CARE: A Vision for 2023, By Carla Christensen, President, Soquel Creek Water District Board of Directors

FEATURED COLUMNIST

CARE: A Vision for 2023

By Carla Christensen, President, Soquel Creek Water District Board of Directors

Iam honored to welcome a New Year and begin my first term as Board President of the Soquel Creek Water District. We enter 2023 with a list of goals and objectives that are consistent with the District’s mission to provide our community with a safe, high-quality, reliable, and sustainable water supply.

I will focus on four areas summarized in an acronym: CARE — Collaboration, Adaptation, Resiliency, Economics/Environment. CARE embodies the principles behind the mission of the Soquel Creek Water District and its Board: to truly care about our community, our water, our economy, and our environment.

Collaboration

Collaboration with our neighboring communities and agencies remains a fundamental priority for 2023 and we will continue to work together on a variety of regional water-supply topics such as water transfers and recycled water.

The District is among the four agency members of the Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Agency charged with managing the groundwater Basin to ensure that water users have access to a safe and reliable groundwater supply that meets current and future Basin demand.

The District understands that regional solutions are critical to managing the health of the entire Basin, not just the portion that lies within the District’s boundaries.

We appreciate the continued collaboration with the City and County of Santa Cruz, City of Capitola, Central Water District, local community groups and with our customers!

Adaptation

The Pure Water Soquel (PWS) project, which will protect our water supply from seawater intrusion and allow us to replenish the aquifer with purified recycled water, is currently under construction, and is a prime example of how the District is adapting. Once the project is complete and operational, the District will transform from being solely a water district that extracts groundwater to serve its customers into a full-fledged groundwater replenishment district that will also be putting purified water back into the basin.

Resiliency

Climate change is testing everyone’s resiliency, and the District is committed to maintaining its efforts to adapt to climate change and its impacts.

As a water provider, preparing for drought and long-term water-supply shortages is one of our top priorities. When completed, PWS will provide a reliable, sustainable, and droughtresilient water supply that prepares our community for the impacts of a changing climate.

The PWS project, one of our key resiliency projects, was designed with the capability to double its purified water production capacity from its initial 1.3 million gallons per day to 2.6 million gallons per day in the future, should the need for additional water and suitable economic conditions exist.

The District has and will continue to discuss potential expansion needs with the Cities of Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley, and the Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Agency. In 2022, a state grant was awarded to our region to conduct a study on the feasibility of expansion of the PWS project and the study may begin as soon as this year.

Economics/Environment

Ibelieve that we can be good stewards of the environment and also support a healthy, vibrant economy. Our District’s mission includes a commitment to operating in an “environmentally sensitive and economically responsible manner.” Our Board fully supports transparency and community involvement.

This year we will once again be appointing a Rate Committee made up of interested customers to understand the rate setting process and make recommendations on upcoming water rate adjustments.

I was the chair of the Rate Committee during the District’s last rate-setting process and the experience educated me and my fellow committee members about all the factors that go into the rate-setting process, and reinforced my understanding of the value of water to our community.

We will strive to help ratepayers understand how their money is being spent and the work that District staff carries out every day to ensure that safe, reliable drinking water is being delivered.

I would like to acknowledge the community for its support and thank you for your confidence in the direction we are headed as a Board and District.

Finally, please remember that I CARE deeply and personally about water and our community. I am proud to be part of your Board of Directors and optimistic that the New Year will provide all of us — customers, staff, and community at-large and your Board — with opportunities to work together in meaningful ways to provide a safe and reliable water supply that supports our environment and economy. Thank you and best wishes for safe and abundant water in 2023! n •••

Carla Christensen has been on the SqCWD Board of Directors since 2014. She is a resident of Capitola and is a retired environmental scientist. Carla has been an active community member in the mid-county area for over 25 years and has served on the Board of the Capitola Junior Guard program for more than a decade and was a founding member of the Friends of Soquel Creek.

CALL FOR CITIZEN PARTICIPATION

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is now recruiting for its Measure D Taxpayer Oversight Committee.

Vacancies open for Districts 1 & 2 representatives

This committee will be tasked with reviewing how the funds generated by the Measure D transportation tax are being spent to ensure they conform to the ordinance. The responsibilities of the Committee include: ■ Reviewing Expenditure Plan expenditures on an annual basis to ensure they conform to the Ordinance ■ Reviewing the annual audit and report prepared by an independent auditor, describing how funds were spent ■ Producing a publicly available Annual Report of Oversight Activities

Application Deadline is January 13, 2023.

