide a similar breakdown of “other county essential services.” This additional detail would provide citizens with a more complete picture of how Measure G has benefited County residents. To be clear, the Measure G Financial Summary is not an audit. More detailed financial tracking would also address another Measure G concern: The 12-year expiration of the tax. •••
Measure G 12-Year Expiration (2030)
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he County’s ballot consultant recommended including a fixed time limit on the collection of Measure G revenue to make the tax measure more likely to pass. There are significant ramifications to this decision. The first section of the Measure G Financial Summary, Measure G funded programs, indicates that over 50% of Measure G funds ($4,534,818) are projected to be spent on salaries for “essential county services” staff. Salaries are an ongoing expense. Unless voters permanently extend the sales tax increase, a financial risk looms for Santa Cruz County residents. This risk is best depicted in the graphic below, a County staff presentation to the Board of Supervisors in February 2022 that shows the increased revenue from Measure G compared to the County’s share of sales tax without Measure G (darker bar). There is no guarantee future voters will be inclined to renew the tax. Political winds often blow in unexpected directions. Based on our analysis,
Santa Cruz County’s structural deficit will persist, and is currently the justification of yet another general revenue measure that was put before the voters in the unincorporated Santa Cruz County in June 2022, Measure B—the Transient Occupancy Tax. The TOT ballot measure does not include an audit, citizens oversight, or an expiration date. Estimated revenues from this proposed Transient Occupancy Tax is about 25 percent of the current level of Measure G revenues. Clearly, this tax supplements Measure G. It does not replace Measure G. If the upward trend line of County expenditures continues, County Government will need to propose additional tax measures in the future. Tax fatigue could set in. Failure to renew Measure G in 2030 could create a major shortfall for County finances. This shortfall could result in employee layoffs and impact essential services. As the Grand Jury was processing this report, County Government introduced its proposed fiscal year 2022–23 budget through an online budget tool the County claimed will provide greater transparency. The Grand Jury examined the tool in light of the issues raised in this report. We found the tool offers less transparency for citizens oversight as to how the County Government proposes to spend Measure G revenues. The Measure G Financial Summary is absent. All general fund revenues are grouped together for the purpose of showing expenditures. The tool misstates Measure G as a “one-quarter cent” sales tax (it’s one-half cent) but eventually you can navigate to see Measure G projected revenues. However, the navigation path was convoluted and difficult to repeat. Citizens will be less informed about proposed Measure G revenues and expenditures under this budget tool. •••
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question and this language was accepted with minimal changes. The result was the inclusion of the accountability provisions “annual audits,” and “independent citizens oversight” that voters found misleading. Even County staff conceded in Grand Jury interviews that they could see how voters could have been confused by what those terms meant in the context of Measure G. The County staff is clear about what it believes these provisions of Measure G called for, but it did not consider what the wording might have meant to voters. If County Government continues to ignore how voters may interpret tax measures, voters may lose confidence and trust in the County. County staff proposed Measure G for the legitimate purpose of addressing the County’s structural deficit and an extensive list of ongoing critical needs and essential services.
The need for these services will remain strong. The Grand Jury understands and values the important leadership role the County should play in addressing critical issues such as homelessness, fire prevention, and drought resilience. This report is written in support of the County and with the intention of highlighting the critical need for County services, and the intelligence of County voters in being able to recognize the need and act accordingly. That said, the County Government should write future ballot questions and the accompanying voter information carefully so that residents know exactly what they are voting for. n ••• Read the full report: https://www. co.santa-cruz.ca.us/Portals/0/County/ GrandJury/GJ2022_final/2022-4_MeasureG_ Report.pdf
Classic Children’s Books
Conclusion
ballot measure represents a promise to the voters. The County Government did not take the care it should have in crafting Measure G. County Government relied on a tax measure consultant to draft the ballot
ACROSS
1. Kitchen boss 5. Churchill’s “so few” 8. Epochs 12. “Watch out!” on a golf course 13. East of Java 14. *Pinocchio’s state of being 15. Hard currency 16. Emanation 17. TV and radio 18. *Mr. Popper’s birds 20. Newspaper piece 21. *Like “Goosebumps Classic” 22. “What?” 23. *Richard Scarry’s Things That Go 26. Oxygenate, as in lawn
29. Skin cyst 30. Middle Eastern meat dish, pl. 33. Antonym of “yup” 35. Dispatch boat 37. Female sheep 38. Throat infection 39. Searching for E.T. org. 40. *”I think I can, I think I can...”, e.g. 42. *”____ Spot run!” 43. Accounting journal 45. *The Plaza Hotel resident of kids’ book fame 47. Long, long time 48. Caffeine-containing nut trees 50. Off-color 52. *Ludwig Bemelmans’ Parisian boarding school resident 55. Middle Eastern porter
56. Movie “____ Brockovich” 57. Karl of politics 59. In a cold manner 60. Obscenity 61. Middle of March 62. Fringe benefit 63. *Side for Green Eggs 64. Put in the outbox
DOWN
1. Chlorofluorocarbon, abbr. 2. Obstacle to jump through 3. Great Lake 4. Tiny fox with large ears 5. Two halves of a diameter 6. Like one in isolation cell 7. Evergreen trees
