Capitola Soquel Times: December 2021

Family Owned For Over 30 Years • Capitola, Soquel, Live Oak, Pleasure Point

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December 2021 • Vol 26 No. 12

A Generous Gift for Hopes Closet

Hopes Closet, the nonprofit resale children’s shop at 2557 Soquel Drive, Santa Cruz, is celebrating its 10th anniversary — and providing 20,000 “bundles of hope” to children in need.

Full Story page 12

Connecting Families With Families Full Story page 11

Beloved Nutcracker Returns

By Betty Sanchez Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre is taking the leap and bringing live ballet back this holiday season.

After a year of restrictions, “The Nutcracker” will once again grace the stage of the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium on Dev. 18 and 19, accompanied by a live orchestra.

Our local pre-professional ballet company has steadfastly continued training dancers through the Covid pandemic and is finally bringing back live performances. ... continues on page 4

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Building the Future

On Oct. 30, Santa Cruz County Bank employees volunteered at Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay’s Rodeo Creek Court affordable housing development in Live Oak, helping build a home with a local family who will live there when the project is complete.

Full Story page 6

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No. 12

Volume 26

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Table of Contents

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Cover Beloved Nutcracker Returns, By Betty Sanchez

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Community News Second Harvest Drivers Hit the Road: Employees Deliver Healthy Food to 75,000 People Countywide Building the Future: Santa Cruz County Bank Employees Volunteer at Habitat Site Holiday Guests? Mask Indoors, By Jondi Gumz • COVID-19 Omicron: What do we know?

How to Make Your Holiday Meaningful Hispanic Ministry Honors Our Lady of Guadalupe, By June Smith Kaiser’s Medical Office: Traffic An Unresolved Issue Connecting Families With Families: Aptos Adopt-A-Family — Making the Holidays Brighter for Those in Need A Generous Gift for Hopes Closet Capitola Plein Air Winners Announced, By Linda Segal Sheriff Hart on Pandemic: Good, Bad & Ugly, By Jondi Gumz Merit Academy TEDx: Ideas for a Better World

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 16 23

Letters to the Editor 10 Kaiser in Mid-County: A Healthy Prescription? • Kaiser Medical Office Should Go Somewhere Else

Local Sports 20 Local Girls Strong at State Cross Country Championship

Monthly Horoscope • Page 26 – December’s Festivals, Dedications & Celebrations, By Risa D’Angeles Community Calendar • Arts & Entertainment – Pages 28, 29

Featured Columnists 15 Capitola Report Card for 2021, By Yvette Brooks, Mayor, City of Capitola 18 When English is Not Your Home Language, By Scott J. Turnbull, Superintendent, Soquel Union Elementary School District 22 Fresh Pomegranate Relish, recipe from Liz and Kelvin Jacobs 23 Water District Efforts Yield Many Accomplishments in 2021, By Rachél Lather, President, Soquel Creek Water District Board of Directors 25 Criminal Justice Council: Police Use of Force, By Zach Friend, Supervisor, Second District 30 Redistricting, Tiny Homes, and Fire Prevention, By Manu Koenig, Supervisor, First District

SCCAS Featured Pet • Page 31 – Cider is Ready to Spice Up Your Life!

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COVER STORY Patrice Edwards Jondi Gumz

publisher editor

contributing writers Betty Sanchez, Jondi Gumz, June Smith, Linda Segal, Risa D’Angeles, Yvette Brooks, Scott J. Turnbull, Rachél Lather, Zach Friend, Manu Koenig layout Michael Oppenheimer, Jim Johnson graphic artists Michael Oppenheimer, Jim Johnson photography Michael Oppenheimer, Jim Johnson, Brad King website Michael Oppenheimer, Camisa Composti production coordinator Camisa Composti media consultants Teri Huckobey, Brooke Valentine, Tara Carcamo office coordinator Cathe Race distribution Bill Pooley, James Hudson

“Nutcracker” from page 1 “It’s been a long, difficult year for everyone,” said Artistic Director Diane Cypher. “The performing arts have been hit especially hard by the pandemic.

Removing the traditional ways to teach and perform has forced us to think creatively, which we have done for over a year. Now it is possible to present live performances at the spacious Civic Auditorium, and with Covid safety protocols in place, we feel good about returning to the stage.”

Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre is partnering with music director Pamela Martin, orchestra conductor Norman Peck and 52 professional musicians to bring Tchaikovsky’s joyous score to life. Having live accompaniment has been a brilliant facet of the Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre production since 2002.

The production features Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre company dancers, many of whom are on the cusp of professional careers in dance. These teenagers have trained hard for most of their young lives.

“Live performance is an important part of their training. Further, performing with a live orchestra is an incredibly valuable experience to bring to a career in ballet,” Cypher said.

Covid protocols will be in place for the

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a live performance again, and Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre needs audience support to survive.

The protocol applies to all ages. The performance, which is approximately 2 hours long with one 20-minute intermission, is recommended for children 3 years old and above.

Concessions will not be sold at the Civic, so please support local downtown restaurants before or after the show. We all need each others’ support to thrive.

Spend an afternoon or evening with your loved ones enjoying our favorite holiday tradition, “The Nutcracker.” n ••• Performances are 1 and 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18 and Sunday, Dec. 19. Tickets are $20.50 to $71.50 and can be purchased at SantaCruzTickets.com or by calling (831) 4205260 or at the Civic Box Office, 307 Church St., Santa Cruz, which is open Tuesday-Friday noon to 4 p.m.

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CHECK OUT OUR WEB SITE AT: www.tpgonlinedaily.com mission statement We at the Times Publishing Group, Inc. are dedicated to providing a voice for the individuals and organizations in our community while highlighting the outstanding accomplishments of our local businesses. We seek to promote healthy family values through our coverage of youth activities, school news, senior events, community groups and entertainment

safety of performers and audience alike.

Masks are required. A Covid vaccination card or negative test result taken within 72 hours of admission — with matching I.D. for those 17 and older — must be shown to enter the Civic Auditorium. (Santa Cruz County has a COVID-19 testing site in the Civic parking lot Monday through Thursday; make an appointment at https://lhi.care/covidtesting.)

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Second Harvest Drivers Hit the Road

Employees Deliver Healthy Food to 75,000 People Countywide

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hey cover our county acting as the meals per month, to a pandemic peak virtual spokes in Second Harvest of approximately 105,000 people being Food Bank’s hub and wheel food dis- served.

The fairground and boardwalk distritribution system, providing approximately 75,000 people healthy meals each month to butions were greatly supported by National Guard members from all over California. fight food-insecurity.

The trucks they drive are mobile bill- As reported, it was an impressive and essential effort that helped thousands in boards for a nearly 50-year-old nonprofit.

People wave to Second Harvest drivers. need.

A driver shortage, the loss of essential Our communities recognize the food bank as feeding hope by helping people get volunteer workers due to Covid restrictions, combined through rough with a 100 times. percent increase Drivers hit in food demand, the road daily. meant 12-hour They stage the work days, pallets of food explains Kevin to fit the truck, Mendez, logistics the day’s sales manager at orders and stops Second Harvest. they’ll make M e n d e z on their route. started at the Starting from food bank earlier Second Harvest this year from a in Watsonville, they follow their Second Harvest Food Bank driver Alex Jimenez delivering similar position route sheets to food pallets to People’s Pantry at Twin Lakes Church in Aptos. with a for-profit produce sup50 food pantries from Ben Lomond to Davenport, Santa plier. The driver shortage now corrected, is Cruz to Corralitos and everywhere in presently a seven-member team, typically working a 40-hour week with only occabetween.

Transport team members unload and sional overtime, Mendez adds.

What The Drivers Say help distribute food at partner locations, regularly meeting the people they’re he expanded Second Harvest driver serving and experiencing our community’s team includes: David Garcia, Jorge love for their essential work.

Gasca, Miguel Hernandez, Alex Jimenez, They also visit neighboring counties’ food banks to deliver or acquire supplies. Drivers fan out across the county and beyond to pick up food bank donations from Lakeside Organics, Big Lots, Orowheat and Mastronardi Produce among others.

Behind the food bank’s drivers are others at Second Harvest managing the logistics and finances of continuous supply and the essential warehouse team, sorting and staging loaded cargo pallets for daily food deliveries.

Pandemic Challenges Overcome hile the truck-driver shortage nationally has been widely reported, that problem is primarily in the long-haul sector, where drivers are away from home for many days at a time. Second Harvest drivers are home every night after work.

During the early stages of the pandemic, Second Harvest was greatly challenged to maintain vastly increased food distribution from averaging 55,000

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Second Harvest Food Bank drivers (from left): Jorge Gasca, Kevin Mendez, Miguel Hernandez (in truck), Agustin Tarelo, Alex Jimenez, and Misael Robledo. Not pictured: David Garcia and Peter Vasquez.

Misael Robledo, Agustin Tarelo and Peter Vasquez Jr. “Working here is gratifying because you’re helping people and treated well,” says Miguel Hernandez, a 14-year veteran food bank employee.

“This is a large team effort,” adds Peter Vasquez, who joined Second Harvest seven months ago. “The drivers and warehouse crew make it all happen, not just the drivers. People wave to us. It feels good.

This is a good job for a young person starting out. Good benefits and time off.

And the community knows us.”

“Of all the jobs I’ve had, this is the most satisfying,” Alex Jimenez acknowledges.

“We work as a team and independently (while on the road) and I’ve become selfmotivated to do my best when you see and meet people, knowing they will have food.”

Another recent team addition, Jorge Gasca, puts it this way. “Every time we visit a food distribution partner’s site, people tell us how they value the food they’re receiving. It’s a good workplace environment. Very different from a forprofit company.” n

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Building the Future

Santa Cruz County Bank Employees Volunteer at Habitat Site

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DISCOVER THE JOY OF LE ARNING AT KIRBY SC HOOL .

Kirby School is an independent college preparatory school in Santa Cruz for grades 6-12.

n Oct. 30, Santa Cruz County Bank employees volunteered at Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay’s Rodeo Creek Court affordable housing development in Live Oak, helping build a home with a local family who will live there when the project is complete.

Bank volunteers Krista Snelling, Mary Anne Carson, Doug Fischer, Marshall Delk, Sue Chandler, Shawn Lipman, John Mizell, Penny Leonard, Joshua Morris, Chris Benkert, and Lisa Krigsman worked under the direction of construction foremen Keaton Port Gaarn and Dylan Childs, and construction laborer Sal Dibiasi.

“We were so thrilled to be on-site for this Habitat Build Day,” said Snelling, who became president and CEO of Santa Cruz County Bank in March.

“It’s a volunteer opportunity that our team always looks forward to,” she added.

“As a community bank we’re committed to building relationships. On Saturday we took the building part more literally.

We’re so grateful for our partnership with Habitat Monterey Bay and for their dedication to housing families in our county.”

Habitat’s project in the Live Oak neighborhood of Santa Cruz County includes 11 homes built as five two-story duplexes and one ADA-accessible singlestory home.

A pair of local families have moved into the first two completed houses and Habitat has chosen the applicants for the next three homes, which are under construction.

The application process is now open for the next six homes on Rodeo Creek Court.

To apply, see https://www.habitat. org/housing-help/apply n

Our challenging program is available both in person, for on-campus learners, and online, for at-home learners.

Individual attention and social and emotional well-being are vital to student success. Our caring team is committed to ensuring your child thrives.

We are now enrolling for 2022-2023.

Join us at one of our upcoming virtual admissions events and sign up for an in-person tour and shadow day.

We offer a test-free application process and Tuition Assistance.

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6 / December 2021 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

Visit KIRBY.ORG to learn more.

Santa Cruz County Bank volunteer team: BACK ROW (from left): Krista Snelling, Penny Leonard, Sue Chandler, Doug Fischer, Mark Chandler, Edmund Snelling, and Joshua Morris FRONT ROW (from left): Marshall Delk, John Mizell, Chris Benkert, Shawn Lipman, Mary Anne Carson and Lisa Krigsman.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Holiday Guests? Mask Indoors

By Jondi Gumz Hosting family for the holiday? If you are indoors, keep your mask on.

That’s the order as of Nov. 22 from Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel, who wants to stave off a surge of cases and hospitalizations as the holidays and winter approaches.

The order applies when you are indoors and not eating, regardless of vaccination status, at work and also at home when non-household members are present.

It will remain in effect until rescinded, superseded, or amended in writing by the Health Officer, taking into account hospitalizations, variants of concern, case and vaccination rates. A new variant of concern is Omicron.

Santa Cruz County reports 540 active cases as of Nov. 28, up from 517 a week ago, 6 hospitalizations — down from 11 — including one in intensive care.

The county reports 21,124 cases since the pandemic began, 624 hospitalizations, and 225,600 negative test results. Statistics are updated on Mondays and Thursdays.

Staff with Inspire Diagnostics set up for testing for K-12 students and staff in parking lot K at Cabrillo College, where drive-through vaccine clinics — no appointment needed — take place Monday through Friday 2:30-5:00 p.m. and Saturday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Schools countywide report 23 active cases, none in the Soquel Union Elementary School District. See santacruzcoe.org/ coviddashboards.

For a list of COVID vaccine providers including local pop-up clinics, visit www. santacruzhealth.org/coronavirusvaccine.

