Aptos Times: July 15, 2025 by Times Publishing Group, Inc.

Daniel Goldsmith Conducts 20-Piece

Live Orchestra for Cabrillo Stage

By Mindy Pedlar

It was a pleasure to talk with him about conducting

and his role in bringing to life what many consider Stephen Sondheim’s masterpiece, which runs July 17 through Aug. 10 at the Crocker Theater in Aptos. ... continues on page 4

White Sharks Sightings on

the Rise

Close encounters with sharks, like the one that closed Rio Del Mar Beach for the first two day of July, will likely be more common as a result of climate change, says Chris Lowe, professor of marine biology and director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach.

Full Story page 5

World’s Shortest Parade Highlights

Photo Collage page 24

Aptos LL Competes in Section 5

The Aptos Little League 12s All Stars are in the Section 5 Tournament after recovering from a tough loss to Capitola-Soquel to win the District 39 Championship in dominating fashion, earning a 10-0 4-inning victory over the same team, highlighted by Beau Pieracci’s one-walk no-hitter.

Full Story page 7

Daniel Goldsmith, musical and vocal director of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, is a man who clearly loves his work.

Cover

Daniel Goldsmith Conducts 20-Piece Live Orchestra for Cabrillo Stage, By Mindy Pedlar

Community News

5 White Sharks Sightings on the Rise: Population Growing in Monterey Bay Due to Climate Change, By Jon Chown

6 Three Fun Family Events to Celebrate Our Forests

10 Watsonville Council Codifies Right to Assemble, By Jon Chown • Soquel Man Killed in E-bike Accident

11 SV Middle School Repairs Underway, By Jon Chown

12 Larry Jacobs & Sandra Belin Named 2025 ‘Farmer of the Year’: Co-Owners of Jacobs Farm del Cabo honored by Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau • County’s Child Care Forgivable Loan Program Open Now Accepting Applications from Eligible Providers for Funding Considerations

13 Folk Duo to Appear at Kuumbwa • Pacific Gas & Electric Warns Customers to Watch for Scams

14 Community Foundation Announces Latest Grants From Rise Together • Grand Jury Targets Human Trafficking, By Jon Chown

16 County Increases Fines for Illegal Dumping

17 Santa Cruz County Fair Hires New CEO • County Assessment Roll Sets Record • County Launches New Residential Permit Program

21 Panetta Reintroduces Legislation to Protect Monarch Butterfly

24 Aptos Celebrates Fourth of July with the 64th Annual World’s Shortest Parade, Photos Credit: Michael Oppenheimer • Charlotte • Cathe Race

25 BirchBark, Nonprofit Dedicated to People and their Pets, Names New Executive Director

27 Corralitos Man, a WW2 Vet, Celebrates 100th Birthday, By Edita McQuary

Local Sports

7 Aptos Little League Competes in Section 5 Tournament, Story and Photos By Michael Oppenheimer

8 Aptos High Girls Lacrosse Excelled, By Stuart Mager, Coach, Aptos High School Girls Lacrosse

Business Profile

18 Bruster’s Real Ice Cream: Our Mission is to Make the World a Sweeter Place, By Edita McQuary

Letters to the Editor

25 Do You Remember the Moss Landing Fire And do you Want a Repeat? • Why Aren’t Repairs Started?

26 We Must Act Now to Save the Bees

Monthly Horoscope • Page 26 – Zeitgeist! Uranus Enters Gemini – A New Order of Things!, By Risa D’Angeles Community Calendar • Arts & Entertainment – Pages 28, 29

Featured Columnists

20 Gray Lives Matter, By Pamela Arnsberger

23 Why Drones Are Crucial for California’s Economic Future, By Tamara Goraya

30 Exposed But Not Compensated: Vets Affected by Volatile Organic Compounds Need Help, By Jordan Cade

31 Fragrant Flowers Have Ulterior Motives, By Tony Tomeo

Mindy

Michael Oppenheimer, Stuart Mager, Risa D’Angeles, Pamela Arnsberger, Tamara Goraya, Jordan

COVER STORY

Michael

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“Sweeny Todd” from page 1

I was surprised and fascinated to learn that Sondheim was heavily influenced by film music from classic cinema thrillers, particularly the scores of Alfred Hitchcock’s films — Psycho and Vertigo come to mind.

“Dissonance is everywhere in this show,” Goldsmith said. “Both literally with the musical notes, but also in how the macabre and tragic material interplays with songs that are classically beautiful and sometimes ridiculously funny. There’s really nothing like the score of Sweeney Todd.”

The music is thrilling, but also, as Goldsmith describes, “terrifyingly challenging, with unusual melodies that may at first sound slightly off but then turn out to be utterly mesmerizing. There are devilishly quick patter songs that can test the limits of how many words a singer can fit in their mouths in a second.

“Part of Sondheim’s genius is that many of the ‘quirks’ people think of as his signature are a product of him writing music to match the natural inflections and rhythms of his characters’ speech. Our job is to make it all sound effortless—without a hint of how difficult it may have been to get it there.”

Goldsmith said he has dreamt of conducting Sweeney Todd for years, but “one’s imagination can never prepare for what the performers bring to the stage. It’s been so rewarding to go through this process with such talented and genuine artists and collaborators. Everyone involved here at Cabrillo Stage has set the bar so high—it’s truly extraordinary.”

show — it gives me goosebumps.” Another favorite is “God, That’s Good,” which opens Act II. “There is so much going on, but the audience never gets lost,” he said. The jubilant music, juxtaposed with the horror of what’s happening underneath, is “deviously hilarious. There is a very human tragedy at the core of Sweeneythat is heartbreaking.”

He shares one of his favorite moments in the show: “When the ensemble summons Sweeney by screaming his name at the beginning and end of the

A live orchestra has always been a key ingredient to the success of Cabrillo Stage. Clarinetist and bass clarinetist Scott Nordgren, who performed in the pit for the company’s inaugural show in 1989 with Lile Cruse, has since played in more than 20 Cabrillo Stage productions.

To Nordgren, the intense score of Sweeney Todd is similar to opera.

“The orchestrations are lush and Bergmanesque in the harmonies they present,” he said. “It’s very challenging and it takes solid

technique to pull it off, but the result is aweinspiring and the pinnacle of drama.”

Fellow orchestra member Nicki Kerns plays keyboard, covering organ, harp and the heavenly sounds of the celesta. She plays two stacked keyboards to bring out the many colors and layers that Sondheim wrote instrumentally.

“There are copious amounts of key and meter changes, so we musicians have to be constantly on our toes. Or should I say fingertips?” she said.

Come be swept away by the gorgeous, thrilling music as it leads you through this cautionary tale.

Sweeney Todd runs July 17–Aug. 10, with performances Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. at the Crocker Theater on the Cabrillo College campus. Tickets range from $25 to $60 and are available at www. cabrillostage.com/tickets. The box office is open for phone (831-479-6154) and walk-up sales Thursday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m., and one hour before each performance.

A post-show discussion and Q&A with the creative team will follow the Sunday matinee on July 27. n

Please note: This musical includes adult themes that may not be suitable for all audiences.

Patrice Edwards editor

Jon Chown

contributing writers

Pedlar, Jon Chown, Edita McQuary,

Cade, Tony Tomeo

Bill Pooley, Erik Long

Michael Oppenheimer graphic artists

Oppenheimer, Ward Austin

production coordinator

Camisa Composti media consultants

Teri Huckobey, Brooke Valentine office coordinator

Cathe Race

Michael Oppenheimer, Camisa Composti website

Michael Oppenheimer photography

Angela Jeffries (center) as Mrs. Lovett with ensemble cast. • Photo Credit: Bari Lee

Brittney Mignano as the Beggar Woman and Conor Warshawsky as Anthony Hope

Photo Credit: Bari Lee

Adam J. Saucedo as Sweeney Todd Photo Credit: Bari Lee

Jorge Torrez as The Beadle and David Murphy as Judge Turpin

Photo Credit: Bari Lee

Haley Clarke as Johanna Photo Credit: Bari Lee

White Sharks Sightings on the Rise Population Growing in Monterey Bay Due to Climate Change

By Jon Chown

On July 1, a little before 11 a.m.., a junior lifeguard youth aide at Rio Del Mar State Beach was brushed by what was reported to be a white shark estimated to be 6 to 8 feet long. It happened about 100 yards offshore near Lifeguard Tower 7 as the aide was setting up a buoy.

The shark first bumped the buoy and then brushed against the aide, who was not injured. Lifeguards quickly came to the aide’s rescue. It was first reported as a “shark attack,” but was later reclassified as a “shark encounter.” Following the incident, a twomile zone of Rio Del Mar State Beach was closed for 48 hours as a precaution, in accordance with the California State Parks Shark Incident Response Plan.

Lowe said he hadn’t received the full report from the lifeguards yet, so he wasn’t 100 percent certain it was a great white or what occurred, but from what has been reported, it’s not that surprising. It’s the sort of behavior that occasionally occurs in southern California — and now it’s happening in central California.

Gabe McKenna, public safety superintendent for California State Parks, said that beach closures might not be increasing, but “documented juvenile white shark activity in the New Brighton to Seacliff area has increased in the past decade.”

According to Lowe, it’s because there are more great white sharks in the water. The population has been in recovery since the ’90s when, in 1994, California became the first state to ban their take and Federal protections followed in 1997. Now, due to a warming ocean, there is a shark nursery in the Monterey Bay, where it had once never been observed before.

“It’s a climate change phenomenon that these nurseries are moving north,” Lowe said. “They hadn’t been north of Santa Barbara before.”

Now that they’re here, they’ll not be going away, according to the science. Our white sharks are part of a population that is isolated to the west coast of North America and Hawaii. White sharks will venture out into the ocean, but they never cross it.

Sal Jorgensen, a marine biologist at CSU Monterey Bay, has been studying the shark population in the Monterey Bay for more than a decade. He has helped pen studies such as “Predicted habitat shifts of Pacific top predators in a changing climate,” and many similar.

“Monterey Bay Sharks” page 11

White Shark in Monterey Bay Aquarium

Three Fun Family Events to Celebrate Our Forests

SANTA CRUZ — Santa Cruz Shakespeare, the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, and the Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery invite families to explore woodland wonder through theater, science, and play this summer as the three institutions join forces to celebrate the magic of our forests.

The collaboration has resulted in three events scheduled this summer:

Treasured Trees Exhibit

The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History presents “Treasured Trees,” a new exhibit celebrating our local redwood forests.

Visitors can explore these ancient ecosystems and learn about the natural heritage that defines our region.

Learn more: santacruzmuseum.org/exhibit/ treasured-trees/

Shakespeare in the Woods

S anta Cruz Shakespeare launches its inaugural family-friendly performances on July 30 and Aug. 6, featuring “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Into the Woods.”

These specially curated shows bring the Bard’s beloved woodland tales to audiences of all ages, making Shakespeare accessible to the youngest theater enthusiasts.

More info: santacruzshakespeare.org/family-days/

Enchanted Forest Exhibit

Coming Mid-August

The Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery will unveil its new Enchanted Forest exhibit in mid-August.

This magical new space offers an exciting fusion of art, technology, and immersive play while encouraging storytelling, creativity, and exploration. n

LOCAL SPORTS

Aptos Little League Competes in Section 5 Tournament

Story and Photos By Michael Oppenheimer

The Aptos Little League 12s All Stars are in the Section 5 Tournament after recovering from a tough loss to Capitola-Soquel to win the District 39 Championship in dominating fashion. Aptos earned a 10-0, 4-inning victory over Cap-Soq, highlighted by Beau Pieracci’s one-walk no-hitter.

“The last game was outstanding,” said coach Garret LaTorre. “We lost the game before, but then, the kids battled back, had a lot of energy, and really got the bats going. I can’t say more about how Beau finished it — one out from a perfect game and threw a no-hitter.”

Aptos won its first three games before losing in the winners bracket final, leading to a winner-takes-all game between the two teams.

“[Capitola-Soquel’s] pitcher, Kalani Roh, just pitched a fantastic game and they played well,” LaTorre said. “But we were fired up for the next one and came back and took it to them.”

Aptos opened the Section 5 tournament, played this year at Campbell Little League’s Robert Holman Field, with a 5-1 victory over Los Gatos on Friday. Tysen Espinoza had a strong pitching performance and the team was clutch in the early innings, scoring all five runs in the first two.

to the California State Little League Tournament, the next round on the road to the Little League World Series.

The All-Star teams are formed after the Little League Tournament of Champions, which gives the teams in each league a title to play for and a chance for the kids to make their last bids to make all stars.

“The season was good,” LaTorre said. “We got a good group of kids. It was a lot of fun, a lot of good games. I think our league playoffs … every game went down to the last at bat, last inning. I think four out of the six games that were played were walk-off wins. So it was a really even season this year.”

Cody Pieracci and Ethan Crump led the team with two hits each. Hunter LaTorre had two RBI (runs batted in), while Wyatt Graaskamp and Owen Reilly had one each.

