Capitola Soquel Times: April 2024

Lorraine Kalei Kinnamon

Director of Te Hau Nui School of Hula and Tahitian Dance

By Charmaine Moniz

Lorraine Kinnamon, founder of Te Hau Nui School of Hula and Tahitian Dance and a master hula teacher whose career in Santa Cruz County began in 1997, left this earth on March 3. She was 66.

For years, she lived in Capitola, but most recently in Aptos.

She was born on Nov. 14, 1957, in Toronto, Canada, where she began her love of dance with ballet classes at the age of 6. It was fortuitous that our German-born parents, Sonja Aiwohi and Hans Krause, moved our family to Kailua, Hawaii in 1968 when Lorraine was 10. Ballet classes were unavailable in Kailua, so my mother signed us all up for hula and Tahitian classes in Kaneohe, Hawaii, with hula teacher Bobbie Butterworth. ... continued on page 4

Come Out and Play: Capitola Beach Festival

The Capitola Beach Festival invites you to join in the fun on Sept. 28 and 29 when we present two days of activities for you, family, and friends. No vendors, no food booths, just playful fun (mostly free) at Capitola Beach.

Full Story page 9

Innovation in Teen Mental Health

Full Story page 7

Soquel Students

Discover Fossil

Local students from Tara Redwood School playing in the Santa Cruz Mountains last spring found a strange object that they suspected was a bone from a large animal.

Full Story page 6

Cover

Lorraine Kalei Kinnamon: ~ 1957-2024 ~ Director of Te Hau Nui School of Hula and Tahitian Dance, By Charmaine Moniz

Community News

6 Soquel Students Discover Fossil

7 Innovation in Teen Mental Health: Soquel Nonprofit Gets National Award & $100,000

9 Come Out and Play: Capitola Beach Festival, By Laurie Hill

11 Uplift: $14 Million for Central Coast: Goal – Create More Family-Supporting Jobs, By Jondi Gumz

12 QingMing: Keeping History Alive

13 Capitola Avenue Overpass to Close for 14 Months

14 Highway 17 Plan for the Future: Caltrans Online Community Meeting on April 3 • March 5 Election Update

16 No-Cost Chipping: Apply in April! • County Fair Theme: Pioneer Days to Modern Ways

17 Monk of Mokha Book Cover Winners • TEDxSantaCruz Available on Free Live Stream

20 Willowbrook Park Memorial Complete: A Symbol of Love: Remembering Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, By Forrest Revere

21 Driftwood Nursing Home Parent Settles for Nearly $22 Million

22 Lawsuit: Stop Hwy 1 Auxiliary Lanes in Aptos, By Jondi Gumz

23 Second Harvest Honors Crowe, Mosier • Oceanfront Property in Aptos for Sale

24 Filipino American Stories from the Pajaro Valley: Santa Cruz Museum Hosts Exhibit April 12-Aug. 14

27 Soquel

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“Kinnamon” from page 1

This began Lorraine’s love of hula and Tahitian dance, her love of performing, and a deep feeling reverence for Hawaiian culture. Every Sunday, we would perform on the large stage at Ala Moana Shopping Center, draped in fresh plumeria lei picked from our backyard and made with our own hands.

Lorraine was confident, coordinated, and comfortable in her body, which resulted in a lifetime of joyful dancing shared with audiences all over the world.

In high school she joined the Kailua High School Madrigals, a select group of singers and dancers who entertained audiences all over Honolulu with “The Sounds of Young Hawaii,” led by the talented choir director Shigeru Hotoke. Lorraine had the privilege of being chosen to travel around the world two summers to perform in California, Montreal, Canada, Munich, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Bali.

While performing in Germany, her German grandparents proudly sat in the audience to watch their granddaughter entertain them Hawaiian style, something they had never seen!

Back home, Lorraine performed with The Sounds of Young Hawaii at the Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki where they shared the stage with celebrities such as Hilo Hattie, Sol Bright and with Jack Lord in attendance.

Later, Lorraine thoroughly enjoyed the disco era in the lively nightlife of Waikiki where she literally “danced the night away,” winning disco dance contests with her New York trained dance partner.

In 1978, Lorraine moved to Berkeley. There she was motivated to expand her life experiences and was drawn to the activism and excitement of that time and place, while continuing to take dance classes, moving her body to lively African drums, other dance forms, and yoga, which she continued to practice into the last weeks of her life.

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In 1986, Lorraine made her way to Santa Cruz to attend UC Santa Cruz, where she earned a degree in environmental studies since her parents discouraged her from pursuing a career in dance.

Her second passion was a deep concern for our precious Mother Earth. She had a strong reverence for nature, all the way back to elementary school when she created a “Pollution Club’’ and wrote a fun theme song to go along with it!

Lorraine also loved to hike, backpack, and adventure into the deep woods away from the hustle and bustle of the modern world.

Her first job after graduation was at Natural Bridges State Park where she worked as a docent educating visitors about our beautiful Monarch butterflies. Later she worked for the Monterey Bay Aquarium, educating visitors to be stewards of our unique ocean ecosystem. She also worked with local nonprofits such as Save Our Shores and the Museum of Art and History. While working, she danced hula with Jacinta McGinnis and Kumu Clark Bolivar.

In 1997, Lorraine made the shift to become a hula teacher and began teaching at Capitola Recreation Center. In 2001, she married her beloved husband Ted Kinnamon, who supported her dreams and helped make it possible for Lorraine to commit even more time to teaching hula.

Michael Oppenheimer, Camisa Composti

Michael Oppenheimer website photography

Lorraine Kinnamon teaching the children.

Lorraine Kinnamon

She found her way to the beautiful Mount Madonna campus where she taught elementary dance from 2002 through 2014. There she choreographed hundreds of dances for Ramayana productions, cultural awareness shows and winter concerts.

In 2012 she completed a three-year Uniki training program on the Big Island with expert Kumu Hula Lehua Frank Kawaikapu Hewett. Upon completing this program, she earned the esteemed title of Kumu Hula (master hula teacher).

Shortly thereafter, she came full circle, and accomplished what her parents had discouraged her from doing. Lorraine opened her own Hula Halau (hula school): Te Hau Nui School of Hula and Tahitian Dance on Soquel Avenue, finally turning her passion for dance into a successful career.

In 2020, COVID required her to close those doors but she continued to teach hula outdoors and eventually found a new home at Pleasure Point Dance studio on Portola Drive.

Lorraine was an accomplished entertainer, inspired by her mentor Shigero Hotoke.

In her 27 years of teaching in Santa Cruz, she led us in four fabulous “Hoike” productions (hula recitals). Te Hau Nui School of Hula and Tahitian dance entertained large audiences at the Pacific Cultural Center, Rio Theatre, Aptos Theater and Cabrillo College Crocker Theater. She collaborated with many of our beloved local musicians as well as well-

known musicians from Hawaii. Te Hau Nui was blessed to share the stage with Taj Mahal, Eddie Kamai, Henry Kapona, Keola Beamer, Hapa, Steven Inglis, John Cruz, Walt Keale, George Kahumoku, Playing For Change, and more!

Lorraine was a gifted Kumu Hula, an exceptionally graceful dancer, a creative and fun choreographer, composer, singer, chanter, poet and comedian. Truly a multi-talented woman and a treasured community member.

She was deeply spiritual and a wisdomseeker. She followed many well-respected spiritual leaders, teachers, writers and poets. She valued meaningful connections, mindfulness, kindness, diversity, inclusion and bridging cultures with music and dance. She was highly respected and held in high esteem by all who knew her and had the blessing of working with her.

ingly, she rallied and was able to re-enter life for a few months when she appeared to be in remission, and was able to visit her precious home of Kailua, Hawaii, one last time with Ted.

Blessed were those precious days and moments of reconnecting with her Halau, and appearing as the master of ceremonies once again for a hula performance at our favorite community event, the Capitola Art and Wine Festival.

She celebrated her 66th birthday in a delightful sacred hula circle with her hula halau students where tender words, love and appreciation were expressed by all. We celebrated the holiday season with our annual Holiday Hula event and our favorite Santa Claus, Vince Tuzzi, as guest to surprise our precious keiki (children).

Lorraine for this gift and our many treasured memories. She has left us this treasured legacy.

Find Te Hau Nui School of Hula and Tahitian Dance at its new home for classes at the 418 Project at 155 River St. South, Santa Cruz. See: https://www.the418project.org/ Lorraine was my beloved older sister. I can’t imagine my life without her.

Rest in peace, my beloved sister. You will be missed beyond measure. We will carry on and make you proud! Your teachings informed who we are because you lived your truth with great integrity and embodied grace. You were a bright light that now shines from the heavens upon us.

Lorraine is survived by her husband Ted Kinnamon of Ashland OR, sister Charmaine Moniz of Santa Cruz, brother Ralph Krause of Hilo, Hawaii, nephew Kasay Moniz of Seattle, WA, nieces Lia Moniz of Ogden, Utah, Meli Murray of Poulsbo, WA and Emalie Moniz of Culver City, CA.

Stricken by ovarian cancer, Lorraine fought a courageous fight for 10 months.

During those intense last months of her life, Te Hau Nui carried on, holding her close to our hearts as we prayed for miracles. Amaz-

Te Hau Nui School of Hula and Tahitian Dance is stronger and more deeply connected than ever! We are a united group of women and families committed to continuing to dance hula together because we love it, we love each other and we need to support each other through our grief. We are all so grateful to

In the words of poet David Whyte, who Lorraine loved, “Joy is the meeting place of deep intentionality…. Joy is the sheer privilege of being in the presence of a mountain, a sky, or a well-loved familiar face. I was here and you were here and together we made a world.” n

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Cover Photo: Lorraine Kinnamon on stage with Playing for Change with niece Emalie Konia Moniz center and sister Charmaine Moniz

Lorraine Kinnamon, with husband Ted and her younger sister Charmaine in Kailua, Hawaii.

Soquel Students Discover Fossil

Local students from Tara Redwood School playing in the Santa Cruz Mountains last spring found a strange object that they suspected was a bone from a large animal. This bone was brought to the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History where the Paleontology Collections Advisor Wayne Thompson recognized it as a fossil arm bone likely belonging to an ancient sloth.

Thompson called in fossil sloth experts who agreed this bone came from a Jefferson’s ground sloth (Megalonyx jeffersonii), making this specimen the first ever fossil evidence for this species reported in Santa Cruz County.

“Megalonyx jeffersonii is one of the very first fossils documented in North America it’s just one of those iconic animals that more people should know about,” said ground sloth expert Melissa Macias.

The Museum of Natural History is working with local scientists to determine whether it is possible to come up with a precise age for this specimen.

This find follows on the heels of the mastodon tooth discovered on Rio Del Mar beach in 2023.

“Fossils are a great way to engage people with the deep past,” said Felicia Van Stolk, the Museum’s executive director, “and we’re so excited that young students made this important discovery that will continue to inspire generations of museum visitors and scientists.”

Jefferson’s ground sloths are extinct, plant-eating mammals with blunt snouts. At full size they were about the size of an ox, weighing 2,200-2,425 lbs. They mostly lived alongside rivers and lakes in woodlands

and forests, and their long sharp claws were probably used for grasping at food, such as stripping leaves from branches. These threetoed sloths walked on all fours but could stand on their hind legs, and some used caves for shelter.

The Museum engaged local science illustrator Mason Schratter to bring this species back to life in a gorgeous depiction of the Santa Cruz landscape in the Ice Age. This artwork will be exhibited alongside the fossil in the Museum’s annual exhibit of science illustration, The Art of Nature, open March 23 - May 26.

After the exhibit, the fossil will be carefully stored in the Museum’s collections where it will be accessible for research and future publication.

