Aptos Times: November 15, 2019

Family Owned For Over 28 Years • Aptos, La Selva Beach, Corralitos, Freedom & Watsonville

Times Publishing Group, Inc.

November 15, 2019 • Vol 28 No. 22

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Ready to Give Back This Holiday Season?

November is here and already, we find ourselves enveloped in the Holiday Season. The tinsel, glitter, and endless supply of holiday knick-knacks have arrived on store shelves and the carols have begun playing over loud speakers all across America.

Full Story page 5

26 Years of Making a Difference!

Aptos Adopt-A-Family Provides for Families in Times of Hardship

Twenty-six years ago, a local businessman in Aptos was diagnosed with inoperable cancer. As the cancer progressed, he was unable to work or support his family as the holidays approached. Our community put on spaghetti feed and the money collected went to help his family.

Patrice Edwards, of Times Publishing Group, Inc., and a friend, worked tirelessly to collect toys, food, clothes, rent money, and more to carry his family through the coming months. This was the birth of Aptos-Adopt-a-Family. ... continues on page 4

Ninth Annual Roadwatch

Early in the morning on Oct. 8, young people from 79 Friday Night Live chapters, in 35 California counties, surveyed 96 intersections near high schools and middle schools across the state of California.

Full Story page 6

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Happy

THANKSGIVING Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude and I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of my family, friends and clients, past and present. I truly have been blessed meeting such amazing families, and working with so many exceptional home buyers and home sellers. I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving, a joyous holiday season and a happy New Year!

thank You Aptos!

AMBER MELENUDO REALTORÂŽ 831.661.5591 ambermelenudo.com amber@davidlyng.com DRE 01921098 2 / November 15th 2019 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

# 1 DAV I D LY N G R E A L E S TAT E AG E N T I N A P TO S

No. 22

Volume 28

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Table of Contents

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Cover

26 Years of Making a Difference!: Aptos Adopt-A-Family Provides for Families in Times of Hardship

5 6 7

8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 20 22 23 24 27

Community News Ready to Give Back This Holiday Season?

Ninth Annual Roadwatch: Shining Light On Dangerous Driving Near Schools Adoption Day Event in Santa Cruz • World Renowned Pianist Performs in Aptos • Syringe Services Program Listening Sessions • Retired Teachers’ Luncheon • New Historical Displays Share Aptos Village History Holiday Harvest: Community comes together to ‘Kick-Off’ Food & Fund Drive United Methodist Holiday Boutique Rotary Club of Santa Cruz: Sponsors Veterans Memorial Building Courtyard Renovation Project Candidate Filing Open Thru Dec. 6: For March 2020 Primary Reel Rock 14 Film Tour Animal Shelter Offers Winter Camp For Kids Dominican Earns Top Ratings: Hospital Recognized for Cardiac Care and Patient Safety By Watchgroups Healthgrades and Leapfrog Board Enacts Tenant Protections A Cultural Celebration: Día de los Muertos at Mount Madonna School Santa Cruz Gives Back: Countywide Holiday Giving Campaign Returns for its Fifth Year Elkhorn Slough Foundation Earns National Recognition for Conservation Excellence Pheasant, Wild Turkey, Second Dove Season • California’s ‘Woman Quota’ Targeted in New Lawsuit • Sheriff’s Department: Alcohol and Tobacco Operation Watsonville Wetlands’ Green Grizzlies Program Off to a Great Start • California Department of Tax and Fee Administration Develops Online Tool for Offer in Compromise Eligibility

Business Profile 18 Capitola Veterinary Hospital, By Jessica Johnson

Local Sports 21 Aptos High School Scoreboard

Monthly Horoscope • Page 26 – Your November Horoscope Community Calendar • Arts & Entertainment – Pages 28, 29

25 26 30

Featured Columnists To Thine Own Health Be True, By John Wilkins Mulch Is Imitation Of Nature, By Tony Tomeo Supporting Local Businesses, By Supervisor Zach Friend

SCCAS Featured Pet • Page 31– Facing Change Late in Life

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COVER STORY publisher

Patrice Edwards

editor

Lori Landino

contributing writers Camisa Composti, Jessica Johnson, John Wilkins, Tony Tomeo, Zach Friend

layout Michael Oppenheimer, Jim Johnson graphic artists Michael Oppenheimer, Jim Johnson photography Michael Oppenheimer, Jim Johnson, Brad King website Michael Oppenheimer, Camisa Composti production coordinator Ryan Wilson advertising sales Don Beaumont, Teri Huckobey, Ryan Wilson Cathe Race

office coordinator

Bill Pooley, James Hudson

distribution

Times Publishing Group, Inc. 9601 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA 95003 The Times Publishing Group, Inc., publishers of the Aptos Times, a bi-monthly publication, the Capitola Times and Scotts Valley Times, each printed monthly, Coastal Weddings Magazine, Coastal Home and Garden Magazine, Aptos’ Fourth of July Parade Official Program Guide and Capitola’s Begonia Festival Official Program Guide, is owned by Patrice Edwards.

Entire contents ©2019. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form is prohibited without the publisher’s written permission

“Adopt-A-Family” from page 1 Over the years there have been hundreds of stories, and thousands of gifts. Gifts of wheelchairs, a handicap accessible van, lifts, food, clothes, toys, bikes, rent—gifts that have helped many a family enjoy their holiday.

We connect people who want to adopt, and they provide the family with gifts. They receive a list of the family’s wants and needs, they do the shopping, and then deliver them to our office and we pass them along to the adopted family.

We focus primarily on families that are having financial challenges due to a medical catastrophe within their family as well as families who have had a financial crisis. We have worked side by side with Jacob’s Heart over the years and have had several of our sponsors adopt a Jacob’s Heart family.

We have several families awaiting adoption! Call us at 831-688-7549 if you would like to adopt a family or refer a family in need.

If you cannot adopt but would like to support us please send your donation (of any amount) to Aptos Adopt-AFamily c/o Times Publishing Group, Inc., 9601 Soquel Drive, Ste A Aptos, CA 95003.

••• From a Jacob’s Heart Parent: Celebrating The Holidays in Grief is like holding your breath when you dive into a pool: Instinctual, scary and over before you know it.

At different stages the pain changes.

Tears fall either way — with delight and

PHONE: (831) 688-7549 FAX: (831) 688-7551 GENERAL E-MAIL: info@cyber-times.com Patrice Edwards: patrice@cyber-times.com Publisher’s Assistant: assistant@cyber-times.com Editor: info@cyber-times.com Opinions/Letters: editorial@cyber-times.com Calendar Listings: www.tpgonlinedaily.com Graphics Department: graphics@cyber-times.com Billing Inquiries: cathe@cyber-times.com Classified Sales: sales@cyber-times.com Production: production@cyber-times.com CHECK OUT OUR WEB SITE AT: www.tpgonlinedaily.com mission statement We at the Times Publishing Group, Inc. are dedicated to providing a voice for the individuals and organizations in our community while highlighting the outstanding accomplishments of our local businesses. We seek to promote healthy family values through our coverage of youth activities, school news, senior events, community groups and entertainment 4 / November 15th 2019 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

We connect people who want to adopt, and they provide the family with gifts.

They receive a list of the family’s wants and needs, they do the shopping, and then deliver them to our office and we pass them along to the adopted family. while mourning. It would be easy to dread the season because our pain overshadows any hope of a “greeting card” holiday.

Deciding how to make new memories, without forgetting what matters, is challenging.

If we try to maintain some sense of “normal” we aren’t fooling anybody. There is nothing normal about experiencing life’s grandest occasions without your beloved child. There are still traditions to keep and expectations to meet. But you have to force yourself out of bed amid the constant presence of loss. That’s not easy.

Breathing takes effort. Energy that might be better reserved for planning, creating, and enjoying the season, is depleted by the sheer act of existing.

Like it or not, our child died before us, and we will spend the holiday without Charlie. We are broken. Permanently.

There will be beauty, laughter, and joy, but at a cost so great, it means less now than before. The best it will ever get is over forever.

So how do we find holiday joy when we’re completely shattered? How could we?

Maybe the wonder and magic of the holidays will restore our hope. Or, maybe the holidays will remind us how fleeting our chances truly are.

In spite of it all, I choose joy. I know a significant reason I can be joyful in grief is because of the joy that has been shared with me. My faith, our close family, this community, and the continuous support and love from Jacob’s Heart sustains us.

When the world and its unavoidable tragedies seem overwhelming, we must find joy. And by grace, I have.

It gives me hope that we’ll somehow survive the devastation of my son Charlie’s death, and we will someday be together forever in perfect paradise.

Until then, I choose joy in grief, because despite the obliterating sadness of pediatric cancer, we have been given a new day. This is the ultimate gift. n

COMMUNITY NEWS

Campus Tour Ready to Give Back November 19, 9:30 am This Holiday Season?

N ovember is here and already, we find ourselves enveloped in the Holiday Season. The tinsel, glitter, and endless supply of holiday knickknacks have arrived on store shelves and the carols have begun playing over loud speakers all across America.

For those seeking a deeper meaning this season, it is also that wonderful time of year for the spirit of generosity and giving to take center stage.

“Our phone lines always pick up this time of year with community members and businesses looking for new ways to connect and make their holiday celebrations more meaningful,” states Christina Thurston Volunteer Engagement Director at the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County.

To meet this annual increased interest in volunteerism, each year the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County posts an online Holiday Volunteer Guide. The 2019 Holiday Guide is now available on their website at www.scvolunteercenter.org Individuals can register to volunteer directly online or they can download the guide. Listed in the guide, are a variety of holiday related opportunities available throughout the County between now and New Year’s.

“We regularly update the guide throughout the holiday season as new projects become available, so we encourage folks to check back regularly or give us a call if they can’t find what they are looking for and we are happy to match them with an opportunity,” states Thurston.

Included in the guide is the Volunteer Center’s own Adopt a Family Project.

This project has been running for nearly 30 years and supports families struggling to make ends meet during the holidays.

Each year the Volunteer Center partners

Cookie decorating and gift give-away with the staff team from the San Francisco 49ers.

Family arriving to drop off their gifts at the Adopt a Family Warehouse with 25 fellow non-profits on this project to meet the needs of 450 families.

Partner non-profits provide the project with a short bio about each family and a list of the items that each family member requests. Adopt a Family Project volunteers then set to work connecting these families with willing donors. Requests include basic necessities like sheets, towels, or shoes along with special gift requests for the children.

“For many of us the holidays are such a joyous time with family and friends, but for local families that are struggling, this is instead a stressful time of year. It is truly heartbreaking to read through our binder of family stories and to know that without this project these children might not have warm jacket, let alone gifts or toys,” states Thurston.

“The project has been successfully maintained with the support of our local businesses, community members, and willing volunteers for so many years.

Because we are confident that this generosity will shine through again, we’ve chosen to increase the number of families we serve and are also incorporating isolated seniors and independent teens into our list of adoptees this year,” continues Thurston.

There are a number of ways to support the project that include adopting a whole family, purchasing individual items, volunteering in the Adopt a Family warehouse to wrap and sort gifts, or donating funds to support the project.

Volunteers will be at the Adopt a Family Phone Line ready to take your call until December 6th. Adopt or learn more about the project by calling the Adopt a Family Hotline at 831-457- 9834.

“Holiday Giving” page 9

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34th Annual Harvest Dinner Saturday, November 16, 2019 5:30pm No Host Bar & Silent Auction • 7:00pm Dinner & Live Auction to Follow Harvest Building • Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds

COMMUNITY NEWS

Ninth Annual Roadwatch

Shining Light On Dangerous Driving Near Schools

E Dinner Catered By Monterey Bay Caterers Live Music Mr. Banjo & The Lonesome Wailers

Tickets $75 each For more information call 831-724-5898 or visit www.aghistoryproject.org

6 / November 15th 2019 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

arly in the morning on Oct. 8, young people from 79 Friday Night Live chapters, in 35 California counties, surveyed 96 intersections near high schools and middle schools across the state of California. Youth tallied distracted driving outside their schools for an hour during morning drop off and observed and compiled data on the number of drivers whose attention was occupied by something other than driving.