In game two on Sunday, Aptos rallied late, but came up one run short, falling 8-7 to Los Altos. Hunter again lead the team with two RBI, and Cody drove in another. Beau Pieracci lead the team with two hits.

Aptos will now have to win three straight games, including back-to-back wins over the same team at the end, to move on

Once the TOC is over, the managers, coaches, and players of each team pick the players with a chance to make the all-star team.

There’s a lot of kids that deserve to be on the team,” LaTorre said. There’s so many [good] 12-year-olds this year.”

The selected players are then discussed by the managers and coaches and the top 15 players are ranked 1-15, with the top nine making the team once the ranking is finished.

“Then the manager could select however many he wants out of the rest of the top 15,” LaTorre said. “We went with 12 kids, so we picked three more for the final team.” n

•••

Manager: Tim Reilly

Coaches: Garret LaTorre • Brian Pieracci

Team: Cody Pieracci • Miles Lee • Kiran Yager • Wyatt Graaskamp • Beau Pieracci • Ryan Santillan • Tysen Espinoza • Patrick Collins • Hunter LaTorre • Owen Reilly • Nolan McGee • Ethan Crump

Visit www.tpgonlinedaily.com for Aptos’ final Section 5 results.

Cover Photo: Cody Pieracci watches a high pitch in Friday’s game.

Hunter LaTorre lopes into third with a stand-up RBI Triple.

Owen Reilly (00) is the center of the team’s pregame ritual.

Pitcher Tysen Espinoza

LOCAL SPORTS

Aptos High Girls Lacrosse Excelled

By Stuart Mager, Coach, Aptos High School Girls Lacrosse

I’d like to say how very proud I am of all the girls on Aptos High’s lacrosse team this season.

In just our third year in the Pacific Coast Athletic League (PCAL) and just in our third year ever for the girls lacrosse program at Aptos, the team went undefeated 9-0 in the Mission Division. Their record was 11-6 overall, making it to the CCS play-in game which we lost to Scotts Valley in a very close nail biter right to the end.

We had a tremendous group of girls that supported and encouraged each other all season, built team chemistry and camaraderie and made practice a place where players enjoyed themselves all of which are the reasons we were able to be so successful in only our third year as a team.

Lacrosse is not as popular yet as other spring sports, so it does not attract as many kids. The great thing about high school lacrosse is that everyone will get playing time even if they are brand new to the game or have never played another sport before.

This year, about half the team were new players, so to win the division speaks to how dedicated the players were to bettering their skills each and every week. There were lots of new freshman who were giving the sport a try for the first time and made big contributions throughout the season. We hope they will continue to be the face of the team in years to come.

The Santa Cruz Warriors Youth Lacrosse Association has been a big supporter of growing lacrosse in all the local schools, which will also help create a pipeline of players for future years and I would encourage. The team bid farewell to eight seniors who were responsible for a majority of the scoring and helped our defense in some tough games.

Our Senior Goalie had another fantastic year in the net. Although none of the seniors committed to playing in college as a varsity player, many have interest in playing in college at the club level and I hope they pursue it.

Many players were recognized by the league for their outstanding performance not just in stats, but as individuals who espoused good sportsmanship, a relentless drive to help the team be successful and tenacity on the field. n

•••

Aptos had the following players earn All-League awards: 1st Team

Avi Andrews – senior Midfield

Maya Rosa – senior Midfield

Aryel Reyes Mager – junior Attack

Lucy Erikson – junior Defense

Gia Arista – junior Defense 2nd Team

Gamble Kellermyer – senior Goalie

Mia Sanchez – senior Defense

Mary Watson – senior Midfield

Richard Chamberlin All Sportsmanship Team

Lauren Galster – junior Defense

PCAL Mission Division Player of the Year

Aryel Reyes Mager

Featuring Graber and Hunter Douglas Custom Draperies and Roman Shades!

Watsonville Council Codifies Right to Assemble

By Jon Chown

Watsonville’s City Council codified residents’ right to protest on city property without a permit at the July 8 City Council meeting.

The council amended the city’s municipal code relating to parades and events on city property, the purpose being “to protect the First Amendment rights of Watsonville residents to peaceably assemble and/or protest in the city’s public places and to establish the lest restrictive and reasonable time, place and manner regulation of these activities.”

While the code appears to be no less restrictive regarding parades or events, protests are mostly exempted from the permitting process. For “expressive events” and “spontaneous events,” the city only asks for four hours notice, if possible, and requires pedestrian and traffic laws to be obeyed; Traffic can’t be obstructed. Protests are also prohibited if the property has already been rented for another purpose.

The policy change was adopted through the Consent Agenda and there was no discussion on it at the meeting. A host of expenditures and pay raises were also approved at the meeting, mostly through the Consent Agenda.

Towing rates were increased to match the rates charged by the local California

Highway Patrol. Vehicles are called to be towed by the Watsonville Police Department after collisions, at arrest scenes, storing vehicles for evidence, or when they are abandoned. The new rate for a Class A vehicle tow will increase from $315 to $355-$375. Class B and Class C vehicles will see smaller increases — $25 at most.

A water line replacement project on

Beach, Union and Lincoln Streets will cost more than $5 million after all of the related contracts were rewarded, including a $400,000 contract to Cannon Corporation for management and inspection services, and $4.9 million to K.J. Woods Construction to do it.

Among other expenditures: The city will spend $117,000 to purchase two 2025 Ford Police Interceptor SUVs from Watsonville Ford. The two new vehicles will replace two current patrol vehicles that have more than 125,000 miles on them. The city also awarded a contract of $120,000 to Dorr Distribution Services for two years of transportation services for the city’s youth programs, and $321,000 to Unified Cleaning Services for a two-year contract for janitorial work.

Another $547,000 was committed to the Pajaro Valley Unified School District to provide after school and intersession programming through the district’s Expanding Learning Opportunities Program. That contract will last a year. The city also increased its contract for the revitalization of the Watsonville City Plaza by $121,154 to a grand total of $714,916. The city also authorized $1.325 million to replace LED street lights.

The City Council had to hold a public hearing on their own raise, a 5 percent increase to $1,679.50 per month. Nobody from the public commented, nor did the council members, who approved it in less than three minutes from it being introduced. n

Soquel Man Killed in E-bike Accident

WATSONVILLE — A 78-year-old man from Soquel died in a bicycle crash on July 9. The identity had not been released to the public by press time.

At approximately 1:32 p.m., CHP officers responded to a crash on Manfre Road east of Larkin Valley Road. The victim was operating a silver Specialized Level 3 Ebike eastbound on Manfre Road at an undetermined speed.

For reasons still under investigation, the cyclist went off the road and crashed into a dirt embankment south of Manfre Road. The cyclist was pronounced deceased at the scene by medical

personnel. The cause of the collision is still under investigation.

It is unknown if alcohol and/or drugs were factors in this crash. A Specialized Level 3 Ebike has an advertised top speed of 20 mph. n

PVUSD Teachers during 2013 contract negotiations.

COMMUNITY NEWS

SV Middle School Repairs Underway

By Jon Chown

SCOTTS VALLEY — It’s been more than six months since a tornado’s destructive path left Scotts Valley Middle School with nearly $1 million in damage, but repairs are finally underway and expected to be completed by the end of August.

A rare EF-1 tornado struck Scotts Valley on Dec. 14, 2024, at approximately 1:39 p.m., remaining on the ground for about five minutes. The twister carved a roughly 0.3-mile path nearly 30 yards wide along Mount Hermon Road, unleashing up to 90 mph gusts. It overturned at least six vehicles, including a Cal Fire pickup and a commuter van, snapped power poles, 15 traffic signals were knocked out and many businesses suffered damage.

the roof of the science building. No students or staff were injured, but besides the damage to the roof, the impact also affected some vents, A/C equipment and the library.

At Scotts Valley Middle School, a massive fir tree, about 7 feet in diameter, was uprooted by the tornado and crashed onto

“Monterey Bay Sharks” from page 5

“They’ve been isolated, we estimate, for some 200,000 years,” Jorgensen said in a seminar he gave in September of 2024 to the Friends of San Pedro Valley Park, “So, despite the fact that, in one season a white shark can swim all the way to Hawaii, and from Hawaii it’s almost equidistant to Japan, the sharks always return to the place of their birth, year after year, generation after generation.”

The sharks had a fairly regular migration, with young sharks staying mostly south and mainly adults venturing north. However, Jorgensen said, in 2014 things began to change. A marine heat wave resulted in more juvenile sharks traveling north into Monterey Bay near Rio Del Mar. In 2014, one juvenile shark was spotted off our local beaches, in 2021 there were more than 20.

“We are seeing juveniles. We are seeing newborns that we never saw prior to 2014,” Jorgensen said.

The ocean near Rio Del Mar, Jorgensen said, is a little warm pocket within the Monterey Bay, and sharks are preferring it. “That’s our working theory right now,” he said.

Lowe, like the scientist he is, said he wasn’t positive what occurred on July 1 at Rio Del Mar Beach because he hadn’t yet received a full report on the incident. “But I can tell you that that sort of behavior occasionally happens in southern California, where a juvenile white shark makes contact without injury,” he said.

Lowe has spent the last six years studying shark behavior in the waters near Long Beach. He said sharks, swimmers and surfers interact

Mike Smith, director of facilities and maintenance for the Scotts Valley Unified School District, said the repairs cost about $750,000. Three roof beams, along with posts that support them, were being replaced. A large portion of the roof was also being replaced. The reason for the delay is that the construction plans had to be submitted to the Division of the State Architect, which is responsible to make sure schools are constructed safely. Classes begin the first week of August.

“All of the heavy work will be done prior to students being on campus,” Smith said. n

every day, but people just don’t realize it. Sharks don’t see people as food or foe, so mainly just ignore them.

“There’s so much human water activity and shark activity that both have learned to ignore the other,” Lowe said. “But up north, that’s a new nursery and people are getting used to it. And in Santa Cruz, the water is kind of murky and sharks don’t have good eyesight. Kind of the way they check things out is they bump into it.”

The shark that brushed the youth at Rio Del Mar may have just been investigating the swimmer, the buoy — or both. As a result, the beach was closed for 48 hours. Lowe said he was part of the committee that helped develop that policy, which was based on the best science available, but also a bit arbitrary.

“When we started, we said ‘look, based on behavior that we know, the animal could be 120 miles away or it could still be there. So the problem is, it’s kind of arbitrary, but it’s based on some science. In my opinion, the 48 hours is more based on people. Everybody needs a timeout and it allows the lifeguards to post warnings to the public so they are aware,” Lowe said. “In the future, using DNA technology, we may get to the point where we can say there’s no shark DNA in the water, but we’re not there yet. So most of it is just changing people’s behavior — just being aware.” n

•••

IF YOU SEE A SHARK

• Don’t panic or splash

• Keep the shark in sight, maintain eye contact

• Move slowly towards the shore or your boat

• Keep your movements slow and controlled

• Do not touch or chase the shark

Larry Jacobs & Sandra Belin Named 2025 ‘Farmer of the Year’

Co-Owners of Jacobs Farm del Cabo honored by Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau

108th Annual Meeting/Dinner

Larry Jacobs & Sandra Belin, co-owners of Jacobs Farm del Cabo, were selected as the 2025 “Farmer of the Year” by the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau. The award is presented annually to the farmer or farmers who have contributed beyond their normal farming duties to help the community.

“Larry Jacobs and Sandra Belin are deeply committed to growing organic food and protecting our land and soils to assure that there continues to be a place to plant and grow healthy flavorful food in the future,” the Farm Bureau stated in a press release announcing the award.

The presentation was made during the Farm Bureau’s 108th Annual Meeting/ Dinner held in a special garden in La Selva Beach on June 19.

Jacobs and Belin co-founded Jacobs Farm in 1980, a northern California organic farming operation specializing in culinary herbs. Currently they farm in three counties: San Mateo, Santa Cruz and Santa Clara, growing culinary herbs, tomatoes and pumpkins.

In 1985 they started working with small family farmers in southern Mexico, connecting their crops with markets in California with a vision for the exchange to become a self-sustaining development project.

This grew into collaborating with organic growers up and down the Baja Peninsula and became del Cabo, known for its

snacking tomatoes, peppers, squashes, peas, garlic and mangos. In 2013, Jacobs and Belin launched the Great African Food Company,

a Tanzanian company modeled after their work in Mexico linking organic production of small-scale farmers to European and Middle Eastern markets. The company merged in 2016 with Quality Food Products, a pulse and grain exporter.

Currently, Larry & Sandra are exploring working with small scale Hmong and Hispanic growers in the Central Valley.

The board of directors felt it was appropriate to honor Larry & Sandra because of their leadership in the community and the world over the past several decades.