80% One Dose ealth experts had surmised that once 70 percent of the population (or 80 percent or 85 percent) was vaccinated against COVID-19, the new coronavirus would fade away — the world could return to normal.

That hasn’t happened.

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control Covid Tracker says Santa Cruz County has 90.4 percent of those 12 and older with one dose and 80.8 percent of that age group fully vaccinated.

Studies show protection from Pfizer ’s and Moderna’s vaccine begins to wane after a few months, which is why booster shots are available to those 18 and older whose shots were six months ago.

Dominican Hospital’s vaccine clinic has been providing COVID-19 booster shots every Thursday since they were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and CDC. On Nov. 18, Dominican vaccinated about 500 people and will resume Dec. 2 after closing on Thanksgiving, according to Kevin Kimbrough, Dignity Health external communication manager.

To make an appointment, see myturn. ca.gov.

“COVID Update” page 8

COVID-19 Omicron: What do we know?

Editor’s note: On Nov. 28, the state Department of Public Health posted this information on the new Covid-19 variant of concern.

••• e are still learning about the new variant, including how it spreads and infects individuals as well as how it responds to vaccines.

• There are currently no cases in the United States; however, based on other variants, it is only a matter of time before Omicron is detected in the U.S. New variants will continue to evolve as long as there are large proportions of unvaccinated people.

• This new variant has many mutations in important areas of the virus that impact infectiousness and the ability for immune systems to protect from infection. Some mutations are concerning to scientists because they are very different from other variants previously detected, and some are similar.

• We do not know if this new variant causes more severe COVID-19 illness than other variants or how it might impact response to treatment.

What is California Doing? he California Department of Public Health is: • Monitoring for the presence of the

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variant in California through the California SARS-CoV-2 Whole Genome Sequencing Initiative, known as COVIDNet. This is a public-private partnership that provides California with genomic sequencing to help understand and control the spread of COVID-19. COVIDNet gives us the ability to detect variants early.

• Partnering with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to gather information and expertise to help the public, local public health departments and health care providers.

• Preparing to increase COVID-19 testing at airports across California for U.S. citizens and legal residents returning from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi.

• Focusing on COVID-19 vaccination and booster efforts to ensure that all Californians have access to safe, effective, and free vaccines that can prevent serious illness and death from COVID-19. It’s not too late for anyone eligible to get vaccinated or boosted to protect themselves and others against COVID-19.

“COVID Omicron” page 9

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COMMUNITY NEWS

How to Make Your Holiday Meaningful W

ith the heart of the holiday season upon us comes the biggest time of giving of the year.

Santa Cruz County has always been a place that supports local businesses, local nonprofits and local causes. With supply chains in upheaval and the need greater than ever due to the persistent pandemic wreaking havoc, there has never been a better time to give back to the local Santa Cruz County community.

“It’s that time of year again when our community members reach out to us looking for ways to connect and make their holiday celebrations more meaningful,” said Christina Thurston, director of volunteer connections at the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County.

Each year, the Volunteer Center posts an online Holiday Volunteer Guide, available at www.scvolunteercenter.org.

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

“COVID Update” from page 7 Although protection wanes, studies show the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are highly protective against hospitalization.

The CDC said people are free to “mix and match” vaccines.

Employer Mandate eaths are still rising — 776,000 in the United States, 73,600 in California -- Santa Cruz County is unchanged at 222 — and part of President Biden’s strategy is to mandate vaccines or weekly tests for employers with 100 more employees (part time as well as fulltime — independent contractors are not counted). He gave businesses until Jan. 4 to comply.

Attorneys general from 27 states sued. One argument is the president set legislative policy, which is the job of Congress, and another is Congress did not give federal Occupational Safety and Health administrators the power to end pandemics.

On Feb. 5, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration published an emergency temporary standard on the vaccine mandate in the Federal Register.

On Nov. 6, a federal appellate court in Louisiana temporarily blocked the mandate.

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One long-running effort is the Volunteer Center’s Adopt a Family Project, started almost 40 years ago to help families struggling to make ends meet during the holidays. Each year, the project serves about 400 families.

Partner nonprofits provide a short bio about each family and a list of items each family member requests. Volunteers then set to work connecting these families with donors. Often, requests include necessities like sheets, towels and grocery store gift cards along with gift requests for children.

Many families are awaiting adoption but Thurston is confident that the community will come through.

Volunteers will be at the Adopt a Family Phone Line until Dec. 9.

Call Adopt a Family Hotline at 831-457-9834.

“For local families that are struggling, the holidays become a very worrisome time, especially now during Covid-19,” Thurston said. “It is truly heartbreaking to read through the family stories and to know that without this project these children might not have a warm jacket, let alone gifts or toys.”

Ways to support the project include adopting a whole family, buying individual items, volunteering in the warehouse to wrap and sort gifts, or donating funds.

For information, visit https://scvolunteer center.org/programs/adopt-a-family/ Many deserving projects and programs in Santa Cruz County need volunteers or financial support this holiday season.

Trea Robinson, director of community

engagement at the Volunteer Center, recommends those wanting to make a meaningful donation visit www.santacruzgives.org.

“You’re guaranteed to find a cause you care about,” she said. “You can give to one or give to many — all with one transaction.” n ••• For more information see www.scvolunteer center.org or call 831- 427-5070 or email connect@scvolunteercenter.org.

Due to the legal challenges, the future of the mandate is not known.

Andrew Metcalf and Stephen Woods, attorneys with Ogletree Deakins in St. Louis and Greenville, S.C., told SHRM, an organization of human resource specialists, that employers may want to plan for the mandate while awaiting the outcome in the courts.

Kids 5-11 fter Pfizer was granted emergency use authorization for its COVID vaccine for kids age 5-11, the Dignity Health Medical Group-Dominican pediatric practices in Aptos and Capitola began offering the Pfizer vaccine to their patients 5 years and older.

Drugstores also have Pfizer vaccine for kids 5-11.

Dr. Faris Sabbah, Santa Cruz County superintendent of schools, is working with all nine school districts to offer vaccine clinics for kids age 5 to 11. For Soquel appointments, see: https:/santacruzcoe. org/vaccines/soquel/ Some parents worry about myocarditis, heart inflammation, which has been reported in adolescent and young adult males. It is a rare condition and Dr. Steven Black, co-director of the Global Vaccine Data Network, a consortium researching

vaccine safety, told The New York Times that physicians will know to look for it.

Some parents worried about longterm side effects do not want to vaccinate their children. In other cases, if the children have had COVID, the parents contend they have natural immunity.

Testing ith Inspire Diagnostics, the County Office of Education has conducted more than 94,000 PCR surveillance tests for COVID at no charge to those tested.

Testing sites are open at Cabrillo’s parking lot K, 2-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday; the PVUSD District Office parking lot, open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays, and the county Office of Education, 400 Encinal St., Santa Cruz.

Juan Straub, Inspire project manager, said 230 people got tested on Nov. 10 despite the rain.

Students and their families, and staff and their families can use this free service. Those needing a test simply fill out the registration once at http://sccoe. link/inspiresc and go to any site. No appointment is needed.

The CDC tracker report test positivity in Santa Cruz County at 1.54 percent; the statewide rate has risen to 3 percent.

More Jobs umbers posted Nov. 19 show a healthy 105,100 jobs in Santa Cruz County in October, and unemployment at 5.2%, down from 7.4% a year ago.

Many businesses have “help wanted” signs.

REI, the co-op outdoor gear and clothing store, opened Nov. 12 in MidCounty at the former Toys R Us, 1662 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz, with a threeday celebration.

“REI welcomed more than 300 people in the first minutes our doors opened on Friday and 150 patiently waited this morning (Nov. 13),” said Megan Behrbaum, REI communications manager.

Supply chain problems induced by the pandemic have delayed the start of Aptos library construction project.

The New York Times advised people to shop earlier this year because of expected shipping delays due to supply chain problems.

Or avoid that problem and shop local. n ••• Total COVID cases: 21,124 COVID Deaths: 222 As of Nov. 29

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Hispanic Ministry Honors Our Lady of Guadalupe he community is invited to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Capitola, on Sunday, Dec. 12, at 10:30 a.m. for the annual celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Following a bilingual Holy Mass in Her honor, a reception in the Parish Center takes place. Food and beverage stations will be available, featuring chicken and beef tacos, flavored waters, hot chocolate and Mexican bread, a menu that guests have heartily enjoyed in past years.

The Ministry of Jesus, El Buen Pastor, (Jesus, the Good Shepherd) was created seven years ago at St. Joseph’s church with the support of Pastor Wayne Dawson.

To meet the needs of its Hispanic community, coordinators Juan Enrriquez and wife Ana, who experienced the strength of God’s love 20 years ago while in the parish of Our Lady Star of the Sea, say that their great power of faith has now made it possible for them to lead other communities.

At St. Joseph’s, they guide a ministry of more than 150 active Hispanic members who make the parish a place where everyone feels like family.

“Although the times we live in are difficult, God’s providence is always present to lift and sustain us,” say Ana and Juan. “It has not been easy; we have encountered challenges and obstacles, but in the end, with God’s help, we have emerged triumphant. Many families have been blessed with

“COVID Omicron” from page 7 What can Californians Do To Slow the Spread?

• Get Vaccinated: All COVID-19 vaccines currently available in California are safe and effective at preventing serious illness from COVID-19. Vaccination will protect you and those you love. Californians ages 5 and older are now eligible. Those over18 who are at least six months since last dose of Pfizer or Moderna, or at least two months since J&J, are eligible for a booster. To get vaccinated or get a booster call (833) 422-4255 or see https://myturn.ca.gov/ • Wear Masks: CDPH recommends everyone wear masks in indoor public places (such as grocery stores and movie theaters) regardless of vaccination status. Masks are required in indoor public places for everyone not fully vaccinated. Everyone must wear a mask on airports, planes, trains, buses, stations and in healthcare settings, K-12 schools, childcare settings, correctional facilities, cooling centers, and shelters.

• Get Tested: You should immediately get tested for COVID-19 if you are feeling any symptoms – regardless of your vaccination status. COVID-19 symptoms can feel like a common cold (including “the sniffles,” seasonal

Photo Credit: June Smith

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By June Smith

the work we have been doing in catechesis, marriage counseling, for the sick and elderly and by helping young people in the community. There is still much to be done, and God always sends committed people to help and serve.”

With the assistance of volunteers, they are making a difference with parish Hispanic families who now see a more solid future in their interaction with the Anglo community.

This is the case with Nery from the Garcia-Romero family,

allergies, or flu. COVID-19 testing in California is free. You can book a free appointment, find a walk-in test clinic, or buy a self-test kit from your local drugstore. Call (833) 422-4255 or 211.

• Stay Home if Sick.

What is a Variant of Concern? he World Health Organization determines which variants are of concern based on having one or more of the following changes that could impact global public health.

• Increase in transmissibility or detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology; OR • Increase in virulence or change in clinical disease presentation; OR • Decrease in effectiveness of public health and social measures or available diagnostics, vaccines, or therapeutics.

Can current COVID-19 Tests Detect the Omicron Variant? es, current understanding is that available PCR and antigen tests should detect this variant. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently confirming this information.

What Should Someone Returning From a Country of Concern Do? he CDC recommends that travelers from Southern Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi test within 3-5 days after arrival, quarantine for 7 days,

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who says, “Seven years ago, I participated in helping to form the Hispanic Ministry. We are more connected and willing to serve since I felt the call of God to work as an outreach person.

On the path of faith, we are discovering the importance of belonging. I thank God and Father Wayne for allowing us the opportunity to work together in creating a community of faith with strong foundations for future generations.”

In the same way, the Perez family shares their experience.

Eduardo Perez attended Bible study in 2015 with Ana and Juan. He is blessed that God sent him to help others receive what they need to build the Kingdom of Heaven and invites all of St. Joseph’s parishioners and visitors to join the ministry.

“I’ve felt so much peace and care during our gatherings,” he says. “Get to know us and get involved in the many activities of our ministry and make us stronger in faith, culture, friendship, and love for each other. Like Father Wayne, we can say ‘All are welcome!’”

Jean Dunn, chair of The Parish Council ,says, “This is a wonderful event! Juan is on the council, and we are supporting the ministry by donating items for the reception following the Mass. We plan to convey requests to the greater St. Joseph’s Community for other donations and needs as they occur.”

To volunteer or to make a donation, call the office of St. Joseph Catholic Community at (831) 475-8211. n

and isolate and test if COVID-19 symptoms develop.

Timeline Nov. 9: First known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection from a specimen collected in South Africa.

Nov. 24: South Africa announced the detection of a new variant, B.1.1.529 following genomic sequencing.

Nov. 26: World Health Organization designated B.1.1.529 a variant of

concern and named it Omicron. The U.S. government placed a travel ban for non-U.S. citizen travelers from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi.

Nov. 27: At least 115 recorded cases identified, with most from Botswana and South Africa, and others from Hong Kong, Belgium, Israel, Germany, Netherlands and the United Kingdom. n

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COMMUNTIY NEWS

Kaiser’s Medical Office: Traffic An Unresolved Issue P acific Medical Buildings of San Diego is proposing a 160,000-square-foot specialty medical office building is proposed at 5940 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, for Kaiser Permanente.

