Capitola Soquel Times: April 2023

She.is.Beautiful Gets Lucky

By Melissa McConville

She.is.Beautiful 5k and 10k presented by Dignity Health lucked out with a beautiful morning Saturday, March 18. Nearly 5,000 women and girls took to the streets of Santa Cruz to honor of self-care, health, joy, community, and girl power.

This marks the 13th annual year for She.is.Beautiful, including the two years the event had to go virtual due to the pandemic. This year, $25,000 was raised for Walnut Avenue Women and Family Center in Santa Cruz. ... continues on page 4

New Jade Street Playground: Your Thoughts?

By

Youth Resource Bank: Investing in Children

By Jo Ann Allen

Now more than ever is a time when youth in our community need support. That is exactly what supporters and board members of the Santa Cruz County Youth Resource Bank have found themselves doing since 1989.

Full Story page 12

Including:

n Sofas

n Chaises

n Fire Pits

n Umbrellas

n Love Seats

n Dining Sets

n Custom Cushions

n Heaters

We also do complete patio furniture restoration and repair.

Cover She.is.Beautiful Gets Lucky, By Melissa McConville

Community News

5 New Jade Street Playground: Your Thoughts?, By Jondi Gumz

6 A Memorial Bench for ‘Indie’ Clark

9 Oldest People on Earth Share Their Voices • County Goal: 4,634 More Homes: Public Input Sought on Where & How

10 Capitola Library Writers Workshop Featuring Ortiz and Gudger • Jobs in Santa Cruz County • Paying More for Parking

12 Youth Resource Bank: Investing in Children, By Jo Ann Allen

15 No Water, No Toilets as Pajaro Evacuation Ends

16 New Advocates for Children

18 Good Friday: Surfers To Create Crown of Thorns, By Simon Cassar

20 Locals Raising Money for Wharf Improvements • Beautiful Sand Art: How does he do it?

21 Public Art to Remember Capitola’s Begonia Festival • Monterey Avenue Railing Art Project

23 Payoff: 100 Days, 6,000 Patients • Goats On Assignment: Controlling Vegetation Along the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line

24 Preventing Suicide, By Jondi Gumz

California News

7 Drive a Kia? Hyundai? Thieves Are Watching

Business Profile

17 Rainbow Carpets and Floors: And More!, By Edita McQuary

Local History

27 Signs of the Times: 1874-2023, By Deborah Osterberg

Monthly Horoscope • Page 26 – Never Again, Completely and Forever More, By Risa D’Angeles

Community Calendar • Arts & Entertainment – Pages 28, 29

Featured Columnists

8 The Memoir: A Recipe (& The Last of Eddie), By Joe Ortiz

11 Capitola Asks Feds To Support Cliff Drive, By Margaux Keiser, Mayor, City of Capitola

19 Spring Pruning Breaks The Rules, By Tony Tomeo

22 SB 277: Include Undocumented Families in Our Safety Nets, By Maria Cadenas

25 Taking Earth Day to Heart Every Day, By Rebecca Gold Rubin

30 County Mid-Year Budget Report: $67 Million in FEMA Claims, By Zach Friend, Supervisor, Second District

SCCAS Featured Pet • Page 31 – Meet Hazel and Eros

831-359-4670

COVER STORY

Patrice Edwards

Jondi Gumz

Melissa McConville,

Edita McQuary, Deborah Osterberg, Risa D’Angeles, Joe Ortiz, Margaux Keiser, Tony Tomeo, Maria Cadenas, Rebecca Gold Rubin, Zach Friend

layout

Michael Oppenheimer, Ward J. Austin 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

“She.is.Beautiful” from page 1

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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 ©2023. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form is prohibited without the publisher’s written permission

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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

Since its inception, She.is.Beautiful’s community donation to Walnut Avenue Women and Family Center totals nearly $200,000.

There are thousands of stories on our start line and thousands of reasons people show up to this event year after year.

Our event welcomes all levels from professional runners to those walking and everything in between.

Some people show up because they love to run, others show up to walk their first 5k. Some use the event as a way to honor themselves, reminding them that they can do hard things.

Others are showing up to honor someone they loved and use this as a way to celebrate that person. We had a group of more than 35 people honor a past participant, Stacey Souza, a 35-year-old avid SIB participant who recently died of a heart attack in her sleep. Her wedding was set for May.

Sarah Villar’s mother and family and friends have participated the last two years to honor their daughter who was killed by a drunk driver in 2021. Sarah participated in several She.is.Beautiful events and her family feels her presence when participating. We have mothers and daughters who have participated together since the mother was pregnant. Because we have a stroller division sponsored by Bumbleride strollers, we encourage women to come out and move through every season of their life at their pace, including pregnancy and post-partum.

Surprises make the scenic course extra fun. This year participants ran through a Dignity Health arch, a REI donut and cheer section, and a HOKA party zone with a DJ.

The 5k and 10k end at the Lighthouse in Santa Cruz, where more than 30 vendors are there to celebrate the runners’ and walkers’ accomplishment: Free coffee from Verve, ice cream from The Penny Ice Creamery, Goodles, Martinelli’s, Black Girls Surf, local woman-owed Living Kombucha and Lume Six sport bra company. The cute race shirts, custom goodie bags, photo ops, free race photos and good vices keep people coming back year after year.

We can’t wait for 2024! n

•••

Melissa McConville of Soquel is founder and director of She.is.Beautiful, a 5k and !0k race in Santa Cruz and Sept 9 in Santa Barbara.

Sign up at https://runsheisbeautiful.com/

Photos Credit: Captivating Photos

contributing writers

Jondi Gumz, Jo Ann Allen, Simon Cassar,

Michael Oppenheimer, Camisa Composti

Michael Oppenheimer, Ward J. Austin, Brad King website

photography

New Jade Street Playground: Your Thoughts?

By Jondi Gumz

The City of Capitola is forging ahead with a project to replace the aging playground at Jade Street Park with a new playground accessible to all children.

Think LEO’s Haven at Chanticleer Park, 1975 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz.

“I am so excited for the park!” said City Council member Yvette Lopez Brooks. “It really has been a dream of mine to get this built.”

Nikki Bryant LeBlond, Recreation Division manager, is spearheading the project, hosting two community meetings March 28 (rescheduled from March 21 due to the storm) and April 25, both at 7 p.m. at 4400 Jade St., and a pop-up at the park 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 29 to take public input. She answered questions about the project.

•••

What’s the cost estimate for the accessible playground? What has the city budgeted?

The City has budgeted $275,000 this fiscal year towards this project, currently in the design phase, and is now considering the allocation of additional funding for

FY22/23. Based on preliminary research, staff has determined a comprehensive accessible playground project at Jade Street Park could cost approximately $1,000,000. Final budget for the project will be determined as the project scope is further refined.

Is this a state or federal grant-funded project?

We are not planning to apply for any grants related to this project at this time.

Is private fundraising needed?

The City plans to partner with a community organization for a fundraising campaign. The allocated budget is a kickstarter for the fundraising campaign.

How old is the playground/play structure at Jade St. Park?

Playground equipment was initially installed in 1999 and updated in 2007. Does this mean buying a new play structure?

Yes, the project will replace the current play structures and change the layout of the overall playground.

City-hosted community meetings with Verde Designs will provide information on the project but more importantly these meetings will provide opportunities for the public to share what they would like to see in their universally accessible park.

What’s the age range the playground will be designed to serve?

The current playground has both a toddler and older youth structure.

“Jade Street” page 7

Since we started our Envirotokens program, we’ve donated $1.2 million to community organizations, kept 12.7 million bags out of landfills, and saved 17,000 trees.

Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz

A toddler gets a push on the swing from his mom at Jade Street Park.

A Memorial Bench for ‘Indie’ Clark

Editor’s note: Family and friends bid farewell March 18 to Indianna “Indie” Clark, of Soquel, a Pacific Collegiate School senior who tragically lost her life at 18 during a late-night swim in the ocean. On West Cliff Drive walkway in Santa Cruz overlooking the ocean, friends placed her photo on the fence surrounded by colorful flowers.

Kimberly Ward posted a GoFundMe for the family: https://www.gofundme. com/f/help-us-honor-indies-memory

•••

Indie’s vibrant spirit was a beacon for all those who knew her. She experienced life with zealous enthusiasm and a remarkable capacity for kindness.

As the oldest of three children, Indie’s bright effect and generous spirit will be profoundly missed. She had a passionate thirst for life and brought people joy with her infectiously positive attitude.

Although she will be dearly missed by her family, especially her two younger brothers and the larger extended circle of relatives, friends, and acquaintances she amassed during her 18 years, she will always and forever be in their hearts and minds.

Indie’s love for the ocean was renowned among her peers and friends; she often looked at its expanse in wonderment, inspired by what it represented: Possibility and renewal.

Her family plans to honor her memory with a memorial bench along West Cliff Drive near the Lighthouse so that others may pay their respects while they witness its beauty just as Indie always did.

Santa Cruz is a unique place that prides itself on its tight-knit communities and general goodwill for one another. We come together to celebrate the accomplishments of those in our lives, as well as mourn when tragedy strikes. In this heartbreaking situation, it is hoped that the community can rally around Indie’s family and show them the very best of our love, meeting the goal of honoring her memory with this memorial bench.

Losing Indie is an immense burden and one that no parent should ever have to carry, but if we all put forth a meaningful effort, we believe great strides can be accomplished in a demonstration of our collective compassion. Let’s all come together as one and make this happen for Indie and her loved ones.

The Clark family cannot express how grateful they are for the outpouring of love and support for Indie’s bench, as it brings them comfort knowing she will always be remembered near the ocean she loved. They are touched by communities from all around coming together to pay tribute to her dedicated life.

If the goal of the bench is met/ surpassed, the family wishes to start a scholarship in Indie’s name, so her memory can inspire generations of Santa Cruzans to come.

Indie is survived by her parents Barnaby and Allison Clark, her brothers Levi and Austin Clark, great-grandmother Anna Lou Grant, grandparents Michael and Barbara Grant, grandparents Michael and Barbara Clark, auntie Jennie May and John O’Sullivan and their children Rowan and Finn, cousins Brian and Chantal Keeney and their daughters Svea and Ida, great-aunt Liz Keeney, cousins Alice and Keith Wiggans and their children Zoe and Quinn, greatauntie Susan Hauswald and her son Yuri and daughter Natasha and Phil Robinson and their children Stella and Clark, auntie Amy and uncle Matt Ryan and her cousins Maddison and Robbie, auntie Annie and uncle Jeremy Macnair and her cousins Maverick and Elle, auntie Amber and uncle Paul Myer and her cousins Alden and Hudson, great-auntie DD and cousin Zachary Barnard. n

Drive a Kia? Hyundai? Thieves Are Watching

On March 20, Attorney General Rob Bonta, as part of a coalition of 23 attorneys general, sent a letter to Kia America and Hyundai Motor Co. expressing concerns about their failure to address the alarming rate of theft of the companies’ vehicles.

From 2011 to 2022, the companies chose not to include anti-theft devices called “engine immobilizers” that were a standard features in almost every other new car manufactured during that period, including the same Hyundai and Kia models sold in Canada and Europe.

Hyundai and Kia owners now face unnecessary risk of having their vehicle stolen and increasingly are unable to obtain insurance, making the vehicles illegal to drive in some states.

The letter calls on Hyundai and Kia to take immediate action to correct this public safety issue.

“Cars are often one of the largest purchases a family will ever make — and families shouldn’t have to worry that manufacturers are cutting corners that could put their purchase at risk,” said Bonta. “Hyundai and Kia made a decision to forgo a standard safety feature that would help protect owners’ investments, and now their customers are paying the price. It’s time for Hyundai and Kia to take responsibility for their poor decision which is hurting American families and putting public safety at risk. They must remedy this decision, now.”

Kia and Hyundai are South Korean brands, and Hyundai owns 33.8% of Kia.

“Jade Street” from page 5

We predict that the community will decide this remains a suitable age range for a youth-centered park; however, as a universally accessible playground, the design goal is to provide for all ages and ability.

(If you watch the activity at similar playgrounds, like Leo’s Haven in the county, you will observe a multi-generational experience.)

Additionally, the area surrounding the playground is also included in the project and will continue a multi-generational experience.

Has the city heard from residents on the access issue?

The City strives to make all public facilities accessible for everyone.

The City Council has included this renovation project and the renovation of the Community Center part

J.D. Power’s 2022 dependability study gave Kia the top rating for the fewest issues per 100 vehicles; Hyundai was close behind.

These vehicles have been stolen at high rates since approximately 2021, according to Bonta.

The thefts have frequently been accompanied by reckless driving and criminal activity, causing numerous crashes and eight fatalities, he said, adding that stolen vehicles have been used to commit crimes.

The thefts have gone viral, with videos on social media showing how to hotwire these vehicles and challenging others to steal them. Following these videos, thefts began surging across the country.

In Los Angeles, for instance, thefts of Hyundai and Kia cars increased by approximately 85% in 2022 and constituted

approximately 20% of stolen cars in Los Angeles in 2022, up from 13% in 2021.

Similarly, in Berkeley, California, thefts of these cars have made up 38% of vehicle thefts since the end of 2022.

Major insurance companies are now refusing to insure the Hyundai and Kia models most susceptible to theft.

In the letter, the 23 attorneys general assert that Kia and Hyundai have not gone far enough in their attempts to correct the decision not to install industry-standard anti-theft immobilizers as standard equipment in vehicle models sold in the United States.

The company has offered a software upgrade, but this upgrade will not be available for most affected vehicles until June and for some 2011-2022 models cannot be installed at all.

The companies offered a glass-break security $170, plus the cost of installation, which vehicles owners must pay for out-of-pocket.

The states urge the companies to accelerate the implementation of the software upgrade and to provide free alternative protective measures for all those owners whose cars cannot support the software upgrade.

Bonta joined the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, along with the Utah Division of Consumer Protection, in filing the letter. n

and presentation materials available to answer community questions. The public can also complete an online survey to provide feedback.

What’s the city timetable on actually installing a new playground?

The City plans to complete the conceptual design by the summer and will then begin a fundraising campaign along with community partners. It could take a year or more to fundraise and fully fund the project.

Once we reach the fundraising goal, the City will begin the installation process. Will city crews do the installation?

The City will undergo a public competitive bidding process to select a contractor that will complete the construction of this project. n •••

of their goals for this fiscal year. Optimizing accessibility is a priority of both projects.