The members of the Board of Directors and officers were also announced at the meeting. n

Board of Directors

Arnett Young, Organic Vegetables

Sean Baird, Livestock

Tom Broz, Organics

Amanda Peixoto-Castro, Organics

Kyle Theriot, Wine Grapes, Timber & Apples

Dane Scurich, Berries Officers

President: John Pisturino - Cattle

Vice President: Peter Navarro - Berries

2nd Vice President: CJ Miller - Berries

Past-President: Dennis Webb - Timber

County’s Child Care Forgivable Loan Program Open Now Accepting Applications from Eligible Providers for Funding Considerations

The County of Santa Cruz has opened the application process for the 2025 Child Care Developer Fee Loan Program forgivable loan cycle. The program has made application packets available on its CCDF Loan Program webpage in English and Spanish, for eligible child care providers to apply for funding consideration. Applicants can also access the schedule and RSVP for mandatory application workshops, also posted on the website.

The fee, adopted in 1991 to mitigate the cost of increased child care needs generated by new development in the county, can only be used for eligible capital projects that improve or augment access to high quality child care for Santa Cruz County families. The last program cycle distributed over $150,000 from 2020 to 2021, to 15 approved child care centers and family home day cares. Funded projects restored or enhanced facilities and equipment that bolstered 220 licensed child care slots county-wide.

With sufficient funds accumulated to award funds this year, HSD is soliciting applications from local child care providers

toward distributing $380,000 in CCDF funds for eligible projects. Criteria for awarding funds are based on state and local requirements and are established by a CCDF Loan Program planning committee. Applications meting minimum requirements are reviewed by a separate committee comprised of Board appointed First 5 Commissioners and Childhood Advisory Council members, as well as other leaders with childcare expertise to help develop funding recommendations.

To be eligible for funding, family child care home providers and child care center operators must be located in and serve families who live and/or work in Santa Cruz County. Applicants must also possess or have pending a valid state child care license and be registered in the Child Development Resource Center’s provider database administered by the Santa Cruz County Office of Education. n

To learn more about the loans, access an application packet or RSVP for a required workshop: https://www.santacruzhumanservices.org/Home/ FundingOpportunities/CCDFLoanProgram

Farm Bureau President Dennis Webb presenting the 2025 Farmer of the Year award to Sandra Belin and Larry Jacobs.

Folk Duo to Appear at Kuumbwa

Eliza Gilkyson is coming to Santa Cruz for a new release show and she’s bringing the legendary guitarist Nina Gerber with her. The two will perform at the Kuumbwa on Thursday. Aug. 21 at 7 p.m.

Gilkyson, who has a brand new release out — “Dark Ages,” is a twice Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and activist who is one of the most respected musicians in folk, roots and Americana circles. Her songs have been covered by Joan Baez, Bob Geldof, Chris Smither, Tom Rush and Rosanne Cash and have appeared in fi lms, PBS specials and on primetime TV.

A member of the Austin Music Hall of Fame, and an inductee into the Austin Songwriter Hall of Fame, she has won countless Folk Alliance and Austin Music awards, including 2014’s Songwriter of the Year and the “Song of the Year” Award at the Folk Alliance International Conference in 2021.

eloquent, lyrical guitarist who makes things very exciting and spontaneous for me on stage,” Gilkyson said in a press release.

Eliza’s current release, Dark Ages, is an upbeat collection of songs; however, she pulls no punches in terms of the times in which we find ourselves and her sentiments regarding the current president.

“I’m thrilled to play these shows with Nina Gerber, an extraordinary, musically

“This record is reflective of the times we are going through in our country, personally and nationally. It is always important to me when making a record to strike a balance between the real concerns we are voicing about the accumulating losses we experience daily and the appreciation of all that we find in our lives that is precious—our communities, our loved ones, and the natural world that we deeply treasure. That’s certainly the spectrum contained in this new record. I can’t wait to share these new songs with you,” she said in a press release. n Kuumbwa Jazz is located at 320-2 Cedar Street. Tickets are $35-$45. For more information, go to www.kuumbwaajazz.org.

Pacific Gas & Electric Warns Customers to Watch for Scams

Pacific Gas & Electric is warning customers to watch out for utility scams.

A typical sign of a scam targeting a utility customer includes a caller claiming to be from PG&E and threatening disconnection if immediate payment is not made via a pre-paid debit card, digital payment mobile application, or other methods of money transfer.

As a reminder, PG&E will never send a single notification to a customer within one hour of a service interruption and will never ask customers to make payments with a pre-paid debit card, gift card, any form of cryptocurrency, or instant mobile payment applications like Venmo.

So far this year, PG&E has received over 10,000 reports of scams targeting residential and business customers — nearly 200 of those reports came from the Central Coast.

Santa Cruz County had 60 reported scams. The average scam victim lost over $900.

How Customers Can Protect Themselves

• Customers should never purchase a prepaid card to avoid service disconnection or shutoff.

PG&E does not specify how customers should make a bill payment and offers a variety of ways to pay a bill,

including accepting payments online, by phone, automatic bank draft, mail or in person.

• If a scammer threatens immediate disconnection or shutoff of service without prior notification, customers should hang up the phone, delete the email, or shut the door.

Customers with delinquent accounts receive an advance disconnection notification,

typically by mail and included with their regular monthly bill.

• Signing up for an online account at pge. com is another safeguard.

Not only can customers log in to check their balance and payment history, they can also sign up for recurring payments, paperless billing and helpful alerts. They can also call Customer Service at 800-743-5000 to confirm their bill details and current amount due.

• Customers who suspect that they have been victims of fraud, or who feel threatened during contact with one of these scammers, should contact local law enforcement.

The Federal Trade Commission’s website is also a good source of information about how to protect personal information. n

For more information about scams, visit pge.com/scams or https://consumer.ftc.gov/scams.

Eliza Gilkyson • Nina Gerber

Ruth Bates

831.359.2212

ruthbates1@gmail.com

CalBRE#01799929

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY MARKET — There are now 530 homes on the market vs. last month = 522. In the past month, 140 homes have sold, so 148 homes are “New Listings”. But, MLS shows 199 “New Listings” in the past 30 days, so 51 of those were really just “cancellation/re-list”; 34% of new listings last month weren’t actually new at all. It is a strange new world in Real Estate.

APTOS SOLD IN PAST 30 DAYS — 17 homes sold. 420 Seaview was the high at $6.5 Million, 7 days on market (DOM). Next was 106 Farley at $3.4 Million, 7 DOM. Then 214 Farley at $2.749 Million in 5 days. That said, the Average DOM was 36 days, so most homes are sitting on the market for over a month before selling. The Median Sales Price was $2,053,092. Homes near Median: 230 Via Novella – 5B/4BA/3404SF – 32 DOM - $2,100,000; 3400 Haas – 3B/2BA/2120SF – 25 DOM - $2,050,00; 1125 Sumner –3B/3BA/2755SF – 61 DOM - $1,800,000; 221 Via Lantana – 3B/2BA/2048SF – 54 DOM - $1,700,000; Low sales were 624 Cathedral – 3B/2BA/1351SF – 44 DOM - $945,000, 812 Cathedral – 2B/1BA/957SF – 18 DOM$685,000.

APTOS ACTIVE — 78 Active homes. Median List Price is $1,620,750. There is about 5 months inventory on the market now. Average DOM is 64 days. Homes near Median: 2165 Cox – 4B/3BA/2517SF – 26 DOM - $1,899,000; 3067 Terrace – 4B/2.5BA/2904SF – 38 DOM$1,899,000; 645 Skyward – 3B/2.5BA/2186SF – 48 DOM - $1,899,000, 1044 Pleasant Valley – 4B/3BA/2949SF – 6 DOM (relist after 45 DOM) - $1,625,000; 1711 Trout Gulch –4B/3BA/1732SF – 81 DOM - $1,595,000, 108 Santa Cruz – 3B/2BA/1340SF – 88 DOM$1,499,999.

HEADLINES — California Faces Housing Crisis: ‘No One Is Buying Homes’ — Newsweek The Housing Market Was Supposed to Recover This Year. What Happened? NY Times

Redﬁn: Year-over-year decline: In May 2025, the median sale price of a home in California was down 0.088% compared to May 2024. First decline in two years! Number of homes sold down: In addition to price changes, the number of homes sold in California also decreased in May 2025. What does this mean? BUYERS MARKET — IF YOU CAN FIND ANYTHING TO BUY.

30-YEAR MORTGAGE INTEREST RATE

— 6.77% on 7/09, DOWN from 6.93% on 6/07.

Call, email, text anytime and Get Results With Ruth!

Community Foundation Announces Latest Grants From Rise Together

Community Foundation Santa Cruz County announced $280,000 in new grants issued by the Rise Together Fund for Racial Equity. Over the course of four granting cycles since the coalition’s founding in 2020, the Foundation has now awarded $1.5 million total to the coalition thanks to generous donations by community members from all walks of life.

Rise Together is a coalition of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color leaders and a team from the Community Foundation working collaboratively to advance racial equity in Santa Cruz County. Grants of $20,000 each were given to organizations led by Rise Together members.

2025 Rise Together Investments

Arts Council Santa Cruz County: for the Watsonville Center for the Arts’ Artist in Residence program uplifting local artists, creating accessible spaces for artistic expression, and fostering cultural exchange, creativity, and community pride, and related work with community partners.

Black Surf Santa Cruz: for the annual Liberation Paddle Out and continue to provide accessible programs and expand capacity to serve more participants.

community workshops, expand policy and advocacy efforts, and support grassroots leaders in amplifying underrepresented communities.

MENtors: to expand and enhance mentorship programs for boys, men, and fathers, including workshops and career mentoring opportunities.

enabling her to attend trainings and conferences focused on American Indian issues.

Fuerza Santa Cruz Soccer : to provide opportunities for young people to participate in organized soccer, including access to equipment and financial support. Additional funds will be used for holiday and back-to-school drives involving Fuerza youth.

Esperanza del Valle: to support the folklorico dance company as it celebrates 45 years by holding multiple community events both in the area and abroad.

Housing Santa Cruz County: to support

Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance: for leadership development coaching and training, as well as CEO leadership coaching.

Positive Discipline Community Resources: for staff professional development, adult and juvenile probation programs, and parental education programs.

Project Daraja: for holistic wellness programs for the local BIPOC community including fitness scholarships for girls, peace education, and community education programs.

Rebecca Hernandez Consulting: To support Dr. Rebecca Hernandez, community archivist at the UC Santa Cruz Library,

Reggie Stephens Foundation : to grow programs in sports, arts, education, and culture, while continuing to provide free and low-cost opportunities for youth across Santa Cruz County.

Santa Cruz County Park Friends: for classes and activities connecting youth to nature while providing holistic and inclusive education.

Santa Cruz Local: to grow engagement of Spanish-speaking Pajaro Valley residents with the outlet’s digital platforms, including Noticias Watsonville, which is a Spanishlanguage news podcast.

Tannery World Dance and Cultural Center: for SCOPEDance Scholarships, which provides exceptional dance education to low-income and underrepresented youth in Santa Cruz County. n

Grand Jury Targets Human Trafficking

By Jon Chown

Human trafficking goes largely unrecognized and unreported in Santa Cruz County, according to the final report to be released by the 2025 Santa Cruz County Grand Jury.

The report concluded that a lack of training for adults and education programs for youth is the main culprit, along with poor coordination between agencies that could address the problem. To address it, the Grand Jury mad 10 recommendations, including forming a countywide trafficking coalition, coordinating with neighboring

counties, creating a hotline number to report suspected incidences, and regulating massage parlors better.

The Grand Jury interviewed both

victims and frontline workers who help those victims. Human trafficking is a growing problem, the report notes. According to the United Nations, women and girls make up 71 percent of victims worldwide. The World Cup events scheduled for 2026 in Santa Clara County are bound to have a significant impact here in Santa Cruz County. The development of a year-round event center in Santa Cruz will also likely have an impact, according to the Grand Jury.

“Human Trafficking” page 16

County Increases Fines for Illegal Dumping

Santa Cruz County is increasing penalties for illegal dumping violations in unincorporated Santa Cruz County. Fines will now start at $2,500 for a first offense, $5,000 for a second, and $10,000 for a third. Previously, penalties were set at $100, $200, and $500, which failed to deter illegal dumping.

Illegal dumping harms the environment and neighborhood quality of life. Increased fines are the latest measure the county has taken. Other efforts include reducing single-use materials, offering free bulky-item pickup through the GreenWaste franchise agreement, improving reporting tools, and installing surveillance cameras in illegal dumping hotspots.

Cameras were purchased through funding from Pitch-In Santa Cruz, a program that supports community-based environmental initiatives. The cameras have already resulted in a misdemeanor referral for illegal dumping to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.

“This isn’t just about handing out fines, it’s about valuing our shared spaces, protecting the environment and standing up for the

“Human Trafficking” from page 14

Undocumented workers can also be victims of human trafficking. Many have little education and complaining about abuse brings attention from law enforcement.

The report cited several examples of local victims. One, a 15-year-old girl, is lured into selling sex by her boyfriend, a 17-year-old junior at her high school. He also posts nude photos of her online. Another, an 18-year-old girl, is invited to a party and given drugs and alcohol and plied away from her family with some quick money before her phone and ID are taken from her and she is taken from city to city to perform sex work against her will.

