Pajaro Valley Magazine February 11 2022

THE THE LIFESTYLE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE MAGAZINE OF OF THE THE PAJARO PAJARO VALLEY VALLEY

FEBRUARY 11- 24,2022

Love

Fo r A supplement to The Pajaronian

CHOCOLATIER, HISTORIANS MARK SEASON OF ROMANCE

An early-day lace doily graces the table beneath a candle holder as part of the Valentine’s Day decorations at the Pajaro Valley Historical Association.

HERITAGE CHOCOLATES P4 | HOME OF THE WEEK P7 | TRAVEL P10

ith Now w to p limits u

$ 970K!

4 MAGAZINE

21 Brennan St, Suite 18, Watsonville, CA 95076 Phone: 831.761.7301

Turn Your Home Ownership Dreams Into Reality Only 3% down and no closing costs!*

CEO & Executive Editor

Dan Pulcrano Publisher

Jeanie Johnson

7

Ad Director

Debra Whizin

• Low, competitive rates

Editor

Erik Chalhoub

FEBRUARY 11 - 24,2022 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

• Friendly, fast, and local service

2

Contributing Writers

Apply online at www.bayfed.com or any of our convenient locations.

Erik Chalhoub, Johanna Miller, Tarmo Hannula, Sarah Ringler Advertising Account Executives

Lisa Buckley, Sue Lamothe, Kate Kauffman Ilana Packer, Tiffani Petrov Design Layout

10 831.479.6000 or toll-free at 888.4BAYFED, ext. 304 www.bayfed.com/HomeLoans *No closing costs include lender fees, appraisal fees, title fees, and escrow fees. First Time Homebuyer Program available to those that have not owned a property in the last three years. Offer valid on owner-occupied single-family residences for those with a credit score of 680+.

Maximum loan amounts up to $970,800 in Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties, and $854,450 in Monterey County. Mortgage insurance required for loan amounts greater than 80% loan to value. Offer applicable on purchase transactions in the State of California. Offer not available on refinances. Other restrictions may apply. Terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. All loans are subject to approval of credit, income verification, and property valuation. Bay Federal Credit Union membership required at the time of closing. For more information, visit any Bay Federal Credit Union branch or call a Bay Federal Home Loan Consultant at 831.479.6000, or toll-free at 888.4BAYFED, extension 304. Bay Federal Credit Union is registered with the Nationwide Mortgage Lending System (NMLS). Bay Federal Credit Union ID #403635.

Federally Insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Lender.

4

Cover story

7

Home of the Week

Hon Truong Cover Photography:

Tarmo Hannula

Published by WatsNews, LLC, Watsonville, CA. Entire contents © 2022. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form prohibited without publisher’s written permission.

TO PLACE AN AD

8

Celebrating Valentine’s

Email:

sales@pajaronian.com Call:

10 Travel

831.761.7325

Alex Sepkus

Proudly serving generations of customers with the finest in classic and contemporary jewelry

PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 11- 24, 2022

Sarah Graham Metalsmithing

3

PERFECT PAIR

4

Ccontributed

FEBRUARY 11 - 24,2022 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

Heritage Chocolates will host a virtual pairing with El Vaquero Winery for Valentine’s Day.

A

sweet tradition Heritage Chocolates Corralitos a local, family affair

M

ore than 50 years ago, clockmaker and shop owner Allison Rider discovered a new hobby: making chocolate candies for his friends, family and

➝6

PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 11- 24,2022

employees.

Rider, a big chocolate lover, started creating treats loosely based on See's Candies flavors. He experimented with caramel and other soft-center candies, eventually passing his knowledge on to other family members.

This included his daughter Ali Dwyer, who now owns and operates Heritage Chocolates Corralitos with her husband, Richard Dwyer. After her father passed away in 2016, Ali’s family was inspired to continue his legacy and take things further.

“We started [Heritage] in early 2017,” she said.

“We now make around 29 types of chocolate, with some seasonal flavors as well. A lot of recipes are from family … The caramel recipe was from my dad’s family. The soft center recipe came from my mom’s sister-in-law.”

5

Ccontributed

WIDE SELECTION Heritage Chocolates Corralitos was founded in 2017

and now offers 29 types of candies, as well as treat bars and barks.