Cover Photo: The City Council is expected to see a presentation on a universal playground for Jade Street Park in June. • Credit: Jondi Gumz

Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz

The Jade Street playground equipment dates to 1999, with an update in 2007.

The Memoir: A Recipe (& The Last of Eddie)

I’m devising this “recipe for a memoir” to help convince myself that we can reconstruct a story of our past only with the “ingredients we have on hand”—and only those recollections we allow ourselves to remember.

I vividly recall what I described in last month’s column—having been eaten alive by Mom’s wringer-washing machine. But the important events of Dad’s tragic downfall with money were mere stories I’d only heard from gossip down on the block and uncovered through the veil of childhood.

So, I did what any kid might do—I invented a connective narrative to explain the inexplicable—how Dad was destined to get himself in such hot water with the neighborhood bookie.

The stories heard around the table— told and retold so often that they became real—were the only clues I had to work with. And my sister Laura was my translator.

Surely, I must have filtered what I saw and heard but how much of that filter was denial? In an attempt to fashion a story out of a memory we’re afraid to recall, I find myself following the path that many writers take in explaining why they write in the first place—to find out what happened. Fortunately, Laura was my eyes, and ears.

A memoir—as a recipe, then—might be seen as a way to solve a craving, a hunger. But can it also be a blueprint for nourishment? For understanding? For getting well? So, I invent my meal—a main course or a soup—the way one might construct a story. Starting with the raw ingredients.

THE INGREDIENTS:

• Narrative (okay, so we’re just telling a story)

• Scenes in action in a proper order (so they appear to make sense)

• Digging up old bones and using condensation (to intensify the broth)

• Salt and pepper, the seasonings (the spice of occasional imagery)

• A sprinkle of fiction (to help hold the reader’s attention)

Narrative: We all tell stories. And we carry our recipes around with us, written or in our heads, to create self-nourishment. It’s our human nature.

Linking scenes in some logical

order: We learn to add ingredients (episodes or scenes) in a specific sequence. And by combining the tragic events that we’re absolutely sure had happened with those that are hazy or “inaccessible,” we hope to justify and assuage the painful moments.

Digging up old bones: Old bones, roasted and boiled down in wine or water, add depth and character to the broth. This may call up an image from archaeology—or from self-therapy, where we might peel back a solitary event like an onion. We uncover an old bone from the earth (or our memory) and wonder what secrets it can tell us about our past.

**Condensation: Both cook and writer use condensation by boiling down a stock over low heat into its most concentrated essence—to enhance its intensity.

**Revision: Testing a recipe over and over to perfect it, is like revision in writing. We revise to make sure the flavor balance of our dish will ring true to the palette.

Justification and expansion: In the concentration, we hope to maintain the balance of the dish (or story), its ability to be convincing. But condensation isn’t the only technique. As any seasoned cook (or writer) will tell you, there are times when new ingredients must be added to the pot. New possibilities explored.

The salt and pepper: After our dish is “almost done,” it’s advisable to taste it. So, we “correct for seasonings.” It’s that depth of flavor that makes a soup or a story come to life.

A sprinkling of fiction: Even the relatives sitting around the table, drinking tumblers of red wine, made things up in relating their “personal recipes” of what happened.

So, I follow their lead. In the end, we see it all as being true. But as Mom always said, “the proof is in the pudding.”

As far as we could figure out, this is what happened:

Previously: A few weeks earlier, after Freddie left Dad’s shoe shop, Eddie (unseen by Freddie) showed up sun-tanned and dressed in

a Panama hat and linen suit. When Dad told Eddie he thought he was sure he’d be gone a few more weeks, Eddie said, “I got lucky, Herman.”

There was that word “lucky” showing up again in the most unlikely places.

So, Dad warned Eddie to be careful about flashing his winnings around and mentioned nothing about Freddie looking for him. Eddie showed Dad the new saddle oxfords he bought in Boca Raton. And immediately, Dad reached behind his back, grabbed the cordovan French toes he’d promised to fix and put them under the counter where Eddie couldn’t see them. “Maybe you can float me a few more bucks to put heels on them?” Eddie agreed, handed Herman a ten spot and left.

“Kids,” Dad said to Laura and me. “Ya Fatha’s a genius. I’m finally starting to have some luck.”

There was that word again.

When Freddie showed up later that afternoon and said he wanted the shoes, Dad said, “I was gonna make thirty-five dollas fixing ‘em. The money’s fa Joe’s doctor bill.”

“I’ll set the fourteen dolla bet to rest. Plus give you ten more,” Freddie said.

“I’ll see what I can do. But Freddie,” Dad said. “I gotta fix the heels. It’ll take a few more days.” Dad was being careful not to mention that the shoes belonged to Eddie, or anything about having fixed the ugly scar across the toe. “By the way,” Freddie said. “Have you seen Grimey Eddie Ryan?”

“He’s in Miami,” Dad said, “Won’t be back for weeks.”

“He owes me,” Freddie said.

“Well, maybe you can send another twenty my way fa some information,” Dad said. “He’s going to be right here in the back alley on Satedy night.”

“You been lying to me, Herman? That’s dangerous.” Freddie just smiled and peeled off a twenty and threw it at Dad. But he didn’t say one word about the fact that when Eddie came back, it would be for the express purpose of picking up his French-toed shoes.

As Mom would say, “Ya fatha has more deals goin’ than Carter has little pills.”

By Joe Ortiz

•••

On Saturday night, just before Dad was scheduled to close the shop, he was sweeping up when he heard a knock at the door. Dad had already flipped the burglar alarm so you can be sure he wasn’t about the open the door for anyone. But it was Freddie.

Dad ducked down and hid. Most of the trusted stories we’d heard suggested that Dad was on his knees starting to pray. Now, everyone who knew my father, understood that things had to be pretty bad for him to have anything to do with the Father, the Son, OR the Holy Ghost, besides taking their names in vain. Eventually, Dad gathered his courage, went to the door to let Freddie in, when he saw a taxi pull up across the street; Eddie got out and started to pay the cabby. And Dad panicked.

“Freddie,” Dad said. “If I open the door, the alarm will go off.”

“It’s okay,” Freddie whispered. “I’m leaving, I just wanted to pick up my shoes. But Herman, by the way, how you gonna get out?”

Dad had to think fast. “I get out through the back window.”

“You’re crazy, Herman. I’m watching you.”

“I know.”

“And my shoes?”

“The new heels will be done early next week,” Dad said. “And please, Freddie. Don’t break Eddie’s arm, okay? It would look bad, you know?”

“Break his arm?” Freddie said. “Ha, ha. I’ll be back.”

“Yeah,” Dad said. “Now scram, will ya? If I don’t pull the switch within five minutes, the alarm goes off. And I can’t stop it without the cops coming.”

Just the mention of cops made Freddie disappear.

Across the street Eddie finished paying the cabby and started walking toward the shoe shop in his new summer outfit. So, Dad signaled to him to meet him out back.

That night the game took place in the alley as scheduled. The usual participants, Uncle Johnny, Eddie, my father, and a couple Italians from the neighborhood were joined by one of Eddie’s Irish friends who brought the whiskey.

“The Memoir” page 10

My sister Laura: She wouldn’t explain to me what happened.

Oldest People on Earth Share Their Voices

Grammy Award-winning music producer Ian Brennan announces his latest project: The first album ever to feature the wisdom and voices of those over 100 years old.

This album, The Oldest Voice in the World (Azerbaijan) “Thank you for bringing me back to the sky” (Six Degrees Records, release date: April 7), consists of 22 pieces with five bonus tracks featuring artists Brennan has collaborated with: The Kronos Quartet, Tinariwen, Malawi Mouse Boys, Yuka Honda, and The Good Ones (Rwanda).

In late 2021, Brennan and his wife, Italian-Rwandan filmmakerphotographer Marilena Umuhoza Delli , traveled to the southern mountains of Azerbaijan, where legend has it that the world’s oldest man hailed from there — having survived to age 168.

Brennan and Delli made the ambitious excursion to these remote rural villages amid a deluge of social media posts on best practices for “staying young.”

Upon their arrival in Azerbaijan, the couple found villagers had been ravaged by Covid-19 and most residents over 100 had died in recent months, including the oldest known woman in the country.

Traversing from village to village, they came to discover centenarian after centenarian living without indoor plumbing, sleeping on floor-bound mattresses, and what seemed to Brennan, that the Talysh people were almost anticipating their arrival with such a warm reception.

Brennan is known for scouring the far stretches of the globe to document singers in an uninhibited, authentic fashion.

From recordings in regions such as Rwanda, Malawi, South Sudan, Karachi, Comoros, Palestine, Ukerewe Island,

County Goal: 4,634 More Homes

Public Input Sought on Where & How

TheCounty of Santa Cruz is creating a new Housing Element to increase housing access and meet state goals for housing production — 4,634 by Dec. 31, 2031 — and is seeking public participation.

The County is establishing a Community Panel of individuals, including those impacted by local housing costs, to provide input on the Housing Element process. The Community Panel will reflect a cross-section of county residents, including community members most affected by housing instability and/or unaffordability and with a focus on those living/working in unincorporated areas. Historically marginalized communities are encouraged to apply. The deadline is March 31.

Separately, the County is conducting outreach to community groups, local businesses and partner agencies struggling to find and retain employees and/or pay staff sufficient wages to afford local housing and reduce greenhouse gases associated with long commute times.

“More Homes” page 16

Cambodia, and Romania, this latest project brought him to a region where no outsiders wander.

The villages were so remote, Brennan’s Azerbaijani-speaking companion from the city advised that the locals’ words were completely unintelligible.

Even the Talysh speaker from the valley below could make out less than 80% of what was being said in the remote mountain villages.

As the couple began meeting the centenarians, one theme was ever-present. Most would sing of their mother, and their secret to life was simple, “I was loved.”

Voices were recorded in their natural living environments. For instrumentation along with their voices, Brennan used the wood-burning furnace providing heat for the house, a walker, their own footsteps, a broken bedroom door, or the farm flour grinder.

“The texture of their singing was as if they had voices featuring distortion boxes built by time,” says Ian Brennan. “While recording, I removed my headphones more than once thinking there was some malfunction in the machinery, only to realize that what I was hearing was the singer’s pure tone. This project was a rare instance in music where the majority of people did not make the cut due to being too young -- a mere 90 or 86 failed to impress.”

Brennan and Delli experienced raw emotion.

A former shepherd was overcome and shakily stood up to leave the room after having sung a song his mother used to sing. Brennan recalls, “We feared our visit had caused him unnecessary upset. But when he returned, he beamed, grabbed my hand and kissed it repeatedly, and said ‘Thank you for bringing me back to the sky.’” n

Capitola Library Writers Workshop Featuring Ortiz and Gudger

Many writers — beginners or advanced — hope to find a way to workshop their writing in a focused writers’ group.

Joe Ortiz, cookbook author, and Keith Gudger, Friends of the Capitola Library volunteer, are hosting six writers’ workshops at the Capitola Library. The sessions will take place twice each month from April through June.

These sessions will explore proven writing techniques to help you create compelling narratives in your writing.

They’ll provide a forum for friendly support and honest feedback about your current project, whether your genre is fiction, non-fiction, or poetry.

A short craft presentation will open each workshop, showing how the techniques used in music, theatre, and painting

COMMUNITY BRIEFS

can easily translate as powerful tools for writers.

Each of the six 90-minute sessions will be structured as follows: Presentation on craft (20 minutes), participant share questions, concerns, goals (30 minutes), participant reading (30 minutes). n

Register at https://santacruzpl.libcal.com/ event/10501150

considerably but the state does not provide a breakdown.

Jobs in wholesale trade were up but not retail.

Construction, a typically higherpaying sector, is healthy with 5,000 jobs. Manufacturing, which tops 7,500 jobs, is stable.

Tech layoffs, a concern in Silicon Valley, aren’t visible in this report.

Unemployment was 6.7% in February — it usually rises in winter — as the labor force grew from 132,200 to 134,700.

For most of 2022, unemployment hovered around 3.8%, compared

to 17+% in 2020, fueled by pandemic restrictions.

•••

Paying More for Parking

Ifthe California Coastal Commission allows, the City of Capitola will raise fees to park in Capitola Village.

The City Council agreed with the recommendations of a temporary parking committee to raise parking rate to $1 an hour in lots behind City Hall, $2 hour in the Village; and to increase the number of available surf/coffee permits from 75 to 100 costing $55 each.

The rate hike must pass muster with Coastal Commission before changes can be implemented.

Additional signs will go up to direct visitors to the parking lots behind City Hall on Capitola Avenue. n

“The Memoir” from page 8

Because Eddie was a big roller when he had extra cash, my father started winning. But as usual, Dad’s luck changed. It took him two hours to win ninety dollars from Eddie, but in 20 minutes his winnings dwindled down to the twenty he started with.

The game was almost over. You could tell Eddie was relieved at getting his losses back. So, Dad blurted out what was on his mind.

“Listen, Eddie,” Dad said. “Forget the thirty-five dollars I was going to charge you for fixing the shoes. Just let me keep the ‘em.”

Eddie stood there for a moment, speechless.

“Explain this to me, Herman,” Eddie said. “You’ll never fit into my shoes. What are you going to do with them?”

“I’m embarrassed, Eddie,” Dad said. “I can’t even tell you, I’m so embarrassed.”

Uncle Johnny quickly chimed in, and—as Laura explained later—he really

Joe Ortiz Memoir: Episodes & Recipes

Joe Ortiz’s memoir, Pastina — My Father’s Misfortune, My Mother’s Good Soup, became the framework for the musical Escaping Queens, which ran at Cabrillo Stage in 2012 and 2013.

The Capitola Soquel Times is 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.”

didn’t know what was going on, but seeing how Dad was acting and how he was pimping Eddie, Johnny knew that Dad needed help. Furthermore, the two brothers were natural accomplices, having used the same one-two punch on suckers many times before.

The idea of weaving anecdotes about food with an ongoing narrative came to Joe after reading Heartburn by Nora Ephron.

“Using recipe descriptions to help tell a story seemed the perfect way to weave the angst of a father’s chaotic life with the salvation of a mother’s cooking,” Ortiz explains. “For me, the soothing aromas and descriptions of my mom’s food became the salve to assuage my father’s abusive actions, and the ironic humor of it all helped to dull the pain.” n

“It’s tragic, Eddie... ” Johnny said. “When a guy like Herman can’t do the magic wit someone’s shoes like he promised.” He raised his eyebrows and winked at Herman. Then Dad went back at Eddie with a counter punch.