8. *Babar, e.g. 9. Thumb-up catch 10. Full of enthusiasm 11. *”The Little Mermaid” domain 13. Stock exchange, in Paris 14. Affair, to Emmanuel Macron 19. Michael Douglas’ 1987 greedy role 22. “For ____ a jolly ...” 23. *Clement Clark Moore’s famous beginning 24. Live it up 25. Join forces 26. Aid in crime 27. Bodies 28. *Athos’, Porthos’ and Aramis’ swords 31. *Corduroy or Paddington 32. Stiff grass bristle
34. *D’Artagnan’s sword 36. *It ends, according to Shel Silverstein 38. North American purple berry 40. ____ at Work, band 41. Give in 44. Worshipful 46. Isis’ brother and husband 48. Cause and effect cycle? 49. Abhorrence 50. RBG’s collar, e.g. 51. Arabic for commander 52. Screen 53. Lymphatic swelling 54. Like certain Steven 55. Senior’s fragile body part 58. New York time © Statepoint Media
Answers on 31 »
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U.S. Birthday, Conflict, Chaos and Harmony Esoteric Astrology • July 2022 • By Risa D’Angeles
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onday, July 4, 2022 is Independence Day in the United States. It is the 246th birthday of the United States, a country created by the Hierarchy (inner spiritual government) as an experiment in freedom. Externally, the U.S. was formed to liberate itself from England (freedom from the old ways) under new laws and rhythms. Every country has a spiritual task. The task of the United States of America is that of “standing within the Light and leading humanity within and towards that Light.” The United States, in these days of crisis, needs new enlightened servers — the New Group of World Servers. Let us dedicate ourselves in service to our country and people as we recite the ancient Mantram of Service together: “Help us, O Lord, to know and to do our part in the world.” The month of July may be quite a difficult, emotional and chaotic month for the United States and its people. It may be an emotional explosive firecracker of a month. It will require all of us to maintain balance and equanimity between mind and heart. In order to navigate the turbulent waters ahead. ARIES
We may feel like our world is breaking down into a thousand little pieces. Astrologically we have Uranus square Moon breaking up crystallizations and Pluto/Pluto bringing about a complete transformation of our ways of life. Uranus frees us from the past rhythms we are used to and offers humanity new Aquarian laws and principles. Memories appear as we are called to create the new future. Pluto returns to its original place when the United States was founded (1776) Pluto is the “Transformer.”. We will feel like a snake when shedding its skin. When this occurs the snake is temporarily blinded. Pluto brings the end of one form so another can come to life. We have existed for the past 2,500 years under the rules of Pisces (Neptune, belief). Now we are entering the Age of Aquarius (Uranus, knowledge), the age of humanity’s freedom. The present and upcoming chaos and conflicts we are experiencing are the preparatory stages to a new world. The Rule that governs our Earth is that out of all conflicts and chaos, a new form of harmony and new rhythms emerge That is a promise to humanity.
During this halfway mark of the year, you have cultivated enough inner strength and energy to meet all the expectations and demands of work, both self-imposed and from others. You have developed new abilities which may seem unusual — detail, order and organization. These you may also demand from others as well. But be careful. They don’t have your same astrological chart. Everyone comes forth with their strengths and abilities at different times.
LEO
SAGITTARIUS
Leos, when coming from the heart can be very loving. This is the best way to be a leader. Leos always apply their creative endeavors to daily life. I have a question. Would you like to be doing something different in your life where you are out and about in the wilds? Doing something that serves the animal (bird or fish) kingdom, offering food, shelter, medicine and comfort? What is of comfort to you? Each one of us aligns with and nurtures one kingdom in particular. Which kingdom is for you?
Remember to also do your work with composure and inner poise, exhibiting no pressure toward self or others. You are being called to create and exhibit Right Relations with everyone, balancing leadership with friendship, keeping the two separate with finesse, elegance, grace and skill. This is quite a job. You most likely already display all of this. Now more is called for. In all areas of life bring forth Goodwill. Then you pass all the tests of discipleship.
TAURUS
VIRGO
It’s time to be practical and grounded, anchored and present. It’s You seem to have new level of vital energy. Perhaps it’s under the summer sun. You’re active with a new level of time to come home now, from either far away or self-confidence. You seem happy and enthusiastic to simply focusing on where you live in order (filled with God) and busy with various tasks. Does to bring order and organization to your environit seem there’s no time for relaxation? When you’re ments. It’s been a long long time (years?) since not working night and day, count your resources and blessings. you’ve been able to assess needs in your personal life. Since Should any concerns arise, remember the statement, “Don’t’ worry, you’re been focused outwardly, saving the world and ending be happy.” The “happy” helps bring the resources closer to you. to others, things as home could be quite in need of attention. Seeking assistance is both sensible and practical.
CAPRICORN
Many days, weeks and months of work reach a summit. If you look back on the autumn of last year, you began a new endeavor or something new was brought to light in your creative life. Now it has reached a point of manifestation, of being seen in the world. Perhaps this is you - always in a state of creative transformation and transfiguration. There are perhaps plans concerning travel, somewhere far away, experiencing another culture, foods, people? There’s a place for you as you meet the needs of another.
What Does WomenCARE Do?