Here in Santa Cruz County, Friday Night Live Partnership youth surveyed five schools: Pajaro, Branciforte and Shoreline Middle Schools along with Soquel and Watsonville High Schools.

This year, 11.7% of the 3,593 drivers observed were driving distracted.

The top three distractions youth observed were drivers eating and drinking, hand-held cell phone use and passengers engaging with the driver, which caused (9%) of total distractions. Youth implemented targeted campaigns last year to decrease distracted driving and while they are still concerned for their safety in front of schools, the local distracted driving numbers have decreased from 22.7% in 2018.

Throughout the state, young people from FNL members observed 16,392 instances of distracted driving in just one hour’s time, for an average of over 170 cases of distracted driving per intersection surveyed.

That means that at any given minute, between 7 and 8 a.m., there were at least 273 distracted drivers on California roads.

With over 54,000 cars passing through the observed intersections, over 30% of drivers were distracted in some way as they traveled past schools during rush hour.

Distractions Defined: More than just cellphone use, distracted driving is categorized by California Highway Patrol (CHP) as a range of activities that impact a driver’s visual, auditory, physical or cognitive abilities when driving.

According to the NHTSA, distracted driving is any activity that diverts

attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system—anything that takes your attention away from the task of safe driving.

Texting is the most alarming distraction. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.

Any non-driving activity that a driver engages in is a potential distraction and increases your risk of crashing.

At Branciforte Middle School youth witnessed a driver doing the right thing, as she pulled over to the side of the road to text and then put her phone away before continuing. Youth were thrilled that she cared enough about their wellbeing to not text and drive.

The Roadwatch assessment is an engaging way to bring attention to distracted driving and to develop a meaningful commitment from the youth advocates involved. “This assessment activity alone will not be what changes the community,” Lynne Goodwin, Program Director of the California Friday Night Live Partnership, said. “The actions that FNL participants take because of this activity is where we will see real change occur.”

FNL chapters throughout California work to improve traffic safety in their local communities with funding provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. n ••• Active in 50 counties statewide, the CFNLP engages young people to become active leaders and resources in their communities.

For more information about Friday Night Live, visit www.fridaynightlive.org.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Adoption Day Event in Santa Cruz O n Friday, November 15th, in celebration of National Adoption Month, the Santa Cruz County

Superior Court in Watsonville will become Adoption Central. Judge Rebecca Connolly, in coordination with the County of Santa Cruz Human Services Department, will finalize the adoptions of four children who had been placed in foster care.

This is the tenth year that Santa Cruz County has designated a special day during the month to celebrate adopted children and their new families.

In addition to the legal formation of these new families, the event will include a reception where families can meet before and after their court appearance and enjoy light refreshments.

During this year’s Adoption Day festivities, appreciation will be apportioned to the Sew Little Timers — a group of women who provide hand-made quilts to every child and youth adopted through the Santa Cruz County child welfare system. The Sew Little Timers have provided countless

quilts to local children over the last several years.

The event is made possible through the contributions and efforts of the Human Services Department, Santa Cruz County Superior Court, Superior Court staff, Court Appointed Special Advocates of Santa

Cruz County (CASA), Lilliput Children’s Services, Hand in Hand, Foster Parent Mentors, Sew Little Timers, and the Youth Resource Bank.

••• “Adoption Day” page 10

COMMUNITY BRIEFS

T

T

munity listening sessions on the Syringe Services Program.

During these facilitated meetings, the County will share information about the Syringe Services Program, hear differing points of view and identify key areas of concern on public health and community impacts. The feedback gathered will help inform future program development.

The sessions are open to the public and will be held at the following times and locations: • Santa Cruz, Thursday, Nov. 14 @ 5p.m.-7p.m. 1080 Emeline Ave. Basement Auditorium • Watsonville, Tuesday, Nov. 19 @ 5 p.m.-7 p.m. 18 Beach St. Rooms 2 & 3 For more info: https://www.santacruz health.org ••• Retired Teachers’ Luncheon anta Cruz County California Retired Teachers’ December 4th Luncheon will have AMICA performing holiday music.

AMICA (girlfriend in Italian) was founded in 2017 by Meri Pezzoni, retired Choral Director Aptos High School.

The group is comprised of retired and current teachers, voice teachers, theater performers, church music directors, therapists, and former students. The menu will be green salad and rolls and roast turkey, served with mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and mixed vegetables or with vegetarian Pesto Penne Pasta and followed by coffee, tea, and dessert.

Price $25 Make check payable to CalRTA, Division 7. Mail your name, phone number and meal choice to Glenda Hastings, her address is 6013 Thurber Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 9506. If late registering, please call Glenda at (831) 476-5886.

••• New Historical Displays Share Aptos Village History key part of the vision for the Aptos Village project is interpreting the past.

A

There are new historical panels installed outside along the Apple Barn, facing the Village Green, plus one inside New Leaf Community Market.

These artistic panels were put up to share interesting stories of this area.

This project is in partnership with local historian Sandy Lydon, with assistance from New Leaf and the County.

For more info: www.theaptosvillage.com

Photo: Lori Landino

World Renowned Pianist Performs in Aptos he Aptos Keyboard Series proudly presents highly acclaimed pianist Keiko Shichijo from Japan. Keiko is active around the world playing both solo and chamber music.

She is a prizewinner in the International Early Music Competition (solo and duo) in Belgium, the International Early Music Competition “A Tre” Keiko Shichijo in Germany and the Minkoff Prize from the music published.

She will perform works by Komitas, Debussy, Mompou, Rozalie Hirs and Schubert. ~~~ Sunday, December 15th • 3 p.m.

Keiko Shichijo in Concert Saint John Episcopal 125 Canterbury Dr., Aptos For more information: Josef Sekon, D.M.A. Artistic Director of The Aptos Keyboard Series. Phone: (831) 685 9169 Email: josefsekon@yahoo.com Website: http://www.st-john-aptos. org/aptos-keyboard-series.html ••• Syringe Services Program Listening Sessions he Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency will hold upcoming com-

S

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / November 15th 2019 / 7

COMMUNITY NEWS

Holiday Harvest

Community comes together to ‘Kick-Off’ Food & Fund Drive

S

econd Harvest Food Bank launched its annual Holiday Food & Fund Drive at the Annual Kickoff Luncheon on November 7th at Twin Lakes Church in Aptos. For Second Harvest, these are the most intensive two months of the year when we encourage and empower grassroots food and fund drives throughout the county, which in total raises over half of the food Second Harvest provides all year long for food insecure families in Santa Cruz County.

Over 300 members of the community attended the event to launch Second Harvest’s biggest campaign of the year, the Holiday Food & Fund Drive. 100% of the food and funds raised will support a network of 200 pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, food distributions, and programs throughout the county.

This year’s Co-Chairs— John Laird (California State Assembly member) and Megan Martinelli (engaged citizen) — rallied the crowd while explaining the necessity of the services the food bank provides to Santa Cruz County and how the “community” pulls together every year during the food drive to make sure those services continue.

A range of compelling speakers shared their own strategies and tips for different food and fund drives, and some allowed their competitive spirit to shine through,

like Stephen Gray from Sutter Health/Palo Alto Medical Foundation who presented Second Harvest with a kick-off check for $16,500 (equal to 66,000 healthy meals) to challenge the other competitors.

Likewise, the Emmert Family, Kristin, and children Levi, Nova, and Faith, at the

8 / November 15th 2019 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

urging of young Levi, sets up a fundraising stand each year in front of the Corralitos Market in Corralitos. They have raised thousands of healthy meals from their drives showing that everyone plays a part in feeding hope, no matter what age.

Another compelling speaker, Benito Mendoza (Santa Cruz County Agriculture Weights & Measures Director) spoke about the now infamous mini-barrels and the importance of donating funds in place of food. Mendoza coined the idea of using “mini-barrels” to collect funds because the food bank can purchase food for pennies on the dollar. A $25 cash donation provides enough food to fill a large food collection barrel. And, continuing with this tradition, Second Harvest volunteers and staff distributed “mini barrels” for the assembled leaders, coordinators, and volunteers to take to their workplaces and private fundraisers to collect funds during the Holiday Food & Fund Drive.

Second Harvest CEO Willy ElliottMcCrea closed the lunch by reminding

everyone about the challenges we face, and the power we have as a community to be the solution.

“We have a diabetes epidemic that is out of control, because housing costs mean that many families can’t afford healthy food.” Elliott-McCrea explained. “In fact, 1 in 4 children in Santa Cruz County are food insecure, that is a staggering number; that is an unacceptable number. These kids are facing a lifetime struggle with the devastating effects of diabetes.”

Elliott-McCrea continued: “Every single dollar goes to food for our network of over 200 partner agencies and programs—with their 3,000 volunteers—on the ground throughout the county . . . food pantries, soup kitchens, assisted living homes, youth programs, and more,” he said. “So, every quarter, every dollar, every can donated goes straight to nourishing hungry neighbors.

“Together, we can solve the problem of hunger and food insecurity. The Holiday Food Drive puts five million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables on the tables of families working hard to making ends meet. The Holiday Food Drive provides millions of pounds of basic staples to many of our neighbors with nowhere else to turn.

The Holiday Food Drive is about building a healthy workforce who can support their own families. The Holiday Food Drive is about thriving young people, thriving families, and thriving communities. The Holiday Food Drive is about feeding … hope!!!” n ••• Get involved or make a donation: www. thefoodbank.org/hero Group volunteer and company bonding opportunities contact: ggarcia@thefoodbank.org

COMMUNITY NEWS

United Methodist Holiday Boutique S earching for those perfect holiday gifts at reasonable prices?

Aptos United Methodist Church will host its seventh annual Holiday Boutique Saturday, Nov. 30, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., on the church campus. The boutique will feature unique handmade gifts for all ages, and all items are made by local crafters.

The church is located at 221 Thunderbird Drive in the Seascape neighborhood of Aptos. Signs will be placed to direct shoppers from Highway 1 to the campus.

The event is a part of Santa Cruz County’s Small Business Saturday, occurring each year during the Thanksgiving weekend.

The boutique crafters will present

“Holiday Giving” from page 5 “Additionally, this year we are still looking for an empty building space that is 4000 square ft. or larger to host our warehouse for collecting, sorting and distributing donations. Every year we have been fortunate to have a space donated and we are confident that a local business owner or realty company will step up once again to provide the needed space during our open hours from Dec. 10th through the 20th,” states Thurston.

Aside from the Adopt a Family Project there are many deserving projects and programs in Santa Cruz County in need of volunteers or financial support this holiday season.

“For those who want to give a meaningful donation, I recommend you hop over to www.santacruzgives.org where you’re guaranteed to find a cause you care about. Santa Cruz Gives spearheaded by Santa Cruz Good Times, is your one stop shop for holiday donations with over 30 nonprofits to choose from. You can give to one or give to many- all with one transaction,” states Thurston.

“One of my other favorite projects

a wide variety of gift items. Jewelry will include seaglass creations, hand beaded necklaces and earrings, sterling silver pieces inset with stones, and window jewelry. Original fused glass plates, dishes and plaques and Deerhaven Farm soaps will be on sale.

Knitted hats, scarves and shawls will be featured along with handmade quilts, oven mitts, placemats, and tote bags.

Sculptures and watercolors, photography, paper lanterns and a variety of handmade cards will be offered. Handcrafted ornaments, gift tags, and decorations will be available for holiday decorating.

For children there will be blankets,

is serving as a Holiday Helper with the Family Service Agency program- I You Venture,” continues Thurston.

Through this project individuals can become a holiday helper by giving to the often forgotten care facility residents in the community. Many residents don’t have family or friends visit them during the holidays, so they look forward to the gifts and cards provided by the Holiday Helpers.

Wrapped gifts of such items as socks, blankets, scarves, calendars etc. can be dropped off at Family Service Agency of the Central Coast (104 Walnut Ave, #208 Santa Cruz, CA) from 9am to 12pm until December 6th.