With Valentine’s Day approaching, the Dwyers are busy—they create, pack and distribute all of their creations themselves from inside their Corralitos home. In addition to candies they offer treat bars and barks, and are currently selling Valentine’s-themed packs that include “Love Bites” (made with pistachios, cardamom and dried strawberries) and cherry amaretto chocolates.

“Valentine’s Day is the second biggest holiday for us, right after Christmas,” Ali said. “This is a big one.”

Heritage Chocolates has found success in partnering with local wineries, creating infused chocolates to sell at wineries across the Monterey Bay. They regularly host pop-ups and events at El Vaquero Winery and Nicholson Winery in Corralitos, and this weekend will kick off a new partnership at Byington Vineyard & Winery in Santa Cruz.

“We’ve also done collaborations with Fruition Brewing, infusing their beer into our chocolate,” Dwyer added. “Also … last, and this weekend our candy will be sold at Three Waves Coffee. We use their beans for our coffee chocolates.”

Working with other businesses, farms and community members is an important aspect of their business, Ali said.

“I love working with the community, local farmers … Eventually, as we can afford it, we want to switch things over to where we can use local products in everything,” she said. “Such as, we use the lemon and

blackberry that we’ve grown on our property. And our friends … they recently gave us oranges, which we’ll use for our orange chocolates.”

They are also working with local distributing platform Eatlocal.farm, which offers $5 deliveries of regional products.

“They’re selling our barks like crazy,” Richard said. “It’s a great partnership.”

In the future, the Dwyers hope to find a commercial kitchen space and some additional help with operations. For now though, they are enjoying the ride.

“My father likes to say, ‘There’s no such thing as bad chocolate, it’s just that some chocolate is better than others,’” Richard said. “We’ve taken that to heart.”

Honoring her own father’s passion for chocolate will always be part of their mission, Ali said.

They even chose the name of the company to reflect his clock shop, Allison Heritage Clocks, using the original font he designed in the 1970s for the logo.

“We chose our name to carry on his legacy,” Ali said. “To honor how this all started.”

Heritage Chocolates will host pop-ups this weekend at Stripe in Downtown Santa Cruz and Beer Thirty in Soquel. They will be at Byington Sunday, 12-4pm. Shop online at heritage-chocolates.com and follow the business’ Facebook for regular updates.

SWEET KICK Heritage Chocolates has collaborated with Three Waves Coffee

and local distribution platform EatLocal.Farm.

Ccontributed

6

5

Ccontributed

FEBRUARY 11 - 24,2022 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

A SWEET TRADITION

LOVE BOX A special Valentine’s Day pack includes “Love Bites” made with rose and cardamom, and cherry amaretto chocolates.

FEATURED HOME

There is a Better Way Tom Brezsny’s

Real Estate of Mind Provoking thought since 1990

Staying on topic: Low Inventory Woes Ore resciis nobitium qui utam estrum -Whyinimint More Sellers Aren’t Selling. que invent ati ut fugiasp ienihil Trying to pinpoint the igentotatem auda reasons quamusbehind molupta Tom Brezsny’s historic low inventory we’re experiencing. quiat.

What’s causing the huge crimp in the Luptas di berisqui andi simi, quo supply side of the market equation?

Provoking thought sinceque 1990molorem. essinulpa Whenever nimillaciam there’s a significant change Vel est, quibercima dus.to trot out in the market, punditssilike Ore nobitium utamquistrum theirresciis short list of “usualqui suspects. ”estrum Low Am rerore, si volorio.

Nemod Inventory is invent caused quid by aversion que inimint ati people’s utquas fugiasp ienihil resequu ntiberum volorenet to capital gains, or concerns about higher igentotatem auda quamus molupta fuga.

Et res sitatus andentem.

Cabo. property taxes. Or, since they’re already Nobitatia illoratrem volest que quiat. locked intovolorero their homes rock-bottom vendus restis senistota sam interestdi rates, why sell and buyhitatur new Luptas berisqui andi simi, quo houses with more costly mortgages? aditiur?

Qui dolorro ipsundit occupti essinulpa nimillaciam que molorem.

Those all important considerations, busdae necaectium et dus. plam dunt am Vel est,are quibercima si but rerore, in thisquis case they’re really justquistrum the sim verit minum, consenis re tip of Am si volorio.

