LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola & Soquel | Oct. 2019

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Everything APTOS, Capitola & Soquel

History Corner

/LifeA.C.S

Vol. 8 No. 2

Photo by Tarmo Hannula

Shake, rattle, roll Do you remember where you were on Oct. 17 30 years ago? If you lived here, you do. To the third-grade classes who visit the Aptos History Museum for their local history field trips, it is just a date long before they were born. For the rest of us, it was “The Big One.” The 1980s was a decade of natural disasters for Santa Cruz County and neighboring areas. My wife Karen and I moved our family to Aptos in July 1981, just in time for the torrential storm of January 1982. The storm track dumped 12 inches of rain in Aptos Canyon in 12 hours.

Houses washed into Aptos Creek, landslides pushed a house out onto Beach Drive, Redwood trees fell through houses, Soquel Village flooded, San Lorenzo River bridges collapsed and the Love Creek neighborhood in Ben Lomond disappeared

By John Hibble of the Aptos History Museum Visit us online: aptoshistory.org Visit the museum: 7605-B Old Dominion Court Aptos

Turn to Page 6

A paint crew from D&B Paint and Stain of Gilroy are busy with prep work on a major paint job of two of the famed Six Sisters homes on the Esplanade in Capitola. For more turn to page 3.

Cabrillo leaders approve $274.1M bond measure

Cabrillo College leaders in early September approved a new bond measure. — Tarmo Hannula/LIFE

Measure will go to voters in March 2020

By TODD GUILD The Cabrillo College Board of Trustees voted unanimously on Sept.

9 to bring a bond measure to voters as a way to pay for an ambitious set of infrastructure improvement and construction projects at both the Aptos and the Watsonville campuses.

The $274.1 million bond is slated for the March 2020 ballot, Cabrillo Superintendent and President Matt

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Wetstein said.

If approved by voters, the asyet-unnamed measure will place between $15 and $20 per assessed value of homes on annual property tax bills.

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Rancho Del Mar continues to fill

By TARMO HANNULA

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Rob Chalhoub Life in Aptos, Capitola and Soquel is published monthly. All rights reserved, material may not be reprinted without written consent from the publisher. Life in Aptos, Capitola and Soquel made every effort to maintain the accuracy of information presented in this publication, but assumes no responsibility for errors, changes or omissions. Life in Aptos, Capitola and Soquel is a division of the Pajaronian. Publishing in Santa Cruz County since 1868.

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APTOS—More businesses are emerging at the recently renovated Rancho Del Mar center in Aptos. Sushi Garden Japanese Restaurant, which already has a location in Watsonville and Capitola, Poki Bowl and Kelly-Moore Paints are the next stores on the soon-to-open list.

“Were excited to announce that we are opening a new branch at Rancho Del Mar,” said Phillip Contreras, store manager at the Santa Cruz branch of Kelly-Moore Paints. “We’re aiming for an open in December and a grand opening ceremony will be announced.”

Contreras said the Rio Del Mar store will have between four and seven new job openings. The store will feature residential and commercial grade paints for interior and exterior jobs, and a full range of supplies.

• Sushi Garden Japanese Restaurant will offer sushi, rolls, teriyaki and other menu items, with indoor and outdoor seating. A worker at their Capitola location said the new spot could open in late October or early November.

• Poki Bowl will offer bowls of rice,

Kelly-Moore Paints is planning on opening a new branch in the recently renovated Rancho Del Mar center in Aptos at left, while new signage has gone up for a new location of Poki Bowl (right). — Tarmo Hannula/LIFE

vegetables and chips with a choice of raw fish toppings, vegetables and sauces.

Erik’s Deli Cafe, Aptos Nails, Senior Benefit Insurance Services, Safeway, Rite Aid, Ace Hardware, Best Cleaners and Susi’s Flowers are the long-standing businesses there. Meanwhile, scores of

other businesses have swung their doors open in recent months in the popular center. They are: Clean Juice, Peet’s Coffee, Sutter Health Walk-in Care, Bay Federal Credit Union, Anytime Fitness, Century 21 Sandcastle, and Bubble Lounge Boutique.

Leaving behind 33 years of firefighting

By TARMO HANNULA APTOS—His boots and helmet are now a thing of the past. Aptos/La Selva firefighter Rick Molinar worked his final 24-hour shift Wednesday and into Thursday following a 33-year career.

“Sure, there’s some anxiety about leaving all this, but it’s been great; this has been my second family,” Molinar said.

“There’s nothing like the camaraderie that we share here at the fire department. I’ve worked around some great people.”

Molinar said that after serving two years as a firefighter in Hayward he moved to Aptos/La Selva Fire where he has been ever since. He served several different

roles, including paramedic/firefighter and surf and rescue (12 years).

“This has been the best career I could have asked for,” he said. “To be able to live in the same community I work in and be able to help this community — it has been an honor.”

As a tradition with the local 9-1-1 Center a dispatcher read a final notice over the radio that was heard by all local fire departments. The statement included: “Rick, we thank you for sharing your career with us and your commitment to excellence. You will always be a part of our public safety community. Congratulations on a well-deserved retirement.”

Aptos/La Selva firefighter Rick Molinar is shown on his final 24-hour shift with the department following a 33-year career.

— Tarmo Hannula/LIFE

Report: young adults unprepared, struggling to find housing

By TODD GUILD SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — Less than one third of Santa Cruz County’s 2018 high school graduates were prepared for the workforce, a number far below the statewide average of 42 percent.

That’s according to the annual State of the Workforce report released Aug. 29 by Santa Cruz County.

The report, which was conducted by Los Angeles-based Beacon Economics, also showed a drastic increase over a five-

year period in the number of young adults who still live with their parents or in-laws.

According to the report, the percentage of people age 25 to 29 in that situation jumped from 17 percent in 2012 to 46 percent in 2017.

The data from the State of the Workforce report helps inform the actions of the Workforce Development Board of Santa Cruz County.

In addition, Santa Cruz County’s fleet of young professionals — those in the tech, engineering and management sectors — largely commute to other counties where they can earn higher salaries, the report shows.

All of this is tied to high housing costs, said Beacon Economics Director of Research Adam Fowler.

“Without action, the housing crisis will continue to pose significant challenges for Santa Cruz County’s workforce, particularly younger workers and those in the earlier phases of their career,” he said. “The County can also do a better job preparing students for college, which increasingly is one of the only paths to staying in the community where they grew up.”

Pajaro Valley Unified School District Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez said that new assessments such as the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, and advanced placement tests, show that the district is performing on par with those in nearby counties, and close to the state level.

Rodriguez said she expects to see

improvements after the district this year began requiring two years of a foreign language for all incoming freshmen, in addition to a visual and performing arts requirement.

PVUSD is also preparing its students for college by offering juniors and seniors dual enrollment with Cabrillo College, in which they can earn college credit.

In addition, PVUSD recently implemented its own Career Technical Education program, which Rodriguez said is an additional way to prepare young people for the workforce.

The district also recently retooled its A – G offerings, or classes required by the UC and CSU systems for admission “I’m heartened with the direction we’re going,” she said. “Those small changes will really have an impact on our students.”

