RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER Family Owned For Over 30 Years • Capitola, Soquel, Live Oak, Pleasure Pointwww.tpgonlinedaily.comTimes P ublis h i ng G roup, I n c . Times Publishing Group, Inc. 9601 Soquel Drive Aptos, CA 95003 September 2022 • Vol 27 No. 9 GARVEY PAINTING, inc. THE REPAINT SPECIALISTS (831) 688-6913 | www.garveypainting.com License #1057716
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39th Annual Capitola Art & Wine Festival
Carpets of Color: Vetterle & Reinelt’s Begonia History
By Deborah Osterberg
The Capitola Beach Festival picks up where the Begonia Festival left off….. volunteers leading familyfriendly activities Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 24 and 25. Full Story page 5
Full Story page 14 Joe JoepageColumnOrtiz18OrtizColumnpage18
Paradise means something different to each of us. For Jeff Rodrigs who has multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair, his hometown of Capitola is Paradise. On a typical morning, Jeff is off to Mr. Toots Coffee house, one of several cafes he visits in Capitola Village. Jeff happily grabs the opportunity to meet and greet people. “Have a good one,” and “Hi there,” he beams to people, whether strangers or friends. His face and wheel chair are well known by the locals. People stop and chat with him, especially at the Capitola Wharf where he often enjoys his mocha mac chiato. ... continues on page 4 Jeff Rodrigs in Paradise
Capitola Beach Festival Returns By Laurie Hill
By the 1950s, Capitola was known as the “Begonia Capital of the World.” This led to the beloved Begonia Fes tival, which ran from the early 1950s until 2017.
By Teresa Hidalgo Dance
September 2022 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / September 2022 / 3 GETSMILESNEVEROLD. 831-684-2700 Cover Jeff Rodrigs in Paradise, By Teresa Hidalgo Dance Community News 5 Capitola Beach Festival Returns, By Laurie Hill 7 CDC Director: ‘We Fell Short’, By Jondi Gumz 8 How Internship Inspired Second Harvest CEO, By Tara Fatemi Walker 12 8 Tens to Return September 9 14 39th Annual Capitola Art & Wine Festival 16 Five Vie for Capitola City Council • Appointed to Office 19 Capitola Soroptimists Seek Applicants for ‘Live Your Dream’ • Jobs in Santa Cruz County 23 Santa Cruz County Fair Returns 24 Hope Services Supports Children with Disabilities in Ukraine 27 Room Fee Extended for Tourism Marketing Monthly Horoscope • Page 26 – The Maiden & the Rebel — Sun in Virgo, Uranus Retrogrades, By Risa D’Angeles Community Calendar • Arts & Entertainment – Pages 28, 29 Featured Columnists 11 Carpets of Color: Vetterle & Reinelt’s Begonia History, By Deborah Osterberg 11 Where Did The Begonias Go?, By Sam Storey, Mayor, City of Capitola 18 Playing Dice and Baking Eggplant, By Joe Ortiz 20 Notes on a Report Card, By Scott J. Turnbull, Superintendent, Soquel Union Elementary School District 22 Melanzane alla Parmigiana, By Joe Ortiz 23 Amazon: Competition or Partner?, By Ron Kustek 25 Come To the Water Harvest Festival, By Rebecca Gold Rubin 30 Housing on Portola Drive?, By Manu Koenig, Supervisor, First District SCCAS Featured Pet • Page 31 – Meet Mavis and Marie 9No.27Volume www. tpgonlinedaily.com 7 18 23 30 ContentsofTable
Rebecca
“We’ve been doing our best to help him enjoy a full and active life,” his mother, Judie Block, said. Jeff and Judie want people to know that you can be disabled and still have a smile on your face everyday. The laid-back atmosphere and friendly faces in Capitola have contributed to Jeff’s upbeat attitude and zest for living. n ••• For more information on multiple sclerosis and how to be a donor and be a part of finding a cure for this debilitating disease, go to www. Nationalmssociety.org Gumz, D’Angeles, Osterberg, J. Turnbull, Kustek, Gold Oppenheimer, Ward J. Austin
Rubin, Manu Koenig layout Michael
Being a surfer is one of the things he missesJeff’smost.longtime surf buddy, Scott Hovey, believes the friendship and courage they built surfing big waves together has helped him take on his biggest life chal lenge head-on with grace and a spirit of love and Musichope.isanother one of Jeff’s favorite hobbies. He takes advantage of the numerous musical venues Capitola offers. Jeff used to play the conga drums in many bands. When that no longer worked, Scott gifted him with a set of Tibetan bowls. On Sundays he plays the bowls at the Bandstand with the Capitola Ukulele Players. On Fridays, you can find him at the Cork and Fork, one of several wine bars that hosts Cathymusicians.Bentley,owner of the Cork and Fork, is also one of his many longtime local friends. Jeff plays the bowls and is accom panied by this writer on classical guitar. Capitola has been very kind to its artists, including Jeff who has painted a number of the town’s scenic spots. Jeff discovered his talent for painting 10 years ago at the Stroke and Disability Learning Center in Aptos. This unique program at Cabrillo College starts where medical reha bilitation leaves off. He also took art lessons at Palace Arts in Capitola. Several times Jeff was the guest artist at the Palace. He had regular showings at Mr. Toots Coffeehouse for several years before Covid struck.
4 / September 2022 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com DAVID WEBB BROKER ASSOCIATE C: david@screalestate.netDRE#831.818.031001256289 KAREN BISH kbish@screalestate.netDRE#C:REALTOR831.440.720301955665 2161 Delaware Avenue Santa Cruz, California 95060 Now more than ever you need an experienced tech-savvy real estate TEAM that you can trust! From start to finish we take care of everything. Marketing in Today’s Reality! • Virtual Open Houses • 3D Photos & Home Tours • Virtual Tours Now is the time to get started. Don’t miss this seller’s market! Call or text us today? “Paradise” from page 1
Jeff is also trying his hand at ceramics at the Stroke Center, fashioning clay into unique art pieces. His art can be viewed at his website www.JR-artist.com.Jeffhaslivedwith MS for 35 years. He was diagnosed at age 22. He has navigated his challenging life with multiple sclerosis with the support of his family and friends.
Fishing is something Jeff can do from his wheelchair and the Capitola Wharf pro vides Jeff with this enjoyable pastime. His caregiver uses this time to have him practice standing up; he grabs the wharf’s railings as he lifts himself from the wheelchair and stands for a few minutes. This practice supplements the balancing exercises he does at Dominican Hospital’s Personal Enrichment Programs or PEP, which offers medical fitness, among other things.Before his illness, Jeff was a devoted surfer. He was a regular at Pleasure Point. Now he loves watching other surfers as he sits by the benches beside the Capitola Bandstand, which gives him a view of his old surfing spots. Or he may wheel himself to the Rockview by Pleasure Point, where views of the surf are spectacular.
COVER STORY publisher Patrice Edwards editor Jondi Gumz contributing writers Teresa Hidalgo Dance, Laurie Hill, Jondi
Tara Fatemi Walker, Risa
Ron
Deborah
Sam Storey, Joe Ortiz, Scott
graphic artists Michael Oppenheimer, Ward J. Austin production coordinator Camisa Composti media consultants Teri Huckobey, Brooke Valentine office coordinator Cathe Race distribution Bill Pooley, Taylor Brougham 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 www.tpgonlinedaily.comAT: 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 Michael Oppenheimer, Camisa Composti Michael Oppenheimer, Ward J. Austin, Brad King photographywebsite
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / September 2022 / 5 Half Moon Bay • Downtown Santa Cruz Westside Santa Cruz • Capitola • Aptos
The best of fall has arrived at New Leaf, like organic dry farmed tomatoes packed with flavor, locally harvested organic squash and pumpkins and crispy, California grown apples.
Fall has it all
By Laurie Hill Be a part of the “Marvel of it All” as the Capitola Beach Festival returns Sept. 24 and 25. The Capitola Beach Festival picks up where the Begonia Festival left off…..vol unteers leading family-friendly activities Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 24 and 25. The Festival offers traditional favorites like the Sand Sculpture Contest, Music at the Beach, Fishing Derby, Horseshoe Tournament, Children’s Art, Chalk Art on the Seawall and Rowboat Races. Events added this year include a Scavenger Hunt, Ukuleles at the Beach, and a Disc Golf and Cornhole Pop Up in the sand.
Don’t miss Saturday’s Lighted Nautical Parade on Soquel Creek. From repurposed holiday lights to computerdriven light shows, we can’t wait to see what these creative float-builders have in store for us this year. With the parade just weeks away, Thea, chair of the Lighted Parade, reports that the excitement is building. The Water Marshall Fireflies are lighting up their warmup act! The Jewel Boxers will return to defend their 2021 title. Local wine bar, Cork and Fork, returns this year having delighted the crowd in 2021 with a live floating concert. New float entry, Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, offers a look back at the Santa Cruz Venetian Water Carnival. Two additional neighborhood groups and the MidCounty Senior Center are joining us for the first Festivaltime.President Mary Beth Cahalen thanks all of the community spirited vol unteers who make this festival possible. Come out and play! It’s free. n
Festival Returns
10% backprofitsofgotothecommunity
COMMUNITY NEWS Capitola Beach
6 / September 2022 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com Beside the beach in Capitola Village! Sat, 10am – 6pm & Sun, 10am – 5pm Over 125 artists, wine tasting from 22 Santa Cruz Mountain wineries, Local Artisans Marketplace, Gourmet Food & Entertainment. Free parking and shuttle at Capitola Mall on 41st Avenue. SEPTEMBER 10 & 11, 2022 BacharAmadeobySwim”“Summer ADMISSION FREE! Hosted by Capitola-Soquelthe Chamber of Commerce capitolachamber.com Capitola Art & Wine Festival 39TH ANNUAL Saturday Evening Concert 5 –The7pmLost Boys featuring James Durbin Sunday Concert 2:30 –Pacific4:30pmRoots capitolaartandwine.com
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / September 2022 / 7 COMMUNITY NEWS
In April, she tapped a top federal official to review the CDC and make recom mendations. James Macrae of the Health Resources & Services Administration reported findings in mid-June, focusing on “how CDC can better translate science and data into actionable policy and communi cations during a public health emergency.”
On Aug. 22, Dr. Anthony Fauci said he will step down in December as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infec tious Diseases, which awards millions in grants to researchers, chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation and White House medical advisor. At 81, he has worked 54 years in government service. He is working on a memoir.Meanwhile, the Covid positivity rate, ICU cases and hospitalizations are declining in California and locally.
• Increasing use of preprint scientific reports rather than waiting for research to be peer-reviewed and published by the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
• Appointing Mary Wakefield, 68, the No. 2 administrator at Health and Human Services under President Obama, to implement changes.
California reports 80.1% of the popu lation have had at least one shot.
CDC Director: ‘We Fell Short’
The article, published the day after the “Defeat the Mandates” rally in Wash ington, D.C., draws on Malone’s speech at the event.Malone is asking for a jury trial.
The county updates the numbers on Mondays and Thursdays.
On Wednesday, the state reported 15 people hospitalized positive for Covid in Santa Cruz County, including two in intensive care.
Soquel Union Elementary School Dis trict, where classes began Aug. 10, reports one student case and 21 staff cases. Masks and vaccination are recommended, not required.Since July 26, wastewater data in Santa Cruz County shows Covid-19 Omicron levels plunging.
• Keeping leaders devoted to outbreak response on for at least six months — to address turnover.
• Creating a new executive council to help Walensky set strategy and priorities.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director since January 2021 of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sharing plans last week for change at the agency, which has a $12 billion budget, 11,000+ employees, and a mission to protect Amer icans from disease outbreaks.
The changes include:
• Establishing an office to smooth part nerships with other agencies.
On July 29, attorneys settled the nation’s first class action lawsuit for healthcare workers over a Covid-19 vac cination mandate, for $10.3 million.
Inspire Diagnostics offers Covid-19 tests in a Cabrillo College parking lot.
For 75 years, CDC and public health have been preparing for Covid-19, and in our big moment, our perfor mance did not reliably meet expectations ... we fell short in many ways… We had some pretty public mistakes, and so much of this effort was to hold up the mirror ... to understand where and how we could do better.”That’s
NorthShore University HealthSystem in Chicago agreed to compensate 500 current and former healthcare workers denied religious exemptions and claimed discrimination; each person is to receive $260,000. They were represented by Liberty Counsel of Orlando. The set tlement must be approved by federal District Court.
The number of active cases in Santa Cruz County dropped from 2,197 to 1,217 in the last six weeks, and after a 5-week stretch of no fatalities, two deaths were reported. Seven of the last eight deaths were people who were vaccinated, according to the county dashboard, all 65 or older with medical conditions.
On Aug. 18, federal judge Steven Merryday in Florida granted a classwide preliminary injunction against the federal government’s Covid vaccine mandate for all U.S. Marines, active and reserve. Liberty Counsel of Orlando repre sented 3,733 Marines in the 18,600-member force who were denied religious accommo dations from COVID vaccination.
“COVID Update” page 10
By Jondi Gumz
The 1993 Religious Freedom Resto ration Act grants them evaluations “to the person” but the Marine Corps provided “formularized denial” in “boilerplate letters,” the judge wrote. Some Marines object that “the Covid-19 vaccine was developed from cell lines derived from electively aborted fetuses,” the judge wrote, and the Marine Corps dismissed those objections by saying fetal cells were not used in the manufacture or present in the vaccine. “This finding says nothing about …the theological consequences of that use,” the judge wrote.