Signs of human trafficking include: living with an employer, signs of physical abuse, under 18 and in prostitution, truancy, and inability to speak alone. Unfortunately, few instances of human trafficking are reported in Santa Cruz County and fewer still are prosecuted. The report listed several reasons: Perpetrators force victims into crimes, so victims are afraid to go to the police; Some victims who have gone to the police have been assaulted by police; victims can experience Stockholm syndrome, where they identify with their captor; victims are moved frequently to avoid detection; there is little long-term support for victims.

To make matters worse, Santa Cruz County’s proximity to the San Francisco Bay Area makes it a driver for recruitment here, “connecting traffickers and victims with the broader Bay Area networks.” Major public events in the Bay Area are big incentives for human trafficking.

communities impacted by illegal dumping,” said Carolyn Burke, assistant director of special services at the Community Development and Infrastructure Department. “By increasing penalties, we’re sending a strong message that Santa Cruz County is serious about stopping this.” GreenWaste Recovery offers bulky item pickup services. GreenWaste customers in unincorporated Santa Cruz County are eligible for three bulky item pickups and four extra bin setouts per year at no additional cost, making it easier to properly dispose of large or excess waste. You can also drop off old mattresses at the Ben Lomond Landfill and Buena Vista Landfill for free. n

To better address the problem in Santa Cruz County, the Grand Jury had 10 recommendations. Among them was more signage, as already required. Massage parlors, motels and other businesses should have signage alerting the public to signs of human trafficking. The Grand Jury recommends a countywide ordinance to enforce what is already mandated by the state.

“In spite of … two laws requiring signage postings in a prominent place, a sample survey of all businesses across cities and unincorporated areas of Santa Cruz County found that only about 7 percent of businesses mandated to post signage are in compliance,” said the report.

Another recommendation is better training. Each law enforcement agency should be required to receive annual training on human trafficking. The Grand Jury also recommended more regulations around massage parlors and more inspections should be made.

“While most massage businesses are legitimate and do not engage in trafficking, local service providers are aware that some do. While conducting surveys for signage compliance, a few massage businesses visited by the Jury appeared to be suspicious. Regular inspections, enforcement of practitioner certification requirements, and compliance with signage requirements could result in curtailment of such activity,” the report read.

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, Santa Cruz County Sheriff, County Superintendent of Schools and the Santa Cruz County District Attorney are all required to respond to the report. n

COMMUNITY NEWS

Santa Cruz County Fair Hires New CEO

WATSONVILLE — The 14th District Agricultural Association/Santa Cruz County Fair Board of Directors is proud to announce the hiring of Dori Rose Inda as its new Chief Executive Officer/Fair Manager.

Inda brings over two decades of leadership experience in nonprofit and community-based organizations. Most recently, she served as the CEO of Salud Para La Gente, a health center serving Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. Prior to that, she was the founder and executive director of the Watsonville Law Center, which expanded access to legal services for underserved residents in the Pajaro Valley. She has also worked as a social worker supporting homeless individuals and foster families.

The new fair manager has lived in Watsonville since 1993. She holds a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley and a J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law.

“I’m honored to serve an institution that means so much to our region,” she said. “The Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds is more than just the site of our beloved annual fair, it’s a vital community gathering place, a space for celebration, and a trusted resource in times of emergency.”

Inda will assume her duties as CEO later this summer. Her appointment comes as the fair prepares for its upcoming 2025 season under the theme “Hay Bales, Piggy Tails, and Ewe!” n

For more info, visit www.santacruzcounty fair.com

“Dori’s commitment to our community and her track record of strong, effective leadership made her the clear choice to lead the fair into its next chapter,” said Rachel Wells, president of the fairground’s Board of Directors.

COMMUNITY BRIEFS

County Assessment Roll Sets Record

SANTA CRUZ — Santa Cruz County’s Assessment Roll has reached a new all-time high of $64.7 billion, an increase of $3.6 billion, or 5.95 percent over 2024, assessorrecorder Sheri Thomas announced early this month.

The 2025–26 property tax roll reflects the net assessed value of all real, business, and personal property in Santa Cruz County as of Jan. 1, 2025, after applying exemptions for homeowners, disabled veterans, and qualifying nonprofit organizations.

The primary drivers of this year’s growth were changes in property ownership and new construction. While the total roll increased by 5.95 percent, the vast majority of property owners will see only a 2 percent increase in assessed value, thanks to the protections guaranteed by Proposition 13.

“The property tax roll helps fund the local services our residents rely on, like public schools, fire protection, and libraries, and it remains one of the largest sources of discretionary revenue for the County’s general fund,” said Thomas.

For more information, visit the Assessor’s website at www.santacruzcountyca.gov/asr, email us at assessor@santacruzcountyca.gov, or call (831) 454-2270. Staff are also available in person, Monday through Friday from

8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 701 Ocean Street, Room 130, Santa Cruz — no appointment necessary.

•••

County Launches New Residential Permit Program

SANTA CRUZ — Santa Cruz County launched a pilot program in July for residential permits — the Camino Online Permit Guide.

All applicants for residential development projects are now required to use the online Camino Guide prior to the county accepting an application for processing. The requirement will apply to all residential development applications, except those eligible for EZ or over-the-counter processing.

The Camino Online Permit Guide*** is an interactive tool designed to identify key regulatory requirements that could affect a project. It is supposed to simplify the residential permit process by providing clear, step-by-step guidance tailored to the specifics of each project.

By answering a few simple questions about project location and scope, users received a customized checklist outlining all required forms, documents and submittal items, eliminating guesswork and streamlining preparation.

Key benefits of the Camino Online Permit Guide include: “Briefs” page 26

Dori Rose Inda

B ruster ’ s r eal I ce c ream

Our Mission is to Make the World a Sweeter Place

By Edita McQuary

Washington, D.C. native Ethan WahlTaylor came to visit Santa Cruz in 2022 and immediately fell in love with the area. So, he returned a few years later and opened his first business, a Bruster’s Real Ice Cream Store in the Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center.

“Bruster’s top-performing store is located in Montgomery County, Maryland, where I grew up,” he tells us, explaining how he came to be a fan of their ice cream while going on dates with his then-girlfriend. “They had a drive-thru — it was nice.”

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream is located at 150 Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center in what used to be the Kentucky Fried Chicken store. The location has a lovely dog-friendly outdoor seating area with tables and chairs where customers can relax and enjoy their favorite ice cream flavor while taking a break from shopping. You can even order a complimentary “Doggy Sundae” – a scoop of ice cream topped with a small bone-shaped biscuit. There is plenty of parking available.

“We have more than 150 flavors on rotation, with the widest selection of vegan ice creams available within 100 miles. Our ice creams and waffle cones are made fresh on-site daily,” explained Wahl-Taylor.

The menu at Bruster’s features flavors, of course, like the standards of Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry. However, you can also select Mint Chocolate Chip, Cookies & Cream, Oreo, Cotton Candy Explosion, New York Cheesecake, Birthday Cake, Rocky Road, Chocolate Peanut Butter with Buckeyes, Mocha Almond Fudge, Coffee Ripple or Butter Pecan, to name just a few. Seasonal and featured flavors are Caramel Chocolate Pretzel, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Double Chocolate Chunk, Lemon Crème, Galaxy, Gooey Butter Cake, Death by Chocolate, Creamsicle and Black Cherry.

For those interested in non-dairy ice

cream made with oat milk, the choices are White Raspberry Truffle, Cookies and Cream, Oreo, Strawberry Banana, and Mint Chocolate Chip. There are also Italian ices available in Pink Lemonade and Blue Pop.

Non-dairy sorbet comes in Orange flavor.

Want no sugar-added/fat free flavors? They have Caramel Swirl and for sherbet lovers, Lime Sherbet.

At the moment, customers’ favorite specialty ice creams are White Raspberry Truffle and Death by Chocolate, according to Ethan.

“With so many flavors on rotation, it is hard to pick just one! Right now, if I want some thing fruity, I’m getting the Lemon Crème, but if I’m really craving ice cream, I’ll take home a pint of our non-dairy Triple Chocolate Oreo. Truthfully, I probably sneak myself a scoop of Banana Chocolate Chip here and there more than anything,” admitted Wahl-Taylor.

Naturally, when interviewing an ice cream store owner, it is imperative to try some of the product. I can attest to the fact that the Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream was excellent! When asked about the number of customers in winter versus summer, Wahl-Taylor replied, “Ice cream is definitely seasonal, but you would be surprised how many people still show up when it is cold

outside. Apparently, 92% of Americans eat ice cream annually.”

Customers can order online for pick-up or visit the store. Check out their website for the Sweet Rewards Loyalty Program. n

Bruster’s is located at 150 Rancho Del Mar, in the Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center, Aptos. Telephone 831.661.5015, website: brusters.com

Safe at SeniorHomeCare

FAMILY HELPING FAMILIES

Gray Lives Matter

By Pamela Arnsberger

We hear a great deal these days about diversity, equity and inclusion, but we may forget that this phrase includes older people — the one minority group we will someday all be a part of. By now, most people know that the senior population in Santa Cruz County is growing rapidly, especially as compared to the rest of the population.

ad space by 7/25/2025

(831) 688-7549

What you may not know is that since 2010 the 65-84 population here has grown at a faster rate (80.9 percent) than anywhere else in California. Currently it is estimated that there are 75,000 folks over 60 in Santa Cruz County with about a quarter of that amount living in the mid-county area. In many ways, aging here is a positive experience. Compared to the rest of the state, Santa Cruz County seniors are quite well-educated with over 80 percent having some college or being college graduates and most are healthy, with over 60 percent identifying as being well and active. We are also pretty tech savvy with almost 80 percent of us owning cell phones and 82 percent having either a computer or tablet or both.

On the other hand, there are some surprising issues. We forget, perhaps, that we are essentially a rural area and a much higher percentage of seniors in Santa Cruz County live alone as compared to the rest of the state. This probably contributes to the high levels of isolation, loneliness and depression that have been identified in multiple surveys here. In fact we have higher levels of depression (23 percent) than other Medicare recipients (18 percent) throughout the country. This particular issue was poignantly explored in a recent exhibition by The Santa Cruz County Museum of Art and History (SC MAH) which attracted thousands of people.

Other areas of concern are the growing numbers of Medi-Cal eligible (low-income) seniors. These numbers increase at an alarming rate, and if you are in this category, it is still extraordinarily difficult to locate a provider who will accept Medi-Cal. Recently it has even become difficult to find a provider who will take new Medicare patients. There are now reports that providers who have had patients for many years have been discharging them when they go on Medicare. This creates a great deal of confusion among seniors. Indeed, in the Area Agency on Aging quadrennial senior needs assessment in 2020, understanding Medicare and/or Medi-Cal was rated as the third highest unmet need,

That the cost of housing here is an

issue comes as a surprise to nobody, and it affects seniors as well as the rest of the population., In the probability sample of seniors conducted by the California Department of Aging last year, Santa Cruz County was highlighted as a county where seniors could not afford to live. In addition, the actual cost of housing seems to leave little extra room for minor home repairs and maintenance. These two items were ranked first and second in the list of unmet needs in our own local needs assessment. But even this problem looks good when compared to the 2.2 percent of the over 50 population who identify as homeless. A final concern for many of us is paying for long-term care when we are ill. Current nursing home costs in California now approach $120,000 a year and Medicare does not generally pay for care past the first 20 days and ends whenever a patient only requires “custodial care.” Past that, many patients “spend down” to Medi-Cal and often a skilled nursing home will not accept MediCal patients. And if you have recently tried to find and pay for home care, you know how difficult (and expensive!) that can be. These are only a few of the issues that we confront in our older years, but there are some benefits and services that can help to meet these challenges. Luckily for us, Santa Cruz County has always been a leader in the development and implementation of services for older adults. There are many programs and services available to seniors that can be accessed by a call to Senior Network Services at 831-462-1433 where dedicated professionals can help to guide you through the system. Or if you just want information, you can stop in at 3333 Soquel Dr Suite A and pick up a Senior Resource Directory. It could be the first step in getting the help you (or someone you care for) might need. n

Pamela Arnsberger, Ph.D, MSW, LCSW, received her PhD with distinction from UC Berkeley in 1991. She served as a researcher and professor at the Institute of Health and Aging at the UCSF, the University of New England and the University of Hawaii. She is also a Fulbright scholar and has authored almost 50 peer reviewed publications on aging issues. She is the recipient of the Na Lima Kokua award for research and service and a community champion award for her advocacy work in the community. She is currently retired and serves as president of the Santa Cruz and San Benito County Senior’s Council.

Pamela Arnsberger

Panetta Reintroduces Legislation to Protect Monarch Butterfly

MONTEREY — United States Represen-

tative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) authored and reintroduced two major initiatives to safeguard pollinator populations and promote ecosystem health: the Monarch Action, Recovery, and Conservation of Habitat (MONARCH) Act of 2025 and a bipartisan resolution recognizing June 16–22, 2025, as National Pollinator Week.