This outpatient facility is to include advanced medical services, a 24-hour urgent care clinic, medical offices and a 730-space parking garage on the twolane freeway frontage road. The property is 4.98 acres, occupied by 10 to 12 businesses, according to Martin Gonzalez of Gonzalez Towing, which tows vehicles for police agencies and is looking for a new location. Other businesses at this location include a concrete company, landscaping service, plumbing and a dry wall contractor.

The project has been in the works since 2018 and the goal is to begin construction in late 2022. The site was proposed for 100 units of housing in 2008. It’s zoned for multi-family residential, so a zone change for the medical facility must be approved by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. The developer says the building will create 300 healthcare jobs. The traffic analysis calculated the medical facility would reduce vehicle miles traveled by 20,000 miles a day, as Santa Cruz County residents would no longer need to travel to San Jose or Gilroy for Kaiser specialty services.

People who live in the surrounding neighborhoods say the contemplated traffic mitigations are inadequate and that the proposed medical building, while worthy, belongs in the county’s medical corridor,

which has bus service and more lanes to accommodate traffic.

During Zoom meetings with neighbors, questions arose about a countyplaced barrier on 40th Avenue and Deane’s Lane blocking vehicles from 40th Avenue and affecting circulation, which prompted a lawsuit by the city of Capitola. Capitola did not question whether the county had complied with statutory provisions in its General Plan, and the court ruled in favor of the county in 1990.

The county’s 1994 General Plan reports: It appears infeasible to mitigate the Highway 1 southbound ramps/Soquel Avenue intersections with limited intersection improvements without significant realignment of Soquel Avenue and some right-of-way.

Here is the decision in the lawsuit on the traffic barrier: The city of Capitola appeals from the trial court’s denial of a writ of mandate which would have required the board of supervisors of the county of Santa Cruz to remove a traffic barrier on a street within the county’s jurisdiction. We conclude the County is authorized by Vehicle Code section 21101, subdivision (f) to maintain the traffic barrier and affirm the judgment.

Statement of Facts he traffic barrier at issue is located entirely within the county on 40th Avenue where it intersects Deane’s Lane.

The barrier blocks all through traffic, but area residents have access to the street from the north. The city limit is just south of the barrier. The City had planned

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various road improvements in the area in recent years on the assumption that vehicular traffic would have full access to 40th Avenue.

In 1955, the 381.03 feet of 40th Avenue between Gross Road and Deane’s Lane was dedicated for public use to the county. The traffic barrier was in place at that time. It was replaced by a similar barrier in 1970.

On March 18, 1990, the County first directed Planning and Public Works staff to formulate a solution to traffic problems in the area in which the traffic barrier was located.

On Aug. 2, 1982, the County enacted Ordinance No. 3286 “to generate the funds with which to alleviate the increasing traffic congestion created by new development in the vicinity of recognized traffic problem areas, and in order thereby to bring said areas into greater conformance with the Santa Cruz County General Plan and its circulation elements…” One of the programs included in the ordinance was the Gross Road Traffic Improvement Plan.

This plan provided that the traffic barrier now at issue would remain.

On June 7, 1983, the County’s General Plan was amended in part to reflect those improvements authorized by the county in the Gross Road Plan. Pursuant to the General Plan, entry at Deane’s Lane onto 40th Avenue continued to be barred.

On June 10, 1988, the City filed a petition for writ of mandate seeking removal of the barrier. Following a hearing in which evidence was received, the court denied the petition.

Photo Credit: James Joyce

Traffic backs up on Nov. 23 on the Soquel Avenue frontage road by the freeway.

Discussion he City contends Rumford v. City of Berkeley (1982) 31 Cal.3D 545 resolves the instant dispute in its favor. In Rumford, the City of Berkeley sought to control traffic by erecting traffic barriers on 41 streets.

These barriers blocked through-traffic in certain directions, left streets open for use by local residents. The trial court granted a petition for writ of mandate directing the city to remove the barriers. The California Supreme Court affirmed on the ground that the state has preempted the field of traffic regulation, since under Vehicle Code section 21 no local jurisdiction can regulate in this field absent express statutory authority.

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“Kaiser Traffic Issues” page 13

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Kaiser in Mid-County: A Healthy Prescription? aiser Permanente’s “Thrive” branding is being tested in Live Oak. The out of scale facility includes a 730-car parking garage, landing on twolane Soquel Frontage Road, has residents at recent developer zoom meetings rightly concerned.

How does a medical organization promote health and equity by situating a facility where Metro doesn’t run a route, traffic impacts require new road infrastructure somersaults and local neighborhoods become less safe because a facility of this scale and anticipated patient of usage of local roads is unsustainable?

Treating the symptoms — traffic

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diverters, stop signs, intersection improvements — won’t cure the disease. These are siloed, 19th century medical model interventions.

Instead, look at resources in MidCounty that already provide the elements for success. Look to the area of existing medical facilities along Soquel Drive, a County-designated transit corridor slated to receive upgrades to improve Metro service and traffic circulation, bike and pedestrian safety enhancements.

Here, an undeveloped six-acre parcel, adjacent to Winkle Farm County Park and underutilized County acreage, provides a perfect place for healthy community living in the 21st century — access with transit, open green space, shared medical services;

10 / December 2021 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

a synergy of opportunities to nourish wellbeing and equity.

— Bob Morgan ••• Kaiser Medical Office Should Go Somewhere Else his project should not be allowed at this location (5940 Soquel Ave). Kaiser needs to find a spot that does not have the impact on traffic and local neighborhoods that this location will have. The traffic solutions they are offering are pitiful and will do nothing to alleviate the increased traffic in an area that is already overburdened.

CalTrans has stated they can’t improve Soquel Avenue., which is a twolane road and the traffic situation at Gross

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Road, 41st Avenue and Hwy 1 is already a nightmare due to previously promised remedies that either failed or never materialized.

There are currently 3 traffic signals in place to move traffic from 41st and Gross to the north and southbound Hwy 1 on-ramps.

I see no viable way that they can improve traffic flow with this current situation. And putting in a diverter on Gross Rd to prevent traffic from entering and exiting Gross from 41st Ave. is a safety concern and will exacerbate the problem.

This is not the right location for this facility and should not be allowed.

— Bob Silcott

COMMUNITY NEWS

Connecting Families With Families

Aptos Adopt-A-Family: Making the Holidays Brighter for Those in Need

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or 29 years, Aptos Adopt-A-Family has been here for the community during the holidays.

Our program was started in 1992 when Patrice Edwards and a friend stepped in to help a family who had lost their financial stability due to an illness in the family.

They raised money, helped them get through the holidays, and Aptos Adopt-AFamily was born.

Over the years we have helped hundreds of people celebrate their holiday without stress. There have been thousands of gifts, including wheelchairs, a handicap accessible van, lifts, food, clothes, toys,

bikes, rent—gifts that helped many a family enjoy their holiday.

Aptos Adopt-A-Family focuses primarily on families that are having financial challenges due to a medical catastrophe within their family.

Death or illness in a family is devastating and can emotionally and financially cripple. Our program can step in and put the family in contact with one of the many people who have already called us and are ready to adopt a family.

Our sponsor will provide their “adopted” family with gifts for the holiday and any medical products, services, and goods for the home. They do the shopping and wrap the gifts (this is optional) and deliver them to the Times Publishing Group office. The adopted family comes and picks up the gifts.

Though the adopted family’s identity is anonymous, some of them choose to meet their sponsor. Some families even go holiday shopping together!

Several of these families have stayed

friends over the years. Adopt-A-Family also helps by including gift certificates to local stores and helps with any gifts the sponsor is unable to provide.

Aptos-Adopt-A-Family depends on the community for funds. Please donate knowing that 100% of your donation goes to the families. If you would like to donate, please send your donation to:

Times Publishing Group, Inc. Attn: Cathe Race 9601 Soquel Drive Ste. A Aptos, CA 95003 ••• If you are interested in adopting a family or know of someone who needs help, please call 831-688-7549 x10 or email cathe@cyber-times.com. n

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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / December 2021 / 11

12 / December 2021 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

COMMUNITY NEWS

A Generous Gift for Hopes Closet H opes Closet, the nonprofit resale children’s shop at 2557 Soquel Drive, Santa Cruz, is celebrating its 10th anniversary — and providing 20,000 “bundles of hope” to children in need.

Board member Arne Croce announced the nonprofit recently acquired a new washer/dryer with a price tag of $2,400, thanks to a $2,000 donation from Omega Nu. Debbie Baker, owner of Baker Brothers Appliance in Watsonville, paid the sales tax and provided free delivery, installation, and pick-up/disposal of the old unit.

All of the clothing donated to Hopes Closet is washed before given to families in need or being put out for sale to the public.

Winter wear, snow jackets and snow boots, are now in stock.

Store hours are: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Tuesday-Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday.

In October, the nonprofit hosted an open house for volunteers, looking for people who like to organize, work with people or put together cute outfits for children. For information email Volunteer@HopesClosetsc.com.

On Oct. 28, the nonprofit posted a request on its Facebook page, requesting clean and lightly worn clothing for boys and girls sizes 4, 5, and 6.

The donation center is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. n

A new washer/dryer makes them smile, left to right, Sue Bird, Hopes Closet volunteer, Sisi Belcher, Hopes Closet volunteer and Omega Nu alum, Shelley May, Hopes Closet store manager, Charlie Flores, Baker Brothers Appliance, Linda Walls, Hopes Closet volunteer, and Adam Croce, Hopes Closet donation associate.

“Kaiser Traffic Issues” from page 10 After examining a city’s authority to close streets VC 21101 and its Authority to regular traffic VC 21100, the court held neither statute would authorize the erection of traffic barriers by a city.

The county counters that subsequent amendments to VC section 21101 govern the instant case. We agree.

Immediately following the Rumford decision, VC section 21101 was amended, inter Alia, by the addition of subdivision (f).

Section 21101 subdivision (f) provides in relevant part: “Local authorities, for those highways under their jurisdiction, May adopt rules and regulations by ordinance or resolution on the following matters…(f) Prohibiting entry to, or exit from, or both, from any street by means of islands, curbs, traffic barriers, or other roadway design features to implement the circulation element of a general plan adopted pursuant to article 6 (commencing with section 65350) of Chapter 3 of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code.

In amending section 21101, the Legislature stated its intention as follows: “The recent California Supreme Court decision in Rumford v City of Berkeley (S.F. 24239) may make some existing traffic control devices illegal. In order to keep existing traffic control devices operational until a permanent solution is developed, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.” (Stats. 1982 ch.749, S 8 page 2968).)

The amendment also included a sunset provision effective Jan. 1, 1984. However in 1983, the sunset provision was deleted and the following sentence was added to subdivision (f): “The rules and regulations authorized by this subdivision shall be consistent with the responsibility of local government to provide for the health and safety of its citizens.” (Stats.

1983, ch. 291 S 5, p. 867.)

Here the evidence establishes that the County adopted the Gross Road Plan to address traffic congestion in the area at issue.

The County’s General Plan was subsequently amended to include this traffic plan. Both plans include a barrier on 40th Avenue at the intersection with Deane’s Lane.

Since the City has raised no issue as to whether the County has complied with various statutory provisions in its adoptions

of its General Plan, we conclude the county was authorized by Vehicle Code Section 22101 subdivision (f) to maintain the traffic barrier in question.

Relying on the Legislature’s statement of intent in 1982, the City first argues subdivision (f) was not a repudiation of the Rumford holding barring traffic barriers, but rather an attempt to address the legality of other traffic control devices. We disagree.

The plain meaning of a statute should be followed where the language is clear. (Great Lakes Properties, Inc., v., City of El Segundo (1977) 19 Cal.3d 152, 155.) Here the statute clearly provides that local jurisdictions may maintain “traffic barriers” under prescribed circumstances.

The City next argues that the General Plan makes no reference to a barrier at this intersection. While the map include in the General Plan does not specifically refer to a “barrier,” it is clear that a barrier was intended at the location in question.

There are lines across both 40th Avenue and Gross Road just north of Clares Lanes, thus indicating the presence of barriers at these intersections.

While the maps in the record consistently place a barrier at the intersection of Clare’s Lane and Gross Road, none of the other maps in the record place a barrier at 40th Avenue and Clare’s Lane.

The barrier at issue is located at 40th Avenue and Deane’s Lane.

Deane’s Lane runs parellel to Clare’s Lane and is located immediately north of Clare’s Lane and thus the mark indicating a traffic barrier at 40th Avenue and Deane’s Lane was included in the General Plan.

We find the evidence sufficiently shows that the traffic barrier at 40th Avenue and Deane’s Lane was included in the General Plan.

In addition to the obvious error in the drafting of the map, the County, as previously discussed, enacted an ordinance designed to implement the Gross Road Plan. The ordinance stated that its purposed was to bring the area “into greater conformance with the Santa Cruz County General Plan and its circulation element.”

Since the Gross Road Plan included the barrier now at issue, we can only conclude the General Plan did as well.

The judgment is affirmed. n

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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / December 2021 / 13

14 / December 2021 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

COMMUNITY NEWS

Capitola Plein Air Winners Announced

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By Linda Segal

fter a two-year hiatus, 35 invited artists enthusiastically returned for the sixth annual Capitola Plein Air. From Nov. 1-6, they delighted inquisitive passersby with their unique styles and perspectives. Ever-changing weather afforded them opportunities to capture the textures and hues of every condition, from fog and rain to brilliant sunshine.