“I couldn’t pull it off,” Dad said. “I

can’t even show you da shoes. It’d kill me. Fa’get the thirty-five dollars. Let’s call it even. For me Eddie. Please.”

Eddie hated to see Dad break down like that. And he was flush anyway. So, he said OKAY.

The game wound up at midnight. When it was over, and everyone else had gone, Herman and Johnny stood under the amber light of the lamppost in the alleyway.

As they snickered about putting one over on their Irish buddy, they both watched Eddie walk off toward his apartment on Vernon Boulevard, right under the Queensborough Bridge. And as we learned later, that was where Eddie was last seen by the hoboes that lived under the bridge tower—never to be seen again.

Could it be what the grownups were always talking about in the kitchen, but went silent when I walked in? Something about cement boots and a body being found in the East River?

Laura wouldn’t explain it to me. And I didn’t want to know. n

Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz Nothing Bundt Cake at Brown Ranch Marketplace in Capitola is hiring.

Capitola Asks Feds To Support Cliff Drive

By Margaux Keiser, Mayor, City of Capitola

Capitola held its breath while the second atmospheric river in recent weeks started to approach Santa Cruz County.

While we briefly went on an evacuation warning for the low-lying levels of Riverview and the Village, we were happy to not have to go through with a mandatory one.

Thankfully it looks like we will have some breaks in the weather, and can continue our journey of rebuilding.

Some Federal funding prospects were brought to our attention by Congressman Panetta’s office just this past week and we decided to jump on the opportunity!

We have many projects to look at, some that came more to light after the recent storms and others that have had to be placed on the back burner due to lack of current resources.

All in all, we have requested $2 million for the Jade Street Community Center, which is in great need of

updating and repairs, $10 million for the Cliff Drive stabilization project, which after the storm has proven to be an area of major concern for the city moving forward.

Lastly, a request of $1.5 million for the 41st Avenue Complete Streets program was put forth to make the commercial and residential thoroughfare thrive. While none of this Federal funding is guaranteed, we hope to see something come of our efforts to improve our city.

Other exciting news: Capitola City Council has approved a contract for the design of a universal playground at Jade Street Park to make the park more accessible and safe.

Community outreach will be done for this project and in-person meetings were scheduled March 21 (this meeting had to be canceled due to the inclement weather) and April 25 at 7 p.m. in the Community Center for those wishing to attend. Also, any updates can be found on our city website.

Some more efforts are being made to make our streets of Capitola more pedestrian-friendly. We have installed Ballard lighting along Monterey & Bay avenue cross-streets. City council is reviewing an addition of a sidewalk on Kennedy Drive towards Park Avenue, which will be a much safer route for many.

Businesses continue to push forward with rebuilding and getting back to being more operational. Springtime looks very promising for more action on the Esplanade. All shops and some restaurants are open however, so we encourage visitors!

You may also want to check out the new exhibit at the museum: “CapitolaSigns of the Times” the grand opening was Saturday, March 18, and is now available for visitors! n

Margaux Keiser is mayor of Capitola. Email her at margauxkeiser@gmail.com.

Businesses continue to push forward with rebuilding and getting back to being more operational. Springtime looks very promising for more action on the Esplanade. All shops and some restaurants are open however, so we encourage visitors!

Youth Resource Bank: Investing in Children

By Jo Ann Allen

Now more than ever is a time when youth in our community need support. That is exactly what supporters and board members of the Santa Cruz County Youth Resource Bank have found themselves doing since 1989.

This year the organization will hold its 33rd annual fundraising event at the lovely outdoor courtyard of Bargetto Winery in Soquel on April 29 from 3 to 6 p.m. The evening will be a celebration of community sponsors, donors, and volunteers. Guests will be entertained by the musical stylings of Rapatti and Rose with special youth performers. There will be plenty of delectable food and libations for the anticipated 125 guests.

At last year’s event, District Supervisor Zach Friend spoke on the virtues of the organization and distributed awards honoring sponsors for their continued highlevel support of YRB. Jonathan Engleman representing Sen. John Laird’s office presented Lynn Miller with the Honorable Thomas Black Award for his founding contributions to the Youth Resource Bank and for over 40 years of service to the children and youth of Santa Cruz County.

Additional honored guests included Congressman Jimmy Panetta, Board of Supervisor nominee Justin Cummings, retired superintendent Michael Watkins, Live Oak Superintendent Dr. Daisy Morales, the Honorable Judge Denine Guy, Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell, Santa Clara County

Chief Probation Office Laura Garnette, and founder of Aztecas Soccer, probation officer Gina Castaneda.

Who is the Youth Resource Bank?

TheSanta Cruz County Youth Resource Bank is a nonprofit 501c 3, all-volunteer organization working with professionals in our community (social workers, teachers, and public health nurses) to meet the needs of vulnerable children and youth in Santa Cruz County.

Since its incorporation in 1988, Youth

Resource Bank has provided funding and items such as backpacks, sports equipment, school supplies, clothing, and so much more. YRB believes that small things can make a big difference in the life of a child.

Youth Resource Bank accepts requests from organizations and professionals working in the community with vulnerable children and youth, including teachers, public health nurses, social workers, and juvenile counselors. These are the people who understand the patchwork of programs and systems, and who know when a child has fallen between the cracks and needs a little help without red tape. Because of our network of referrals, the YRB serves many children and young adults not covered by various systems and agencies.

When a request is received, it is quickly reviewed and if the request meets basic requirements (assistance to a child in a situation in which there are no other immediately available resources, typically up to $250 per child), Youth Resource Bank fills the request with, for example, a check to a science camp or gym fee, a Ross or Safeway gift card. Providing a quick and specific response to an acute need. YRB does not accept requests from the public.

“Youth Bank” page 14

Auctioneers YRB Chair Cam Logan and Vice-chair Jo Ann Allen facilitate a lively bidding war on an African safari and board member Jeff Gaffney helps finding the bidders.

2022: Board of Supervisor candidate Justin Cummings, Congressman Jimmy Panetta, Santa Cruz District Attorney Jeff Rosell, Judge Denine Guy, and Deputy Probation Officer and founder of the Aztecas Soccor Program Gina Castaneda enjoy themselves at Youth Resource Bank fundraiser.

“Youth Bank” from page 12

Youth Resource Bank serves many children and youth not covered by various state, county, and city programs.

YRB typically receives five or more requests for assistance per week, the vast majority of which are fulfilled without delay, red tape, or hassle. In 2022, we provided 237 children and youth with needed resources.

To fulfill our mission of aiding the vulnerable child and youth of Santa Cruz County, we rely on our annual fundraising events and generous community sponsors. It is heartening to see the community come together in support of its children, especially during these extraordinary times.

This year we have reached out to a variety of local business to sponsor our 2023 fundraiser “Investing in our Children.”

We greatly appreciate the support we have received from NHS/Santa Cruz Skateboards, Monterey Bay Resources, Law Office of Benjamin/Leibrock, Bay Federal Credit Union, Kiwanis International, Ramsey Lath and Plaster, Mateo Family Foundation, Santa Cruz Memorial, Pacific Wave, Santa Cruz Community Printers, Capitola Candy Co., and Indigo Properties.

In addition to our sponsors, we have a variety of community donors that are providing a plethora of items for our live and silent auctions that are sure to bring bidding excitement to the participants.

This year’s live auction will feature, photo safari trips to Africa, tickets to Sharks and Giants games, lodging stays in Tahoe and Hawaii, hosted dinner parties with live music, an evening candy making party at Marini’s, and a sail on the Chardonnay. The silent auction will include hundreds of items such as gift certificates to local restaurants and shops, locally made jewelry and art, tickets to local music and sporting

events, wine and wine tasting events, services from local tradesmen, curated baskets of local products, and so much more!

The Youth Resource Bank is an allvolunteer organization, so all profits generated from this fundraising event are used to support the needs of children and youth residing in Santa Cruz County. With the rising costs of needed items, limited resources for families, and increased anxiety living in today’s tumultuous times, including recent fires and floods, the need for our services has grown exponentially. It is the power of our community and often the power of one person to bring hope to a child. n •••

Tickets for the Investing in our Children event are $50-$62.50 at www.youth resourcebank.org.

For stories of hope, see www.instagram. com/youth.resource.bank.sc/ and www. facebook.com/youth.resource.bank.sc/. •••

Cover Photo: Bargetto Winery hosted last year’s Youth Resource Bank auction fundraiser in its outdoor courtyard.

Jonathan Engleman representing State Sen. John Laird’s office presenting Lynn Miller with the Honorable Thomas Black Award for his founding contributions to the Youth Resource Bank.

Zach Friend presents sponsor award to longstanding donor, Richard Novak of NHS.

No Water, No Toilets as Pajaro Evacuation Ends

On March 23, 15 days after people were evacuated from Pajaro due to an epic storm that soon breached the Pajaro River levee, flooding the community and breaking a critically important sewer line, Monterey County officials allowed residents to return home — but warned there is no drinking water and toilets cannot be flushed.

County officials set up hygiene stations outside Pajaro Middle School, which had been evacuated and closed by flooding, and at Pajaro Park.

Now there are hand-washing and laundry stations, along with bottled water and information booths for those who want to clean up their homes from what the flooding left behind and remove debris such as appliances, computers and televisions, and batteries, paint and cleaning supplies. Toilets and showers have been set up throughout town.

Residents who return home “do so at their own risk,” officials posted on Facebook, adding, “The area is still not safe to be inhabited at this time.”

Red signs posted by Environmental Health staff indicate the building is unsafe to enter; yellow indicates the building was inspected and residents can enter for cleanup purposes only.

On Facebook, officials posted that “Monterey County and Pajaro Sunny Mesa Services are working diligently to restore the sewer system.”

The sewer line that broke connects Pajaro to Watsonville’s wastewater treatment plant.

Zach Friend, a member of the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency board, said the break occurred because the line passes lengthwise through the core of the levee, which was eroded beneath Highway 1, exposing the sewer line.

“Many days of continued vigorous flow of water led to erosion of material that supported the line, which led to it breaking,” he explained.

At a virtual town hall meeting Wednesday night, Monterey County officials said repairs were “in progress.”

On Facebook, Monterey County officials said it may take 1-2 weeks to know if the water is safe to drink.

Fairgrounds Shelter

On March 16, the Santa Cruz County Emergency Operations Center

expanded shelter at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds at 2501 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville, in partnership with the County of Monterey.

The expansion pushed the capacity at the Fairgrounds to more than 400 beds, according to Santa Cruz County.

This gave Pajaro evacuees a location closer to their community.

Shelters opened March 9 at Cabrillo College and the Watsonville Veterans Memorial Building were placed on standby as a result.

The shelter site provides a place to sleep, food, supplies and support services.

Santa Cruz County reported the Fairgrounds shelter is being operated by Monterey County with support from the County of Santa Cruz and the City of Watsonville. The California Department of Social Services, American Red Cross and numerous community-based organizations are providing support to evacuees.

On Wednesday, agencies set up a drive-through distribution for evacuees with the help of 40 volunteers handing out 1,500 boxes of food and supplies at the Santa Cruz County fairgrounds. The 17-pound boxes contained rice, beans and other non-perishables, plus shampoo, laundry detergent, diapers, pet food, water, hand sanitize and paper towels.

Monterey County posted information saying donations to help people in Pajaro are being accepted and distributed, working with All In Monterey County Inc.

A donation center is set up at the Monterey County fairgrounds, 2004 Fairgrounds Road, Monterey, open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day to receive donated items. Staff make three trips a day to Watsonville to assist those affected by the storm.

“Pajaro Flooding” page 16

Photo Credit: Jeremy Lezin

New Advocates for Children

On March 16, Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Timothy Schmal swore in 13 community members as Court Appointed Special Advocates for children in foster care.

They all completed CASA’s 35-hour training program.

CASA of Santa Cruz County recruits, trains, and supervises volunteer Advocates who are matched one-on-one with a child in the county’s dependency (foster care) court system advocating for them the entire time they have a case open with the Court.

As officers of the Court, CASA

volunteers ensure that the children’s needs are recognized and their best interests are considered in the courtroom, school, and in the community.

There is a great need for bilingual and male volunteers, however people from all cultures and professions and of all ethnic and educational backgrounds are encouraged to learn more. n

For information on how to become a CASA volunteer Advocate, contact Clarita Cortes at (831) 761-2956, ext. 102, or visit www.casaofsantacruz.org/volunteer

“Pajaro Flooding” from page 15

Those affected can request items at: https://allinmonterey. org/2023-pineapple-express-storm-relief

However, some people complained via posts on Facebook that their efforts to make donations at the fairgrounds shelter and cook for evacuees were spurned. Others were frustrated that no presidential disaster declaration (providing FEMA relief for individuals) has been issued although President Biden made such a declaration for Santa Cruz County and visited Seacliff State Beach and Capitola Village, places that experienced millions in damages in the January storm.

“More Homes” from page 9

The California Department of Housing and Community Development issued a “Regional Housing Needs Allocation” for unincorporated Santa Cruz County of 4,634 homes for the upcoming eight-year Housing Element, including 1,492 very low-income units.

The Housing Element must undergo environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act and receive state approval by Dec.

All in Monterey County has a website but it doesn’t list an email or a phone number to contact the leaders.

Watsonville City Council Daniel Dodge Jr. posted a message that volunteers Fabian Carlos Leonor and Maura Carrasco Leonor led an effort to ask what evacuees at the fairground need: Jogger pants for men and women, toothpaste, toothbrushes, undergarments, fleece blankets, socks, hair bands, shavers, shoes, snacks and pillows and pillow cases. n

•••

For more information on shelters in Santa Cruz County, visit: https://santacruzcounty. us/OR3/ShelterInformation.aspx

15, 2023 to avoid significant penalties and/or suspension of local permitting authority. n •••

To apply, see www.surveymonkey.com/r/ CGBD6D9

Members receive $25 gift cards for each meeting attended.

To follow the process locally, visit www. santacruzcounty.us/2023HousingElement

For more info, visit www.hcd.ca.gov/ planning-and-communitydevelopment/housingelements

From left, Haley Raices, Annie Rooke, Olivia Winter, David Brodkey, Ashiana Smith, Alexandro Ochoa, Emiko Stewart, Hanna Cornell, David Coleman, LeAnn Copriviza, Nicole Irigoyen, Alicia Reithknecht, with Judge Timothy Schmal and trainer Roxy Greenspan (not holding a certificate). Kimberly Szabo is not pictured.