The report also shows a disparity in employment opportunities between the North and South portions of the county.

Overall, North County jobs outnumber those in South County by nearly 5-to-1, the report shows.

In addition, North County jobs grew at twice the rate of South County jobs between 2012-2017.

The news was not all bad. Wages are continuing to rise, and the number of people who complete post-secondary education here exceeds other Central Coast counties. In addition, local unemployment continues to hover near historic lows.

••• To see the report, visit bit.ly/2m07esB.

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Etech students get real-world experience

By TODD GUILD APTOS — At Cabrillo College, budding architects are gaining experience where many of their peers in the same major do not: by helping to build the homes they design.

That happens in the college’s Engineering Technology (Etech) program, in which students get hands-on experience in every state of homebuilding, from design to permitting to building under the direction of professional contractors.

Through the program, the students gain real-world experience in the construction industry after helping a professional draw up plans, said Dean Career Technical Education and Workforce Development Gerlinde Brady.

“Through this program, these students have built real homes for local families while gaining skills that will bring positive impact to their lives and their communities,” Brady said.

One house recently built is in Rio Del Mar, and two are in Marina, where lots are roughly half the price of Santa Cruz County, said Etech instructor Gary Marcoccia.

Since 2011 students from the program have drawn plans and assisted with the construction of numerous projects such as red-tagged exterior stairways, tiny homes and out buildings.

Etech’s participation in these projects was free of charge and did not utilize any college funds, said Cabrillo spokeswoman Kristen Fabos.

The students provided all services free of charge to the homeowners.

Architect and Etech instructor Dennis Diego said the college’s participation in the program can save homeowners as much as $30,000 by allowing students to draw their designs and land development plans.

During the spring semester the students

Etech instructor Bill Fisher (left) with two Cabrillo College Etech students.. — contributed

perform such tasks as hanging drywall and installing plumbing pipes, which is unusual in a field that traditionally focuses on classroom work and theory.

“Most architecture graduates have never swung a hammer,” Diego said. “We bring real-world experience.”

Better still, the students use software that calculates the energy consumption for every digitally produced design, giving homeowners an idea of their energy bills before the house is built, Fabos said.

That helps bring the college in line with Net Zero 2020, state regulations that require all new residential construction

to generate at least as much energy as they use, said Bill Fisher, Cabrillo Etech instructor and licensed architect.

“As Etech faculty, we teach current, relevant skills, so over the past few years we’ve incorporated the concepts from the California Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan into our curriculum,” Fisher said.

The software also creates photo-realistic renderings and animated walkthroughs of the proposed design so that the homeowner has no surprises once construction begins.

“Through my incredibly enriching experience as a student in the Etech program, one of the many things that

I discovered is that the housing crisis presents an opportunity for architects to fortify the community with a wide range of innovative solutions,” said recent Cabrillo Etech graduate Jason Matthews.

••• Cabrillo College Etech courses meet at 6 p.m. one night per week, and the Fall 2019 schedule has five courses to choose from — all of which require no prior experience. The Etech program also offers free workshops to refresh computing skills.

For information, visit www.cabrillo.info or call 479-5705.

Finding beauty within

By TARMO HANNULA CAPITOLA — Work is underway on putting a new face on two of the famed Six Sisters homes on the Esplanade in Capitola Village.

A crew of three from D&B Paint and Stain of Gilroy are tackling the multi-week task of bringing the pair of homes back to life.

“There’s a lot of detail in these homes,” said D&B owner, Daren Baker. “It’s surprising to me that the existing paint doesn’t show off the amazing architectural design. I mean, the right colors and contrast could really bring out the belly banding, the crown molding and incredible gingerbread work. That’s what we’re going to do.”

Since around 1900, according to Capitola Historical Museum curator Frank Perry, the sextet maintains its prominent spot facing the sea in what is now top dollar real estate.

Baker said it will take four to five weeks to complete the painting. He was unsure if plans were to paint the remaining four structures.

A brass plaque attached to the front of one of the homes reads: “Historic Six Sisters, 116 Esplanade. Camp Capitola circa 1880s. Moore family circa 1970.

Historic reconstruction circa 1984.”

Baker said he has been professionally painting since he “got out of high school.”

“This is going to look really beautiful when it’s complete,” he said.

The Six Sisters homes are shown in a photo from around 1920 in Capitola. The old Capitola Hotel is in the background. — photo courtesy Capitola Historical Museum

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4 - LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel

COMMUNITY CHATTER Cabrillo Community College District Refinances Bonds

The Cabrillo Community College District (Cabrillo College) today announces that it has refinanced a portion of Cabrillo’s Election of 2004 General Obligation Bonds and 2012 General Obligation Refunding Bonds, resulting in $29,542,000 in interest rate savings to local taxpayers.

Under the leadership of its Governing Board, Cabrillo Administration took the initiative to capture historically low interest rates to refinance the remaining portions of 2004 General Obligation Bonds, Series B and 2012 General Obligation Refunding Bonds. Cabrillo was able to reduce the interest rates on the prior bonds from an average of 4.84 percent to 2.53 percent, reducing the community’s tax bill by an unprecedented total of $29.5 million over the life of the bond refinancing.

“We wanted to make sure that we are good stewards of taxpayer dollars and try to save folks money over the long haul,” said Cabrillo College President and Superintendent Matt Wetstein. “It’s important to stay on top of interest rate trends, and in this case, our ability to refinance was a real big win for our community.”

This was the second time in recent history that Cabrillo College has delivered savings to its community. In May 2012, Cabrillo completed a similar bond refinancing and saved local taxpayers a total of $4.8 million.

Santa Cruz Museum names new director

The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History recently announced the appointment of Felicia Van Stolk as Executive Director.

After a yearlong search, the Board of Directors decided to recognize one of its local emerging leaders and to make a critical promotion from within our organization.

Van Stolk grew up in Santa Cruz County and graduated from UC Los Angeles with a degree in marine biology and conservation ecology. She joined the Museum three years ago as Education Director. She is the first woman of color to serve as the museum’s Executive Director.

“We can attribute a great deal of our recent growth to the innovative and engaging education programs designed by Felicia and her team,” said J.M. Brown, president of the Board of Directors. “Felicia was a key figure in creating our recent strategic plan, and now will have the opportunity to set that plan in motion alongside the Museum staff, board and other supporters.”

Under Van Stolk’s tenure as Education Director, the Museum expanded school programs and public programs and worked with Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, Coastal Watershed Council, Nueva Vista Community Center, Norris Center for Natural History, the Santa Cruz County Office of Education and Monterey Bay Aquarium.

“I look forward to building on our recent successes to increase scientific literacy and appreciation of the natural world among local residents and visitors alike,” Van Stolk said. “It’s an exciting time to work at the Museum as we expand our programs to serve a more diverse population and become a regional leader in environmental education.”

District attorney Rosell, Sheriff Hard endorse Laird

John Laird, candidate for California State Senate District 17, recently announced he has been endorsed by Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart and Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell.