I
n the days following cancer diagnosis, WomenCARE seeks to provide free support and services to women when they need it most. • Emotional Support Groups: Support for newly-diagnosed and throughout treatment, and post-treatment. • Practical Support: Transportation to medical appointments and errands. • One-on-One Peer Support: Available upon request • Complementary Treatment Forum: Reiki, massage, acupuncture, forums on pertinent topics • Entre Nosotras: Culturally appropriate services in Watsonville for Spanishspeaking women. • Healing Circles (via Zoom): Laughter Yoga, mindfulness meditation, writing, soul collage, Zentangle. • Cancer resources library, information, referrals. ••• For more info call 831-457-2273 or visit www.womencaresantacruz.org
LIBRA
GEMINI
Consider yourself seriously for a while. Allow yourself to think of all the things you need in all aspects of your life. Consider your values and resources. Consider the state of your home and family, your relationships and money, your communication and sense of well-being. Are all these as they should be? And do you bring comfort, calmness, nurturance and ease to others? Assess these questions quietly over time. Allow all feelings to be acknowledged should they appear. Each feeling holds a message.
As you allow for more time for contemplation, recreation, play and rest, a spiritual essence begins to slowly permeate your daily life. This is good. It helps alleviate judgments and criticisms you may be carrying since childhood. Those judgments pervade your present life and although you may think you’re happy, if judgments about others persist, they are eventually projected upon all those around you. Even the best of relationships is affected. There is such a thing as forgiveness. It releases us in the same way truth does. Forgiveness offers us freedom.
CANCER
AQUARIUS
Tend to money carefully. Put money away for future needs. Here is how to use one’s money. Tithe first. Save second. Pay bills third. Pay for things needed fourth. Always tithe first. Why? This assures you a constant supply in terms of your life needs. When we give, more is returned to us. This is a universal law. Humanity has yet to learn this law of tithing. The new materialism is the sharing society. You can be a leader for humanity in this endeavor. In the meantime, carefully tend and care for your health.
SCORPIO
What changes, variations, fluctuations and adjustments PISCES You always wonder what is the truth of the matter in all (they may feel like revolutions) are appearing You find the need to shift and change your usual daily agendas. situations. You are very intuitive. And so in your daily life? What expansion is also What you have done in the past less and less it’s good to assess and glean the truth from simultaneously occurring? What new direction of interest. You sift between work and rest. your feelings and senses. Then it is good to is being taken along with your new sense of Focus more on the rest aspect. Both can be felt share with others what it is you feel and sense self-identity? All these equal a shift in focus and activities. as extremes. It’s important to find the way in about everything, even themselves. When we speak the truth, Everything’s changing for you. It’s not just your perception. between, the point of poise. This can be felt as a “razor’s edge.” a clarity results, a trust is able to enter every relationship. Things you’ve waited for eventually appear. Now all you have And it is. A crossroads is coming up. A decision, too. You need When speaking the truth, we must be neutral, ask questions, to do is begin to organize it all without feeling overwhelmed. In sensitive handling. Tend to yourself, your health, your money, time, with your participation, all will fall into place. values and resources with tender loving care. be kind and courteous. Truth sets everyone free. •••
Risa D’Angeles • www.nightlightnews.org • risagoodwill@gmail.com
26 / July 2022 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com
“WomenCARE” from page 20 We are continuing our campaign: WomenCARE Monthly Giving Circle. We are thankful for those who joined last year and hope to recruit additional members this year, in honor of more than 30 years of supporting women with cancer across Santa Cruz County! By joining the monthly giving circle, you help guarantee our ability to provide uninterrupted support to this powerful community of women as they experience each stage of the life challenges brought by cancer. Your generosity makes a huge difference in the quality of the lives of these women and their families as they negotiate their challenging cancer journey. If you would like to join this effort, you may set up a recurring gift by selecting our Giving Circle. If you prefer to support us with a one-time gift, that is equally and deeply appreciated. n
FEATURED COLUMNIST
Staying On Track: District’s Strategic Plan Updated
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By Rebecca Gold Rubin
arly this year, the District initiated an update of its Strategic Plan, which consists of the District’s Mission Statement, Values, and Primary Organizational Goals. These are the guiding documents that help assure we maintain a path that aligns with our customers and community and that we’re most effectively allocating resources to accomplish the desired goals, keeping in mind that financial resources are limited. On May 17, following a significant information gathering and analysis process, staff input, community surveys, interested party interviews, and Board member discussion and priority setting, the Board adopted the updated Strategic Plan. The planning horizon of this update is three years, which will encompass the Pure Water Soquel Project being operational, help inform the District’s annual budgets, and the next rate-setting process. With the updated Strategic Plan, staff will adjust, as needed, the District’s strategies, guiding principles, Community Water Plan, and staff-level implementation plans. This Plan is more than a document; it is a continual and dynamic process that guides not only the District’s overall direction but also the departmental implementation plans and in turn, the dayto-day efforts of the District as we work to accomplish our goals. What does this Plan mean to our customers and community?