Proud student with Wayne Thompson

Innovation in Teen Mental Health

Soquel Nonprofit Gets National Award & $100,000

As the youth mental health crisis grows, so does the shortage of qualified therapists.

This is why Lori Butterworth, an awardwinning nonprofit leader and child advocate, and Dr. Ramona Friedman, a child and adolescent psychologist teamed up to launch the Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, which has a location in Soquel and is dedicated to expanding access to affordable, evidence-based mental health support to children, teens, and young adults.

Their vision for addressing this youth crisis has been embraced by Morgan Stanley, which launched its mental health innovation awards in 2021.

This year, the new nonprofit with a location in Soquel is one of five national winners to receive $100,000, selected from hundreds of applications for its commitment to expanding services for first-generation American teens and families.

CCAMH plans to add a “First-Gen Teen Center” designed to empower first-generation American teen advisors to become peer mentors and help train new therapists to provide cul turally informed support.

“Parents are des perately seeking mental health support for their kids,” said Butterworth, who lives in Soquel. “I am excited about how this award and recognition from Morgan Stanley will allow us to address the mental health challenges of youth and their families starting in our local communities.”

Established in June 2023, the Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health has opened youth mental health centers in San Luis Obispo, where Friedman has a clinic, and Soquel, where monthly drop-in Zoom sessions take place for immi grant youth.

She added, “I am not only thrilled to be fulfilling my goal to provide more access to the youth and families, but I am aware of the impact of this award to help us provide expanded access to mental health services to children and families from marginalized communities.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Children’s Hospital Association have all declared a national state of emergency in children’s mental health, triggered by lockdowns during the three-year Covid-19 pandemic that left teens isolated with few resources to call upon.

Their model balances a combination of free and affordable evidence-based mental health services, which include teen advisory groups, parent/family support, youth counseling sessions, and training and supervision for emerging counselors, therapists, and child psychologists.

“With 13 years of experience as a clinical psychologist focused on youth mental health on the Central Coast, I am very aware of the needs of the youth and families in our community,” said Friedman, who is president as well as co-founder of CCAMH.

For teens nationwide, the second leading cause of death is suicide.

“Our youth can face mounting mental health challenges and together we must rise to the challenge by mobilizing innovative solutions to meet their needs,” said U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta. D- Carmel Valley. “Thankfully, organizations like the Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health are stepping up to expand access to quality, evidence-based youth mental health in California’s 19th Congressional District. This investment is a testament to this organization’s vital work and our community’s concern and care for the future of our children.”

Although the Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health is relatively new, its work has been praised by countless families as well as the American Psychological Association.

“The American Psychological Association applauds the efforts of the Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health for innovation in expanding access to mental health care support for the most vulnerable among us,” said Association CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr. “We are gratified that this program was inspired by our collective work to promote population health, which seeks to prevent mental illness by working with people before they have a full-fledged diagnosis.”

“Teen Mental Health” page 10

Lori Butterworth (left) and Ramona Friedman

FEATURED COLUMNIST

‘Boys Don’t Cry’

Previous episode: I learned the secrets of making burgers at my mother’s diner in the L.A. Harbor.

This guy named Bill always asked for a burger with a greasy bun. That’s where Mom had to put the bun on the griddle next to the beef patty as it cooked so it got splattered by the sizzling juices. You might expect a longshoreman or a truck driver to order a burger with a greasy bun. But Bill was a freight expediter.

While most of our customers stank from loading cargo or working on oil rigs, wore ratty clothes and a two-day stubble, Bill was slick, wellscrubbed and wore slacks and a a white shirt.

you even asking. But sometimes he’d shock you with a glaring observation: “On my way over, I saw your father on a bus from Reno,” he said. “Is he moving back in?”

The three of us, Mom, Laura, and I—all at opposite ends of the café—turned and looked at one another. Was Dad trying to finagle his way back into our lives again?

Bill was there too, and when he saw our reaction, he fidgeted a bit, but quietly kept chomping on his burger.

When lunch wound down, Mom made a burger for Manny, and gave him some fries and a coke. I felt trapped. Mom knew I was getting upset about Dad and wanted to get out of there.

EDITOR’S WARNING: This column describes an episode of family violence.

One day I was bussing tables and I had a dozen spoons, cups, and saucers tangled up in my hands. Bill, who was sitting behind me next to the cash register, leaned over, touched my arm and said: “You know, from the side you look just like Herman.”

I immediately spun around and sent saucers and silverware flying everywhere. Some customers got splattered. A few even got stabbed. How did Bill know what Dad looked like? I couldn’t tell if Bill was just one of Dad’s California drinking buddies, or if he had been sent by someone from New York— to hunt Dad down. I learned later from Laura that he was trying to get to know Mom, who showed him some family photos a few days before.

Several days after the flying silverware incident, I arrived late because of extra innings, so the “set-ups” for the burgers weren’t ready. The dirty dishrags were still fermenting in their buckets. The dishrag smell was starting to float out from the shed and into the back door of the diner.

During the lunch rush my basketball buddy, Manny Perez ran in to pick me up for practice. Manny was bright, outgoing, and always willing to offer a smile or tell a story. He enjoyed doing you a favor without

Jwalking up twirling a basketball on his fingertips.

“Get outta here, Manny,” I said, “I’m gonna be late for practice. Go.”

I didn’t know what the hell was going on or what Dad had in mind, but I knew I didn’t want Manny to see any of it.

“This ball’s for you, Joe,” Dad said, with a shaky grovel in his throat. I’d heard it before and it set me off even more.

“Who’s that guy in there?” Dad asked. “What’s he talking to Mom about? I’m worried Joey. Aren’t you?”

“Please talk to Mommy, Joe,” Dad said. “Tell her to let me come home.”

Hurry up, Mom. I thought. I’ve got to go. But still, she made me help her prep the burger patties for the next day, giving me a look that said stay right here and help.

I could see the anguish in her face. None of us wanted to see Dad again. For me, it was all the embarrassments, the agonizing insults and slaps I was too afraid to remember. And I’m sure Mom and Laura had their own reasons for not wanting to see him.

Just then Manny stood up, said thanks and left. Sure, I wanted to go. But since Mom was talking to Bill, I wanted to find out what was going on.

“Mom, is Dad coming back?”

“It’s okay, Joey,” she said, “Your fatha doesn’t live in Vegas anymore. Don’t worry.” Was she lying to make me feel better?

“Go, Joey, go,” Mom said. “Go to practice.”

Laura was hovering over the counter, polishing glasses, and listening in. And she just waved at me to get out of there. And this was the perfect time. I threw my apron in the basket and ran for the door. Manny was already on his bike when I got outside, so I hopped on my bike and started to ride off, when Manny said, “I thought you said your Dad was still in Las Vegas?”

Before I could respond, there Dad was,

Joe Ortiz Memoir: Episodes & Recipes

oe Ortiz’s memoir, Pastina My Father’s Misfortune, My Mother’s Good Soup, became the framework for the musical Escaping Queens, which ran at Cabrillo Stage in 2012 and 2013.

Since 2022, the Capitola Soquel Times is the exclusive publication of various episodes from the book including a recipe that helps shape each installment. You may have read one of the pieces in the Times a few months ago entitled, “Pastina, Food for the Soul The Night Freddie the Bookie Showed Up with the Gun.”

The idea of weaving anecdotes about food with an ongoing narrative came to Joe after reading Heartburn by Nora Ephron.

“Using recipe descriptions to help tell a story seemed the perfect way to weave the angst of a father’s chaotic life with the salvation of a mother’s cooking,” Ortiz explains. “For me, the soothing aromas and descriptions of my mom’s food became the salve to assuage my father’s abusive actions, and the ironic humor of it all helped to dull the pain.” n

But I didn’t say anything. I felt sorry for him. Still, I knew if he came back, he’d bring the misery again. I tried not to say anything that would make him explode but saw that look in his eyes—the exploding volcano.

“Why didn’t you stick up for me, Joey?” Dad said. “I’m ya fatha. Help me out.”

“Dad, I will,” I said, not knowing where that came from. “But I gotta go now, or I’ll be late for practice.”

So I jumped on the bike and sped off, with Dad standing there.

“Get your ass off that bike, Mister! Listen to me. I’m your father.”

I circled around and went back into the café to warn Mom and Laura.

Mom must have ran out to prevent Dad from coming in. I can only imagine that Dad was pleading with Mom to convince her to let him come back home for good again, because I’d seen and heard it at least a dozen times before.

Mom picked up the basketball and shook it at Dad, who must have confronted her about Bill because Laura and I heard Dad say, “Who’s that guy in there? It’s bad for Joey.”

“I know what you’re doing,” Mom said. “You’re using the basketball to get Joe back on your side. So don’t try to change the subject by bringing up Bill.”

She said it was no use. That it could stay the way it had been—the occasional visits. And I’d heard that a dozen times too.

Dad’s face got even more contorted. Then he waved for me to come out and at first I refused. But I’d learned to listen to him, or else.

“Tell your mutha, Joey. Tell her you want me to come home.”

But I went silent.

“Leave him alone, Herman,” Mom said. “It’s too late.”

I broke out crying, even though I tried to hold it back.

“I’m going inside now, Herman. And you better leave too.”

The moment Mom left, Dad exploded and pleaded with me, and the crying got worse. This was too much for Dad, who turned on me.

By Joe Ortiz

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If you need support, call the 24-Hour Crisis Hotline at the local nonprofit Monarch Services: 1-888-900-4232. These highly trained advocates are available 24/7 to talk confidentially with anyone experiencing domestic violence, seeking resources or information, or questioning unhealthy aspects of their relationship.

“Where’s the basketball?” he said, his voice softening but still holding that unknown rumble that I feared so much.

He convinced me to walk with him into the passageway behind the café. Suddenly the image of him putting his hands on his belt flash before my eyes. This time, though, I saw his fists clench, his jaw tighten.

He found the ball and kicked it into the back shed. I started to cry even more and follow the ball into the darkness, not knowing what was coming.

“Stop crying,” he said.

But I couldn’t stop. When I tripped and tumbled onto the dirt, he started swinging. First one smack and then another, each time saying, “Boys don’t cry. Boys don’t cry.” And another smack; right on the face: “Boys don’t cry.”

After several more hits, with me unable to stop sobbing, I blacked out.

When I came to, my crying turned to deep, drawn-out sobs. And then into hyperventilating. Then gasping for breath, practically suffocating myself in order to stop bawling. But I finally did. I stopped. And so did he.

He nudged the basketball with his foot back toward me. Then he turned around and left me there, with the bike and basketball and my embarrassment all alone.

Dad just stood there, his back to me, his arms crossed, staring out at the L.A. Harbor.

I heard Laura yelling from inside: “Ma, you have to go out there. It’s happening again. You have to stop it.”

But by then it was too late.

Mom came out, cradled me in her arms and held my wet, swollen face to her. She dried what remained of the tears.

“It’s all over,” she said to Dad, squinting at the rage on Dad’s face. “You can’t come home. Ever again. Not to the house, not here. I’m never letting you near Joseph again.”

Dad left. And Mom walked back into the diner where Laura tried to console her.

Mom glanced out at me in a strange way. Was she still mad that I had been late? Was she still fuming about the dirty dishrag smell that floated like a rank cloud out of the shed and into back door of the café?

“Ortiz” page 12

Come Out and Play: Capitola Beach Festival

By Laurie Hill

The Capitola Beach Festival invites you to join in the fun on Sept. 28 and 29 when we present two days of activities for you, family, and friends. No vendors, no food booths, just playful fun (mostly free) at Capitola Beach.

The spirit of Capitola’s beloved Begonia Festival remains as a small band of Festival volunteers “shook it off” and rebranded it as the Capitola Beach Festival. They continue to bring smiles with the traditional events that Capitola has come to love and added a

few of their own. The begonia parade is now an evening Lighted Nautical Parade.