On Aug. 19, Dr. Robert Malone, who helped develop the mRNA technology used in Covid-19 vaccines, filed a lawsuit alleging defamation and seeking $50.35 million in compensatory and punitive damages from The Washington Post, owned by Jeff Bezos. Malone, an outspoken critic of Covid-19 vaccines, cited a Jan. 24 article by The Washington Post headlined, “A vaccine scientist’s discredited claims have bolstered a movement of misinformation.”
The Biden administration has a $3.2 billion deal to buy 105 million doses for fall. In August, the CDC relaxed Covid-19 guidance noting an estimated 95% of Amer icans 16 and older have some immunity, either from vaccination or infection. The “test-to-stay” in school protocol was eliminated for students exposed to the coronavirus but not fully vaccinated. Expo sures now require masking, not quarantine.
“No denial demonstrates that accom modating a particular applicant will meaningfully impede the readiness of the 95% vaccinated force,” the judge added.
On the CDC Covid tracker, Santa Cruz County reports 91.9% of residents age 5 and up have at least one shot and 83.7% fullyFullyvaccinated.vaccinated means having two shots (Pfizer or Moderna) or one Johnson & Johnson shot. All were developed for the initial Wuhan Covid-19 strain, which is no longerOncirculating.Aug.22,Pfizer applied to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requesting emergency use authorization of a booster dose targeting the Omicron subvariant BA.4/BA.5 — currently the most pervasive — for those 12 years of age and older. That change was requested by the FDA.
With 61,000+ county cases, natural immunity may be a factor. Santa Cruz County is rated medium for transmission by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on its COVID tracking map. Monterey County and parts of Florida are rated high, but eastern California counties are rated low.
“This perspective—understanding a person needs not just one thing, there’s an interconnectedness to what really can support them to help them thrive—is some thing I use in how I approach my work and my life,” she explained.
By Tara Fatemi Walker Erica Padilla-Chavez started as Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County CEO in July. She came from Pajaro Valley Pre vention and Student Assistance, where she had served kids and families of the Pajaro Valley since 2015. Her new role is a natural progression as she continues meeting the needs of these deserving individuals and even expands her impact.
Career Change Several factors inspired Padilla-Chavez to embrace this opportunity. As the pan demic worsened, she heard from PVPSA staff that clients needed food and didn’t have money for rent. “We had to pivot to facilitate meeting clients’ needs,” she said. She reached out to The Food Bank and was impressed with how fast they set up a pantry and bimonthly food distributions. Padilla-Chavez realized Second Harvest Food Bank helps many partner organiza tions achieve their individual missions.
“We are fortunate we were able to raise our family nearby. Twenty-one years ago, I wanted to buy a house in Santa Cruz County. Like many, I couldn’t afford it…we found a community in the Salinas Valley. What was supposed to be a two-year ‘equity-garnering opportunity’ ended up becoming a lifetime. Housing and home ownership are important for all families, including the people we support at Second Harvest Food Bank. It’s getting harder and harder.”They are exploring a move back home, hopefully in the next year.
n
Shifting to a sociology major, she worked with organizations that were meeting food insecurity needs and other public health needs of the homeless popu lation in Berkeley and nearby. After college she returned to Watson ville and worked in the nonprofit sector developing leadership abilities among youth.“What I found was that issues for addressing the needs of youth and their families were similar to those for the homeless,” she said. She realized no matter what group she’s working with, a primary focus needs to be identifying linkages and supports in the areas they and their families need.
She disagrees with the adage ‘things are the way they are.’ “That would mean I accept that people are going to have to live with what they have,” she said. “And I don’t accept that. We can change the outcome of individuals. This is facilitated by the opportunities we provide. Not just economic ones: All opportunities. Like the fact that I even had an internship opportunity at Salud that pro pelled me to be where I am today. I want the best for people. It’s that simple.”
Because of this positive experience with Salud, Padilla-Chavez thought medicine would be a good field to pursue. “I was pre-med early on at UC Berkeley. After a year-and-a-half of doing pre-requisites and pulling my hair out,” she laughs, “I realized it wasn’t really medicine I was after. It was connecting with people.”
When asked to discuss her leadership style, she says, “I facilitate partnerships to do good. I thrive on bringing people together with diverse perspectives and opinions and developing solutions to address a common problem. Hunger insecurity is complex, it’s a symptom of something deeper. I’m inter ested in engaging folks to determine how we can begin to address root causes to the food insecurity issues of our county.” Home and Family Padilla-Chavez, 47, lives in Soledad.
Over the years, she has improved her work/life balance. “Sometimes I can be in the office for 24 hours and still feel I need more time. I’m a workaholic, but I’ve learned over the course of my career that setting boundaries for my family is important.”
8 / September 2022 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com COMMUNITY NEWS How Internship Inspired Second Harvest CEO
“I was born and raised in Watsonville,” she said. “During Pajaro Valley’s history, the economic ecosystem has experienced challenging periods. The earthquake, but also the exodus of canneries from our com munity in the 1980s.” Her parents were cannery workers, so this left her family in a predicament. She was 11 years old.
“We’re going to see how we can get ourselves back to Santa Cruz County,” she said.She is a self-described empty nester and Cal Poly mom. “My son’s about to turn 21, he’s at Cal Poly SLO. My daughter, 19, is at Cal Poly Pomona.”
When time allows, she enjoys jogging, walking, and spending time in nature. “Gardening is a hobby I haven’t had enough time for lately,” she said. “Now that my kids are returning to school, I look forward to getting back to growing my tomatoes, my lettuce, and my strawberries.”
Passion for Equity
“We were food insecure, but I didn’t know it,” she said. “My parents did an outstanding job helping me and my sib lings feel safe and secure.” Her parents volunteered at Second Harvest Food Bank, packing food for friends and neighbors affected by the closures. “As my eldest sister and I assisted my parents in the food distribution, I thought I was just helping our friends,” she said. “I enjoyed it. We were allowed to pack a bag of food for ourselves with the leftovers. After a few times I realized, ‘we actually are ben efiting from this too.’ Today, I know there were a couple things going on. One, it was my parents’ way of ensuring we had some thing to eat. But even more importantly, it instilled in us the importance of taking care of ourSheneighbors.”believesher framework of under standing what people need comes from this exposure.“I’m proud to say all of my siblings are community-centered people as a result of wonderful parents, ones who taught us this country has given them—and us—an opportunity to make our lives something that can fulfill us individually and simulta neously make the world a better place,” she said. “My parents are my biggest mentors.”
During Padilla-Chavez’s tenure as CEO, Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance expanded from a staff of 20 serving 2,500, to a staff of more than 65 serving 7,000. Her drive is undeniable. When she returned to Watsonville after college, it struck her that many issues she witnessed as a youth were still present. “I asked myself, how can this be?” she said. “We need to work differently. Because the economic insecurity and food insecurity are still here, the lack of good-paying jobs is still here, mental health needs are on the rise. My drive comes from understanding I have the experience of being born and raised here and understanding the challenges for me and the people I grew up with…and then returning and finding there were still indicators that needed focus.”
“I was trained on how to engage in conversation and how to use motivational interviewing techniques,” she said. “I talked to our homeless population that was living in the Watsonville riverbanks, and dis covered I really like working with people.”
Parental Influence Padilla-Chavez’s parents, who are immi grants, had a profound influence on her life.
“Every organization we partner with uses the distribution of food to better accom plish their own goals (for example PVPSA fulfills mental health needs),” she said. “So, it’s win-win!”Another reason she joined The Food Bank was to “work alongside stellar leaders who are committed to making people’s lives better.”
At Second Harvest Food Bank, she looks forward to developing partnerships with organizations that help individuals and families flourish, “especially for the people we’re taking care of here at The Food Bank.”
Salud Internship Padilla-Chavez attended Watsonville High, UC Berkeley, and Golden Gate University—the latter for a master’s in public administration. As a high school junior, she had a Salud Para la Gente internship opportunity that made her realize she was passionate about working with the community. It was the height of the HIV epidemic. Salud was seeking students to disseminate education and prevention strategies throughout the community, including teaching individuals who used needles how to clean them.
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / September 2022 9
Lawsuits
Last year, the State of California said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration must give full approval of vaccines before rulemaking to require the Covid-19 vaccine. That has not happened; vaccines have been made available with the FDA granting emergency use authorization. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff ruled in July that only the state can require students to be vaccinated to attend in-person school. The very contagious variant BA.5 and waning immunity from vaccines boosted cases this summer. The CDC reported BA.5 comprised 88.9% of cases in August, with 4.3% being BA.4. BA.5 drove “reinfections,” people vaccinated and boosted getting Covid for a second or even a third time as the corona virusWithevolves.the U.S. averaging 390 deaths a day, compared to 3,000 last winter, there is no evidence this subvariant causes more serious illness.
Young Children & Covid About 941,000 children under age 5 in the U.S. have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, according to the CDC. This is about 4.8% of the 19 million children in this age group.
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.
Nick Rolovich, the football coach fired by Washington State University for refusing to get the Covid-19 vaccine, filed a lawsuit claiming wrongful termination and is seeking $25 million, according to KREM-TV.Rolovich, who is Catholic, was denied a religious exemption after the governor mandated state employees get the vaccine. He was paid $3.2 million per year and had three seasons left on his contract. The athletic director said he was fired for “just cause.”In July, Dr. Douglas Mackenzie, a surgeon in Santa Barbara County, and Phy sicians for Informed Consent, sued William Prasifka, executive director of the Medical Board of California, challenging attempts to sanction physicians who disagree with governmental Covid-19 edicts. At a school board meeting in August 2021 via Zoom, Mackenzie said, “We are not going to get to zero Covid ever. We can’t make it disappear with a vaccine, espe cially one that may improve symptoms, but as we are seeing, won’t stop reinfection or transmission.”TheMedical Board closed the inves tigation after the lawsuit was filed. Mackenzie contends his comments are pro tected by the First Amendment. His attorney Richard Jaffe expects a hearing on a preliminary injunction motion at the end of September or mid-October.
An early briefing document said, “The CDC will perform Proportional Reporting Ratio (PRR) data mining on a weekly basis or asThisneeded.”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 serve as a safety signal to trigger investigation.
The Omicron variants are less deadly than the Delta variant, which raged in 2021.Santa Cruz County reports 45 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 (dia betes, 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.
In California, 2.2% of kids under 5 have been vaccinated. Seven countries offer vaccines to the youngest children. Eligibility starts at age 2 in Cuba and Venezuela, and age 3 in Chile and Argentina, Bahrain, Hong Kong and China.
Omicron Less Deadly
In Santa Cruz County, parents who want their children under 5 to receive Covid-19 vaccines should contact their doctor.
10 / September 2022 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com “COVID Update” from page 7
Assembly Bill 2098 was proposed to make it a disciplinable offense for a phy sician to publicly challenge public health Covid edict. Mackenzie contends that would violate the First Amendment. The bill was shelved Aug. 1.
Feds for Medical Freedom, which represents federal employees and con tractors, is awaiting appellate review in New Orleans of President Biden’s Sept. 9, 2021 order requiring 3.5 million federal employees to be vaccinated for Covid-19. The group, which has about 6,000 members, contends the president over stepped his authority.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar invoked the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act, a 2005 law allowing him to provide legal pro tection to companies making or distributing critical medical supplies such as vaccines unless there’s “willful misconduct” by the company. This protection lasts until 2024. Test to Treat Santa Cruz County offers “Test to Treat” sites, open to anyone regardless of insurance or documentation status. For an appointment, visit https://lhi.care/ covidtesting/.According to the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, cases in local schools peaked at 4,407 on Jan. 27, dropped to 44 on April 1, rose to 1,150 on May 25, dropped to 235 on Aug. 7, and now 401. The 14-day positivity rate, 12.25% on January, dropped to .79%, rose to 9.63% and now is 3.21%. The Santa Cruz County Office of Education, which has completed 556,200 tests with Inspire Diagnostics, offers drivethough testing for students, staff and familiesCabrilloat: 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-santacruz.Booster shots: https://myturn.ca.gov/ Vaccine providers: www.santacruzhealth. org/coronavirusvaccine.Localinformation: www.santacruzhealth. org/coronavirus or (831) 454-4242 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
FOIA Officer Roger Andoh’s June 16 letter said that “no PRRs were conducted by CDC. Furthermore, data mining is outside of the agency’s purview, staff suggest you inquire with GuetzkowFDA.”called PRRs “one of the oldest, most basic and most well-estab lished tools of pharmacovigilance.”
Myocarditis In a 2022 report in the Journal of American Medical Association online, Dr. Matthew Oster of the CDC reported the govern ment’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 confirmedOster’smyocarditis.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 Myocarditisconsidered.”isinflammation of the heart, which can lead to clots, a stroke or heartPublicattack.health officials say the scien tific consensus is that Covid vaccines are safe, but some are skeptical about relying on science from drug-makers, which saw profits rise in 2021.
