Pajaro Valley Magazine January 28, 2022

THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF THE PAJARO VALLEY

A supplement to The Pajaronian

JAN 28 - FEB 10, 2022

Winter

GROWTH

Local nursery owner talks seasonal trends

FEATURED HOME P7 | TRAVEL P8 | PHOTO GALLERY P10

THANKS A MILLION! 4 In 2014, Good Times started Santa Cruz Gives to help local nonprofits. This year, it raised more than $1 million to help deserving local groups. Thanks to all who supported and contributed to this initiative.

MAGAZINE

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

CEO & Executive Editor

Dan Pulcrano

JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 10, 2022 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

2022 RECIPIENTS: Alzheimer’s Association, Arts Council Santa Cruz County,

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BalanceSCC, Big Brothers Big Sisters, BirchBark, Bird School, Boys and Girls Clubs, CASA, Camphill California, Catholic Charities, CCOF Foundation, Coastal Watershed Council, Community Action Board SCC, Community Bike Collective, Community Bridges – Meals on Wheels, Community Life Services, County Park Friends, Dientes, Eat for the Earth, Ecology Action, Families in Transition, Farm Discovery at Live Earth, Food What?!, Friends of the Public Libraries, Girls Inc., Grey Bears, Groundswell Coastal Ecology, Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay, Health Projects Center, Homeless Garden Project, Hopes Closet, Housing Matters, Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support, Live Like Coco, Live Oak Education Foundation, Media Watch: Improving Images of Women, Mental Health Client Action Network, MENtors, Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, Museo Eduardo Carillo, Museum of Art & History, NAMI SCC, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, Nourishing Generations, Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes, Pajaro Valley Shelter Services, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, Project SCOUT, Recovery Café SC, Regeneracion, Resource Center for Nonviolence, Safe Ag Safe Schools, San Lorenzo Valley Museum, Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre, Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos, Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, Santa Cruz Shakespeare/Shakespeare Play On, Santa Cruz SPCA and Humane Society, Save Our Shores, SCC Animal Shelter Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank, Senderos, Senior Network Service, Seymour Marine Discovery, Shared Adventures, Soroptimist International of Capitola, Special Parents Information Network SCC, Sustainable Systems Research Foundation, Teen Kitchen Project, Unchained, Valley Churches United, Veterans Memorial Building, Vets 4 Vets, Volunteer Center of SCC, Warming Center Program, Watsonville Wetlands Watch, Wings Homeless Advocacy, Yoga For All Movement, Your Future is Our Business

Publisher

Jeanie Johnson

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Debra Whizin Editor

Erik Chalhoub Contributing Writers

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

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

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Cover story

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Featured Home

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Travel

Phaedra Strecher Cover Photography:

Tarmo Hannula

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

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READY FOR THE SEASON

JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 10, 2022 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

A wide selection of starters for the home and garden are shown at Alladin Nursery.

Nursery.

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Growing for the season

Alladin Nursery owner gives winter gardening advice

By JOHANNA MILLER

PICK A STYLE

Alladin Nursery features a selection of colorful pots.

wanted to stay home and garden more, and that has definitely meant more business.”

During the winter months, Beyer said that customers tend to focus on the common fall and winter veggies such as kale, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, lettuces, onions, swiss chard and leeks. Asian veggies such as bok choy have also been popular recently. As for ornamental plants, items such as flowering tulip trees, flowering cherries and more are planted around this time and bloom early in the spring.

Fruit trees, including apple, nectarine, persimmon, apricots, almonds, mulberries, plums and more are also common to purchase and plant on the Central Coast in the winter. ➝6

PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE | JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 10, 2022, 2022

Photos by Tarmo Hannula

F

or the past two years, nurseries across the Pajaro Valley have been buzzing with activity as more people than ever take up gardening and other outdoor pastimes.

The pandemic kept most people from traveling, visiting friends and family and spending time in crowds. And even as things improve, with more people feeling (relatively) comfortable stepping over their home’s threshold and into the outside world, plenty have kept gardening as a yearround pastime.