R ainbow C a R pets and F loo R s And More!

By Edita McQuary

Dean Sturtevant and his wife

Rochelle have been in the local carpet and flooring business for 46 years.

Santa Cruz natives Dean and brother Don started the business, however, Don retired eight years ago.

When Don retired, Dean and Rochelle got out of the national buying group and became independent. They now have all local non-commissioned sales people, so there is no pressure involved in selling to customers.

Rainbow Carpets and Floors offer free professional in-home or in-office estimates. Some of their installers have been with them for 40 years offering the best quality installations in the Central Coast.

Rainbow Carpets and Floors offer topquality material with box-store pricing.

Their goal is to provide customer service and satisfaction. They know the value of return customers. They are proficient both in residential and commercial projects.

Some past customers have been West Marine Corporate Office, Kirby School, Watsonville Hospital and many local churches.

They have also worked with local contractors on their flooring needs.

“I believe our advice and experience has saved clients a lot of money,” said Dean.

“We provide the high-quality service that the big box stores are not able to

provide. Personal relationships in the community and word-of-mouth referrals have been vital to our business,” he added.

Rainbow Carpets and Floors carry a wide range of popular brands such as Armstrong, Mannington, Shaw, Mohawk, among many others. They also have a warehouse on site to facilitate getting customers the flooring they want.

Rochelle has been involved with Soquel Village Antiques for 15 years. She

has some very interesting, high-quality antique furniture on display at the Airport Boulevard store in Watsonville.

Both Dean and Rochelle are Soquel High School graduates and have been married 41 years. They have five children and eight grandchildren.

In-store employee/estimator Genny Sabatino has been with them 15 years and Justin Foy recently joined them from a prior position in Santa Cruz.

“Flooring is what we know better than anyone – it’s what we do better than anyone,” said Dean.

Customers are invited to come see for themselves. n

Rainbow Carpets and Floors is located at 432 Airport Boulevard, Watsonville. Phone: 831-728-5092. Open Mon. — Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

www.rainbowcarpetsandfloors.com

Good Friday: Surfers To Create Crown of Thorns

By Simon Cassar

This year, Capitola has certainly had its fair share of trials and burdens. Jesus also had trials and burdens and this year on Good Friday, churches throughout the community will be gathering to paddle out and form a massive crown of thorns symbolizing what Jesus Christ went through to show us “The Way” to an awesome life.

Why paddle out? In surf culture — when a loved one passes away, we paddle out to honor their impact & express gratitude for the life they lived. In Santa Cruz tradition, local churches in our community are gathering to paddle out - honoring the life of Jesus & His sacrifice on the cross.

All are welcome — please bring family & friends! You can paddle out or join us on the shore on Friday, April 7, between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. at the Capitola Beach Esplanade to gather for an uplifting message, reflections, awesome uplifting worship concert music by Kokua music while having awesome fellowship with the Capitola community and most of all baptism for those who want a new awesome life that will last for all eternity.

Joe McCrosky, from Christian Surfers, will coordinate the cross being formed while Danny Bennett from The Coastlands will coordinate the Paddle Out ceremony.

Anyone who wants to know more about our hope in Jesus Christ and His awesome love is welcome to join in this

unique building of the cross with surfboards this Good Friday.

Also, we are including hula again this year albeit not the same troupe. For more information on this event, see https://www.facebook.com/ TheCoastlands.

Are you or is someone in your family interested in getting baptized, following Jesus’s direction in Matthew 28:18-20? Kids from 1st grade up and adults are welcome to sign up and take the next step in their faith journey! Please sign up at Coastlands church, 831-688-5775. n •••

For more information, call Coastlands 831-688-5775.

Beach

2022 Surfers form a cross on Capitola

2022 Baptism at Capitola Beach

2022 Good Friday Paddle Out in Capitola

Spring Pruning Breaks The Rules

By Tony Tomeo

Dormant pruning is the best pruning. It happens while the subject plants that benefit from it are dormant and unaware of such procedures. Such procedures would be significantly more distressing to plants while they are vascularly active. In comparison, spring pruning may seem to be cruel and tortuous. Nonetheless, it is justified for particular applications.

For most plants that benefit from dormant pruning, the worst time to prune is immediately after the best time. Such plants are most vascularly active while blooming and refoliating during early spring. They become more resilient to pruning as they finish bloom and their foliage matures. This generally applies to plants that benefit from spring pruning as well.

The primary difference between plants that prefer dormant pruning and plants that prefer spring pruning is their primary purpose. Several plants that benefit from dormant pruning produce fruit. Plants that benefit from spring pruning merely produce profusion of bloom. Dormant pruning concentrates resources. Spring pruning allows maximum spring bloom.

For example, flowering plum is like a sterile but prettier version of fruiting plum. It merely blooms impressively without subsequently fruiting. There is no need for dormant pruning to concentrate resources into fruit, or to compensate for fruit weight. When and if pruning becomes necessary, it can happen after any unwanted growth has contributed to bloom.

Flowering cherry, flowering crabapple and flowering quince may actually prefer dormant pruning like their fruitful relatives do. However, like flowering plum,

they also bloom more abundantly prior to spring pruning. Unrelated dogwood, redbud, forsythia and even New Zealand tea tree likewise benefit from spring pruning, which is the same as late pruning.

In moderation, blooming stems of plants that get either dormant or spring pruning can be delightful as cut flowers. A few unpruned stems can remain after dormant pruning for that purpose. They only need proper pruning when harvested or after bloom. Likewise, plants that get later spring pruning after bloom can likely spare a few stems while still blooming. Alternatively, such stems should be conducive to forcing.

•••

New Zealand Tea Tree Bloom should probably be most profuse for late spring or early summer. In actuality, New Zealand tea tree, Leptospermum scoparium, blooms whenever and however it wants to. Now that it seems to be blooming prematurely, it might continue to bloom in phases until autumn. Minor bloom phases might even continue randomly through autumn and winter.

Floral color is white, pink or red, including deep ruby red. The tiny flowers are sometimes sporadic but sometimes quite profuse. A few cultivars have plump double flowers. Foliar color is olive drab green or bronze green. The finely textured evergreen foliage is slightly scratchy. Its tiny leaves have pointed tips. The fibrous brown bark is handsomely shaggy.

New Zealand tea tree works very well as a blooming informal hedge. Frequent shearing of formal hedges compromises both bloom and natural form. Elimination of lower growth exposes appealingly sculptural trunks supporting little trees. Some modern cultivars will not reach first floor eaves. Some reach second floor eaves. All demand sunny exposure. n

•••

Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo. com.

Spring pruning allows bloom to finish.

Frequent shearing might interfere with bloom.

Locals Raising Money for Wharf Improvements

An ad hoc committee of community members has formed the Capitola Wharf Enhancement Team — CWET — which will raise funds to enhance a rebuilt Capitola Wharf due to significant structural damage caused by January’s storms.

The Wharf is expected to remain closed until spring 2024. The City of Capitola has announced plans to repair and revitalize the Wharf in conjunction with a previously planned $8 million Wharf Resiliency Project. CWET will complement those reconstruction plans with private donations to make the wharf more inviting to residents and visitors.

Gerry Jensen, who chairs the

CWET team, says this is a generational opportunity for legacy giving.

“The Capitola Wharf is one of the most iconic assets along California’s Coast,” he said. “This is a chance for current generations to improve what Capitola offers. Our community’s energy is positioned to get it done.”

CWET is already partnering with other local groups like the Wharf to Wharf Race, held annually on the fourth Sunday in July. Registrants for this year’s race will receive information about enhancement efforts and how to donate. Additional partnerships are underway.

Public input will be sought about what improvements, such as lighting, historical signage, seating, enhanced public use, and art features the community would like to see. n

•••

For more information or to be involved, contact cwet.info@gmail.com.

Beautiful Sand Art: How does he do it?

Brighton Denevan says he’s been drawing since he was 5. And he spent 20 years watching his father, Jim Denevan, obsess over sand art and land art.

Now it’s his turn.

Denevan, 30, creates with a rake. He comes to the beach sand, a giant canvas, with an idea like a 3-D model in his head.

He has a drone videography business and posts examples of his work on Facebook, where he has 7,000 followers.

For info, email brightondenevan@ gmail.com

Photo Credit: Gerry Jensen

Capitola’s historic wharf was broken in two by January’s epic storm.

Gerry Jensen

Public Art to Remember Capitola’s Begonia Festival

On behalf of the City of Capitola, the Capitola Art and Cultural Commission is seeking an artist or artist team to create a piece of art that both welcomes people to the Capitola Village and honors the 65-year history of the Capitola Begonia Festival.

The art budget project is $40,000.

The planned project site is a prominent street corner as you enter Capitola Village, the north corner of Stockton Avenue and Wharf Road. This site was selected because it is owned by the City, and it is close to where the Begonia Festival’s Nautical Parade took place on Soquel Creek.

Submission deadline is April 24.

This art project is funded by a joint effort of the Capitola Beach Festival (the nonprofit that stepped in after the Begonia Festival) and the Capitola Arts and Cultural Commission.

Capitola loved its Begonia Festival that ended in 2017 when the begonia flowers were no longer available.

This commemorative project will both honor the history of the Begonia Festival and serve as a welcoming piece of art visible to many thousands of people annually entering and leaving the village, both in vehicles as well as on foot.

Capitola Village is located along a wide beach with a breathtaking view of the Monterey Bay and is home to numerous craft galleries, boutiques and restaurants. It is here where the Capitola Begonia Festival took place for decades and many events continue to take place such as the Capitola Beach Festival, Art

Deadline to Submit Proposal: April 24

and Wine Festival, Twilight Concerts, Art shows, and the Capitola Car Show. Moreover, Capitola beach is a popular destination spot for tourists.

This project is intended to reflect the beauty, colors, activities, and history of the Begonia Festival. Because this is a “commemorative” piece of art, the Art & Cultural Commission shares an interest in including images or replicas of a begonia flower, in appropriate begonia colors.

This project might include some community involvement in the artistic content, such as decorative tiles created by the community. An example: The 2008 individual ceramic tiles installed on the Capitola Beach seawall.

Artists should ensure their art meets all ADA requirements as well as local building codes.

The project budget includes all expenses related to the research, investigation, design, and fabrication of the art project including but not limited to: Design time and fees, design documents, renderings and/or other media as required to communicate the artist’s concept design development to stakeholders and approving bodies, signed and certified structural and/or other construction/engineering drawings and specifications that may be required for fabrication, fabrication of the artwork, transportation of materials, transportation and accommodations for artist(s), insurance and all other project related expenses, and maintenance of artwork.

The artist will work with the City in the installation of the art project.

Monterey Avenue Railing Art Project

The Capitola Art and Cultural Commission is seeking an artist or artist team to create a sidewalk railing art project in order to enhance the existing railing on the south side of Monterey Avenue stretching from Escalona Drive to the Village.

The budget is $50,000. The deadline to submit a proposal is 5 p.m. May 1. n

•••

Details: www.cityofcapitola.org/acc/page/ call-artists-monterey-railing-project

The intended site is on/near a small earthen knoll, which may require some grading, reinforcement or hardscape. The City may decide to enhance the site for accessibility and public convenience and enjoyment. The site does have access to electrical hook-ups.

This opportunity is open to artists working or living along the west coast in California, Oregon and Washington. Applicants must demonstrate they have all necessary permits to work in the U.S. at the time of submittal.

In addition to qualifications, portfolio and rough cost estimates, the artists will be expected to submit one or more rough draft concepts for consideration.

Selection will be in two phases: One, review in early May of qualifications by a city panel, which will recommend selection of up to 4 artists to submittal a design proposal, and two, finalists get feedback and prepare a detailed concept for presentation in person (or via Zoom) to the city panel. A stipend of $500 will be provided to the artist for a model.

The final date selection will be at the discretion of the City.

Phase Two Selection Criteria will emphasize: Appropriateness to the village atmosphere, creativity and innovation of design; representation of the Begonia Festival; pedestrian friendliness; and visibility to vehicles entering Capitola Village. n

Key dates:

May 9: Arts and Cultural Commission review

June 13: Artist interviews/presentations/ if needed

July 11: Artist presentation of more fully developed design to Arts and Cultural Commission

End of July/early August: Arts and Cultural Commission recommendation to City Council

Sept. 2-4: Ceremonial ground breaking/ project start, Labor Day weekend This call for artists does not constitute a guarantee the City will hire an artist. The City may decide at its discretion not to select any of the proposers and/or reissue the call for artists. View historical photos of the Capitola Begonia Festival at https://www.flickr.com/ photos/98560224@N02/

Detailed call to artists at: www. cityofcapitola.org/acc/page/call-artists-begoniacommemorative-art-project

2004 Poster • Liz Lyon Friedman

FEATURED COLUMNIST

SB 277: Include Undocumented Families in Our Safety Nets

By Maria Cadenas

Thousands of Monterey and Santa Cruz County families were forced to evacuate March 12 after the Pajaro and Soledad rivers flooded this rural agricultural area. The storms arrived at the beginning of the growing season, just as farmworkers were going back to work and farmers had prepped the land to grow the fruits and vegetables we all enjoy.

The storms left families without a home, without work, and with possible contamination to drinking water facilities.

Fields are now full of water, drowning plants, and mud banks. Leaving farmworkers without a job and small farmers on the brink of bankruptcy.

The economic impact is long term. It is a decrease in wages and earnings for the entire year, with possible unemployment of six months. This while the region is still trying to recover from the devastating impact of COVID, wildfires, and recent storms.

Furthermore, the cost of living and housing crisis in the region raise significant questions about where we can house displaced families. Putting many at risk from predatory landlords and lenders.

And if you are undocumented, you have no real recourse.

This is especially important in the Monterey Bay region - the No. 1 California location in county concentration of undocumented population. Most working in agriculture, services, and hospitality – significant economic drivers in the region. This means that when our undocumented neighbors don’t do well, neither do we.

In 2020, we launched UndocuFund Monterey Bay. This collaborative effort raised close to $5 million and provided unrestricted cash relief funds to almost 4,000 families. Our model trusted families to identify how to best support their needs and piloted monthly stipends vs one-time assistance.

The value of an unrestricted cash challenged traditional models of relief aid by emphasizing the dignity and self-determination of people. Our work strengthened a community-directed safety net for undocumented workers otherwise ineligible for federal and state support.

