Community Calendar • Arts & Entertainment – Pages 28

Mondays

BRIDGE CLUB

10:30 a.m.-Noon, Capitola Branch Library, 2005 Wharf Road Ongoing thru Aug. 8 The Capitola Branch Library will host Bridge Club sessions on Mondays.

Everyone is welcomed from beginners to social players. Make new friends and sharpen your mind.

Bridge Club is a partnership between Santa Cruz County Parks and Santa Cruz Public Libraries. Register at scparks.com or in-person the day of the event.

Tuesdays

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/ griefsupport or call 831-471-7255.

Fridays thru April 14

DOWNTOWN FRIDAYS!

Starting Jan. 13 The party is coming to Downtown Santa Cruz.

Downtown Fridays mean free live bands, along with events, activities, and Friday-only specials at dozens of Downtown restaurants, galleries, shops, salons and more.

Thank you to Nicole from Rootstock Collective for designing our poster. Stay tuned for a schedule of bands and events.

DATED EVENTS

Thursday December 29

HABARI GANI! HONORING KWANZAA

6 – 8 p.m., Museum of Art & History, 705 Front St, Santa Cruz Curated by Santa Cruz Black Health Matters Initiative, this community at the Museum of Art & History honors the annual celebration of Kwanzaa.

Habari Gani! welcomes the community for: Kinara lighting ceremony, traditional dance, music, and a gift-giving ceremony.

Featuring a pop-up by black-owned bookstore, BlknPrint, plus a Kwanzaa market. 10% of sales will be donated to the Santa Cruz Ofrenda.

Saturday December 31

NOON YEAR’S EVE

11 a.m.-1 p.m., Live Oak Library, 2380 Portola Drive, S C No need to wait until midnight — ring in the New Year at noon at the Live Oak Library for crafts, snacks, and a balloon drop with the countdown to noon. This program will be bilingual.

COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER TO SPEAK

6 p.m., Online Meeting Dr. Gail Newel, Santa Cruz County Health Officer, will be the guest speaker for the Democratic Club of North Santa Cruz County via Zoom. Dr. Newel will provide an update on the current status of Covid-19 cases in the county, as well as the uptick in flu and RSV cases. She will also discuss the most common sources of exposure and precautions county residents can take to stay healthy and avoid

Gail Newel contracting these viruses. Members of the public are welcome to attend. Visit www. svslvdemocrats.org for the zoom meeting link. Social time starts at 6 p.m. and the meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.

CAPITOLA SOROPTIMIST CLUB MEETS

4 p.m., United Way of Santa Cruz County, 4450 Capitola Road, Suite 106, Capitola Soroptimist International of Capitola-by-the-Sea will meet at United Way of Santa Cruz County. The meeting is free and open to the public.

A new member will be inducted, the current status of the “Live Your Dream” program, and two pending fundraising projects 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, or email sicapitola.by.the.sea@gmail.com

Saturday January 14

JUSTICE FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING SURVIVORS

1 p.m., Resource Center for Non-Violence, 612 Ocean St., Santa Cruz The Santa Cruz County Branch of the American Association of University Women will present “Justice for Survivors of Human Trafficking” at the Resource Center for Non-Violence.

It is free and open to the public.

Rose Mukhar, founder of Justice at Last, a San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit law firm that provides free legal representation for survivors of human trafficking, is the featured speaker. She has experience in cases involving children, women, refugees, and survivors of domestic violence, torture, and human trafficking.

After law school, Mukhar studied the prosecution of war criminals and war crimes involving child combatants in The Hague, Netherlands and later determined that child soldiering during armed conflicts is a form of human trafficking. That inspired her to serve survivors of all forms of human trafficking, especially commercially sexually exploited children and children who are labor-trafficked. For information about this event and human trafficking issues,

MACIEL AVENUE: 21 DETACHED HOMES PROPOSED

Tuesday January 17

6 p.m., Sheriff’s Center Community Room, 5200 Soquel Ave. Santa Cruz A community meeting with the developer of the proposed 1960 Maciel Ave. project will take place in the Sheriff’s Center Community Room. Maciel Development Limited Partners purchased the property, 2.27 acres with a single-family home built in 1921, in September 2021 for $1.5 million and is proposing to build 21 detached homes.

ACTORS’ THEATRE: NEW 8 TENS PLAY FESTIVAL

January 20 thru February 19

8 p.m., Thursdays thru Saturdays • 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Santa Cruz Center Street Theatre, 1001 Center St. After nearly a year without new shows, the Santa Cruz Actors’ Theatre is kicking off the 2023 season with its popular 8 Tens @ 8 Short Play Festival — 16 new productions Jan. 20 through Feb. 19.

The new plays, selected from nearly 260 submissions coming from across the country, will alternate Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with additional Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. The weekend shows will feature one line-up at 2 p.m., and another selection at 8 p.m., allowing theater fans to see all 16 plays on the same day.

All performances will be in the Santa Cruz Center Street Theatre, 1001 Center St.

Playgoers will be required to wear a mask in the theatre and lobby areas, but proof of vaccination is not required.

Tickets are $32 general, $29 for students and seniors. Thursday performances offer a discount: Two tickets for the price of one. A package deal for both shows is $58 general, $54 students and seniors. For the play lineup and tickets, see: www.santacruzactorstheatre.org/tickets ••• Photo: Actors Sarah Cruse (left) and Avondina Wills, pictured here in a past show, both return to the 2023 8 Tens @ 8 Festival.

call AAUW at (831) 425-1306. For information on AAUW, see https://santacruz-ca.aauw.net.

Saturdays & Sundays, January 21-29

MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM OPEN HOUSE

10 a.m.-5 p.m., 886 Cannery Row, Monterey To show appreciation to the local community, Monterey Bay Aquarium will host a Community Open House for residents of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties (valid identification required).

No tickets or reservations necessary, but visitors must present a photo ID and proof of current Monterey, Santa Cruz, or San Benito county residence. This includes: • Photo I.D. with a local address • Matricula Consular • Current student identification from any university or community college located within any of these counties • Utility bill • Monthly bus passes from Monterey-Salinas Transit, Santa Cruz Metro, or San Benito County Express • Individuals who reside in a senior center or other group home may present a letter from the organization where they live with their name listed as a resident. Photo ID will be required.

Don’t forget to bring your matching photo ID. Guests of local tri-county residents must pay regular admission prices and pur-chase tickets in advance. neighborhoods — a meet-up for people who want to learn how to take an active role in their neighborhood to bridge divides on the topic of homelessness at the Capitola Library.

Learn how to problem-solve and create solutions in your neighborhood together. RSVP required at https://santacruzpl.libcal.com/ event/9929879 For information call Marsa Greenspan, Housing Matters Volunteer Program Manager: (831) 226-2486.

Thursday January 26

VOLUNTEER FOR 2023 PIT COUNT

5 p.m.-10 a.m., Location TBD The County of Santa Cruz is moving to conducting the Point in Time homeless count annually and needs community support.

The 2023 PIT count will be done using an app-based data collection tool, and will cover the entire county in one morning. Sign up at https://asr.sjc1.qualtrics.com/ jfe/form/SV_2f3KayP7qtQJNdk

Volunteers will work in groups, meeting their team members either at a central deployment center location or a convenient location before walking/driving their assigned routes and aiding with data collection.

Volunteers are asked to bring their vehicles to use in the count if they are able. Contact Alex Werner at alex@appliedsurveyresearch.org. for more information. RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ santa-cruz-county-2023-point-in-time-count-planningmeeting-tickets-464743970727 n