Nemod the iceberg.

Smaller symptoms of a much sinienim qui aut iur modis as etur? resequu ntiberum quid quas volorenet larger shift, one that’s profoundly baked Torisquosae repuditas ut facia fuga.

Et res sitatus Cabo. into the DNA of ourandentem. ownunt culture and has doloribus, utatetur? to do withvolorero our rapidly aging Nobitatia illor rempopulation volest que and the restis fact that people are living longer Cerrume nienimi ligenducient verum vendus senistota sam hitatur than ever before. fugitatem imdolorro inimus,ipsundit voluptur?occupti Quiberu aditiur?

Qui It’s not the lack of people wanting to sell ptatur? busdae necaectium et plam dunt am that’s causing the inventory It’s Cepudandam quam si consenis beashortage. endusant. sim quis re want the verit fact that sominum, many people who do Pudis sim quis maiorrovitem corrum to sell arequi having figuring out how sinienim aut trouble iur modis as etur? alit, ium quomake comniatiur to docusam it in ways that sense toaut them.

Torisquosae repuditas unt ut facia As we speak,verspel there are hugesuntem numbers of im facepra laciae doloribus, utatetur? aging babyquam boomers (and parents) ipsamus, sed es estheir maximus asse Cerrume nienimi ligenducient verum who are trying to navigate through the volorerfero tem dilemmas. quod quo When voluptaquos own downsizing more fugitatem im inimus, voluptur? Quiberu ex et isfigure eic teitlitout, volupti people more dolum houses will go ptatur? on the market. iumquiatio exces erion nihit aut lat Cepudandam quam si bea endusant. quam quis rem fugita consediby niet, Whensim people are overwhelmed theeos Pudis quis maiorrovitem corrum scopealit of alate late-life change even before eost verum que coressin alit, ium quo aut theycusam can get out of thecomniatiur starting gate, Voloreca turionsedit quo etur?

Qui odit it’s facepra easy for them to retreat into im verspel laciae back suntem quisciis mo optatur?

Quaspit aut volore the fastness and comfort of maximus home and ipsamus, quam es es asse doluptiis inus si sed qui It’s voluptas nostomodi established routines. tempting kick volorerfero tem quod quo voluptaquos ilibus. the can down the road until “the time ex et is eic te litfaccus, volupti is right” (a euphemism that mean Ique nulparum isdolum acan conestr waiting for something unexpected iumquiatio exces erion nihit aut to lat uptat. happen thatrem will force aconsedi change). niet, eos quam Aliquequis ma enisifugita quatet am, audipsa Moving down is hard stuff.

It takesquia eost alit usandite late verum que piciaec latur autcoressin dicia tremendous courage.

And...it isn’tQui going Voloreca turionsedit quo etur? odit pa ipsant magnihicid quiate ad que to get any easier five year or tenreyears quisciis moThat’s optatur?

Quaspit volore delibusam ut et the ut odicidebit, siment from now. reality of it.aut Choose doluptiis sidolorro qui voluptas modi proactively now, how youvitatia want nos to live for dem quaeinus pori quia the rest Voluptat of the foreseeable future.serupta Or wait ilibus. illatur? aspernatum, untilnulparum life makes the decision you and Ique isnonsedipsum a for conestr ecesci eum faccus, restium doesn’t res necessarily offer up any desirable uptat. eum que dolorem nos dolum lam, options.

Alique maaenisi am, audipsa etur, cust duntusdae dolorpo The magnitude ofquatet changelam associated piciaec latur aut dicia quia rempeliquid modis autpopulation ataerror re with ourusandite rapidly-aging is something we’ve never experienced pa ipsantoptatio magnihicid quiate volorest dempor aut re autad que before. In Nem many ways, we’re living in delibusam ut etque ut odicidebit, siment explabo. recuste posapel an older, undiscovered country that’s dem quae pori dolorro vitatia quia trying to come to terms with its own illatur?

Voluptat aspernatum, serupta existential angst. And it’s going to require an expanded conversation to find better ecesci res eum restium nonsedipsum solutions the challenges inherent eum que to dolorem nos dolum lam,in living longer.