“John Laird has been working and advocating for our community for many years. John supports public safety and a fair and impartial criminal justice system,”

said Sheriff Hart. “John has a wealth of experience at the local and state level and I trust he will serve the residents of our community well. I’m proud to support John in the 2020 election to represent us as our 17th District State Senator.”

Added Rosell: “John Laird has a strong history of standing up for fairness, stronger funding and continuous improvement for our justice system. John’s values align with those of our community. His understanding of California’s complex judicial system is based on years of experience in policy development and budgeting work. We need John in the State Senate and I’m looking forward to working to support his campaign.”

Santa Cruz woman bakes top pie at County Fair

align the organization’s name with its work to create pathways out of homelessness and into permanent housing.

“The new name Housing Matters is a bold statement in our ongoing work to put a spotlight on the solution to resolving homelessness that is most effective: housing,” said Phil Kramer, Housing Matters Executive Director. “We’ve never been more deeply committed to making homelessness in Santa Cruz County rare, brief and nonrecurring.”

The name change does not directly impact the organization’s operations. Housing Matters will continue the organization’s focus on programs and services that partner with individuals and families to create ways out of homelessness and into permanent housing.

Janice Weaver of Santa Cruz won “Best in Show” in the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau’s 43rd Annual Apple Pie Baking Contest at the Santa Cruz County Fair last week.

The judges for this year’s contest were Francisco Estrada (Mayor, City of Watsonville), Pam Zamani (Retired Community Leader), Maryann Bulich Schnitter (Owner, Butier & Bulich Brothers) and Brendan Miele (President, Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau).

Winners were selected in three divisions, Youth, Adult and Masters.

The winners from each division include: • Youth division: Kaia Harroh, Aptos • Adult division: Connie Elmer-Akin, Santa Cruz • Masters division: Janice Weaver, Santa Cruz

Homeless Services Center changes name

The Homeless Services Center is changing its name to Housing Matters. The change is being made to more accurately

Janice Weaver of Santa Cruz won “Best in Show” in the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau’s 43rd Annual Apple Pie Baking Contest at the Santa Cruz County Fair. — contributed

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LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel - 5

“The board has been moving toward a name change for several years,” said Claudia Brown, Housing Matters Board President. “We have taken deliberate steps in recent years to focus on the solution to homelessness: housing. Our new name reflects who we’ve been for years now, who are today, and where we’re going.”

In the last two years alone, Housing Matters has successfully moved more than 550 people move into permanent housing.

Low-income seniors can postpone property taxes

Low-income elderly, blind or disabled California homeowners can postpone property taxes under a new state-funded program, which for the first time now includes taxes on manufactured homes.

Between Oct. 1 and Feb. 10, 2022, eligible property owners may apply for property tax postponements, which are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

In fiscal year 2019-20, the State will fund $13 million in loan postponements under the Property Tax Postponement Program (PTP Program).

To be eligible for this program, you must: • Be at least 62 years of age or blind, or have a disability • Own and occupy the home as your primary place of residence • Have a total household income of $35,500 or less • Have at least 40 percent equity in the home • Meet other requirements.

Administered by the State Controller’s Office, PTP Program allows eligible homeowners the option to postpone payment of property taxes on their primary residence. The program makes current-year property tax payments on behalf of approved applicants directly to the Santa Cruz County Tax Collector’s Office.

Aptos High School students enjoy the school’s remodeled quad in late September. During lunch time, Aptos High students participated in a ribbon cutting performed by Associated Student Body (ASB) President Josh Powell with the assistance of ASB Vice President Francesca Goyette and ASB Secretary Erin deCastongrene. The $896,101 project was funded through Measure L, which was approved by voters in 2012. — contributed

Approved accounts accrue simple interest with the State at a rate of 7 percent per year, and a lien is recorded against the property until accounts are paid in full.

Repayment becomes due when the homeowner moves, sells, transfers title, defaults, refinances, dies or obtains a reverse mortgage.

For information and eligibility requirements, visit bit.ly/2l3lOiK, call 800952-5661 or e-mailpostponement@sco. ca.gov.

DA will not file charges in Cabrillo threats case

APTOS — The Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office will not file charges against an Aromas man who

reportedly made threats against someone at Cabrillo College.

Jonah Watson, 20, was not armed when he was arrested on the Aptos campus on Aug. 28.

A student heard Watson muttering to himself, and, concerned about what he said, reported him to campus administrators the next day.

Santa Cruz County Assistant District Attorney Steve Drottar said he was glad law enforcement investigated the matter, but said that no crime was committed.

“It simply didn’t rise to the level of a crime,” Drottar said.

Watson was a student at Cabrillo since 2018.

He was accused of making threats against someone in the college’s Accessibility

Your

Support Center (ASC), where he was receiving services. The ASC supports students with disabilities.

Watson’s mother Tye Watson said her son is no longer enrolled at Cabrillo. He was held overnight in the medical wing of Main Jail after his bail was raised from $10,000 to $100,000.

Tye Watson said she understood that Jonah was contacted by police, but said that the response could have been different after they found no weapons.

“Jonah did say inexcusable things while talking to himself, and that understandably scared people,” she wrote in an email. “I think that once they had him apprehended and knew that he wasn’t armed they could have handled the whole thing differently.”

Natural Look

October 2019

6 - LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel

History Corner

Continued from page 1

in a landslide. In all, 22 people died.

Welcome to Santa Cruz County.

In January, February and March 1983, three storms pounded the coastline inundating Capitola and Aptos. As I recall, there were several more disasters including a week of freezing weather and also, the 1985 Lexington Reservoir Fire which burned almost 14,000 acres.

As the decade was coming to a close, on Oct. 17 at 5:04 pm, oh baby, there was a “whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on.” Karen and I owned a custom architectural products/stained glass business in Redwood Village, (9099 Soquel Drive).

We also managed the Aptos Chamber of Commerce at that location. Redwood Village was built as a motel in 1928, had single wall redwood construction, fireplaces and no foundations. It had been converted to retail shops in 1975.

It was classic “earthquake weather,” warm, and still. At 5:04 p.m. we were just beginning to close up shop and go home when it began to sound like a freight train was backing up outside our building and then… it hit the building, and everything moved. The noise was tremendous. The building lurched back and forth and I yelled for Karen to stand in a doorway. I was downstairs and ran to the outside doorway and stood in the door frame. I looked at the Redwood trees in the rear parking area above Valencia Creek and they were whipping back and forth. The shaking went on for about 20 seconds, but it seemed like forever. Because the buildings were so flexible there was little structural damage. Karen said, “the termites were holding hands.” Sadly, all the fireplaces in the little Redwood Village shops that had once been motel rooms, cracked or fell during the quake. They were never repaired or replaced.

We raced home to our children and everything had fallen out of the kitchen

The barber shop and interior design building fell over the cliff three weeks after the earthquake. — Caroline Swift photo

cupboards and broken on the floor. The dogs were terrified. Fortunately, our fireplace was not broken. It seemed like every chimney aligned north and south had fallen and those aligned east and west were OK. We checked on Karen’s mother’s house in Seascape and the fireplace had fallen into the living room and destroyed everything. The original construction people had bent over the iron reinforcing rods in the fireplace foundation and then built the chimney unreinforced. It turns out that it was illegal but a common practice by some construction crews.