New float decorating teams are needed the barges and a site along the creek are included.

The all-volunteer committee with generous local sponsors, make it all happen. New volunteers are needed to assist with the events, set up or break down event sites, help with community outreach, take photos, and serve as board members. Community Service hours are available. Send an email to Capitolabeachfestival@gmail.com for additional information.

The community spirit of Capitola is enriched by its volunteer lead activities. Many friendships and local connections grow from your participation as a volunteer. You will also have the opportunity to help ensure that our beloved community rooted activities remain vital.

Come out to play with the Capitola Beach Festival. Join the activities, stop by to watch, or dive in as a volunteer. All are welcome. n

See: capitolabeachfestival.com

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Photo Credit: Don Campbell

Photo Credit: Josh Nathan

LOCAL SPORTS

Boys Basketball All-League 2023-24

Sharing Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League honors as Coach of the Year are Lawan Millhouse, Santa Cruz, whose Cardinals finished first in the league with a 9-1 record, was runnerup for the Central Coast Section title and made a run at the CIF State Championship with two wins; and Brian Bowyer, Aptos, whose Mariners were the only team in the league to defeat Santa Cruz and came in second with an 8-2 record.

Ben Dotten, Santa Cruz senior, and Isaiah Ackerman, Aptos junior, were co-MVP.

Dotten, a 6-6 center, scored 417 points, averaging 16 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists and 1 block per game.

Ackerman, a 6-4 guard, joined the varsity as a sophomore and scored 443 points this season and 719 overall. This season he averaged 14 points, 5.9 blocks and 1.5 assists per game.

Johnny Cornejo, a 6-0 senior at Aptos, was named to the first team. He scored 243 points this season, averaging 9.3 points per game.

Mateo Calfee, a 6-0 senior at Aptos, was named to the second team. He scored 192 points, averaging 7 points, 3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.

Two Aptos seniors got honorable mention:

• Luke Garvey, a 6-2 foot forward, scored 120 points, averaging 3.4 points per game, plus 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.

• Lawrence Ingram, a 6-foot forward, scored 118 points averaging 4.3 points per game, plus 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

“Boys Basketball” page 12

SCCAL All League Boys Soccer 2023-24

Player of the Year

Eduardo Álvarez, (Sr.), Aptos Offensive Player of the Year

Romeo Marin, (Sr.), Harbor Defensive Player of the Year

Nami Banks, (Jr.), Aptos Goalkeeper of the Year

Andrew Bucio (Jr.), Soquel Coach of the Year

Roberto Zúñiga, Aptos First Team

Aptos

Esteban García, Defender, (Sr.)

Andrew López-Rameño, Defender, (Sr.)

Carlos Gutiérrez, Midfielder, (Sr.)

Noah Curran, Goalie, (Jr.)

Harbor

Jeo Linares, Forward, (Sr.)

Alex Aparicio, Midfielder, (Jr.)

Javi Calles, Defender, (Jr.)

Santa Cruz

Triton Dew, Midfielder, (Sr.)

SLV

Aiden Nounnan, Midfielder, (Sr.)

Soquel

Esteban Gonzalez, Defender, (Sr.)

Scotts Valley

Rex Denger, Forward, (Sr.)

Second Team Aptos

Kaleb Plascencia, Forward, (Sr.)

Ulises Valdéz, Forward, (Sr.)

Love Granström, Defender, (Jr.)

Daniel Lozano, Defender, (So.)

Harbor

Danny Garcia, Midfielder, (So.)

Brandon Jimenez, Defender, (Jr.)

Moi Hernandez, Defender, (So.)

Santa Cruz

Christopher Vasquez-Vargas, Defender, (Jr.)

SLV

Jac Chisler, Forward, (Sr.)

Soquel

Antonio Plaza, Forward, (Jr.)

Scotts Valley

Cooper Wickum, Midfielder, (Sr.)

“Teen Mental Health” from page 7

This is not the first time Butterworth has launched innovative solutions to ease the suffering of children. She envisioned and led Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Services and the Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition. Then she became CEO of AIM Youth Mental Health in Carmel.

“When I met Dr. Friedman, we quickly realized that our joint expertise and passion for improving the quality and accessibility of youth mental health care could be leveraged to

Honorable Mention Aptos

Josiah Siqueiros, Forward, (So.)

David Sebastian-Killpatrick, Defender (So.)

Damián García, Midfielder, (Fr.)

Harbor

Juan Lara, Defender, (Sr.)

Johnny Campbell, Forward, (Sr.)

Maury Martinez, Forward, (Sr.)

Santa Cruz

Omar Porter y Ramirez, Defender, (Sr.)

Luc Stanfield, Midfielder, (Sr.)

Nicolas Aladro-Wolf, Forward, (Sr.)

SLV

Owen Garrahan, Midfielder,(Sr.)

Thomas Moberg, Midfielder, (Sr.)

Francisco Rocha, Defender, (Sr.)

Soquel

Jack Leiva, Midfielder (Jr.)

David Moya, Defender (Jr.)

Kai Reyes, Midfielder (Jr.)

Scotts Valley

Mars Davis, Midfielder, (Sr.)

Jacob Berman, Midfielder, (Jr.)

Lukas Bloom, Defender, (Jr.) n

find solutions for the mental health challenges our children are facing,” Butterworth said.

Besides offering First Gen support, the CCAMH is recruiting interns seeking training, offering drop-in sessions online and support groups for parents, and seeking teens to serve on an advisory board and conduct peer surveys. n

To learn about the Morgan Stanley Innovation Awards see: www.morganstanley.com/ about-us/giving-back/childrens-mental-healthawards-winners. To learn about CCAMH see: www.ccamh.org

Uplift: $14 Million for Central Coast

Goal: Create More Family-Supporting Jobs

By Jondi Gumz

Uplift Central Coast Coalition, which includes Santa Cruz, San Benito, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties, has been awarded $14 million from California Jobs First.

This is a 2021 initiative from Gov. Gavin Newsom awarding $182 million in grants, guiding the state’s investments in economic and workforce development to create more family-supporting jobs.

The focus is on agriculture, health care, clean energy, nature-based solutions and opportunities for military veterans, disabled and disadvantaged workers In the six counties, which are home to 2.3 million people.

The $14 million, known as the “Catalyst Program,” will bolster Uplift’s efforts to develop strategies for a sustainable and equitable economy and recommend investments for the six-county region.

During 2023, Uplift project conducted research, met with 1,600 community members in small group sessions and larger gatherings, conducted a public opinion survey with 1,200 residents, and partnered with community-based organizations to understand the challenges residents face.

slots in centers, but Santa Barbara has more slots for at-home child care.

Santa Cruz County met only 36% of the need for child care; Monterey provided only 16.9% of spaces needed.

At-home child care could provide an opportunity for entrepreneurship and building wealth, the report noted.

Housing

In 2022, Santa Cruz County approved permits for more single-family homes to be built than rentals with 5 or more units, but Monterey County approved permits for more multi-family rentals than single-family homes.

The County of Santa Barbara is taking steps to make county land available for workforce housing.

The six counties also have environmental hot spots designated by the state Environmental Protection Agency.

The findings: At least 45% of Central Coast residents belong to families whose income does not cover their basic needs. They cited the high cost of living and the lack of access to affordable healthcare and childcare.

In Santa Cruz County, a young family of four (with one infant, one preschooler, and two working adults) would need to earn $156,671 the highest of the six counties to cover their basic expenses, according to the Brookings / Cities GPS analysis of the University of Washington Self-Sufficiency Standard.

58% Struggle

In Santa Cruz County, 58% of Hispanic/ Latino workers struggle to meet basic needs.

All six counties have had employers impacted by wildfires and flooding, which impacts residents’ ability to earn a living.

Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties have more child-care

One tract near Watsonville with 5,024 residents 88.6% Hispanic/Latino ranks in the top percentile of tracts for pesticides and impaired waters, and is at the 89th percentile for lead from housing.

Manufacturing and agricultural sectors have driven up the production of commercial industrial waste in all six counties.

All six counties have a higher prevalence of cancer (except skin cancer) and depression than the state average.

Only a quarter of jobs in the six counties qualify as “quality jobs,” due to the dominance of low-wage industries, such as agriculture and hospitality.

“Quality jobs” offer a living wage, health insurance and stability. A promising job offers a path to a “quality job” in 10 years.

Doubts

Given the lack of “quality jobs” and high cost of living, especially the high cost of housing, Central Coast residents often do not see a future for themselves and their families in the region, according to the report. These doubts apply to adults of all ages, ranging from college students to older adults living in the region for decades and those of different races and ethnicities.

“Uplift Central Coast” page 22

“Ortiz” from page 8

Or was she still afraid that Dad would try to weasel his way back into our lives?

I hoped it was the dirty dishrag smell because I didn’t want to see Dad ever again. n

Mom’s Parmesan Burgers Burgers were the soul food for truck drivers, longshoremen, and kids, too, as you could tell by how Manny was inhaling his. These lumps of greasy meat had crunchy edges.

When shaping them, some of the ground meat would squeeze out from under the can to form an irregular border of crunchy bits of beef when they were fried on the hot griddle.

Makes 6 thin burgers (or 4 thick ones)

1 pound ground beef

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 Tablespoons bread crumbs

8 to 10 Tablespoons minced onions (about ¼ cup)

Salt and pepper to taste

Here’s how we made ‘em at Ann’s Café and you can too.

Mom mixed a big bowl of ground beef together with some chopped onions, salt, and pepper. Then she threw in a “couple eggs,” some grated Parmesan cheese, and a small handful of breadcrumbs. She shaped the ground beef into balls with an ice cream

“Boys Basketball” from page 10

Here is the complete list:

•••

First Team

Kirby Seals - Santa Cruz - Jr.

DeMarco Hunter - Santa Cruz - Soph.

Johnny Cornejo - Aptos - Sr.

Will Shilling - Scotts Valley - Jr.

Nico Ramirez - Soquel - Jr.

George Ow Jr. (center), with Rui Li, of Scotts Valley (left), and Sandy Lydon, of Aptos (right), regale an audience with stories of local Chinese history at Capitola Library’s Ow Family Community Room (yes, George’s family) as a QingMing (Ancestors Day) observance. Ow asked: If Chinese immigrants had not built the transcontinental Central Pacific Railroad track for rail tycoons Leland Stanford, Collis Huntington, Mark Hopkins Jr., and Charles Crocker, making them the wealthiest of their time, would that mean Stanford University (named for Leland’s son) would go unbuilt and never be the birthplace of Silicon Valley? After the talk, attendees painted masks for the Chinese celebration of spring to take home.

scoop and placed each one on a piece of wax paper.

Then I took over and covered each ball of ground beef with another sheet of wax paper, and—with a heavy whack—I flattened each one with a large can of Italian pear tomatoes. I don’t know if it made a difference if it was tomatoes in the can, but I do know that a number ten can (28 ounces) was the best size (4” diameter) to use for shaping burgers, crushing garlic, and throwing at mice in the storeroom.

After they’re all shaped, you can place them on plates and put them in the fridge for an hour or two, until you have to fry them to order on a hot griddle or cast-iron pan about a minute or two per side.

Serve on a toasted bun with your favorite “set up,” preferably, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle—and a schmear of mayo, catsup, and mustard. n

•••

Second Team

Demeke Smith - Santa Cruz - Sr.

Guerande Houssin - Harbor - Jr.

Mateo Calfee - Aptos - Sr.

Taylor Knox - Scotts Valley - Jr.

Braylon Noble - Soquel - Sr.

Honorable Mention

Michael Bogaard - Santa Cruz - Sr.

Mosiah Cumberbatch - Santa Cruz - Jr.