“The Homeless Garden Project Store in downtown Santa Cruz is always a great option to buy your holiday gifts, but you are also invited to support this volunteer-run shop” states Thurston. The store is open from November 12th through December 6th,” states Thurston. n ••• Information about all of these opportunities and more can be found in the Holiday Volunteer Guide on the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County website at www.scvolunteercenter.org or call (831) 427-5070.

books with sketches by Steven Kellogg, seaglass books by Kirsti Scott, fabric dolls, creatures, and monsters, and stuffed animals.

Food sales will include English toffee made by Doris Carlisle, jams made by Sheila Vaughn, and breads, cookies and pies produced by the Aptos UMC bakers.

Succulent dish gardens and large, beautiful poinsettias and cyclamen plants will be available for purchase.

Volunteers from the county voter registration project will staff a voter registration booth during the boutique for shoppers who are not registered to sign up to vote in the 2020 election.

The Holiday Boutique is an annual fundraiser that supports the church and its work in mission outreach. Aptos UMC feeds the homeless through the Association of Faith Communities and the Salvation Army, participates in the homeless shower project through the Mid-County Homeless Coalition, participates in Second Harvest Food Bank food sorts, participates in Project Connect serving the homeless, provides food for families in the Families

in Transition program, is a member of COPA (Communities Organized for relational Power in Action) and participates in LGBTQ Pride days.

Aptos UMC also helps to sponsor missionary Katherine Parker who is currently in Nepal advising villages on how to obtain clean water. n ••• For more info: https://www.aptosumc.org/

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Rotary Club of Santa Cruz

Sponsors Veterans Memorial Building Courtyard Renovation Project

O

n Friday, Nov. 1, the Rotary Club of Santa Cruz launched a new project that will positively impact the Santa Cruz County Veterans Memorial Building (SCCVMB).

The club announced a plan to dramatically transform the building’s courtyard, which will transition the area to a new, functional event space. This will help further support SCCVMB’s missions to serve area veterans and provide a community recreation and cultural center for public use.

To help fund the project, the Rotary Club of Santa Cruz is inviting community members to honor a veteran with the purchase of a commemorative brick that will be placed permanently on site.

The brick is 4”x8” or 8”x8” and can be personalized with the veteran’s name, branch of service, and one of many special emblems. Bricks can be purchased starting at $125. General donations to support the project are also being accepted.

“The Rotary Club of Santa Cruz is honored to support the mission of the Santa Cruz County Veterans Memorial Building and provide a new event space for the community,” stated Ross Condit, club president. “The new space will serve not only as a place for community members

“We look forward to working with the Rotary Club of Santa Cruz to provide an additional benefit to the community while honoring area veterans.”

— Ricardo Espinoza, SCCVMB president.

to gather, but also as a way to honor those who have served.”

“We look forward to working with the Rotary Club of Santa Cruz to provide an additional benefit to the community while honoring area veterans,” said Ricardo Espinoza, SCCVMB president. “The updated courtyard will enhance the experience community members have when using our facilities.”

Bricks can be ordered online through December 24 at https://bit.ly/2CieF3c.

The Rotary Club of Santa Cruz expects to sell 25 large bricks and 100 smaller bricks to support the project. Monies raised beyond this amount will go to bistro tables, planters, etc. to furnish the space.

Slatter Construction has taken on

the project and construction is expected to begin after the first of the year. A rendering of the updated space was crafted

by Timerie Gordon of Nielsen Architects.

Gordon’s previous work includes Abbott Square in downtown Santa Cruz. n ••• The SCCVMB is a 501c3 nonprofit venue that provides services to area veterans and space to the community for meetings, classes, workshops, concerts, and other performing arts events.

Registered as a historical landmark and built in 1932, the Veterans Memorial Building reflects the historic nature of downtown Santa Cruz.

The Rotary Club of Santa Cruz meets every Friday from noon — 1:30 p.m. at the Santa Cruz Elks Lodge. For more information visit santacruzrotary.com.

Immigrant Worker Protection Act’s Effect in Santa Cruz County

T

he County of Santa Cruz advises the broader Santa Cruz County community that Assembly Bill 450, the Immigrant Worker Protection Act, prohibits employers from complying with certain aspects of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions.

Under the State law, which was signed into effect Jan. 1, 2018, employers cannot voluntarily grant immigration enforcement agents physical access to nonpublic areas of workplaces or to private employee records.

Employers that violate this provision are subject to civil penalties of $2,000 to $5,000 for a first violation, and $5,000 to $10,000 for each subsequent violation.

For workplace inspections, the Immigrant Worker Protection Act does not apply if agents present a judicial warrant.

For access to employee records, the Act does not apply if agents provide a sub-

“Adoption Day” from page 7 While this is a celebratory day for the four newly adopted children and their families, there is still a huge need in Santa

poena or judicial warrant for records, or a Notice of Inspection for I-9 forms and other documents.

Under the law, employers are required to notify employees of inspections of their employment records by federal

immigration agencies within 72 hours of receiving a federal notice of inspection. The employer’s notifications must be available in the language the employer normally uses to communicate employment information.

Santa Cruz County is committed to supporting immigrant communities, and the Board of Supervisors previously passed a resolution maintaining trust and safety with local immigrants. The County is issuing this advisory in that spirit. n ••• Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Labor Commissioner Julie Su have issued joint guidance for employers on AB 450.

That guidance is available here: oag.ca.gov/ sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/immigrants/ immigration-ab450.pdf.

The full text of the bill is available here: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient. xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB450

Cruz County for more foster parents and persons interested in adopting children from the foster care system.

For more information on being a foster parent or adopting children from the foster

care system, please call the Foster Care Recruitment Hotline at (831) 345-2700. n ••• Santa Cruz County Adoption Day Event When: 1:30 P.M. – 4:00 P.M., Friday,

November 15th, 2019 Where: Department A, Superior Court of Calif., County of Santa Cruz 1 Second Street, Watsonville For more info: www.santacruzcounty.us

10 / November 15th 2019 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / November 15th 2019 / 11

COMMUNITY NEWS

Candidate Filing Open Thru Dec. 6

7960 Soquel Drive  Aptos, CA 95003

Aptos Location

CLOSING Wednesday, November 27

SANTA CRUZ • 106 Lincoln St. • 831.458.6457

Since 1926 Instruments / Accessories / Sheet Music Sales / Rentals / Lessons 831-724-4798

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Conveniently located off Highway 1 and just outside Aptos Village, the Aptos Village Square hosts a number of local Aptos businesses.

12 / November 15th 2019 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

7960J Soquel Dr. Aptos, CA 95003

For March 2020 Primary

C

andidates interested in running for an office on the March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary ballot must file candidate nomination documents during the filing period from Nov. 11 to Dec. 6.

The following offices are on the March 3, 2020 ballot: 18th and 20th Congressional Districts 17th State Senate District 29th and 30th State Assembly Districts County Supervisors: 1st, 2nd and 5th Districts 7 Superior Court Judges Also, on the ballot are candidates running for local political party Central Committees and County Councils. Filing for those offices opened Sept. 27 and closes on Dec. 6.

During this filing period, candidates file the following documents: Nomination Papers.

Candidates must file a specified number of valid signatures on a Nomination Petition in order to have their name on the primary ballot.

Declaration of Candidacy is filed after the candidate satisfies their nomination signature requirement.

Candidate’s Statement of Qualifications to be printed in the County Voter Information Guide and/or posted online at www.votescount.com is optional.

Candidates for Superior Court Judge and Board of Supervisors – 200 words or less and must be filed and paid for at the time they file their Declaration of Candidacy.

Candidates for State Senate or State Assembly — 250 words or less if they have agreed

to adhere to the spending limits on Form 501. Must be filed by 5 p.m. Dec. 6.

Candidates for Congress – 250 words or less — must be filed by 5 p.m. Dec. 6.

Candidates for Central Committee or County Council are not eligible to file a candidate’s statement of qualifications.

Fair Political Practices Form 700 Conflict of Interest Statement.

Filing fees for the various offices up for election are based on 1 or 2 percent of the annual salary. Fees range from $2,000.42 for Superior Court Judge to $1,104.59 for State Assembly Member.

A “Candidate’s Handbook” detailing deadlines, forms, candidate filing requirements, and election processes for the March 3, 2020 Primary Election is available from the Santa Cruz County Clerk/Elections Department at 701 Ocean St., Room 310, Santa Cruz. Candidate’s handbooks are also available online at www.votescount.com.

In addition, a daily update of candidates who have taken out papers or have filed is available online at www.votescount. com as well as other important information regarding the March Primary. n ••• For more information, please call 831-4542060, visit us online at www.votescount.com or email us at gail.pellerin@santacruzcounty.us.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Reel Rock 14 Film Tour T he REEL ROCK Film Tour, one of climbing’s greatest celebrations, returns this fall with four new world premieres.

In a battle for El Cap’s coveted Nose speed record, rock legends Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold go head to head with Yosemite dirtbags Jim Reynolds and Brad Gobright.

Highball bouldering ace Nina Williams flexes her guns and tests her nerves well into the no-fall zone. In rural Utah, conservative Mormon coal miners collide with an influx of out-of-town climbers with surprising results.

And two adventurous Brits, Hazel Findlay and Maddy Cope, pursue first ascents in wild and remote Mongolia.

REEL ROCK visits 500 locations across the world this fall. n •••

Playing at the Rio Theatre November 15, 2019 at 7pm. Locally sponsored by Pacific Edge Climbing Gym. Visit riotheatre.com for more information. Ages 15 +

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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / November 15th 2019 / 13

COMMUNITY NEWS

Animal Shelter Offers Winter Camp For Kids T he Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter (SCCAS) is offering a “Frosty Paws” Winter Camp for children ages 8-12 at their Education Center, 2260 7th Ave. in Santa Cruz, from December 30, 2019 to January 3, 2020 (excluding January 1st) from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

SCCAS’ “Frosty Paws” camp fosters understanding, respect and empathy toward all living beings.

Through engaging activities, children learn about being responsible stewards, both for animals and the world around them.

Campers will meet guest speakers from animal welfare professions and get to know a wide variety of animals.

There are behind-the-scenes Shelter tours and animal-themed arts and crafts projects, including art that helps showcase pets waiting to be adopted.

All proceeds from this program benefit Santa Cruz County’s only open admission shelter, serving animals in need in our community. Scholarships are available as well as opportunities to

donate to sponsor camp for a child in need. n •••

For more information please visit www.scanimalshelter.org/winter-camp/ or call (831) 454-7229.

SLOW DOWN. SAVE YOUR SPEED FOR THE GAME.

Unsafe speed has been the #1 cause of collisions in both Santa Cruz and Monterey counties over 5 years now. Little will ruin your day quicker than a fender bender, or worse, a serious collision.

You can prevent crashes by maintaining a consistent speed and keeping a buffer zone between your car and other vehicles.

Reducing your speed also helps other road users stay safe and could save someone’s life. A pedestrian who is hit by a car going 20 miles per hour has an 85 percent chance of survival. A collision at 40 miles per hour drops pedestrian survival to just 15 percent.

Make like Mav’Riks and save your speed for the game.

It’s the Street Smarts thing to do.

14 / November 15th 2019 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter’ “Frosty Paws” camp fosters understanding, respect and empathy toward all living beings.

Through engaging activities, children learn about being responsible stewards, both for animals and the world around them.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Dominican Earns Top Ratings

Hospital Recognized for Cardiac Care and Patient Safety By Watchgroups Healthgrades and Leapfrog

D

ignity Health Dominican Hospital is among the top 10 percent of hospitals nationwide for coronary intervention procedures, according to Healthgrades, the leading online resource for information about physicians and hospitals. In total, Dominican received six awards from Healthgrades in the areas of cardiac care, pulmonary care, gastrointestinal care, and critical care.

“Dominican Hospital treats some of the most complex cardiac cases in the Monterey Bay area, and we are very pleased to be recognized by Healthgrades for excellence in cardiac care,” said Nanette Mickiewicz, MD, Dominican Hospital president. “Our dedicated caregivers are committed to providing the most advanced care, right here in our community.”