Electrical power was out. The fire department sent people out to help where they could. Firefighter Jeff Terpstra was

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directing traffic at Soquel and State Park Drives when he was told that smoke was coming from Café Sparrow, so he went to help put out the fire. Most of the buildings on the south side of Soquel Drive in Aptos Village were knocked off their foundations or damaged in some way. All of them were built out over a cliff, more or less. A broken water main at the barbershop and adjacent interior design shop broke and undercut the building. Three weeks later when the FEMA inspectors were standing in front of it, the building fell down the cliff into pieces leaving the “bay view” that remains there today.

Bob and Julie Montague had just purchased the Café Sparrow restaurant.

Neither were professional chefs so the Aptos Chamber helped raise money to keep their existing chef employed for six months until they could reopen.

The shaking spread far and wide.

Reports came from Las Vegas that their buildings moved. Game three of the World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics was being held at Candlestick Park and it became the first major earthquake in the United States that was broadcast live on national television. The Series was interrupted and put on hold for two weeks. Everyone thought the earthquake happened in San Francisco and damage and deaths there were far more severe than here.

Ultimately it was determined that the earthquake was three miles north of Aptos in Nisene Marks State Park, eleven miles deep. A hiker in the park said it was ‘raining Christmas trees’ as the Redwoods shook violently like buggy whips and the tops snapped off and fell

to the ground. The San Andreas Fault moved seven and a half feet. Originally rated at 7.1 on the Richter scale, the quake was eventually downgraded to 6.9.

The quake was named for Loma Prieta Mountain, the tallest peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Oddly enough, Aptos, built mostly of wood, suffered the least compared to Santa Cruz and Watsonville. Those towns were built largely of brick on top of sandy riparian soils. Many buildings collapsed or were torn down. All but one road out of the county were closed. The Watsonville airport was our main lifeline.

Electricity was out for several days.

Everyone came together to help everyone else. The push was to get back to normal as soon as possible. It taught us all to be prepared and to help our neighbors. No one believed it could take ten years to recover from the damage but even 30 years later, the reconstruction is just being completed.

And then… paradise returned. We have not had significant arguments with Mother Nature since. In 1989, after the earthquake, USGS scientists warned that there was a 50-50 chance of another earthquake of magnitude seven or greater in the San Francisco Bay area within the next 30 years. Memories are short.

Climate change and droughts sneak up silently. Thirty years ago, Mother Nature beat on our door and said, “WAKE UP!” The first 10 people to join or renew their membership with the Aptos History Museum at the $100 level, will receive one of the last of our commemorative copies of “5:04 P.M. The Great Quake of 1989,” a 112 page pictorial history of the quake.

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The sidewalk dropped away from the street. — John Scanlon/LIFE

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Public health officials warn: don’t vape

By TODD GUILD SACRAMENTO — The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) on Tuesday issued a health advisory urging everyone to refrain from vaping, no matter the substance or source, until current investigations are complete.

The advisory followed an executive order signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on Sept. 16 to confront the growing youth epidemic and health risks linked to vaping.

As of Sept. 24, CDPH has received reports that 90 people in California who have a history of vaping were hospitalized for severe breathing problems and lung damage, and two people have died There are more than 500 reports of lung damage associated with vaping across 38 states and one U.S. territory, and more reports are coming in nearly every day.

“We are seeing something that we have not seen before,” said State Public Health Officer Charity Dean. “There are numerous unknown factors at this time, and due to the uncertainty of the exact cause, it is our recommendation that consumers refrain from vaping until the investigation has concluded.”

CDPH, along with other states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, local health departments and healthcare providers are investigating what is in the vape materials that are making people sick.

Although CDPH regulates manufacturers of cannabis vaping products to ensure they are as safe as possible, the agency warns that everyone is at risk any time they inhale a foreign substance. The risk of vaping may include serious illness and death.

“Vaping is not just a concern for youth; the vaping cases under investigation affect youth and adults alike,” Dean said.

Anyone who experiences difficulty breathing after vaping should contact a doctor immediately. Other symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, and weight loss.

People experiencing these symptoms are asked to keep their used vaping cartridges, as CDPH is interested in testing the remaining substances. Those cartridges are being collected by local health departments and sent to CDPH labs for analysis.

In California, licensed cannabis retailers are required to sell products obtained from licensed cannabis manufacturers, which have been tested by a licensed laboratory. Cannabis products sold by licensed sources are tested for a variety of chemicals, pesticides, microbial impurities and heavy metals.

Illegal cannabis dispensaries sell unregulated and untested cannabis products and absolutely should not be used, the CDPH said.

CDC continues to warn that any tobacco product use, including e-cigarettes, is unsafe. Furthermore, the use of cannabis and tobacco products remains especially unsafe for youth, and pregnant or breastfeeding women.

The Governor’s executive order directed CDPH to launch a $20 million statewide digital and social media public awareness campaign to educate youth, young adults and parents about the health risks associated with vaping nicotine and cannabis products.

CDPH is also tasked with developing recommendations to reduce smoking among young adults and teens by establishing warning signs with health risks where vaping products are sold and on product advertisements.

For information, visit bit.ly/2mYTyi9.

Community Food Hotline

Tools to Make Parenting Easier

First 5 Santa Cruz County triplep.first5scc.org 831.465.2217

Strawberries still county’s top crop Staff report Strawberries remain the county’s biggest crop, with an estimated value of $220,653,000 on approximately 2,578 planted acres.

That’s according to the 2018 crop report released Thursday by Santa Cruz County Agricultural Commissioner Juan Hidalgo. The report showed an overall production value of more than $683 million, a 17 percent increase from the year before.

Even as the strawberry crops flourished, farmers were grappling with historically low prices for that crop, which persisted throughout the growing season, Hidalgo said.

Raspberries kept their spot as the county’s number two crop, with an

Cabrillo bond One of the largest projects on the college’s list is a Public Safety Training Center for the Watsonville campus, where law enforcement officials and firefighters could receive professional training. It could also benefit students who hope to enter one of those fields.

That project is estimated at $23 million.

Once completed, the center would allow local emergency officials to further their training in Santa Cruz County, and would draw those from neighboring counties, Wetstein said.

The bond’s project list also includes modernizing the library and the student services building on the Aptos campus, which together total an estimated $133 million. Also proposed is replacing the science center, which rings in at $84 million, and a $17 million boost to

estimated value of $168,465,000, which was the highest value yet reported in the county, Hidalgo said.

That trend held true for all berries (strawberries, raspberries and blackberries), which saw an overall increase in gross value of 17 percent, or $63,380,000 compared to 2017 for a total value of $434,331,000.

Vegetable production also remained strong in Santa Cruz County, with an overall value of $92.4 million, a slight increase over 2017 production.

Nursery crops increased by 30 percent over the 2017 production value, and cut flowers and cut greens saw a decrease in value of 32 percent.

To see the full report, visit bit. ly/2lqMcmU. Continued from page 1

the college’s Information Technology infrastructure.