On June 21, Josh Guetzkow, a PhD at Hebrew University, posted the CDC response to his Freedom of Information Act request asking about this data mining.
n ••• Total COVID cases: 1,217 ••• COVID Deaths: 270 As of Aug. 22 Age 85 and older: 118 • 75-84: 62 • 65-74: 48 60-64: 15 • 55-59: 4 • 45-54: 10 35-44: 8 • 25-34: 5 Underlying Conditions Yes: 220 • No: 50 Vaccinated Yes: 35 • No: 235 Race White 157 • Latinx 90 • Asian 16 Black 3 • Amer Indian 1 Hawaiian 1 • Another 2 Gender Men: 138 • Women: 132 Location At facility for aged: 117 Not at a facility: 153
Cases Santa Cruz County cases are on a roller coaster, 1,705 on June 13, then 2,000 on June 27, and 1,871 on June 30, then 2,040 on July 11 and now 1,217. Cases jumped after holidays but the high of 199 on July 5 and again July 18 is low compared to 1,312 on Jan. 20. California hospitalizations from Omicron peaked in January at 20,000, plum meted to 950, rose and now are declining. The state reports 3,100 people hospi talized. The Department of Public Health explains about half are due to Covid, with the other half coming to the hospital for another reason and testing positive. The state reports test positivity, 23% in January, fell to 1.7% before rising to 16.1%, then falling to 10%.
Analysts say Pfizer has been one of the largest winners in the last two years, doubling revenue to $81 billion in sales in 2021 due to its Covid vaccine. This year, it’s selling Paxlovid, a Covid pill that has a higher price per dose.
The Santa Cruz County Office of Edu cation and county Public Health hosted two town halls for parents on the vaccine for children under 5. Listen at child-adolescent.htmlcdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/schedulevaccinesanresenthavefederalchildrenconditions,elders,vaccine-for-under-5-year-olds/santacruzcoe.org/town-halls-covid-19-https://Covidhasclaimedthelivesofmanythose85andolderwithmedicalbutrelativelyfewchildren,442age4andunder,accordingtotheCentersforControl&Prevention.Morethan1millionpeopleintheU.S.diedofCovid,soyoungchildrenrepatinypercentageofdeaths.Coulditbethatyoungchildrenrepresentuntappedwindfallforthedrug-makers?ItalldependsonwhethertheseareaddedtotheCDCvaccineforchildren.Seehttps://www.
Data Analysis
The CDC was expected to analyze data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System for “safety signals” from Covid-19 vaccines.
You can’t reminisce about Capitola without thinking about the Capitola Begonia Festival. For 65 years, the Begonia Festival was the premier com munity event held annually during Labor Day Theweekend.festival culminated with a nau tical parade of floats festooned with multi-colored begonias. Each year was a tribute to a par ticular theme that sailed down Soquel Creek under the Stockton bridge, into the beach lagoon, and backItagain.was an event that was enjoyed by thousands of spec tators who filled the creek banks, the bridge, and the beach. It was a festive and colorful sight that was uniquely Capitola.Unfortunately, the Begonia Festival floated into history on Sept. 4, 2017. However, this Labor Day weekend, volunteers from the Capitola Arts & Cul tural Commission, the Capitola Historical Museum, and the Capitola Beach Festival have put together a Tribute to the Begonia Festival. The Tribute will host a curated collection of festival memorabilia, photos, posters, videos, and stories about Capi tola’s love affair with begonias. This commemmorative will be at Capitola City Hall and the Museum, 420 Capitola Ave., on Sept. 3 & 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On the evening of Sept. 4, from 4 – 6 p.m. the Little Big Band will play big band classics at the Esplanade Park Bandstand. Come take a trip down memory lane when begonias were the bloom of Capitola. That bloom faded in 2018 when the Golden State Bulb Growers, formerly the Brown Bulb Ranch, ceased its begonia bulb business. The Brown Bulb Ranch and the Begonia Fes tival had a long and symbiotic relationship. The Ranch needed someone to pick the blossoms so they could collect and sell the tubers.
“Festival” page 15
Sam Storey
By the 1950s, Capitola was known as the “Begonia Capital of the World.” This led to the beloved Begonia Festival, which ran from the early 1950s until 2017. Capitola as a center of flower growing went back to the early 1900s. Capitola’s climate was perfect for growing because “the high fog gave strong light without direct sun and the fog kept a certain moistness in the air.”
John V. Vetterle who arrived from Merced in 1910, purchased 16 acres in Capitola Heights where he intended to raise chickens and strawberries. By 1912, he began a flower nursery where he grew begonias, iris, gladiolas, and freesias. When he passed away in 1917, his sons Lowell and Everett took over the business. Vetterle Brothers’ greenhouses and lath houses were located on 45th Avenue. The brothers’ business interests included a butane gas business, the famed Capitola Beach Club and Ballroom, and rental properties in San Francisco. Everett was very active in the community as a member of the Soquel Chamber of Commerce, the farm bureau, and the county fair board of directors.
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / September 2022 / 11 CaptainSpareribsJack 3 SHOWS DAILY ON THE PLAYHOUSE STAGE WED & THUR 7:30 PM - RACETRACK Monster Trucks & Motocross Twinkle Time 3 SHOWS DAILY TANK HOUSE STAGE Los CircusMoralitos All CamePigAlaskanRaceslRides $10 ADULT $5 CHILD Trance Nosis & Dangermagik 4 TOTAL SHOWS DAILY TANK HOUSE STAGE Michael Mezmer 3 SHOWS DAILY IN THE BALLPARK Circus Imagination WED AMPHITHEATER7:30STAGE gary blackburnband 3 DAILYSHOWSINTHEBALLPARK THUR AMPHITHEATER7:30STAGE country cougars FRI AMPHITHEATER7:30STAGE journey unauthorized SAT AMPHITHEATER7:30STAGE heartless a tribute to heart Presenting Sponsor FEATURED COLUMNIST Carpets of Color: Vetterle & Reinelt’s Begonia History
Where Did The Begonias Go?
Courtesy of Capitola Historical Museum Vetterle & Reinelt Begonia Gardens, once located at Capitola Road and 45th Avenue.
By Deborah Osterberg
By Sam Storey, Mayor, City of Capitola
“Begonias” page 15
“8 Tens”
“Me and Him,” by Michael John McGoldrick, directed by Suzanne Schrag. “Old Aquatics,” by Steven Kobar, directed by Gerry Gerringer. “Slow Dating,” by Adam Szudrish, directed by Buff McKinley.
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The Santa Cruz Actors’ Theatre, which earlier this year had almost perma nently closed its doors, has instead regrouped to produce a live “reboot” of eight selections from of its 8 Tens @ 8 Short Play Festival.Itwill restage eight selections from the short play lineup, originally scheduled in January, to now run at the Actors’ Theatre from Sept. 9 through Oct. 2. Tickets are on sale at thetickets.zactorstheatre.org/www.santacruThepresenceCOVID-19out break coincided with the resignations of the company’s artistic director, company co-founder, promotion director and board of directors, and led to the cancelling of 8 Tens in “However,”January. said new board president Suzanne Schrag, “we humans are resilient, creative, inventive and communal creatures. It is this spirit that we are re-launching, reju venating and rebooting Actors’ Theatre to continue to be a vibrant and vital part of the Santa Cruz Arts community.”
8 Tens to SeptemberReturn9
A new board of directors has also been assembled and other positions are being filled. All productions will be in the Actors Theatre in the Santa Cruz Art Center, 1001 Center Street. Most of the directors and actors are from the original production scheduled in January.The four-week run, on Fridays, Sat urdays and Sundays, will feature: “Are You One of Those Robots,’ by Dierdre Gerard, directed by Gail Borkowski.
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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / September 2022 / 13 kp.org/downtownsantacruz Save time getting high quality care for your whole family. Pharmacy, X-ray, mammograms, pediatrics, and more are now available at our new downtown Santa Cruz Medical Offices. Get more done in one stop Santa Cruz Medical Offices 110 Cooper Street Santa Cruz, CA 95060 Now open, come visit.
Meet Aptos artist Amodeo Bachar, a UC Santa Cruz alum who created this year’s poster featuring a whale getting close to Capitola Village while swimming in Monterey Bay. Cement Ship and Surfing Magician will entertain on the street. Capitola Mercantile will host a local artisans mar ketplace in parking lot at 115 Capitola Ave. Food trucks include Pana, My Mom’s Mole and Sauceyz.Here’sthe entertainment schedule for the Esplanade Park bandstand: Saturday, Sept 10 11:30 Agape Dance Academy 12 12:30 Te Hau Nui School of Hula & Tahitian Dance 1:30 Pacific Arts Complex 2:30 – 4 Anthony Arya Band 7 Lost Boys featuring James Durbin Sunday, Sept. 11 11:30 12:15 12:30 – 1 1:30 2 2:30 – 4:30 Pacific Summer Swim Amadeo Bachar
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September 10 and 11 Beachside in Capitola, 115 fine artists, 23 Santa Cruz Mountain wineries, live music, local dancers, food trucks and street performers — what more could you ask for?
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14 / September 2022 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com 809 Bay Avenue, Suite H, Capitola, CA 95010 (In the Nob Hill Shopping Center) www.capitolaselfstorage.com(831)465.0600 Locally Owned and Operated Drop by for a tour and see The Very Best in Storage! *See Sta for details and restrictions www.facebook.com/capitolaselfstorage 809 Bay Ave. SECURE, CLEAN STORAGE Since 2011 DISCOVER THE JOY OF LEARNING AT Kirby School is a 6th-12th grade independent school serving families in Santa Cruz and beyond for over 25 years. We offer Tuition Assistance and a Test-free Application process. Visit KIRBY.ORG to learn more. Kirby School 425 Encinal Street Santa Cruz, CA 95060 admissions@kirby.org | kirby.org COMMUNITY NEWS 39th Annual Capitola
The 39th Annual Capitola Art & Wine Festival will be Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 10-11, in Capitola Village. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free; for those 21 and over, wine tasting costs $15 for a glass and 2-4 tokens per tasting, each token is $1. Park at the Capitola Mall, 1855 41st Ave., at no charge, and ride the free shuttle to the village. Or ride your bike—valet parking is free at the David Lyng Real Estate parking lot.
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“8 Tens” from page 12 “Unheard,” by Glenn Alterman, directed by Sarah Albertson. “The Curiolus Effect,” by Robert Lynn, directed by Anita Natale. “Nobody’s Here,” by Charles Anderson, directed by Evan Hunt. “Rosa and Leo,” by Adam Szudrish, directed by Jim Schultz. Actors’ Theatre will follow COVID protocols; masks and proof of vaccination will be required to attend. The Theatre has invested in a highefficiency electronic air cleaning system that completely refreshes the air in the space every 15 minutes.Meanwhile, a committee of Actors’ Theatre members has read 259 short plays sub mitted by local, state and nationwide writers in preparation for the 2023 8 Tens @ 8 Festival, scheduled for Jan. 18 through Feb. 26.
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Lowell Vetterle sold out to another nursery in 1972. Capitola as a center of begonia growing continued until 2017, when the last source of Capitola begonias, Golden State Bulb Growers, ceased operations. This Labor Day weekend (Sept. 3 &4) the public is invited to Begonia Festival Tribute activities at Capitola City Hall and Esplanade Park hosted by the Capitola Arts & Cultural Commission, the Capitola Historical Museum, and the Capitola Beach Festival.
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“Begonias” from page 11
In 1934, the Vetterle brothers allowed a young Czechoslovakian gardener, working on a Los Altos estate, plant an acre of their land for an experiment to produce seeds of the double-flowered begonia. When the experiment proved successful, the brothers brought the skilled hybidizer, Frank Reinelt, onboard as partner. A 1938 advertisement declared that at Vetterle & Reinelt… their greenhouses are crowded with a colorful display of spec imens that defy description. In addition they have developed prized strains of delphinium, gloxinias and daffodils. The greenhouses, hot houses and open gardens are ablaze with the many colors of their creations. Seeds from this establishment go to all parts of the world, and scientists and experts have come from everywhere to pay honor to these local men who have contributed so much to their profession. Much of this success was due to the skill of Frank Reinelt. Reportedly only 14 years old when he attended a university in Bohemia, by the age of 22, he became the head gardener for the Queen of Romania. In 1925 he made his way to California, lured there by its mild climate and in hopes of meeting one of his heroes, the horticulturist Luther Burbank. Unfortunately, Burbank passed away before the two could meet. Reinelt was responsible for devel oping many improved forms of tuberous begonias, from the Classical Rose, the Ruffled Camelia Type, to the Picotee Shades. He also developed the Pacific strain of delphinium. Reinelt received medals for his plant breeding from the State of Cali fornia, the California Horticultural Society, the American Begonia Society, and the American Delphinium Society. Vetterle & Reinelt faced fierce compe tition in the begonia field with neighboring Capitola nurseries, Antonelli Brothers, and the Brown Bulb Ranch. The high quality of Vetterle & Reinelt stock was gaining steady recognition. According to the June 27, 1939, Santa Cruz Sentinel, “One of the out standing features of the floriculture exhibit at the Golden Gate International Exposition is a contribution from Santa Cruz County. Vetterle & Reinelt, of Capitola have dem onstrated the superiority of their tuberous begonias and gloxinias in a convincing way. Theirs is the most colorful exhibit in the building. You need only to see their specimens as the fair to be convinced that this firm is doing a noble job of advertising the beauty of Santa Cruz County.”