Lawrence Ingram - Aptos - Sr.

Luke Garvey - Aptos - Sr.

Chase Welle - Scotts Valley - Sr.

Kit Deforest - Scotts Valley - Jr.

Jacob Sanders - SLV - Jr.

Aiden Nounnan - SLV - Sr.

Cody Rupp - Harbor - Sr.

Markus Mitchell - Harbor - Sr.

D’Rell Hopkins - Soquel - Jr.

Tyler Haraway - Soquel - Jr. n

Photo Credit Jondi Gumz

Capitola Avenue Overpass to Close for 14 Months

The next step in the $79 million Highway 1 project to add bus and shoulder on auxiliary lanes is demolition and reconstruction of the Capitola Avenue overpass with bike lanes and sidewalks, starting in March.

As of March 11, the Capitola Avenue overcrossing will be inaccessible for 14 months during preparations for demolition with detours via Bay Avenue/Porter Avenue and Park Avenue.

On Saturday and Sunday, April 6 and 7, Highway 1 will be completely closed for the demolition, starting at 7 p.m. Saturday and reopening at 7 p.m. Sunday. Traffic will be detoured to Bay Avenue/Porter Street and Park Avenue and Soquel Drive.

This 24-hour closure is needed so crews can complete the demolition and haul debris away.

Message and directional signs will be posted.

These scheduled work dates, which come before an earlier than usual Good Friday and Easter, depend on weather.

Updates are to be provided in case of inclement weather.

The contractor, Granite Construction of Watsonville, expected to finish the project in 2026.

One more component of the project: Build a bicycle/pedestrian overcrossing on Highway 1 at Mar Vista Drive in Aptos. The start date has not been announced.

The new Capitola Avenue overcrossing, expected to open in the summer/fall of 2025, will have bike lanes and sidewalks for use by people on foot or bicycle to access schools, parks, beaches, and businesses.

Another component is construction of a pedestrian and bicycle overcrossing on Highway 1 near Chanticleer Avenue in MidCounty. That project is well underway, with the frame already in place.

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, which has championed this project, believes that promoting the use of alternative transportation modes will increase transportation system capacity and reliability.

The RTC is leading completion of this project in partnership with Caltrans, the County of Santa Cruz, City of Capitola, and the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District.

The project is funded by 2016 Measure D funds and RTC discretionary funds that used to complete prep work necessary to ready the project for construction.

Construction is being led by Caltrans and is fully funded through a combination of Measure D and Senate Bill 1 Solutions to Congested Corridors and Local Partnership Program grant funds. n

•••

For updated project information, see: https:// sccrtc.org/projects/streets-highways/hwy1/ bayporter-statepark/.

Highway 17 Plan for the Future

Caltrans Online Community Meeting on April 3

You may have noticed disruptions on Highway 17 as you try to reach your destination.

Caltrans is developing a Highway 17 Resiliency and Adaptation Plan from Highway 1 in Santa Cruz County to the I-280/I-880 interchange in San Jose in Santa Clara County.

The plan seeks to advance the goals of the California Transportation Plan 2050 and Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure, which is required to show the path to an 80% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050, collaborate with the public to establish a collective vision, and prioritize project opportunities that align with assessing physical climate risk and safety improvements that reduce fatalities and severe injuries.

One of the key objectives is to collaboratively develop corridor goals and performance measures, which will be used to evaluate adaptation options for Highway 17 to ensure

it can withstand future climate change impacts.

Caltrans will host a virtual community meeting about Highway 17’s future 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday April 3, via Zoom. There will be time for the public to ask questions and provide feedback on the goals, objectives, and performance measures. n Zoom

https://hdrinc.zoom.us/j/93636105180

Webinar ID: 936 3610 5180

Phone: +1 (408) 638-0968

March 5 Election Update

Supervisor, 1st District

Candidate Total

Manu Koenig 9,229 (52.37%)

Lani Faulkner 8,291 (47.04%)

Supervisor, 2nd District

Candidate Total

Kristen Brown 5,297 (32.75%)

Kim De Serpa 4,081 (25.23%)

David Schwartz 3,270 (20.22%)

Bruce Jaffe 2,781 (17,20%)

Tony Crane 669 (4.14%)

Supervisor, 5th District

Candidate Total

Monica Martinez 7,834 (46.44%)

Christopher Bradford 3,615 (21.43%)

Tom Decker 3,356 (19.90%)

Theresa Ann Bond 1,970 (11.68%)

K – Santa Cruz County Sales & Use Tax Increase

Majority to pass

Vote Total

Yes 41,497 (54.60%)

No 34,510 (45.40%)

Bold = Win or Runoff

N – Pajaro Valley Health Care District 30-Year Bond 2/3 to pass

Vote Total Monterey County

Yes 9,891 (68.51%) 706 (64.42%)

No 4,546 (31.49%) 390 (35.58%)

For state offices, the top two vote-getters move on to the general election regardless of party preference or whether one candidate receives a majority of all votes cast in the primary election.

Here are the Santa Cruz County results as of 5 p.m. Mar 22 at www.votescount.us

State Assembly 28th District

Gail Pellerin DEM 31,066 79.72%

Liz Lawler REP 7,750 19.89%

Total Votes 38,968

State Assembly 29th District

Robert Rivas DEM 7,343 73.92%

J W Paine REP 2,258 25.75%

Total Votes 9,934

State Assembly 30th District

Dawn Addis DEM 20,023 78.33%

Dalila Epperson REP 5,438 21.27%

Total Votes 25,570

State Senate District 17th District

John Laird DEM 58,317 77.50%

Tony Virrueta REP 9,356 13.30%

Eric Tao REP 5,179 6.88%

Michael Oxford LIB 1,589 2.11%

Total Votes 75,251

U.S. Congress 18th District

Zoe Lofgren DEM 4,212 53.14%

Peter D 2,059 25.98%

Hernandez REP

Charlene Concepción 1,182 14.91%

Nijmeh DEM

Lawrence Milan DEM 261 3.29%

Luele N Kifle DEM 185 2.33%

Total Votes 7,926

U.S. Congress 19th District

Jimmy Panetta DEM 51,282 74.95%

Jason Michael 11,390 16.65%

Anderson REP

Sean Dougherty GRN 5,575 8.15%

Total Votes 68,418

Some

• Assistance with the activities of daily living

• Health monitoring

• Emotional support

• Light housekeeping

• Assistance with feeding

The Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County announce the spring 2024 No-Cost Community Chipping Program, open to county residents who live in the Wildland Urban Interface with potential for wildfire to burn their properties.

Pre-registration opens at 6 a.m. April 1 and closes April 30. Chipping starts in May. People in recognized FireWise neighborhoods get earlybird registration.

The no-cost chipping is for those who trim vegetation within 100 feet of occupied homes or 10 feet on either side of a private road.

“We mostly want to clear the potentially flammable material near our roads and around our houses and create space between the ground and lower tree branches called ladder fuels,” said Laurel Bard, who manages the chipping program for the RCD. “However, we want to be mindful of not over-clearing or leaving bare ground, which can lead to overly dry soils in the summer and serious soil erosion in the winter.”

Trees should be farthest from the house, shrubs can be closer, and lawns and bedding plants the closest. If your landscaping is different, keep larger trees limbed up and shrubs free of dead material.

Signups are first-come-first served, and each household must complete a two-part registration to be enrolled and confirmed into the program. Part one is an online preregistration application to verify space is available, and part two is a chipping schedule

form completed once your materials are stacked and ready for chipping.

A detailed map of areas served, deadlines for applications, chipping dates and guidelines to prep materials for chipping are at www.rcdsantacruz.org/ programs-and-projects

This program is funded in part by grants awarded by the California Department of Conservation and a block grant from the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts funded through the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Wildfire Resilience Program. n •••

For info email lbard@rcdsantacruz.org

Drum roll please! The Santa Cruz County Fair announces the winner of the fair theme contest and the theme: Kyle Middleton of Soquel beat out more than 85 submissions with her entry, “Pioneer Days to Modern Ways.”

As the winner, Middleton gets tickets to the Fair and a parking pass. But, because she is one of the dedicated Fair department heads livestock superintendent she chose to donate her prize package to the Boys and Girls Club of Scotts Valley.

“We have it all! Our pioneer past at the Ag History Project as well as a look to the future with new techniques and technologies celebrating the past, present and future,” said Middleton.

The 2024 Fair will indeed showcase the best of Pioneer Days and Modern Ways.

For the first time, the Fair will feature a Drone Light Show. This show will feature 200 drones in the sky above the fairgrounds each night in a stunning and artistic display of technology choreographed to music after the major entertainment in the grandstand or the amphitheater is done.

The Fair will also host all the annual favorites… the Tractor Parade, Junior Livestock Auction, Monster Trucks and Motocross, a Horse Show, Charras and much more. The live concerts will include a Taylor Swift tribute.

Local bakers, makers, florists, farmers, quilters, poets, artists and LEGO lover, look for the Fair Entry Guide, online and in stores, May 1.

Then get ready for the Fair Sept. 11-15. See you there! n

Kyle Middleton

Our Community Reads: Another Successful Season

Hello dear friends of Our Community Reads!

The 2024 Season of Our Community Reads, our most successful to date, has come to a close.

We thank all of you members of the community who attended, as well as the sponsors who contributed resources to bring you such a variety of interesting, thought provoking, and entertaining events. To share your comments or suggestions, please click this link and complete a very short survey.

We’ve enjoyed collaborating with the Friends of the Libraries of Aptos, Capitola, La Selva Beach, Felton, and Scotts Valley to bring

you a variety of events based on the book The Monk of Mokha, by Dave Eggers.

If you are interested in joining our planning group, or wish to participate in the Voting Party to select the book for the 2025 Season, please contact us at: friendsoftheaptoslibrary@fscpl.org Meantime, stay up to date with Our

Community Reads! And, do show us your support for the continued success of this program where all events are free and open to the public.

Donate here to support Our Community Reads and keep it vibrant in the future! We are a 501 (c) 3 non-profit and all donations are tax deductible.

Thank you for being a supporter of Our Community Reads and of the Santa Cruz County Public Libraries.

We hope that you will join us again for our next season! n

— Friends of the Capitola Branch Library Friends of the Scotts Valley Library Felton Library Friends

Monk of Mokha Book Cover Winners

As part of the 2024 Our Community Reads, co-sponsored by the Friends of the Aptos Library, students in Graphic Design classes redesigned the book cover of The Monk of Mokha and entered their creations in a competition judged by staff from Bookshop Santa Cruz.

2.

3. Colby Saunders

Students at Scotts Valley High also competed. For a slideshow of the book cover entries, got to www.friendsofaptos library.org/ art-exhibit-2024.html n

TEDxSantaCruz Available on Free Live Stream

Saturday April 13

TEDxSantaCruz 2024, Rising Together, featuring 19 talks on Saturday, April 13, at the Crocker Theater at Cabrillo College, is sold out but there will be a free livestream that day at https://tedxsantacruz.org/. Talks will be in English with simultaneous Spanish translation available.