The Santa Cruz hospital has also received an ‘A’ grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national recognition of the hospital’s achievements protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care.

The Leapfrog Group is an independent

national watchdog organization driven by employers and other purchasers of health care committed to improving health care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers. The Safety Grade assigns an ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’ or ‘F’ grade to all general hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other harms to patients in their care.

“The Santa Cruz County community deserves high-quality, safe care, and we are proud to once again be recognized

for exemplary patient safety,” said Mickiewicz. “Our staff and caregivers focus on safety every day, and this honor celebrates their dedication and commitment.”

••• The Healthgrades achievement is part of the 2020 Report to the Nation, which underscores the importance of hospital quality to both consumers and hospital leaders. Every year, Healthgrades evaluates hospital performance at nearly 4,500 hospitals nationwide for 32 of the most common inpatient procedures and condi-

tions using Medicare data, and additional analyzes outcomes in appendectomy and bariatric surgery using all-payer data provided by 15 states.

Dominican received five-star awards for coronary interventional procedures, treatment of pneumonia, small intestine surgeries, and treatment of sepsis. A 5-star rating indicates clinical outcomes at Dominican are statistically significantly better than expected when treating the condition or performing the procedure being evaluated. The hospital also received the Healthgrades 2020 Coronary Intervention Excellence Award.

For its analysis, Healthgrades evaluated approximately 45 million Medicare inpatient records for nearly 4,500 short-term acute care hospitals nationwide to assess hospital performance in 32 common conditions and procedures, and evaluated outcomes in appendectomy and bariatric surgery using all-payer data provided by 15 states.

“Dominican” page 22

LIFE IS BUSY Let Us Help!

From locally-raised Diestel turkeys, housemade sides & desserts, to delicious local wines, we’ve got you covered.

Order your Thanksgiving meal in-store or online today!

newleaf.com/reserve we love our seniors We’re extending our normal Senior Discount for Thanksgiving week! Customers 65 or better will enjoy 10% Off

Tuesday & Wednesday, November 26 & 27.

Downtown Santa Cruz Westside Santa Cruz Capitola • Aptos

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / November 15th 2019 / 15

COMMUNITY NEWS

Board Enacts Tenant Protections T he Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously adopted a moratorium on no-fault tenant evictions until Assembly Bill 1482, the Tenant Protection Act of 2019, and goes into effect Jan. 1.

Signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, AB 1482 is a statewide law addressing the housing crisis by limiting annual rent increases to 5 percent plus inflation or 10 percent of the lowest gross rental rate charged for that dwelling unit at any time during the prior 12 months, whichever is lower. Jurisdictions commonly enact moratoria to protect tenants

prior to similar tenant protection laws going into effect.

“We know how challenging it is for working families to find housing in our community. It is important that we protect them until this legislation goes into effect,” Board Chair Ryan Coonerty said.

AB 1482 also requires landlords to have and state a just cause in order to evict tenants who have occupied the premises for more than one year, including owner occupation, failure to pay rent, breach of the lease, and creating a nuisance or more.

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16 / November 15th 2019 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

Both the rent cap and the just cause provisions are subject to exemptions including housing built in the past 15 years and single-family residences unless owned

by a real estate trust or corporation. AB 1482 sunsets after ten years. n ••• For more info: www.santacruzcounty.us

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / November 15th 2019 / 17

BUSINESS PROFILE

E

By Jessica Johnson

Capitola Veterinary Hospital

stablished in 1992, Capitola Veterinary hospital is dedicated to professional and friendly client service combined with state of the art patient care. From general pet wellness to advanced services, Capitola Veterinary Hospital is a one-stop shop.

Doctors River May, Katie Volat and Tiffany Mitchener offer inhouse ultrasound, stem cell therapy, orthopedic surgery - including TPLO for cruciate ligament injuries - digital dental x-rays, digital full body x-rays, cryosurgery, Class IV laser therapy and inhouse laboratory diagnostics.

Together, the doctors offer over 30 years of combined experience and have worked in specialty hospitals, general practice, animal shelters and emergency hospitals.

While many local veterinary hospitals are owned and operated by larger corporations with principle interests outside of

the county, Capitola Veterinary Hospital is proud to be a locally owned and operated business and longstanding members of the Think Local First organization. “We know that a much larger portion of every dollar spent in a local business stays in the community,” said Dr. River May, who purchased the practice in 2010 and is the sole owner. “The major majority of veterinary hospitals in Santa Cruz County are now owned

by Corporations despite an outward appearance of being a local business.”

Dr. May spent most of his childhood in Pennsylvania where he was inspired by nature and developed an early fascination with biology. Growing up, his family had dozens of pets. Dr. May has shared that his first memory is of a “territorial black rooster” who taught him, in no uncertain terms, to respect the animals on his family farm.

Dr. May’s family moved to the Bay

18 / November 15th 2019 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

Dr. River May

Dr. Katie Volat

Area when he was 12, and many family trips to the ocean followed. Time spent in Santa Cruz fishing and surfing led to a lifelong love affair with the Monterey Bay and the redwoods that surround it. It also led May to UCSC, where he earned his undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology before heading up north to the worldrenowned veterinary school at UC Davis.

Dr. May truly enjoys working with human clients to find solutions that meet their needs as well as the animal patient’s needs. “I never imagined how much satisfaction I would get from helping people,” he shared. “With almost 20 years of experience at this point, sometimes the medicine is the easy part.”

It hasn’t always been easy, however.

Once, Dr. May was chased up a tree by an under-sedated Rhino in Africa and had to wait in the tree for over an hour before help arrived. Indeed, the dangers haven’t totally ended now that he is in Capitola.

“My family loves to ask me if I was pooped or peed on at work today; the answer is still sometimes yes,” said Dr. May. Married, Dr. May attributes much of his success to the inspiration he receives from his family, even if they get a kick out of his biological misfortunes at work.

“My family and nature are my biggest inspiration. Family helps make sense of life’s challenges. Living and playing in and around the Monterrey Bay helps me maintain balance.” Dr. May also cherishes the relationships he has established over the years with the clients at Capitola Veterinary Hospital. “Our long time clients feel like family and it is always fun to meet new clients and connect with new members of our community.”

Speaking of community, Dr. May is a dedicated supporter of local schools and charities through donations, sponsorships

Dr. Tiffany Mitchener

and contributions. The doctors and staff at Capitola Veterinary Hospital proudly support local schools, events and charities including Second Harvest Food Bank, school athletic teams, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Cruz County, among many others. With the help of client contributions they recently contributed over $1000 to animal and human victims of the campfire, in addition to housing some evacuated animals.

They also display the work of local artists in the hospital, and strive to reduce their environmental impact by being a paperless office. In fact, Capitola Veterinary Hospital has been a Monterey Bay green certified business for five years and was awarded the Cool California Climate Leader award in 2013 and Business of the Year in 2014. Dr. May recognizes that such successes require a team effort. “Our team is exceptional, from the client service representatives to the technicians to the doctors — our bookkeeper Tomiko rocks too!” he said.

Further, they enjoy giving back to their clients through periodic specials and giveaways such as their annual dental special and his and hers beach cruiser bike raffle.

Capitola Veterinary Hospital promotes its periodic specials and giveaways on its website: www.capitolaveterinaryhospital. com and Facebook page: www.facebook. com/CapitolaVet. In addition, Dr. May said, “We always offer new clients who are readers of Times Publishing Group papers a special “$39 new patient exam with one vaccine.” So be sure to mention you read about it here! n ••• Capitola Veterinary Hospital is located at 1220 H 41st Avenue, next to New Leaf Market.

You can learn even more about their services at www.capitolaveterinaryhospital.com. (831) 476-7387 (PETS).

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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / November 15th 2019 / 19

NOVEMBER 2019

Aptos Real Estate Update

Ruth Bates 831.359.2212

ruth@serenogroup.com CalBRE # 01799929

Hi there. Real estate has slowed significantly, as it the case this time of year. So, I thought I’d check how October Listings performed in Aptos. There were 23 homes listed in October, and 8 of them are now Pending within 30 days, not bad…

If you prepare your home correctly and price your home correctly, Winter is a good time to list. Here’s why: 1) Fewer showings: Yes, there are fewer buyers shopping during the winter season, but the ones that are shopping are usually highly qualified and ready to buy.

2) Less Competition: Most Sellers wait until Spring and Summer to list their home, which means that during the Winter you will have far less competition than other times of the year.

3) Homes Show Nicely during the Holidays: Buyers love homes that tell a story. The holidays are a great time to show homes because the home is dressed up for holiday celebrations.

4) January is the Biggest Transfer Month: More corporate moves occur in January than any other time of year.

5) You Pick the Time: By putting your home on the market in the Winter months, you may be able to more easily hit your moving goals. Also, you can negotiate a closing date that meets your needs and timeline.

6) Great Time to Shop: When your homes sells you will be able to shop for your next home before all the other buyers come to play.

7) More Advertising: Because most agents and brokerages have less inventory in the Winter, you home may be advertised more often than during the Spring and Summer months.

8) More Attention: Agents will be able to devote more specialized attention to your needs during the winter because they will have less clients to manage.

9) The Market: Today’s interest rates are at 60-year lows. This gives buyers more spending power; and will be even more important when you shop for your next home.

10) Tax Breaks & Bonuses: Highly motivated buyers who want to close before the end of the year to take advantage of tax breaks or to spend year-end bonuses can be a huge benefit to sellers in the winter months.

———

Call me, email me, text me today for a FREE CMA (Market Value Analysis) on your current property.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

1 5 PA R A D E S T. U N I T 1 , A P TO S

COMMUNITY NEWS

A Cultural Celebration

Día de los Muertos at Mount Madonna School

M

ount Madonna School (MMS) had their annual celebration of Día de Los Muertos or Day of the Dead. Spanish teachers Carolina Riano and Sara Sobkoviak invite parents, visitors and the community to view the students’ altar or art installation outside of the Spanish classroom at the upper campus.

The installation featured the art projects, poetry, food and drink created by all MMS students, preschool through grade 12. Students created a centerpiece for the installation as well as dioramas, decorative candles, skeleton figurines, calaveras or sugar skulls, and decorative papel picado tissue paper banners to fill the space.

High school students wrote poetry, short stories and created art, to remember and honor dear loved ones who have passed.

Delicious homemade, pan de muerto or Bread of the Dead was made by preschool, kindergarten and fifth grade students, and refreshing jugo de Jamaica, or hibiscus juice, was prepared by third graders.

Día de Los Muertos or Day of the Dead is an annual celebration that takes place most notably in Mexico and is the result of cultures and traditions merging throughout history.

During the course of two days, families gather and take a special journey to

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20 / November 15th 2019 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

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grave sites and resting places of their loved ones to spend the days and evenings celebrating their past lives feasting, dancing, and sharing memories.

This is a time of reflection and appreciation of the time they had with them. This special holiday is not related to Halloween and is not meant to be scary.

It is a time to reflect and remember the special loved ones, the angels in our lives, even pets who have passed away. Traditionally altars are decorated with flowers, candles, sugar skulls, figurines, and food and objects representing loved ones. n ••• For more about MMS: MountMadonna School.org

LOCAL SPORTS

Aptos High School Scoreboard Football

Season Record: 5-5-0 (League: 4-1-0) Coach: Randy Blankenship Sat Nov 2 at Palma (Rabobank Stadium) L 38-45 Fri Nov 8 vs Salinas L 28-42

Girls’ Volleyball

Season Record: 17-13-0 (League: 9-3-0) Coach: Lake Merchen SCCAL Postseason Tournament Tue Oct 29 vs Soquel L 0-3

Water Polo

Boys’ Record: 2-8-0 (League: 1-5-0) Coach: Cody Gilbert

CCS D III Playoffs Tue Nov 5 Quarterfinals vs Saint Ignatius (San Francisco) W 3-2 Thu Nov 7 Semifinals vs Soquel W 3-1 Sat Nov 9 Finals vs Burlingame (Palo Alto) L 1-3

SCCAL Postseason Tournament Tue Oct 29 vs San Lorenzo Valley L 11-13

NorCal D IV Playoffs Tue Nov 12 vs Union Mine (El Dorado) W 3-0

SCCAL Postseason Tournament Wed Oct 30 vs Santa Cruz L 5-8

Girls’ Record: 4-5-0 (League: 4-4-0) Coach: Cody Gilbert

Will you help make sure no one in Santa Cruz County goes hungry this holiday season?