Since the 1980s, the population of the western monarch has plummeted by over 99%, with only 9,119 butterflies recorded across 256 sites during the 2024 overwintering season. Despite community efforts, threats from climate change, pesticide use, and habitat loss continue to push this iconic species toward extinction.

“Recently, the populations of our pollinators, including our western monarch butterfly, are decreasing dramatically, which could threaten our environment and agriculture,” said Rep. Panetta. “That’s why I’m reintroducing the MONARCH Act and our Pollinator Week Resolution which would restore critical habitat, invest in science-based conservation, and raise awareness of the importance of these essential species. Protecting pollinators is a matter of environmental responsibility and agricultural resilience, and I’m committed to ensuring we do our part to save these species so central to the history and character of our home.”

The MONARCH Act, co-led by Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), would provide $125 million over five years to support the restoration and protection of western monarch butterfly habitat and to implement the Western Monarch Butterfly Conservation Plan.

The MONARCH Act is endorsed by leading environmental and conservation organizations including the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the National Wildlife Federation, Environment America, and the Center for Biological Diversity. n

A S m a r t e r, S a f e r Powe r S o l u t i o n

A S m a r t e r, S a f e r Powe r S o l u t i o n F o r d e c a d e s , b a c k u p g e n e r a to r s m e a n t d e al i n g w i t h

F o r d e c a d e s , b a c k u p g e n e r a to r s m e a n t d e al i n g w i t h

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l o u d , g a s - g u z z l i n g m a c h i n e s t h a t b r o ke d ow n a n d

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n e d e d c o n t n t r e f u e l i n g B u t t h e G r i d Do c to r 3 3 0 0 i s d i f fe r e n t . I t o p r a te s s il e n t l y, p r od u c e s ze r o e m i s s i o n s , a n d is v i r t u a l l y m a i n t e n a n c e -f r e e

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t h e s u n s h i n es .

d i f fe r e n t . I t o p e r a te s s il e n t l y, p r od u e ze r o e m i s s i o n s , a n d is v i r t u a l l y m a i n t e n a n c e -f r e e

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t h e s u n s h i n es . I t ’s t h e ﬁ r s t s o l a r g e n r a to r d e s i g n

wo r s t - c a s e s c e n a r i o – a n E M P ( E l e c t r o m a g n e t i c P u l s e)

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I t ’s t h e ﬁ r s t s o l a r g e n e r a to r d e s i g n e d to w i t h s a n d a t r u e

wo r s t - c a s e s c e n r i o – a n E M P ( E l e c t r o m a g n e t i c P u l s e)

h om e own e r s r e d u c e t h e i r e n e r g y b ill s , to o B y h a r n e s si n g f r e e e n e r g y fr o m t h e s u n u s i n g t h e i n c l u d e

wo r s t - c s e s c e n a r i o – a n E M P ( E l e c t r o m a g n e t i c P u l s e)

e ve n t . A n d w h i l e p r e p a r i n g fo r d i s a s te r s is on e of i t s m a i n b e n e ﬁ t s , i t ’s a l s o i n c r e d i b l y u se f u l fo r e ve r y d ay l i fe

e ve n t . A n d w h i l p r e p a r i n g fo r d i s a s te r s is on e of i t s m a i n b e n e ﬁ t s , i t ’s a l o i n c r e d i b l y u se f u l fo r e ve r y d ay l i fe

h om e own e r s r e d u c e t h e i r e n e r g y b ill s , to o B y h a r n e s s -

i n g f r e e e n e r g y fr o m t h e s u n u s i n

2 0 0 - wa t t s o l r p a n e l , f a m i l i e s c a n g e n e r a te t h e i r ow n e l

e ve n t . A n d w h i l e p r e p a r i n g fo r d i s a s te r s is on e of i t s m a i n b e n ﬁ t s , i t ’s a l s o i n c r e d i b l y u se f u l fo r e ve r y d ay l i fe

D e l i ve r i n g ove r 3 , 3 0 0 w a t t s o f c l e a n , s il e n t e l e c t r i c i t y , t h e G r i d D o c to r 3 3 0 0 c a n r u n r ef r i g e r a to r s , m e di c a l d e v i c e s , p owe r to o l s , a n d e ve n s p a c e h e a te r s —w i t ho u t a

D e l i ve r i n g ove r 3 , 3 0 0 w a t t s o f l e a n , s il e n t e l e c t r i c i t y ,

t h e G r i d D o c to r 3 3 0 0 c a n r u n r ef r i g e r a to r s , m e di c a l

d e v i c e s , p owe r to o l s , a n d e ve n s p a c e h e a te r s —w i t ho u t a

D e l i ve r i n g ove r 3 , 3 0 0 w a t t s o f c l e a n , s il e n t e l e c t r i c i t y , t h e G r i d D o c to r 3 3 0 0 c n r u n r ef r i g e r a to r s , m e di c a l d e v i c e s , p owe r to o l s , a n d e ve n s p a c e h e a te r s —w i t ho u t a

s i n g l e d r o p of f u e l

T h e B e s t T i m t o Pr e p a r e i s N ow

T h e G r i d D o c to r 3 3 0 0 is a l r e a d y i n t ho u s a n d of h om e s a c ro s s A m e r c a , h e l p i n g f a m i l i s s t ay a fe , i n d e p e nd e n t , a n d p r e p a r e d my

Why Drones Are Crucial for California’s Economic Future

By Tamara Goraya

MARINA — California’s Central Coast and the broader statewide economy stand at the brink of a technological transformation driven by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly known as drones, and advanced air mobility (AAM) technologies, such as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. These innovations, once the stuff of science fiction, are rapidly becoming cornerstones of a modern economic ecosystem — creating high-skill jobs, accelerating economic growth, boosting regional resilience, and securing America’s position as a global leader in aviation.

Drones are already revolutionizing key sectors, including infrastructure inspection, emergency response, package delivery, and precision agriculture. In a state like California — home to rich agricultural valleys, sprawling urban areas, and rugged terrain — these technologies provide unmatched flexibility, efficiency, and speed. Acting upon this opportunity is one of the key conclusions identified by Uplift Central Coast Coalition/ California Jobs First and the Regions Rise Together initiative — both convened by MBEP.

Imagine a future where drones deliver medical supplies to rural hospitals, monitor wildfire conditions in real time, or inspect bridges and power lines without risking human life.

That future isn’t speculative; it’s beginning to unfold now.

However, to fully realize the economic promise of UAS and AAM, we must establish a robust domestic industrial base and facilitate their safe and seamless integration into the National Airspace System. This isn’t just about efficiency. It’s a national security and economic imperative.

The administration’s recent executive order underscores this urgency. It calls for scaling UAS operations, accelerating rulemaking for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights, deploying AI tools to streamline waiver applications, and launching pilot programs for eVTOL aircraft. For California — a state at the forefront of both aviation and technological innovation — this is an unprecedented opportunity to lead.

Why does this matter for California’s economy and, specifically, the Monterey Bay region?

First, UAS and AAM development creates a high-tech manufacturing and software ecosystem that offers good-paying jobs, ranging from aerospace engineering to drone-based agricultural and infrastructure inspection services. Investing in these sectors diversifies California’s economy beyond

traditional tech and entertainment, enabling rural and suburban communities to share in the innovation economy.

Second, building and securing domestic drone production reduces our reliance on foreign-made systems, particularly from adversarial nations. Just as America has sought to repatriate semiconductor and battery manufacturing, the drone industry will also be anchored at home. Strengthening supply chains for critical drone components ensures that California remains competitive and that our technology isn’t subject to foreign manipulation or cybersecurity risks.

Third, drones and AAM can address longstanding inequities in transportation, healthcare access, and infrastructure development. In areas where traditional road systems are inadequate, these aerial systems can deliver goods, connect isolated communities, and provide new modes of mobility. For underserved populations of California’s Central Coast, this is not just a convenience — it is a lifeline.

The federal government’s plan to support test ranges, enable advanced pilot programs like the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, and prioritize U.S.-manufactured drones is also a call to action for local governments and industries. Public-private partnerships will be key. Local agencies should collaborate with research institutions and private companies to propose and implement pilot programs that address local needs. These efforts can showcase scalable models for cargo delivery, emergency medical response, and rural access — aligned with California’s climate, workforce, and innovation goals.

Moreover, California must push for equitable regulatory frameworks that allow small businesses, start-ups, and community-based organizations to participate in this aerial revolution. The same drone technology used for defense applications must also be adapted to support climate resilience, farmworker safety, and disaster relief — priorities deeply relevant to our state.

This is why MBEP co-founded the Monterey Bay Tech Hub alongside UC Santa Cruz and DART. This initiative goes beyond aviation; it is about transformation. Drones and advanced air mobility (AAM) technologies represent a significant leap in our economic infrastructure, similar to the impact that railroads, highways, and broadband had in the past.

By investing in this emerging field, California can establish resilient, future-oriented industries that embody its core values: innovation, sustainability, equity, and security.

Additionally, investing in AAM at this early stage allows California the opportunity to shape industry standards in a manner that ensures the technology is used equitably, benefiting all people.

The skies above us are no longer just a pathway for commercial jets and satellites. They represent a new frontier of mobility, poised to deliver public benefits and economic vitality.

California has the talent, the urgency, and the public mission to lead this charge. Now is the time to act. n •••

Tahra Goraya is President & CEO, Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, a regional member-supported nonprofit organization consisting of public, private, and civic entities located throughout the counties of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz.

Aptos Celebrates Fourth of July with the 64th Annual World’s Shortest Parade

Photos Credit: Michael Oppenheimer • Charlotte • Cathe

Race

BirchBark, Nonprofit Dedicated to People and their Pets, Names New Executive Director

SANTA CRUZ — Santa Cruz resident

Meghan French has been named executive director of BirchBark, a local nonprofit dedicated to “protecting the human-animal bond through emergency veterinary care assistance, compassionate grief support, and pet-related education.”

French has more than a decade of experience run the non-profit world and has been hired to guide BirchBark into new phase of strategic growth focused on increasing access to services across Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito counties.

“Meghan’s commitment to equity, community, and compassionate care makes her the ideal leader to steward BirchBark’s mission,” said Dr. Merrianne Burtch, founder of BirchBark. “Her passion for both people and animals — paired with her ability to build strong, values-driven teams — will take this organization to the next level.”

Prior to joining BirchBark, French served as Director of Development at Siena House, where she created the organization’s first comprehensive fundraising program. Now at BirchBark, French is focused on strengthening the organization’s infrastructure, expanding fundraising efforts, and growing community awareness of the foundation’s work — helping pet guardians in crisis access lifesaving veterinary care they otherwise could not afford.

“I am honored to lead an organization whose mission is rooted in compassion and connection,” French said. “BirchBark stands at the intersection of community care and animal welfare, and I’m inspired every day by the opportunity to keep families and their

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Do You Remember the Moss Landing Fire And do you Want a Repeat?

On Jan. 16, 2025, lithium-ion battery equipment ignited at the Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility in Moss Landing. Like many people affected by the fires, I have concerns about the health effects on humans, local sea life, livestock, pets and the contamination of the water and soil.

Since I was personally affected by the fire/s (asthma symptoms for more than six weeks), my main purpose for this letter is to inform the public of a report that you can find titled “Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility (Battery) Fire Community Survey Results” (neveragainmosslanding.org/the-mocohealth survey). In this report a total of 1,539 people completed the health survey with 1,296 people who worked or resided within 16 zones closest to the facility.

There were 243 individuals who responded live outside the 16 zones and include the communities of Capitola, Soquel, Live Oak, Santa Cruz City, Scotts Valley, Ben Lomond, Felton, Aptos, and Rio Del Mar. The health symptoms reported include: headache, sore throat, coughing, itchy eyes, metallic taste in mouth, fatigue, congestion,

dizziness or lightheadedness, watery eyes, and shortness of breath.

Do you know that the County of Santa Cruz is proposing three B.E.S.S. (Battery Energy Storage Sites) in our area? One is located near Aptos High School, a second near Dominican Hospital/Dominican Oaks and a third is in Watsonville (90 Minto Road). The Watsonville location is farthest along in the planning process and is proposed to be 14 acres. It is in a dense populated area and is very close to Minto Lake and Park.

The next community informational meeting is set for July 17th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Live Oak Annex (979 17th Ave., Santa Cruz) by the Simpkins Family Swim Center. Come and learn more!

— Marlese Roton, Aptos

Why Aren’t

Repairs

Started? Ihaven’t sent a letter-to-the-editor since the Vietnam War. That tells you a bit about me. My concern today is much more local. I live on Bean Creek Road and almost daily I stop at the traffic light by [Scotts Valley] Middle School.

“Letters” page 26

beloved pets together during some of life’s hardest moments.”

French lives in Santa Cruz and said she is passionate about cultivating transparent, joyful, and high-trust workplace cultures.

Founded in 2013, BirchBark provides financial assistance for urgent veterinary care through its flagship PetAid program, offers grief support for pet guardians navigating loss, and presents free educational webinars

that empower pet families to share their happiest and healthiest lives with their pets. The organization serves as a safety net for lowincome families, ensuring that no one has to choose between financial hardship and the life of their animal companion.