It means that you can be assured we are continually working on analyzing, understanding, and addressing the complexities of the many internal and external factors and influences which affect how we provide services to you. Our Strategic Plan is an essential, valuable tool for both short and long-term planning. It helps us stay on track with the evolving needs of our community and changing circumstances, ensuring we can effectively and efficiently provide water not just for today but water for tomorrow and for the decades to come. A critical component of our strategic planning process is the environmental scan. The word ‘environment’ doesn’t mean nature; rather it refers to taking an objective review of the holistic environment in which we operate - examining the present and future factors that might affect the organization and our services to you. It helps us understand the broader context in which we’re operating and the factors that will influence the direction and goals of the District. Our environmental scan included a review and analysis of these key factors: • Current Basin Status — the basin remains significantly unsustainable. • Projected Water Demand and LandUse Planning — the water supply is short by about one-third of the amount needed to meet current and future demand; forecasted new development may be underestimated.
• Climate Change — already high risk and impact, and getting worse; significantly impacts groundwater recharge and surface water. • District Finances — finances are okay at present due to significant State and Federal funding; yet, there are ongoing challenges of capital construction/
replacement programs due to aging infrastructure, increased operating costs, and changing regulations (of concern to all water agencies); there are State and Federal funding opportunities on the horizon. “SqCWD Strategic Plan” page 31
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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / July 2022 / 27
COMMUNITY CALENDAR ANNOUNCEMENTS COUNTY FAIR ENTRY INFO Most Entries due Thursday, August 25 The Santa Cruz County Fair, which will be Sept. 14-18, is using the ShoWorks online entry system this year for all departments. For most entries, the deadline is Aug. 25. See https:// santacruz.fairwire.com/ Submitting your entries online will save you time on receiving day and help the fair display your items. You can pay any entry fees by credit card online! Paying by credit card will incur a 3% processing fee. Checks can be dropped off at the fair office. If you prefer paper entry forms, they are in the entry guide. The first time you use the system, click on the blue button in the upper right corner of the page to create an exhibitor account using your name, address & email address. Youth exhibitors are asked to enter birthdate & age. This year, everyone needs to create an account. Write down your password. Once your account is created, you can use the username and password each time you visit the system. Use the blue buttons in the middle of the page to move to each step. Find the department, division and class you wish to enter. Departments are listed alphabetically with some departments broken into categories (Home Arts and Agriculture Horticulture.) Fill in the required fields, marked by blue asterisk (*), and any optional fields needed to describe your entry. SANTA CRUZ PUBLIC LIBRARIES SUMMER READING PROGRAM June 1 — July 31 Santa Cruz Public Libraries will offer a variety of events, including circus, magic, and puppet shows, dancers, drumming, and a virtual interactive bilingual presentation featuring Delrita the Elephant. The goal is to prevent summer learning loss. With the Aptos branch demolished and reconstruction to follow, Aptos residents must look for activities in La Selva Beach, Capitola, or virtual activities. Special dates include: July 1: Sunprints, Capitola, 2-4 pm. July 8: Slim Chance Circus: La Selva Beach, 2:30-3 pm & Boulder Creek, 11-11:30 am . July 10: Cascada de Flores, Capitola, 3-4 pm and Santa Cruz City Hall garden, noon-1 pm. July 13: Rock Painting, Garfield Park, 1-2 pm July 19: Rock Painting, downtown Santa Cruz, 1-3 pm July 20: Perry Yan’s Magic Show, Boulder Creek, 2-2:30 pm July 20: Perry Yan’s Magic Show, Garfield Park, 11-11:30 am July 23: Fratello Marionettes, Scotts Valley Community Center, 11 am to noon July 23, Fratello Marionettes, Anna Jean Cummings Park, 2:30-3 pm July 26: Germar the Magician, Felton, noon to 1 pm July 26: Perler Beads, Garfield Par, 1-3 pm July 30: Taiko Drumming, La Selva Beach, 1-2 pm There are incentives that encourage children and teens to read. Upon signing up, children and teens receive an Atlantis Fantasyworld coupon they can use to select a book. After completing 5 hours of reading, kids 0-11 receive a free book to keep, and teens receive a backpack with goodies. After reading 20 hours, kids and teens receive a free scoop coupon from Penny Ice Creamery. They also receive raffle tickets for completing activities incorporating STEAM, outdoor
Have a virtual or live event you want to promote? Send your information to info@cyber-times.com by July 15 exploration, and creative expression while practicing critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. The Library’s extensive collections along with lists of recommended books for all ages, make it easy to find reading materials of interest. Parents are encouraged to read together with their children and participate in the Adult Summer Reading Program. Incentives include an SCPL Bookbag and raffle prizes, including a family pass to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Everyone can participate in Summer Reading using the paper log or the Beanstack App. Visit any open branch of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries to sign up or go to https://santacruzpl. beanstack.org/reader365 For a list of all the Summer Reading Program activities, see www.santacruzpl.org/srp