For application and more information, e-mail smunz@sccrtc.org.

THE U.S. & THE HOLOCAUST

The Santa Cruz Public Libraries plans a screening and discussion of the Ken Burns documentary The U.S. and the Holocaust, in partnership with Temple Beth El, the Resource Center for Nonviolence, and Santa Cruz County United for Safe and Inclusive Communities from 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Capitola Branch Library, 2005 Wharf Road, Capitola.

This is the day before International Holocaust Remembrance Day Jan. 27.

Light refreshments will be provided. Registration is recommended but not required. Register at https:// santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/10067554.

Discussions will focus on lessons learned and how to eliminate hate and violence from society. Facilitated small-group discussion followed by report-outs will provide a framework for attendees to glean lessons from the documentary and how those lessons can be applied here and now.

Attendees are encouraged to watch the entire 3-part documentary in advance of the discussion, which will air on local PBS Station KQED at 9 p.m. on Jan. 6, 13, and 20 and will be available to stream on the PBS website through Feb. 3. On Jan. 26, attendees will see a 40-minute screener from the series provided by PBS Books, who is supporting programming around the documentary for libraries nationwide. Art at https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/us-and-the-holocaust/

VOLUNTEER FOR MILES FOR SMILES

The independent nonprofit Partnership for Children, which increases access to medical care for children with serious illnesses and supports their families, needs volunteers for its Miles of Smiles holiday giving program.

Volunteers are needed at the organization’s “toy room” in Salinas, where they will wrap gifts from which Partnership for Children, children, will be able to select dur-ing the holidays. To volunteer or for information, call (831) 422-3002.

OPEN STUDIOS SURVEY

Do you love Open Studios?

If you experienced Open Studios this year, we’d love to get your feedback. What worked well? What could have worked better?

Whether you visited one location or many, we’d love to hear from you. The survey is at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ OS_Visitor_Survey

GETVIRTUAL: LAUNCH YOUR BUSINESS ONLINE

A popular UC Santa Cruz entrepreneurship class that pairs students with local business owners wanting to pivot from foot traffic to sales online is expanding beyond Santa Cruz. The recently launched Coursera version, GetVirtual: How to Launch your Online Business, is available to students at other UC campuses as well as anyone with an internet connection. For people outside the UC system, it’s free.

Students help participating businesses redesign their websites for e-commerce, list product catalogs in virtual marketplaces, and offer other technical assistance as needed. Much of the website creation curriculum comes from Wix, a no-code website building platform.

In the Coursera class, those in the class build a website for themselves.

The GetVirtual program already has partnerships with the city of Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz County Small Business Development Center.

The GetVirtual team is now working on a Spanish version.

Nada Miljković, a continuing lecturer at UCSC co-founded GetVirtual two years ago with serial entrepreneur Toby Corey.

“Students can be anyone from those about to graduate to young professionals wanting to go out on their own to retirees wanting to continue having a purpose in life,” she said.

GetVirtual has completed more than 150 client projects with 70% of those businesses in the city of Santa Cruz, all at no cost to the clients.

Nonprofit Santa Cruz Works honored Miljković as one of its 2022 Titans of Tech for contributing to the growth of the local tech and entrepreneurial community. See: https://www.coursera.org/learn/getvirtual

Have a virtual or live event you want to promote? Send your information to info@cyber-times.com by January 20

WINTER ITALIAN LANGUAGE CLASSES

Learn the language of “la dolce vita” with native Italianspeaking Instructors. Whether you are new to the Italian language, totally fluent, or everything in be-tween, the classes the Dante Alighieri Society of Santa Cruz is offering are for you!

The 10-week session begins the week of Jan. 23. Pricing & location (on-line & in-person) varies; see individual class descriptions for more information. The last day to register is Jan. 20. See: https://www.dantesantacruz.com/classes. For information email: dan-tesantacruz1265@gmail.com

SUPPORT FOR MOTHERS OF SURVIVORS

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

CONSIDER FOSTER CARE

Foster care is a critical program provided by the nonprofit Pacific Clinics with dedicated resource parents (formerly known as foster parents). Thousands of children and youth in California of varying ages, backgrounds, and need are looking for a temporary home with a nurturing family. Resource families provide the stable, supportive environment these youth need to be successful in school, their communities, and beyond. Ready to get started on your foster care application?