They quickly got to work, spreading out across Capitola’s city limits, along with Pleasure Point, New Brighton Beach, and Nisene Marks.

Santa Cruz artist Maggie Renner Hellmann describes the experience this way. “Painting outdoors ‘en plein-air’ is... challenging and exhilarating. Light and mood change quickly ... I must capture the three-dimensional landscape with passion, intuition and energy, onto a two-dimensional canvas ... as required in expressive plein-air painting.”

On Nov. 7, the fruits of their labors of love were on display at New Brighton Middle School in Capitola. Several hundred attendees were treated to a free gallery viewing of more than 200 original paintings of our local environs.

Hopeful art buyers were rewarded, as were the artists, since this year’s show produced record sales.

Prior to the viewing public’s arrival, judge Patty Beiderman declared overall

Local artist Lupe Santos won an award from Times Publishing Group, Inc., for a painting entitled, “Bougainvilleas.”

Artist Kerrie Brandau painting on Capitola Wharf. prize winners and honorable mentions.

First and second place pieces will become part of the City of Capitola’s art collection and be on display in City Council chambers.

First Place Barbara Tapp, “Awe Steel Bridge” Second Place Steven McDonald, “Incoming” ••• Honorable Mentions: Chad Hunter, “The Venetian” • Sally Bookman, “San Jose Avenue” • Marie Massey, “Capitola Splash” • Durre Waseem, “After the Rain in Capitola” • Bonnie Carver, “A Touch of Class” • Joe Ortiz, “Two Trees, Two Bushes, Two Shadows” • Randall Stauss, “Sweet Capitola” • Paul Rickard, “After the Rain: Nisene Marks” • Annette McGowan, “Capitola Bike Rail” • John Crawford, “Private Beach” • Kristian Matthews, “Days End” • Mark Monsarrat, “Depot Hill Overlook” ••• Special Recognition Awards from local businesses: Meisha Grichuhin, “Patterns in the Sand” Capitola Village/Wharf Business Improvement Assn.

Paul Fortis, “Capitola Bridge” Capitola-Soquel Chamber of Commerce Coraly Hanson, “God’s Glory” Santa Cruz County Association of Realtors Lupe Santos, “Bougainvilleas” Times Publishing Group, Inc. “Plein Air Results” page 21

FEATURED COLUMNIST

Capitola Report Card for 2021

By Yvette Brooks, Mayor, City of Capitola

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s we near the end of the year, and my last month as Capitola’s mayor, I wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on this year’s accomplishments.

I am so proud to have been able to get so much work done as our community experienced one of the most challenging years to date. This work could not have been done without the support of my fellow Council members; Vice Mayor Sam Storey, Councilwoman Kristen Petersen, Councilmember Jacques Bertrand, and Councilwoman Margaux Kaiser, as well as our City Manager Jamie Goldstein, our incredible staff, Police Department, and community.

It has been an honor serving on your behalf as mayor and I look forward to another year on the City Council.

Accomplishments his year has been full of surprises. A lot of us were impacted and still are dealing with the onslaught of the Coronavirus, losing our homes to the fires, job loss, financial hardships, and child care

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Capitola City Employees

shortages, but also, we have seen resilience in ways unimaginable.

The City of Capitola’s staff has worked tirelessly to ensure our community came first, making streets safer, funding new programs, and investing in our children.

It would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the endless hours of our department heads

and their willingness to be creative and innovative.

Here are just a few examples of accomplishments I had the privilege of supporting: Police Department • This year we welcome Andy Dally as our new Chief of Police.

• This past year, I had the opportunity to engage in conversations with outgoing Chief McManus about Capitola Police policies. We recognized the importance of ensuring transparency in police practices and participated with the Criminal Justice Council to review local police agencies’ policies.

• The City of Capitola received a tobacco prevention grant and has been working with the Soquel Union Elementary School District and the County Health Department in creating a Tobacco Prevention Education Program at New Brighton Middle School, modeling a program I developed in high school titled “Teens Teaching Teens.” The City has allocated ten $100 stipends to participating students.

• The Capitola Police Department got an early start to Racial and Identity Profiling Act reporting, reporting in July for a state mandate that begins in 2022.

“Mayor Brooks” page 24

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Sheriff Hart on Pandemic: Good, Bad & Ugly

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By Jondi Gumz

ooking for a silver lining in the COVID-19 pandemic?

Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart, speaking Nov. 16 to members of the Aptos Chamber of Commerce at the first in-person breakfast in 20 months, shared these positives: • The county is “working together like I’ve never seen” – and he’s been with the Sheriff’s Office since 1988.

• The Emergency Operations Center was beefed up.

• ”We found we can do telemedicine” and meetings Jim Hart via Zoom or Microsoft teams — saving hours spent driving to meetings and back.

The bad: Homicides, suicides and overdoses are up.

The coroner has been called for 360 autopsies, compared to 240 the year before.

“There’s less face-to-face,” Hart said.

“We’re missing the relationship-building.”

He said people are “acting out more,” go “from 1 to 10 very quickly” and “aren’t able to agree to disagree.”

He attributed the departure of Mimi Hall as director of the Health Services Agency — “the best health director we’ve had” to “deplorable“ treatment by the public.

“We’re seeing a mass exodus in the state,” he added.

Hart said he provided 24-hour security for Health Official Dr. Gail Newel at her home after she was threatened.

She is a “fine person” and “a good doctor,” he said.

The Sheriff’s Office made progress in several areas despite the pandemic.

A review of use of force policies for the Sheriff’s office, and police department in Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Capitola and Watsonville found they all mandate deescalation, ban shooting from a moving vehicle and chokeholds, and require officers to intervene if they see excessive force.

DNA Lab art is in the middle of a 5-year certification process for a county DNA lab to speed up test results for sexual assault and homicide. Currently the state lab turnaround is six to 18 months. Once the county lab is certified and begins operation in 2024-25 Hart expects results in 48-72 hours.

Equipment and training will be needed.

The Sheriff’s Office has about 330 employees, which includes correctional officers at jail facilities.

Fewer people want to go into law enforcement — 600 people showed up for a recruitment in 1988, Hart said, compared to 13 for a recent effort. He expects one or two will pass muster.

Deputies faced daily protests in the wake of George Floyd being killed during his arrest in Minneapolis, then Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller died in an ambush in Ben Lomond — “it’s really hard to recover from that,” Hart said.

(On Nov. 6, the Santa Cruz Warriors honored Sgt. Gutzwiller and Santa Cruz Police Sgt Butch Baker and Detective Elizabeth Butler, retiring jerseys for all three.)

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“Hart” page 24

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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / December 2021 / 17

FEATURED COLUMNIST

When English is Not Your Home Language “Every student can learn, just not on the same day or in the same way.”

— George Evans, American cartoonist ••• ould it be challenging for you to attend school and learn in a language other than English?

Let’s say you had to go to Germany and take courses in German. Would that be a challenge for you? I know it would be for me. Well, our schools are proud to serve students in this very situation. They have a primary language other than English and

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By Scott J. Turnbull, Superintendent, Soquel Union Elementary School District

they come to our schools where instruction is provided in, of course, English. Our incredibly talented teachers support these amazing students through English Language Development.

Soquel Union Elementary School District has ramped up our focus on English Language Development. I am extremely proud of the work being done in our school district in this area and I want to share it with you. Before I do that, I will start with a brief explanation of what it is.

English Language Development is a support for students who are English Learners. These students, as defined by the California Department of Education are are “students in transitional kindergarten through grade 12 with a primary language other than English, whose English proficiency upon enrolling in school dictates a need for support to access instruction in English and develop English proficiency.”

The California Department of Education explains that “because they are learning English as an additional language, English Learners require specialized instructional support to ensure that they simultaneously develop academic English and have full access to a rich curriculum across the disciplines.”

That’s English Language Development instruction and it takes place in two but equally important ways. Integrated ELD is where students learn English throughout all subject matter (learning the academic English required to learn, understand and fully participate in math, science, PE, etc)

Julie Livingstone Hilda Hernandez-Meza

Beth Willem

and Designated ELD is where students learn the mechanics of English tailored to their specific English Proficiency Level.

Approximately 10% of our district’s 1,700 students are classified as English Learners. We must support each and every one of them. We must ensure we are using resources to best support these students.

The most important systemic decision our district has made in this area in recent years was to hire a Teacher on Special Assignment specifically for English Language Development. Her name is Barbara Huebner and she helps all of our teachers learn and grow in our ability to support English Learners. Specifically, Ms. Huebner helps support the full implementation of the California Department of Education’s English Learner Roadmap, which guides the support of English Learners in our state via four principles: 1) Assets-oriented and needs-responsive schools 2) Intellectual quality of instruction and meaningful access 3) System conditions that support effectiveness 4) Alignment and articulation within and across systems

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18 / December 2021 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

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Ms. Huebner works with all of our elementary school teachers on a monthly basis and also leads a group of very talented ELD specialists from each of our school sites through the roadmap. They are: • Julie Livingstone, Soquel Elementary School • Hilda Hernandez-Meza, Soquel Elementary School • Beth Willen, Main Street Elementary School • Desiree Sattari, Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary School • Tina Bonar, Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary School • Erica Marquez, New Brighton Middle School They collaborate on creating a community of support for English Learners, problem-solving, and identifying best practices.

This model allows for our specialists to instruct our English Learners directly, as well as indirectly by guiding our teachers as they refine their practices in supporting English Learners in their classrooms.

Our English Language Development Specialists also perform another important role and that is giving the English Learner Proficiency Assessments for California (or “ELPAC”).

The results of this assessment help us identify the specific areas each English Learner needs support with. It is through an annual administration of the ELPAC, along with other criteria, that an English Learner can become designated as “Reclassified Fluent English Proficient” (or “RFEP”).

Reaching this “RFEP” status is a big deal. Think back to that situation I posed to you at the beginning of this article.

You go off to school in Germany, trying to learn new content, in a new language!

What the “RFEP” status would say about you is that you not only learned a new language but that you learned all of your new content simultaneously. Learning new content in a second language is an amazing accomplishment.

“Turnbull” page 20

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20 / December 2021 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

At our district’s Board Meeting on Nov. 3, we celebrated 19 students who reached the monumental milestone of Reclassified Fluent English Proficient. Each student was honored with a certificate, flowers, and and a book signed by their teachers (past and current — all part of their reclassification journey). Probably most importantly, each student’s parents and families were recognized because, let’s face it, achieving this milestone is a collective effort of the students’ tenacity and the support of their family and teachers.

Speaking of families, our district has also developed an English Learner Leadership Team. Parents of English Learners meet with Ms. Huebner and our Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, Dr. Jessica Kiernan. This structure ensures that parents of English Learners have direct access to our district leaders to get relevant information and have their questions answered. The team is an extra layer of parent engagement as the district also holds regular English Language Advisory Council Meetings (ELAC) at each school site as well as at the district level.

I’d like to share one last example of how our English Learners, and their

Brooke Willoughby, a junior, finished in 19:45.4 to place 66th, followed

by Rachel Hoops, a sophomore, 105th in 20:18.1, Annie Eikemeyer, a senior, 126th in 20:41.9, Mairin Mullen, a senior, 130th in 20:50.6, and Malia Moreno, 141st in 21:03.5, Maggie Long, a senior, 187th in 22.58.1 and Ceci Garcia, a sophomore, 196th in 23.50.1.

The Scotts Valley High girls team placed 12th in the D4 race.

Ashlyn Boothby, a sophomore at Scotts Valley High, came in 3rd out of 207 girls in the D4 race with a time of 17:27.1.

Sophia Nordenholz, a senior at Albany, was first in 16:46, and Olivia Williams, a sophomore at Acalanes, came in second in 16:56.2.

Amber Boothby, a junior, finished 23rd in 19:07.7, followed by Rafaela Putnam, a junior, 110th in 20:39.1, Dresden Brabo, a sophomore, 111th in 20:48.2, and Megan Wu, a senior, 112th in 20:50.2, Greta Feague, a senior, 138th in 21:10.6, Jessica Hill-Roddick, a senior, 143rd in 21:32.5.

Haven Finley, a junior at San Lorenzo Valley High, finished 139th in 21:24.3 in the D4 race. n

teachers, are rising to the challenge. “Zero Period” at New Brighton Middle School provides an opportunity for English Learners to take their Physical Education class before school starts so they can have access to the full curriculum. Without Zero Period, English Learners in middle school have to take their English Language Development class in lieu of an elective like Art, Woodshop, Coding, Spanish, etc…

By knocking out their Physical Education class before school even starts, these students create extra space in their schedule so they can take their English Language Development class AND an elective. This shows the dedication of these students to succeed. It also shows commitment on the part of Jim Walker and Ashley Edgar, the two Physical Education Teachers who start their day early so Zero Period can be a reality.

We know we still have a long way to go on our English Language Development journey. We’re glad we have a clear roadmap to follow and leaders such as Barbara Huebner and others to lead the way to support our English Learner students. n ••• Scott J. Turnbull is superintendent of Soquel Union Elementary School District.