DRE #01063297 etur, custRealtor® a duntusdae lam dolorpo As my 94-year-old parents are fond of 831-818-1431 rempeliquid modis aut ataerror re saying whenever they get the chance: getreal@sereno.com volorest autToaut “Getting optatio old isn’t dempor for sissies!” that, I’m going to add myque ownrecuste real estate-inspired explabo.

Nem posapel PA I D A DVisn’t ERTO AL phrase: “Downsizing forRI Wimps!”

Real Estate of Mind

Mediate & Move On • Avoid Court • Divorce Mediation • Family Conflicts • Dispute Resolution • Fast, Fair, Affordable

Royal Oaks ranch home features variety of new upgrades

A

palm tree-lined driveway leads from the main gate to this ranch house in Royal Oaks.

Located at 545 Pini Road, the 1,896-square-foot home on two acres features three bedrooms and three bathrooms.

The home, built in 1940, recently underwent a remodel that includes granite countertops, as well as new appliances, roof, heating, electrical, plumbing, deck, entryway, water

filtration system and solar panels.

Outside features a vegetable garden, fruit trees and many small retreat areas with benches and chairs. There are also two storage sheds and an outdoor water fountain. French doors from the kitchen open up to an outdoor tiled patio that holds a fire pit enclosed within a gazebo.

The home is listed at $1,582,000

by Over the Moon Realty. For information, visit bit.ly/3ufibrj.

831.334.9539 mediationgroupofsc.com

TOPS in Their Field

Tom Brezsny

Tom Brezsny (831) 722-4694

Realtor® DRE #01063297 831-818-1431 getreal@sereno.com PA I D A D V E R T O R I A L

PAID ADVERTORIAL

PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 11- 24,2022

Remodeled country retreat

Lu Haussler, J.D.

Are You TOPS in Your Field?

Call Debra 831.761.7325

Over the Moon Realty

PINI ROAD This Royal Oaks home was recently updated.

Free 1/2-hr.

Phone Consultation

7

VALENTINE’S DAY Have a recent photo you’d like to share? Send it to us for consideration by emailing it to echalhoub@weeklys.com or mailing it to 21 Brennan St., Suite 18, Watsonville, CA 95076. Please include a brief description of the photo as well as the name of the photographer.

ROMANTIC TRADITION

Tarmo Hannula

FOR LOVE

Day tree features a wealth of fine small purses of days past.

Virginia Avala dressed up this glass showcase inside the archive building at the Pajaro Valley Historical Association.

Tarmo Hannula

8

VINTAGE The Valentine’s

Tarmo Hannula

FEBRUARY 11- 24,2022 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

Thanks to the efforts of Virginia Avala, Pajaro Valley Historical Association board member of the house committee, and Jodi Frensley, office administrator, an early-day tradition of dressing up a “Valentine’s Day tree” stays alive inside the historic Frank Orr House on 332 East Beach St.

HOMEOWNER’S SERVICE GUIDE Keep your home in top shape with the help of these local professionals.

Native Tree Care

For information on how to include your business, email sales@pajaronian.com Extraordinary ESSENTIAL ESSENTIAL HANDYMAN Construction SERVICES

Add-A-Jack

HANDYMAN SERVICES Professional - Timely - Courteous

• Carpentry • Home Repair • Landscape

GREG EIMAN

831.588.1260

Add - A-5 Jack

831-466-9762 • Maximize WiFi, Internet, Cable, Coax, TV • Home & Business solutions • Update old wiring or install all new

RAINBOW 1 CARPETS & FLOORS

2

23 years in Santa Cruz!

addajacksantacruz.com

ADUs • Jr ADUs • Granny Units Additions • Studios • Sun Rooms

WE DELIVER!!

831 322-4422

We handle everything from

Design to Permits to Construction

extraordinaryconstruction.com LIC #1023400 and Insured

• BACKHOES • TRUCKS • TRAILERS

& MORE!

www.AToolShed.com 1-800-A-TOOL-SHED Santa Cruz

Watsonville

831.477.7133

831-722-0334

3700 Soquel Ave

285 W Beach St.

Maximize Wi-FI Range INDOOR • OUTDOOR

Wired Internet Solutions

Plumbing Plumbing

General General Home Home Repair Repair

Electrical Electrical

Carpentry Carpentry

Landscaping Landscaping

Greg Greg Eiman Eiman 831.588.1260 831.588.1260

Native

Tree Care All phases of tree work...