“We’re one of the few industries that actually grew during Covid,” said Gustavo Beyer, owner of Alladin Nursery in Corralitos. “People

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DECOR Garden ornaments are

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Tarmo Hannula

JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 10, 2022 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

a specialty at Alladin Nursery.

GROWING

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“We are very, very blessed with our weather here,” Beyer said, “because many of these things can be grown year-round.”

Aside from the plants themselves, gardening supplies such as fungicide and composting equipment are also essential for winter gardening—especially for items such as fruit trees.

“In California, we are very clean … but it is still necessary to spray certain fruits and berries to help avoid any disease,” Beyer said. “At this time, in the winter, there is often high humidity due to rains … these products can help protect them from that.”

Asking for advice about home gardening is always a good idea, Beyer said, whether it be from fellow gardeners or professionals at nurseries and other gardening establishments.

Talking with his customers is, in fact, one of Beyer’s favorite parts of the job.

“I always say, with this job I deal with living things: people and plants,” he said. “Sometimes I’m helping a customer … They’ll be looking at a plant, they’ll have lots of questions … I can tell that they’re not too sure. And sometimes I say, ‘you’d better not buy that.’ And they go, ‘What?’ But honestly, if you feel you don’t really need it, don’t buy it.

Or find something else.”

Alladin Nursery turned 100 just over two years ago. It was established in 1919 in the same exact spot it remains today, at the intersection of Freedom Boulevard and Corralitos Road. Beyer, who took ownership of the business 17 years ago, said that even as they continue to grow in their reach, they have been able to maintain their “small town feel.”

“We help and look after each other here,” he said. “Our customers have been incredibly supportive, and we are so grateful for that.

Many people drive a long way to buy from us. I have fourth-generation customers that come shop here. It’s wonderful.”

The recent uptick in sales at

Alladin has allowed for Beyer to keep plenty of employees on board during the pandemic. This included two friends of his children, who had been let go from their previous positions during the crisis. Beyer’s eldest daughter also pitched in her time to help with curbside pickups and deliveries, answering phones and creating an online ordering system.

“It has been amazing,” he said.

“I am so blessed to have had such wonderful help during this time.”

Alladin Nursery is located at 2905 Freedom Blvd. They are open Thursday-Monday from 9am-3pm. For information, visit alladinnursery.com.

FEATURED HOME

There is a Better Way Tom Brezsny’s

Real Estate of Mind Provoking thought since 1990

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Nem que listings.PA I D A DV ERTO RI A L

Real Estate of Mind

Mediate & Move On

Royal Oaks home on four acres surrounded by oak trees

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his Royal Oaks home is conducive to privacy, as it is located at the end of a gated community and set back far from the street.

Located at 1650 Andreas Estates Place, the 2,794-square-foot home includes four bedrooms and three bathrooms.

Natural light floods into the home through four sets of French doors and other windows

throughout. The floor plan offers open areas as well as various nooks, with high ceilings also a staple.

The home, with a five-car garage, sits on more than four acres with oak trees and meandering pathways.

The home, built in 1995, is listed at $1,149,000 by Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate. For information, visit bit.ly/3G2wFNB.

Lu Haussler, J.D.

831.334.9539 mediationgroupofsc.com

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TRAVEL

Rolling through wine country

By TARMO HANNULA

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Photos by Tarmo Hannula

JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 10, 2022 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

I

n the first part of this series, my wife Sarah and I wrapped up our adventure in mining for the rare gem, Benitoite, at the Benitoite Mining Co. outside of Coalinga.

Next, we drove south on Highway 33 and turned west on Highway 41 with hardly a speck of traffic.

The absence of other drivers opened the doors for a relaxed drive that made it easy to take in the bounty of the striking geography of rolling hills, mixed with mountains, cattle grazing land and twisty roads.

After catching Highway 46 for the final stretch into Paso Robles, we were engulfed in one vineyard after another that spread out over the gentle, rolling hills.