This year’s performers are:

• Alex Chavez-Guerrero, Jacob Martinez & Martin Vargas Vega Scalable Impact through Social Capital

• Antonella De La Tore Marcenaro Belonging and Nature: Connecting To Ourselves Through Land

• César Rojas Bravo Shared Humanity, Shared Night Sky

• Daisy Nuñez Rising Through Grief Together: A Community and Educator Support Perspective

• Effron “Donnie” Veal Transcending Incarceration Through Education

• Esabella Bonner Values As Verbs: Walking the Walk

• Galina Hale Funding Climate Solutions

• Juliano Calil Immersive Narratives for Climate Awareness

• Kara Meyberg Guzman Local News: Telling Our Story Through the Lens of Listening

• Kat Armstrong & Jorge Guillen Someone Like Me: Drag Matters

• Kyra Bobinet Iteration: The Neuroscience of Change

• Luna HighJohn-Bey Following A Hunch: History, Community, & Belonging

• Madeline Aliah Beyond Safe Spaces: Meet Me There

• Maria Cadenas Building a Shared and Prosperous Economic Future for All

• MariaElena De La Garza What Did You Call Me? Reclaiming Our Power Through Language

• Natalia Ocampo-Peñuela Traditional Knowledge & Ecotourism: A Tale of North and South

• Nicole Beck Rainwater Not Wastewater

• Stephen Will Weir Intentional Consumption: Three Simple Questions

• Terry Carr Growing Justice, Growing Food, Growing Tech

Co-producer Elana Solon says, “As with everything in this year’s ‘Rising Together’ theme, we focused on celebrating the power of collaboration and providing space for both emerging and established artists and tastemakers.”

Afrobeats and Samba Soul will perform at a post-show afterparty from 5 - 6 pm on the lawn outside the Crocker Theater.

Community Foundation Santa Cruz County is the presenting sponsor. Foundation’s CEO Susan True said this year’s event will help inspire collective action, creating solutions for challenges too large for any one person to solve. n

•••

If tickets become available, organizers will email people on the waitlist, which can be joined at https://tinyurl.com/tedxsc-24april13-wait.

Aptos High School Winners (from left)

1. Rose Lockwood

Anais Gonzalez-Paredes

By Teresa Hidalgo Dance

The Skylight Place is as much a fixture of Santa Cruz as it is in the thousands of homes and offices where the specialty screen and glass shop has provided glass repair, shower doors, skylights, window screens, and window replacement for the past 53 years. Locals know the Skylight is the place to go for their remodeling needs, what with its fully-trained installers reputed for “doing the job right the first time.”

That’s been Darrell Clark’s vision for the Skylight since founding it in 1971. Today, the stepson of his business partner, Rick Burger, is the shop’s general manager. As such for the past five years, Paul Eastman has so adhered to Clark’s vision that in 2018 he was recognized as one of the nation’s most promising remodeling professionals by Pro Remodeler magazine in its Forty Under 40 awards program.

“These are the minds that will take remodeling into an era of new professionalism and efficiency,” wrote the respected trade journal. “Learn from their insights and remember their names.”

Eastman first began working at the Skylight when he was 14, making window screens. At the time, the shop also installed windows and shower doors. He revealed that the company’s expansion into its current plethora of products and services was the result of something simple, the expressed needs of their customers.

“People would request things like, ‘do you do this with windows?’ or ‘would you put windows in?’’’ Eastman recounted. “We gradually went to repairing windows and from there, to installing windows, all because of a request. Shower doors and skylight installation? All of that was because somebody had asked us ‘can you do this for me?’’’

The SkylighT Place

Brightening Lives with Each Remodeling Job

Eastman is especially proud of how his company outdid itself in meeting one particular customer demand.

“We’re best at shower doors,” revealed Eastman. “As requested, we provide full installation service. Customers think it’s beautiful when we finish.”

Response to the finished job is of such pure delight that some customers pay bonuses.

Pleasing customers with outstanding professionalism is a forte of the Skylight.

“Since working at 15 years of age, I’ve always been in some type of customer interaction role,” said Kock. “At Skylight, I get to talk to people about baseball, racing, family events, aside from the business they came in for.”

On the business side of the relationship, customers benefit from Kock’s expertise, a result of on-the-job and formal training since coming onboard the Skylight seven years ago.

The work ethic of its employees explains a lot about the Skylight’s success. It’s a work ethic that translates to loyalty–not just because of barbecue socials or good job benefits–but also because the employees appreciate the work environment.

Take, for instance, two long-timers at the Skylight–lead installers Sushil Joshi, who joined the company 30 years ago, and Gerry Donoghue, a satisfied employee for the past 22 years.

“For the construction industry, we’re probably one of the best at this,” said Eastman. “We show up when we say we are going to show up. When we say we are going to do something, we do it. That’s not a very common practice in the construction industry.”

Customer service is friendly and competent from the first phone call. Consider Skylight’s systems manager, Stacey Kock. Responsible for consulting with the homeowners and contractors, he cares about building good relationships.

“They’re good people to work for,” described Donoghue. “We don’t have some boss screaming at you.”

Instead, workers at the Skylight have bosses who make considerate concessions like allowing them to take a break so they can pick up their kids from school, which was the case for Donoghue.

The Skylight Place may be up to its elbows in glass and tile but it is oriented towards its customers and employees. Can Santa Cruz ask for more in a full-service remodeling specialist representing what is good about living here? n

•••

The Skylight Place is at 4850 Capitola Road, Capitola. Website: https://skylightplace. com/ Call 831-476-2023. Hours: MondayThursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Stacey Kock

The showroom contains an array of choices for customers.

Paul Eastman

Willowbrook Park Memorial Complete

A Symbol of Love: Remembering Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller

By Forrest Revere

Shifting from tragedy to reflection, friends, coworkers, and family gathered March 14 at Willowbrook County Park for the unveiling of the memorial area in honor of Sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller.

The new memorial area includes a brick and concrete reflection area, flagpole, plaque and inscriptions eternalizing Gutzwiller’s sacrifice. As a lasting tribute to Sgt. Gutzwiller, his boots and those of his family have been embedded at the memorial to serve as a cherished sanctuary for solace and reflection.

“This park, and this memorial, helps us write a new chapter. One that combines community love and remembrance with the happiness that only a park and outdoor spaces can bring,” Supervisor Zach Friend said. “Damon’s presence is strong at Willowbrook and now we have elements that join to honor his memory and bring the same joy to the community that he brought to life.”

This event commemorated the third, and final, phase of park enhancements which comes on the heels of the sport court renovations and playground improvements welcoming people of all ages and abilities.

OWork began in 2022 as a tribute to the enduring legacy of Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, who dedicated 14 years in service to the Santa Cruz community and the Sheriff’s Office. He grew up in Santa Cruz County and owned his first home in the Willowbrook neighborhood, often playing in the park with his beloved dog, Shasta.

The Fatal Call

n June 6, 2020, Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller was 38 when he responded to a call that ended his life.

He was in Ben Lomond with other deputies investigating a suspicious van with guns and explosives when Steven Carrillo, 32, a former Air Force sergeant fired, killing Gutzwiller and injuring two deputies.

In 2022, Carrillo pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole.

On May 29, 2020, in Oakland, Carrillo fatally shot Protective Services Officer Dave Patrick Underwood and wounded a second officer, firing an AR-style rifle from a van driven by Robert Alvin Justus Jr., 34, of Millbrae. In 2022, Carrillo pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 41 years in prison.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s office Northern District, Carrillo admitted he “aligned himself with an anti-government ideology and wanted to carry out violent acts against federal law enforcement.”

Serene walking paths beckon for leisurely strolls, offering a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

County Parks Director Jeff Gaffney said, “County Parks is very grateful to be able to provide a place that will become an everlasting dedication for Damon and his memory. The impact of his sacrifice is demonstrated by the hard work and dedication our community put forth to make it happen. It is an honor to have such beautiful upgrades and especially the seating area, which provides such a powerful place of reflection.”

County Deputy Sheriff’s Association were present and stood in continued support to Gutzwiller’s family.

Ethan Rumrill, DSA president, said “This memorial is more than simply a reminder of the sacrifice paid by Damon the day he was killed, and the sacrifices of his family, friends, colleagues and this community every day since. It is a place of reflection and appreciation for all that Damon lived for and how much he still means to this community today. We are extremely grateful to all the individuals and organizations that have helped design, fund, and build this beautiful space in Damon’s honor.”

Faviola Del Real, widow of Sgt. Gutzwiller and mother of their two children, expressed her heartfelt sentiments, saying, “I hope that they can come here at different stages in their life and think about him and make good memories.”

Paying their respects

The park renovations and memorial area were made possible by numerous community donations including the Santa Cruz County Deputy Association who provided their largest donation in the organization’s history. Many members of the Santa Cruz

Gratitude was extended to the donors, whose generosity was instrumental in bringing the project to fruition. Special recognition was expressed to Tom Ralston of Ralston Concrete, Steve Sutherland of SSA Landscape Architects and K&D Landscaping for their invaluable contributions. Project support was provided by County Park Friends, the Deputy Sheriff’s Association, the office of Supervisor Zach Friend, and County Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services.

It is through their collective dedication and generosity that Willowbrook Park stands as a symbol of remembrance, unity, and enduring love. n

Faviola Del Real, widow of Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, walks to the memorial at Willowbrook Park with their two children.

Driftwood Nursing Home Parent Co. Settles for Nearly $22 Million

On March 19, Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a settlement with Mariner Health Care, Inc. which operated 19 skilled nursing facilities in California including Driftwood Healthcare Center in Santa Cruz, to resolve a lawsuit alleging the company failed to maintain the legally required number of staff, failed to provide adequate discharge planning, and inflated staffing information for Medicare to boost its “star ratings.”

The monetary component of the stipulated judgment includes costs, penalties and estimated monitoring costs for three years that approach $20 million, according to Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeffrey Rosell, who was part of the multi-agency task force behind the lawsuit.

While the lawsuit was pending, Mariner filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for three of its over 50 entities to avoid a $14 million personal injury judgment awarded after 10 nursing home patients died. The bankruptcy was filed in Delaware, however, on the motion of the People of California and other creditors, the case was moved to the Northern District Bankruptcy Court of California.

The settlement will provide injunctive relief for at least five years, monitoring by an independent monitor for at least three years, payment of $2.25 million in costs, and penalties of up to $15.5 million for any violations of the injunction or law.

Driftwood Healthcare Center in Santa Cruz is under the supervision of a courtappointed monitor to routinely audit and report on staffing at the facilities.

“The care and safety of the elderly and nursing home residents has always been a priority in our office and the offices of our law enforcement partners, including the Attorney General,” said Rosell. “The resolution of this lengthy litigation will hold Mariner accountable and ensure adherence to laws and regulations designed to protect their residents. This will serve as a deterrent to others who neglect the care and safety of nursing home residents.”

Bonta said, “Mariner jeopardized residents’ health and well-being, and misled prospective residents and their families about the quality of its California facilities. Today’s settlement will hold Mariner accountable and ensure that residents at their facilities are given the proper care they need in a safe environment with proper staffing requirements.”

The District Attorney Offices of Alameda, Marin, and Los Angeles were also members of the task force.

“Skilled nursing facilities provide a vital service to our community members who need specialized health care outside of hospitals while recovering from illness, injury or surgery,” said Marin County District Attorney Lori Frugoli. “This settlement will ensure that Mariner Health Care is providing the appropriate level of nursing care and staffing that their clients and their families deserve, expect and are entitled to under the law.”

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price called the outcome “a significant win for the people of the State of California against Mariner Health Care Inc.”

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón added, “Let this be a reminder to the health care industry that we expect the highest level of care for all, especially our most vulnerable community members who rely on you to help and protect them.”

The settlement resolves allegations filed by the Attorney General and the District Attorneys of Alameda, Los Angeles, Marin, and Santa Cruz counties, alleging that Mariner violated California’s Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Law by understaffing its facilities and subjecting its patients to negligent care while inflating their skilled nursing facilities advertised ratings to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

As part of the settlement, Mariner will be required to:

• Reform and improve its practices and the services for residents in their California skilled nursing facilities.

• Implement an independent monitor for no less than 3 years.

• Pay $2.25 million in costs and up to $15.5 million in civil penalties.

The California Department of Justice’s Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse investigates and prosecutes those who defraud the Medi-Cal program as well as those who commit elder abuse.