Pacific Clinics, based in Loangeles and serving 18 counties, makes it easy to apply, with its online Foster Care and Adoption portal at https://family.binti.com/ users/signup/uplift-family-services-rfa You must create a log-in with a password to get started. The application includes a criminal record statement, agreement forms, and policy and procedure forms. Once completed, a resource family recruiter will contact you to set up an informational interview, start a family and child profile, complete a background check, and, finally, a home study interview is conducted to evaluate your readiness to foster. Your resource family recruiter will also coordinate with you to complete all required training, such as CPR and First Aid. The entire process typically takes two to four months to complete.

FOR NEW MOMS

The Santa Cruz County Nurse Family Partnership is a program to support pregnant women expecting their first baby and new moms with their first baby. For information, call 831-454-4339 or text 831-566-3592.

HELP MATCHINGDONORS.COM

Currently, 270 people die every day in the U.S. waiting for an organ transplant; those that live wait 7 to 12 years to receive a kidney transplant through the government’s deceased organ donor waiting list.

Many patients receive their kidney transplant within only six months of registering on MatchingDonors. com, which is appealing to people to help by becoming a living organ donor or donating cars, boats, RVs, real estate, or planes to support the nonprofit organization, founded in 2003 and based in Boston.

Supporters include NFL quarterback Tom Brady, who raises money in the memory of his College of San Mateo coach Tom Martinez, who died of a heart attack in 2012 while waiting for a kidney transplant. Visit https://www.matchingdonors.com/life/ for more information.

IS YOUR PHOTO TOO SMALL?

HELLO DEAR READERS, One of my new year’s resolutions for 2023 is to help you get news into our community calendar.

You’ve probably noticed every issue has a “photo box,” a photo of an upcoming event with a description, what where, how much it costs to attend.

How does your event get into the photo box?

Step No. 1: Email me a photo with enough bytes so it doesn’t turn into pixels. This means actual size on a cellphone, or minimum 1 MB, for optimum picture quality.

I’ve seen too many small photos, 33 kb, or medium, 88 kb or 250 kb, which might be acceptable on our website, www.tpgonlinedaily.com but not in a print publication. We do both!

If I have to request a larger photo, that takes time, and often, we’re up against a deadline, and sadly the larger photo does not arrive in time.

You’ve seen photos accompanying other calendar events. Again, I recommend emailing a larger photo, actual size, 1 MB.

Step No. 2: Include a caption.

Step No. 3: Check the calendar of each issue for the next deadline. That way, your announcement will get to us in time!

Pro tips: To expedite your announcement, put it in the body of the email instead of an attachment. That way, I see it immediately — no waiting for a sluggish computer. For the subject line, put the date of the event first, followed by the name of the event.

Best wishes in 2023!

— Jondi Gumz, editor

RED CROSS JANUARY BLOOD DRIVES

Aptos Jan. 4: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Resurrection Church, 7600 Soquel Drive Jan. 7: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Twin Lakes Church, 2701 Cabrillo College Drive Ben Lomond Jan. 20: 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 9545 Love Creek Road Santa Cruz Jan. 5: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 220 Elk St. Jan. 18: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 220 Elk St. Jan. 20: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Santa Cruz Firefighters at Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St. Scotts Valley Jan. 14: 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, 5271 Scotts Valley Drive Watsonville Jan. 17: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley, 85 Nielson St.

OPERATION GRATITUDE

Operation Gratitude gives Americans the opportunity to go say “Thank You” to all who raise their hands to serve. Writing a letter is a meaningful way for Americans to say “Thank You” support for all who serve. It only takes five minutes of your day but will bring lasting joy to the recipients.

Operation Gratitude includes handwritten letters in every Care Package sent to Military and First Responders. In these unprecedented times, our heroes need our unwavering support.

Taking the time to put pen to paper and share your heartfelt thoughts can be what motivates a First Responder or a service member.

Register to get a guide, then write your letters.

Get creative.

Fill out the form with detailed instructions and labels for shipping. You pay the postage. For more information and ways to show support, see https://www.operationgratitude.com/volunteer/anywhere/ letters/

RESOURCE FOR CAREGIVERS

As families gather for the holiday, people may see grandma or grandpa, their mom or dad, or their aunt or uncle more forgetful or frail and in need of care.

Since 1988, Del Mar Caregiver Resource Center has served Santa Cruz County families of persons living with neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke, traumatic brain injury and other conditions that cause memory loss and confusion.

Trained staff are tuned in to the experiences and issues caregivers face, ready and able to connect, listen and support. The center receives funds from the state Department of Health Care Services. For information, see https://www.delmarcaregiver.org/ or call toll-free (800) 624-8304.