In the early afternoon we checked into Siri Hotel near downtown. Our first taste of the area was a short walk up Spring Street to the Paso Market Walk, a string of newer gift shops, cafes, wine tasting counters and such that were stitched together with modern

SMALL TOWN ATMOSPHERE Downtown Paso Robles offers a wide array of shops and eateries. landscaping, stony architecture, tall windows and indoor and outdoor seating.

We took a seat at Joebella Coffee

UNIQUE DESIGN The King City Union High School Auditorium

was designed by architect Robert Stanton and built in 1939.

for tea and a latte. Downtown was a short stroll away so we next wandered the streets of busy shops, galleries, cafes and restaurants to the city plaza before rounding back to our hotel.

That evening, by plan, we drove into the hills and met our friends, Lucia and Brett, who had just moved from Aptos to Paso in June.

Brett used to be the principal at H.A Hyde Elementary School in Watsonville where we met.

We followed their car into town where we got a table at the Alchemist’s Garden restaurant that faced the city plaza. Downtown Paso was nothing shy of bustling. The place was lit up and full of people enjoying the night life with nearly everyone wearing masks for Covid safety.

The following morning we headed north up Highway 101 as the morning fog lifted to sunny skies.

We took the first exit into King City and rolled through an

industrial section before taking in their small downtown. Then we spotted the King City Union High School Auditorium and Theater that was designed by architect Robert Stanton and built in 1939.

Thanks to a brass plaque stationed beside the building we learned that Stanton teamed up with artist Joseph Jacinto for the Art Moderne style building to include international culture in its decorative elements, featuring scenes of an Egyptian harpist, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Hopi Indian ceremonial dance figures and depictions of Hollywood filmmaking. The unusual lines, decorative accents and stature of the building—combined with its history—made our brief visit to King City a valuable stop.

In the final chapter of this series, we venture into Monterey County, wind into Arroyo Seco, Carmel Valley for lunch and a return home along the coast.

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PHOTO GALLERY

heads into work at the Pajaro Valley Unified School District transportation yard on Grimmer Lane.

Tarmo Hannula

TWO-WHEELED TRANSPORTATION

A bicyclist rolls along Beach Road in Watsonville.

DEW Morning rain

beads on geranium petals at the Home Depot Garden Center.

Ed Show

10

YELLOW ROW A bus driver

Tarmo Hannula

JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 10, 2022 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE

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JEWEL THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS

Weir THE

by Conor McPherson

“Beautifully sculpted miniature masterpiece explores, with a deceptively light touch, the darker recesses of the human heart.” — DC Theatre Scene WEDS.

Jan 26 7:30pm (Preview)

THURS.

FRI.

SAT.

SUN.

Jan 27 7:30pm

Jan 28 8pm

Jan 29 8pm

Jan 30 2pm

Feb 3 7:30pm

Feb 4 8pm

Feb 5 8pm

Feb 6 2pm

Feb 10 7:30pm

Feb 11 8pm

Feb 12 8pm

Feb 13 2pm

Feb 17 7:30pm

Feb 18 8pm

Feb 19 2pm

Feb 20 2pm

(Preview)

(Talk-Back)

(Talk-Back)

(Talk-Back)

(Opening)

(Talk-Back)

8pm

This production is funded, in part, by grants from the following organizations:

THE WEIR is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York

JTC voted best theatre company in Santa Cruz!

January 26 – February 20, 2022 at THE COLLIGAN THEATER | 1010 River Street, Santa Cruz Directed by Susan Myer Silton

The arrival of a mysterious single woman from Dublin disrupts the routine in a tiny pub in rural Ireland. The local barflies vie to impress her with tales of the supernatural – but what starts as stories of ghosts and fairies leads to revelations about love and family. Playwright Conor McPherson was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play for The Weir.

Tickets: Adults $50 / Seniors & Students $45 Preview $27 all tickets

www.JewelTheatre.net (831) 425-7506

LIVE THEATRE THRIVES IN SANTA CRUZ.

SAFETY IS OUR PRIORITY. ALL PATRONS MUST PRESENT PROOF OF VACCINATION WITH MATCHING ID AND BE MASKED. SEE OUR WEBSITE OR CALL THE BOX OFFICE FOR MORE DETAILS.