“Driftwood Nursing” page 26

Lawsuit: Stop Hwy 1 Auxiliary Lanes in Aptos

By Jondi Gumz

On March 18, the Sierra Club and Campaign for Sustainable Transportation filed a lawsuit in Sacramento Superior Court alleging that Caltrans, in approving plans to widen Highway 1 in Aptos with auxiliary lanes, failed to conduct adequate environmental review.

Caltrans approved the EIR Feb. 20.

The auxiliary lanes, which would make “bus on shoulder” possible and potentially speed bus times and double ridership — along with building two overcrossings for people on bicycle and on foot and creating the Coastal Rail Trail — are part of the RTC’s $180 million project to reduce Highway 1 congestion.

“Uplift Central Coast” from page 11

Those surveyed suggested prioritizing industries and employers willing to invest in worker education and training, prioritizing employers that provide exceptional benefits, including sick leave, childcare, comprehensive healthcare, and support for caregivers and developing more housing that is affordable for typical residents.

In January, Uplift released a 200-page report which identified opportunities to create more quality jobs to help residents make ends meet and achieve economic mobility.

Stakeholders

The report identified 229 active stakeholders, clustered around Oxnard, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Watsonville.

Of the eight organizations in the north that were funded, one was in Santa Cruz County, Housing Matters. Also funded: The Monterey Bay Central Labor Council, based in Salinas, which covers Santa Cruz County.

The report noted that because of limited staff and time, Uplift was limited in engaging with outside organizations, but remains committed to representation and will continue to champion the inclusion of all impacted stakeholders.

The next step is to identify impactful, equitable ways to improve the local economy and then submit a plan to the state by June.

Shrinking Industry

Smaller areas like the Central Coast are at a disadvantage.

Firms and industries in larger areas are often better positioned to develop or adopt new technologies because of this greater scale. Meanwhile, global competitors offer lower labor costs (typically via lower wages

Rick Longinotti, chair of the Campaign for Sustainable Transportation, said the auxiliary lanes between State Park Drive and Freedom Boulevard would axe 1,112 trees, including the Moosehead Redwood Grove.

The lawsuit calls for an injunction to prevent Caltrans and the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission from proceeding.

The auxiliary lanes, which would make “bus on shoulder” possible and potentially speed bus times and double ridership along with building two overcrossings for people on bicycle and on foot and creating the Coastal Rail Trail are part of the RTC’s $180 million project to reduce Highway 1 congestion.

“This project is based on the discredited belief that auxiliary lanes will reduce congestion,” Longinotti said. “The Caltrans EIR estimates that congestion in the northbound morning commute would get worse if the

and labor standards) and are able to sell cheaper products and services. The result: Many locally produced goods and services cost more. Then consumers buy newer, cheaper products. Firms, unable to make profits, either move or close, eliminating local jobs, which reduces spending in healthcare and retail.

“It is more difficult for a local shop, restaurant, or healthcare facility to thrive when residents have less money to spend,” the report notes.

The report recommends supporting industries that sell goods and services, such as software and agricultural products, to customers outside the region and offer quality jobs.

Only a quarter of jobs in the six counties are quality jobs and 15% are promising jobs.

Utilities (electricity) lead in providing quality jobs but this sector offers relatively few jobs; when quality jobs and promising jobs are combined, healthcare, education and government are the leaders.

Ag Tech

Ag technology creates better-paying jobs compared to physically picking fruits and vegetables. But it displaces workers who will need education and assistance to find other jobs.

Manufacturing is a better-paying sector but provides a smaller number of jobs.

In Santa Cruz County, strengths include navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing.

A new company, Joby Aviation, in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, has focused on developing an air taxi, doing testing and production locally. However, keeping Joby Aviation local is a challenge. In 2023, Joby Aviation announced a manufacturing expansion in Dayton, Ohio (up to 2,000 jobs), where it

project is built. The EIR claims that there would be congestion relief in the southbound afternoon commute in the opening year of the project. However, the EIR estimates the reduction in delay to be short lived. When roadways are expanded, more vehicles fill up the road in what transportation researchers call ‘induced travel.’”

The lawsuit, filed by William Parkin of Wittwer Parkin, contends that Caltrans’ Environmental Impact Report for the project did not meet the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). He cited these reasons:

The master EIR for auxiliary lanes from Santa Cruz through Aptos was invalidated in 2012 in a Sacramento Superior Court ruling on a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club and CFST.

The EIR covering auxiliary lanes did not consider vehicle miles traveled, which the California Environmental Quality Act requires, because Caltrans claimed

received $300 million in public incentives –vastly exceeding California’s offer. Joby later announced an expansion at Marina airport, projected for 600 jobs.

The information industry is weak although Santa Cruz has spawned companies such as Looker (a business intelligence platform acquired by Google in 2019) and Paystand, a business-to-business payment platform in Scotts Valley.

Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship initiatives include

Santa Cruz Works, which launched the Santa Cruz Venture Fund predominantly to startups in cleantech, biotech, and health/ wellness. El Pajaro Community Development Corp. and Ventures in Watsonville hosts the region’s women’s business center. El Pajaro and Ventures’ Familias con Mas received a $3.4 million California Jobs First pilot implementation grant for entrepreneurship supports including a homecare and climatefocused revolving loan fund and financial education and coaching.

More analysis of entrepreneurship and small business needs will be conducted via a series of stakeholder roundtables.

More education is seen as necessary.

Struggling workers possess 87.9% of demanded abilities, but only 78.6% of knowledge and 78.9% of skills, according to the report, while those with bachelor’s degree holders possess 92.8% of demanded abilities.

Opportunities

As for opportunities, the report said San Benito’s Hollister Airport might be leveraged to boost regional scaling of air mobility testing and production centered in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties.

Monterey and Santa Cruz have assets related to the blue economy, while Santa

this kind of project was exempt from that analysis.

This EIR analyzed only the project and the no build alternative, not a range of options as CEQA requires. For example, another option could have been dedicated lanes for buses or building the rail and trail segment parallel to Highway 1.

“Auxiliary Lanes” page 26

Barbara and San Luis Obispo see potential in quantum and aerospace.

For jobs not offering a living wage, such as those in hospitality, the report suggests helping firms adopt technology, encouraging employers to adopt scheduling stability to support workers, employer collaboratives to offer childcare, advocating for better working conditions, and supporting training for workers to get better-paying jobs.

The report recommends making lowering the cost of living a priority, addressing the political barriers to growth of jobs, and expanding training so employees can advance.

Underserved

Our approach focuses on inclusive community engagement in order to understand trends and hear the voices of disinvested, underserved, and often excluded groups on the Central Coast,” said REACH President & CEO Melissa James, who is based in San Luis Obispo.

“We want to bring people into the conversation who have historically been left out to ensure they contribute to shaping our region’s economic development strategy,” added EDC President and CEO Bruce Stenslie, who is based in Ventura County.

Tahra Goraya, president & CEO of Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, based in Marina, said, “We are excited to continue developing a shared vision that incorporates equity, environmental justice, and public health, while centering our diverse workforce and communities.”

Uplift, convened by REACH, Economic Development Collaborative, and Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, is one of 13 Jobs First collaboratives designated by the state. n

•••

For info, see www.UpliftCentralCoast.org

Second Harvest Honors Crowe, Mosier

On March 7, Second Harvest Food Bank’s Holiday Food & Fund Drive awards dinner celebrated raising enough to provide 4,695,069 meals and honored Richard Crowe of St. Francis Catholic Kitchen in Santa Cruz and Ray Mosier of LiUNA Local 270 in Santa Cruz, as Hunger Fighters of the Year.

Crowe, program director for over two decades, ensures that 26,000 meals a year are served, providing a welcoming haven for 100 guests daily.

Mosier, 90, a beacon of volunteerism, has

served Santa Cruz County for 22 years with a heartwarming spirit.

Both men received proclamations from government officials.

The dinner at Hotel Paradox in Santa Cruz was a sold-out affair, buzzing with excitement as the holiday campaign is the food bank’s largest annual fundraiser.

Co-chairs were Susan True, Community Foundation Santa Cruz County CEO, and Dr. Faris Sabbah, Santa Cruz County superintendent of schools.

The campaign ran from Nov. 3 to Jan. 15.

Every dollar raised went toward feeding food-insecure residents of Santa Cruz County, making a tangible impact on their lives.

Local businesses and organizations played leadership roles.

They include: Central Coast Alliance for Health, Twin Lakes Church, UC Santa Cruz, Freedom Rotary, and Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz Warriors, Driscoll’s, Dominican Hospital, and Park Avenue Fitness.

While their larger contributions made a substantial impact, Food Bank acknowledged the collective effort of numerous smaller organizations and individuals was equally vital to the fundraiser’s success.

Oceanfront Property in Aptos for Sale

The County of Santa Cruz supervisors will sell a tiny oceanfront property at 105 Esplanade, Aptos.

This is a fenced off empty lot 1,525 square feet the county acquired due to nonpayment of taxes.

It’s next to Venus Kitchen restaurant and close to Rio Del Mar State Beach.

The parcel number is 042-151-31.

Redfin estimates the value at $838,188.

Deadline is 5 p.m. Monday, April 8, to submit a sealed bid to the Department of Community Development and Infra structure, County of Santa Cruz, 701 Ocean Street, Room 410, Santa Cruz.

The minimum bid is $240,000.

The bid opening will be Tuesday, April 9, at 9 a.m. or thereafter, during the regular place of meeting of the Board of Supervisors, 701 Ocean Street, Room 525, Santa Cruz. n

Everyone

As food bank staff see it, this united effort exemplifies the spirit of community and compassion that defines Santa Cruz County.

The co-chairs of the 2024-25 Holiday Food & Fund Drive will be returning chair Dr. Faris Sabbah, Santa Cruz County superintendent of schools, and Chris Murphy, president of the Santa Cruz Warriors and senior vice president of the Golden State Warriors. n

Matt Huffaker, City of Santa Cruz manager, presents Watsonville City Manager Rene Mendez with a yellow duck float and a pair of swim trunks. They competed was to see who would raise the most funds and the loser would jump in the ocean, and Huffaker won, so Mendez must jump.

Ray Mosier & Richard Crowe

Filipino American Stories from the Pajaro Valley

Santa Cruz Museum Hosts Exhibit April 12-Aug. 14

The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History with UC Santa Cruz announces Sowing Seeds: Filipino American Stories from the Pajaro Valley, an exhibition from April 12–Aug.4 that shines a light on the vibrant Filipino American life on the Central Coast.

Four years in the making, the exhibition tells the story of Filipino migration and labor in Watsonville and the greater Pajaro Valley of Central California from the 1930s to the present.

The exhibition is the result of a prestigious $75,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to Watsonville is in the Heart, a public history initiative housed in The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz.

“We had a shared vision with our community partners from the beginning of our work together that has only kept our efforts focused,” said Kathleen “Kat” Cruz Gutierrez, assistant professor of history at UCSC and co-principal investigator of Watsonville is in the Heart.

She added, “An exhibition has been part of that vision, and we’re eager to share perspectives on Filipino American agrarian life that come straight from those who lived, worked, struggled, and flourished in the Pajaro Valley.”

Visitors will find oral histories and family heirlooms associated with Watsonville is in the Heart. There will be 52 family objects and 13 oral histories , drawn from 18 family collections -- including agricultural tools, family photographs, organizational paperwork, and photo albums.

Watsonville is in the Heart also invited eight artists to participate, all of whom have worked with or around the importance of archives, memory, and community.

Johanna Poethig and Minerva Amistoso will present works of art about the experiences of the elderly manong and manang generation.

Ruth Tabancay, an artist who grew up in the Pajaro Valley, is creating a new work of art especially for the exhibition, highlighting the experiences of young Filipinas and performing femininity.