“SB 277” page 26

Flooded fields leave farmworkers without a way to earn a living.

Payoff: 100 Days, 6,000 Patients

In 100 days, Santa Cruz Community Health and Dientes Community Dental served 6,000 patients who made 14,000 medical, behavioral health, and dental visits at their new facilities at 1500 Capitola Road in Live Oak.

The two nonprofits joined forces to provide a comprehensive range of health services to low-income patients on a new 3.7-acre health and housing campus in the heart of Live Oak.

The first phase of the project, which includes an 11-chair dental clinic and a 20,000-square-foot primary care health center, opened in early December, provides a wide range of services to those in need.

Dientes’ new 11-chair dental clinic will allow Dientes to serve up to 6,000 additional low-income patients annually.

Santa Cruz Community Health’s 20,000-square-foot primary care health

center is offering a broad set of services provided by 100 staff members, including

family practice, pediatrics, integrated behavioral health, acupuncture, chiropractic and more.

Both Dientes and Santa Cruz Community Health are hiring for open positions as they continue to ramp up operations.

Laura Marcus, CEO of Dientes, said “Our clinic brings us one step closer to addressing the great need for highquality, affordable dental care for our community. We are grateful for all those who generously gave so that we can celebrate these first 100 days and look forward to caring for our patients for years to come.”

Leslie Conner, CEO of Santa Cruz Community Health, added, “This state-of-the-art campus is opening opportunities for so many. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the positive impact

we’re having and look forward to providing top-notch care and services for many years to come.”

Patients are reaping the benefits.

“I am very grateful,” said Mark, 78, who was referred by his SCCH doctor just across the plaza to Dientes for emergency dental care. “I was in pain, and now I feel a lot healthier.”

This vision, six years in the making, was made possible through the generous community support. Dientes and Santa Cruz Community Health raised a combined $18 million to build the health centers.

The health and housing campus is the first of its kind in the county. It features a family-friendly public plaza, a native garden and art walk, and 57 affordable housing units scheduled for completion later this year. n

Goats On Assignment: Controlling Vegetation Along the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line

As of March 20, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission will be deploying goats to control vegetation overgrowth on 2.6 miles of the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line corridor.

Goats will be used in four locations to control weeds and potential fire hazards, clear certain drainage ditches to prevent clogging which may damage infrastructure or neighboring properties, reduce the debris degrading the railroad ties, and to clear certain invasive growth areas which impede visibility for safe travel and for police to patrol for illegal activities.

Goats are quieter, more energy efficient, require less person-power, and could reduce the need for and/or enhance the effectiveness of herbicides, according to

the RTC, which added this could also reduce the overall maintenance cost of the corridor.

Work will take place in these locations starting in Aptos:

• Aptos (Doris Ave. to Sandalwood Dr.)

• Capitola (Coronado St. to Wesley St.)

• Live Oak (38th Ave. to 17th Ave.)

• La Selva Beach (South of the San Andreas Road overcrossing)

This work will require the use of electric fencing, goat herders, and herding dogs, all of which will also be contained within the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line right-of-way where the work is being done.

The public is asked to not disturb the electric fencing, enter the fenced area, or pet/feed the goats or dogs.

Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz Paintings by Anna Oneglia brighten walls at Santa Cruz Community Health.

Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz Dientes dental clinic features iconic Santa Cruz photos by Greg Milligan.

Photo Credit: Kevin Painchaud

Capitola Road Health and Housing Campus.

Preventing Suicide

By Jondi Gumz

Childhood trauma, bullying, a disrupted relationship. perfectionism, LGBTQ rejection — and then something happens, the last straw, and a young person decides life is not worth living.

It’s happened here in Santa Cruz County, grieving friends and family. What to do?

OnMarch 10, experts at the 25th Annual Jon E. Nadherny/Calciano Memorial Youth Symposium at the Coconut Grove spoke to 400 clinicians, educators and policymakers who deal with this question every day.

For Dr. Christine Moutier, chief medical officer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the topic is more than academic.

“I have a 21-year-old trans child,” she said.

Moutier said evidence-based strategies are:

• Decreasing access to means (such as a gun or pills)

• Increasing access to care (although clinicians are in short supply)

• Increasing coping and problemsolving skills

• Increasing connectedness.

“You don’t have to be trained to engage in these conversations,” Moutier said.

Her organization has a campaign called “Seize the Awkward” with a 15-second tutorial at seizetheawkward.org: Are you alright? Do you want to talk about it?

To break the ice, create a coupon that says, “Good for Chill & Talk.”

Prevention Walk

The organization, which has 74 chapters in 50 states, hosts “Out of the Darkness” prevention walks, a journey of remembrance, hope, and support.

One will take place Sept. 30 at Skypark in Scotts Valley, where participants will no doubt remember Mateo Delhi, who ended his life at 15. For information, contact Farah Galvez Theissen, 707-721-4062, or AFSPSta CruzCtyWalk@gmail.com.

There are model policies for school districts, including what to do after a suicide, and more than a half dozen programs, including Survivor Day Nov. 20.

Moutier, in her training, had only a half hour covering suicide.

“It was always an orphan topic,” she said.

When she talked about pediatricians screening kids 12 and up for suicidal thoughts — a new guideline — the room broke into applause.

Screening for depression will miss 32% of those with issues, she said.

She recommended involving the family at the onset of treatment, not waiting until a young person tries to end his or her life.

A good way to follow up after discharge: “Caring Contacts,” postcards, phone calls or emails, which she said Aetna is doing.

Lifeline: 988

The national suicide lifeine 988, which launched in July, is answered locally by 59 volunteers and 16 staff, according to Andrea Tolaio, program manager at Suicide Prevention Services of the Central Coast.

Responders go through the 50+ hours of training and more are needed. Call 831-459-9373, x 37, or email sps24hr@fsa-cc.org

Lifeline calls in Santa Cruz County increased from 1,846 in 2021 to 2,901 in 2022.

In 2022, based on those callers who shared personal information, 38% were between ages 11 and 29.

Among the situations prompting calls: Abuse by a mom and her boyfriend, inappropriate touch by stepdad, parents fighting, and feeling trapped in a homophobic environment.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Wellness Centers

ForDr. Faris Sabbah, superintendent of the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, the topic hits home.

He said a 12-year-old boy in his family is at risk.

Sabbah has federal funding to open Family Wellness Centers, one in North County, one in South County, locations to be announced.

“We have access to students for a third of their lives,” he said. “Services have to be co-located.”

Again, the room broke into applause. He hopes to have wellness centers at all eight high schools in the county, as Salinas does.

In the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, the largest in the county, Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez saw a need and pushed to open a Family Wellness Center, which opened a year ago.

Who Will Pay?

Sabbah identified the biggest problem for parents who want their children to get help: Who’s going to pay? They may have health insurance, but the insurer may not pay, determining that service is not needed.

They may not have any insurance, or perhaps they don’t know they qualify for health insurance from the government.

“We have to be able to provide services regardless of insurance,” said Sabbah as the room applauded again.

Dr. Michael Paynter oversees the Companion Project to give students in complex cases an advocate.

A new initiative is Hope Squad, which has started at Scotts Valley High School.

Monarch Services, addressing domestic violence, has a Youth Council.

NAMI Santa Cruz County will offer parent training.

The SafeRx Coalition, formed in 2015, is focusing on making Narcan, life-saving naloxone, available in schools to reverse a potentially deadly opioid overdose.

More than three dozen fentanyl deaths took place last year in Santa Cruz County; in some cases, a young person ordered pills for sleep online and they arrived tainted with deadly fentanyl.

This month, a 12-year-old girl overdosed on fentanyl in downtown Santa Cruz, showing the need for naloxone.

Despite the challenges, Sabbah is hopeful, telling those at the daylong conference, “I believe every day you are saving lives.”

County Efforts

In 2021, Santa Cruz County launched the Mobile Emergency Response Team for Youth was launched in 2021 for those up to

age 21 in South County. Services are available weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Call 1-800-952-2335.

Andrea Turnbull, interim manager of crisis services for Santa Cruz County Behavioral Health, said a new van has just arrived to serve youth in North County . The number of youth served grew from 272 in 2021 to 361 in 2022.

AB 988 funded the mobile teams and the new 988 suicide and crisis lifeline. The state must write a 5-year plan for the 988 system by Dec. 31.

The county’s Mental Health Pocket Guide lists resources to call, such as National Alliance on Mental Illness, which has peer support groups 831-427-8020, Lighthouse Counseling, part of Janus of Santa Cruz, 831-462-1060, Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance, 728-6445, Monarch Services Crisis Line, 888-900-4232, and the Trevor Project, 866-488-7386.

What Santa Cruz County doesn’t have a residential facility for youth in crisis. To get that help, families have had to drive outside the county.

Hope is on the horizon with the county’s impending purchase of 5300 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, an office building owned by Bay Federal Credit Union, with plans to remodel and retrofit for 16 inpatient beds. The county is asking for bids, and construction is expected to start next year, with opening due in late 2024.

James Russell has been hired as manager. Lived Experience

DeQuincy Meiffren-Lezine, who has a PhD and directs the Lived Experience Academy, talked about his experience going from being suicidal to growth.

“If I had access to a gun,” I wouldn’t be here,” he said.

He said the acute phase can be very short, hours or minutes, giving time to intervene.

When he was talking to someone with suicidal thoughts, he offered options that were rejected. But when he suggested, “Why not go to sleep?” the man agreed, saying, “I can do that.”

That’s an example of distraction.

For an in-person intervention, he recommends staying with the person and making eye contact until the acute phase ends.

Friends and family can provide help in a crisis, he said.

After someone has tried to end his or her life, it’s important, he said, to look forward — not just on what happenedin the past.

“If we keep people in this state of alert, we’re increasing their risk of suicide,” he said. “Just because somebody has had a crisis, you don’t give up on their growth.”

“Memorial Youth Symposium” page 31

DeQuincy Meiffren-Lezin, of Lived Experience Academy

Taking Earth Day to Heart Every Day

By Rebecca Gold Rubin

The arrival of spring brings a host of welcome signs — warmer weather, blossoms, baseball, and the celebration of Earth Day. The Soquel Creek Water District (District) would like to take this opportunity to recognize our customers and local community members who take the meaning of this event to heart and practice good environmental stewardship every day.

We would also like to share some of the District’s actions to protect and enhance the natural environment.

Earth Day, which takes place this year on Saturday, April 22, is an annual celebration that marks the environmental movement’s successes and raises awareness of the need to protect the Earth’s natural resources for future generations. We live in a community that is committed to protecting the environment, and as your water provider, we share that commitment.

One way we have demonstrated a commitment to the environment is through its participation in the Monterey Bay Area Green Business Program, a regional effort to encourage businesses and public agencies to adopt best business practices that meet or exceed environmental standards. The District received its first certification as a Green Business in 2017 and recertified in 2022.

Environmental stewardship is one of the District’s core values, and our staff and leadership are not only doing what is right for the environment but also setting a good example for the community. We continue to focus on reducing the impact of our operations on the environment, and we urge others to do the same.

The Green Business Program recognizes businesses and government agencies whose operations strive to reduce environmental impacts and hazards to employees and the community, including conserving water and energy, preventing pollution, and reducing solid waste production. To achieve the Green Business Certificate, the District first participated in a green business audit and was found to generally operate in a way that met many of the Green Business requirements.

To achieve all of the requirements, a staff-led “Green Team” was created to

implement a variety of actions to reduce the District’s environmental footprint and meet the Green Business standards. That effort led to several eco-friendly practices, such as a green purchasing policy; encouraging staff to operate in a more environmentally responsible manner; starting a non-chemical pest prevention practice; and reducing the use of paper and single-use kitchen products.

Last March, the District underwent an inspection from the Monterey Bay Area Green Business Certificate Program and was recertified as a Green Business. As part of the process, the District has:

• Updated its Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Guidelines

• Developed a new Environmental Best Practices Document

• Posted new signage for recycling/ composting and proper thermostat settings

• Met with Central Coast Community Energy, GreenWaste, and a solar power consultant

• Investigated new eco-friendly products to replace our current supplies

• Insulated the hot water pipes in Operations & Maintenance

As part of the re-certification process, the District committed to:

• Reducing the use of single-use cleaning products (like hand wipes)

• Increase the recycled content of our paper products where appropriate

• Eliminate cleaning and janitorial products which are not aligned with Green Seal/ EcoLogo certifications

• Educate staff about our Environmental Best Practices

More information about the Green Business Program is available at: https:// greenbusinessca.org/santacruzcounty

We know that many community members are committed to limiting their impact on the environment by reducing consumption, reusing materials where possible, and recycling what can be recycled.

Our water customers already do an amazing job of using water efficiently, and we will continue to encourage more of our customers to save money by saving water. An easy way to keep track of your water usage

(and detect costly leaks) is by signing up for WaterSmart. It’s free, easy, and lets you track your hourly, daily, and monthly water usage. Through the WaterSmart portal, you can also pay your bill; diagnose a high bill; get automated leak alerts; set alerts for unusual usage; and get personalized recommendations for reducing your water use. Visit the WaterSmart Portal to learn

how to sign up: www. soquelcreekwater. org/watersmart

We wish everyone a happy Earth Day. We applaud our community’s daily actions to protect our Earth and its precious resources. As your community water provider, the Soquel Creek Water District is committed to the wise and efficient use of our resources and being good environmental stewards. n

Colors

country 66. Run of the law

68. Geography class book

69. Local area network

70. It’s firma

71. Has divine power

72. Banned insecticide, acr.

73. German surrealist Max DOWN

1. “General Hospital” network

2. Crop of a bird

3. Zeus’ sister and wife

4. Two under par on a golf hole

5. Meat-cooking contraption

6. Winglike

7. *Predominant color of Mars

8. Type of membranophone

9. Like never-losing Steven

10. Town

11. *Primary color

12. ___ Juan, Puerto Rico

15. 7th planet from the sun

20. Chosen few

22. Nicki Minaj’s genre

24. Not womenfolk

25. *Number of colors in a rainbow

26. Of service

27. Colorful parrot

29. *The LumiËre brothers’ colorful creation

31. “Cheers” actress Perlman

32. Jeopardy

33. Sergio of Spaghetti Westerns fame

34. Follow as a consequence

36. Email folder

38. Cone-shaped quarters 42. Naiad or maenad 45. Motherless calves 49. Old horse 51. Long John Silver, e.g. 54. Modified “will” 56. Bottom-ranking employee

Opposite of “out of” 58. Hall of Fame Steelers’ coach

June 6, 1944

“____ Buy Me Love”

dawn and noon

Yours and mine

pleasure

Latissimus dorsi, for short

Never Again, Completely and Forever More

On Thursday, March 23, 2023 (3/23/23), after 14 years in Capricorn (ruled by Saturn), Pluto, the planet of transformation — (almost) completely and forever more — leaves the 10th sign of the zodiac (except for a short retrograde back into Capricorn in June) and enters the 11th, that of Aquarius (ruled by Uranus).