The festival needed the begonia blossoms to put on a parade. “Win-win,” as the saying goes. Through this mutual arrangement, Brown Bulb Ranch grew into a global flower bulb business. At the same time, the Begonias Festival grew into a popular regional attraction. However, it seems that all good things must come to an end. Begonias at one time were grown on the site of the Capitola Mall and Brown Ranch Marketplace. Over time, begonias had to move and, eventually, only grew down the central coast in Marina. Due to economic forces, begonias stopped being a “cash crop” in California and the Brown family decided it was time to retire. When Festival organizers inquired where they may find similar begonias to pick from, they were told “Nowhere in the Western Hemisphere.” With that, a 65-year tradition came to an end. However, endings have a way of becoming new beginnings. For the Cap itola Begonia Festival, that something new is the Capitola Beach Festival. The Beach Festival is a topic for a future article. In the meantime, check out the Tribute to the Begonia Festival this Labor Day Weekend. n ••• Sam Storey is mayor of Capitola. Contact him at samforcapitola@yahoo.com.
In 1943, Everett Vetterle was killed in an automobile accident in San Francisco. Frank Reinelt said of Everett that “[h]e was the kindest, the finest partner a man could have.”Despite the huge loss of one of its founders, Vetterle & Reinelt continued to dominate the begonia business. Perhaps owing to Reinelt’s past, the nursery was a favorite with European royalty. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor were regular customers, even telephoning the Capitola nursery to check on the delivery date of shipments for their Paris home. Visitors were welcome to tour their Capitola hybridizing gardens in August and September, when over a million tuberous begonias bloomed. By the early 1960s, in addition to the Capitola facility, Vetterle & Reinelt main tained fields of begonias on Mission Street in Santa Cruz and at La Selva Beach. In 1969 Frank Reinelt left the partnership and moved to Nevada to experiment with cacti and succulents.
“Festival” from page 11
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16 / September 2022 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com Beneficial Plants for California’s Mediterranean Climate • Edibles and Fruit Trees • Native and appropriate plant varieties • 2 Acre Display & Sculpture Garden Open Daily 10-5:00 • 2660 E. Lake Ave. Watsonville, CA 95076 831-728-2532 • sierraazul.com • Gift Certifi cates • Family Owned & Operated for 30 Years 1-800-A-TOOL-SHEDwww.AToolShed.com DELIVERWE 408-727-0822408-378-4921Campbell900DELLAVE.SantaClara2550LAFAYETTEST. Santa 831-477-7133Cruz3700SOQUELAVE. 831-722-0334Watsonville285W.BEACHST. 831-856-9100Greenfield604THST. 831-638-1999Hollister2610SANJUANRD.Morgan 408-779-7368Hill95E.MAINAVE. 831-424-7368Salinas210W.MARKETST. COMMUNITY NEWS Five Vie for Capitola City Council H ere are some of the board and council candidates in Santa Cruz County on the Nov. 8 ballot.What should we ask the candidates? Email Editor Jondi Gumz at info@cybertimes.com ••• Cabrillo College Trustee Area 1: Donna Ziel*, Sara BrylowskiTrustee Area 2: Adam Spickler*, Bob KittleTrustee Area 6: J. Dan Rothwell*, Mark Hucklebridge Capitola City Council (vote for 3) Yvette Lopez Brooks*, Joe Clarke, Enrique Dolmo Jr., Garry Jensen, Alex ander Pedersen Scotts Valley City Council (vote for 2) Tyler Crawford, Jim Reed*, Derek Timm*, Allan Timms Watsonville City Council District 3: Maria Orozco District 4: Kristal Salcido District 5: Casey Clark District 7: Nancy Bilicich, Ari Parker* County Supervisors District 3 Santa Cruz: Justin Cum mings, Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson District 4 Watsonville: Jimmy Dutra, Felipe Hernandez Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley, Joy Schendledecker San Lorenzo Valley school board Trustee Area 4: Gail Levine*, Ryan Lipert Pajaro Valley school board Trustee Area 1: Kimberly DeSerpa*, NatalainTrusteeSchwartzArea5: Olivia Flores, Jennifer Schacher* Scotts Valley school board (vote for 2) Patricia Adams, Lucia Rocha-Nestler, Roger Snyder*, Corey Warner* Happy Valley school board (vote for 3) Clifford Hodges*, Rachel Click Richardson*, Jacob Willet*, Edward “Teddy” Woods Soquel school board Justin Maffia, Philip Rodriguez* Fire Districts Central: Michael Hushaw, Denise Miller Boulder Creek (vote for 2): Vince Cor tinas, David Dunning, Robert Presswood*, Sam BenRobustelli*Lomond (vote for 2): Jim Anderson*, Norman Crandell*, Adam Hensleigh Water Districts Soquel Creek (vote for 3): Carla Chris tensen*, Bruce Jaffe*, Corrie Kates, Kris Kirby, Rachel Lather* San Lorenzo Valley (vote for 3): Bob Fultz*, Jeffrey Hill*, Alina Layng, Mark Smolley*Pajaro Valley Healthcare Project District (vote for 2): Joe Gallagher, Jasmine Notanne Najera*, Marcus Pimental*SantaCruz Port District (vote for 2): Dick Starr, Toby Goddard*, Reed Geisreiter* n * denotes incumbent
These candidates are appointed to office in lieu of election.
Area 7: Abel Sanchez* Pajaro Valley school board Trustee Area 4: Daniel Dodge Jr.* Trustee Area 7: Jennifer Holm * Soquel school board Trustee Area 3: Robert Dickenson Trustee Area 2 (short term): Kallista Edmundson* Santa Cruz City Schools Trustee Area 1: Kevin Grossman Trustee Area 2: Kyle Kelley Trustee Area 4: John Owen Trustee Area 5: Angela Meeker Loma Prieta school board Short term: Ronald Bourque San Lorenzo Valley school board Trustee Area 1: Stacy Newsom Kerr* Trustee Area 2: Mark Becker* Mountain school board Short term: Jennifer Markowicz* Pacific school board Two openings: Cal Napoles*, Diana Conner* Fire districts Central, district 4: John Lucchesi Ben Lomond (3 openings): Dave Bingham*, Lisa Hill* , Thomas Maxson* Zayante (2 openings): Mary Clark*, Priva Tarbet* Water districts Central (3 openings): Frances Basich Whitney*, Marco Romanini*, Robert Marani* “Appointed” page 24 Appointed to Office
Trustee Area 1: Sue Roth* Trustee Area 2: Bruce Van Allen* Trustee
County Board of Education
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By Joe Ortiz
Playing Dice and Baking Eggplant
Mom and Dad Ortiz
•••
“Parents” page 22 FEATURED COLUMNIST
Previous Episode: My father erupted like a volcano because I was being a “wiseguy” and I beat him at flipping quarters. As he stood over me, his hand on his belt, my mother came to my rescue by luring me into the kitchen to help her with the gravy. As I sat there trembling, Dad settled back into his squat on the floor, silently took a few of the coins I had won from him and tossed them into his pile.“No, Mom, you can do the sauce,” I stammered. “We’re still playing.” Dad motioned to me to make my throw. I could feel my chest raging. Without thought, I made a defiant over-handed windup and flung the quarter against the wall. When my quarter knocked Dad’s coin away and bounced inside of his, he started to fume again. “Ya beat me again, Joey!” Dad screamed. “Ya took all my money.” “H-E-R-M-A-N!” my mother’s voice boomed out of the kitchen. She glared at us from the doorway. In one hand she held a plate of flour, and in the other a slice of eggplant ready to be dredged and fried. She dropped the slice in the flour, gave it a snap to dust off the excess, then shook her finger at “LeaveDad.him alone,” she said. “He’s just a kid.”“Nonny,” Dad said. “This Palooka’s takin’ all my “Herman,change.”whatkinda stuff is this ta be teachin’ a When6-year-old?”Momturned back toward the stove, Dad hunkered down toward me and whispered, “Don’t pay any attention to ya mutha, Joey. She doesn’t know about games. She thinks we’re gamblin’. But we’re just playin’, huh, Joey?” Then he said loudly toward the kitchen, “Leaners pay double, Joey.” You could hear Mom growling above the sound of the bubbling olive oil. We heard a big splat and a loud sizzle as Mom dropped each slice into the skillet. I was so hungry I began to fantasize about dancing slices of eggplant. Would we ever eat? “Ya gotta let me get revenge, Joey,” Dad Dadsaid.started tugging at me again, and dragged me into the living room, away from“Rememba’Mom. when I told ya not to touch these.” Dad said, fingering the dice he pulled out of his pocket. Then mim icking Mom: “Mommy might get mad.” “But you’re learning to play, mister. So, I can win back my money.” “Herman,” Mom yelled, louder this time. She walked into the living room. With auburn hair and a creamy white complexion, she didn’t look anything like someone whose parents were from Southern Italy.
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••• Soroptimist International of Capitola-bythe-Sea is a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. For information, visit www.best4women.org. Sheriff’s incarcerated graduated from the is designed teach while they’re in custody help transition back into the Studentscommunity.graduate with a Certification in the Thisfield.program, halted by the graduating second restarting, Sheriff’s Office spokes woman Ashley Keehn said.
Office is doing its part to help people serving their time in jail to get a job upon their release. On July 23, nine
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oroptimist International of Capitola-by-the-Sea is seeking applicants for its 2023 “Live Your Dream”Womenawards.who are enrolled in or have been accepted into a bachelor’s or a technical training program, are heads of their households and have a demon strated need are eligible to apply. Deadline to apply is Nov. 15. Appli cations are at www.soroptimist.org, click on the “Live Your Dream” logo and review the eligibility requirements and application instructions. Winners will be announced in January 2023 and an awards ceremony will be in March. Each winner will be awarded $2,000, which may be used to pay for anything they need to help them complete their educa tional program such as food, rent, car repairs, child care and health care. The club typically makes three awards to local women. “Live Your Dream education and training awards are designed for women, many of whom have overcome enormous obstacles including domestic abuse, poverty, teen pregnancy and drug and alcohol addiction, to pursue an edu cation,” said Ryder Spires, vice president and Live Your Dream program chair. “Our winners are typically single moms who want to be able to support them selves and their children and know that a good education makes that possible.”
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New Brighton Middle School has a new, but familiar, face leading the school. Former NBMS Assistant Principal, Ms. Christina Hadreas, has been promoted to NBMS Prin cipal. Ms. Hadreas has worked tirelessly over the years to prepare for this well-earned opportunity. I am certain she will build on the existing strengths of the school and lead it to even greater success. Ms. Brittany Birchall is the new NBMS Assistant Principal. She joins us after a dis tinguished career in the neighboring Pajaro Valley School District. Ms. Birchall has a passion for setting standards of excellence for students as well as establishing a safe and pos itive learning environment. We are so excited that she has joined our team in SUESD.
It’s so exciting to be back in school. Our first student day was on Aug. 10. It never ceases to amaze me how hard our teachers and support staff work to get ready for the big day. I am so thankful for our staff’s preparation and for all of the parents and guardians who entrust us to educate their children. It’s going to be a great school year. Speaking of the school year, we are very pleased that our dis trict’s calendar committee is ahead of the game. They already created, and our board approved, the calendar for next school year, 2023-24. We are hopeful this is helpful to all community members who need to factor school dates into their plans for one reason or another. Our school calendars can be found at www.suesd.org/calendars.Attheendoflastschool year, our dis trict created a new motto and updated our mission statement with staff, board, and community input. The new motto for SUESD is: “Cultivating Knowledge, Character, and Equity.” The updated mission statement is: “Staff, students, parents, and the community help ensure that each child develops the skills and character necessary for lifelong achievement and responsible citizenship in a diverse world.” We even created a new logo that includes the new motto. It has been a period of change in SUESD. I will start with some of the changes in governance and administration.ThispastMarch, one of our Board Members, Ms. Jennifer Izant Gonzales, stepped down from the board to understandably focus on her busy career and beautiful, and growing, family. This past May, Ms. Kallista (Kallie) Edmundson was appointed in lieu of election to the vacant board seat. Ms. Edmundson is a writer, former teacher, and dis trict parent so she brings multiple perspectives, and a sincere dedication to contributing to her community, to our gov ernance team.
By Scott J. Turnbull, Superintendent, Soquel Union Elementary School District
Beginning in December, we will welcome a new Trustee to the Board and his name is Robert Dickenson. He will be the represen tative for Trustee-Area 3. Mr. Dickenson is in the media industry and is also a district parent. He has been involved in the district in numerous ways including the New Brighton Middle School Home and School Club, 8th Grade School Trip, Bike to School Day, and coaching golf and basketball.
Mr. Craig Broadhurst, formerly NBMS’s Principal, is now the Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary School Principal. This is truly a “full circle” experience as Mr. Broad hurst began his SUESD career teaching at Santa Cruz Gardens over 30 years ago! Mr. Broadhurst brings his vast experience and student-centered approach to the Santa Cruz Gardens school community.