For more information about BirchBark and its programs, visit www.birchbarkfoundation.org.

Zeitgeist! Uranus Enters Gemini – A New Order of Things!

“Letters” from page 25

Zeitgeist — zite-guyst — societal cultural and intellectual shift. This has been an eventful astrological year as outer planets (major adjustments for humanity) changed signs and elements (earth, air, fire, water). The cosmic weather (energy) patterns (elements) shifted from water and earth (quiet, slow) to air and fire (accelerated change). Neptune and Saturn entered Aries (fire) and Monday, July 7th, Uranus (the wild child, the revolutionary) entered Gemini (air).

Uranus in Gemini is the big news the astrology world is talking about. Let’s break this down so we can all understand what it means. Uranus is the disrupter, the sudden events-manager, the interrupter, sending messages from its tilted reality to earth, informing humanity there will be sudden changes. And Gemini? Ruled by Mercury, the two brothers always in conversation, informing humanity the way we think, talk, believe, perceive and interpret the world will shift radically!

By Risa D’Angeles

it is humanity who is “pollinated” with new innovative information arriving suddenly and unexpectedly from Uranus. Humanity everywhere, in a blink of an eye, evolves, steps upon the next rung of the evolutionary ladder. It is a zeitgeist moment!

We can think of Uranus (higher level of Mercury) as a bee or butterfly (with myriad colors) and Gemini (dispenser of information) as a meadow of countless colorful, fragrant flowers (areas of life) that bees and butterflies (Uranus) visit — flying into, touching, tasting, sipping, absorbing the flower’s nectar, transferring pollen (messages of change) from one flower to another (every area of life). Using this metaphor

ARIES

You love and appreciate your work and those you work with. Communication is good with everyone (though you must battle against critical thoughts) and you want to help others more, which inspires them and then work is even better and more fulfilling. Loyalty toward you emerges, and then new goals are considered and workflow increases and so does success. It’s like a river flowing harmoniously for everyone. You stand at the river’s beginning.

TAURUS

You may not be romantic outwardly because of so much work to be done to insure the future’s sustainability. But this doesn’t mean you feel less love. It’s just that you’re focused and determined and disciplined and must follow your instincts and intuition and not let relationship concerns get in the way. You seek intellectual activities that also offer fun and a bit of leisure. The environment is kind to you when you travel. Remember though, health first!

GEMINI

Emotional and then physical safety and stability are concerns now and so you must assess, tend to, create safety measures around your home and self and then ask everyone to help maintain them. Everyone knows you change your mind so often, they really can’t make plans with you. But for now, this has eased up and decisions made are decisions you follow through with. Or try to. Something ended recently, something new about to appear! Keep in touch with friends.

CANCER

You feel the need to communicate with everyone, both casually and in-depth, for you realize everyone has a gift and if they simply talk enough, that gift emerges and then you learn more. So you go out and about and begin to ask questions more, being curious and interested. Know that you, too, have a gift, in fact, many gifts. When you speak, when you come out from under your crab shell, we experience your gifts and we learn from them. You are very perceptive now, more than usual.

It is not without a certain level of shock that will reverberate through societies, culture, humanity and all life endeavors. Uranus is the planet that shocks us. Its signature is innovation, upheaval, revolution, rebellion, offering sudden information that shakes world views. Thoughts, ideas, ways of seeing reality are forever changed! Uranus, ruler of Aquarius, further stimulates our entrance into the new Aquarian era — Gemini/Uranus being its prime messenger.

Uranus is inventive, quick-thinking, often witty, pushing humanity forward at a fast pace. There will be progress in travel, transportation, education, social media, technology, publishing (Sagittarius), in towns, villages, and neighborhoods. The change will occur over time.

The last times Uranus was in Gemini was during the Civil War (1861 to 1865) and World War II (1941 to 1945). Changes always arrive with a certain level of conflict, the heart of which is the new harmony. When planets change signs, we change too! New ways of thinking will emerge. We will have to learn to keep up and think differently! n

LEO

There’s an inner and outer reality concerning things, ideas, people, events that concern you. They seem to be in opposition. You think you have to choose one over the other. Do you? Perhaps not! Oppositions are actually only different sides of the same coin, seeking understanding and then integration. Eventually they come together and unify. What is occurring that seems in opposition? Is it spiritual or material factors, self or others’ needs or values, being worthy or not worthy? Time will integrate the two.

VIRGO

You want to talk about issues and ideas important to you — things held deep inside and not often communicated. Perhaps it’s about what you believe in and how you want to serve self and others. Perhaps a new identity is emerging with all the things you hope, wish and plan to do. You’re practical and inventive and thoroughly modern in your approach. Note what’s important and applicable, especially concerning family, in bringing a new reality forth. At first, it’s shocking. Then accepted.

LIBRA

You are in a place of choice, of planning and of bringing ideas into the world. Plans created long ago are now ready to be implemented, and you’re on the road toward their fulfillment. I hope all that you expected, all that you hoped and waited for, are available. There are some issues hidden behind the scenes not quite ready for the light of day. For now, carefully order and organize your inner self so you can order and organize outer realities, relationships and environments. Did a dream come true? Are there still dreams to be fulfilled?

SCORPIO

As changes continue to unfold, it’s good to have regular gettogethers of friends and acquaintances you care about. Provide food and drink and make them a party! Include local seasonal foods, scatter several interesting books around, set the music to old jazz standards. Perhaps you could suggest a subject to discuss, like how to create communities (the steps), what people would be attracted, the focus and purpose of community and how it would prepare everyone for the new times to come. Allow no criticisms and no wokeness (depressing). Offer giveaways while saying goodbye.

I always look at what the tornado wrought. My friends see it too, and have asked, “Hey, you worked in the construction world. What’s going on with the repairs to the school roof?”

I would reply that, undoubtedly, they will wait until summer vacation, meanwhile ordering and gathering the rather specialized beams and metal roofing they need.

Yesterday, a friend, having heard my previous explanation, asked, “OK, Mr, Know-it-All. Now what’s the problem?” I could only shrug. Not even a temporary construction fence yet!

I hope you can put on your investigative journalist hat and get to the bottom of this. Maybe the materials are still not ready. Maybe the insurance policy wasn’t renewed.

SAGITTARIUS

Do all that you can to create compromise between yourself and those who believe, have opinions and see issues differently. Small disagreements can escalate quite quickly. Include right relations and goodwill in your compromises, so those around you feel they have been heard and listened to. Ask what they want and need, and this will be reflected back to you in terms of recognition and rewards. Be courageous as you perform these acts of kindness. You’ll become even more attractive and radiant. New vistas beckon ahead, new pathways to walk and pilgrimages too.

CAPRICORN

You could feel a bit overwhelmed due to just too many events and responsibilities and people’s needs flooding your reality. Be sure to eat adequately and in a timely manner, don’t fast too long each day. You have been “on” (tending to others) for a long time (years). With exhaustion, one can lash out with words that hurt everyone, including yourself. Lay low for a while, maintain a bit more solitude, rest and recuperate, allow others to perform tasks while you’re in the garden reading. Tell everyone you need tender loving care.

AQUARIUS

You may need to discuss issues with someone, perhaps a partner, parent, family, friend or roommate. Do this openly with candor and ease, always using a neutral and informational tone. Do not be frightened to discuss finances with intimates (but not with strangers). Information is information and knowing you’re speaking the truth holds you and those listening. Ask for teamwork, cooperation, understanding and consideration. Maintain humor each day as things change and then change more and more. You are adaptable.

PISCES

The focus is on relationships, those close and intimate. This includes work partners and close friends. You find yourself with two trajectories — one seeks to create harmony and goodwill; the other to increase discipline and efficiency, forging ahead with ideas and plans. It seems the two are opposite and sometimes they are. You will have to bring them together, create a unity and synthesis. It may be difficult. Have willingness, dedication and intention. Then harmony prevails. Prayer as a focus helps.

I understand you must be kind of a rah-rah rag for the city (I never read an unkind word and that’s refreshing these days). But will you find and publish the answers? And if there’s dirt, dig it!

— Eric Timm, Scotts Valley

We Must Act Now to Save the Bees

a college student who has lived in California my entire life, and I am the granddaughter of a California agricultural rancher.

I have seen the decline of the bee population in my area and its effects on my community firsthand. Governor Newsom has branded himself as a strong environmental advocate but has not yet taken a stand on the unregulated agricultural use of neonic seed coatings. While the retail sale of these neonic pesticides was banned in 2025, bees are still dying at a critical rate. We must stand up to big chemical companies before it is too late to save the bees. New York and Vermont have already taken steps to ban this pesticide.

Considering California’s significant agricultural presence and its historical commitment to leading the country in environmental legislation, we should be the next state to ban the use of these bee-killing pesticides.

— Niamh Regan, Live Oak

“Briefs” from page 17

• A centralized, accessible resource to understand the permit process before applying.

• A complete, personalized list of application requirements based on project details.

• The ability to explore and compare multiple project scenarios—anytime, from anywhere.

• Clear guidance on the next steps for a successful submittal.

• Consistent, rules-based information to ensure alignment between applicants and County staff from the outset. n

More info about the Camino Online Permit Guide is available at: bit.ly/caminoonline-permit-guide

Corralitos Man, a WW2 Vet, Celebrates 100th Birthday

By Edita McQuary

Corralitos resident Ray Burgess celebrated his 100th birthday June 27 with a little help from friends. Sunday afternoon, June 29, about a hundred members of the community gathered at Corralitos Community Center to celebrate Burgess’ 100th birthday.

Burgess, wearing the same jacket he wore as a young Army sergeant 80 years ago, was recognized for his service, not only during World War II, but all through his life. He served in the 2nd Division of the U.S. Army and was wounded in the thigh in the thigh at the Battle of the Bulge. He was knocked unconscious by the blow and was nearly left for dead by his fellow soldiers. Miraculously, he woke up and yelled “I’m not dead yet!” and was picked up to be cared for.

At his 100th birthday party, trumpeter John de Jonge of Tracey played while the Honor Guard from the Aptos

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10110 did the military honors which was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem. After the military tribute, Corralitos Community Church Pastor Gayleen Myer, master of ceremonies, invited people to come up and express their congratulations, best wishes and joke a little with the honoree.

After the war ended, Burgess worked as an airplane mechanic at Moffett Field, overhauling engines on planes that returned from the European war. Later in life he taught auto shop and driver’s education at Watsonville High School for 25 years.

He has always been an attendee at the annual Dec. 7th, 1941 memorial breakfast commemorating the bombing of Pearl Harbor, put on in Watsonville by retired Watsonville teacher Esther Jessee and local businessman Frank Nigro. n

Pearl Harbor Survivors’ Association leader Esther Jessee and Watsonville businessman Frank Nigro congratulate Ray Burgess (center) on his 100th birthday.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

ANNOUNCEMENTS

COUNTY FAIR AMATEUR WINEMAKING COMPETITION

Entries due by July 23

The Santa Cruz County Fair Amateur Winemaking Department is holding their annual winemaking competition and all home winemakers from Santa Cruz and surrounding counties are invited to enter.

Whether you make Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, or a lesser-known variety, this is your opportunity to have your wines blind tasted and evaluated by a panel of judges who will provide valuable feedback. All entries will be assigned placement from Gold to Honorable Mention and ribbons will be awarded. Enter online at santacruzcountyfair.com/2025-entry-guides.

Bottle submissions can be dropped off between July 1 – July 23. There is no fee to enter. See the 2025 Entry Guide for more info.

SANTA CRUZ SHAKESPEARE SUMMER SCHEDULE

Santa Cruz Shakespeare, a nationally recognized professional theatre company in Santa Cruz County with local roots that go back more than 40 years, has announced their performance calendar for their 2025 Summer and Fall festival.

Tickets are at santacruzshakespeare.org.

Performances will take place July 13 through Sept. 20 in the Audrey Stanley Grove (The Grove) in Santa Cruz’s DeLaveaga Park.

The 2025 season theme is “No One is Alone”.

Following two years of record-breaking ticket sales, the 2025 festival will include four plays in rotating repertory: A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, the musical Into the Woods, by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, Pericles by William Shakespeare and George Wilkins, and “Master Harold” … and the boys by Athol Fugard.

COUNTY FAIR BOARD MEETINGS

The Santa Cruz County Fair Board will meet most months at 1:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday in the Heritage Building at the fairgrounds, 2601 East Lake Blvd., Watsonville.

Upcoming Meetings: July 22, Aug. 26, and Oct. 28; none in September. Dates in November and December have not yet been decided.

For agendas, posted 10 days early, see santacruzcountyfair.com

ONGOING EVENTS

Mondays

BRIDGE CLUB

10:30 a.m.-Noon, 7695 Soquel Dr, Aptos, CA 95003

The Aptos Branch Library hosts Bridge Club sessions on Mondays (except holidays).

Bridge Club is a partnership between Santa Cruz County Parks and Santa Cruz Public Libraries. Register at scparks.com or in-person the day of the event.