Never again in this lifetime will we as the present humanity experience so many years of Pluto in Capricorn. Why? Because it takes Pluto 14–19 years to move through a sign (constellation). It takes 248 Earth years for Pluto to complete one orbit around the Sun.

For the past 14 years, since Jan. 27, 2008 (worst U.S. financial crisis, as we see now 14 years later, another one once again looms ahead), Pluto and Saturn (fiscal, material transformations, corruption & misuse of power) have ruled the world. It has been a heavy burden for humanity — like Sisyphus, pushing a boulder up the mountain which, at the top falls back down

ARIES

You will begin collaborations with others. Your identity as alone and self-absorbed shifts as you realize the new era is about group work. So you gather all your gifts and talents and boldly begin to work with others to create communities that meet the needs of the new humanity. You find those with shared hopes, wishes and dreams. Together you and others will build a world no one thought possible. You are the initiator. It’s your time now to lead. Be kind with everything and everyone always.

TAURUS

Over time, new levels of responsibility and tasks in the world will appear. You have been preparing for this in the last many years. Your work in the world, your purpose along with a great Initiation becomes clear and apparent. You will climb the ladder (Jacob’s ladder) with the angels in order to prepare humanity for what’s to come. Buy good hiking shoes, make friends with goats and unicorns and summon the devas to help you. Your focus will be unshakable. Many will learn and follow and cooperate with you.

GEMINI

Long-held beliefs you felt were protective will fall away. A whole new world of information will appear with an invitation for exploration. Travels close by and far away, higher education and new teachings will appear on your horizon. Your mind will be filled with sudden and unexpected revelations of truth. Heed them. They will be challenging, calling you to a new state of virtues and ethics. If a crisis of faith appears, call upon Mercury and Venus to be your guides.

CANCER

You are a water sign, along with Pisces and Scorpio. In the years ahead you will dive deep into Scorpio waters. These are the waters Pluto rules. You will feel like Persephone, captured by Pluto. You will become the two fishes, displaying duality. You will be swept into oceans of feelings, and into shadows not of your making. You will be fearless. Instead you will learn from these symbolic journey’s inward. And be inspired. You become the phoenix, then the eagle flying in the wind.

and rolls over him. As Pluto leaves Capricorn for Aquarius, we move from the element earth, to the element of air — a much lighter reality!

Forward thinking in revolutionary Aquarius, Pluto will alter the landscape of our thoughts, technologies, and how we create our future. Aquarius is about humanity working in group cooperation, forming communities, adapting to a new self-identity — that of the World Server. This occurs over the next two decades or for the next 19 ½ years (till March 9, 2043).

As Pluto enters Aquarius (sign of the water bearer, the “waters of life for thirsty humanity”), the celestial energies shift from Pluto/Saturn (materiality) to Pluto/Uranus (all things revelatory, unexpected, surprising and new). Relieved of our heavy burden (Capricorn) we sense the promise of freedom (Aquarius) in the air. It is a freedom which we must now fight for and thus illustrate that we are worthy of that freedom. It’s a whole new world now. n

LEO

Relationships become profound places of experience and experimentation. Everyone becomes a mirror, a reflection of the many parts of yourself. Some parts/reflections will be new to you, some old, some you will be familiar with. You become more and more authentic in interactions, relationships and intimacy. You learn how to value each day, each person and act with Goodwill towards all of life. The laws and principles of the new era (Aquarius) will be studied. Your heart understands that love underlies everything in (y)our world.

VIRGO

Pluto will add to, subtract, shift, make ready, transform everything in your daily life. Your health and wellness will be a focus. Day to day habits become rituals of self-transformation. You will shake loose of any criticisms or judgments of self and others, leading to a state of purity quite like Mary, the Madonna, the Mother of the World. You become Ceres, too, harvesting summer fruits. You thus nurture and sustain all of life, becoming a limitless spiritual resource for others. You have waited for this time.

LIBRA

Venus ruled, you are already an artist, in how you see the world, in how you create beauty in all environments. In the years to come you will be inspired with new creative ideas, and you will take this creativity and your artistic visions seriously enough that you take on new projects, perhaps new work. You will bring a mysterious magic to all projects and no one will understand why. But you will know it’s Pluto as the Will to Create beauty. You will “lift the kingdoms to the Kings of beauty.” You will forgive, too, and love more and more.

SCORPIO

The most intense shifts of your life will be occurring in the coming years. You will emerge from living underground and be lifted up up into the air. Your home will be transformed into something unexpected and unplanned. It will be a surprise. You will assume a new role in the family. Perhaps you were unseen up ‘til now. You will heal childhood wounds through forgiveness. A new foundation is formed, a new solid grounding. You shed your sunglasses and see the golden rays of the sun for the first time. You recite the Gayatri daily and on your knees.

SAGITTARIUS

The way you think, talk and write all forms of interaction and communication will change and deepen. At times you will feel like an arcane temple of secrets. You will become an almost Scorpio, mysterious, inscrutable, secret, profound and unfathomable. You will be like a Wisdom Temple, with secrets coming to the foreground of your thinking. Nothing superficial will be allowed. People will think you have become grave, immersed in enigmatic shadows, cryptic and covert. But it’s just Pluto taking you on a journey into the underworld which becomes your overworld. Everything you thought you were is dismantled.

CAPRICORN

Well, that was a very powerful, potent, formidable, intense, compelling and deep last two decades just experienced where all Caps felt extreme pressure. What/who you are now has been in the making for the past 14 years ... transformed by Pluto, reshaped actually. Now you will experience new personal values, defining your self-worth realizing you are both resourceful and worthy. Day by day you become more responsible, stepping into leadership. You become confident in your identity. You reach the top of the ladder where the clouds are. You enter the Rain Cloud of Knowable Things. You break free of all limitations.

AQUARIUS

Pluto enters Aquarius for the first time in your lifetime. The next 14 years is about all pioneers of the future creating the new era. You’ve had visions of this for a long time. Our Earth has entered the realm of Aquarius and you are finally home again. Your identity comes into focus. You realize you are the new era and the future itself. There will be a tremendous focus on developing your Will the Will to Good and the Will to Love. The power of healing is in your hands (and mind) now. And in your ability to imagine. You are to be the “waters of life” for everyone who is thirsty around you.

PISCES

The days, weeks, months, years ahead will be a time of retreat, introspection, quiet and withdrawal, like a sanctuary, a shelter and refuge. There will be contemplation, brooding over ideas, self-analysis and soul searching. You may have the opportunity to establish a refuge and sanctuary, a school, college and temple of learning. Your dreams and intuition will move into places of mysticism, then into the occult (things hidden appear). You become a pioneer for the new era in your ark of the covenant, bringing all that is good in Pisces to the new era of Aquarius. Your arc is named the Will to Love. You are the dreamer and the dream.

“SB 277” from page 22

UndocuFund Monterey Bay minimizes barriers and trusts families to make their own decisions. We emphasize the dignity and autonomy of recipients to determine their own path for recovery and stabilization. And it works!

As effective as UndocuFund Monterey Bay is, it cannot replace a sustainable, equitable safety net that undocumented people can trust in times of crisis. This is especially true given the impact of climate change. A 2022 study from UC Merced found that undocumented workers, particularly those who work in agriculture, are most likely to be at risk for environmental disasters like flooding, drought, and fires.

We cannot have a meaningful regional recovery if we leave our undocumented families out -- families that have lived in the region on average of 10 years. It is time for the state and our local government to learn from our models and implement what we learned.

Including undocumented families in federally and state funded safety net programs is the only way forward. For example, California can ensure that all workers receive unemployment benefits through the Safety Net for All Workers Act (SB 277). These changes would provide support and recognize undocumented immigrants’ contribution of over $3 billion in taxes and an estimated $485 million to the Unemployment Insurance system, according to Public Policy in California.

I invite you to reach out to your representatives and ask for inclusive recovery funds. n

•••

María Cadenas is executive director at Ventures, a nonprofit working with Central Coast rural Latino working-class families to ensure a prosperous economic future for all. In 2021, Ventures launched Semillitas, a universal children’s savings account program in Santa Cruz County to raise expectations for higher education and build savings for it.

Signs of the Times: 1874-2023

By Deborah Osterberg

The Capitola Historical Museum is open for the 2023 season with the new exhibition, “Capitola – Signs of the Times.”

According to the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, signs are “… an often-overlooked part of our culture that hides in plain sight as part of our daily lives.”

Signs are almost as old as people’s first efforts to communicate thoughts. They are the visual tools for identification, to communicate information, and sell products and services. Signs reflect the era in which they were produced. They contribute to a sense of place and enable us to trace the history and evolution of our communities over time. Though intended as transitory, signs, both past and present, became a part of our collective memory.

The signs in this exhibition help tell the story of Capitola, from its pioneer and resort beginnings to its character today as a popular beach town, artists’ colony, and desirable coastal residential community. The exhibition features several vintage signs from past Capitola businesses and dozens of photographs of resort and commercial signs.

The inspiration for “Capitola – Signs of the Times” came from a quote used in last year’s exhibition. The quote was from a letter home to family by architectural intern Helen Benbow, who worked for Henry Rispin’s architect, George McCrea.

***“Now the great difficulty is signs. Every concessioner wants to hang a banner clear across the street in front of his place etc. And Mr. Rispin doesn’t see why it isn’t all right. But I think Mr. McCrea will win out.”

This made me think about the sign clutter evident in many photographs of the Esplanade in the period after Rispin went bankrupt and sold off his Capitola holdings. Apparently, Mr. McCrea did not win out regarding signs. Then I thought of

how different signs around Capitola look today. I realized the history of Capitola could be told through its signs: Past and present.

One of the highlights of the exhibition is the large, wooden Camp Capitola sign, which we believe is the museum’s oldest sign. According to local historian Carolyn Swift, this Camp Capitola sign likely dates from the 1890s, or earlier, since after that time, F.A. Hihn dropped the “Camp” and began referring to his resort simply as … Capitola.

Another exhibition highlight is an imagined recreation of the interior of Southern Pacific Railroad’s Capitola Depot, circa 1915, complete with station master. The authentic Southern Pacific station master uniform was generously loaned to the museum by the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. Though the uniform dates from the 1950s, the style is not all that different than earlier versions. The station colors of

sea moss for the ticket office and the signature yellow and brown of the station exterior are authentic.

The 1915 theme of the depot recreation links it to the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, which took place that year in San Francisco. Reproductions of exposition publicity and tickets adorn the station. Several pieces from the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition are permanent parts of the museum. Displayed on the museum ceiling are beautiful stained-glass windows originally used in the exposition’s Ohio Building.

After the fair, they were incorporated into Al Lent’s craftsman style home in Capitola. After the home was remodeled in 2009, the stained-glass windows and a couple of magnificent redwood pillars were donated to the museum by Jeff and Cathie Thurmond. The remodeled Lent House overlooks Capitola from the edge of Prospect Avenue.

The exhibition also traces the history of sign-making from early examples in China and Europe up to modern sign-making materials and technology. A modern sign shop was visited to better understand how signs are made today. Signs by Van provided a tour of their Prunedale operation and provided samples of modern-day sign

making materials and images of current fabrication equipment.

A highlight of sign-making history is the display on the life and career of local sign-maker Leo Sievert. He operated his sign shop, at 1438 Soquel Avenue at the corner of Trevethan Avenue, from 1938 into the 1970s. Despite having lost a leg in a childhood accident, Leo became a very successful Santa Cruz sign-maker. He completed sign work for local movie theaters, the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, and the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. Perhaps Sievert’s most iconic Santa Cruz artwork is the towering Front Street-facing, Del Mar Theater wall sign. In the 1920s and 1930s, Leo made many large wallsized advertisements for Capitola’s famed nightclub, the Hawaiian Gardens. Several prototypes of these colorful, exotic signs are in the exhibition. And thanks to a loan from his son, Ken Sievert, many of Leo’s sign-making tools are also on display.

The admission-free Capitola Historical Museum, at 410 Capitola Ave., Capitola, is open every Friday through Sunday from noon until 4 p.m. through the end of December. n

Deborah Osterberg is curator of the Capitola Historical Museum.

ANNOUNCEMENTS BE A CAPITOLA MUSEUM VOLUNTEER

The Capitola Historical Museum always looking for volunteers to help keep the doors open!

Volunteers take 2-hour shifts at the front desk on the days that the museum is open. The principal duty is to greet visitors and answer questions.

Training is provided, and one need not be an expert on Capitola history. However, it is important that you be a person who likes meeting people, especially visitors from out of town, and answering questions.

For information email capitolamuseum@gmail. com, call 831-464-0322 or apply at https://www. cityofcapitola.org/capitola-museum/webform/beambassador-capitola

The museum is open Thursday through Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.

CAPITOLA VILLAGE EASTER EGG SCAVENGER HUNT

Through Sunday April 9

Capitola Village businesses are hosting an Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt.

Download official gamecard at https://capitolavillage. com/eastereggscavengerhunt/ or pick up at Capitola Candy Co., 205 Capitola Ave. in Capitola Village.

Find the eggs hidden at participating businesses. Once found, have staff person at business stamp your gamecard. Stop by Capitola Candy Co. between March 24 – April 9 to collect your prize.