“Plein Air Results” from page 14 Tanvi Buch, “Classic Capitola” Palace Arts ••• Artists’ Choice Duree Waseem “After the Rain in Capitola” People’s Choice Coraly Hanson “Park Avenue Vista” ••• The City of Capitola and Capitola Art and Cultural Commission, which sponsor the event, recognize and thank Capitola Village/Wharf Business Improvement Association members for offering generous discounts to the

artists all week. Very special thanks go to Shadowbrook Restaurant for hosting the midweek Artists’ Reception on their creekside patio.

Thank you to additional contributing sponsors: Best Western Plus, Fairfield Inn and Suites, Gayle’s Awe Steel Bridge Bakery and Rosticceria and Shadowbrook Restaurant, all in Capitola. n

The artists attend a reception at Shadowbrook Restaurant, a treasured tradition to Capitola Plein Air.

Heritage Holiday Craft & Gift Fair

Dec 3 & 4 - Noon to 9pm

With Holiday Lights Walk Thru Each Evening Visit fairgrounds-foundation.org for complete information for both events • Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds

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Holiday Food and Fund Drive Hunger heros are still feeding Hope!

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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / December 2021 / 21

FEATURED COLUMNIST 7500 Old Dominion Court | Aptos, California 95003 831.688.8987 | Seacliffinn.com

HAPPY HOUR IS BACK Monday - Friday | 3pm-5pm

22 / December 2021 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

Fresh Pomegranate Relish T ired of the same old cranberry sauce for your holiday dinner?

Pomegranates are in season, giving you loads of healthy nutrients, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, potassium, folate plus the all-important fiber and even a bit of protein.

The trick is cutting into the pomegranate to reach the seeds without squirting the red juice (which can stain) all over. Check YouTube to watch a video on how to cut the fruit open — with ease.

Liz and Kelvin Jacobs, owners of Wild Fish restaurant in Pacific Grove, tell you who caught the Liz and Kelvin Jacobs fish before you order. Natives of England, a food writer and a chef, they owned an inn and restaurant in Devon before moving to the Mendocino coast and opening their first Wild Fish there.

Fans of the Monterey Jazz Festival, they opened in Pacific Grove in 2018, and offer live jazz on Fridays and delivery, takeout and seating outdoors.

This recipe, shared at a November media tour, highlights local suppliers Minazzoli Ranch (pomegranates), Alberto’s Farm (cilantro and jalapeno) and Rancho Grande (lemons).

••• Ingredients 1 to 2 pomegranates, arils removed (2 cups)

1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, plus more for serving 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling ½ teaspoon kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon (15 g) finely chopped jalapeno 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon honey Directions To make the fresh pomegranate relish: Mix the jalapeno, honey, salt, and lemon juice in a small bowl and allow to marinate for about 5 minutes.

Stir in oil, then add the pomegranate seeds, and chopped cilantro. Serve the pomegranate relish immediately or refrigerate until serving. Allow to sit at room temperature before serving, so the oil won’t set. Enjoy! n

Share A Recipe!

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o you have a recipe that is a family favorite? Or maybe one from your childhood you would like to share? The Capitola-Soquel Times will be publishing one recipe each issue from a community member.

Feel free to add a little history to the recipe if you want (approximately 75 words). Every issue we will randomly choose a recipe to publish.

Find your favorite and send it to cathe@cyber-times.com today!

FEATURED COLUMNIST

Water District Efforts Yield Many Accomplishments in 2021

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nother year is soon coming to a close — already! We’re in the midst of the holiday rush, but as we approach the new year I want to briefly pause, and take a look back at a very successful 2021 for the Soquel Creek Water District. Together with you — the community — as our partners for a reliable water supply, we can all be very proud about the progress and accomplishments the District has made during the last 12 months.

Of course, the world is still dealing with the pandemic; but with the progress that’s Rachél Lather been made in battling Covid-19, especially in the Bay Area, many of us have returned to some semblance of normalcy in our everyday work lives. If 2020 was a struggle (and it was!), then 2021 in many ways brought about a rededication to our goals and objectives, a strengthened attention to our core services, and a laserlike focus on the District’s efforts toward long-term water supply resiliency and reliability.

I want to point to one particular accomplishment for 2021 that really has the most far-reaching impact for our community — we started construction in earnest on our Pure Water Soquel Groundwater Replenishment and Seawater Intrusion Prevention Project.

Eight miles of pipelines are being laid as we speak, to connect the Santa Cruz

By Rachél Lather, President, Soquel Creek Water District Board of Directors

Wastewater Treatment Facility with the very-soon-to-break-ground Advanced Water Purification Center, and from that facility to three seawater intrusion prevention wells (which were also substantially completed during 2021).

Getting underway with construction is a monumental accomplishment, especially for a relatively small district that is taking on the gigantic task of replenishing the Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Basin — our only source of drinking water.

Related to Pure Water Soquel is another remarkable achievement, as part of the Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Management Agency. Earlier this year the state approved that agency’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan — one of the first two sustainability plans in the state to be approved by last summer under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which requires groundwater basin sustainability by 2040. Pure Water Soquel is a big part of that plan, and with this approval the roadmap is set toward groundwater sustainability for the future.

Another 2021 accomplishment — one that is very public-facing — is the unveiling of a brand-new District website that is streamlined, cleaner, easier to navigate, and designed to better serve our customers.

As many people in our tech-savvy community know, putting together a new website can be a major undertaking, especially for a public agency. Ours has an entirely new look-and-feel, countless major improvements, and a great deal of improved

functionality — it’s your one-stop-shop for everything about your water!

Here are just a few of the District’s other achievements during 2021: • Replaced a major primary water pipeline in Soquel — part of our core service of maintaining and improving the reliability of water delivery to your homes and businesses.

• Upgraded 90% of our customers’ water meters to Advanced Metering Infrastructure — providing for hourly water consumption information and a new customer portal, giving you access to the latest technology for managing your water use and billing.

• Created the Vaidehi Campbell Williams Memorial Garden, honoring a beloved staff member who we lost in the tragic fire aboard a diving boat off the Channel Islands, which also took 33 other lives.

• Adopted the 2020 Urban Water Management Plan, a crucial long-range planning document that assesses current water demand, projects future demand over a minimum 20-year planning horizon, and identifies a mix of water resources and conservation efforts to meet future demand.

• Received award for financial reporting, the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association recognizes the quality of the District’s comprehensive annual financial report.

• Repaired a significant water main break in the area of Maplethorpe and Victory Lane • Completed a very positive Water Quality Report. Our Consumer Confidence/Annual Water Quality Report shows results of our groundwater testing for 181 different constituents; all tests showed that our water is in compliance with state and federal drinking water health standards.

And in the middle of all these accomplishments, let’s not lose sight of the fact that 2021 is also the District’s 60th birthday!

It was 60 years ago on October 19 that the Soquel Creek (County) Water District Board of Directors met for the first time, in the old Soquel Firehouse.

As I reach the end of my term as the board president, I am so proud and gratified to be part of this mature, 60-year-old agency, with the knowledge that we are going strong, we are making a difference in people’s lives every single day, and we are absolutely positioned to provide a safe and reliable water supply for another 60 years, and beyond! n ••• Ms. Lather has served on the Board of Directors since 2016 and was sworn in as President of the Board on December 15, 2020, for 2021. A resident of Aptos and a civil engineer with more than 40 years of experience, Ms. Lather serves on the Board’s Water Resources Management and Infrastructure Committee, and as an alternate on the Public Outreach Committee and the Finance and Administrative Services Committee and is also the Santa Cruz LAFCO Vice-Chair.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Merit Academy TEDx: Ideas for a Better World

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n Nov. 7, students at Merit Academy in Soquel gave TEDx talks at the Rio Theatre on their ideas to make this world a better place.

Inspired by her cousin in India born prematurely, Nishi Dharia, 17, created a neonatal incubator using paraffin wax for $50 and worked with partners in India to deliver the devices to rural areas that can’t afford a standard $5,000 incubator.

In August, with a lull in Covid cases, she was able to travel to India and

deliver 25 incubators — and hear that her invention had already saved one life. She plans to major in biochemistry and go to medical school.

For Aurchana Manickavasagan, 16, her grandmother’s diagnosis with diabetes led her to focus on how to prevent that condition. The key is keeping blood sugar below 126 mg/dl, where pre-diabetes can be reversed. She wants accessible testing stations, especially in minority communities.

Ishan Bhatia, 15, shared his research on cordyceps militaris mushrooms, which has spores that wipe out aphids on plants — an alternative to the chemical pesticides that harm the environment.

Anush Anand, 17, showed how vinyl gutters burn and release embers that can travel on the wind to neighboring homes, unlike aluminum gutters, which do not burn. Vinyl gutters and siding are cheap but in areas of wildfire risk, they can be expensive in the long run.

Alisha Bhatia, a senior, has studied fracking for four years, concerned about the 1,100 chemicals injected underground to extract fuel. Her next step is to find a water filtration solution.

All of the students met Tim Niemeier, inventor of the Origami Paddler, which folds up and fits in the trunk. He advocates participating in the natural world to become a better steward of the environment.

“Merit Academy” page 24

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / December 2021 / 23

“Mayor Brooks” from page 15 • Updated training in new methods of defensive tactics, crisis intervention, and de-escalation training. Updated policies and equipment • Approved permit for Black Lives Matter March in Capitola • Calls for service: 15,169. Felony arrests 335, misdemeanors 574, citations 787 Public Works • Thanks to the hard work of our Public Works department, staff, and donors, the City opened its new Capitola Library.

• Capitola City Council approved the agreement to install an adaptive signal control system at Caltrans intersections.

After direct communication from the Mayor to Caltrans, the agency agreed to participate. A contract has been awarded.

• Completed Capitola Avenue sidewalk project • Obtained all permits for the Wharf rehabilitation project and constructed the first phase of repairs.

• Completed rehabilitation of the flume and jetty • With police, completed engineering and traffic study for major city streets • Improved creek monitoring by installing internet-connected water height gauge Recreation • Concluded Out-of-School-Time program for distance learning students and provided afterschool once full-day school returned • Purchased a new lifeguard tower from the City of Santa Cruz • Brought back Spring Adult Softball League, including a full team of free agents • Offered Junior Guard and Camp consistent with COVID guidance • Provided SUESD Camp at Soquel Elementary to students in summer school • Held 3 food truck events in Monterey Park • Returning adult and youth classes in the Community Center • Providing Afterschool Rec Club and extending services to include elementary students

“Hart” from page 16 Then the CZU lightning wildfire led to evacuations and round-theclock patrols to prevent looting.

All this meant 12-hour shifts and working six and seven days a week, then10 percent of the positions cut as the county balanced its budget meant employees working a lot of overtime.

Finding people to work in corrections is “very challenging,” Hart said, noting the first outbreak of the pandemic among inmates at the jail in November.

All but two had no symptoms, he said.

Answering questions, Hart talked about the following subjects:

• Halloween Movie in the Park at Jade Street + 2 more movies in the Community Center, November and January Community Development • Coastal Commission Certification of the Capitola Zoning Code • Updated Inclusionary Housing Ordinance and completed a nexus study for affordable housing fees • Awarded block grants for COVID-19 relief to support our local nonprofits involved in food services, mortgage assistance, and economic development • Processed 77 applications for planning permits and 368 for building permits • Initial planning and draft ordinance for future permanent outdoor dining program • Participated in workforce housing discussions with community partners and the Mayor Finance • Awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting

by Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada for City of Capitola Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for fiscal year ending June 30, 2020.

• Maintained a balanced budget through COVID-19 and forecasted balanced budgets for the next 5 years.

• Maintained $600,000 account to mitigate fiscal impacts from COVID-19 • Maintained all reserve funds at targeted balances throughout COVID-19 • Implemented electronic invoicing and bill payment • Completed year-end financial audit, Laborer’s International Union of North America payroll audit and two state Office of Emergency Services grant audits City Manager/Clerk’s Office • Welcomed Deborah Osterberg as our new Capitola Historical Museum curator • Historical Museum installed an exhibit at the Capitola Library • Launched and wrote bi-weekly newsletter with 400+ recipients

Sexual Assault Response Team: Nurses at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz are available to take evidence. Pediatric cases must go to Valley Medical Center in San Jose.

Cybercrime: “We don’t have the training or the staff to investigate that.”

Homeless people begging in the street median: “We will move those people along. It’s much like blowing leaves… The county is increasing help. They have to be willing to accept help … There’s no reason a business should be disrupted.”

He said handouts listing resources and services for people experiencing homelessness are available to business owners. n

24 / December 2021 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

• Researched and sourced new agenda management system, preparing for transition, train staff • Revised/updated 4+ City Clerk/City Manager policies (proclamations, digital reading device, public records request, use of city hall space, flags) • Moved to DocuSign for quicker contract processing • Provided free notary services to small business COVID relief grant applicants • Started bi-monthly countywide clerk chats to learn best practices and encourage collaboration • Started YouTube channel (uploaded and organized City content, including Mayor’s Town Hall series • Developed, implemented, and managed the COVID vaccination policy and the many changes in requirements • Revamped and improved new hire orientation process • Administered anti-bias training to Council, commissioners and will schedule staff by the beginning of 2022.

• Partnered with the County Park Friends, Santa Cruz County Parks, and the other three cities for first-of-its-kind Art Hike experience, Outside the Frame.