Holiday Food & Fund Drive Presenting Sponsor

Every $1 provides 4 healthy meals www.thefoodbank.org/donate 800 Ohlone Parkway, Watsonville CA, 95076

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / November 15th 2019 / 21

COMMUNITY NEWS

Santa Cruz Gives Back

Countywide Holiday Giving Campaign Returns for its Fifth Year

“Dominican” from page 15 Healthgrades recognizes a hospital’s quality achievements for cohort-specific performance, specialty area performance, and overall clinical quality. Individual procedure or condition cohorts are designated as 5-star (statistically significantly better than expected), 3-star (not statistically different from expected) and 1-star (statistically significantly worse than expected) categories. View the full list of Specialty Excellence AwardTM recipients here. The

org where donors can browse individual pages to learn about each nonprofit’s mission and “Big Idea” project for 2020 that will be funded with donations, then use a shopping cart to easily give.

Projects cover the county geographically and represent a variety of needs: youth, seniors, animals, the environment, education, health and wellness, food and nutrition, housing and‑ homelessness, arts, families, the disabled, and LBGTQ+.

A seven-member committee with diverse nonprofit experience vetted the applications.

Selected nonprofits will receive donated funds, matching funds, and be eligible for three special awards: Most Donors Overall, Most Donors Under 35 years old, and Most Innovative Program. $1,000 will be awarded to each of three nonprofits in these categories.

For reporters viewing only Nov. 8-12: The website goes live on November 8 as a soft launch before the official launch date of November 13. Last year’s campaign is visible on the website, but will shut down for a few days prior to launch.

Santa Cruz Gives was founded by local weekly newspaper Good Times with the support of The Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County. The program raised $234,571 in 2018 for 33 nonprofits.

“Santa Cruz Gives is the gold standard for giving in this community, in my opinion,” said Karen Delaney, executive director of the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County. “There is massive growth across every metric every year compared to the previous year: number of donors, donation amounts per donor, and

challenge grant totals. In the past, only large national organizations had a tool like this at their disposal Santa Cruz Gives puts this tool into the hands of local people.”

New donors are the lifeblood of nonprofit organizations.

Participants in Santa Cruz Gives reported that a majority of donors are new donors as well as younger donors.

Community Foundation Santa Cruz County joined as a major sponsor in 2018 and is on board in 2019. Other business sponsors are Santa Cruz County Bank, Wynn Capital Management, Oswald, and The Pajaronian. n ••• See the FAQ at SantaCruzGives.org for more info or contact Jeanne Howard at 831.601.1691 or SantaCruzGives@GoodTimes.SC

complete Healthgrades 2020 Report to the Nation and detailed study methodology, can be found at https://partners.healthgrades. com/healthgrades-quality-solutions/ healthgrades-quality-awards/ Dominican Hospital has received several recognitions from Healthgrades, including: Top 10 Percent in the Nation: • Coronary Interventional Procedures, 2020 Excellence Awards • Coronary Intervention, 2020

Five-Star Awards • Coronary Interventional Procedures, 2020 • Cranial Neurosurgery, 2019 • Pneumonia, 2020 • Sepsis, 2019-2020 • Small Intestine Surgeries, 2020 ••• eveloped under the guidance of a national Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S.

acute-care hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.

This recognition is the latest of several Dominican Hospital has received recently.

In October, Dominican received honors from Healthgrades as among the top 10 percent of hospitals in the nation for cardiac care, as well as recognition for excellence in critical care, pulmonary care, and gastrointestinal care.

••• ignity Health Dominican Hospital has been caring for the Santa Cruz County community for over 75 years. Dominican offers 24/7 emergency services and is a Certified Stroke Center. Dominican’s services include the only comprehensive Cancer Center in Santa Cruz County, a Total Joint Replacement program, advanced neurological and endoscopic services, and an expert heart and vascular team.

Dominican has received national recognition for superior patient safety, cardiac care, and stroke treatment from Healthgrades, a leading provider of comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. Dominican also has received several awards for environmental excellence. n ••• Learn more about Dominican by visiting: Facebook.com/DominicanHospital • Twitter. com/DominicanCares • Instagram.com/ dominicanhospitalsc • www.dignityhealth.org/ bayarea/locations/dominican

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SANTA CRUZ COUNTY'S PREMIER CANNABIS CLUB THANKSGIVING DEALS MONDAY | 10% OFF ALL FLOWER & PRE-ROLLS TUESDAY | 20% OFF ALL EDIBLES & TOPICALS WEDNESDAY | 20% OFF VAPORIZERS & BATTERIES

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anta Cruz Gives, the first crowdsourcing website for fundraising for multiple nonprofits countywide (and the only one we know of!), launches for its fifth holiday season on November 13. Fundraising ends at midnight, December 31.

The campaign raises funds for 37 selected nonprofits via SantaCruzGives.

THANKSGIVING DAY | 15% OFF STOREWIDE OPEN 8AM - 12:30PM

BLACK FRIDAY | 30% OFF SELECT VENDORS OPEN 7AM - 8PM + 25% OFF STOREWIDE + PENNY TREEROLL FOR FIRST 50

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OPEN Tues - Fri 9AM - 9:50PM Sat, Sun, Mon 10AM - 9:50PM Delivery 12:30 - 9PM

3651 SOQUEL DRIVE, SOQUEL | OURTREEHOUSE.IO | 831.471.8289 22 / November 15th 2019 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Elkhorn Slough Foundation Earns National Recognition for Conservation Excellence O ne thing that unites us, as a nation is a connection to the land: Americans strongly support conserving local lands they love. Since 1982, the Elkhorn Slough Foundation (ESF) has worked to protect the Elkhorn Slough and its surrounding lands.

In 1997, the Foundation’s Board of Directors made the strategic decision to become a land trust, adopting the mission to conserve and restore Elkhorn Slough and its watershed. This week, ESF earned renewed accreditation through the Land Trust Accreditation Commission (LTAC), as part of a network of over 400 accredited land trusts across America, committed to professional excellence and to maintaining public trust in land conservation.

“Our work as a land trust began in 1997, and since then we have protected more than 4,000 acres, always keeping true to the guiding principles of the Land Trust Accreditation Commission,” said Anne Olsen, Chair of the Elkhorn Slough Foundation Board of Directors. “It’s an honor to be reaccredited by LTAC, and recognized alongside sister land trusts performing critical conservation work throughout North America.”

The Elkhorn Slough Foundation provided extensive documentation and was subject to a comprehensive thirdparty evaluation prior to achieving this distinction. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission awarded renewed accreditation, signifying its confidence that ESF’s lands will be protected forever. Accredited land trusts now steward almost 20 million acres – the size of Denali, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Everglades, and Yosemite National Parks combined.

“The Elkhorn Slough Foundation doesn’t just protect and conserve the lands of the Elkhorn Slough watershed. Their conservation efforts as a land trust are also essential for improving the health of Monterey Bay’s marine habitats,” said Julie Packard, executive director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. “ESF is a model land

trust and a valued partner. I’m heartened that LTAC has renewed ESF’s accreditation as a land trust, and I look forward to continuing our conservation work together.”

Elkhorn Slough, located in the central Monterey Bay area, features the largest tract of tidal salt marsh south of San Francisco Bay, and encompasses a wide variety of habitats — including oak woodlands, maritime chaparral, sand dunes, coastal prairie, and tidal wetlands — that support incredible biodiversity. Its distinctive ecological communities are among the rarest and most threatened habitats in California.

The estuary is rich with intertidal marshes, mudflats, eelgrass beds, and oyster beds that nourish wildlife including

“Our work as a land trust began in 1997, and since then we have protected more than 4,000 acres, always keeping true to the guiding principles of the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. It’s an honor to be reaccredited by LTAC, and recognized alongside sister land trusts performing critical conservation work throughout North America.”

— Anne Olsen, Chair of the Elkhorn Slough Foundation Board of Directors

sea lions, harbor seals, and the densest concentration of threatened Southern sea otters on the Pacific coast. In 2018, the Elkhorn Slough was designated a Wetland of International Importance by the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

ESF is the only nonprofit land trust dedicated to permanently conserving and restoring the Elkhorn Slough and its surrounding lands, and for more than 35 years ESF has promoted community involvement in the slough through award-winning education, volunteer, and research programs.

“It is exciting to recognize the Elkhorn Slough Foundation’s continued commitment to national standards by renewing this national mark of distinction,” said Tammara Van Ryn, executive director of the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.

“Donors and partners can trust the more than 400 accredited land trusts across the country are united behind strong standards and have demonstrated sound finances, ethical conduct, responsible governance, and lasting stewardship.”

The Elkhorn Slough Foundation (ESF) is a community-supported non-

profit land trust whose mission is to conserve and restore the Elkhorn Slough and its watershed. ESF protects 4,000 acres of rare habitat including oak woodlands, maritime chaparral, and wetlands. Since 1982, ESF has been the non-profit partner of the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve. More information available at elkhornslough.org.

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, established in 2006 as an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, is governed by a volunteer board of diverse land conservation and nonprofit management experts. For more, visit www. landtrustaccreditation.org. n ••• Founded in 1982, the Land Trust Alliance is a national land conservation organization that works to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America. The Alliance represents 1,000 member land trusts supported by more than 200,000 volunteers and 4.6 million members nationwide.

The Alliance is based in Washington, D.C., and operates several regional offices. Connect with us online at www.landtrustalliance.org.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Pheasant, Wild Turkey, Second Dove Season

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he holidays begin early for many California hunters with the Saturday, Nov. 9 opening of pheasant, wild turkey and the second dove season.

Ring-necked Pheasant he pheasant opener on the second Saturday of November remains a strong tradition for many families. The flush of a wild, cackling, rooster pheasant is one of nature’s most thrilling moments.

The good news is that some of the best pheasant habitat in California is found on state wildlife areas and federal wildlife refuges open to public hunting.

The 2019 general pheasant season runs from Saturday, Nov. 9 through Sunday, Dec. 22. The daily bag limit is two males per day for the first two days of the season and three males per day thereafter. The possession limit is triple the daily bag limit.

Shooting hours are from 8 a.m. to sunset.

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Wild Turkey (Fall Season) he chance to provide a wild turkey for Thanksgiving dinner is strong

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motivation for many fall turkey hunters.

The fall season runs from Saturday, Nov. 9 through Sunday, Dec. 8, and - unlike in the spring season - both males and females may be taken. The daily bag limit is one turkey of either sex with a season and possession limit of two birds.

For the first time, fall turkey hunting will be available to the public at several northern California national wildlife refuges.

Shooting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Second Dove Season alifornia’s second dove season runs from Saturday, Nov. 9 through Monday, Dec. 23. The second dove season offers cooler weather, fewer crowds and the chance for a mixed bag of species - quail and rabbit, for example - that often share the same habitat.

Limits remain the same as the early season: Mourning dove and white-winged dove have a daily bag limit of 15, up to 10 of which may be white-winged dove. The

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possession limit is triple the daily bag limit.

There are no limits on spotted dove and ringed turtle dove. Hunting for Eurasian collared dove is legal year-round and there is no limit. Shooting hours are from onehalf hour before sunrise to sunset.

Additional Requirements oth a valid hunting license and upland game bird validation are needed to hunt pheasant, turkey and dove. An upland game bird validation is not required for junior license holders, but all hunters are required to have a Harvest Information Program (HIP) validation when hunting migratory game birds such as mourning dove and snipe.