July 12: Special Preschool Storytime — meet Ziggy Stardust, the miniature horse, for a horse-themed storytime for kids 3-5
NATURE BOWL 2022: FAMILY CHALLENGE Back by popular demand, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Nature Bowl 2022: Family Challenge is open, with the deadline to enter Wed., Aug. 31. CDFW’s North Central Region initiated this familyfriendly competition during the pandemic as a delightful and educational way for families to explore nature close to home RED CROSS DONATION DRIVES — in their backyards, neighborhoods The Red Cross sees about a 21% decline in blood and local wild areas — while having fun outside and donations during holiday weeks, including Indepenworking together to complete nature-related activities. dence Day. When blood donations drop, so does the blood supply, The 2022 challenge includes two scavenger hunts, one provided by CDFW and the other to be created by making it extremely challenging to ensure blood is your family. There is also an extra credit element of available when hospitals need it. cataloging your found items – just like a scientist. Aptos Wednesday, July 6: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Resurrection To sign up and receive the Nature Bowl 2022: Family Church, 7600 Soquel Drive Challenge packet, email genelle.treaster@wildlife.ca.gov . The Saturday, July 9: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., Twin Lakes Church, Family Challenge packet is available at https://wildlife.ca.gov/ 2701 Cabrillo College Drive Regions/2/Nature-Bowl CANDIDATE FILING BEGINS JULY 18 Ben Lomond Friday, July 15: 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., The Church Candidate filing begins for the Nov. 8 election. Visit of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ben Lomond, 9545 votescount.us for more information. Love Creek Road Santa Cruz VENDORS WANTED Tuesday, July 5: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Chaminade Resort The Cabrillo Host Lions Club is looking for vendors and Spa, 1 Chaminade Lane for the 2022 Midsummer Magic Market, taking place Thursday, July 7: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., The Church of Saturday, Aug. 20, at Aptos Village Park. Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 220 Elk St. The Market features collectables, gifts, art, jewelry, Watsonville produce, and more. What do you have? Thursday, July 14: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Community Health Canopies on the grass are $30 each. Reservations Trust of Pajaro Valley, 85 Nielson St. are due by July 31. ••• Proceeds go to Lions local charities. Contact 831-688-3356 Visit https://www.redcrossblood.org/ for information. CAPITOLA LIBRARY ACTIVITIES In-Person Tech Help: Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-Noon — Are you stuck with a technology question? Tech savvy staff at the Capitola Library would like to help you troubleshoot your issue with a 30-minute (or less) appointment. (Except July 12) Preschool Storytime: Tuesdays, 11-11:45 a.m. — Join us outside on the deck to read stories, sing songs, and chant rhymes. There will be an art & craft project to pick up and complete at home. Aptos-Capitola Chess Club: Tuesdays, 3:30-4:30 p.m. — Come and play chess, one of the world’s oldest and most popular games, against other kids! One-hour meetings include 15 minutes of instruction by chess master Dana Mackenzie. For ages 6 to 18. Toddler Time: Wednesdays, 11-11:30 a.m. — is a weekly early literacy program for families with children ages 0-3 years old. Music, movement, stories, fingerplays, rhymes, and songs are a fun way for your child to learn. ••• July 6: Impact Teen Drivers — a nonprofit program focused on saving teen lives through education on the causes of collisions. Designed for attendance by teens with their parents, 6-8 pm. To RSVP, call CHP at (831) 662-0511.
28 / July 2022 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com
HIGH SCHOOL REUNIONS Watsonville High: Class of 1960 Sunday Aug. 21 • 1-7 p.m. Corralitos Padres Community Center, 35 Browns Valley Rd ••• Soquel High: Class of 1972 Friday Sept. 16 • 5-10 p.m. The Inn at Pasatiempo banquet room and outdoor garden, 555 Highway 17, Santa Cruz. “A GOLDEN KNIGHT” 50th reunion There will be food, beverages, and no-host cocktails, music, dancing and watching the golden sunset. Other informal gatherings may arise; look for updates on the Soquel High School Class of 1972 Facebook page. Tickets are $100 and must purchased by Sept. 1 at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/50th-reunion-a-goldenknight-tickets-269816316867 Questions? Email 1972classofsoquelhigh@gmail.com. ••• Watsonville High Class of 1981 Saturday Sept. 17 • 6-11 p.m. Embassy Suites Monterey Bay, 1441 Canyon Del Rey Blvd, Seaside. The Billy Martini Band will play at the reunion. Attendees are invited to El Vaquero Winery Sunday from 2-5 p.m. to hear Michael Gaither. For details, see Watsonville81.com or the Official Watsonville class of 1981 Facebook group. ••• Harbor High: Class of 1972 Saturday Sept. 17 • 4-10 p.m. Pasatiempo Inn’s Back Nine Grill, 555 Highway 17, Santa Cruz For information, call 408-568-0302.