• Welcomed State Sen. John Laird for a site visit and policy update Mayor • Launched Mayor’s Town Hall series: https://youtu.be/PJR_ECk5MtE • Wrote monthly columns for CapitolaSoquel Times and Santa Cruz Sentinel • Invited Congressman Jimmy Panetta to visit our historic Wharf to discuss funding • Served on Community Grants Subcommittee • Participated in monthly SUESD checkin meetings • Met weekly with County Health Department regarding COVID • Proclaimed October College and Career Awareness month • Gave keynote at Women in Leadership Virtual Forum • Gave keynote for Salud y Carino Women Leaders Panel • Facilitated Mayor’s Art Hike collaboration with County Parks and Friends

• Met monthly with the other 3 mayors of Santa Cruz County to discuss policy trends and collaboration • Worked with community housing stakeholders to discuss workforce housing in Capitola and in creating a white paper • Assigned to Youth Action Network Committee by Council • Volunteered during Meals on Wheels Community Champions Week • Serve on Children’s Network, LAFCO, and Central Coast Community Energy Policy Board and Finance Advisory Council • Curated a Capitola Code of Conduct • Allocated funding for anti-bias training for Council members and staff • Worked with County Health Department to bring forward an initiative to ban the sales of flavored tobacco products • Participated in Tobacco Prevention Subcommittee • Hosted Mayor’s Bike Ride • Attended Capitola-Soquel Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting events • Introduced partnership with Santa Cruz County Office of Education workability program, thus hiring several post-secondary students • Championed installation of free feminine hygiene product dispensers in City Hall, Police Department, and Recreation Center • Served on executive board of directors for the League of Cities, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, Childhood Advisory Council, and the Central Coast Early Childhood Advocacy Network • Future initiatives: Safe Streets Program, Climate Action Plan update.

••• Again, thank you to all of our staff and community partners for all that you have done to make this community special. See you all in the New Year. n As always should you have any questions feel free to email me at brooksforcitycouncil@gmail. com. You can also email citycouncil@ci.capitola. ca.us and your note will automatically be sent to all five Councilmembers, the City Clerk, and the City Manager. To be added to my contact listserve fill out this doc: https://forms.gle/HJj1erTvz9ZrqGEC7.

Nisha Dharia and her family preview a photo to commemorate her TedX Merit Academy talk on Nov. 7 at the Rio Theatre.

“Merit Academy” from page 23 Attendees also saw a music video created

by Nicole D’Arcy (daughter of Merit Academy founder Susan Tatsui D’Arcy) and Anna Krawisc,

written at Stanford Medical School, singing the praises of having an “advance directive” to share what you want at the end of your life. n For more about Merit Academy, see https:// meritworld.com/

FEATURED COLUMNIST

Criminal Justice Council: Police Use of Force

By Zach Friend, Supervisor, Second District

Editor’s note: Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart says, “Good policy drives good law enforcement.” In Santa Cruz County, the four cities and the county all have policies that shooting from a moving vehicle and chokeholds and require officers to use de-escalation and intervene if they see the use of excessive force.

••• he Criminal Justice Council of Santa Cruz County recently released its first report — an analysis of local police agency policies and procedures — in particular around use of force.

This regional transparent analysis is believed to be the first such comparative regional look into these policies in the nation.

Here is an overview: What is the Criminal Justice Council? he CJC was created over 30 years ago in an effort to provide increased coordination and cooperation between criminal justice partners — government, non-profit, educational and others — to reduce youth involvement in gangs.

The CJC focuses discussions on prevention and intervention as well as reentry programs — rather than simply a suppression model.

For example, the CJC has held a conference on the role of women and girls in gangs, which afforded criminal justice and community service providers an opportunity to hear from experts on the role of women and girls in gangs as well as a panel of young women with lived experience in gangs.

The CJC also has worked with school districts, nonprofits and others on intervention and prevention programs to reduce youth involvement in gangs. From supporting educational efforts, nonprofit sporting leagues, conferences that provide viewpoints from those with lived experience and more.

The CJC does these events with volunteers and small contributions from the member agencies.

Who is on the CJC? ocal police chiefs, the County Sheriff, the Chief Probation Officer, District Attorney, leadership of two local nonprofits, two local judges, the public defender, the County Superintendent

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L

of Schools, the president of Cabrillo College, two County supervisors, elected representatives from the local cities and more participate.

It’s a diverse group that, having participation from local education and nonprofit social program providers, helps create discussions beyond back-end suppression activity toward front-end prevention opportunities.

I serve as Chair of the CJC and other members of the executive board include the County Superintendent of Schools, the District Attorney, leadership from the courts, a member of the Scotts Valley City Council and the Watsonville Police Chief.

What did the CJC focus on this year? his year, the CJC decided to focus our efforts on law enforcement policies and procedures -- in particular around use-of-force, privacy (technology), information release, independent oversight and a small look on behavioral health response (next year the focus will be exclusively on behavioral health and the criminal justice system). The purpose is to see where there is alignment, where there are gaps and where there are opportunities to improve.

While it was not a comprehensive look at local agency policies it was an in-depth look at specific elements -- and provides a transparent overview of the policies that work to ensure officers respond safely and responsibly in key situations.

As we noted in the report, while the purpose was to evaluate alignment of policies, the goal is not to necessarily have a standardized set of policies across jurisdictions. Local agencies and the communities they serve may have reasons why they have specific policies, don’t have specific policies or have policies that differ from other agencies within the county.

This analysis is to provide a transparent look at those policies and provide a starting point for evaluation by local law enforcement, elected leaders and the communities they serve.

The CJC created an ad hoc committee to work on the analysis and partnered with Applied Survey Research to produce

the report. All local law enforcement agencies — Capitola, Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, Watsonville and the Sheriff’s Office — participated voluntarily, openly, and transparently to provide the policies and answer any questions.

What Were the Key Findings? ne is that there is widespread policy alignment between law

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enforcement jurisdictions in Santa Cruz County.

For example, on nearly every policy issue regarding use of force, technological deployment and release of information to the public, local law enforcement agencies had updated and modern policies.

“Friend” page 26

Reality TV

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ACROSS

1. “Oh, my!”

5. Say untruth 8. Left or right 12. Spiritual leader 13. *”____ing Up with Marie Kondo” 14. Great reviews 15. Related 16. Double reed woodwind 17. Fourth deck 18. *”The ____ ____,” MTV’s trailblazing reality show 20. Affirm with confidence 21. I to Greeks, pl.

22. ____ Baba 23. Powerball and such 26. Swaggering show of courage

30. Spermatozoa counterparts 31. Based on two 34. Has a mortgage 35. ____ dog, gin and grapefruit juice cocktail 37. DNA transmitter 38. *”The Real Housewives” is full of this type of conflict 39. Write on a tombstone 40. Unwholesome atmosphere 42. Hairpiece, slangily 43. Stitched again 45. Unit of electric current flow 47. Solemn pledge 48. Like nose during hayfever 50. Uncouth one 52. *”Who ____ ____ ____ a Millionaire?”

56. Front of cuirass 57. Sixth month of civil year 58. “Jack and the Beanstalk” instrument 59. Travesty 60. Italian money 61. *”Vanilla Ice Goes Amish” and “Cleveland Hustles” state 62. *”____house Masters” on Animal Planet 63. *Not Khloé or Kourtney 64. Common allergens 1.

2.

3.

4.

DOWN

Gelatin substitute Gospel writer “Tosca” song, e.g.

Like sunroom, hopefully 5. Balance in the sky

6. *”Pop ____” and “American ____,” pl.

7. Gave the once-over 8. *”Outwit, Outplay, Outlast” show 9. Not active 10. Point of entry 11. Sixth sense 13. Foot, to a child 14. Aussie bear 19. Buzz Lightyear’s buddy 22. Brow shape 23. *”The Biggest ____” 24. Egg-shaped 25. Same as talcums 26. Civil rights concern 27. In the know 28. Raise objections 29. Missouri River tributary 32. Like a desert 33. Crime scene evidence 36. *Singing competition (2 words)

38. Curses 40. Feline sound 41. “I think I can, I think I can...”, e.g.

44. “For better or for ____” 46. “Monty ____’s Flying Circus” 48. r in a circle, pl.

49. Deprive of weapons 50. *Star of wilderness reality shows, ____ Grylls 51. Fairytale beast 52. Street-crossing word 53. Hawaiian island 54. Londoner, e.g.

55. Narrative poem 56. Back of a boat © Statepoint Media

Answers on 31 »

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / December 2021 / 25

December’s Festivals, Dedications & Celebrations

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Esoteric Astrology • December 2021 • By Risa D’Angeles

ecember is filled with festivals and celebrations, days dedicated to this and that, from cupcakes to poinsettias, French toast to candles, volunteering to mourning to neutrality. In between are festivals of light, festivals dedicated to saints and to the holy ones who guide and guard our lives.

Then there are the new and full moons, planetary transits, a retrograde (Venus) and a solstice. Below are calendar guides, social and spiritual for December. It’s fun to follow along. Notice how all the festivals overlap. It’s a busy time!

Each Sunday night in December we light a new Advent candle. Advent (Latin “adventus” meaning “something’s coming”). Each night ‘til Christmas we light candles illuminating the dark half of the year.

Saturday, December 4 — new moon festival solar eclipse (12.22 degrees Sagittarius). Something essential falls away, it’s work complete. Hanukkah, Hebrew eight-day festival of Lights ends December 6 - feast of St. Nicholas, the original Santa Claus. The next day, December 7 is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Monday, December 13 — Saint Lucy Day. Lucy walks through town with candles on her head heralding the dawn.

Wednesday, December 15 — Human Rights and cupcake day. Both are essential.

Saturday, December 18 — the Long Cold Winter’s Before Yule full moon Sagittarius solar festival, 27 degrees - the smallest (14% smaller) full moon of ARIES

Gradually certain spiritual components and aspiration will enter your consciousness. They will work into and align with your goals, many of which are appearing now in large numbers.

It’s good to give thanks for your great mind and for the transformative affect you have on those you meet in the world. Be aware that you are always a force that influences others. You must link that force with love.

And gratitude.

the year and remains above the horizon for everyone to see for the longest time!

Sunday, December 19 — Venus retrogrades until the end of January. During Venus retrograde all values and resources shift.

Tuesday, December 21 — Winter Solstice. The Sun enters Capricorn, resting for three days at the Tropic of Capricorn.

Christmas Eve and the Festival of Seven Fishes are Friday, December 24. Saturn squares Uranus (in the heavens, so the unexpected could occur.

Christmas is Saturday, with Venus retrograde joining Pluto, it may be a very intense and transformative Christmas. Plan on it.

December 28 is Pledge of Allegiance Day and Call a Friend day.

And as always, the last day of December is New Year’s Eve. The new year of 2022 begins with a practical Capricorn new moon as Venus retrograde re-enters Aquarius! Our values and resources will definitely be changing in the new year to meet the new Aquarian era as it continues to surprise us.

December’s Calendar of Events: https://www.calendarr.com/ united-states/calendar-december-2021/ Catholic Feast days & liturgy for December: https://www.vercalendario. info/en/event/catholic-liturgy-month-december-2021.html

LEO

SAGITTARIUS

Your abilities are in the spotlight for everyone realizes without you the work needed for the new era would not materialize. There’s praise for your ongoing accomplishments, praise for the connections you make and for the important people and events you cultivate. In return be sure to provide even greater praise for everyone around you. This brings forth trust, gratitude, pleasure, care and a love not often experienced.

Soon you will tend to even greater tasks.

There may be new friends’ groups, acquaintances, contacts and colleagues and each one becomes a learning and lesson. Some Sag’s are seeking teachers and teachings that will bring harmony and balance into their lives. Some Sags are becoming teachers, professors. All Sags are in a state of seeking a new state of equilibrium. This is because new goals are being formed. They’re not visible yet. But in time they will appear. In all the silence of Sagittarius, speak words of gratitude.

VIRGO

CAPRICORN

TAURUS

It is important to conserve your strength, rest whenever Tend to family, parents and elders and the principle of caring will Assessing what you have and being always and ever thankful possible, and economize all actions each be returned to you a hundred-fold. Perhaps you creates an expansion of inner happiness and day. This is vital for the well-being of all feel unrecognized or unseen during these times. joy. Then life is almost overabundant. This that you are to bring forth for the greater However, this will not last. You will emerge out cultivation of abundance prepares you for the good. It’s also useful to consider what from under any shadows into the light of day transformations that has been and continues assets you have, especially what is hidden away and/ where three lights meet.

There will be new projects to focus on. for all Capricorns.

Seeing and experiencing life as abundant aids or in storage, in boxes, room drawers, safes, or simply lying about on tabletops. These resources await your Now the groundwork is being prepared. Like seeds underground others. You become their mentor in understanding life (filled with both happiness and suffering). You know both. gratitude and attention. They need a new home. Careful sprouting new shoots, your life settles into a new security. with impatience.

GEMINI

You begin to sense a certain level of dignity, selfconfidence and self-assurance in relation with others. It’s as if the sun has begun to shine on all your interactions. You begin to cooperate more and hide less, allow changes of environment to expand your interests, and realize that even enemies and those you don’t resonate with have a certain purpose in your life. Tend to commitments, consider suggestions and learn how to be a better friend.