20 / September 2022 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com 831.479.6000 • www.bayfed.com • 888.4BAYFED Federally Insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Lender. Discounted RatesVehicles!Electricfor*Take the Wheel and Save! $100 Cash Back1 + No Payments for 90 Days2 when you refinance your auto loan from another lender.* Apply at any branch or at www.bayfed.com. 1 Cash back offer of $100 will be paid as a deposit to a Bay Federal Credit Union savings account upon loan closing. All loans subject to credit approval with credit score (Experian FICO V9 Auto Score) of 580+ required. 2 First payment deferred for 90 days. Interest will continue to accrue from date of loan disbursement and becomes due once payments begin. All loans subject to credit approval with credit score (Experian FICO V9 Auto Score) of 640+ required. * All auto loans require income verification and valid Social Security Number or ITIN per Bay Federal Credit Union lending requirements. Offers may be combined as long as (Experian FICO V9 Auto Score) is 640+. A discount of 0.25% off eligible rate will be applied for full Electric Vehicles and 0.25% off for enrollment in automatic payments at the time of funding. Hybrid vehicles are not eligible for rate reduction. Offers available on the finance of a 2012 or newer vehicle and valid for one vehicle loan. Minimum loan amount is $10,000 to be eligible for these offers. Maximum LTV up to 125%. Must have a valid driver’s license. Bay Federal Credit Union membership required at the time of closing. Loan must be funded now through October 31, 2022, in order to qualify for these offers. Refinances of current Bay Federal loans and purchase transactions are not eligible for these offers. These offers are subject to change without notice. Other terms and conditions may apply. For more information, visit any Bay Federal Credit Union branch or call us at 831.479.6000 or toll-free at 888.4BAYFED, option 3.
Last year our district went through a very comprehensive process to move our school board elections to a trustee-area approach instead of a general election. This change was done under the umbrella of the California Voting Rights Act with the goal to ensure board representation is equitable across our district. This transition will be reflected on this November’s ballot. Our district will have one seat, Trustee-Area 4, on that ballot.
Card” page 26
Notes on a Report Card FEATURED COLUMNIST
Robert Dickenson
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I wondered why they call it Egg plant Parmesan if there’s no Parmesan cheese in most recipes. Somehow adding Parmesan was the old wives tale
Mom spoke about, and rumor was that some mothers added the grated cheese to a bit of flour for dredging the slices if they were too moist for frying. Serves 4 Ingredients
J 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 In2013.July, The Capitola Soquel Times began 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.”
2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons salt
By Joe Ortiz COLUMNIST
always
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Place the eggplant slices in a colander or on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides of the slices with the salt. Let drain 1 to 2 hours. Pat the slices dry with paper towels. If using the flour/Parmesan mixture, combine the ingredients in a plate and dredge each slice briefly in the mixture beforeFryfrying.theslices in batches, using a bit of the olive oil for each batch, until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels. In a 7-inch by 10-inch baking dish, place about 1/4 of the sauce on the bottom. Then start layering egg plant slices, more sauce, a layer of cheese, and continue until all ingredients are gone and there’s some sauce and one layer of mozzarella on top. Bake the casserole 20 to 25 minutes until the top becomes rich and bubbly. Allow to cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving. n
Melanzane alla Parmigiana
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (optional)
22 / September 2022 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com 2022 B U S I N E S S S H O W C A S E O U T D O O R S A T T H E S E A S C A P E G O L F C O U R S E W E D N E S D A Y , S E P T E M B E R 2 8 PUBLIC WELCOME! FREE ADMISSION 4:00-7:00PM T a k i n g C a r e o f B u s i n e s s SCAN QR CODE TO REGISTER O R V I S I T A P T O S C H A M B E R . C O M I n t e r e s t e d i n s h o w c a s i n g y o u r b u s i n e s s ? R e g i s t e r t o d a y ! A L L B U S I N E S S E S W E L C O M E ! S P O N S O R E D B Y
1 medium eggplant, sliced lengthwise, ½-inch thick
6 to 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced ¼-inch thick Directions
Joe Ortiz Memoir: Episodes & Recipes
“Parents” from page 18
¼ to ½ cup olive oil for frying (or combo of avocado oil and olive oil)
1½ to 2 cups your favorite marinara sauce
The rest was typical: She wore a ban danna around her head, stockings knotted down below the knees, and fluffy blue slippers. Waving a wooden spoon coated with what most anyone in the world would call tomato sauce but what everyone in Queens called gravy, she said: “I don’t want Joey learnin’ about dice.”Mom just let out with a big gasp of frustration and went back to the stove. “These are da magic bones, Joey,” Dad said. “Seven’s the numba you want ta come up. So, you call for a seven.” “Hold up ya dukes,” Dad said. I backed off, held up my clenched fists and cowered. When Dad reached toward me, I flinched. But then he gently spread my fingers, pointed to one hand, and said, “How much is dat?”“Five,” I said. Then he grabbed two fingers of my other hand and said, “Five and two is seven. That’s ya lucky numba. Now say, ‘Come on, seven.’” “Come on, seven,” I said. “Six and one is seven. Four and three is seven. Five and two is seven,” he said. “Lotsa combinations. Lotsa chances fa ya numba ta come up. You just have ta believe in your numba. You gotta have faith.” “Parents”
page 24
The idea of weaving anecdotes about food with an ongoing narrative came to Joe after reading Heartburn by Nora“UsingEphron.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. n
FEATURED
FEATURED COLUMNIST Amazon: Competition or Partner?
Your small business may be consid ering selling your products through AfterAmazon.all,Amazon is the world’s #1 online retailer and 3rd largest retailerclosing in on Walmart. Amazon is regularly in the news -- from their purchase of Whole Foods in August of 2017 followed by Ring systems, MGM studios and most recently, the Roomba robotics company. Questions about how big they can get are swirling in Congress, so before you consider a partnership with Amazon, there may be a few things worthy of your consideration.Ifyouhave a local store where you support the local community, your supportive customers may end up finding your products for sale on Amazon, and then potentially shop less frequently at your physical location. It’s likely that your current storefront also employs a number of people who depend on the sales from your business for their livelihood. As so many people use Amazon for their online purchases, you may end up trading out a portion of sales from your local physical store when selling online through Amazon. If there are shipping or product quality issues, your local customers may choose to bring the product back to your store to address the problem, and it will be up to you to determine if Amazon may have caused the damage to your item if they used faulty handling or packaging in their shipping. But it goes a bit further than that. You see, Amazon is a data-driven company, and the wealth of information they have about the person who buys your product online is likely better information about your customer than you have. Amazon can cross-reference every purchase that person makes and be able to generate a profile of that customer, all for the benefit of Amazon. If another seller on Amazon sells a similar product for less than you do, then Amazon will likely promote that seller’s item to the customer, so that the customer feels they are getting a better deal on a similar product, all thanks to their friends at Amazon who are looking out for them by providing the lowest cost optionsAmazonavailable.is also entering ‘brick & mortar’ retail, with their 4,000 square foot mini-variety store in New York featuring products chosen by Amazon, and only those that have obtained a minimum 4-star rating on Amazon. Products range from kitchen appliances to books, gifts, toys, and of course, Alexa-enabled devices. Oh yes, there are also products from Amazon Basics.Remember we said Amazon is a datadriven company? Well, Amazon Basics are all Amazon-branded products ‘made’ by Amazon and only sold by Amazon. So, if your company created and sold a coffee press on Amazon that people loved, it’s likely that Amazon analyzed all your reviews, including the improvements that customers may have wanted -- and then created a coffee press of their own, with the improvements -- in order to have their brand and product sell better than yours -- both in the store and on the Amazon website! It’s also likely they are able to sell their ‘Amazon Basics’ coffee press for less than you can make and ship it to an Amazon warehouse — and also likely their ‘Amazon Basics’ item includes Alexa as an addedAmazonfeature!is an amazing online sales platform that expands your online distri bution opportunities — as well as being everyone’sAmazoncompetitor.isagreat business that ben efits Amazon -- even if in the short-run they are able to help you expand the sales of your business. It can be a worthwhile ‘partner’ — but be sure you are working with experts who know how Amazon operates, so you don’t find yourself fully dependent upon their company for the existence of yours. n
Santa Cruz County Fair Returns
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / September 2022 / 23
The Santa Cruz County Fair opens Wednesday, Sept. 14, at the county fairgrounds, 2601 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville, and closes Sunday, Sept. 18, featuring fair food, clowns, camel rides, mariachi and magicians, live music plus competitions among the young and older to earn blue ribbons for the animals they have raised or the vegetables they grew.
Thursday: Sheep and dairy goat shows, All-Alaskan racing pigs, Country Cougars, Los Moralitos Circus, Michael Mezmer TranceNosis
September 14-18
COMMUNITY NEWS
Sunday: Best dressed goat contest, salsa judging, All-Alaskan racing pigs, Los Reyes de la Banda, Salinas Valley Charros and Escaramusa Charra, Sonora Dinamitra, Los Moralitos Circus, Michael Mezmer TranceNosis n
••• Ron Kustek is a former senior executive at The Coca-Cola Company and small business entrepreneur currently teaching at Cabrillo College. Email him at rokustek@cabrillo.edu.
••• Tickets at fair.com/p/ticketshttps://tickets.santacruzcounty are: $20 for adults, 13 to 61; $10 for kids 6-12; kids under 5 free. Active duty military are free every day. Parking in the main lot is $10. Valet parking is $30.
By Ron Kustek
Friday: Rabbit and poultry show manship, livestock & vegetable judging, All-Alaskan racing pigs, Journey Unau thorized, Los Moralitos Circus, Michael Mezmer TranceNosis
Saturday: Junior livestock auction, diaper derby, All-Alaskan racing pigs, Heartless (Heart tribute), Los Moralitos Circus, Michael Mezmer TranceNosis
Hours are: Wednesday–Friday: Noon to 11 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Here are some entertainment highlights: Wednesday: Free admission for kids 12 and under and veterans; seniors 62 and over, $12, swine and poultry shows, peewee and adult live stock showmanship, senior ice cream social, All-Alaskan racing pigs, Gary Blackburn Band, Los Moralitos Circus, Michael Mezmer TranceNosis.
Fellow County Supervisor Cindy Chavez adds, “Hope Services is literally a world-class operation, whether lifting up and equipping people living in the Silicon Valley, or in Ukraine with everything they need to live productive lives. Hope Ser vices certainly delivers on its promise to make the world a better place.”
“Hope Services has given me the oppor tunity to be accepted in the community, so I say to those seeking a career despite your disability, Hope Services is the best place to do so,” he says.
“Vans and laptops seem like such basic items, but for Hope Services these items will allow more clients to participate in classes, training, and employment opportunities, and have access to telehealth mental health services, out in the community, out in the mainstream,” explains Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian. “I’m glad our County could do our part.”
with Disabilities in Ukraine
His idea was to set aside 25% of sales on Wednesdays and Thursdays from April 13 through July 1 at the three outlet stores in Watsonville, San Jose and Fremont to support nonprofits providing on-theground services in Ukraine. The campaign got a lot of positive feedback, according to HopeTHRIFT Retail District Manager Shawn Bailey. “It was a win-win: we got people into the stores and also helped spread the word about the work we do right here in our own community,” he said. In all, more than $56,000 was raised, which will be divided between Save the Children and Humanity and Inclusion. The two were selected based on their sterling credentials and their ability to deliver assistance immediately to those in need.“It was important to partner with organizations whose missions match ours: serving children and individuals with intel lectual disabilities and those with mental health needs,” says Cathy Bouchard, Hope Services’ specialty director, who was tasked with finding nonprofits that would effectively implement the funds. “We decided to work with two organiza tions, one large and one small. We thought it would be important to utilize the power of a large organization as well as access the nimbleness and flexibility of a smaller group.”Save the Children, founded in 1919 to aid refugees, is supporting the most urgent needs of children and their families in Ukraine today, providing food, water, hygiene kits, psychosocial support, and cash.Humanity and Inclusion is corecipient of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize for its work to ban landmines. According to an HI official, Ukraine is fast becoming the world’s most polluted country when it comes to explosive devices. HI teams are on there, providing “mine risk education” to show civilians how to spot, avoid, and report weapons. The nonprofit also pro vides financial, mental, and psychosocial support services plus rehab for those directlyHopeimpacted.Services’ mission is to see all persons with disabilities and mental health needs supported and protected. Its HopeTHRIFT stores are one venue pro viding career training for clients. One of them is Krishna, a supervisor at HopeTHRIFT San Jose. He says he could not walk independently until he was 5 and a doctor’s diagnosis left his family with little hope for the future.
County Supervisor Otto Lee adds, “I am honored to stand with my colleagues supporting Hope Services, and I am so deeply grateful for your service…You stepped up during the pandemic and I want to recognize the critical support you provided to Ukraine.”
n ••• HopeThrift is at 1062 Green Valley Road in Watsonville.
The County of Santa Clara recently awarded $285,000 to Hope Services to support its work.
“Faith has nothing to do with dice, Herman. It has to do with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, not with silly numbers.”ButDaddy went on as if Mom had said “Yanothing.have to be careful of snake eyes, Joey,” he whispered. “That’s one and one and it’s called Mom“Herman!”craps.”cameoutyelling this time. She was shaking the spoon, splattering gravy everywhere. “I hate that word and I hate that game. And I don’t want you teaching Joseph how to gamble. Now put those dice away.” “Nonnie,” he said. “Just let me see if I can win my money back from this smart aleck kid. I guarantee ya I can beat him in ten minutes. He doesn’t know the odds.” “You don’t either, Herman. You’re aggravating me.” He shook his head and sighed a big breath. “Dat’s it, Joey,” Dad said. “Ya got all my money. Mommy says we can’t play no more. It’s all her fault.”
