COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Walk will be Saturday Aug 5, starting and finishing at Ramsay Park in Watsonville with some of the course through the Watsonville Slough system.

Enry fee is $30 for the 5K and $10 for kids 1K. The Strawberry Jam is being presented by the Friends of Watsonville Parks and Community Services and The Rotary Club of Freedom. Enter at https://www.active.com/watsonville-ca/running/ distance-running-races/strawberry-jam-1k-and5k-fun-run-and-walk-2023 www.cityofwatsonville.org/1117/Watsonville-Strawberry-Festival

Wednesday August 9

VETERAN BENEFITS APPLICATION DEADLINE

The PACT Act made it law that military veterans no longer need to prove their illnesses were caused by toxic exposures suffered in the military to get VA coverage. Although there is no hard deadline for PACT Act benefits, most veterans who apply for PACT Act-related benefits, or who submit their “Intent to File” by Aug. 9 will have their benefits backdated to Aug. 10, 2022. This could mean thousands of dollars in backdated disability compensation for vets who submit their applications on time.

For information, see https://www.va.gov/resources/the-pactact-and-your-va-benefits/

Saturday August 12

WATSONVILLE COMMUNITY BAND CONCERT

2 p.m., Scotts Valley Theatre, 251b Kings Village Road

Mark your calendar & come see Watsonville Community Band’s 76th Anniversary Concert!

The show will be conducted by Brad Gronroos and performed at the Scotts Valley Theatre, next to the library. Tickets are free!

FREE HEARING/VISION TESTING AND MIDSUMMER MARKET

8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Aptos Village Park, 100 Aptos Creek Road

The Cabrillo Host Lions Club will provide free vision and hearing testing in the brand new mobile unit at the entrance to Aptos Village Park until 3 p.m.

The Lions can provide applications for assistance for those who need glasses but cannot afford them.

The Lions MidSummer Market will also be in the Park, with many vendors selling plants, tools, automobile memorabilia, jewelry and wooden toys. The Aptos High Leos will be selling BBQ tri-tip sandwiches.

Admission is free. Vendor space is $35 with limited spaces still available.

For information about the Market, please call Barbara

Nextstage Musical Extravaganza

Sunday August 13

2 p.m., Mid County Senior Center, 829 Bay Ave, Capitola

5 p.m., Corralitos Cultural Center, 127 Hames Road

All are invited to attend the musical extravaganza, Summer’s End, featuring folk songs, jazz, Celtic and Americana music, hosted by NextStage Productions. There will be a two performances, first at the Mid County Senior Center and later at Corralitos Cultural Center.

Highlighting the concerts will be four groups: Three of a Kind, Key of Three, Friends and Neighbors, and Siamsa.

These concerts will be a benefit for NextStage Productions, which provides professional entertainment and outreach to the community.

Suggested donation is $20 at the door.

For information visit https://www.nextstagesantacruz.org/ or call 831 688-4337.

DOLORES HUERTA TO SPEAK AT ‘HARVESTING EQUITY’

Saturday August 12

3:30 p.m., Henry J. Mello Center for the Performing Arts, 250 E. Beach St., Watsonville

Civil rights activist Dolores Huerta will speak at a fundraiser, “Harvesting Equity,” at the Henry J. Mello Center.

Huerta has spent decades championing the rights of farmworkers, women and the LGBTQ+ community. She’ll be joined onstage by local activists Mireya Gómez-Contreras, co-leader of Esperanza Community Farms, which delivers organic produce to 100 local families, and Ann López, PhD, executive director of the Center for Farmworker Families, as they discuss cultivating sustainable communities through organic farming and economic justice. Tickets are $20 and all proceeds will benefit these two nonprofits.

Sponsors are: Community Foundation Santa Cruz County and the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County.

Doors will open at 3:30 p.m. with appetizers by local chefs and will be followed by a dance performance by the Watsonville-based children’s group Estrellas de Esperanza. Huerta will begin speaking at 4 p.m.

For tickets: https://bit.ly/46oMP1R

831-688-3356. For further information about the free vision and hearing testing, call Becky 831-685-2915.

Sunday August 13

FERRAGOSTO BBQ & BOCCE

1-4 p.m., DeLaveaga Park’s George Washington Picnic Area, 855 Branciforte Dr, Santa Cruz

Come celebrate Ferragosto with Dante Society amici (friends). Enjoy an afternoon of Italian BBQ with Italian sausage sandwiches, salad, dessert, wine and other beverages, music, friends, and a fun bocce tournament under the beautiful redwoods at DeLaveaga Park.

Cost: Dante members * $20 per person; nonmembers $25 For tickets: bit.ly/dante-ferragosto

Monday August 14

AUTHOR TALK

7 p.m., Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave Bookshop Santa Cruz welcomes Lauren J.A. Bear for a reading and signing of her highly-anticipated novel Medusa’s Sisters.

Curious about mortals and their lives, Medusa and her sisters Stheno and Euryale entered the human world in search of a place to belong, yet quickly found themselves at the perilous center of a dangerous Olympian rivalry and learned—too late—that a god’s love is a violent one. Monsters, but not monstrous, Stheno and Euryale will step into the light for the first time to tell the story of how all three sisters lived and were changed by each other, as they struggle against the inherent conflict between sisterhood and individuality, myth and truth, vengeance and peace.

Lauren J. A. Bear was raised in Long Beach. After studying English at UCLA and education at Loyola Marymount, she taught middle-school humanities for over a decade. She is a teaching fellow for the Holocaust Center for Humanity and lives in Seattle with her husband and three young children.

Wednesday August 16

FAMILY MOVIE MATINEE: SCHOOL OF ROCK

3 p.m., Felton Library, 6121 Gushee St.

The Felton Public Library is hosting its Monthly Matinee Movie, this month showing “School of Rock.” Bring your own snacks.

Family Movie Matinee happens every 3rd Wednesday of the month and is absolutely free!

Saturday August 19

AGAPE DANCE OPEN HOUSE

1:30-4:30 p.m., 218E Mount Hermon Road, Scotts Valley Agape Dance Academy will host an Open House and offering free trials classes.

Classes will be for Absolute Beginning Adults, Petites (ages 3-6) and Graded ballet classes (ages 7 & up). Register at https://agapedance.wufoo.com/forms/ m1a7d7au1mau2mr/

Solo performances by pre-professional dancers will occur between trial classes followed by a Q & A session about the academy.

New student registration discounts and uniform give aways will be available for new enrollments at the open house.

Thursday August 24

ALL CHAMBER MIXER

5-7 p.m., Specialized Aviation, 150 Aviation Way, Watsonville Specialized Aviation will host the all-chamber mixer, featuring all six Chambers of Commerce in Santa Cruz County.

See the great event space at Specialized Aviation for your next big event. There will be discounted helicopter rides, appetizers, beer, wine and raffle prizes.

Admission is free, RSVP appreciated at https://web. santacruzchamber.org/events/All-Chamber-Mixer-SpecializedAviation-5370/details

Saturday August 26

DRAWN2ART GRAND OPENING

2-5 p.m., 19C in Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center, 140 Rancho Del Mar, Aptos

Drawn2Art Studios, which teaches students realistic drawing and painting skills, will host a grand opening at its new Aptos location in Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center near Wonderland Toys.

The owner is Rachael Cartright, daughter of the founders Ed and Sher Warren.

Sign up for a free introductory art class and a chance to win a month of free classes! Games, prizes -& light refreshments while supplies last. Family and friends are welcome!

Phone: (831) 661-5652. Email: Aptos@Drawn2ArtStudios. com Website: www.Drawn2ArtStudios.com/Aptos n