CANCER

Daily routines begin to take precedence in terms of diet and health, scheduling tasks and chores, and utilizing your energy more effectively. You’re grateful for this awareness. It allows you to nourish yourself while also ordering and organizing the environment. Perhaps your garden called you to attention and the miracle of what each plant presents has shifted your emphasis to the devas. Cultivating your garden you fall in love again.

LIBRA

AQUARIUS

A new self-reliance appears and a new practicality. You reserve your energy for important matters; tend to money with confidence, firmness and decisiveness. Do not overlook your health, become overworked or let your physical body become cold. Tend to yourself and all parts of your life very carefully. Later you will plan holiday parties, inviting people to your home. I see flowers, holiday wreaths and colorful lights everywhere in your home. You are at your best during these festival days.”

For two-and-a half-years or more you will attempt to read more, study, learn and expand your mind.

This brings new prospects, new goals and new people to your life. You recently find yourself making compromises. Although it’s unusual, you feel secure enough in your willingness to help others. Aquarius is about serving humanity and you are learning this. Everyone becomes your friend. The world itself is your companion.

SCORPIO

PISCES

Whatever you ask for seems to come your way. You simply need to state your needs and whatever it is races towards you. Be careful therefore what you seek and ask for. It’s prudent to supervise your money and all life matters carefully. With the first be sure to share generously, giving to those in need. With the second use speech to always radiate goodwill into the world. Both take discipline, which you possess more than most. Something secret or spiritual hovers around you.

•••

Concerned with the future and experiencing constant change you focus intently on work in order to feel useful, responsible and to create order and consistency in your life.

However the changes continue, the future is distant, things dissolve away and health becomes something to tend to. Maintain physical warmth (don’t get cold), create a daily exercise schedule, walk in the sun’s light each day, and maintain a direct and constant contact with Divinity.

Risa D’Angeles • www.nightlightnews.org • risagoodwill@gmail.com 26 / December 2021 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

“Friend” from page 25 Some agencies are looking to update or add policies as a result of this review and all are planning to work with their respective elected city councils or the Board of Supervisors on looking at the findings and seeing if adjustments are needed.

While not all jurisdictions have a dedicated unit with sworn officers responding to behavioral/mental health calls, all of the agencies are supportive of the creation of an independent agency that would aid in response to these calls.

Another key finding: All local agencies require de-escalation, ban chokeholds, neck restraints and similar methods, require less lethal force before deadly force when reasonable to do so, have polices that require release of body-worn footage and more.

How Can You Learn More? he CJC meets quarterly and these meetings are open to the public.

Over the last year (and into the foreseeable future) these meetings have been virtual. Information (including the 2021 report and policies that informed the report) can be found at santacruzcjc.org. For the last few years I’ve served as chair and would be happy to provide additional information if you have questions.

If you have any questions about the CJC, or any other matters in our district, please don’t hesitate to call me at 454-2200. I’m maintaining regular updates on social media as well at www.facebook.com/supervisorfriend.

••• To view the 5-page report, visit https:// tinyurl.com/CJC-2021-Final

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While not all jurisdictions have a dedicated unit with sworn officers responding to behavioral/mental health calls, all of the agencies are supportive of the creation of an independent agency that would aid in response to these calls.

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / December 2021 / 27

COMMUNITY CALENDAR ANNOUNCEMENTS GIVING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON With the heart of the holiday season is upon us comes the biggest time of giving of the year.

Santa Cruz County has always been a place that supports local businesses, local nonprofits and local causes. With supply chains in upheaval and the need greater than ever due to the persistent pandemic wreaking havoc, there has never been a better time to give back to the local Santa Cruz County community.

For those looking for ways to connect and make their holiday celebrations more meaningful, the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County can help. Each year, the Volunteer Center posts an online Holiday Volunteer Guide, which is available at www.scvolunteercenter.org.

For more information see www.scvolunteercenter.org, call 831427-5070, or email connect@scvolunteercenter.org.

RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES The Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region has experienced a 48 percent decrease in new blood donors this year as fewer blood drives took place due to the pandemic.

As the holidays approach and the need for blood increases, you can make a difference.

••• Santa Cruz December 2: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 220 Elk St. December 15: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 220 Elk St. Scotts Valley December 3: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. — Scotts Valley HS, 555 Glenwood Drive Ben Lomond December 4: 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. — Highlands Park Senior Center/San Lorenzo Valley, 8500 Highway 9 ••• Those who come to give Dec. 1-16 will get a $10 Amazon. com Gift Card by email, and be automatically entered for a chance to win a private screening of the new film, The Matrix Resurrections, for 50 people.

Have a virtual or live event you want to promote?

Send your information to info@cyber-times.com by December 20 Boardwalk Bowl league players who bring in 3 cans of unexpired food during league play get 3 bowling passes for future use.

“We are very proud to again offer Strike Out Hunger in support of Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County,” said Willie King, director of Boardwalk Bowl. “Strike Out Hunger helps feed local families in need while having fun.”

Now in its 14th year, Strike Out Hunger received the Charity of the Year Award from the Bowling Proprietors Associations of Ameirca and is the official charity of the Northern California Bowling Centers.

For information, visit https://boardwalkbowl.com/strike-outhunger Some restrictions apply.

STATE PARKS FRIENDS SALE The Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks once-a-year ParkStore Holiday Sale will take place over the first two weekends in December.

The first weekend — Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 4-5 — will be exclusively at the ParkStore Online at https://thatsmypark.org/collections/.

The second weekend, Dec. 11-12, will be in-person from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the following locations: • Seacliff State Beach, 201 State Park Drive, Aptos • Natural Bridges State Beach, 2531 W. Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz • Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park, 144 School St., Santa Cruz • Wilder Ranch State Park, 1401 Coast Road, Santa Cruz

Members will receive 30% discounts on select iconic Michael Schwab illustrated apparel, plus maps, nature guides, local history books, and educational toys.

Non-members receive 20% off.

Proceeds benefit local state parks.

PROPERTY TAX BILL DUE The Santa Cruz County has mailed out property tax bills, and the first due date is approaching.

Your bill can be paid in two installments. The first installment was due on Nov. 1 and becomes delinquent after Dec. 10, and a penalty is charged. The 2nd installment is due Feb. 1 and becomes delinquent after April 10.

Penalties will be incurred if not paid before becoming delinquent.

SUPPORT FOR MOTHERS OF SURVIVORS Survivors Healing Center is offering online women’s support groups and mothers of survivors of childhood sexual abuse support group. The goals are to empower through a healing process and prevent sexual abuse of children and youth.

You are not alone. You are not to blame.

More information: (831) 423-7601 or www.survivorshealing center.org

TWO NEW GRACE HARBOR SHOPS The Rustic Table Restaurant and Lighthouse Treasures Shoppe are open at 55 Brennan St., Watsonville, sharing space with Grace Harbor Women’s Center, a satellite of the nonprofit faithbased Teen Challenge Monterey Bay and Pajaro Rescue Mission.

TINY HOMES INPUT Grace Harbor is a shelter and recovery program for County planner Daisy Allen will seek feedback from county residents on tiny homes at three virtual evening women (and their children) facing life controlling issues such as drugs and alcohol. meetings via Microsoft Teams. Among the questions: Hours at Rustic Table, a professionally trained student• Are tiny homes appropriate in all areas of Santa run restaurant with dine-in and pick-up options, are Cruz County?

• Where should tiny homes be located on a property? Monday through Saturday 8 am-3 pm.

• What development standards should be required for Hours at Lighthouse Treasures Shoppe, a secondhand retail store run by Teen Challenge students and staff, are tiny homes?

Monday through Saturday 10am-5pm.

• What kind of permits are appropriate?

The phone for both places is 831-761-3191.

• What utility hookups should be required?

ONGOING EVENTS Ongoing Through Sunday December 12 MI CASA ES TU CASA EXHIBIT Pajaro Valley Arts, 37 Sudden St., Watsonville Mi Casa es Tu Casa is Pajaro Valley Arts’ annual exhibit inspired by Día de Los Muertos/Day of the Dead, a traditional holiday in Mexico that remembers community members and family who have passed away.

Altars/Ofrendas are built in homes, churches, schools, cemeteries, and museums that honor and remember the dead.

SENIOR CENTER WITHOUT LIMITS This new program from Community Bridges brings enrichment activities like yoga, art, music, tai chi, cooking, tech and support groups to seniors age 60 and up in their homes at no cost.

To participate, you need an internet connection and a computer, tablet or smartphone.

To participate, view the calendar at https://communitybridges.org/SCWOL/ and find a class. That day and time, click on the link in the calendar to be connected. If you have a problem connecting, call Clara Munoz at (831) 458-3481.

STRIKE OUT HUNGER RETURNS TO BOARDWALK BOWL After a year’s hiatus due to the pandemic, the Boardwalk Bowl in Santa Cruz is once again hosting the Strike Out Hunger food drive through Jan. 2.

Bowlers of all skill levels and ages can participate.

They get to bowl for free by bringing a can of food for Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County to help feed local families.

In 2019, Strike out Hunger provided 21,334 meals to local families in need.

Participants who make a $100 cash donation to Second Harvest during Strike Out Hunger will receive 25 free bowling passes for use during future visits to the Boardwalk Bowl.

Tiny homes are defined as homes less than 400 square feet, providing separate, independent living quarters and including areas for cooking, sleeping, and toilet and bathing.

Three virtual meetings will be from 6-7:30 p.m.

To participate via phone: +1 916-318-9542.

Each meeting has a different focus: Wednesday, Dec. 1: Coastal Urban Area Online: https://tinyurl.com/tiny-home-urban Phone Conference ID: 772 527 750# Tuesday, Dec. 7: Rural Concerns Online: https://tinyurl.com/tiny-home-rural Phone Conference ID: 358 258 277# Thursday, Dec. 9: South County Online: https://tinyurl.com/tiny-home-sc Phone Conference ID: 667 185 385# The regulations will go to a Planning Commission hearing before a hearing by the Board of Supervisors.

See: https://www.sccoplanning.com/.

For information or to provide input via email, call Daisy Allen, Senior Planner, 831-454-2801, or email daisy.allen@ santacruzcounty.us.

TOY TRAINS ARE BACK Thursday December 16 thru Sunday December 26 Noon-6 p.m., Museum of Art & History, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz Visit the whimsical world of Toy Trains, hosted by the Museum of Art & History for the 16th year.

Members of the Golden State Toy Train Operators will be on hand Thursdays thru Sundays to share their amazing collection of toy trains. The exhibit will close early at 3 p.m. on Dec. 24, and will be closed Christmas Day. Masks are required when viewing the train display. There is no charge to view the exhibit. https://www.santacruzmah.org

28 / December 2021 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

Ongoing thru December 17 SECOND HARVEST FOOD DRIVE AT MT. MADONNA Second graders taught by teacher Prema Gammons at Mount Madonna School are leading a campaign to collect food for Second Harvest Food Bank to feed those in need.

They put up posters they created to ask classmates to help.

Collection barrels are at the upper and lower campus school offices. Donations will be accepted through Dec. 17. They’ve already raised $52.

To make a monetary contribution, visit https://give. thefoodbank.org/teams/16653-mount-madonna-school.

Tuesdays GRIEF THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS Ongoing thru December 14, phone or online.

Hospice of Santa Cruz County offers individual grief support sessions (via phone or Zoom) and a special group, Coping with Grief though the Winter Holidays, meeting virtually via Zoom on Tuesday evenings.

Call (831) 430-3000 for more information and to register.

Third Thursday Each Month

COMMUNITY CALENDAR PET LOSS AND GRIEF SUPPORT VIA ZOOM 6 to 7:30 p.m., virtual meeting BirchBark Foundation’s Pet Loss and Grief Support Zoom group offers a free support group, moderated by a licensed grief counseling therapist, on the third Thursday of each month.

Register at https://www.birchbarkfoundation.org/griefsupport or call 831-471-7255.

Friday December 3

Holiday Festival. Wine tasting with purchase of $15 glass; food available for purchase.

AUCTION FOR HOMELESS GARDEN PROJECT Visit https://bargetto.com/pec-events/annual-art-in6-8 p.m., Resource Center for Nonviolence, 612 Ocean St., SC the-cellars-holiday-festival/ for more information.

The Homeless Garden Project presents Sustain Admission is free; dress warmly.

Auction: a First Friday Holiday Reception and FunHOLIDAY COOKIE WALK draiser at the Resource Center for Nonviolence.

Featuring wine and light fare from Soif restaurant, Noon-4 p.m., Capitola Village each ticket will include a gift bag of organic products, Take a walk around historic Capitola Village and fill your a live auction, remarks from outgoing Santa Cruz box with delicious holiday cookies from participating DATED EVENTS Mayor Donna Meyers and incoming mayor Sonja stores.

Brunner (invited) and a garden trainee talking about Wednesday December 1 Tickets are $20 per person at https://www. his experience in the transitional employment eventbrite.com/e/capitola-village-cookie-walkCABRILLO IMPROV FOLLIES program. tickets-214366284327.

7 p.m., Black Box Theater at Cabrillo College, Aptos Executive Director Darrie Ganzhorn said, “Sustain Proceeds benefit Salvation Army’s Angel Tree. Boxes Cabrillo College Theatre Arts Department presents invites us to gather safely in person and celebrate the for the cookies will be provided. an evening of improvisation in the Black Box success of our trainees, as we raise funds to grow our Bring your registration with you to Capitola Candy Café at 205 Theatre. Students in the Improvisation class will program and operations at a critical time.”