A wildlife area-hunting pass is required for adults to hunt on a Type A state-operated wildlife area and national wildlife refuge. Please check with the individual property for specific details and regulations on each area. n ••• Please note that nonlead shot is now required when taking any wildlife with a firearm

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anywhere in California. Hunters need to plan accordingly. For more information, please see the CDFW webpage: https://cawildlife.org

California’s ‘Woman Quota’ Targeted in New Lawsuit

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lawsuit filed today challenges California’s first-in-the-nation requirement that publicly traded companies have a certain number of women on their boards of directors.

“This law puts equal numbers above equal treatment,” said Anastasia Boden, a senior attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation. “This law is built on the condescending belief that women aren’t capable of getting into the boardroom unless the government

opens the door for them. Women are capable of earning a spot on corporate boards without the government coercing businesses to hire them.”

Pacific Legal Foundation represents Creighton Meland, a retired corporate attorney and shareholder of a California-based company.

Meland says that this quota will force shareholders to discriminate when voting on board members at a shareholder election.

The U.S. Supreme Court requires the government to provide an “exceedingly persuasive justification” for any sex-based measure. The lawsuit argues that California’s woman quota cannot meet that standard and is unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. n ••• More info is available at pacificlegal.org/ womanquota

Sheriff’s Department: Alcohol and Tobacco Operation

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n November 7th, 2019, members of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office Alcohol and Tobacco Compliance Units ran a decoy and sales of alcohol and tobacco compliance operation at on and off-sale retail stores in Santa Cruz County, using an undercover minor. The goal of this operation was to limit minors’ access in the community to alcoholic beverages and tobacco products.

Minor decoys are under 21 years of age and are under the direct supervision of the compliance Deputies during the operation. During this operation, the minor attempted to

purchase tobacco products and alcoholic beverages at 13 locations in the Aptos and Soquel area of Santa Cruz County.

The decoy attempted to purchase alcohol or tobacco products from the following locations but was refused: • • • • •

Mediterranean, Aptos, No Sale Burger, Aptos, No Sale Safeway, Aptos, No Sales Rite-Aid, Aptos, No Sale Aptos Village Liquors, No Sale

The minor decoy was sold alcohol or tobacco products at the following locations:

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• • • • •

Manuel’s, Aptos Marianne’s, Aptos Seacliff Plaza, Aptos Safeway Gas, Aptos Aptos St. BBQ

The store clerks from the Manuel’s restaurant, Marianne’s, Seacliff Plaza and the Aptos Street BBQ restaurant were each issued a citation and a court date for 25658(a) B&P, furnishing alcohol to a minor (a misdemeanor). The store delivery clerk from the Safeway Gas was issued a citation with a court date to appear for 308(a)(1)(A)(I) PC furnishing tobacco to a minor (a misdemeanor). n

FEATURED COLUMNIST

To Thine Own Health Be True W

hen asked what surprised him the most about humanity the Dalai Lama answered, “We sacrifice our health to gain wealth and then we spend all our wealth in order to regain our health.”

As a healthy and active individual all my life, I was startled when I somehow woke up one day and found myself taking four separate prescription drugs for four separate medical conditions including high blood pressure, GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), and PMR, a crippling auto immune disease that required a potent steroidal drug — “prednisone” to manage the pain. So, I was symptom free but was ingesting a handful of pills every day that came with a long list of side effects.

Shortly after, while on vacation, I had the opportunity to relax and contemplate my deteriorating health condition and I had a “revelation” that changed my life and health for good.

What if I took control of my own health situation and returned my body back to a time when I was 100% vital and prescription drug free? Was that even a possibility for a man in his late 60s?

When I returned home from vacation, I immediately began to seek out answers to my basic question: Is it possible to reverse my deteriorating health trajectory? I was determined to find out.

Fortunately, we live in the age of the Internet and between Google and You Tube; you can find the answer to almost any question.

Despite all the new modalities, diets, supplements and exotic holistic approaches available, I decided to start my self-healing project with the most basic health approach known to man. Hippocrates, the father of western medicine in 400 B.C. said, “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.”

I thought to myself, “Could it be that easy?” Of course, my next thought was, “What kind of food can be my medicine?”

I went with the obvious. I choose to limit my food intake to only natural foods that grow out of the earth, mostly fruits and vegetables. I decided I’d experiment with my own body and test the claims I’d been reading about.

By John Wilkins

I learned that if the body is treated to a whole food, plant-based regiment for a reasonable period of time, say, 60 to 90 days, the body will respond and heal itself of almost any chronic disease and ailment - and I’d watched enough health documentaries to believe that this was possible.

I committed myself to this new way of looking at food - as medicine - and strictly adhered to the new “diet”. It wasn’t easy but with sincere determination and a few false starts, I was able to change my lifestyle. As a result, I was healed of all my diseases and was off all my prescription meds in only 8 short weeks! Yes, in only 56 days! Healed! Drug Free! I was elated!

This expeditious and remarkable physical transformation was so miraculous to me that I was compelled to write a book to bring this truth to as many people as possible.

One of our human problems is that most people simply take their health for granted.

Obviously, this is one of the worst mistakes one can make in life.

I now believe that absolutely nothing is more important than one’s health. Making your health a #1 priority is wisdom indeed.

I am aware that many reading this column can relate to my story. You may be looking for answers to your own growing chronic health problems. You are aware that the drugs you are taking are merely masking the symptoms of an underlying disease and are not addressing the root problem at all.

I’m here to tell you there is a better way, a healthier way to live and manage your health issues that will create more energy and vitality in your life. You can turn back time and experience a level of health you had ten to 20 years ago. I’m living proof of this. It’s really simple, just change what you are putting into your mouth.

This column is dedicated to bringing to light the many life benefits you’ll experience when giving your health the focus it deserves. I’ll explain why it’s not a new diet that you need, but a complete “lifestyle” change. My goal is to inspire you to become the healthiest person you are capable of becoming at this stage in your life.

Keep in mind, the greatest gift you’ve been given is your physical body. Everything else in your life suffers when your body suffers and everything in your life is enhanced when your health is at it’s best.

Understanding this fact is step number one in the process of taking back your health. n

••• John Wilkins is the Author of the book To Thine Own Health Be True and Founder/CEO of Our Passion For Health, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing public health solutions for the betterment of mankind. Email: John@ourpassionforhealth.org or Website: www.ourpassionforhealth.org

Thanksgiving

ACROSS

1. Slick grp.?

5. Mountain basin 8. Bygone bird of New Zealand 11. Relating to armpit 12. Pestilence pest 13. End a mission 15. Ancient Greece assembly site, pl.

16. What little kittens did with their mittens 17. *Thanksgiving Cranberry concoction 18. *Site of the “First Thanksgiving” 20. “Guilty,” e.g.

21. Kiln, pl.

22. ____ Aviv 23. *Give what?

26. Strangling tool 30. Jul. follower 31. Pupil protector 34. Loads from lodes 35. Shows off 37. Part of human cage 38. Source of indigo dye, pl.

39. Laughing on the inside 40. Truly 42. Highest or lowest card 43. Nemo’s home plant 45. *U.S. President’s magnanimous gesture 47. Say “no” 48. Plural of carpus 50. Tom Jones’s “____ a Lady” 52. *First settlers 55. ____ con Carne or ____ Verde 56. Fe 57. Off-color 59. Popular jeans brand

60. Attention-getting sound 61. Peter, Paul and Mary, e.g.

62. Elvis’ “____ Now or Never” 63. ____ someone off 64. Do like goo

DOWN

1. Lout 2. Alka-Seltzer sound 3. James ____ Jones 4. Colored wax stick 5. VIP’s influence 6. Compass point, pl.

7. The Count’s favorite subject 8. Wry face 9. Black and white mammal 10. *What Thanksgiving celebrant did?

12. Excessively showy, slang 13. Turkish monetary unit 14. *Macy’s parade flyer 19. “Haste ____ waste” 22. Little bit 23. ____ Peri-dica 24. Connected to Lake Michigan 25. September stone 26. Hurtful remark 27. Synonym to #61 Across 28. Telephone company 29. City in Germany 32. Marine eagle 33. Jack-in-the-box part 36. *First Thanksgiving parade (Philadelphia) sponsor 38. What Darwin says we do

40. “No room in the ____ for the travelers weary...”

41. Print from a smartphone 44. Desert mirage 46. ____ Bridge in Venice 48. The ____ of the Bambino 49. What phoenix did 50. Bolted 51. Hurries 52. Hearts and diamonds 53. Claudius’ heir and successor 54. British slang for swindle 55. Computer-generated imagery, acr.

58. Anonymous John © Statepoint Media

Answers on 31 »

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26 / November 15th 2019 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

FEATURED COLUMNIST

Mulch Is Imitation Of Nature

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By Tony Tomeo

very living thing in our gardens came from the wild somewhere. A few plants might be natives trying to adapt to synthetic landscapes. Some might be from similar climates. Some are likely from very different climates. Even houseplants came from the wild somewhere in the World. Regardless of their respective origins, in home gardens, all plants want to behave as they would in the wild.

Many plants want to defoliate at this time of year. Even some evergreens want to shed some of their old foliage before winter. Some perennials die back to the ground. Most summer annuals are already dead. There is an abundance of deteriorating organic material getting discarded by the plants that produce it. In the wild, all this detritus would naturally fall to the ground and decompose.

That might be a problem in parts of our refined landscapes. Fallen leaves must be raked from lawns, decks, pavement and various other flat spaces outside. If left too long, they shade out lawns, ground cover and bedding plans. Fallen leaves can stain decking and pavement too. The worst diseases of roses and fruit trees overwinter in fallen infected debris that does not get raked away.

Unfortunately, raking the mess of autumn away deprives the plants that live in the garden of the abundant decomposing organic matter that they expect to be delivered this time of year. The soil is left exposed and uninsulated, allowing temperature and moisture content to fluctuate more than they would naturally.

Nutrients are not replenished as readily as they would be from decomposition.

Mulch is neater than fallen leaves.

Leyland cypress windbreaks waste no time.

Mulch, which can be applied at any time of the year, is quite seasonably appropriate in autumn. This is when plants expect decomposing organic matter to arrive from above. Mulch compensates for the loss of what we consider to be a mess, but what plants consider to be an important component to their natural ecology. It gives them what they want, but is neat enough for refined gardens.

The best mulch for the job just might be fallen leaves that were raked last year and composted, perhaps with other debris from the kitchen and garden.

Highlight: Leyland cypress he ‘X’ preceding its Latin name ‘X Cupressocyparis leylanii’ designates Leyland cypress as a hybrid of two distinct genera, namely Monterey cypress and Nootka cypress. (Those who consider the parents to be two species of the same genus know Leyland cypress as Cupressus X leylandii.) The many cultivars combine desirable qualities of both parents, but also innate weaknesses.

Rows of Leyland cypress grows fast to become densely evergreen windbreaks or informal screens within only a few years.

However, they are very susceptible to cypress canker, and are likely to succumb within twenty-five years or so. Farther inland, they may not last half as long. That may be quite acceptable for temporary windbreaks in front of slower but more permanent shrubby trees.

Common Leyland cypress develops a distinctly plump but conical form, with slightly grayish foliage. Most other cultivars are more columnar. Foliar color ranges from bluish green to gold. The tiny scale leaves are densely set in flat sprays.

Healthy trees can get nearly thirty feet tall in ten years. Most stay lower where exposed. Crowded trees that live long enough exceed a hundred feet tall. n ••• Horticulturist Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Watsonville Wetlands’ Green Grizzlies Program Off to a Great Start

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atsonville Wetlands Watch is excited to announce a successful beginning to their Green Grizzlies Program: a collaboration with the City of Watsonville designed to change student behavior related to waste reduction, composting, and climate action projects.

Spearheading the project are Watsonville Wetlands Watch educators Yesenia Jimenez and Laura Rodriguez, who have recruited an excellent group of 15 Pajaro Valley High students to help make their campus greener through a variety of actions including increasing student composting, educating and encouraging students about recycling, and doing educational presentations about food waste and climate change.