“Appointed” from page 16
Children with disabilities in Ukraine.
••• Joe Ortiz, author of “The Village Baker,” wrote and produced a musical inspired by bread and created a musical based on his family story, Escaping Queens, that was a hit at Cabrillo Stage. He and his wife Gayle received the 2016 Gail Rich Award for contributions to the arts in Santa Cruz County.
“Parents” from page 22 “FAITH, Herman?” Mom’s voice resounded out of the kitchen.
When Ukraine was attacked by Russia in February, Americans were stunned. Chip Huggins decided to do some thing to He’shelp.thepresident and CEO of Hope Ser vices, which for 70 years has supported people with disabilities and mental health needs. “In any conflict, those with disabilities and mental health needs face a dispropor tionate risk of abandonment and violence,” he explained. “Watching the events unfold in Ukraine, we felt compelled to act.”
What could I say? Dad curled on the couch and hid behind his newspaper. “You promised about the dice, Dad.” I said to him, sheepishly. Dad just stared at me: “Never mind,” he said. “You think about it too much and you make yourself sick.” When Dad finally put the dice back into his pocket, I knew the game was over. Then we heard Mom slide the casserole into the “Sometimesoven. you get on a bad roll,” he said. “You roll the dice and roll them some more, and your number never comes up. That’s when you gotta do something to change your luck.” So, I took his advice, went into the kitchen, and jumped up on a stool near the stove.Mom picked up the pan containing the rest of the sauce. She cooled it with her breath and spooned some into my mouth. I could hear the eggplant begin to sizzle in the oven—that enticing sound of cheese starting to bubble and brown with a rich, milky coating that would make the top dark and crusty. I was still disappointed at not being able to even touch the dice, let alone play. But I was so hungry, my stomach started to churn like the Big Dipper at Coney Island. Only a taste of Mom’s good Eggplant Parmesan could cure all that. n
San Lorenzo Valley (short term): Jayme Ackerman Scotts Valley (3 openings): Ruth Stiles*, Wade Leishman*, Bill Ekwall* Pajaro Valley, Division A: Mary Banister*: Division C: Amy Newell* Parks Boulder Creek Recreation & Parks (2 openings): George Galt*, Diane Hamilton* Pajaro Dunes Geologic: Michael Butner, Patrick Dubbins, Raphael Shannon Kraw n
24 / September 2022 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com COMMUNITY NEWS Hope Services Supports Children
“Jobs” from page 19 Unemployment rate 3.7% 6.5% Count is from the 12th of the month *Includes commuters out of the county
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / September 2022 / 25 Football ACROSS 1. ‘90s Don Johnson TV character 5. India’s smallest state 8. Light on one’s feet 12. Arctic floater 13. Mouthful, swallowed 14. Rocks at mountain base 15. Reading helper 16. Serve soup 17. Clean & ____, in a workout 18. *QB’s target 20. Wholly engrossed 21. Religious ritual table 22. Scot’s woolen cap 23. Relating to milk 26. Oil-producing plant 30. Shakespearean “fuss” 31. Crowd 34. Like the White Rabbit 35. Chip feature 37. Mozart’s “L’____ del Cairo” 38. Asian goat antelope 39. Turn sharply 40. Yield 42. Compass bearing 43. *When QB changes play at line of scrimmage 45. ____ identity 47. Failed Molotov cocktail 48. Alicia Keys’ instrument 50. Final notice 52. *It results in change of possession in football 55. Off-white color 56. Actor Pitt 57. Type of ore 59. Classic TV’s “lovely lady” 60. Stiff hair 61. Vegetative state 62. Distinctive elegance 63. Prior to, prefix 64. *Tom Brady’s 2008, 2018 or 2021 award DOWN 1. *Professional football org. 2. Relating to armpit 3. Not all 4. Jazz hipstersubculture 5. Tropical juice flavor 6. Comparative form of #40 Down 7. Imitator 8. *QB’s run 9. SAT or ACT ____ course 10. Catch one’s breath 11. “Owner of a Lonely Heart” band 13. Malfunction 14. Hair product 19. Chosen few 22. Dress like Ancient Greeks 23. Butterfly, premetamorphosis 24. Bye, to …lisabeth Borne 25. Encrypted 26. *a.k.a. hike 27. Dog-____ pages 28. Do penance 29. Not as old 32. Casanova, e.g. 33. Two before Dec. 36. *NFL playing field 38. Shorthand 40. Antediluvian 41. Idi Amin’s country 44. Butane derivative 46. Not an expert 48. Less adulterated 49. All worked up 50. Like Joe Biden’s office 51. ____ Bora 52. Chef’s amt. 53. Son of Aphrodite 54. Boisterous play 55. *____ the kicker 58. “Uh-uh” © Statepoint Media Answers on 31 » FEATURED COLUMNIST
Gold Rubin Over
As we
Construction, a typically higherpaying sector, expanded for the better summerManyweather.employees have posted signs, saying, “We’re hiring,” to no avail.The number of people unem ployed has hovered around 5,000 for three months; a year ago, it was 8,900 unemployed.California’s July 2022 unem ployment rate of 3.9% is the lowest on record, dating back to 1976. The state has now regained 2,685,100 of the 2,758,900 nonfarm jobs lost — 97.3% — during March and April of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pan demic. n
Source: California Employment Devel opment Department
of our customers and
By
Come To the Water Harvest Festival Rebecca the last year or so, many community asked question: “When will the annual Water Harvest Festival Family Fun Day return as an in-person event?” all know, the pandemic limited this event to an onlineonly version during the last two years. But today, nearly 80%* of people in Santa Cruz County are fully vac cinated and case rates are far more manageable than earlier in the pandemic.Withthat good news, we’re thrilled to let everyone know that next month, we will once again welcome families to this muchloved annual activity, live and in-person for the first time since 2019! Everyone is invited to the Free 2022 Water Harvest Festival Family Fun Day: Saturday, Oct. 8 from 11 am to 3 pm Heart of Soquel Park, 4740 Soquel Drive behind Soquel Village Post Office
Eachalike!of our par ticipating partner organizations will have their own inter active water education activity. With a festival “passport” in hand, kids can get a stamp for participating in every booth activity, to gain entry into a raffle for fun prizes. There will be free face painting, snacks, and our very special guests — The Banana Slug String Band. This joyful event will bring us all together to celebrate the ever-present impor tance of water, for today and for future generations.Inaddition to the Soquel Creek Water District, our partner organizations scheduled to participate include: County of Santa Cruz Public Works Eat for Earth Land Trust of Santa Cruz County Love’s ResourceGardenConservation District of Santa Cruz County Sea Otter Savvy San Lorenzo Lumber with its Rain Tank SantaDisplayCruz County Parks Soquel Creek Water District
Water Conservation Coalition of Santa Cruz County A big “thank you” to these sponsors of the Water Harvest Festival, who are part of the design and construction of the Pure Water Soquel Groundwater Replenishment and Seawater Intrusion Prevention Project: Black & Veatch, ESA, and Kennedy Jenks, Brown and Caldwell, and Gutierrez Consultants.
members have
The Water Harvest Festival celebrates our local water resources, which are crucial to our everyday lives and to the very future of ourThiscommunity.festiveevent will be filled with wonderful, entertaining water education activities for all ages. Who knew that hands-on learning about water could be so fun? The District and our event partners are planning lots of exciting and delightful ways to bring the wonders of water to attendees. From water resources, water-wise gardening, and water supply, to groundwater geology, water infrastructure and plumbing, water conservation, watershed pro tection, and pollution prevention — the Water Harvest Fes tival offers great fun around all things watery, for kids and adults
Since the first event in 2018, the Water Harvest Festival has drawn hundreds of people from throughout the region for a fun, family-friendly time. Parking at Heart of Soquel Park is limited, so please con sider walking, biking, public transit, and carpooling.Donot miss the return of Soquel Creek Water District’s Water Harvest Festival, in-person! We’re looking forward to seeing you on Oct. 8! n ••• For the most up to date information, visit ServicesHarvest-Festivalwww.soquelcreekwater.org/271/Water-*Source:CountyofSantaCruzHealthAgency
Unemployment•••in Santa Cruz County was 3.7% in July compared to 3.8% in June as the labor force grew from 136,500 to 137,600.July’s unemployment was the lowest since the pandemic arrived in March 2020. The local government sector typically grows in the summer to offer youth rec reation programs, and that happened as usual this year.
us this
PISCES
LIBRA If interactions or relationships seem confusing or dif ficult, you’ll quickly walk away thinking the situation too hard to bear. Cooperation is needed to understand what actions are appropriate and, if everything feels limiting, how to respond. Explore with those you love ways that bring about wonder to replace boredom. Explore the impossible, impractical, the unattainable and the unachievable. The outcome is interesting, almost magical.
Uranus rules the Aquarian Age and Aquarius is the sign of humanity learning about true friendship, cooperation and community. Uranus will be retrograde till January 22, 2023. Uranus will remain in Taurus during its retrograde. Taurus is our stability, the illumined mind, it’s land, resources, money, possessions. It’s gold and all things that glitter. Uranus retrograde is an explosive energy if repressed. Uranus is potent, deeply psycho logical, analytical, with intuition and revelations occurring at the speed of light. Freedom is reawakened (think 1960s which our present times reflect on a higherVirgodimension).flowsthrough Mercury before it reaches the hearts and minds of humanity. In Virgo, we analyze, refine, improve, and seek to serve others. For parents with Virgo children, we teach them how to first ‘serve” and care for themselves. This lays the groundwork for true service later on. “Let matter reign,” is the personality seed thought of Virgo. n
CAPRICORN There is a review occurring concerning how you live each day, what your plans have been and what you want them to be. Also, you consider your career, how you as an authority relate to others. You want to be free of the past. However the past hasn’t revealed all of its secrets yet. More of your talents will be discovered, along with rec ognition that you approach your work in the world with dedication and care. Wherever you are, whenever you appear on the scene, everyone feels liberated. That is quite a gift!
It’s a good idea to tend to money and resources with extra care as something could occur that’s unexpected, especially with shared resources. Keep up with all legal deadlines and matters taxes, loans, debt. If not taken care of pleasure and ease could be limited and expenditures multiply. Something experi mental and unusual will take place. Expect this and maintain balance each day through intentional Goodwill which creates Right Relations.
CANCER
Things unconscious and habitual come into your awareness. Then they are released. How do you feel about being anonymous and behind the scenes instead of being front and center? Pisces often hides away, initiating new realities from behind the scenes. Anything secret, already somewhat exposed, will have more light shed upon it. Nothing’s private anymore. The past needs shaking up and interesting coincidences continue to occur. The shimmering future eventually comes into view.
Ms. Carissa Lemos, formerly the Santa Cruz Gardens Principal, is now our district’s Director of Student Services. Ms. Lemos brings their experience as a special edu cator and school administrator to their new position. Their simultaneously caring and analytical leadership style will ensure ALL students have the support they need. Over the summer, across the district, we onboarded and welcomed a total of 25 teachers and support staff to the SUESD Family! We officially have a Dual Language Immersion class! Twenty-six bright and eager kindergarten students were greeted by a new Soquel Elementary teacher, Ms. Hilda Oliva, on the first day of school. This group will go on an exciting bilingual quest over the next six years as they prepare for their future with the ability to communicate in both Spanish and English. There are openings in our Home-Based Learning Model School, Opal Cliffs. The school’s program is an innovative and indi vidualized approach to learning. You can learn more about it at https://www.suesd.org/ opal-cliffs-school.Youmayhave noticed some facility projects going on at our schools. The most prominent of these is the solar shade struc tures. These new additions will provide shade either in the parking lot or field of each school as well as make our district greener by providing solar energy. There are also beautiful new windows being installed at New Brighton Middle School, continuing the facelift the school has undergone in recentAwardyears.winners! This past April, Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary School and SUESD were honored with two Pivotal Practice Awards from the California Department of Education. The Pivotal Practice Awards were used last year as a Covid-differentiated replacement for the California Distinguished Schools program. The awards reflected the dynamic “pivots” schools and districts have had to make through the pandemic and focus on four target areas: Student Engagement, Distribution of Technology, Nutrition Services, and Social Emotional Well-Being of Students. You can learn more about Pivotal Practice awards at
GEMINI
A return to a place with people previously known has, is or will be happening. You return to a neighborhood from long ago, or think about it to better understand that time in your life. You need new realities, ideas, fields of study, concepts that expose you to the future. Seeking new routines, you might dress, think, relate and express yourself differently. A new lifepattern comes forth. Read Christopher Alexander’s “A Pattern Language.”
You’ll return to an earlier interest, work, theme concerning family and home seeing how your history and early life interface with and influence your present. Don’t be surprised if home life is somehow disrupted, if time speeds up and slows down (like the tides), if routines keep changing, if decisions are quickly called for while patience dwindles. Hold all these things within a spirit of understanding that there’s no more normal, anywhere. For all of us, this is preparation.
n •••
The Maiden & the Rebel — Sun in Virgo, Uranus Retrogrades Esoteric Astrology • September 2022 • By Risa D’Angeles ••• Risa D’Angeles • www.nightlightnews.org • risagoodwill@gmail.com
26 / September 2022 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com “Report Card” from page 20
TAURUS You are awakening to the fact that you are of great value, something not realized before to such depth. As your thought of self as valuable grows, all that you value will change. I have found that without a sense of self-confidence firmly established there is less forward movement because the self doesn’t know what to choose or how to take action. This will change. Watch your finances. Always ask if your choice and actions are practical.