• Stump grinding • Poison oak removal • Fruit tree pruning • Palm tree pruning

Julian 831 335-5175 *Certified arborist since 1974 *Iinsured PLPD $2M

Add-A-Jack Home • Business Large Properties CABLE

831-466-9762 TELEPHONE

Addajacksantacruz.com

JOHN SKILLICORN Realtor®

CALDRE #01875872

831-818-1540 | www.JohnSkillicorn.com | johnskillicorn@att.net

PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 11- 24, 2022

EXTRAORDINARY CONSTRUCTION

• CHAIN SAWS • GENERATORS • GARDEN TOOLS • LOG SPLITTERS • FORKLIFTS

ESSENTIAL ESSENTIAL HANDYMAN HANDYMAN SERVICES SERVICES

9

TRAVEL

Tarmo Hannula

10

A taste of the Salinas River and Carmel Valley

By TARMO HANNULA

O Tarmo Hannula

FEBRUARY 11 - 24,2022 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

ROCKY TERRAIN The Arroyo Seco campground includes a major tributary of the Salinas River that drains a rugged area of the Coast Ranges east of Big Sur before flowing through the agricultural Salinas Valley.

COUNTRY SCENE A farm near the Arroyo Seco campground features

a water tank that resembles a lighthouse.

n the third and final day of our road trip to Coalinga, Paso Robles and surroundings, heading north toward home, we cut off of Highway 101 at Greenfield and turned west.

We took the G16 route that led us through the tiny ag town of Greenfield where we were surrounded by vineyards, strawberry farms and rustic older farmhouses and barns. G16 then connected up to Arroyo Seco Road toward the rugged mountains of the Coast Ranges east of Big Sur. With hardly a car in sight the entire drive, it was easy to pull over and take in the beauty of the tranquil land, grab a few photos and drive on at our own pace.

We’ve never visited the Arroyo

Seco campground, but have heard about it from plenty of folks. As Arroyo Seco Road wound through the countryside and hills, we eventually crossed an early day steel bridge that spanned the Salinas River. We followed the Salinas River into the campground past clutches of shady trees and rocky terrain.

The kind ranger there let us park for a few minutes, long enough to take a few photos for this story, smell the pristine air and listen to the rushing water as it splashed across the rocky shores of the river.

Backtracking a short bit, we turned onto Carmel Valley Road which, we learned, offers a huge array of curves, hills and sweeping bends for quite a while before you reach civilization.

We pulled into Carmel Valley and parked long enough to catch a light lunch at Cafe Rustica, 10 Del Fino Place, check out some of the shops and then continue north. We followed Highway 1 out of Carmel and through Monterey where we followed the arc of the Monterey Bay through Moss Landing, over the rise and back to the Pajaro Valley.

Over the years we’ve traveled to 33 countries, including China, Russia, Brazil, Argentina, Italy, Mexico, Sweden and Finland, but the pandemic, for us, has put a lid on such travels—for the time being. On top of that, our last several experiences at airports have tremendously soured, with cut staffing and the customer having to do more of the work— luggage, check-in, meals, etc. Now, during the Covid-19 nightmare, we’ve taken to road trips around California and into Nevada and found they fill our travel needs well.

While some places adhere to pandemic safety protocols and others places just plainly don’t, we’ve tried our best to blend in and maneuver as best we see fit.

On this journey, we had plenty of thrills, fun, unexpected surprises, great meals and a visit with old friends in Paso Robles. Our motel rooms were fine and our drive proved to be safe and relaxing. Though we never found a spec of Benitoite in our brush with mining for gems, we came away with a nutty story that we’ve now shared many times (do note, not one person has voiced even a hint of wanting to try heading to the Benitoite mine).

The Place to Celebrate with your Sweetheart

HEATED PATIO DINING & CURBSIDE PICKUP

FRESH LOCAL & ORGANIC PRODUCE NATURAL SOURCEVERIFIED MEATS GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE ONLINE, IN PERSON OR OVER THE PHONE!

262 1 4 1 S T AVE . , S O Q U E L

•

8 3 1 .4 7 6 .3 8 0 1

•

WWW. C AFEC RUZ. C OM

PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 11- 24, 2022

SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD SPECIALS NIGHTLY

11