Tuesdays

MORNING WARM UPS AT MARKET STREET

10-10:45 a.m., Market Street Senior Center, 222 Market St., Santa Cruz

Breathe, feel, stretch, heal and laugh at Market Street

Senior Center in a five-week morning workout class, starting Aug. 5 and ending Sept. 2.

Taught by Lisa Carter, the class starts with warm-ups and continues with light exercise and Tai Chi practice.

Cost for the five-week course is $50 ($62.50 non-members).

For more information call 831-566-7520

Have a virtual or live event you want to promote? E-mail info (no PDFs please) to info@cyber-times.com For beginning of the month, due the 15th • For mid-month, due the 1st

EL MERCADO FARMERS MARKET

3-7 p.m., 61 Crestview Drive, Watsonville

El Mercado is a weekly farmers’ market promoting access to fresh produce and wellness resources for Pajaro Valley families.

Due to construction at Ramsay Park, El Mercado has moved to 61 Crestview Drive, Watsonville (in the lot behind Watsonville Health Center).

Open through October, El Mercado features fresh produce, ready-to-eat foods, local artisans and monthly family events. El Mercado also offers health screenings, vaccine clinics, and community resources in partnership with local nonprofits.

Funding for El Mercado was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service.

Second and Fourth Tuesdays thru August

TUESDAY NIGHT LIVE CONCERTS

6-8 p.m., Santa Cruz Wharf Stage, 809 Center Street, Santa Cruz

The City of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Department, and the Santa Cruz Wharf Tenants welcome back Tuesday Night Live at the Santa Cruz Wharf.

Come to the Wharf Stage every second Tuesday of the month — plus shows on the fourth Tuesdays in June, July and August — for live music and games.

Check out Wharf Business pop ups, including a game and photo booth by The Booth Biz.

Every Tuesday is Local’s Tuesday: get a stamp validation from any business on the Wharf and receive 2 hours of free parking! Bring a chair or wear your dancing shoes! We can’t wait to see you at this series and thank you for supporting local!

Experience concerts aboard Chardonnay Sailing – not the entire concert but a limited time as a part of the sailing experience. Attend a concert on the wharf for a chance to win a gift certificate to one of these sails!

July 22 — Fish Hook

Dates

August 12 — The Joint Chiefs

August 26 — Sweet VooDoo https://www.cityofsantacruz.com/government/city-departments/ parks-recreation

Last Wednesdays of the Month

PV HEALTH CARE DISTRICT BOARD MEETINGS

6 p.m., Watsonville Community Hospital, 85 Nielson St. Pajaro Valley Health Care District Board, which oversees Watsonville Community Hospital, is holding monthly meetings on the last Wednesday of each month through 2024, except Nov. 20 and Dec. 18 due to the holidays.

PARENT/CAREGIVER MENTAL HEALTH SEMINARS

5:30 – 6:30 p.m., Online Meeting

Dr. Ramona Friedman of the Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health in Soquel will be hosting a free Parent Drop-in Zoom session. Parents and caregivers are invited to log on and ask questions to Dr. Friedman about youth mental health issues, challenges, and ideas.

Parent Drop-Ins are free, 1-hour sessions where parents can seek guidance from experts specializing in specific mental health disorders. Parents can also connect with others facing similar challenges. Clinical psychologists who specialize in anxiety, depression, eating disorders, suicidality, and medication, experienced youth mental health experts, host each session.

For more info, visit https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/groups/ parent-drop-in-soquel-ca/247794

Thursdays

HAPPY HOUR

5-7 p.m., California Coffee, 9105 Soquel Drive, Aptos California Coffee in Redwood Village hosts an open mic happy hour every week.

Third Thursdays

SIP AND STROLL

6-9 p.m. (check-in starts at 5 p.m.), Seacliff Inn, 7500 Old Dominion Court, Aptos

Come to the Seacliff Inn: Tapestry Collection by Hilton, for a Sip & Stroll event where local artists to show and sell their works.

Wines are 30% off, and the featured winery will offer tastings of three varietals for $10 per person.

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wine30-sip-strolltickets-668910307737

RAGS ROSENBERG CD RELEASE SHOW

Thursday August 7

7–9 p.m., Ugly Mug Coffee House, 4640 Soquel Drive, Soquel Singer-songwriter Rags Rosenberg will take the stage at The Ugly Mug Coffee House to celebrate the release of his highly anticipated new album, “Song of the Bricoleur.”

Rosenberg’s songs channel the ghosts of Leonard Cohen, the grit of Tom Waits, and the soul-searching of Bob Dylan — yet his sound remains wholly original.

After years spent roaming the backroads of America in a 16-foot trailer, Rags now calls Carmel home, where he continues crafting songs that speak to the beauty, ache, and strange humor of being human.

This isn’t just a concert — it’s a homecoming. A celebration of a new chapter. Song of the Bricoleur is a luminous work about creating meaning from what remains, echoing the spirit of the “bricoleur” — the maker who builds art from fragments.

Rags will be joined on stage by Taylor Safina, whose accompaniment brings a vibrant, resonant dimension to the performance. The night promises emotional depth, poetic storytelling, and musical moments that linger long after the last note.

Fridays (except First Friday of the Month)

LA SELVA BEACH LIBRARY BRIDGE GROUP

10:30-Noon, La Selva Beach Public Library, 316 Estrella Ave. Come for bridge from 10:30 to noon at the La Selva Beach library.

Call La Selva Library to reserve your seat: 831-427-7710.

Fourth* Fridays FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS

5-8 p.m., Skypark, 361 Kings Village Road, Scotts Valley *September date is 3rd Friday

The Food Truck Friday season is rolling along in Scotts Valley. Join us at Skypark for an evening filled with flavor, live music, and all the fun that makes this community tradition so special.

Free admission, and free parking at Skypark & Cavallero bus station

Special Dates and Times: Sept. 19 (third Friday-Start 4:30 p.m.) • Oct. 24 (Start 4:30 p.m.).

New Setup, More Space: To help protect the park and make more room for everyone, trucks will be parked in the lot in front of the rec building. That means more room for lines, more room for dancing, and space to lay out your picnic blankets and chairs. Make the most of this wide-open setup! Dogs on leashes are always welcome — bring the whole crew!

We’re so excited to see familiar faces and new friends as we keep the season rolling.

Follow @foodtrucksagogo on Instagram & Facebook More details at: foodtrucksagogo.com

Saturdays

SATURDAY SHAKESPEARE

April 27-May 25 online: See https://santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/12190276 for details

First Saturdays

CAPITOLA BEACH CLEANUP

9-10 a.m., Esplanade Park

Help preserve and maintain the coastal beauty of Capitola. Join a beach cleanup every month at Esplanade Park. Keep Capitola Salty is a grassroots movement dedicated to responsible efforts helping to maintain and preserve the environment, scenic beauty and coastal recreational activities of Capitola. This movement is always looking for volunteers. Email KeepCapitolaSalty@gmail.com.

Second Saturdays

HISTORICAL AIRCRAFT DISPLAY

10 a.m.-4 p.m., Watsonville Municipal Airport, 100 Aviation Way Watsonville Municipal Airport hosts a Historical Aircraft Display every second Saturday. Admission is free.

Seating is limited. Arrive early. This is a must-see summer event for anyone craving music that matters — raw, tender, and true. Tickets are $20 advance at https://ragsrosenberg.com/shows and $25 at the door.

Second Sundays

SUNDAY MORNING BREAKFAST

8:30-11 a.m., Market Street Senior Center, 222 Market Street, Santa Cruz

The Market Street Senior Center warmly invites the community for a delightful Sunday morning breakfast every second Sunday, this month on June 8. Indulge in a delicious array of scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns, pancakes, coffee, tea or cocoa. Donation: Adults, $12; children, $6 Inside seating is available, and To-Go orders are welcomed.

For information, visit www.marketstreetseniorcenter.org or call (831) 423-6640.

DATED EVENTS

Thursday July 17

Lyng Real Estate, through honest reflection and real-world experience, will explore the moment she knew her business needed a shift, the steps she took to reimagine her direction, and how she balanced risk with stability.

The event will also be supporting the United Way Stuff the Bus Campaign. Attendees are encouraged to bring needed school supplies, make a monetary donation or bring a gift card.

School supplies needed include pencil sharpeners, pocket calculators, yellow highlighters, backpacks (no red or blue), colored pencils (12 count), Crayons (8 or 24 count), 2-inch 3-ring binders, 3-ring wide-ruled binder paper, 12-inch rulers and more.

SHINYRIBS AT MOE’S ALLEY

Doors 7 p.m. | Show 8 p.m., Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz

Moe’s Alley presents the sonic melting pot of Texas blues, New Orleans R&B-funk and horn-driven Memphis soul of Shinyribs!

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 on the day of the show. Frontman Kevin Russell and his band are hard to describe, other than just a really fun band.

AN EVENING WITH JANE WIEDLIN OF THE GO-GO’S

6:30-10 p.m., Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, 705 Front St, Santa Cruz

Join Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Go’s for an intimate in-conversation with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, followed by Wiedlin performing with a handpicked ‘Super Group’ of Santa Cruz musicians, and a DJ dance party after that. Tickets are $38 GA and $53 for VIP. More information at www.EventSantaCruz.com.

SUSTAIN FARM SUPPER

4-7:30 p.m., Homeless Garden Project’s Farm, Shaffer Rd, Santa Cruz Homeless Garden Project hosts the Sustain Supper, a farm to table dinner, which benefits the Project’s employment and training programs for individuals experiencing homelessness.

The supper will be held on the Homeless Garden Project’s Natural Bridges organic farm, located at Delaware Ave. and Shaffer Rd. Chef Katie Reicher, of Greens Restaurant in San Francisco, will prepare the gourmet meal using produce from the farm. Attendees will also enjoy a farm tour, drinks (including special wine pairings) and live music, courtesy of the Quail Hollow Drifters, a trio playing traditional Americana music. An engaging keynote about sustainability will be given by Manjula Martin, author of “The Last Fire Season,” a deeply incisive inquiry into what it really means to live in relationship to the elements of the natural world.

Tickets cost $195, benefit the Homeless Garden Project’s programs and are available at www.homelessgardenproject.org.

Saturday July 26

PAJARO VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND AGRICULTURE’S 63RD ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER

4-9 p.m., Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, 2601 E Lake Ave, Watsonville

The PV Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture presents its 63rd Annual Awards Dinner, this year honoring Man of the Year Jess Brown and Woman of the Year Laura Owen. Other Honorees — Business of the Year: D’La Coleman Market & Catering • Organization of the Year: Sons and Daughters of Italy • Event of the Year: Salvation Army Backpack Giveaway • Lifetime Achievement: Bob and Linda Erbe Tickets are $100. Call 724-3900.

Friday August 8

FREE MOVIES ON THE BEACH: THE GOONIES

9 p.m., Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, on the beach in front of the Colonnade, 400 Beach St.

Bring your family, a blanket, or a low-back chair and join us! Each movie will include a 15-minute intermission.

• Seating is first-come, first-served.

• Low-back chairs and blankets are encouraged for seating; please allow others space and a good view.

• Smoking is not permitted on the beach or Boardwalk. Alcohol and glass are prohibited on the beach.

• A limited number of assistive listening devices (ALDs) are available for check-out at the Mini Golf Kiosk inside Neptune’s Kingdom.

Saturday August 9

3D MUSHROOM SCULPTURE CLASS

10 a.m. – Noon, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Felton Presented by Mountain Parks Foundation and led by Suzy Radonsky, this hands-on workshop will bring the unique beauty of Santa Cruz mushrooms to life.

Participants will design and craft one-of-a-kind 3D mushroom sculptures inspired by the local ecosystem using natural materials including rocks and driftwood. These handmade creations are perfect for indoor and outdoor garden displays.

Beginners welcome, no prior experience needed.

Class meets outside at Picnic Area 1 in Henry Cowell. Class size is limited, and advanced registration is required. Cost: $45.00. An additional $10 materials fee will be collected at the class.

Visit www.mountainparks.org for more information.

Sunday August 10

HOW TO MEDITATE

2-4 p.m., Cabrillo Campus, 6500 Soquel Dr, Aptos (Horticulture 5001 — up on the hill)

Learn how calm mind chatter for more clarity, patience, peace & performance at Meditation: Science, Spirituality, and Practice. Explore why meditation helps and how to employ this practical mindfulness strategy. Class will include specific methods to help make a meditation practice easy.

Instructor Jeff Hotchkiss is the author of ‘Putting Wisdom to Work, Practical Mindfulness for Maximal Living’ 2nd Ed. Cost: $38. Register at 831-479-6331 or extension. cabrillo.edu.

For more information or to stay informed about future classes — including free How to Meditate gatherings — send an email to: wisdom2work@gmail.com or text 831-854-7306.

Wednesday August 20

SKILLICORN BBQ

Begins 5 p.m., Padres Hall, 35 Browns Valley Road, Corralitios Chuck and Ramona Allen of Watsonville will be honored at this year’s Skillicorn BBQ with the “Friend of Scouting” Award.