In the next several months you’ll break from the past and all things (people, ideas, beliefs, fears) that have hindered your freedom, self-identity, creativity and self-expression. You trusted others to have your interests at heart. However, you found this wasn’t always possible. An awakening is occurring informing you to be strong and make decisions about and for yourself, and to change your image to that of success. You can do this.
VIRGO
The habitual, regular, normal, consistent, orderly and routine in daily life, work and relationships change unexpectedly. Anything confining will be liberated, including ideas and beliefs that create separations and block love, in your life. You might feel restless, and so a new rhythm will be found. Unusual methods of healing — laser light, energetic medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture — are of interest. Eventually only the unconventional (read holistic) will make sense.
SCORPIO
ARIES
SAGITTARIUS
Scott J. Turnbull is superintendent of Soquel Union Elementary School District.
happeningsthesharingtheyoffervidedsounanimouslyratifiedThatincreaseSEA,summertopleasedtinyurl.com/SUESD-pivotal-practice.https://Last,butcertainlynotleast,IamtoannounceourdistrictwasablecometoatentativeagreementoverthewithourTeachers’Association,onamultiyearagreementthatwilloursalaryschedulebyover15%!tentativeagreementhassincebeenunanimouslybySEAandapprovedbyourschoolboard.Wearegratefulthisyear’sstatebudgetprotheresourceswhichallowedustoourteachersandstaffthekindofraisedeserve.That’sallfornow.IlookforwardtofuturearticleswithyouthroughoutschoolyearsoyouknowallofthegreatinSUESD.
You may be traveling unexpectedly. Perhaps travel is already planned. Something unexpected will occur pro viding you with a sense of freedom, liberation from difficult feelings, past beliefs, and that ongoing sense of limitation. Notice as you see the world differently than most, those that you meet reflect that difference. Tradition is cast to the winds as you begin to cherish and welcome the unconventional. It’s time to study something (unusual).
AQUARIUS Your circle of friends, groups that surround and love you, accept and listen intently to your hopes, wishes and needs. They begin to study what you are teaching for they are devoted to helping you and thus creating a life filled with all things new. A review each day is necessary. It provides a foundation for the needs of the coming days and weeks. what is to come forth. This is based on listening, asking, observing needs. These are the requirements of the Aquarian Age. Uranus provides the pathway.
LEO More and more you find yourself thinking unconven tional thoughts, doing out of the ordinary activities that actually begin to describe who you really are and provide you with freedom of expression. It would be good to tell close friends and family that you’re moving into an unusual, original, perhaps eccentric period of cre ativeness. It’s also a time to seek more play. Unusual attractions occur, too.
The Sun is in Virgo, an earth sign, offering us a picture of Ceres in the garden tending to Persephone, her daughter, who soon will enter into the underworld. And then Ceres, missing her daughter falls into grief and transforms the warmth of summer into the cool days of autumn and then the snowy cold of winter. And so the story goes. Virgo is the sign of the Virgin Mother, pregnant with the holy child (new light), born at Winter Sol stice. The child represents the Soul within each of us, the new light within that guides and directs the personalities of disciples. Virgo is the Virgin (pure) Mother who within her being is made of three components - Spirit, Soul and matter itself. As is humanity. These are esoteric temple mysteries written in the stars and in plain sight for all to see each month. Wednesday, Uranus, the “awakener” becomes stationary retrograde, joining four other planets - Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Pluto - and one asteroid (Chiron) also retrograde. (Note: retrograde planets can be unpredictable to the point of magical.)
Tourism marketing is funded through a lodging fee paid by guests, ranging from $2.10 to $4 daily per occupied room. This provides more than 90 percent of Visit Santa Cruz County’s annual revenue. It is structured similarly to more than 112 tourism marketing districts in the state with the sole purpose of countywide tourism.The process for the latest marketing district renewal began in December 2020, with outreach to 100+ tourism marketing district members, 29 elected officials, and the 25 members of the Visit Santa Cruz County Board of Directors. n For information, call Visit Santa Cruz County at 831-425-1234.
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / September 2022 / 27 861 41 st ave. santa cruz | rootstockcollective.com BEST STOP FOR UNIQUE LOCALLY MADE GIFTS LOCATED IN PLEASURE POINT ROOTSTOCK ARTISAN COLLECTIVE JEWELRY FINE ART GIFTS POTTERY HOMEGOODS Carol Camilli Real Estate 408-209-7809Broker website: www.camillihomes.com email: carolcamillimontgomery@gmail.com ( “I am still here buying and selling Bay Area Real Estate since 1996. If you are thinking of buying a home or selling your own, call me to talk Real Estate! Your trusted Real Estate Broker.” SOLD! 121 Harbor Beach Ct., Santa Cruz 4 BD, 2.5 BA 2200 sq.ft. of living space $2,000,000
COMMUNITY NEWS
The Tourism Marketing District for Santa Cruz County is approved for an additional seven years, starting July 1, Supported2022. by the local lodging com munity and approved by the County Board of Supervisors and city councils in Scotts Valley, Capitola, Santa Cruz and Watson ville, the marketing district is expected to garner $2.9 million for Visit Santa Cruz County in 2022-2023. As the destination emerges from the COVID-19, Visit Santa Cruz County) pro vides resources for the local tourism, a century-old sector in Santa Cruz County and increases awareness of the destination to better contend in an ever-growing, global, highly competitive marketplace.
Room Fee Extended for Tourism Marketing
• The silent auction will take place online Aug. 27 – Sept. 10. See events/events/imagine2022.htmlhttps://casaofsantacruz.org/newsTickets are $150 per person at news-events/events/imagine2022.htmlhttps://casaofsantacruz.org/
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8 p.m., Michael’s on Main, 2591 Main St., Soquel Michael’s on Main will host the Damon Gutzwiller Benefit featuring Mira Goto, Steve Seskin, and Bonny June (with Ken Kraft). This is an evening of songcraft and outstanding performers celebrating the life of Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller and raising money for the Damon Gutzwiller Park in Aptos.Formore on the memorial, see: www.countyparkfriends. org/willowbrook.htmlAdmissionis$40; seated under 12 with parent 21 and over. Tickets at june-steve-seskin-tickets-300176986447damon-gutzwiller-park-benefit-featuring-mira-goto-bonny-https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ info@cyber-times.com
Friday September 16
DAMON GUTZWILLER BENEFIT
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by September 23 Blue Innovation
Survivors Healing Center is offering online women’s support groups and mothers of survivors of childhood sexual abuse support group. The goals are to empower through a healing process and prevent sexual abuse of children and youth. You are not alone. You are not to blame. More info: (831) 423-7601 or www.survivorshealingcenter.org
For information, see: https://www.californiaborrowers.org/ about-the-campaign
Questions?
Fridays through Sept 30 MIDTOWN FRIDAYS 5-8:30 p.m., Midtown Square, 1111 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz Featuring 25 local bands plus local eats and local artists and vendors. The live music lineup presented by Off The Lip Radio Show includes (in order of appearance): September The Joint Chiefs Papiba & Friends Anthony Arya Band Sweet Voodoo The Grand Finale summer-block-party-2022/https://www.eventsantacruz.com/event/midtown-fridaysEVENTS
COUNTY PLANNERS SEEK INPUT ON REGULATORY UPDATE 9:30 a.m., Online Hearing The Santa Cruz County Planning Commission will host a second virtual public hearing to accept public input as the County works to finalize the Sustainability Policy and Regulatory Update, which will govern future housing regulations and serve as a blueprint for future land use and transportation priorities. To participate in the Planning Commissions Sustain ability Update meetings, go to https://us02web.zoom. us/j/81481528029. For more info, see www.sccoplanning.com/Sustainability Update
DATED
Friday Sept 2 MOVIES AT CAPITOLA BEACH 7:30 p.m. (or dusk), Bandstand stage in Esplanade Park
CALL TO ARTISTS
ONGOING EVENTS
See
A brochure with information about the application process and the site plan is at: WorkWithUs/CalltoArtists.aspx.https://scparks.com/Home/AboutUs/
PET LOSS AND GRIEF SUPPORT VIA ZOOM 6 to 7:30 p.m., virtual meeting BirchBark Foundation’s Pet Loss and Grief Support Zoom group offers a free support group, moderated by a licensed grief counseling therapist. Register at https://www.birchbarkfoundation.org/grief support or call 831-471-7255.
Employers in California can deliver tens of thousands of dollars in federal student loan relief to employees, by informing them about the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
••• 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.
Saturday September 10
PAINT YOUR PET FUNDRAISER
SUPPORT FOR MOTHERS OF SURVIVORS
Have you thought about being a poll worker for the Nov. 8 Aselection?apoll worker, you help ensure a safe, fair, and efficient election for all voters. Poll workers support early voting locations, ensure technology functions, and help minimize delays at polling places on election day. Fill out the form at: tionOfficerRequestForm.aspxhttps://www.votescount.us/Home/Elec
Saturday September 10
1-4 p.m., Ella’s at the Airport, 100 Aviation Way, Watsonville Pregnant Mare Rescue presents “Paint Your Horse (or any pet) Warhol Style,” a fundraiser with the Painted Cork at Ella’s at the Airport. Your ticket price includes a hand-sketched portrait of your pet, all art supplies, and 3 hours of professional instruction.Ticketsare $75. For more questions, email kim@ paintedcork.com. Get more details and register at www.paintedcork.com.
The City of Capitola presents free movies at Capitola Beach, on the bandstand stage in Esplanade Park. Sept. 2: Sing 2 Unfortunately, due to Covid, there will be no popcorn. Bring a picnic dinner at
5TH ANNUAL BLUE INNOVATION
HELP WITH STUDENT DEBT RELIEF
Wednesday September 14
The Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church announces the return of the Santa Cruz Greek Festival in downtown SantaEnjoyCruz.traditional Greek cuisine, music, and dancing. The festival will be in the beautiful courtyard behind the church at the corner of Center and Church, next to the Civic Auditorium.
POLL WORKERS NEEDED
knight-tickets-269816316867https://www.eventbrite.com/e/50th-reunion-a-golden-at Email 1972classofsoquelhigh@gmail.com.
An artist will be selected to create a public art com ponent for new Live Oak Library Annex at the Simpkins Family Swim Center. The proposed artwork should help create an inviting outdoor space where people of all ages will gather, learn, connect, and share. Proposals should reflect the Live Oak community’s identity and history, and may incorporate community participation. The deadline to submit is Sept. 30. The budget for the public artwork, which includes all costs associated with, but not limited to design, materials, travel, insurance, fabrication, installation, and documentation of the artwork, is $80,000.
The 5th Annual Blue Innovation is a festival for those who love our blue origins: Water & ocean. 30+ companies, organizations, researchers, and artists will exhibit their solutions ranging from ocean-safe alternatives to plastics, sea wall restoration, transportation, healthy sustainable seafood, exhibits for surfing, kayaking, and sailing, artists with love for the ocean. Plus food trucks and live music! Free to attend; tickets at innovation-tickets-360879429087https://www.eventbrite.com/e/blue-
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28 / September 2022 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com
Where should public electric vehicle charging stations be located in six counties between Ventura and Santa Cruz?Santa Cruz County has joined with five other counties to develop the Central Coast Zero Emission Vehicle Strategy, which is currently in the process of deter mining the best locations to place public electric vehicle charging stations around the Central Coast. Led by the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, Association of Monterey Bay Govern ments, and San Luis Obispo Council of Governments, the other five counties are Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, and San Beni-to.
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SANTA CRUZ GREEK FESTIVAL Fri. 5 p.m.- / Sat. Noon-10 p.m., Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church Courtyard, 223 Church St, Santa Cruz
From now until Oct. 31, it is easy to get credit for the PSLF program.
HIGH SCHOOLSoquelREUNIONSHigh: 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
Tuesdays
WHERE TO PUT EV CHARGING STATIONS?
Friday 9
See https://www.livelikeagreek.com/sc-greek-festival
IMAGINE BENEFIT FOR CASA 3-7 p.m., Outdoors, Sesnon House, Cabrillo College, Aptos CASA of Santa Cruz County will celebrate 30 years of believing in foster youth out-doors at Sesnon House. The event includes: Full-course meal catered by student chefs in Cabrillo’s Culinary Arts pro-gram.
10 a.m.-2 p.m., Outside UC Santa Cruz Seymour Marine Discovery Center, 100 McAllister Way
Tuesday September 13 CAPITOLA SOROPTIMIST CLUB MEETS 4 p.m., Michael’s on Main, 2591 S. Main St., Soquel Soroptimist International of Capitola-by-the-Sea will have its September meeting at Michael’s on Main. The meeting is free and open to the public. Fundraising results, future membership mixers and the “Live Your Dream” pro-gram plans will be discussed.Soroptimist International of Capitola-by-the-Sea is a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. For information, visit www.best4women.org.