Participating businesses: Big Kahuna, Boba Bay Tea Cafe, Capitola Beach Co, Capitola Candy Co, Capitola Reef, Capitola Seashells, Carousel Taffy, Castgnola Deli & Cafe, Clementine & Co, Coastal Life Co, Craft Gallery, Craft Gallery Annex, Ethos, Euphoria, Free To Ride, Hot Feet, Katalina’s by the Sea, Kickback, Mia Bella, Midtown Surf Shop, Nubia, Oceania, Pueblo Viejo Imports, Rainbow City Limits, Santa Cruz Apparel, Sea Level, Slap Happy, Vanity by the Sea, Tony Pagliaro Gallery, Xandra Swimwear

FINANCIAL WELLNESS WORKSHOPS

Santa Cruz Community Credit Union will present four financial workshops during the noon hour on Thursdays in April at the Capitola Library, 2005 Wharf Road, Capitola. Lunch provided by Togo’s; 30 seats available. Topics: April 6: Budgeting Your Way. Register at https:// santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/10386357

April 13: Retirements & You. Register at https:// santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/10471521

April 20: Credit 101 for Teens (pizza for lunch) Register at https://santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/10471894

April 27: Identity Theft. Register at https://santacruzpl. libcal.com/event/10472057

This is an opportunity to learn in a no-stress, low-key, and friendly environment.

CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION

U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) announced that submissions are now open for local high school students to participate in the annual Congressional Art Competition.

The winning entries are displayed in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. Each member of Congress has the privilege of submitting one work of art from their congressional district for this exhibition. The deadline to submit is April 21.

High schools within the 19th Congressional District, which comprises portions of Monterey, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, and San Luis Obispo counties, are encouraged to participate.

Artwork entered in the contest must be original in execution, may be up to 26 inches by 26 inches, 4 inches in depth, and cannot weigh more than 15 pounds.

Paintings, drawings, collages, prints, mixed media, computer-generated art, and photographs are welcome.

Winners will be determined using criteria based on originality, the skill of execution, excellence in the use of materials, and the conceptual strength of the project.

For the rule, see: https://panetta.house.gov/sites/ panetta.house.gov/files/documents/2023-Rules-forStudents-and-Teachers.pdf

For more information and see previous winners visit https:// panetta.house.gov/services/art-competition.

GRAND JURY NEEDS VOLUNTEERS

The Superior Court of Santa Cruz County is seeking volunteers to become members of the Civil Grand Jury. Applications must be received by Friday, April 28. Serving on the Civil Grand Jury offers county residents a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on the local community.

The 19 members of the Civil Grand Jury are an independent body empowered to investigate the operations of city and county governments and other tax-supported agencies and special districts.

They respond to citizen complaints about government issues.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens, at least 18, have a working knowledge of English, and have lived in the county for at least one year. The Superior Court of Santa Cruz County is seeking a volunteer pool that represents the ethnic and cultural diversity of communities within the county.

All qualified citizens interested in serving on the 2023-2024 Civil Grand Jury are invited to apply.

Two informational meetings for those interested are scheduled Wednesday, April 19, at 1 p.m. and Thursday, April 20, at 5 p.m via Zoom. The link will be posted at www.santacruzcourt.org

Applications are at www.santacruzcourt.org

For questions, email the Superior Court Jury Commissioner’s Office at jury.information@santacruzcourt.org

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PARKS

Capitola Mall Walking

9:30 a.m., Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Capitola Mall Active adults age 50 and up are invited to join the Capitola Mall Walkers, a program of the Santa Cruz County Parks Open Spaces & Cultural Services. The group walk starts near the entrance to the food court. Annual fee $50. See scparks.com

Low-Intensity Workout

9:30-10:30 a.m., Tuesdays, Aptos Village Park

Active adults age 50 and up are welcome to participate in a low-intensity aerobic workout outdoors at Aptos Village Park. Includes stretching, resistance bands and

breathing exercises. Free, thanks to Santa Cruz County Parks Open Spaces & Cultural Services.

Free Movies Outdoors

Santa Cruz County Parks Open Spaces & Cultural Services presents free movies at parks: Sonic 2 on April 21 at Anna Jean Cummings Park in Soquel and Lightyear on May 19 at Aptos Village Park. Shows start at sunset.

Wedding Showcases

Santa Cruz County Parks Open Spaces & Cultural Services hosts spring showcases.

Sunday April 16: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Highlands House and Quail Hollow Ranch in Ben Lomond. Thursdays May 4, Sept., 7, Nov. 2: 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Aptos Village Park and Valencia Hall in Aptos.

POP-UP BREAKFAST RETURNS TO FARMERS MARKET

Cheers to sitting together and eating together!

The Santa Cruz Community Farmers Markets are head-over-heels to bring back a small, sweet version of the Pop-Up Breakfast Series, hosting two breakfasts this summer. Tickets became available March 2.

These beautiful meals are hosted at the Westside Farmers Market and highlight the regional agriculture and food artisan community.

Chef Katherine Stern of The Midway and Andy Huynh of Full Steam Dumpling will join us in July and August at the Westside Farmers’ Market.

Funds raised support educational and food-access programs including the Foodshed Project and Market Match.

Tickets range in price from $50-$150, a specific number of tickets available at each level.

Organizers ask people to sincerely consider what they are able to contribute and to do so, preserving lowercost tickets for those with less discretionary funds. Visit https://santacruzfarmersmarket.org/campaigns/pop-upbreakfast/ for more details.

SOQUEL UNION KINDERGARTEN SIGN-UP

Kindergarten registration for the 2023-24 school year has begun in Soquel Union Elementary School District. Registration information & procedures are at your neighborhood school.

Your child must turn 5 on or before Sept. 1, 2023, to be eligible for kindergarten. If your child turns 5 between Sept. 2, 2023 and May 24, 2024, they are eligible for Transitional Kindergarten (TK).

Registration for all grades, including TK, takes place at your neighborhood school.

For questions, call the district office at (831) 464-5639 or go to www.suesd.org/enrollment.

CESAR CHAVEZ DAY OF SERVICE

Sunday April 2

9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Homeless Garden Project Farm, Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz The Homeless Garden Project is hosting its annual Cesar Chavez Day of Service for community members at the Homeless Garden Project Farm, on Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz.

Community members are invited to perform spring farm tasks in honor of Cesar Chavez Day, celebrated on his birthday March 31 to honor the legacy of his labor movement and civil rights.

There will be a nursery sale with certified organic vegetable, flower, and herb starts.

“Seeing our community come together on these workdays to support and connect with HGP is always amazing,” says Volunteer Coordinator Omar Guzman.

Lunch will be provided to all volunteers and during lunch the community will hear from Watsonville educator and artist Jessica Carrasco, as well as a trainee from the Homeless Garden Project.

April 2023 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

CABRILLO YOUTH STRINGS PROGRAM

The Cabrillo Youth Strings Chamber Music Program will begin its spring session on Friday, April 21, from 4:15-5:30 p.m.

Classes will be held for 5 weeks on consecutive Fridays in the Music Building, VAPA 5000, Aptos. String players ages 8 to 18 are welcome to join the chamber music program. Students must be good note-readers and have had previous group experience. The program conclude with a concert at 7 p.m. Friday, June 3.

Registration is underway. For those interested in participating in or making contributions to this program, call (831) 479-6101 or visit https://www.cabrillo.edu/ cabrillo-youth-strings.

You may register through Cabrillo Extension, 479-6331, or extension.cabrillo.edu before the first class.

HAVE A SAY ON HOUSING

To update state-mandated plans for housing for 2024-2031, the City of Capitola will be conducting stakeholder interviews, facilitating a community workshop, and holding a joint study session with Planning Commission and City Council.

These are strategies for gathering feedback from the community on the future of housing within the City, as well as serving as educational opportunities to share more about the Housing Element update process. Details at: https://www.cityofcapitola.org/communitydevelopment/page/2024-2031-housing-element-update Have questions or comments? Interested in joining the project email list? Email Katie Herlihy, Community Development Director, at: kherlihy@ci.capitola.ca.us

COUNTY FAIR BOARD MEETINGS

1:30 p.m., Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, 2601 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville

Here are the dates of the remaining County Fair Board meeting dates in 2023. Each meeting takes place on a Tuesday:

April 25, May 23, June 27, July 25, Aug. 22, Oct. 24, and Dec. 5, all at the fairgrounds. Meetings also take place on Zoom. For agendas, see santacruzcountyfair.com.

SPRING ITALIAN LANGUAGE CLASSES

The last day to register: April 12

Learn the language of “la dolce vita” with native Italianspeaking instructors at Dante Alighieri Society of Santa Cruz. Whether you are new to the Italian language, totally fluent, or everything in between, you are welcome.

No matter what your goals are for learning Italian: Business, travel, pleasure, or because you love the sound of this beautiful language classes throughout and would like to understand it better, Dante Alighieri offers a variety of classes which may meet your needs.

This spring, students will get to practice their Italian language skills of various levels through reading and discussion. Both classes will be online, once a week. The 10-week session begins the week of April 17, so register now to secure your spot..

Price:$ 235 for members with coupon code | $250 Non members

To register go to: www.dantesantacruz.com/classes

BIG CREEK LUMBER SCHOLARSHIP

Big Creek Lumber will be offering the McCrary Family Scholarship for the third consecutive year to graduating high school seniors who will be pursuing careers in the skilled trades or forestry.

Past scholarship recipients are invited to apply for a one-time scholarship renewal for continued support of their education.

The deadline to apply is April 28.

To apply see: www.bigcreeklumber.com/scholarships

Cesar Chavez

ONGOING EVENTS

Mondays BRIDGE CLUB

10 a.m.-Noon, Capitola Branch Library, 2005 Wharf Road

The Capitola Branch Library will host Bridge Club sessions on Mondays (except holidays).

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.

Third Thursdays and Fourth Tuesdays

HOUSING MATTERS NEIGHBORS

Thursdays: 4:30-6 p.m., Garfield Park Library, 705 Woodrow Ave., Santa Cruz Tuesdays, 5:30-7 p.m., Capitola Library, 2005 Wharf Rd.

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 these monthly in-person meet-ups for neighbors can:

• Learn from local experts about real solutions to homelessness together

• Problem-solve and create solutions in your neighborhood together

• Help to foster compassion and equity in Santa Cruz County neighborhoods together

For information call Marsa Greenspan, Housing Matters Volunteer Program Manager: (831) 226-2486

Second Sundays of the Month

SANTA CRUZ ANTIQUE STREET FAIRE

9 a.m.-5 p.m., Pacific Ave., Lincoln St. and Cedar St. More than 40 vendors participate in this monthly outdoor fair.

Weather updates are posted on Facebook at https://www. facebook.com/santacruzantiquefaire

DATED EVENTS

Wednesday March 29

PROPOSAL FOR DOG PARK IN MONTEREY PARK

6 p.m., Online Meeting

Join your neighbors and City of Capitola Department of Public Works at a virtual meeting to learn about a proposed dog park in Monterey Park.

Community members will present on why a dog park is suggested for the area.

City staff will present several options for the location of a dog park within Monterey Park. Come hear about the proposal and provide your feedback.

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8455455264

5?pwd=blhKSlRIZkl6TGtHdEJTTzJCTGN4dz09

• Meeting ID 845 5455 2645

• Passcode: 353505

Or call 1 669 444 9171 • 1 669 900 6833 • 1 408 638 0968

Thursday March 30

THE PURITY MYTH DISCUSSION

7 p.m., Capitola Branch library, 2005 Wharf Road. The community is invited to a film screening and discussion with Jessica Valenti, author of The Purity Myth, and Dr. Megan McNamara, sociology professor at UC Santa Cruz, at Capitola Branch library.

In this video adaptation of her bestselling book, the Purity Myth, pioneering feminist blogger Jessica Valenti trains her sights on “the virginity movement” — an alliance of evangelical Christians, right-wing politicians, and conservative policy intellectuals who have been

UCSC DNA DAY

Friday April 21

11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Baskin Engineering Courtyard, UCSC, 606 Engineering Loop, Santa Cruz

The UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute will host its 10th annual National DNA Day celebration in the Baskin Engineering Courtyard of UCSC.

The event, which organizer Zia Isola has referred to as “part scientific symposium, part public science education, and part block party,” will highlight the contributions UC Santa Cruz students and faculty are making in genomic science.

The heart of the event is a scientific poster session where undergraduates present their research, and there will be fun activities for scientists of all ages, such as extracting DNA from strawberries, DNA-themed crafts, free swag, and opportunities to learn about the Genomics Institute. The day concludes with the famous DNA double-helix conga line, with free DNA t-shirts to all who participate!

This unique event has been celebrated at UC Santa Cruz since 2012 (with a pause in 2020 due to Covid). All are welcome to attend, and materials will be in English and Spanish.

The UCSC celebration is one of many events being held nationwide as part of National DNA Day, a national observance promoted by the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

For information, visit genomics.ucsc.edu.

exploiting irrational fears about women’s sexuality to roll back women’s rights.

McNamara will set the stage for the documentary and Valenti, co-founder of award-winning blog, Feministing.com and one of The Guardian’s top 100 inspiring women in the world, will join the discussion via Zoom at 8 p.m.

Virtual attendees can join the event on Zoom at 8 p.m. when the hybrid discussion begins. The film will not be screened over Zoom. Register at https:// santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/10471422 or by calling 831-427-7713.

Friday March 31

SAMBANDH RETURN PRESENTATION

9-11:30 a.m., Mount Madonna School, 491 Summit Road, Watsonville

Due to the closure of Highway 152, Mount Madonna School postponed the March 24 Sambandh Return Presentation and rescheduled it for March 31 at the Upper Campus.

Students will share reflections on their experiences in India. A reception takes place at 9 a.m.

Tuesday April 4

DR. GAIL NEWEL SPEAKS

6 p.m., Online Meeting

Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel will be the guest speaker for the Democratic Club of North Santa Cruz County on Tuesday, April 4. Dr. Newel will provide an update on the current

status of COVID-19 cases and vaccination rates in the County.

She will also discuss the most common sources of exposure to the virus, as well as precautions county residents can take to stay healthy and avoid contracting Covid as well as the flu and RSV 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.

Wednesday April 5

SANTA CRUZ NEW TECH

6-8 p.m., Courtyard Marriott, 313 Riverside, Santa Cruz Santa Cruz Works presents its monthly New Tech meetup at the Courtyard Marriott.

On deck: The opening of Accelerator Cohort #5, inside scoop on the new $10 million Santa Cruz Venture Fund for startups, presentation by 6 companies, food, beverages, networking and a new band.

Tickets are $10 or bring a friend and pay $7.50. See: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/santa-cruz-new-techapril-2023-tickets-597410770697

Friday April 7

REP. PANETTA SPEAKS

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Seascape Golf Club, 610 Clubhouse Dr, Aptos

The Aptos Chamber of Commerce will meet at Seascape Golf Club.

This is the 3rd luncheon meeting of the year and

features special guest speaker Congressman Jimmy Panetta.