Cabrillo officials say they learned their lesson in June 2016 after a $310 million bond measure narrowly failed to garner 55 percent of the vote.

They are now putting forth a smaller dollar amount and a comprehensive list of projects that address the college’s highuse programs, Wetstein said.

“I think the projects will offer big payoffs for our students in getting them out to the workforce into good-paying jobs. We hope voters understand that and that our educational plan is smart and designed to serve as many students as possible,” he said.

Cabrillo Trustee Adam Spickler said the project list – and the bond – are the result of three years of planning that

began when the 2016 measure failed.

“We learned we were asking for a bit too much money,” he said.

Another problem in 2016, Spickler said, was that Cabrillo officials were not clear about how they planned to spend the money.

At that time, the North County Democratic Club voted against endorsing it, and a majority of the Cabrillo College Faculty Senate abstained from voting. Two voted against it, six voted in favor and a handful of vocal faculty spoke with this

publication about their opposition.

By contrast, campus leaders have spoken with students and faculty and believe they have support for the 2020 bond measure, Spickler said.

“We know people feel good about Cabrillo, and want to support the school,” he said. “I feel like we’re in a much better position now.”

••• For information, visit Cabrillo.edu and bit.ly/2kaStCC.

October 2019

8 - LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel

SPORTS

WITH

JUAN REYES

Aptos, Soquel to battle for SCCAL volleyball title

By JUAN REYES APTOS —Aptos High girls’ volleyball coach Lake Merchen made the message loud and clear going into the season.

“Stay confident and stay aggressive,” he said.

So far, the Mariners have looked selfassured on the court and have maintained a pugnacious attitude that has them ready to play whoever, whenever.

Aptos began the season on the right track with big wins against Salinas High and San Benito High, which play in the Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan division — the top tier of the league.

The Mariners’ lone loss through the first round of Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League play came against reigning league champion Soquel High, which at the time of print sits at the top of the SCCAL standings with an unscathed league record.

“We have some phenomenal athletes,” Merchen said. “It’s just getting them to trust their own volleyball ability and their own athletic ability.”

Aptos lost five seniors from last year’s group, including All-Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League first-team selection Jillian Rodriguez, who now plays beach volleyball at NCAA Division I Long Beach State.

Peyton Dueck, a junior outside hitter, said they might have lost a big chunk of the team, but that meant they gained a new core of talented players in return.

“We’re focusing on working hard and focusing in practice, just finding a rhythm with a bunch of new people,” Dueck said.

Aptos currently has six seniors on the team: Natalia Ackerman, Brynn Mitchell, Alana Patyk-Randa, Sophia Wilford, Rylee

Mennie and Gabby Giuffre.

Other veteran players include juniors Leilani Valdez, Angelina Ontiveros, Ava Riccabonna and Dueck.

The younger players include sophomores Emma Yeaman and Izzy Pfeiffer and freshmen Mikayla Santaella and Jordyn Waite-Ward.

Waite-Ward, a 6-foot-1 middle, is one of the new players who has made an immediate impact. Dueck said watching her on the first day of tryouts she knew she’d be a special player.

“I was like, ‘Dang, she’s our secret weapon,’” Dueck said.

The Mariners will need all players on deck to regain a piece of the league crown after missing out last season. Soquel ended Aptos’ five-year streak of winning at least a share of the SCCAL championship.

“I’m just excited overall,” Giuffre said.

“I think it’s going to be a really fun season with this group and we’re going to fight hard for everything,” Soquel not only won last year’s league title but the Knights are the defending Central Coast Section Division III champions after defeating the Mariners in the playoff final.

Soquel will lose five seniors from last year’s team due to graduation including Quinn Rocha, who was an all-league second-team selection.

The team is returning just three seniors this season and one of them is Sam Strah, who was last year’s SCCAL Most Valuable Player. She’s committed to Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo to play beach volleyball.

Other notable players to watch for include sophomore outside hitter Ciara Cantlen — the returning SCCAL Freshman

Aptos High senior Brynn Mitchell (7) leaps to block Soquel High senior Sam Werdmuller during their first SCCAL meeting. — Juan Reyes/LIFE

of the Year — junior setter Ava Adamsen, senior Sam Werdmuller and junior libero Hailey Strah, Sam’s younger sister.

“I have a young team,” said Soquel coach Jeanine Haldi. “I do have the returners, the two big hitters, but everybody else is fairly

new or at least in a new role.”

Mt. Madonna along with Santa Cruz High, Harbor High, Scotts Valley High and San Lorenzo Valley High are all chasing the Mariners and Knights, who are the top dogs of the SCCAL as of now.

october 2019

LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel - 9

Ask Nicole: When Saying Good-bye is Hard for Babies (and Parents)

Nicole M. Young, MSW You wouldn’t know it now, but my daughter cried constantly when she was a baby. First, she had colic. Then she cried whenever I was out of her sight. This made it extremely hard to drop her off at child care, and I often ended up crying just as much as my daughter. Our wise child care provider suggested I give my daughter something that smelled like me when saying good-bye, so she could be reminded of me throughout the day. For many months, I packed the nightshirt I’d worn the night before into the diaper bag each morning, then gave it to my daughter as I kissed her good-bye. It helped, and it became a special part of our good-bye routine that my daughter came to depend upon. After awhile, it didn’t matter if I’d worn the shirt – any soft, white T-shirt symbolized comfort and security. I’ll always be grateful for that simple tip that got us through many teary good-byes.

This monthly column provides tips for anyone who’s helping raise children, based on the world-renowned Triple P – Positive Parenting Program, available to families in Santa Cruz County. If you have a question or idea for a future column, please email me at triplep@ first5scc.org.

Dear Nicole, My wife and I recently adopted our first baby. We’re both excited, nervous, and clueless. Our daughter is 8-months old and usually easy-going, but lately she gets upset and cries when I drop her off at child care. It’s a terrible feeling to leave her when she’s crying and reaching out for me. Our child care provider says she’s fine once I leave, but should I be worried?

•

Tessa

Dear Tessa, Great question! It’s common for babies to go through a phase where they become upset and cry during separations. This is often called “separation anxiety” and is usually temporary. It can start as early as 4-months old, peak around 1-year old, then start to fade as children learn that their parents exist even if they can’t see them and that they will return after a separation. Here are some tips to try: SPEND QUALITY TIME TOGETHER This is the first positive parenting strategy to use in any situation, with any child, at every stage of life. Talk, read, sing, make eye contact, hold, cuddle, and play with your baby, even if it’s only for a few minutes at a time. This kind of brief, frequent quality time builds warm, loving relationships and will help your baby feel safe and secure.

safe and teaches them to prepare for separations. For example: • Tell your baby when it’s almost time to say good-bye – “Mommy [or Daddy] needs to leave in 5 minutes.”

• Do something special as you say good-bye – e.g. blow kisses, rub noses, sing a song, or hug.

• As you say your final good-bye, give your baby a “transitional object,” such as a toy, blanket, or other item from home that reminds them of you while you’re apart.

RESPOND CALMLY IF YOUR BABY GETS UPSET Babies often react to their parents’ emotions, even if they don’t understand or speak words. Try to stay calm and relaxed as you say good-bye and reassure your child that you’ll be back. It might not stop the crying, but can help prevent it from escalating.