Binh Danh, Sandra Lucille, Jenifer

Wofford, Ant Lorenzo, and Connie Zheng were invited to work with community members to produce works of art that investigate their collections and family histories.

The Watsonville is in the Heart team previously worked closely with the Pajaro Valley’s Filipino American community to build a digital archive, said Christina Ayson Plank, PhD candidate in Visual Studies at

“We’ve gone to their homes and heard stories about their parents, family friends, and relatives that are memorialized through the objects they’ve kept and preserved,” Ayson-Plank said. n •••

The museum is at 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. Hours are: Thursday–Sunday, 12–6 p.m.

UCSC and head curator of Watsonville is in the Heart.

Collection: Asuncion Family

Asuncion Family Picnic at Sunset Beach, c. 1953-4, Photograph

Collection: Millares Family Two Manongs in front of a House, Photograph

Collection: Mariano Family Alice Wiggins, “The Beginning,” c. 1942, Photograph

Collection: Johanna Poethig Johanna Poethig, Manong Freddy, 2010, Handcasted Plate with Decals

New Soquel Creek Water District Board President Outlines Goals

Protection from Further Seawater Contamination Still the Top Priority

Dr. Bruce Jaffe has taken the leadership helm as Soquel Creek Water District’s board president for 2024.

Dr. Jaffe has been a longstanding District board member for 22 years and last year served as the agency’s vice-president. In this interview, he discusses the board’s priorities, his goals as board president, and the challenges the District faces in the future. •••

What are your top priorities as Board President?

The top priority is to protect our groundwater basin. We have to keep seawater in the Monterey Bay, and not in our drinking water. To do that we need to raise protective groundwater levels, so they are high enough to push the seawater water back into the bay. It’s very simple. We must use water efficiently and develop a new water supply.

The new water supply is Pure Water Soquel (PWS), which will purify recycled water and replenish our aquifers. The purified water will recharge into the groundwater basin to raise the levels enough to push the seawater into the bay.

If the seawater gets into our aquifer, it will pollute the basin for dozens or even hundreds of years. The State of California has declared our basin as critically overdrafted and mandated that it be sustainable by 2040.

The overarching goal is to continue to provide clean, safe water to our customers.

What is your proudest moment as a board member?

There are a lot of them. I would have to say the proudest moment was when after gathering information and being sure about the safety of water recycling and purification we committed to the Pure Water Soquel project.

The reason it is a proud moment is that with the project, we were on the road to a solution to the problem of seawater intrusion into our aquifer.

Another point of pride is that we have such a great staff working at the water district. It allows us as a board to do more than we would be able to normally. I hear nothing but positive feedback from our customers about our staff. It’s an exceptional group.

What are your goals for collaboration and relationships with other agencies and groups?

My goal is to collaborate where it makes sense. The saying “a rising tide floats all boats” applies to our groundwater basin. If our section of the groundwater basin is healthy, it is a benefit to the adjacent areas of the basin, and vice versa.

An example of this type of collaboration is the Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Agency (MGA), which I was instrumental in its formation, and I was its first chair. I am most proud of the MGA bylaws that say all members of the agencies that are under its operation need to agree unanimously on any budget item.

There may be opportunities with Pure Water Soquel to share water with other water agencies. As we monitor PWS when it’s operational and its benefits, the facility could be expanded after environmental review, if needed. We also have interties with adjacent agencies where we can transfer water in emergencies when one agency can’t meet short-term demands.

with replacing our infrastructure as it reaches the end of its useful life.

What is some personal information district customers would be interested in knowing?

I recently retired and am looking forward to staying actively involved in local issues within Santa Cruz County.

I love the outdoors and the ocean. I play beach volleyball competitively … though not

as competitively as I used to. I love to ride my bike, both in the mountains and as transportation from point A to point B. n

Finish the Lyrics

What was the most challenging experience?

The most challenging experience was when we didn’t have a solution to seawater intrusion, and we were considering a moratorium on new water hookups. I really did not want to have to do that, and the Pure Water Soquel Project came about and we were able to put off a moratorium by adopting the Water Demand Offset Program.

That program required new development to offset their water demands with retrofits and low-flush toilets and other low water use measures. It was a tremendous relief when we had a plan for protecting our aquifer that did not involve a moratorium on new hookups.

What is the district’s biggest challenge in the future?

The biggest challenge is to provide safe, reliable, sustainable drinking water as inexpensively as possible.

And part of that challenge is we have an aging infrastructure, and we have to replace mains so that they don’t break, and we not only lose water but it also impacts reliable service to our customers. It can be more expensive to do a repair when you are in crisis mode.

Here’s an example: We dug up some very old redwood pipes in our district about a dozen years ago.

The way our district formed was an amalgamation of smaller water purveyors, and when they joined the district, you inherited what they had in terms of infrastructure. It will be an ongoing challenge to keep pace

path

9. Type of salmon

13. *Steve Miller Band: “I want to fly like an ____”

14. Simon & Garfunkel, e.g.

15. Popular winter boot brand

16. Ohio city

17. Lodge

18. Squirrel away

19. *Glenn Frey: “The pressure’s high just to stay alive ‘cause ____ ____ is on”

21. *John Travolta in “Grease”: “I got ____, they’re multiplyin’”

23. Automated teller

24. Clarified butter

25. Bad-mouth, slangily

28. Stag

30. Tartans

35. “I’m ____ you!”

37. Commies

39. Monocot’s alternative

40. Road’s edge

41. Living room centerpiece?

43. Prefix meaning “left”

44. Deadly snake

46. Sasquatch’s cousin

47. Court petitioner

48. Blood infection

50. Indian flatbread

52. Opposite of post-

53. Sound of impact

55. *Duran Duran: “Her name is ____, and she dances on the sand”

57. *The Beatles: “Take a sad song and make it ____”

60. *Elvis: “We’re caught in a trap, I can’t ____ ____”

64. Relating to a mode

65. Scrooge’s exclamation

67. Memory failure

68. Bouquet thrower

69. Number of candles on a cake

70. Musketeers’ weapons

71. Picnic invaders

72. “Just kidding!”

73. Did, archaic

DOWN

1. *The Go-Go’s: “They got the ____”

2. 100,000, in India

3. Cameron Diaz’ Fiona, e.g.

4. Hula dancer’s hello

5. These are held to be true

6. Miners’ passage

7. *Tainted Love: “Once ran to you, now I ____”

8. “Lord of the Flies” shell

9. Like the other side of the pillow?

10. Certain kind of exam

11. Not his

12. Antiquated

15. Protection from a sword

20. To death, in French (2 words)

22. ____ B vaccine

24. Manna from heaven

25. *Bon Jovi: “Tommy used to work on the ____”

26. Habituate

27. Spaghetti ____

29. *Don McLean: “Drove my chevy to the ____”

31. Pains

32. Frost over (2 words)

33. Capital of Delaware

34. *Tennessee Ernie Ford: “I owe my soul to the company ____”

36. Geishas’ sashes

38. “____ ____ good example”

42. Royal topper

45. ____-tattle

49. Pronoun

51. Refused to act, archaic

54. City-related

56. Giraffe’s striped-legged cousin

57. *Bruce Springsteen: “Tramps like us, baby we were ____ to run”

58. Change a manuscript

59. Small amounts

60. Make sharper

61. Newspaper piece

62. Applications

63. Midterm, e.g.

64. Wharton degree, acr.

66. Back then

©

Bruce Jaffe

Mercury Retrogrades & the Path of the Eclipse

“Driftwood Nursing” from page 21

We begin the month of April with Mercury stationing retrograde in the Aries. Eight days later, on April 8, is the total solar eclipse. It is a most potent two events, both occurring in fiery Aries. A total solar eclipse signifies something deeply essential to/in our lives comes to an end, its purpose and work complete. Total eclipses occur during new moon times and this eclipse occurs at the new moon,19 degrees Aries.

The path of the eclipse goes over much of the United States. Total solar eclipses especially bring change and transformation, invite introspection; they carry an aura and wave of unpredictability that sweeps through our lives. Eclipses are connected to the nodes (past karma and present/ future dharma). They guide us back to our destined path.

perspectives. In Aries, our horizons are broadened about ourselves. Mercury retrograde is an in-between time, a time to catch up, a time of observing and planning.

Mercury retrograde often offer us an adventure, interesting and promising. We look back and gather what was good and we bring it to the present future. It’s a time of exploration, new possibilities to consider, a time of experimentation and perhaps when old flames again appear on our doorsteps.

Mercury retrogrades from 27 to 16 degrees Aries, April 8 to April 25. Mercury retrograde is about returning to, contemplation upon and reconsidering who are were in the past. Aries is also the major sign of self-identity.

Mercury retrograde in Aries allows us to reimagine our lives. It may feel like a very fast retrograde time, for Aries is swift, fiery and impatient. Retrogrades broaden our horizons, awaken us to new

ARIES

Subtle yet important shifts will be occurring in your life and on inner levels. You may feel as if you’re on a boat rocking to-and-fro wondering where you’re being taken and why. Attempt to anchor yourself within whatever spiritual reality calls to you while also reaching out to friends for support and reaching well into the future with hope. No one is prepared for the future that’s to come. But you will be one of those asked to help bring it forth. You initiate new realities. You can and you will. For now, simply observe.

TAURUS

New and different ways of living are being shown to you and they challenge your previously conservative (a good way to live for you) ways. There will be new goals offered to you also, and at first you will say “no” which allows you adequate time to ponder and to think. Then you will, after deep contemplation, come around to realizing these are good ideas you need to pursue. Take your time. There is no pressure. When you decide something you will move quickly forward. You continue to create the Art of Living.

GEMINI

Sometimes we express our identity by creating conflict, by rebelling, questioning or challenging authority. We do this sometimes with irony or humor.

When we are observing of our behaviors, we learn about ourselves, defining who we are (or don’t want to be). Feelings of limitation propels you to make certain changes that lead to more freedom. Act within correct timing (astrology) and observe if new opportunities suddenly appear. Events may occur that surprise or shock. After assessing the old ways, a new direction suddenly appears!

CANCER

It’s important you consciously choose to have a continuously open and spacious mind (Mantram: “My mind is flexible, adaptable and open at all times” recited over and over) to absorb the new possibilities coming your way. These will change your worldviews. Events will inform you that your previous way of thinking was a bit askew. Allow your thinking to be adjusted toward the truth and no longer based on opinions and judgment. This will be a large step in a new truthful state of awareness and consciousness.

Don’t be upset when plans and schedules seem jumbled, appointments are missed, and if issues that were simmering simply explode! It’s all part of the action that happens in retrogrades. This one, though, may be more fiery, more dynamic and dramatic than at other times due to Aries ruler, Mars, an impulsive, hasty and warring brother. Take note of communication. Are the words a reaction or a response, impatient and sharp? Communication during retrograde times is often difficult and at times, impossible to comprehend.

Mercury retro in Aries brings to light hidden aspects of ourselves, new identities, unresolved issues and hopes, wishes and dreams we are finally able to recognize. n

LEO

For some Leos, new relationships, friendships and partnerships will be available. For others, having property and money in common becomes either unavailable or overwhelmingly too much responsibility. Other Leos will experience deep psychological behavioral changes. For all Leos past needs have shifted to new needs and unexpected situations at first may feel both intense and fated. They are. And through it all, your new identity is created and your new creativity displays these words — “I Am That.”

VIRGO

It seems certain mental and emotional (perhaps also spiritual) changes must be made in terms of relationships. This does not signify a fault or a mistake. It signifies new stages of growth. You may unexpectedly embark upon an unusual (not necessarily stable) relationship. Although not advisable, you’ll learn through its instability. We learn through our interactions. Daily strategies will need to shift. Conflicts arising alert you that past patterns of relating won’t work anymore. The new ones will either be created by you, by others, or simply appear in a blink of an eye. Life is so surprising!