Capitola Ave. perform fun and thought provoking skits as their The auction includes a weeklong stay in Galway, final exam.

Ireland, a sail on the SF Bay, a private flight to Napa’s Tickets available the day of the event; box office at Crocker Sunday December 5 wine country, and a stay at Yosemite.

Theater opens at 6 p.m. Call (831) 479-6154 Sunday December 12 Proceeds benefit the transitional employment program. Tickets are $100 per person or $50 without GREY BEARS DRIVE-THROUGH HOLIDAY MEAL Thursday December 2 gift bag.at www.homelessgardenproject.org 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Watsonville Senior Center, 114 E. Fifth St. / PUBLIC HEARING ON DISTRICT ELECTIONS Covid protocols require proof of vaccination and ID, or 2710 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz 1 p.m., online and at Central Fire Administration, 930 17th negative PCR test within 48 hours, and indoor masking.

Grey Bears is doing their drive-though holiday meals Ave., Santa Cruz again this year.

To comply with the California Voting Rights Act and BIG BAND JAZZ The Dec. 5 pick-up schedule at 2710 Chanticleer Ave. avoid a lawsuit, Central Fire District plans to switch 7:30 p.m., Crocker Theater, Aptos is full, but there is still availability at the Watsonville from at-large board member elections to district by The Cabrillo College Jazz Ensemble plays Big Band Senior Center. district by November 2022. Local governments have Jazz at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3 at the Crocker Dec. 12 pickups were recently added. Check for faced an estimated $16 million in settlements and Theater. availability. court awards.

All patrons are required to wear a face mask covering A vegetarian option is available.

Central Fire includes 76,649 residents in Aptos, La their nose and mouth indoors and throughout the To sign up, go to https://greybears.org/dinner-2021/ Selva, Rio Del Mar, Capitola, Soquel and Live Oak, 22% performance, regardless of vaccination status.

Hispanic and 67% white, with 59,107 of voting age, Tickets are $12; students, $10, seniors, $8. For tickets, see 14% Hispanic and 79% white. https://www.cabrillo.edu/vapa/ The first public hearing was Nov. 18. Hearings also are scheduled for Jan. 13 at 9 a.m., and Feb. 10 at 9 a.m.

Friday December 3 Maps are to be released by Jan. 6, with map Saturday December 4 adoption by April 17. Lines for the five fire district board members could follow city or school district HERITAGE HOLIDAY CRAFT & GIFT FAIR boundaries or the freeway, mountain and coast.

The Heritage Holiday Craft & Gift Fair will take place Another question is whether residents prefer to have noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 3-4, at the one representative on the fire board for their comcounty fairgrounds in Watsonville, filling the Harvest, munity, or more than one.

Crosetti, and Fine Art buildings.

For info, call (831) 479-6842 or email PublicComments@ Besides handmade crafts and gifts, there will be centralfiresc.org antiques, collectibles, toys, and more. Many crafters Visit https://www.centralfiresc.org/2279/Re-Districtingreturn year after year. Food favorites will be available for Process-2021-2022 sale in the Heritage Holiday Kitchens.

Admission $6 per person; kids 6 and under are free.

Thursday December 2 Parking is free. Shuttle service to the building doors Friday December 3 until 5 p.m.

HOLIDAY ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR New this year, Holiday Lights at the fairgrounds will 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Community Health Trust (Kathleen King offer a walk through the lights each evening. Those Room), 85 Nielson St., Watsonville attending the Holiday Fair earlier in the day can get a After a year-and-a-half of distancing, the Watsonville hand stamp to re-enter that evening when the entire Silver Circle will roll out its Holiday Arts & Crafts Fair at Fairgrounds turns into a lighted holiday spectacular — the Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley — opposite fun for the whole family. the Watsonville Community Hospital main entrance.

Info: https://fairgrounds-foundation.org More than 20 artists will show and sell artwork and crafts, plus live music by Jesse Martinez and free cider and cookies. The spacious, airy room will be lit up with a Saturday December 4 Christmas tree and beautiful decorations.

HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR/TREE LIGHTING Watch Chris Martinez demonstrate how to turn wool 1-5 p.m., Aptos Village Green into yarn and Lynn Stewart turn yarn into lovely knitted The Aptos Chamber of Commerce will host the return of items. Christine West has handmade greeting cards and its annual Holiday Craft Fair and Tree Lighting Ceremony exquisite shadow boxes. Sonia Westphal will show her at Aptos Village Green. quilts and purses.

Call 831-688-1467 for more information.

Claudia Harden will display her hand-painted Ukrainian eggs and Barb Scoles will show her hand-carved Santas.

Saturday December 4 Louise Coombs has hand-sewn masks in all sizes and Sunday December 5 colors. Local authors Debra Smith and Joyce Oroz will have their books on hand. There will be pottery, gourmet ART IN THE CELLARS items by Julie Conrad, wind chimes, glass art and 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Bargetto Winery, 3535 N. Main St., Soquel handmade jewelry. Oh yes, and baked goods!

Bargetto Winery will host their annual “Art in the Cellars”

Tuesday December 7 WINTER PRODUCE COOKING DEMO 4-5 p.m., Zoom Class Chef Brandon Miller will conduct the final Zoom cooking demonstration of 2021 for Everyone’s Harvest Certified Farmers’ Markets 4-5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 7, on side dishes for the holidays featuring winter produce such as squash, Brussels sprouts and root vegetables.

Join Zoom at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8714789736 5?pwd=QUFIdU1oalc2TnViKzdhRVdVZjNWUT09 Meeting ID: 871 4789 7365 • Passcode: 264018 One tap mobile: +16699006833,,87147897365#,,,,*264018# US (San Jose)

Friday December 10 Saturday December 11 WATSONVILLE COMMUNITY BAND CONCERTS 7 p.m., Mello Center (Friday), 250 E. Beach St., Watsonville / Peace United Church (Saturday), 900 High St., Santa Cruz The Watsonville Community Band, founded in 1947, will stage its 74th annual Winter Concert Series, free to the public.

There will be two performances, Friday at the Mello Center in Watsonville, and Saturday at Peace United Church in Santa Cruz.

Also performing: The Watsonville Youth Band.

Thursday December 16

BREAKFAST WITH REP. PANETTA 7:30-9 a.m., Best Western Seacliff Inn, 7500 Old Dominion Ct, Aptos Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) will speak at a breakfast presented by the Aptos Chamber of Commerce at the Seacliff Inn. Price is $25 for members and $30 for non-members.

Register at 831-688-1467. n

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / December 2021 / 29

FEATURED COLUMNIST

Redistricting, Tiny Homes, and Fire Prevention

By Manu Koenig, Supervisor, First District

Redistricting: New Boundary Lines n Nov. 16, the Board of Supervisors voted to adapt new supervisorial boundaries to reflect the latest census count. The 1st District gained some residents and lost some residents when we finalized the maps for supervisorial redistricting. In Live Oak, 613 residents in the East Harbor area switched from the 3rd District to the 1st District. This change unites the Harbor-Twin Lakes Beach community. It was clear after the discussions on the Live Oak Parking program this past spring that we are one community of interest. I’m excited to welcome the East Harbor Neighborhood to the 1st District!

In Scotts Valley, 2,322 East Scotts Valley residents left the 1st District to join the 5th District, uniting the City of Scotts Valley. I supported reunifying Scotts Valley because it’s what my Scotts Valley constituents asked me to do. Moreover, putting cities in one district when practicable is required under the State’s FAIR MAPs act.

While the 1st District will now have the least voters in total population, we still

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have the most unincorporated residents.

In fact, 34% of the county’s unincorporated residents live in the 1st District. This is why I will work to get more resources for District 1, to provide the quality full-service government you deserve.

••• Tiny Homes Talk Beginning Soon! ousing remains a top priority for our office and we continue to work on identifying additional ways to provide housing within our community.

One way to create more housing options in our community is by allowing “Tiny Homes” to be legal dwelling units (current County Code requires homes to be a minimum of 150 square feet, and to sit on a permanent foundation).

Our office first requested the Planning Department to present options for Tiny Homes (including Movable Tiny Homes/ Tiny Homes on Wheels) as legal dwelling units back in January 2021, and Tiny Homes were initially included in the ADU amendment process which was already underway.

The Planning Commission, however, voted in March to separate discussion of Tiny Homes from the ADU process.

Now that the Board of Supervisors has approved the changes to our county Accessory Dwelling Units regulations, planning staff will turn their attention to the Tiny Home project.

First steps include virtual community meetings in early December, including a meeting focused on the urban/coastal area at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1.

To view the meeting dates

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SPECIALTY SCREEN & GLASS SHOP Contact us for a free on-site consultation.

831-476-2023 Skylightplace.com

30 / December 2021 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

Local Local Local

or to access instructions for joining the meetings, visit https://www.sccoplanning. com/ADU.aspx. To submit comments about Tiny Homes, or to sign up to receive email updates, email Planner Daisy Allen, Daisy.Allen@santacruzcounty.us.

••• More FireSafe Funding! he County of Santa Cruz Office of Response, Recovery and Resilience has been awarded a $175,000 California FireSafe Council grant to increase community preparedness in the face of increased wildfire threats.

The grant will fund a new position to coordinate and align neighborhood-level and landscape-scale fire protection activities throughout the County in order to improve and expand local wildfire resilience, including hazardous fuel reduction efforts and sharing wildfire preparedness information and services across all socioeconomic groups, including underserved communities.

The County’s award was one of a handful across the state of California.

The success of getting this grant was a collaboration between the OR3, the Resource Conservation District, and the Fire Safe Council of Santa Cruz County.

Funding for the grant is provided by Cal Fire.

The grants prioritize counties with a high percentage of very high fire hazard severity zones, a history of damaging fires, and a higher proportion of disadvantaged and/or low-income communities.

Santa Cruz County is currently home to ten fire protection agencies, four

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The inside of a tiny home

FireSafe Councils and 16 FireWise Communities, along with agencies such as the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County, which helps manage fire prevention activities throughout the County.

••• Want to get in touch with us? eginning in 2022, we will host monthly in-person meetings at rotating locations throughout the First District. Check out our website, http://www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/ Government/BoardofSupervisors/District1.aspx, for upcoming meeting details.

As always, we welcome you to reach out to us any time at (831) 454-2200 or email at first.district@santacruzcounty.us. Hope to see you soon! n

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SCCAS Featured Pet MEET OUR DOCTORS!

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Cider is Ready to Spice Up Your Life!

crossword on 25 »

ider is a loving, smart, and hilarious boy who is going to make his future family so happy!

His tail is always wagging, and he has the cutest little prancing walk.

He’ll sit for treats and food (with his tail still going a mile a minute.)

Cider loves running around and playing with the other dog in his foster home but is equally happy to curl up in an available lap or soft space to spend down time with you. He’s a great little co-working buddy!

He’s also great with the foster family cat and will gently try to cuddle with him, but also catches the hint and leaves him alone when the cat isn’t feeling it.

Cider can be a little nervous and bark at new people, but once he realizes you’re a friend he’ll greet you excitedly with kisses and cuddles. He’s been a quick learner with potty training and sleeps quietly through the night in his crate and pen. He’d do great with a patient adopter who can help him work on his confidence with new people and places and help him with his puppy training through positive reinforcement.

Cider is available at the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter located at 1001 Rodriguez St. and we are open everyday (excluding holidays) from noon-5pm.

We will be closed Thursday, November 24th and Friday, November 25th.

For more information on adoptions and resources please visit www.scanimalshelter.org. n ••• Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter’s full-service, open-admission shelter: Santa Cruz Location (Public Entrance): 1001 Rodriguez St., Santa Cruz, 95062 Hours: Daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Watsonville Location: CURRENTLY CLOSED 580 Airport Blvd, Watsonville, CA 95076 SCCAS Main line: 831-454-7200. Animal Control: 831-454-7227. After-Hours Emergency: 831-471-1182 • After Hours: jillian.ganley@santacruzcounty.us

Dr. Nichole Brooks was born and raised in Sonoma County, California. She received her bachelor’s degree from University of California Santa Cruz in 1999. After her bachelor’s degree she worked as a senior keeper for an African Wildlife Preserve called Safari West in Sonoma County. Dr. Brooks then pursued advanced training at St. George’s University, West Indies where she completed her doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Brooks completed her clinical year at North Carolina State University.

Dr. Brooks loves being a general practitioner and enjoys the excitement of surgery and challenging medical cases. Dr. Brooks focuses on preventative care, surgery, and medical treatment of a variety of diseases. Dr. Brooks enjoys the ocean, hiking, wildlife and spending time with her family.

Dr. Nichole Brooks, DVM. She has been with us for a few months now and is fitting in like a dream!

Dr. Brooks works Tuesday through Friday, and is currently accepting new patients.

1980 41st Avenue, Capitola, CA 95010 831.222.5520

Reality TV © Statepoint Media

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / December 2021 / 31

Merry Christmas May your heart be warm with happiness & your home be filled with joy through this holiday season and always. Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

AMBER MELENUDO REALTOR® 831.566.2263 AmberMelenudo.com ambermelenudo@gmail.com DRE 01921098