CREATE A ROUTINE FOR RECONNECTING Babies often cry, turn away, or avoid their parents when they return, too. If this happens, it’s not a sign of rejection.

Babies may need time to adjust to seeing their parents after being apart. Stay close by and talk in a calm, caring voice so she knows you’re there, even if she doesn’t want to look at you or be held. Watch her face and body for signs she’s ready to be picked up or hugged.

CREATE A GOOD-BYE ROUTINE Predictable routines help children feel

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF Separating from and reconnecting with children (especially crying babies) can be an emotional roller coaster for parents.

Give yourself time and permission to feel your emotions, then practice self-care.

Take a walk, listen to music, get a cup of coffee or tea, talk to someone, take deep breaths – whatever will help you feel calm and ready to face the day.

FINAL THOUGHTS Saying good-bye is hard for many children and parents, no matter how old they are. Developing routines for separating and reconnecting helps children learn how to handle their feelings about saying good-bye, which helps prepare them to cope with changes and transitions throughout life.

Nicole Young is the mother of two children, ages 15 and 19, who also manages Santa Cruz County’s Triple P - Positive Parenting Program, the world’s leading positive parenting program. Scientifically proven, Triple P is made available locally by First 5 Santa Cruz County, the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency (Mental Health Services Act) and the Santa Cruz County Human Services Department. To find a Triple P parenting class or practitioner, visit http://triplep.first5scc.org, www. facebook.com/triplepscc or contact First 5 Santa Cruz County at 465-2217 or triplep@first5scc.org.

Aptos Real Estate Update — FALL 2019

Ruth Bates Aptos, Capitola, Santa Cruz Real Estate Happy Fall Aptos — the summer crowds have gone back home (whew) and we are still enjoying the warm weather, fresh air, and all that Aptos has to offer.

AVERAGE SALES PRICE DOWN The Summer Market (June-August) showed a significant reduction in Sold pricing versus the Spring Market (MarchMay). In Aptos, Single-family homes (SFR) sold for an Average of $1,217,038 in the Spring and dropped to Average Sales Price of $1,043,181 in the Summer, down $174K and down 14 percent in value. Sixty-one homes sold in the Spring and 69 homes sold in the summer, so the same amount of homes were sold, just for a lot less. In the Spring, the Median List Price was $1,095,000 and the Median Sales Price was also $1,095,000; so, homes typically sold in the Spring sold for 100 percent. In the Summer, the Median List Price was $899,000 and the Median Sales Price was $855,000; down $240,000 from Spring, and 95 percent of list, down 5 percent.

SINGLE-FAMILY HOME SALES The top selling home in the Spring was 631 Beach, a new build behind the gates,

which sold for $4,795,000. The lowest sale was 614 Nestora, a 2-bedroom, 1-bath, 828 Sq. Ft., sold for $455,840; this home is in the County’s affordable housing program. The two top selling homes in the Summer were both behind the gates in Seascape. 900 Via Gaviota sold off market for $6,000,000 and 986 Via Palo Alto sold for $3,725,000. The lowest sale was 665 Cathedral, 2-bed, 2-bath, 1342 Sq. Ft., sold for $420,000.

Average Days on Market (DOM) ranged from 38-42 days.

TOWNHOME/CONDO SALES The Aptos Village closed 8 townhome units in the Spring and Summer ranging from $895,000 for the 3-bed, 2.5 bath, 1706 Sq. Ft. model to $1,195,000 for the 3-story larger townhomes on the back side of Granite Way. All the $895K units are now sold. While SFRs went down significantly from Spring to Summer, Townhome sold pricing rose significantly (netting out the Aptos Village). In Spring,

the Average sale was $655,788 (I sold 359 Village Creek for $642,500) and the Median sale was $650,250, 99 percent of list. In Summer, the Average sale rose to $758,667 (I sold 307 Village Creek for $780,000), up $100K from two months prior. There were less townhomes to buy (22 sold in Spring and only eight sold in Summer), and buyers were paying more for them. The condo market remained relatively flat at 10 units sold in Spring and 12 units sold in Summer.

MANUFACTURED HOME SALES There were 9 Sales in Spring. Top sale was 33 Eugenia in the all-age Aptos Pines park, 3-bed, 2-bath, 1653 Sq. Ft., 4-years old, sold for $585,000. I represented the Buyer on the second highest sale, also in Aptos Pines, 95 Cherry Blossom sold for $565,000, 3-bed, 2 bath, 1428 Sq. Ft., also 4-years old. The lowest sale in the Turn to Page 10

Tax Matters: That time your CPA got audited

Patricia Beckwith Santa Cruz Tax Relief

There are few things in life more unnerving than opening your mailbox only to find a large envelope from the IRS. In my tax office we call them the Dreaded Nastygrams. A few years back I received one at my business post office box and quickly scanned the envelope addressee wondering who the next victim was only to realize the unfortunate victim was ME. The short version of the frustrating letter was regarding my personal 2012 tax return. The IRS had decided to disallow my self-employed health insurance deduction where I was entitled to write off 100% of the premiums from the front of my tax return, also known as an above the

line deduction. And because the deduction was disallowed now my adjusted gross income (AGI) increased slightly past the allowable threshold so that my student loan interest was now disallowed AND in turn, the child tax credit I had taken was disallowed. It’s such a delicate balancing act. On top of that the IRS was disallowing my mortgage insurance credit – more about that in a minute. All in all, with penalties and interest the IRS claimed I owed them $2,201 - insert sad face emoji here – instead of the $286 refund I had calculated.

Since I had no interest in agreeing to their changes and mailing a check in the conveniently provided envelope,

thank you very much, I quickly drafted a response letter informing them first, I am a CPA and the return was prepared correctly, and second I was including a copy of my W-2 showing my company (my tax firm is structured as a S-corporation) had paid my health insurance premiums and according to the Internal Revenue Code rules I had properly added the premiums to my W-2 and therefore was allowed to deduct them from my personal return. Third, I was also including a copy of my mortgage credit certificate I received from the housing authority back in 2010 when I Turn to Page 10

October 2019

10 - LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel

Fish Lady swims to Capitola Real estate

By TODD GUILD SOQUEL — For a quarter of a century, The Fish Lady has sold her wares from a tiny corner of a property in Soquel.

Also known as the fish lady, Sharon Hadley has moved to a location in Capitola after her former property imposed a rent increase, pricing her out of the market.

The new location at 700A Bay Avenue is adjacent to the Capitola Produce Market and near Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria.

Still in the midst of moving, Hadley was excited about the new location.

“One door closed and another one opened, as far as I’m concerned,” she said.

Hadley described her business as a specialty gourmet market offering fresh fish, meat and poultry. She also sells wine and beer. She hopes to bring her Friday BBQ specials back soon.

Hadley said she has been beset by numerous calls from her customers since she announced her abrupt displacement.

“My success is due to my relationship

Tax matters

Continued from page 9

Spring was 220 Mar Vista #40, 2-bed, 1-bath, 600 Sq. Ft., sold for $215,000.