There are different types of charging stations and popular locations for them include rest areas, retail venues, restaurants, libraries, community centers, beaches, parks. An interactive mapping tool is available to the public through October 2022 at www.bit.ly/CCZEV. The goal is to identify ideal locations for new public charging stations in the six counties. Visit www.centralcoastzevstrategy.com. for more information. A video tutorial on how to use the interactive mapping tool is at www.bit.ly/InteractiveMapVideo
Sunday September 11
September
• An interactive art wall, youth speakers, music, and dancing. • Performances by El Sistema and Activities for All Youth Mariachi. • Live auction items include vacation homes as well as a sailing trip on the bay.
or dine locally
area restaurants. Low back chairs, blankets and jackets recommended. No alcohol or dogs on the beach.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR Have a virtual or live event you want to promote? Send your information to
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Providing this life-changing benefit to employees comes at zero cost to employers because it’s a free federal program. An estimated 825,000 Californians could benefit from the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program by having their federal student loans cancelled after 10 years of public service work, but fewer than 15,000 have benefited from this program to date.
The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for care, support and research. The Santa Cruz walk willl be at Seascape Park & Resort in Aptos, following Covid guidelines.Registration is at 8 a.m. Ceremony at 9 a.m. Walk at 9:30 a.m. So far, 215 people and 55 teams are signed up to participate; they have raised $114,288. The goal is $290,000.Thereisno registration fee but the nonprofit Alzheimer’s Association asks every participant to raise money. For information, contact: Meggie Pina at (831) 900-5903 or santacruzwalk@alz.org
Each year Save Our Shores coordinates over 60 cleanup sites around the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, from the coast to our inland parks and waterways. Trash and pollution impacts the health of our marine, coastal, and terrestrial eco-systems. Help make the Monterey Bay a healthier place for all! Register to volunteer at event.find.Conservancyspace.sos-coastclean-sept172022https://tinyurl.com/andpickyouroutdoorDownloadthefreeCleanSwellAppfromtheOceantocollectdataonthetypesoftrashyouCompleteawaiverandbringitwithyoutotheBringworkgloves,buckets,andtrashgrabbers if you have them. Download the app at free-seas/international-coastal-cleanup/cleanswell/https://oceanconservancy.org/trash-
speaker 12:30 pm – Raffle Details: greybears.org n • Interlocking Pavers • Retaining Wall Systems • Flagstone & Slate • Real & Artificial Turf • Decorative Gravel & Utility Sands • High Quality Organic Soils & Compost • Custom Mixes • Drainage & Erosion Control • Boulders • Garden Tools & Masonry Supplies • Pond Supplies & Pumps • Soil Amendments • Organic Fertilizers & Pest Control • Decorative Mulch & Wood Chips • and much more! SPRING HAS SPRUNG It’s a great time to get out and garden! Whether it’s improving our landscape or creating a new garden, it’s good for the soul and great therapy!! THE LARGEST SELECTION OF LANDSCAPE MATERIALS IN TOWN Locally owned and operated since 1966 + Specialty soils and fertilizers by the bag or bulk. 831-688-6211 | www.aptoslandscapesupply.com 5035 Freedom Blvd. | Aptos, CA 95003 Monday - Saturday 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Closed Sunday Fast delivery to your home or o ce! 708 Capitola Ave | 831 515 7001 w w w .b r e a th a n d on e n e s s .c om @breathandoneness COMMUNITY CALENDAR
WALK TO END ALZHEIMER’S APTOS 8 a.m., Seascape Park & Resort, Sumner Avenue
COASTAL CLEANUP All Day, Santa Cruz County Beaches
6:30 p.m. (concert begins 7:30 p.m.), Peace United Church of Christ, 900 High St. Santa Cruz “Love and Loss,” is a memorial concert honoring the victims of Covid-19 in Santa Cruz County, featuring pianist John Orlando and a pre-concert talkUCbySanta Cruz Music Professor Anatole Leikin. The concert takes place at Peace United Church of Christ.Works include Mazurkas, Etudes, Ballade No. 3, the “Funeral March” sonata by Frederic Chopin and Alexander Scriabin’s Nocturne for the Left Hand. A donation of $30 or more is requested. Any amount is appreciated, and no guests will be turned away. Tickets and donations are available at: www.distinguishedartists.org Info: 831-539-0000 joorland@gmail.com
For more information, See: new/2022/220918sanctuaryfest.htmlhttps://montereybay.noaa.gov/
HARVEST FESTIVAL & AUCTION 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Grey Bears, 2710 Chanticleer Avenue, Santa Cruz Grey Bears will host its annual Harvest Festival & Auction Sept. 24. Eat, learn, move and shop at this year’s Harvest Celebration outside at Grey Bears. Enjoy appetizers, barbecue lunch with veggie options, music, free books, chair yoga, raffle and 50% off Thrift Store sale. 9 am to 3:30 pm – 50% off sale 10 am – Free chair yoga class with Suzi 11:30 am – BBQ lunch 12:00 pm – Keynote
Saturday September 24 COVID MEMORIAL CONCERT
WILDR FORUM: NOVEMBER ELECTIONS 6:30 p.m., Online Forum Santa Cruz is poised to elect two women to statewide office — one of which would be the first woman from the County elected to state office … to elect diverse representatives to the County Board of Supervisors … to vote on statewide ballot initiatives to protect women’s right to choose … and to bring women’s voices to school boards and cityWILDRcouncils.willbring diverse voices together on Zoom, so you can learn what support is needed for these very important elections and measures in November, plus give you the opportunity to network, teach and learn from diverse women in our community. Register at: https://bit.ly/WILDR092022.
www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / September 2022 / 29
Saturday 17
Tuesday September 20
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September
SEA STARS GALA 5-11 p.m. Cocoanut Grove Ballroom, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, 400 Beach St. To recognize this year’s 30th anniversary of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the annual Sea Stars Brunch is shifting to a formal Sea Stars Gala in the Cocoa-nut Grove Ballroom. A who’s who of marine conservation is expected to honor Sea Stars in research, resource protection, education and outreach, business/recreation/tourism, and the overall Panetta Sea Star, named for Leon Panetta, co-chair of the board of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. Attendees will see the premiere of the teaser short film about the history of the sanctuary, and a presentation from National Geographic photographer Frans Lanting of his new book, Bay of Life. There will be dinner, drinks, and silent and live auctions, live music andGuestsdancing.are invited to dress in formal attire — “Blue” tie (tuxedos with blue bow ties) and blue/green ballgowns. But all apparel is welcome. Attendees will see a “blue carpet,” with paparazzi, works of art from Ethan Estess and playful art created by K-5th grade students at Westlake Elementary School. Early bird tickets are $175. See https://montereybayfoun dation.org/events/
Monday September 19 PURE WATER SOQUEL PREMIERE PARTY 4:30-7 p.m., at Bargetto Winery, 3535 N Main St., Soquel. Soquel Creek Water District and Black & Veatch will host a party for the premiere of a mini-documentary on Pure Water Soquel produced by BBC Storyworks. The 16-part series of which Pure Water Soquel is a part is called “Beneath the Surface: The Journey of Water.” Most of the series focuses on countries other than the U.S. Space is limited. RSVP by Sept. 12 via PaperlessPost.
Sunday September 18 SANCTUARY FEST 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. along the Santa Cruz Wharf, Cowell Beach, and at the Sanctuary Exploration Center Sanctuary Fest celebrates the 30th anniversary of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the 50th anniversary of the National Marine Sanctu-ary System!Sanctuary Fest will take place along the Santa Cruz Wharf, Cowell Beach, and at the Sanctuary Exploration Center.
Consistent with County priorities under the Vision Santa Cruz County strategic plan, the Sustainability Update is being conducted through an equity lens, and recognizes that effective land use and transportation planning are necessary to create sustainable urban communities, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and provide additional housing options for all county residents while protecting our natural resources and agricultural areas.
The project is expected to begin later this month and will likely take a year to complete. Work will occur in phases in order to minimize impacts on the public. Residents and business owners along this stretch of East Cliff Drive and Portola Drive will receive direct notifications in the mail, and the project will be advertised in local media and social media. Updated project schedules and traffic delay notifica tions will be available online.
Housing on Portola Drive?
Sustainability Update Moves Forward
30 / September 2022 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com FEATURED COLUMNIST
Join us at an upcoming community town hall meeting: September Town Hall Thursday, Sept. 8 6 - 7:30 p.m. Hybrid Meeting: Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary, 8005 Winkle Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95065 and on Zoom: https://zoom. us/j/96708318897
Local News ... Local Sports ... Local Politics ... Local News ... Local Sports ... Local Politics ...
Measure D Projects Take Shape
The Sustainability Update includes updated regulations for housing pro duction, transportation, agriculture and resource conservation, sustainable communities, code modernization, commercial development, community services and environmental justice.
By Manu Koenig, Supervisor, First District
Passed by voters in November 2016, Measure D is the one-half cent sales tax that funds transportation projects for a 30-year period and is our County’s primary funding source for pavement rehabilitation projects. Of the total funds collected, 30% go toward local road repair, and the pri ority is for smaller neighborhood roads and local access roads. This summer, the Department of Public Works completed several Measure D resurfacing projects across the County, including on some key District 1 roads. In the coastal area, Portola Drive, a major arterial road for county residents, was resurfaced. In MidCounty, Thurber Lane and Fairway Drive were resur faced. On Thurber Lane, we were able to incorporate significant bike safety improve ments as part of the restriping plan. New bike lanes, green paint, and sharrows will greatly improve safety for local residents and schoolchildren in the area.
The County of Santa Cruz is nearing completion of the Sustainability Policy and Regulatory Update (“Sustainability Update”). This month, the Planning Commission will hold their second of two public hearings. The meeting will be on Wednesday, Sept. 14, at 9:30 a.m., virtually via Zoom.Tojoin on your com puter, go to: https://us02web. zoom.us/j/81481528029.Tojoinbyphone,dial: (669) 900 6833, Conference ID: 814 8152 8029 #
Upcoming Sewer Line Replacement
October Town Hall Tuesday, Oct. 11 6- 7:30 p.m. Hybrid Meeting: Loma Prieta School in The Forum, 23800 Summit Road, Los Gatos, CA 95033 and on Zoom: https:// zoom.us/j/96708318897Forafulllistofmeetings, check our website: santa-cruz.ca.us.
A major topic of public interest are the proposed rezonings along Portola Drive.
n ••• Come to our office at the Sheriff Center (5200 Soquel ave.) for Office Hours with Super visor Koenig, the first Wednesday of every
The East Cliff Drive Sewer Line Replacement project is an environ mental protection project intended to prevent a major disruption — such as a sewer leak or sink hole — from occurring. This proactive project will replace sewer lines under neath Portola Drive and East Cliff Drive between 12th Avenue and 26th Avenue, which are nearing the end of their functional lives.
There are nine properties along the Portola Drive corridor proposed for rezoning to the new “Residential Flex (RF)” zoning designation which, as currently proposed, In the RF zone district, it is proposed that heights of up to 40 feet and three stories would be allowed. There would be a requirement for a third-story setback to reduce the street view impact, and there would be a requirement for 10% of the site area to be reserved for open space. Proposed design guidelines would help to ensure that developments adhere to neighborhood character and incorporate parking, landscaping plans, etc. The new RF zoning designation would allow for potential residential development of the properties, several of which are cur rently zoned for commercial use and three for professional/administrative use. Development of the parcels, however, is by no means imminent. The purpose of what is being proposed is to allow a tool, a pathway, for that potential development. Projects that are proposed would, in almost all cases, undergo discretionary review and public input processes. We welcome your feedback and involvement!Giveusa call anytime, (831) 454 -2200 or email first.district@santacruzcounty.us.
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Meet Mavis and Marie
If you are looking for a gentle and loving pair of cats to hang out with come to the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter to meet Mavis and Marie! We are open 7 days a week from 10am-5pm for adoptions. Adoptions are first come, first served! Please view available animals on our website and then visit the Shelter to turn in your application. All adoptions require proof of home ownership or landlord approval. Please have this information pre pared. If an animal is in Foster Care, please bring in your adoption application and schedule an appointment to meet the animal. Call 831-454-7200 x0 during business hours or visit www.scanimalshelter.org for more information! Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter’s full-service,
This week the Pet of the Week for the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter is Mavis and Marie! These sweet bonded 3 year old black kitties are looking for a forever home where they can settle in and be loved and cuddled. Marie and Mavis came to the Shelter after being surrendered because of allergies. They previously lived in a home with women, teens and children under 12. Both cats love to sun bath, play in brown paper bags and being brushed! Both can be shy at first but will warm up to new people with some time and gentle pets. These are indoor cats and tend to be skittish of the outdoors. Marie is a little more shy, but she can be affectionate when given time. Mavis is more outgoing and will stand at her kennel door to see what is going on outside — she likes to be held and loves to sleep under blankets!
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open-admission shelter: Santa Cruz Location (Public Entrance): 1001 Rodriguez St., Santa Cruz, 95062 Hours: Daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Watsonville Location: CURRENTLY CLOSED 580 Airport Blvd, Watson ville, CA 95076 SCCAS Main line: 831-454-7200. Animal Control: 831-454-7227. After-Hours Emergency: 831-471-1182 • After Hours: jillian.ganley@santacruzcounty.us SCCAS Featured Pet
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