“Our biggest ongoing project right now is compost collection, we’ve been able to collect 143 pounds of compost since the end of August” says Yesenia, who has been working on getting Green Grizzlies going since last April. “Our students are also bringing up green issues at student council meetings to bring more attention to everyone on campus, and trying to get adults like teachers and campus security to help too by changing students’ habit of leaving trash around campus.”

Yesenia also wants to make sure that Green Grizzlies is talking to and working with other environmental clubs on both Pajaro Valley and Watsonville High School campuses “I really want them to know that

there are other students working on these topics, and know that they aren’t alone in trying to bring these changes.”

Next up for Green Grizzlies will be conducting an energy audit for the Pajaro Valley High campus, helping with tree planting and care on campus, and raising money to get a special terracycle (the process of recycling items that aren’t normally recyclable) box to take care of waste including chip bags. We’re very proud of our Green Grizzlies, and are excited to see the changes they’ve already made among their peers! n ••• For more info: www.watsonvillewetlands watch.org/

Green Grizzly members Mayelli, Andres, and Brianna encourage students at Pajaro Valley High School to compost after lunch.

California Department of Tax and Fee Administration Develops Online Tool for Offer in Compromise Eligibility

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oday, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) released an innovative and simple online screening tool http://www. cdtfa.ca.gov/OIC to help people determine if they are eligible to apply for an Offerin-Compromise (OIC).

The CDTFA’s OIC program is for taxpayers that do not have, and will not have in the foreseeable future, the income, assets, or means to pay a tax liability in full. Taxpayers may be eligible for the program if they: • Have a final tax or fee liability • Are no longer associated with the business that incurred the liability or a similar type of business • Do not dispute the amount of tax or fee owed • Cannot pay the full amount owed in a reasonable amount of time “CDTFA’s goal is to streamline processes and develop smart and simple systems to make compliance as easy as possible for all Californians,” said Nicolas Maduros, Director. “This tool is just one of the many

ways CDTFA is working to provide toptier customer service for all who do business in this state.”

The new eligibilityscreening tool can help taxpayers quickly determine if they are eligible to apply for an OIC by entering financial information to calculate a preliminary offer amount.

Taxpayers can use the preliminary offer amount when they submit an application for an OIC. n ••• View a demonstration video of the OIC eligibility-screening tool here: https://youtu.be/ Xk368Ioi0CU

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / November 15th 2019 / 27

COMMUNITY CALENDAR Do you have a problem with food? Please check out our free, friendly 12-Step support group with the solution. All teens and adults welcome!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR For current times and locations of other meetings: www.santaTHE MONTEREY SYMPHONY The Monterey Symphony is seeking volunteers. If you love cruzoa.org/meetings. Or call our Hotline at (831) 429-7906. music and want to be involved, please call (831) 646-8511 BINGO or visit www.montereysymphony.org for more info.

6:30 p.m. Santa Cruz Elks Lodge, 150 Jewell St. BINGO EVERY TUESDAY. Buy-in begins at $21. The ONGOING EVENTS Snack Bar is open with goodies and dinner specials.

Daily BUSINESS DEBTORS ANONYMOUS SANTA CRUZ ‘USED’ BOOKSHOP 5:15-6:30pm, Calvary Episcopal Church, Parish Hall, 532 10 am- 3 pm 2710 Chanticleer Ave. Santa Cruz Center Street, Santa Cruz.

Grey Bears: Every Monday and Friday is $10-a-bag We specifically focus on recovering from debting on book sale. Fill up a shopping bag with books for only $10! Thousands of titles for $1.50 or less: cookbooks, one’s business.

For more information: 831-425-3272. gardening, sci-fi, mysteries, classics and all sorts of fiction and nonfiction. Non-profit Grey Bears has served Tuesdays & Wednesdays our community for 45 years. Grey Bears provides recycling services and accepts books and other dona- SURVIVORS SUPPORT GROUPS tions for our thrift stores.

Monarch Services offers a safe space to meet other Proceeds benefit our Brown Bag Program, distributing survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and nutritious food to 3,900 seniors every week. human trafficking survivors, and to listen or share experiences. Childcare provided on site.

Weekdays Spanish – Tuesdays 6:00-7:30 p.m. Servicios Monarca, 233 E. Lake Avenue, Watsonville (831) 722-4532 CASA ORIENTATIONS TO BECOME English – Wednesdays 6:00-7:30 p.m. Monarch ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN Services, 1590 Seabright Avenue, SC (831) 425CASA empowers volunteers to directly influence life-changing decisions affecting children in foster care. 4030 Court appointed special advocates are everyday people For more information, visit www.monarchscc.org that, with just a few hours a week can have a lifetime of Tuesdays & Thursdays impact for a child who has been abused or neglected.

More info www.casaofsantacruz.org or call 831-761-2956 FREE PILATES CLASSES AT TEMPLE BETH EL x102 10 a.m., Temple Beth El, 3055 Porter Gulch Rd., Aptos Please join us every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 am Second Mondays in the social hall at Temple Beth El in Aptos (3055 COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS OF SANTA CRUZ Porter Gulch Rd) for a lively and challenging 60 7-8:30 p.m., Quaker Meeting House, 225 Rooney St. Santa minute Pilates Strength Class. The classes are free Cruz and everybody is welcome. Donation are welcome.

Parents of a child who died at any age, from any cause, For more information https://www.tbeaptos.org any length of time ago, are invited to join The Compassionate Friends of SC for our monthly grief support Wednesdays meeting. Opening circle followed by smaller connection ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION groups.

1st & 3rd Wednesdays: 5:30-7 p.m.

Grief materials available. Bereaved grandparents and 2nd & 4th Wednesdays: 2-3:30 p.m. adult siblings are also welcome. Non-religious.

Alzheimer’s Association, 550 Water Street, Ste L2, SC Visit www.tcfsantacruz.com or call 831.332.9893 for more 95060 information.

If you have a family member who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or a related Mondays & Tuesdays dementia, a caregiver support group can offer you WOMENCARE ARM-IN-ARM an opportunity to find out more about available 12:30 - 2 p.m. community resources, learn from others who are WomenCARE ARM-in-ARM support group for women going through similar experiences, and obtain with advanced, recurrent and metastatic cancers. Meets additional educational materials. weekly Mondays & Tuesdays, with a separate meeting Our evening Santa Cruz caregiver support group every First and Third Tuesday every month. meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month, Registration required. Call 457-2273 for more information and and our afternoon Santa Cruz caregiver support to register. No cost to attend. group meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each www.womencaresantacruz.org month. No fee. Open to family members.

For more information about this and other support groups in Tuesdays the area, please call 800.272.3900 OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS MEETING 7 - 8 pm, Christ Lutheran Church, Gazebo, 10707 Soquel Dr., Aptos Second Wednesdays Do you have a proble m with compulsive over- or underSANTA CRUZ SONS IN RETIREMENT eating? Anorexia? Bulimia? Compulsive exercising?

You are not alone. Drop into a free, friendly OA 12-Step MONTHLY MEETING Noon, Elks Lodge at 150 Jewell St. meeting with the solution. All are welcome!

For information on other meetings in Santa Cruz County: www. This statewide group of retired men invites you to be our guest at our monthly luncheon. You’ll meet santacruzoa.org/meetings kindred spirits, have a fine lunch and learn something new from a top notch guest speaker.

WRITING/DISCUSSION MEETING 6:30-7:30 p.m., Christ Lutheran Church, Gazebo Room, 10707 Cost: $18. RSVP at 479-7096 Soquel Dr., Aptos, CA 95003 (At Hwy One and Freedom Blvd) Second and Fourth Wednesdays

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Friday November 15 SERENO GROUP RIBBON CUTTING 3:30 - 5 p.m., 15 Parade St., #A, Aptos Celebrate with us as we welcome Sereno Group to Aptos with an official ribbon cutting ceremony! Face painting, Aunt Laili’s Ice Cream Truck, and catering by Gayle’s!

Cost: FREE

Saturday December 7 HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR AND TREE LIGHTING 2 - 5 p.m., Aptos Village Green Join us for holiday cheer with carolers, Santa, hot chocolate, cookies and local vendors to help you cross off any last minute gifts from your list! Free to attend!

Limited vendor space available, call 688-1467 or email esme@aptoschamber.com

Saturday November 16 AG HISTORY PROJECT’S 34TH ANNUAL HARVEST DINNER! 5:30 – 10 p.m., Harvest Building at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds , 2601 East Lake Ave, Watsonville We are lucky enough to live in the bountiful Pajaro Valley and are giving thanks for our food and farmers by joining with our friends and families. The night starts with a no-host bar and a silent auction. Dinner begins at 7 p.m. and is followed by a live auction. The night features live music featuring Mr. Banjo & The Lonesome Wailers.

Visit http://aghistoryproject.org/harvest-dinner/ for more information and to get tickets.

Wednesday November 27 AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 255 Holm Rd., Watsonville We are still seeking support for people affected by disasters like wildfires and countless other crises by making a gift to American Red Cross Disaster Relief.

Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small.

To schedule your appointment or for more information, visit redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code LDSWatsonville or call 800-REDCROSS (733-2767) Streamline your experience by visiting redcrossblood. org/rapidpass and fill out your history information.

Call 866-236-3276 to ask about eligibility or if you’ve traveled in the past year.

I.D. is required.

Call, click, or text to give: visit redcross.org, call 1-800 RED CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. The Red Cross honors donor intent. Donors can designate their donation to relief efforts for the California wildfires by indicating this in the memo line of a check or in the donation form on redcross.org and print and mail to your local Red Cross chapter.

28 / November 15th 2019 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

WELLNESS ON THE CANCER JOURNEY 11-12:30 pm, Old Soquel Plaza Learn how to safely support your body and emotions through the journey of Cancer — from diagnosis to softening the impact of chemo, radiation, and recovering well from surgery. We’ll address nausea, low energy, weakness, digestion, immune support, grief, stress and more. Feel free to bring your partner or care team to this free class. Please come fed; water is available.

Limited Seats. Please register all attendees on Eventbrite — Wellness on the Cancer Journey or call 831-254-3270 to RSVP. Address given upon registration receipt.

ADHD SUPPORT GROUP 6:30-8 p.m., Aptos Fire Station, 6934 Soquel Drive, Aptos The Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay Branch of CHADD hosts monthly support group meetings for anyone who would like to learn more about ADHD or has questions or concerns. Come share with those who understand.

Second Wednesdays’ meeting is for parents of children, teens, and young adults with ADHD. The group for adults with ADHD, spouses, partners of someone with ADHD meets fourth Wednesdays of every month.

Judy Brenis: jbbrenis@comcast.net, or call 831-818-9619.

Last Wednesdays Each Month MAGICIANS’ CLUB 7 p.m., Antonelli Club Room, 2655 Brommer St., Santa Cruz Attention Magic Lovers! Our new Magicians’ Club meets on the last Wed. of every month at 7pm in the club room at the Antonelli Mobile Home Park. If you do magic or want to get started in this fun hobby, join us.

Questions? Call Jim at 685-3829 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT GROUP 7-9 p.m., Katz Cancer Resource Center, 3150 Mission Dr Santa Cruz County Prostate Cancer Support Group has been an active group for over 20 years in the community.

First meeting of 2018 will be February 28th.

Thursdays FRIENDSHIP PUT TO MUSIC! 6:30 p.m., New Hall, La Selva Beach Club House, 3124 Estrella Ave. Classes every Thursday night. For more info call Sue Harris or Don Benson (831) 726-7053 or email at caller4u@att.net LUCKY STEPPERS MODERN SQUARE DANCE 6:30 pm, La Selva Beach Clubhouse, 314 Estrella Ave., La Selva Beach, CA 95076 It’s fun and easy to do! Friendship put to music; family friendly. Class takes place every Thursday Night at our new home in La Selva Beach! (Take Mar Monte off of Hwy 1, turns into Playa Blvd., turn right on Estrella) For more information, contact Sue Harris or Don Benson at (831) 726-7053 or e-mail at caller4u@att.net.