There were 12 sales in Summer. I represented the Buyer on the highest sale at 10 Oak Shadows in the 55+ coop-park Aptos Knolls, 2-bed, 2-bath, 1440 Sq. Ft., brand new, sold for $599,000. The lowest Summer sale was 220 Mar Vista #67, 1-bed, 1-bath, 600 Sq. Ft., sold for $239,000.

CURRENT ACTIVE LISTINGS (9/19/19) Currently there are 94 Homes, eight Townhomes, 16 Condos and six Mobile homes on the market in Aptos, or 124 homes for sale. This represents about 4 months of inventory (based on 354 sales in 2018), which should imply a ‘balanced’ market, but pricing does not agree. The highest priced home is 1114 Via Malibu at $7,895,000 and 63 DOM. The lowest priced home is 516 Bonita at $569,000 and 177 DOM. The Average List Price is a whopping $1,859,869

Sharon Hadley, owner of the Soquel business, The Fish Lady, is shown with a banner at a new location of her store in Capitola. — Todd Guild/LIFE

with all my customers,” she said. “I wouldn’t serve it to someone if I wouldn’t eat it.”

••• The Fish Lady is now located at 700A Bay Ave. in Capitola. For information, visit www.thefishladysoquel.com or call 475-6044.

due to the large amount of high-end inventory just sitting on the market. The Median List Price is $1,282,500, still higher than Spring and significantly higher than Summer. Average DOM has doubled from 42 to 87 Days on Market.

24 of the 94 homes are priced over $2 Million. These homes average DOM = 118. Pricing must come down; it is a “buyer’s market” for the rest of the year.

INTEREST RATES The Feds reduced the Interest Rates again just this morning (9/19). 30-year home loans are currently available again for under 4.0 percent. Buyers can get great loan rates right now. If you are already a homeowner, it may be time to Refinance. Talk to your Local Lender about options that work best for you.

As always, Aptos is a very special place, shop local if you can, and enjoy our ‘Indian summer.’

Continued from page 9

bought my house (a little known tax credit goody that helps new homeowners and is available in Santa Cruz County) and while dissecting my tax return I discovered a glitch in my software and realized I had missed a $2,208 deduction. I pointed out this miscalculation actually increased the amount of my refund. I finished the letter with something along the lines of “This is what you owe me; now give me my money.”

So imagine my surprise when a few weeks later my assistant tells me the IRS is on the phone and wants to speak to me about my response letter. The IRS agent sounded about 12 years old and informed me he was rejecting my response because I wasn’t self-employed as I reported no

income on Line 12 Business Income. I explain to him I am a 100% shareholder in my S corporation, the income from which was reported on Line 17 and according to the IRS I am deemed selfemployed for the purpose of writing off all of my health insurance. The agent replied, “No you’re not” and I replied, “Yes, I am” and he replied, “No, you’re not”. Seriously. At this point I covered the phone and called out to my assistant in the other room, “Tiffany, are you playing a trick on me? Are we playing You’re on Candid Camera???” And of course a very bewildered Tiffany had no idea what I was talking about.

I reminded the agent about Internal Revenue Code Section 707 (c) and

Revenue Ruling 91-26 (please Google it if you are looking for fun bedtime reading), told him to put me on hold and to please discuss the matter with his manager and, yes, I would hold the line. After a brief hold the agent told me his manager was busy but before he hung up he informed me it was in my best interest to write the IRS a check immediately as interest and penalties were accruing daily.

I wasn’t surprised to receive another letter from the IRS eight weeks later informing me they reconsidered their position and were going to issue my increased refund of $1,066 that included the additional amount from the software glitch.

I tell this story to remind people just

because you get a letter from the IRS claiming you made a mistake doesn’t mean you did and don’t assume the IRS is automatically correct. I am a seasoned tax professional with over 20 years of experience yet was told by the IRS my return was incorrect. Can you imagine how many people, with less knowledge, receive these letters every day and automatically send payments because How could the IRS be wrong???

Patricia Beckwith is a Certified Public Accountant and a Tax Resolution Specialist. For more info: trish@ santacruzcpa.com or visit www. santacruztaxrelief.com

COMMUNITY CALENDAR Oct. xx Santa Cruz County Fair The Santa Cruz County Fair celebrates the rich agricultural history of our community and people, and invests heavily in bringing this heritage to our youth. The 2019 Fair will be held Sept.11-15 at the fairgrounds located on Highway 152 just east of Watsonville. Information on the fair and the fairgrounds — a year round entertainment and event venue — can be found at santacruzcountyfair.com

Oct. xx Capitola Art & Wine Festival

Capitola Art & Wine Festival combines art, wine, music and food, all in charming

Capitola Village overlooking the Monterey Bay from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The kids art & music area provides ongoing craft projects for the younger set, as well as musical play featuring MusicalMe. Enjoy fantastic entertainment all weekend, including local dance and performing arts groups, street performers and live music. For information: capitolaartandwine. com.

Oct. xx Run for Rio 5k

The sixth annual Run For Rio 5k is a fun community event for the entire family at beautiful Seascape Park in Aptos. The event promotes health and wellness, while also raising funds for Rio Del Mar Elementary School. This race is hosted by the Rio Del Mar Parent Alliance in support of students and teachers. There is also a 1k run for kids 7 & under.

To signup: runsignup.com/Race/ CA/Aptos/RUNFORRIO5k.

Oct. xx Golden Goals Auction and Celebration

Join our many supporters at Community Foundation of

Santa Cruz County, 7807 Soquel Drive to celebrate Aztecas’ inspiring successes and dreams for our community. Enjoy great local food, drink and music while socializing and bidding on auction items to benefit the Aztecas Youth Soccer Academy.

Event starts at 5 p.m. Tickets available on eventbrite.

Oct. xx 2019 Walk to End Alzheimer’s

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to fight Alzheimer’s. Join the Aptos walk at Seascape Resort and Park at 9 a.m. and help raise awareness and funds for care, support and research.

october 2019

LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel - 11

Santa Cruz County infrastructure update

By ZACH FRIEND Santa Cruz County Supervisor With nearly 600 miles of roads to maintain, it’s challenging to ensure that the expectations of the community are met. In previous articles we’ve discussed how roads are funded and where your tax dollars are distributed. But beyond the local Measure D and the recent SB 1 funding (gas tax) what other things are being done to improve our County’s infrastructure (including roads and bridges?)

Recently, the Department of Public Works instituted some positive changes to proactively address maintenance issues.

Additionally, the Regional Transportation Commission just voted to change how funding is allocated in a way that will bring more stable (and increased) funding to local cities and the County.

First, let’s review some of the changes from Public Works. Public Works notes that there are three basic categories of road maintenance: emergency maintenance, reactive maintenance and preventive

maintenance.

As you can imagine, much of the focus has been on emergency and reactive maintenance. Emergency maintenance is unplanned and generally from an act of nature (such as the major storms in 2017 that we are still repairing our over $120 million in damage from). Reactive maintenance involves fixing reported problems (from calls to our office, reports through the County’s website or free mobile app). The most common request for reactive maintenance is pothole patching.

