County

The County of Santa Cruz announces more than $5.6 million in funding for health and safety programs through the California Board of State and Community Corrections.

The three grants were awarded to the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and Santa Cruz County Probation Department, and are aimed at reducing youth cannabis use, increasing school safety and achievement, and delivering services to vulnerable populations.

The grants include:

• $3 million to the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency to prevent and divert youth from cannabis use. This grant will sustain current programming for middle and high-school students.

• $2.1 million for a School Safety Program led by the Santa Cruz County

Sheriff’s Office, including two school resource officers, an assistant division director in the Probation Department, a County Office of Education Director of School Safety and specialists at the Community Action Board to initiate, coordinate, and expand evidence-based programs aimed at reducing juvenile delinquency, increasing school credit accruals, reducing on-campus bullying and harassment, and improving collaboration between school districts and law enforcement.

• $423,475 to the Santa Cruz County Probation Department to establish the Santa Cruz County Mobile Success Center to assist 300 unhoused individuals struggling to meet their probation terms, by providing access to legal services as well as housing, health and other resources. n

Mount Madonna Students to Share Washington, D.C.

What do high school students think about Washington, D.C., after visiting the nation’s capitol. Students at Mount Madonna School will share reflections on their experiences on Friday morning, May 12, Upper Campus, 445 Summit Road, Watsonville.

A reception is at 9 a.m. with the presentation 9:30-11:30 a.m. •••

A Revolution of Sound

Isaiah Orozco

The National Museum Of African American History and Culture preserves and celebrates the rich heritage of African Americans...

There were seemingly endless walls celebrating African American artists from genres such as psychedelic funk, R&B, soul, blues, and gospel ... An exhibit entitled “Revolutions of Sound” depicted how artists such as Prince tackled social issues such as racial segregation, unequal pay, and the discrimination to which black artists have been subjected...

I nearly came to tears while viewing a display of an African American artist singing about inequality, surrounded by black and white people holding each other and crying. I felt the emotion and connection the music brought to the people listening.