ONGOING EVENTS
Mondays BRIDGE CLUB 10:30 a.m.-Noon, Capitola Branch Library, 2005 Wharf Road Ongoing thru Aug. 8 The Capitola Branch Library will host Bridge Club sessions on Mondays. Everyone is welcomed from beginners to social players. Make new friends and sharpen your mind. No meetings on Monday holidays: July 4 (Fourth of July). Bridge Club is a partnership between Santa Cruz County Parks and Santa Cruz Public SUPPORT FOR MOTHERS OF SURVIVORS Libraries. Survivors Healing Center is offering online women’s support groups and mothers of survivors of childhood Register at scparks.com or in-person the day of the sexual abuse support group. The goals are to empower event. through a healing process and prevent sexual abuse of children and youth. Tuesdays You are not alone. You are not to blame. BINGO AT THE MID-COUNTY SENIOR CENTER More info: (831) 423-7601 or www.survivorshealingcenter.org 1-3 p.m., 829 Bay Avenue, Capitola The Mid-County Senior Center is hosting Bingo games. CABRILLO COLLEGE SUPERVISORY ACADEMY The event includes coffee and tea or lunch is available Begins Tues. July 19 (Virtual sessions begins Thurs. July 21) for purchase. Being a supervisor can be difficult! You have a lot The cost is $10 to get started, must be over 18 to of responsibility, and usually, very little training. play and proof of vaccination is required. Proceeds This program is designed to change all of that! The benefit the center and local seniors. Cabrillo College Supervisory Academy is designed For information call 831-476-4711. to help you develop your skills and become a better supervisor. PET LOSS AND GRIEF SUPPORT VIA ZOOM Modules include essential communication skills, 6 to 7:30 p.m., virtual meeting building trust, motivating employees, managing performance, giving and receiving feedback, coaching BirchBark Foundation’s Pet Loss and Grief Support Zoom group offers a free support employees and managing conflict. You can pick and choose which modules are best for group, moderated by a licensed grief counseling therapist. you, or attend the entire 12-week academy. To sign up and for more details, see: https://extension.cabrillo. Register at https://www.birchbarkfoundation.org/griefsupport or call 831-471-7255. edu/classes/supervisoryacademy/
COMMUNITY CALENDAR First Tuesdays of the Month UCSC ARBORETUM: FIRST TUESDAYS FREE 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., UC Santa Cruz Arboretum, 1156 High St, SC Community Day at the UCSC Arboretum means free admission on the first Tuesday of every month 9 a.m-5 p.m. Guests are invited to explore the biodiversity of the gardens, enjoy bird watching or relax on a bench in the shade. arboretum.ucsc.edu Wednesdays thru Aug. 31 CAPITOLA TWILIGHT CONCERT SERIES 6-8 p.m., Capitola Village Esplanade Park bandstand Come out to see, hear, and dance to your favorite band playing your favorite genre of music whether it be blues, rhythm and blues, soul, funk, salsa & latin, or classic rock. Bands appearing throughout the summer include the John Michael Band, Mike Hammar & The Nails, The Joint Chiefs Band, Live Again, Santa Cruz Latin Collective, Billy Martini Show, Jive Machine, Dirty Cello, B-Movie Kings, and the Digbeats. Third Friday each month FOOD TRUCKS AT MONTEREY PARK 4-7 p.m. thru September Presented by the Capitola Recreation Department, these are family-friendly events featuring some of Santa Cruz County’s best food trucks, as well as, a beer garden for the adults. Catch up with your neighbors while having food and drink in an outdoor setting.
DATED EVENTS Monday July 4
ROTARY CLUB FIRECRACKER RUN Prep: 8-9:30 a.m., West shoulder of Highway 9 (between Encinal St. and Golf Club Drive The 37th annual Santa Cruz Sunrise Rotary Club Firecracker 1K, 5K, and 10K Run will take place in Santa Cruz off Highway 9. It’s live this year. Signups are online at https://runsignup.com/Race/CA/ SantaCruz/SantaCruzFIrecracker10Kand5K The fee is $20 for the Kid’s 1K, $40 for the 5K and $45 for the 10K. The participants will use the west shoulder of Highway 9 between Encinal Street and Golf Club Drive. In the 5K, Patrick Goodrich of Scotts Valley finished first last year and Chase Jacques-Maynes came in third. T. Sallenbien, 12, of Felton, finished 5th in the kid’s 1K. BOULDER CREEK 4TH OF JULY PARADE 10 a.m.-Noon, Highway 9, Boulder Creek The parade is sponsored by the Boulder Creek Business Association. To prevent children from running into the street — where they could be struck — candy may not be thrown to the crowd. SPIRIT OF WATSONVILLE: 2022 PARADE Noon-2 p.m., Main St, Watsonville (St. Patrick’s Church to First St.) The Spirit of Watsonville 4th of July parade proceeds down Main Street. from St. Patrick’s Church to First Street. Thousands of spectators line the route five to six people deep. Those wanting a front row seat, place their chairs along the route early in the morning of the parade date.