Preventive maintenance is main thing that allows roads to last longer, improves traveling conditions and can save money in the long run. Public Works recently evaluated how they performed preventive maintenance and made some changes that already had an impact in our district this year.

Public Works moved away from the traditional geographic road district approach to staffing and maintenance and moved toward a focused maintenance program. Instead of operating as three independent geographically based road districts, staff is now divided into seven countywide activity-focused teams to address preventive issues outside of the rainy season.

What do the teams look like?

These new seven teams are divided into the following focus areas: • Roadbed Maintenance - repair road services of potholes and road surface hazards • Vegetation Management - roadside mowing and overhead trimming • Special Crew - handles sign repairs, street sweeping, litter removal, guardrail repairs, pavement painting and other requests • Ditch Cleaning - roadside ditch and

culvert clearing (especially in advance of the rainy season) • Special Projects - makes emergency repairs and scheduled road damage repair projects • Flood Control - maintaining the Pajaro River/Salsipuedes Creek levees, countywide creeks and off-road drainage systems • Service Request (Liability crew) - investigates repairs to help triage for current or future repair This new structure doesn’t add more staff on the street overall but does increase the size of crews addressing these specific issues (as now you can have a larger crew addressing issues in a district on certain days versus a small crew trying to address issues in that district on all days).

Regional Transportation Funding Change The Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) has historically distributed its Surface Transportation Block Grant Program/Regional Surface Transportation Program Exchange (STBG/ RSTPX) funding through a competitive process. As a result, city and county projects competed against each other as well as programs from local non-profits or other transportation service providers. The County worked to change this funding to a population formula basis (similar to what is done with other regional funding mechanisms) that is reliable and could come to the cities and the County directly and be distributed based on transportation priorities for those specific jurisdictions.

After multiple public hearings the RTC voted this month to allocate nearly all of the $10 million allocation (that amount is over 2 years) via this formula. A small set aside was created for Metro and for other competitive projects. All cities and the County benefit from this change,

which (for example) will now bring in approximately $4.8 million to the County, $1.9 million to Watsonville and over $500,000 to Capitola. This is a significant change that should have a positive impact on local roads and transportation priorities for all of the local jurisdictions.

National Infrastructure Funding Nationally, there is a need to improve funding. Across the country, counties are responsible for approximately 40 percent of bridges, 45 percent of all roads and about 78 percent of public transit agencies are county supported. From building and maintaining roads and bridges to providing efficient transit options it’s clear that counties need improved federal investment in infrastructure. As part of this, the National Association of Counties (NACo) have put together priorities for a federal infrastructure package that includes dedicated funding for locallyowned infrastructure, the preservation of tax-exempt status of municipal bonds, the streamlining of the federal permit process while ensuring common-sense environmental stewardship.

Our local congressional delegation is supportive of this and recently I joined with our Public Works Director/ Deputy County Administrative Officer in Washington DC on this issue and issues surrounding Federal Highway Administration (FHWA reimbursements).

As always, I appreciate your feedback.

Please feel free to call me at 454-2200 with your questions or visit my office hours in Aptos in the new Aptos Public Safety Center (in Aptos Village) or in Watsonville, Corralitos or Seascape.

Tips to prepare for the next recession

By GARY E. CROXALL, CFP and SOREN E. CROXALL, CFP The last quarter of 2018 was an extremely volatile time for the stock market. By the end of December, markets were down, nerves were rattled, and

people where asking themselves, “Is this the start of a recession?” However, beginning in January 2019, financial markets bounced back and through August have been having a pretty solid year overall. Now some of the recession warning signs have started to appear: an inverted yield curve in August, ongoing trade tensions, and a global slowdown in manufacturing. It’s important to remember that recessions are incredibly hard to predict. We might be a few months away or we might be years away from the next recession. However, it’s better to start planning for a recession now because it is not a matter of if a recession is going to happen, but rather when.

Tips for Your Month-to-

Source: Genworth 2018 Cost of Care Study

For a complimentary consultation on your long term care planning options A: 9057 Soquel Dr. Bldg B, Ste A Aptos, CA 95003 P: (831) 661-4006 E: gary.croxall@lpl.com W: www.croxallcapital.com

Gary Croxall is a registered principal of and securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC. CA Insurance Lic. #0532176

Month Budget

You probably think we sound like a broken record, but we can’t stress this enough. If you haven’t put together a realistic, working budget, then start putting together one now. It’s going to take at least a few months to fine tune, especially for variable expenses like entertainment and groceries. How much do you really spend in a month? Where does your money go?

Are there expenses that you can cut back on? If you’re finding that every month you’re spending more than your income, you should start to work out a game plan on what changes you can make so that you are able to live within your means.

In order to better prepare for the next recession, try to start bulking up your emergency savings. You’ll be happy it’s there if something unfortunate happens like a job loss. A common question we get asked is: how much should I have in emergency savings? Unfortunately there is not a one size fits all answer because it will depend on a variety of factors like the type of job you have, your age, if you have other income sources other than your primary employment, etc. At the very least try to have roughly three months of living expenses covered by emergency savings.

Ideally, you should aim to have six months or longer covered by emergency savings, especially if you work at a job that would take time to replace.

Along the same lines of bulking up emergency savings, work to pay down (or pay off) high interest debts like credit cards. Maybe in the past when you have gotten a bonus or a raise you’ve spent it.

Consider redeploying that bonus or raise to emergency savings and/or paying down higher interest debts.

Tips for Your Portfolio

For many investors, 2008 is a distant memory and complacency sets in. The US

stock markets have overall provided very solid returns the last 10 years. If investors haven’t been proactively reviewing their portfolios, they could have more risk in their portfolio than they realize or are comfortable with. It’s important to periodically review your goals and tolerance for risk. If you are a young person saving for retirement, then short term market volatility is probably less of a concern than someone who is nearing retirement and will be needing to soon draw from their portfolio to meet their everyday living expenses. Working with a financial professional can help you review your portfolio in comparison to your goals, tolerance for risk, and time horizon. A financial advisor can be a moderating voice if you find that you make rash investment decisions when markets become volatile or you under-diversify your portfolio when markets are going up.

Recessions happen. Some are more severe and longer than others. There is no way to avoid them, but there are proactive steps you can take to be better personally prepared.

Gary E. Croxall, CFP® Registered Principal of LPL Soren E. Croxall, CFP® Registered Representative of LPL Securities and Advisory Services offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA & SIPC. LPL Financial and Croxall Capital Planning do not provide tax or legal advice. The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.

12 - LIFE everything Aptos, Capitola and Soquel

October 2019

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831-708-2323

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16A Seascape Village, Aptos, CA 95003 seascapevillagefitness.com @seascapevillagefitness

Jim Tucker, PT, OCS and Kathy Tucker, RN, CMT

Locally Owned & Operated

Owners Jim and Kathy Tucker opened Seascape Village Fitness with a philosophy of physical training and education for weight loss, recreation, and athletic performance. Jim is a board certified Orthopedic Physical Therapist and Kathy is an RN. Together they have over 50 years of medical experience.

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