Cost: $35 per person. RSVP required. Call 688-1467.

Sunday April 9

EASTER BRUNCH AT SEVY’S

10 a.m.-4 p.m., Seacliff Inn, 7500 Old Dominion Ct, Aptos Celebrate Easter Sunday with a brunch at Sevy’s Bar + Kitchen.

Menu: Omelets, French toast, a salad bar, carving station, orange-glazed ham with rum raisin sauce, baked Atlantic salmon with pesto cream & pomegranate seeds, and a dessert bar.

Festive cocktails such as a Boozy Easter Chocolate Martini or a Blackberry Bourbon Bramble.

Price: $59/adult and $20/kids under 12.

ART HISTORY LECTURE

7-8:30 p.m., VAPA building 1000, Art History Room 1001, Cabrillo College: SAC West, Soquel Drive, Aptos Dante Alighieri Society of Santa Cruz is sponsoring an art history lecture at Cabrillo College.

The topic is: “All the World’s a Stage: Baroque Rome.” Through a slide-illustrated lecture, Heather Gray, art history instructor and department chair at Cabrillo College, will give a guided tour of 17th century Rome. We will stop at important 16th and 17th century monuments, as well as some ancient ones, to learn their history and appreciate their beauty.

The tour ends at St. Peter’s Basilica with a greater understanding of and appreciation for not only this period within the city’s history but also a greater understanding of the line in Shakespeare’s play As You Like It: “All the world’s a stage.”

Cost: Free, but tickets are limited and registration is required.

To register go to: https://bit.ly/Baroque-Rome

Tuesday April 11

CAPITOLA SOROPTIMIST CLUB

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.

The club will be electing its 2023-24 board of directors, following up on the Live Your Dream awards ceremony and planning for the rental booth staffing at the 2023 Santa Cruz Shakespeare festival. 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, Facebook page or email

Friday April 14

CABRILLO YOUTH STRINGS CONCERT

7 p.m., Music Building, VAPA 5156, Cabrillo College in Aptos

The Cabrillo Youth Strings Music Program presents a Spring Concert in the Music Building, featuring baroque music, English folk songs, jazz, and contemporary music.

String orchestra music will be performed by local youth.

Suggested donations: $10 general, $5 students/ seniors, and ages 17 and under, free Facial coverings are required.

For more information about this event or to find out about joining the orchestral, chamber or private lesson programs, call 479-6101 or visit cabrillo.edu/cabrillo-youth-strings. “Calendar” page 31

County Mid-Year Budget Report: $67 Million in FEMA Claims

By Zach Friend, Supervisor, Second District

Recently, the Board of Supervisors received an update on our mid-year budget. This provides a check-in halfway through the year to give a sense of challenges that may be on the horizon, changing conditions from what we adopted in the budget in June of last year and also the integration of any Board-directed requests up to this point.

Economic Conditions

The past year was marked with continual rising inflation and some sector-specific job losses (in particular the tech sector) that have impacted our region. Rising interest rates have slowed home sales, which has an impact on property tax growth in our area, and consumer retail spending has also declined — impacting sales tax intakes.

Overall, the local unemployment rate has averaged 4.4% — one of the lowest rates in the last 30 years. The overall economic trends led County budget staff to project a decline in sales tax revenue and increased growth in core services that are in higher demand during economic downturns (such as human and health support systems and public safety response).

General Fund Forecast

While it’s challenging to forecast economic conditions, there are known obligations and some assumptions of revenue conditions that can help the Board with budgeting. Federal Recovery Act funding during the pandemic is winding down, many FEMA claims for the COVID-19 pandemic and CZU fires declared disasters have yet to materialize and the County just faced its third declared disaster in the last three years.

Overall, the County is awaiting more than $67 million in outstanding FEMA claims, which is straining multiple areas of the County budget. Additionally, the most recent storm damage has direct costs in County response that we anticipate will also take some time to get through

the federal reimbursement process.

The major assumptions for FY 2023-24 include a 1% decline in sales tax, a slowdown in growth in certain property tax transfer revenues, and collection of up to $16 million in FEMA obligations that would be used to restore and strengthen reserves. County budget staff assume normalized cost increases for wages and benefits, a continued decline in costs associated with professional services, and increasing facility capital investments.

In additional to normal revenue and cost growth, the long-range forecast includes allowances for programmatic cost mandates such as the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Act in FY 2024-25 and increases in health care costs for those residing in detention centers and other state-related mandates. Put simply, there is an expectation of additional state-mandated program costs coming to County in the coming years but at this point much of the funding provided is one-time - which creates an on-going gap.

Proposed State Budget: $22.5 Billion Deficit Gov. Newsom released his proposed budget. The Governor’s budget estimated a deficit of $22.5 billion.

The financial challenge the State is facing is from steep declines in personal income tax, corporate tax, and state sales tax revenues.

The State is considering a number of one-time solutions (delaying and deferring programs, funding) as well as reductions to close the gap. There is a lot of back-and-forth that will occur

between now and the final budget adoption between the Legislature and Governor’s Office — and at this point it’s unclear the extent by which our County will be impacted by the deficit and cuts/ delays.

Transient Occupancy Tax & Cup Tax

On the June 2022 primary election, voters approved two general taxes through ballot measures known as Measure B and Measure C. These increased the Transient Occupancy Tax to 12% and 14%, respectively, for hotel and vacation rental stays, and created the half-cent Single-Use Cup Tax. Both became effective on Jan. 1, 2023.

The TOT measure is an essential part of the County’s strategy to offset the structural ongoing deficit and is estimated to generate annualized revenue of $2.3 million for FY 2023-24 and approximately $860,000 for FY 2022-23. Although the FY 2022-23 amount is for half the year, it is proportionally lower as the January-March quarter is generally the lowest activity quarter, generally collecting only 15% of the total annual revenue.

Revenues

The County’s primary General Fund revenues are generally meeting our budget expectations, except for two which are expected to fall short this year. The FY 2022-23 budget for Sales Tax will be reduced by $1.1 million and Cannabis Business Taxes will be reduced by $1.5 million.

Our two largest general purpose revenues, Property Tax and Vehicle License Fees are increasing, and Transient Occupancy Tax has returned to its pre-pandemic levels.

Property Tax. Property tax is one of the most stable and dependable revenue bases. Our

Property Tax revenues have grown steadily within the constitutional 2% annual growth cap plus the amount of supplemental reassessment triggered by property renovations or transfers. However, it is believed that with transfers slowing down this may not grow at the same pace as it did the last few years.

Sales Tax. Sales tax for our County is the general revenue source with the most variability, as it is directly and quickly impacted by economic impacts and/or changes in consumer behavior.

Inflation and locally high housing costs have impacted retail spending in our community. Year-to-date sales tax revenue is falling short of budget by $1,150,000. Factoring in this slowdown and our projection for an economic slowdown in FY 2023-24, we are currently projecting that sales tax will drop by approximately 1%.

Systematically Underfunded

The County remains systematically underfunded as compared to our county peers and statewide county averages.

We serve a greater percent of the population (50.5%) than our peers (average 15.9%), which requires us to spread smaller tax dollars over a greater portion of our population.

On average, the County receives only about 14 cents on your property tax dollar — the remaining of the 86 cents that you contribute in your property taxes goes to local special districts, school districts and more. By way of example, our peers per-capita property tax revenue averages nearly $4,000 per resident while the County receives just under $500 per resident.

These combine to limit our County’s ability to reach the service expectations our community expects or that other counties can provide. n •••

As always, I appreciate any feedback you may have on this (or any other County issue). I’m maintaining regular updates on social media at www.facebook.com/super visorfriend and you can always call me at 454-2200.

SCCAS Featured Pet

“Calendar” from page 29

Saturday April 15

EARTH DAY EVENT AT PURISSIMA CEMETERY

Noon-3 p.m., 1165 Verde Rd., Half Moon Bay

Celebrate Earth Day this year with a tour of Purissima Historic Natural Green Cemetery over-looking the Pacific Ocean just a little north of Santa Cruz. Green burial is a natural choice that emphasizes simplicity and sustainability. Choosing a plot is the first step in getting affairs in order.

Drop-in for a short guided walking tour with Q&A. See PrePlanWithPatricia.com for pictures and a map. Text or call 831-295-8158 for more info or directions. https://preplanwithpatricia.com/

Sunday April 16

SANTA CRUZ WEDDING EXPO

10 a.m.-4 p.m., Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St., Santa Cruz You’re engaged! It’s time to plan your wedding!

Meet Hazel and Eros

We are hoping that third time is the charm for these cuties- Our favorite POTW bunny duo- Hazel and Eros!

This week we have an adorable twosome that are repeat Pet of the Weeks- Hazel and Eros! These delightful bunnies are still at SCCAS even though they are amazing, and we would love to get them a home! Hazel is a 2-year-old Harlequin spayed female and Eros is an almost 2 year old Giant lop Neutered Male.

At the moment they are in a foster home and doing great- their foster mom sent us this report that says it all

“I’ve been fostering Hazel and Eros for a little over a month and these bffs are sweet, silly and curious. They love: running through their tunnel, bananas and banging their dish to let me know breakfast is late. Hazel especially loves to boop me on the leg to say hello and ask for pets. She also likes to jump on the couch and regularly gets a case of the zoomies, which is adorable to watch! Eros is also social (especially if he suspects you have snacks!) and loves to “read” (eat) books and clean the hutch. To him, as long as Hazel is nearby, life is good! They love to snuggle and nap together…and steal each other’s snacks. If you’re lookin to add some fun buns to your fam, you have to meet these two! “

If you are looking for a perfect pair of social friends to have in your home, come and meet our buddies Hazel and Eros!

Adoptions are first come, first served! Please view available animals on our website and then visit the Shelter at 1001 Rodriguez St. in Santa Cruz to turn in your application. All adoptions require proof of home ownership or landlord approval. Please have this information prepared. If an animal is in Foster Care, please bring in your adoption application and schedule an appointment to meet the animal. Adoption hours are 10 am-5 pm. All adoption shows must begin before 4:45pm. n

•••

Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter’s full-service, open-admission shelter: 1001 Rodriguez St., Santa Cruz, 95062

Hours: Daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. • Website: www.scanimalshelter.org

SCCAS Main line: 831-454-7200. Animal Control: 831-454-7227. After-Hours

Emergency: 831-471-1182 • After Hours: jillian.ganley@santacruzcounty.us

The Santa Cruz Wedding Expo at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium will be the perfect opportunity to meet with wedding professionals for one day, at one location who are there to answer all of your wedding planning questions and plan a beautiful wedding day.

At the wedding show you will see a combination of wedding professionals, wedding planners, florists, entertainment, photo booths, wedding venues, wedding photographers and more.

Don’t stress about wedding planning. At the event, you can compare products and services, get great ideas from seasoned wedding professionals and maybe even win some prizes.

This is a very special time in your family and everyone wants you to enjoy it! See strolling fashions up close and personal to find the gown of your dreams, tuxes for your wedding party, bridesmaid dresses, flower girl dresses, mother of the bride and more. Tickets are $15.

Saturday April 22

CITYWIDE GARAGE SALE

All Day, throughout Capitola Celebrate Earth Day by giving unwanted items a renewed purpose! Mark your calendars for the Capitola Citywide Garage Sale. All you need to do is register online before April 20.

The Friday before the Garage Sale, a map will be available to the public at City Hall (420 Capitola Ave.) and at www.cityofcapitola.org listing all the addresses of the garage sale participants. Get your map and go find that one-of-a-kind treasure!

After the Garage Sale, package up your unsold

items to be picked up the week of April 24 on your regular garbage day by GreenWaste Recovery, or even better, donate the items to a charitable cause of your choice. This is a terrific opportunity to clean out your garage and help to divert refuse from landfills by reusing and recycling.

Saturday April 22

Sunday April 23

BOWL FOR KIDS’ SAKE 2023

All Day, Boardwalk Bowl, 115 Cliff Street, Santa Cruz

Join Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Cruz County at Bowl for Kids’ Sake 2023 hosted by Boardwalk Bowl, the largest annual fundraiser for the nonprofit. Big Brothers Big Sisters is a youth empowerment organization. Investing in youth your benefits all of us. Make a big difference in the lives of these children while having fun.

Register and receive your own personal fundraising page to customize and share with friends and family. Enlist friends, family and co-workers to help fundraise by creating a team and inviting them to register and get their own fundraising pages. Give your team a fun name.

Register your team at: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/ bbbsscbfks/

For more info, see https://www.santacruzmentor.org/events/ bowl-for-kids-sake/

Saturday April 23

DUCKY DERBY SANTA CRUZ

10:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m., Harvey West Park, 326 Evergreen St., Santa Cruz

Omega Nu of Santa Cruz reports the Ducky Derby family carnival and duck races are returning to Harvey West Park.

This will be first in-person race in two years, resuming after the Covid-19 pandemic. Proceeds go to scholarships for local students. http://www.duckyderbysantacruz.org/duckyderby

Thursday April 27

ECONOMIC & SOCIAL EQUITY WITH DR. CHRIS BENNER AND DR. MANUEL PASTOR

9–10:30 a.m., Online Event

Join Monterey Bay Economic Partnership for an engaging virtual event where Dr. Chris Benner and Dr. Manuel Pastor will follow up on their discussion from MBEP’s State of the Region on solidarity economics. They will delve deeper into the topic and explore the imperative of economic and social equity. RSVP at mbep.biz n

“Memorial Youth Symposium” from page 24

A personal relationship saved him.

“I call my wife my North Star,” he said. “It was an attachment so strong, I didn’t think about dying.”

A “life kit,” can make a difference, he added, not just putting a gun into a lockbox, but putting in a photo of your children inside, too, to remind you of your strongest reason for living.

Ben Geilhufe, manager of the Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Gender Specialty Clinic, has been an educator and advocate for the transgender community since beginning his own transition in 2006. His private practice is in Santa Cruz.

He said 95% of queer and transgender

youth have seriously considered suicide — “staggering numbers.”

Local resources include the Diversity Center and www.sctrans.org.

How to Cope

Meiffren-Lezine: Delete all the apps on your cellphone like Bilie Eilish did, to avoid negative comments.

Moutier: Positive survival stories can inspire others and spread hope.

Sabbah: We’re looking at peer counseling.

Meiffren-Lezine: NowMattersNow.org offers support.

Turnbull: County clinics at 1400 Emeline Ave., Santa Cruz and 1430 Freedom Boulevard, Watsonville, are open to all. n