Saturday July 9
to enjoy a story and check out books. After ice cream sundaes on the library’s back porch, children’s librarian BOOMERIA ORGAN EXTRAVANGANZA Jeanne Jorgenson will present stories, songs, puppets 1-5 p.m., Boomeria, 60 Verde Drive, Bonny Doon and finish with a craft. The Boomeria Organ Extravanganza in Bonny Doon will The program is geared for pre-school and primary feature organists Bill Visscher, Martin Gaskell and Ann age children. Thiermann, along with ensembles Bonny Doon Baroque Regular hours are Monday through Friday noon to 4 and Reed St. Brass p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteer staff The event will also feature Medieval Swordfighting at the charming historical Porter Memorial Library, built Demonstration From the Society for Creative Anachin 1912, would love to help you find a new release, ronism and Penny Hanna, viola da gamba. a favorite mystery or a classic children’s story. DVDs, More music by: Corelli • Monteverdi • Hassler • books on CD and books written by talented local Merulo • Gabrieli • Symante • Bonelli • Hume authors are available. Tickets are $55 at https://www.instantseats.com/index. The Soquel Pioneer and Historical Association has local cfm?fuseaction=home.venue&VenueID=59. photos and artifacts on display and local historical books. Masks are recommended but not required. Parking is behind the library. Enter from Soquel Drive Sunday July 10 and 31 | Aug. 14 into the Bagelry parking lot and drive through to the left. ART AT THE BEACH For information, see www.porterml.org or call 831-475-3326. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., City of Capitola Beach On these Sundays, there will be booths with quality Saturday July 30 artwork including painting, photography, sculpture, jewelry and mixed media from local artists. If you arrive TRUE LOVE CHRISTIAN MUSIC FESTIVAL early, you may be serenaded by the impromptu ukulele 10 a.m–Sunset, Aptos Village Park, 100 Aptos Creek Road players. True Love Christian Music Festival is coming to Aptos Village Park. An unprecedented gathering of Bay Area churches Wednesday July 13 and Christian musicians and songwriters will join with SUMMER ICE CREAM SOCIAL & STORY TIME area nonprofits to provide free music, services (and 1 p.m., Porter Memorial Library, 3050 Porter St., Soquel food) to show the love of Jesus by loving our neighbors. The Porter Memorial Library will once again host its Shuttle buses provided by Monte Vista Christian annual Summer Ice Cream Social & Story Time. School will run from Coastlands Church, Resurrection The library, which is independent from the countywide Church and Twin Lakes Church parking lots to Aptos system, has been open since early fall after being Village Park throughout the event. closed for a year and a half. What is true love? The mission of this festival is to engage Children are invited to return or visit for the first time with our local community and ask and answer this question. n
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / July 2022 / 29
FEATURED COLUMNIST
HomeKey Developer in Soquel to Meet Community Monday By Manu Koenig, Supervisor, First District
Highway 1 Widening his month the Highway 1 Auxiliary Lanes project takes another step forward! In July, Phase 1 of the project goes out to bid. Phase 1 of the Highway 1 Auxiliary Lanes and Bus-on-Shoulder project includes adding an auxiliary lane to connect the 2.75 miles between the Soquel Avenue on-off ramps and the 41st Avenue on-off ramps. This phase of the project also includes the Chanticleer pedestrian overcrossing bridge, a long-awaited component that will improve bike-pedestrian safety in the 1st District and add important connectivity for our residents. Construction of Phase 1 of the Highway 1 Widening project is fully funded, and is expected to begin later this year or early 2023. ••• Soquel HomeKey Project Gets State Funds n June, the California Department of Housing and Community announced
T
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a $10.7 million HomeKey Award for the proposed permanent supportive housing project to be located at 2838 Park Ave. in Soquel. The project, named Park Haven Plaza, is being developed by a partnership of Novin Development and the Central Valley Coalition for Affordable Housing, along with the County of Santa Cruz and Abode Services. The award will help finance Park Haven Plaza, a 36-unit apartment building to serve as permanent homes for low-income families, young adults transitioning from foster care, and veterans. Park Haven Plaza amenities include 1,000 square feet of wrap-around service on site and resident amenity spaces as well as an on-site manager office. The building will have all-electric appliances, renewable energy and water conservation features, and will use modular construction to meet strict State guidelines which require construction to be completed within 12 months. The Housing Authority of Santa Cruz has awarded Park Haven Plaza 35 housing project-based vouchers to assure stable, affordable housing for people transitioning from homelessness. Of that total, 17 are Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers, another 14 are for young adults exiting foster care, and four are for homeless families with minor children. Prospective tenants will be screened for eligibility by the property
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30 / July 2022 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com
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management and the Housing We welcome your Authority. Abode Services will provide feedback and involvement! on-site support to help assure future ive us a call anytime, (831) 454 -2200 or residents become long-term, successful email first.district@santacruzcounty.us. tenants. Join us at an upcoming community HomeKey developer meets the com- town hall meeting: munity 6-8 p.m. Monday at Cabrillo August Town Hall: Live Oak College Building 450; park in lots A & B Thursday, Aug. 11, from 6 - 7:30 p.m. and wear mask. Zoom: us06web.zoom. Hybrid meeting: Sheriff Headus/j/82998607497. Email questions to quarters, Community Room, ground floor, housingforhealth@santacruzcounty.us. 5200 Soquel Av.e, Santa Cruz, and on Zoom. See: parkhavenplaza.com. Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom. ••• us/j/96708318897 Verizon Cell Tower, Soquel San Jose Rd. September Town Hall Thursday, Sept. 8, from 6 - 7:30 p.m. erizon continues to make steady Hybrid meeting: In-person location progress on the Cell Service Improvement Project at 1931 Soquel San TBA and on Zoom. Jose Rd. Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom. Construction began at the site in us/j/96708318897 February 2022, and in May 2022, Verizon For a full list of meetings, check our set the tower pole and began the utility website: District 1 (santa-cruz.ca.us). n undergrounding process. The trenching ••• process is expected to take several Come to our office at the Sheriff Center weeks. (5200 Soquel Ave.) for office hours with SuperThe timeframe for PG&E’s meter visor Koenig, the first Wednesday of every installation, power, and fiber delivery month (except July 2022) from 1 to 3 p.m. process is still to be determined, and we will continue to update constituents as we learn additional details. If you are interested in learning more about the project or want to request improved service in your area, contact Maureen Cruzen, Verizon Municipal Engagement Partner at (925) 279-6638 or email maureen. Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz cruzen@verizon- A 36-unit apartment building is to be built for $19 million at 2838 Park Ave. Soquel wireless.com. in the next year to house veterans, young adults exiting foster care, and homeless ••• families with children.