For over six decades, the Skillicorn BBQ has been a cornerstone of support for local Scouting in the Pajaro Valley. What began over 60 years ago as an annual gathering of men at Crosetti Ranch to raise funds for local Boy Scout troops quickly outgrew the space.

The event, named after its second home at Skillicorn Ranch, eventually became the cherished family gathering we know today, held annually at the Padres Hall.

The Skillicorn BBQ is a vital fundraiser for the Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council, directly benefiting the Scouting America programs in our area. This includes Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Exploring across Santa Cruz County. n

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

SANTA CRUZ SHAKESPEARE: ‘MONDAY NIGHT REVELS’ SERIES

Santa Cruz Shakespeare announced tickets are now on sale for its new Monday Night Revels series of highly acclaimed performances, including music, comedy and Shakespeare-inspired drag, each for one night only at The Audrey Stanley Grove in DeLaveaga Park in Santa Cruz.

“We are thrilled to expand our season offerings to include Monday Night Revels,” said Charles Pasternak, Artistic Director. “This is an opportunity to elevate and diversify The Grove experience with musical performances from Rockapella and the Surf City All-Stars Beach Boys tribute group, comedian Brian Kiley and a Shakespeareinspired drag performance. We invite our community and the larger region to join us these special evenings this summer!”

Rockapella, a cappella Vocal Group

Monday, July 21, 7 p.m.

Formed in 1986, Rockapella rocketed to stardom in 1993 with their hit single “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?” (featured in the PBS TV series of the same name). Led by Scott Leonard’s signature high tenor voice and mind-blowing arrangements and Jeff Thacher’s one-of-a-kind vocal percussion, Rockapella has been a global phenomenon for nearly 40 years, setting the standard for all a cappella vocal groups. The “band” (famous for their ability to imitate the sounds of instruments with only their voices) has been featured everywhere from the Boston Pops to the Muppets, and their voices have been the soundtrack for everything from Folgers and Doritos to Aflac and HBO.

This is a family-friendly event, with kids tickets available. Tickets range from $40-80 and are available for purchase: https://santacruzshakespeare.org/book/?instance=73001

Brian Kiley, Emmy Award-Winning Comedian

Monday, July 28, 7 p.m.

Brian Kiley is a two-time Emmy Award-winning comedian and writer who’s been a fixture in late- night TV for decades. He’s racked up nearly two dozen appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and he still performs at comedy clubs around Los Angeles. For 27 years, Brian was a staff writer for Conan (and head monologue writer for more than a decade), winning an Emmy in 2007 for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy/Variety Series and getting nominated 16 times. He also worked on the final season of Ellen, picking up a Daytime Emmy in 2022. In addition, Brian has had a special on Comedy Central, and his jokes have been featured everywhere from GQ and Reader’s Digest to the New York Times Sunday Crossword Puzzle.

This is a family-friendly event, with kids tickets available. Tickets range from $40-80 and are available for purchase here: https://santacruzshakespeare.org/book/?instance=73401

Pink Ladies of the Sonnets

Monday, August 4, 7 p.m.

Theatre is the original home of drag — the Greeks started it, but Shakespeare mastered it. Presented in collaboration with Maggie’s Gurls (a non-profit dedicated to preventing suicide among LGBTQ+ youth), experience an evening of sparkling performances by some of the Bay Area’s most talented drag queens and kings, inspired by Shakespeare’s sonnets. Attendees are encouraged to put on their best drag outfit or just come as they are. But be prepared to have a fabulous time!

Tickets are Pay-What-You-Will and are available for purchase here: https://santacruzshakespeare.org/ book/?instance=73601

Surf City All-Stars, The Beach Boys Tribute Band

Monday, September 22, 7 p.m.

The Surf City All-Stars are the only “tribute” group in which every member has played in The Beach Boys’ band. Experience an unforgettable night of music featuring all the favorite Beach Boys classics, complete with those rich harmonies that made the group famous.

This is a family-friendly event, with kids tickets available. Tickets range from $40-80 and are available for purchase here: https://santacruzshakespeare.org/book/?instance=73801

Santa Cruz Shakespeare 2025 Summer and Fall Season

Tickets are on sale now for Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s 2025 season No One is Alone. Enjoy productions of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s musical, Into the Woods, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Pericles, as well as Athol Fugard’s “Master Harold”... and the Boys. Performances will take place July 13 through September 20 in the Audrey Stanley Grove at Santa Cruz’s DeLaveaga Park. Tickets prices range from $20 to $75 and are available at santacruzshakespeare.org. The seasonal box office is open for phone orders Tuesday through Friday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 831-460-6399 and two hours prior to every performance.

The Surf City All-Stars, Beach Boys tribute band, will perform Sept. 22.

Jane Wiedlin Philadelphia Bourse 1988

Exposed But Not Compensated Vets Affected by Volatile Organic Compounds Need Help

By Jordan Cade

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are a group of chemicals that evaporate easily from solids or liquids and are commonly found in military-grade degreasers, aviation fuels, and weaponcleaning agents used across U.S. defense operations.

Research shows that VOCs can play a central role in the development of cancers and endocrine disruptions. Presently, the Environmental Protection Agency regulates more than 200 VOCs through the Clean Air Act, all of which have known, documented toxic effects.

Despite the well-known effects of these substances on human health, the PACT Act 2022 does not include VOCs on the list of toxic agents for which the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides compensation. Notably, more than 20 diseases are recognized here in conjunction with toxic exposure, many of which are also caused by VOCs. This creates a paradoxical situation where a veteran exposed to VA-recognised chemicals receives compensation, while another veteran exposed to VOCs and developing the same condition does not. In the latter case, this veteran needs to undergo an extensive process to prove causality, collect data on exposure and link it to their diagnosed illness, often without the benefit of clear documentation or acknowledgment from military records.

Why VOCs Are Not Yet Listed Under the PACT Act

The VA has a complicated process for recognizing toxic agents for which compensation is provided. One of the first steps here is a systematic evaluation of the existing scientific literature on a specific toxic compound.

The same procedure is used for expanding the list of presumed diseases under the PACT Act, where this evaluation is concentrated on evidence linking a specific toxic agent with a disease.

Notably, VOCs are not one single

compound, but rather hundreds of compounds for which research is significantly scattered. At the moment, consistent data is available for trichloroethylene (TCE), where epidemiological studies, as well as research using animal models and physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models, demonstrate that TCE has carcinogenic effects and can also impact multiple organs. Subsequently, until more comprehensive data is available for other VOCs, these will probably remain unrecognized by the Act.

Another issue here is the dose-dependent effect of VOCs. There is sufficient data to demonstrate that VOCs produce toxic effects in a dose-dependent manner, meaning that the more these substances are inhaled, the more likely it is for adverse health outcomes to occur.

The Department of Defense has no current system in place to document VOCs exposure. This means that demonstrating a clear exposure history becomes virtually impossible for most veterans, especially those deployed in combat zones or working

in high-risk maintenance roles where VOCs were routinely used.

Moreover, without records and documentation of exposure, VOCs are also problematic to be introduced as presumptive.

Nevertheless, considering that the VA’s mission is to provide equitable care and support for all veterans impacted by servicerelated exposures, the department should work towards prioritizing better documentation of VOC exposure and systematically reviewing existing literature to identify compounds with sufficient evidence of harm.

VOCs Exposure in California Veterans

VOCs exposure is particularly common in Air Force bases because of the routine use of industrial solvents, degreasers, and jet fuels in aircraft maintenance, fueling operations, and equipment cleaning.

In California, George Air Force Base, March Air Force Base, and Travis Air Force Base are all EPA superfund sites because of contamination with various toxic chemicals, including VOCs.

California has one of the largest veteran populations in the nation, counting almost 1,300,000 people.

In 2023, 1.337 of these veterans lived in Santa Cruz, a county with proximity to former and active military installations. Veterans from this region who served at bases with known VOCs contamination now face significant challenges when seeking recognition and compensation for health issues tied to VOC exposure.

This PACT Act omission reflects a broader systemic oversight, where the fragmented nature of VOC research and lack of exposure documentation allow a known hazard to persist without institutional accountability and without compensation for those who were exposed in the line of duty. n

Jordan Cade is a lawyer and advocate for civil justice working at the Environmental Litigation Group, P.C., a Birmingham-based firm dedicated to representing clients in environmental and toxic exposure cases.

Jordan Cade

SCCAS Featured Pet FEATURED COLUMNIST

Meditate with the Buddah

Our pet of the week this week is Buddah (A319041), a 3-year-old neutered male pit bull mix who weighs about 42 lbs.

An intelligent, active, well-socialized mixed breed, Buddah is looking for his next adventure partner(s)! He loves playing fetch, going for walks, hikes or jogs, and learning new tricks and skills through positive training. He’s clever and bonds closely with kind people, and he considers petting and praise just about as valuable as treats! He plays well with other active dogs. Thanks to the Bissell Foundation and Empty the Shelters, all adoptions are just $70 thru July 19, and thanks to the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter Foundation, all dog and puppy adoptions include not only spay/neuter, microchip, and vaccinations, but also a $200 training voucher with a certified local trainer! Visit www. scanimalshelter.org for full listings. n

The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter is full of adoptable animals. Fostering animals is an awesome way to improve a Shelter animal’s life and fill your home with love and fun! If you are interested in fostering any kind of animal please email jillian.ganley@santacruzcounty.us. You can also Follow SCCAS on Instagram and/or Facebook to stay up-to-date on shelter news and where to find adoptable pets around town at breweries, stores and events. All adoptions are first come, first served.

Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter’s full-service, open-admission shelter 1001 Rodriguez St., Santa Cruz, 95062 • Hours: Daily 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. (Arrive before 4 p.m. for “meet and greet”)

580 Airport Blvd., Watsonville, 95076 • Hours: Tues.-Sat. 9:30 a.m. – noon; 1–5 p.m. (Closed Sun/Mon)

Website: www.scanimalshelter.org

SCCAS Main line: 831-454-7200. Animal Control: 831-454-7227. After-Hours Emergency: 831-471-1182 • After Hours: jillian.ganley@santacruzcounty.us

Fragrant Flowers Have Ulterior Motives

By Tony Tomeo

Many who enjoy gardening appreciate fragrant flowers. Many grow particular flowers specifically for their fragrance. Yet, not many consider why so many flowers are fragrant. Plants can not enjoy their own alluring floral fragrances any more than they can enjoy their own delightful floral colors and forms. They do not expect people to enjoy their bloom either. Human appreciation is incidental.

Floral fragrance is merely intended to attract pollinators. Flowers are inanimate, so rely on either wind or animate pollinators to exchange their pollen among other flowers. Animate pollinators are mostly insects, but may be birds, bats or other animals. Flowers do what they must to attract their preferred pollinators. Many use color and floral form. Many use fragrance. Some use both tactics.

Flowers that use both color and fragrance to attract pollinators are mostly endemic to densely forested ecosystems. There is more competition for pollinators within such ecosystems than there is within ecosystems of sparser vegetation. Otherwise, fragrant flowers are generally not as colorful as those that are not as fragrant. Likewise, the most colorful flowers are generally not so fragrant.

Angel’s trumpet is striking in bloom because the flowers are so large. Wisteria and lilac that bloomed last spring were spectacular because they were so profuse.

The pastel hues of their blooms are no problem that their fragrance does not compensate for. Pink jasmine and mock orange are about as fragrant, even if their color range is more limited. Star jasmine is not always so profuse.

Pittosporum tobira and Pittosporum undulatum are even less visually impressive in bloom, but can be surprisingly fragrant. The tiny but richly fragrant flowers of sweet osmanthus, sweet box and night blooming jasmine are so obscure that other bloom is often credited with their fragrance. As the name implies, night blooming jasmine is powerfully fragrant after sunset during warm weather.

Freesia, hyacinth, narcissus, lily and some bearded iris are both colorful and very fragrant.

•••

Angel’s Trumpet

Human

intervention has sustained the seven species of angel’s trumpet, Brugmansia, since their prehistoric extinction from the wild. They were likely endemic to tropical regions from Venezuela to Chile, and southeastern Brazil. Their extinction was likely a consequence of the natural extinction of animals that dispersed their seed. Most garden varieties are hybrids of the various species.

Angel’s trumpet is either a big shrub or small tree, with rather herbaceous stems. The more popular cultivars can get more than eight feet tall. Cultivars that might get twice as tall are rare. The soft leaves get about six inches long and half as wide. Leaves might get almost twice as long on vigorous growth. Some cultivars have slightly tomentous (fuzzy) foliage. A few have variegated foliage. Although generally sporadic, and pastel hues of pink, orange, yellow or white, bloom is impressive. The pendulous trumpet shaped flowers are commonly longer than six inches, and half as wide. Double flowers are frilly. Several cultivars are delightfully fragrant, particularly in the evening. All plant parts are very toxic. Plants damaged by frost in winter are likely to regenerate from their roots. n

Demure daphne bloom is richly fragrant.

Powerful fragrance combines with docile color.

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