SAN LORENZO COMMUNITY BAND PRACTICE SESSIONS 7:30-9 p.m., San Lorenzo Valley High School Band Room (F-1) The San Lorenzo Valley Community Band meets every Thursday at SLV High School. Dues are $30 a semester.

You must read music.

Call Teresa at 336-8637.

Second and Fourth Thursdays CABRILLO HOST LIONS CLUB MEETINGS 6:30 p.m., Aptos Village Park, 100 Aptos Creek Road.

Want to make a difference in our community? Join the Cabrillo Lions Club twice every month and see what you can do to help in Santa Cruz County.

Please RSVP cabrillolions@gmail.com

COMMUNITY CALENDAR ONGOING EVENTS CONT.

DATED EVENTS

Fridays NAR-ANON SCOTTS VALLEY 6:30 p.m., Camp Recovery Center (Bison Center Room), 3192 Glen Canyon Road, Scotts Valley.

Nar-Anon is a twelve step support group for families and friends of addicts. There are no dues or fees to join. Just come to a meeting. You will hear others, who are going through similar problems, talk about how they cope and find recovery.

To locate additional times and locations of meetings, please go to our website at www.nar-anon.org.

Saturday November 16

DROP-IN GRIEF SUPPORT 12-1 pm, Hospice of Santa Cruz County, two locations: 940 Disc Dr., SV • 85 Nielson St., Watsonville Hospice of Santa Cruz County is offering a drop-in grief support group for adults grieving the death of a family member or a friend. This group is a place where you can share stories, learn tools for coping, and receive support from people who care.

For more information, please call (831) 430-3000. Preregistration is required.

LIGHTED BOAT PARADE Saturday December 7

5:30 – 7:30 pm, Santa Cruz Harbor, 135 5th Avenue, Santa Cruz First Fridays each month Features decorated boats parading throughout Santa Cruz Harbor, rain or shine. This festival is family friendly FIRST FRIDAY ART TOUR and perfect for all ages!

The First Friday Art Tour is a Santa Cruz Institute of Free to attend. visit www.santacruzharbor.org for more information.

Contemporary Arts event, managed in conjunction Photo Credit: Marthann Hirsch Howes with the participating art venues. The event takes place year-round and illuminates some of the most talented local artists from local galleries.

RCA is a 12 step group for couples. Our primary To find out where to participate in a First Friday art tour, visit SANTA CRUZ TENNIS CLUB purpose is to stay committed in loving and intimate 9 a.m., Soquel High School Tennis Courts firstfridaysantacruz.com (Most galleries are open 12-9 pm for relationships and to help other couples achieve freedom The nonprofit Santa Cruz Tennis Club meets First Friday viewings.) from dysfunctional relationships. All couples are every Saturday morning at the Soquel High welcome whether married or partnered. Some of us School courts beginning at 9:00 am. We play FRIDAY SHAKESPEARE CLUB are new in our coupleships and seek to build intimacy 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Peace United Church of Christ at 900 doubles and mixed doubles, mostly at an intermediate level, and switch around the players together. We have all found help in Recovering Couples High Street, Santa Cruz Anonymous. every 45 minutes.

Curious about Shakespeare? The Friday Shakespeare For more information visit our website: https://santacruzrca.

Balls are provided. $2 for first time visitors.

Club members discuss the life, times, and influence of org or email us at rcasantacruz@yahoo.com William Shakespeare.

Second Saturdays Each Month For information, call 831-684-2832, or go to friday FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH BIBLE STUDY 2ND SATURDAY ON THE FARM shakespeare.org or facebook.com/fridayshakespeare.

9:45 a.m: Bible Study • 11 a.m.: Worship 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Ag History Project Center at the Santa Cruz 7565 Sunset Way, Aptos County Fairgrounds FRIDAY SHAKESPEARE CLUB First Baptist Church of Aptos welcomes you to join their Join us every 2nd Saturday on the Farm for free OF SANTA CRUZ bible study and worship every Sunday. family activities. Each month we select a new 10 am - noon, Peace United Church, 909 High Street Call (831) 688-5842 for more info theme to highlight historical agriculture with This is the oldest women’s club in Santa Cruz. The club games, activities, and demonstrations that relate. meets to study the life, works and times of William First Sunday of Every Month We often have guest appearances from farm Shakespeare. Members share group readings and SANTA CRUZ DINNER CLUB EVENT animals like llamas, draft horses, sheep, goats, insights, discuss history, and universal themes found in chickens, rabbits, and more! You are sure to find 5 p.m., various member homes throughout county his plays and writings.

Love to cook, entertain and socialize? Our dinner club something fun and entertaining for the whole For more information please call 831-684-2832 events will be held in several homes throughout Santa family.

Check our website and Facebook page for more details. FREE Cruz County where members enjoy gourmet meals, fine wine and conversation. Joining the club provides Sundays a great opportunity to cook, to entertain, and to meet NAR-ANON SANTA CRUZ locals that share your interests.

6:30 p.m., Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center (Sutter Room), Learn more about the SC Dinner Club and the fun we have by 2900 Chanticleer Avenue, Santa Cruz contacting Rhonda Mills at info@SantaCruz DinnerClub.com Nar-Anon is a twelve step support group for families and friends of addicts. There are no Third Sunday of Every Month dues or fees to join. Just come to a meeting. You SCIENCE SUNDAY will hear others, who are going through similar Starts at 1 p.m., 100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, 95060 Saturdays problems, talk about how they cope and find Seymour Marine Discovery Center presents a public PILLS ANONYMOUS (PA) recovery. lecture from a marine scientist the third Sunday of every 8 a.m., Sutter Hospital, 2025 Soquel Ave The purpose of PA is to provide a safe, secure, and sup- To locate additional times and locations of meetings, please month. Topics are presented in an entertaining and go to our website at www.nar-anon.org. portive place for people who are addicted to pills who easy-to-understand format, with up-to-date photos, want to get off of them. PA is offered all over the world. video, and discussion.

RECOVERING COUPLES ANONYMOUS MEETING For questions, please contact Gary at (831)801-9578 or Science Sunday does not meet in December. For more info 10:30 a.m.–noon, Sutter Maternity, 2900 Chanticleer Ave, SC visit seymourcenter.ucsc.edu Kristin at (831)345-6515

BOARDWALK HOLIDAY ICE BEGINS 10 a.m.- 7 p.m., Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Celebrate this holiday season with a new family tradition, ice skating at the Boardwalk! Festivities and Fun: Ice Skating by the Beach, on Real Ice! Select Boardwalk Rides and Games, Indoor Arcades, Mini Golf,andLaserTag.DeliciousBoardwalkTreatsto eat.

Classic Holiday Movies. Kids Craft Activities and Holiday Lights and Decorations! Reservations for ice skating recommended.

Schedule, reservations and tickets will be available online at https://beachboardwalk.com. Ice Rink open through Jan. 5, 2020

Sunday November 17

SCIENCE SUNDAY 1:30 - 2:30 p.m., eymour Marine Discovery Center, 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz Marine scientists bring you public lectures with photography, video, and stories of their work and lives.

Visit http://seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/ for details

Saturday November 23 WORLD (ART) MARKET 1-4 p.m., Abbott Square, 118 Cooper St., Santa Cruz Support creativity and shop from artists from around the county, region, and the world. Check out works from artists and crafters of all mediums – photography, woodburning, printmaking, jewelry, pottery, and many more.

Applications are still being accepted. Apply to sell your art at the Market!

Visit santacruzmah.org for more information.

Saturday December 7 DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ HOLIDAY PARADE 10 a.m., Parade starts at Pacific Ave. and Laurel St., Santa Cruz The Downtown Association of Santa Cruz welcomes you to join us in celebrating the Annual Downtown Holiday Parade! Please fill out the form and submit payment to complete registration.

Visit https://tinyurl.com/y4xu9ujp for more details or to register. Registration will close Nov. 25.

Saturday December 21 Sunday December 22 THE NUTCRACKER WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA Presented by the Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre Times TBD, Civic Auditorium, 307 Church Street, Santa Cruz A Santa Cruz tradition! Join us for our 18th production with full professional orchestra. Over 70 local dancers perform choreography.

Tickets on sale now at SantaCruzTickets.com Visit www.scbt.org for more information. n

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Business Guide

FEATURED COLUMNIST

Supporting Local Businesses

T

he holiday season is traditionally one of the largest sales times for many retailers. This year, local businesses have been facing additional pressures as a result of the recent PG&E power shutoffs.

Without power, many small businesses were forced to temporarily close, employees weren’t paid and businesses with perishable stock (such as food) lost a significant amount of product.

As a community we have a unique opportunity to show support for our small, locally owned businesses as they compete with national online retailers and unanticipated challenges from PG&E — especially during the holiday season.

In Santa Cruz County, 82 percent of local businesses have less than 9 employees. Many in the mid and south county work for locally owned businesses and our local economy is dependent upon a robust small business sector.

!

TO ADVERTISE IN THE BUSINESS GUIDE SECTION

call our offices 831.688.7549

www.tpgonlinedaily.com 30 / November 15th 2019 / Aptos Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

By Supervisor Zach Friend

How can we get involved? his year, Small Business Saturday, a nationwide event to support small local businesses, will be held on Saturday, November 30th. Small Business Saturday was created to support small businesses as an alternative to Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Countywide, thousands of local businesses are participating and special events will be held throughout the county including in Aptos and Capitola.

For example, the Aptos United Methodist Church will hold its annual holiday boutique on November 30th featuring many local handmade items. From jewelry to knitted scarves, to seaglass art to cards, children’s books and more from 9am to 3pm at 221 Thunderbird Drive.

Did you know that more than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create

T

about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year? Supporting small businesses helps boost our local economy and also keeps more money invested locally.

According to an analysis by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, “locally owned businesses play a central role in healthy communities and are among the best engines that cities and towns have for advancing economic opportunity and building resilient places.”

Specifically, they note work from an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta that showed that counties with larger shares of local small businesses outperform their peers on three critical economic indicators: they have stronger per capita income growth, faster employment growth, and lower poverty rates.

Additionally, an analysis from the Government Finance Review, found that smaller-local businesses (versus box stores) provide more tax revenue on the aggregate while costing less in government services.

Locally, we have many locallyowned businesses that provide a variety of options for our holiday shopping including kid’s stores, restaurant gift certificates, great coffee shops, clothing stores, jewelers, locally-owned hotel getaway options and more.

Some of these small businesses have been recognized nationally for their unique options and all of these businesses employ local residents and many are owned by residents right here in the mid and south county.

If you’d like additional information, the County has a Shop Small Facebook page where you can get more information, facebook.com/ santacruzcountysmallbusinesssaturday. You may also reach out to the Aptos Chamber of Commerce or Capitola/Soquel Chamber of Commerce for participating businesses and specials. n ••• As always, I appreciate hearing your thoughts. Feel free to call me at 4542200 or stop by my weekly open office hours in Aptos, Corralitos, Watsonville or Seascape.

SCCAS Featured Pet

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una (ID#A165040) is loveable senior lady that was surrendered to the Shelter after her owner could no longer care for her. She mostly likes to cuddle and is content to sit in your lap and observe life.

Luna would do best in an only dog household but has lived with cats and chickens! She used to go on camping trips with her previous family and is a great little outdoor companion.

Come meet this gentle, senior and help her live out her golden years with all of the creature comforts she deserves.

Luna is a 9-year-old spayed female, brown Chihuahua.

To adopt your new friend, visit one of the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter locations, or their website at www.scanimalshelter.org. n ••• Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter has two full-service, open-admission shelters: Santa Cruz Location (Public Entrance): 1001 Rodriguez St., Santa Cruz, 95062 Hours: Daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Wednesdays: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Watsonville Location: 580 Airport Blvd, Watsonville, CA 95076 Hours: Monday – Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (closed 12-1) Closed on Sunday SCCAS Main line: 831-454-7200. Animal Control: 831-454-7227. After-Hours Emergency: 831-471-1182

Thanksgiving © Statepoint Media

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Aptos Times / November 15th 2019 / 31