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• District Evolving — Automated Metering Infrastructure implemented; the District will be putting water into the ground, not just taking it out; with Pure Water Soquel the basin will be sustainable for the first time in over 40 years; Mid-County Groundwater Association is an example of regionalization, collaboration. • Other Local Water Agencies Status — efforts of Santa Cruz Water Department, Scotts Valley Water District, and others trying to obtain sustainability and efficiencies; potential for purified water as part of portfolio. In addition to the environmental scan, a substantial amount of external and internal direct input was received. This input gives us insight into identifying what components of the Strategic Plan may need updating and how they should be modified. Input processes included: • The District’s 2020 Community Survey of 400+ customers. • Personal interviews of customers, community leaders, Board and
standing committee members, representatives from public agencies, environmental non-profits, education, developers, and businesses, offering a broad range of perspectives about current and future challenges and opportunities. • A staff survey and departmental workshops helping us better to understand staff perspectives, values, and goals. The Board approved several changes to the District’s Values and Organizational Goals, while maintaining the wording of the District’s Mission statement. These improvements represent the current state of the environment in which the District operates, the community’s perspectives on the District and the future of water in our region, and the issues, challenges, and concerns that may be facing the District in the coming years. You are encouraged to read the District’s Mission, and the updated versions of its Values and Goals, at soquelcreek water.org/mission. This Strategic Plan will carry us forward, to the next phase of our evolving Soquel Creek Water District. n
Our Mission We are a public agency dedicated to providing a safe, high-quality, reliable, and sustainable water supply to meet our community’s present and future needs in an environmentally sensitive and economically responsible manner. Our Values Fairness, Honesty, Ethics, Inclusivity, Transparency, & Consistency — Does the decision/action treat all concerned fairly, honestly, and ethically? Does decision/ action reflect inclusivity, transparency, and consistency? Quality Customer Service — Does the decision/action reflect respectful, responsive, and empowering customer service? Holistic Environmental Stewardship — Does the decision/action consider the impact to the environment holistically, including groundwater, surface water, biota, climate change, etc.? Sustainability, Resiliency & Long-Term Thinking — Does the decision/action display long-term thinking regarding sustainability and resiliency in all aspects (ranging from the environment, infrastructure to finance)? Community, Relationships & Collaboration — Does the decision/action promote collaboration and enhance relationships with others? Commitment & Dedication — Does the decision/action show commitment and dedication to support to the mission of the District and recognize the value of water as a precious resource? Our Primary Organizational Goals Water Resource Management and Sustainability — Implement sustainable solutions with regional partners to meet the long-term water supply needs of our customers, community, and environment. Infrastructure and Delivery — Maintain a reliable and resilient water infrastructure and ensure delivery of high-quality, safe water. Community Engagement and Trust — Continue to build upon our relationships and communication with our customers, interested parties, and the community to further increase trust in our agency. Fiscal Responsibility — Ensure long-term fiscal responsibility and proactive fiscal management. Customer Service — Provide respectful, responsive, and empowering customer service. Workforce and Organizational Excellence — Maximize appropriate training and growth opportunities, and support strong and knowledgeable board governance.
FEATURED COLUMNIST
Minestra di Verdura
Broccoli Rabe and Garlic Soup
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Submitted by Joe Ortiz
his savory soup is made with just enough pepper flakes to make Dad love it too. After you taste the rich and amberJoe Ortiz green broth, you’ll know why it represents our bittersweet life in Queens. Serves 2 1 bunch of broccoli rabe, washed and trimmed of half an inch of its bottom stem 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced thin 6 to 8 cloves of garlic, smashed with the side of the knife, pealed and rough chopped ½ teaspoon pepper flakes 2 teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste 1 14-ounce can chicken broth 2 to 4 cups water grated Parmesan cheese for garnish a drizzle of olive oil In a medium casserole, place the olive oil, garlic, onion and, pepper flakes and sauté over low heat four to five minutes, until the aromatics are limp but not burnt. Add the broccoli rabe, the salt and pepper and toss it with the oil several minutes just to coat and cook a bit. Add the stock and water and turn up the heat. When the soup starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes, until the greens get almost “mushy.” It’s the peasant way! Like Freddy the bookie used to say, “Trust me on this one.” And he knew a little about soup, too.
crossword on 25 »
“SqCWD Strategic Plan” from page 27
When it’s done, correct for salt, ladle into soup bowls, garnish with the grated Parmesan and a light drizzle of olive oil. And mangia. n
Share A Recipe!
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o you have a recipe that is a family favorite? Or maybe one from your childhood you would like to share? The Capitola Soquel Times will be publishing one recipe each issue from a community member. Feel free to add a little history to the recipe if you want (approximately 75 words). Every issue we will randomly choose a recipe to publish. Find your favorite and send it to cathe@cyber-times.com today!
Classic Children’s Books © Statepoint Media
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / July 2022 / 31
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