LIBRA

Should anyone or anything make excessive demands upon you, should they choose a different path and expect you to follow, should there be extreme responsibilities professionally, or anything too binding or restrictive, you will, after a time, break free in order to ease the tension created. You will escape in order to find your own way, and you will seek your own path that allows for your own chosen health and happiness. Your entire life may feel like it’s being revolutionized. This takes time, slow time, over time. Your heart remains steadfast.

SCORPIO

Life could feel a bit more alive, vital and exciting. Are relationships undergoing a new level of assessment? They may be durable but you find you can’t have expectations. It could be that children are in your life or a very creative enterprise has presented itself. With both (children and creativity) you see the need to be more attentive, kind, caring, innovative, in the present. Assuming different experimental approaches will help you redefine and then refine your abilities. More understanding follows. Study Montessori.

These settlements are made possible only through the coordination and collaboration of governmental agencies, as well as the critical help from whistleblowers who report incidences of abuse or Medi-Cal fraud at oag.ca.gov/dmfea/reporting.

The stipulated judgment is https:// oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/ press-docs/Stipulated__proposed__Final_ Judgment_v3[1].pdf

Mariner Health Care Inc. is based in Atlanta.

In 2004, McKnight’s reported Mariner Health Care was bought by National Senior Care Inc. in a $1 billion deal, including $615 million in cash.

In 2022, when the bankruptcy was filed, Mariner Health had $7.3 million in assets and $104.7 million in liabilities, according to Reorg.com.

SAGITTARIUS

Your relationships to family, parents, home, the past are the most important focuses of your life now. There is a release occurring and a reform within the family and you are the one whose task it is to bring the past to the present. On outer levels you feel unsettled no matter what you’re doing. You must accept and cultivate flexibility. Whatever you have not been able to look at will emerge and silently gaze at you. Embrace this. The deepest level of your being is shifting to new heights. Hold onto your parachute.

CAPRICORN

It is important to listen to and observe your communication and how it affects others. Be clear, truthful, kind and caring. You must also know that the tempo of your life has increased and this means an added need for rest, vitamins, water, green things including nature and the sun each day to stabilize your vitality. Be kind to those slower, younger, more vulnerable than you. The quality of a disciple is how they care for those in need. So many look to you for guidance and care. All that you do serves others. Take care of yourself first.

AQUARIUS

Have your finances begun to withstand changes and is your economic and material situation not what it was before? This is occurring, or will occur, for everyone, but it seems to have begun with you. You will find that through this, your values also change. You already know to be natural, spontaneous, ecological, organic, biodynamic and these are only the beginning. The next steps for Aquarians are two: astrology and community. One leads to the other. Read Agriculture by Rudolf Steiner.

PISCES

You may be considering acting, feeling and participating with others in ways different from your usual behavior It could be a response to a sorrow or loss. Or a seeking of freedom. Some may see it as rebellion on the personality level. Should this behavior continue, you must then heed the message that perhaps certain changes in your life are overdue. Limitations, sorrow, sadness, grief, loss often appear to help us develop a new state of awareness, new powers of observation, inner discipline, self-identity, contemplation, and a new plan for life. What might you be dreaming of?

In 2020 and 2021, Mariner Health generated $77,278 in net income on $25.3 million of revenues and a net loss of $3.37 million on $31 million of revenues.

The revenue decline in 2021 was attributed to a “significant” decline in nursing home residents because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The largest creditor was Marciela Ledesma et al, who sued Parkview nursing home in Hayward, operated by Mariner, after her husband and nine other residents died there at 80, and won $14,695,914.

The 10 plaintiffs claimed chronic understaffing resulted in harm and were awarded $9.6 million in punitive and wrongful death damages after a four-month trial by Zoom. The jury found that violations, neglect and negligence were committed with fraud.

Lawyers for the nursing home contended the people who died were old and sick, which had nothing to do with neglect; they were experiencing “natural progressions” of life, according to juryverdictalert.com n

“Auxiliary Lanes” from page 22

Longinotti said, “What we need are alternatives to being stuck in traffic. Spending $180 million on a futile project diverts funds from those alternatives.”

He said Minneapolis, Cleveland, and Atlanta have genuine bus-on-shoulder operations that attract riders because the buses are not stuck in traffic.

Caltrans has said one goal of the project is to improve safety.

Santa Cruz County ranks 5th worst in rate of serious injuries to pedestrians (out of 58 counties) and 2nd worst in rate of injuries to bicyclists.

The Sierra Club contends that investing in transit and making streets safer for bicyclists and pedestrians should be a higher priority than road expansions that don’t reduce congestion.

CFST and Sierra Club scheduled a community meeting at 10:20 a.m. Saturday, March 30, at the Aptos Library to organize community support for alternatives to highway expansion. n

Soquel Creek Water District Taps Melanie Mow Schumacher as General Manager

At the March 19 meeting, the Soquel Creek Water District Board of Directors unanimously selected Melanie Mow Schumacher to become the District’s next general manager, succeeding Ron Duncan.

Schumacher, currently the special projects-communications manager/assistant general manager who’s been on staff for 28 years, will assume her new duties Oct. 1 when Duncan retires.

This appointment ensures continuity in the District’s leadership.

“Over her many years with the District, Melanie has more than proven herself to the Board, to District staff, to our customers, and to professionals throughout the water industry,” said Dr. Bruce Jaffe, president of the District Board of Directors. “Her expertise and tireless dedication to the goals of the District particularly in bringing the Pure Water Soquel project to fruition have shown us that she is the ideal leader to take the District into the future.”

Schumacher received a civil engineering degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and is a registered civil engineer in California. She received her master’s degree in public administration from Golden Gate University, San Francisco, and her capstone project focused on strategic planning and organizational excellence through the Appreciative Inquiry process.

Soquel Creek Water District, a small water agency 100% reliant on local groundwater to serve 40,000+ residents in Santa Cruz County, hired Schumacher as a junior engineer in 1995 upon her graduation from Cal Poly. Since then, her duties and responsibilities have continuously increased.

“I’m honored and grateful to our Board for their confidence and trust in appointing me as general manager,” said Schumacher. “It’s my privilege and passion to be part of the District, and I’m very proud to work alongside so

many talented and dedicated colleagues. I look forward to focusing on service, sustainability, and stewardship.”

Schumacher has exhibited strong leadership and developed key relationships at the Board, staff, community, and industry/partner levels contributing to the District’s accomplishments.

FEATURED COLUMNIST

For Stress, Try B.R.E.A.T.H.

Imagine you just received some news that brought about stress. What do you do?

Most of us will do anything to avoid that feeling. Well, science teaches us that our bodies process emotions in 90 seconds.

So, rather than avoiding the feeling, use the 6-Step B.R.E.A.T.H. Process to allow yourself to feel the emotion so that it doesn’t get stuck in your body and linger throughout the day.

The aim of the B.R.E.A.T.H. Process is to create a system to process emotions in real time so that you can shift to inner peace without needing to find extra time in your day to do more.

While meditation, journaling, breathwork and similar mindful practices are great and highly effective, unfortunately they don’t always leave you feeling with that same clarity as you felt when you are

partaking in the specific exercise.

Whereas the 6-Step B.R.E.A.T.H. Process allows you to feel more fulfillment throughout the day around the clock and this is how.

The 6 Steps

1) BREATH to Slow Down

When you feel a heavier emotion, notice that and allow yourself the time to breathe into it. Deep inhales and longer and slower exhales.

2) RELAX to Feel

Emotions are energy in motion, so allow yourself to relax into the energy knowing that it will move through your body in 90 seconds if you accept it rather than deny it.

3) ENERGY to Reveal

Get curious, what is the energy that is

Her work guiding the District through the planning, environmental study, funding, design, and construction of Pure Water Soquel has resulted in this crucial water supply project, now set to become operational later this year, poised to provide a new, safe, drought-proof water source and protection from seawater contamination of the groundwater that is the sole source of water for this community.

She was a driving force in the efforts to achieve considerable levels of funding assistance for Pure Water Soquel (especially for a small agency) $100 million in State and Federal grants in addition to numerous low-interest loans.

In 2023, she was recognized as Recycled Water Staff Person of the Year by the California WateReuse Association.

In 2022, the Board of Directors promoted her to assistant general manager. Since then, she has worked alongside current General Manager Ron Duncan, effectively taking an increasing leadership role.

Duncan said, “Melanie has been the heart and soul of the Pure Water Soquel program, demonstrating exceptional leadership qualities. She is the best choice to lead the District into the future.”

Schumacher is a past president of the Monterey Bay Water Works Association and a founding member of the WateReuse Communications Collaborative group. She has participated in dozens of water reuse conferences, panels, and webinars, served on a National Water Research Institute expert panel, and been active in helping the region work toward meeting the goals of the State mandate that the Santa Cruz Mid-County groundwater basin be made sustainable by 2040.

In her personal life, Schumacher lives in Soquel and enjoys running, hiking, dancing, and adventuring with her family. n

moving through you here to teach you? .

4) ACCEPT to Surrender

This is the hardest part, many of us don’t want to accept what may come to the surface when you see the lesson of what’s being revealed to you … come back to your breath to help you accept and move through these heavy emotions.

5) TRANSFORM into Empowering Beliefs

Positive affirmations alone don’t work because they disregard the deeper underlying issues.

The first 4 steps are all centered around getting the to the root of an underlying emotion and now at this stage it’s time to transform the heavy emotions into an empowering positive “I AM” statement (or belief).

By Sam Kabert

6) HABITS to Integrate

We get stuck like a hamster on a wheel when we don’t take action and make positive changes.

Reflect on what came through to you in the past couple minutes of running through the previous 5 steps and find a new habit and/or action to take to evoke positive change into your life. n

•••

Sam Kabert spent his early career chasing success as an entrepreneur and was named to Silicon Valley’s 40 under 40 at age 31. Despite building a million-dollar business, he was unfulfilled. In 2019, he embraced self-discovery and prioritized mental health. He now lives in Live Oak, where he is a yoga instructor, breathwork teacher and speaker, author of the best-seller Soul Life Balance, and hosts the Soul Seekr podcast on YouTube. See www.samkabert.com

Melanie Mow Schumacher (center) is joined by then WateReuse Board President Paul Jones II (left) and SCWD Engineering Manager/Chief Engineer Taj Dufour at the 2018 WateReuse Symposium.

• Compose music that captures your own individual style

ANNOUNCEMENTS

PROPERTY TAXES DUE

The second installment of 2023-2024 property tax bills is due April 10.

Bills are available to view and pay on the Santa Cruz County Treasurer-Tax Collector website at https://www. santacruzcountyca.gov/Departments/TaxCollector.aspx

Online, residents can view their bill, make payments, see if they have any delinquent property taxes, or learn about senior/disabled persons exemptions, and property tax postponements. Residents can pay property taxes online by E-Check at no cost, or by using debit/credit cards, where service charges apply.

Payments made or postmarked after April 10 will be assessed as a late penalty.

If you plan to mail a check, make sure your envelope has a U.S. Post Office postmark on or before the due date to avoid late penalties.

If bills have not been paid yet, the County recommends obtaining a hand-stamped postmark at the U.S. Post Office as proof of timely payment.

HABITAT SEEKS CEO

Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay is searching for a CEO to succeed Satish Rishi, who will retire July 31 after four-and-a-half years.

Board Chair Doug Yount, who will head the search, said, “Satish has expanded our impact over the past four years, increasing the number of homes we build each year and serving way more deserving low-income families. His extensive fiscal background has put HfHMB in a strong position moving forward.”

Rishi, who came from the tech industry, said, “It has been a rewarding experience, and together, we have enabled 18 low-income families to find permanent affordable housing.

As we complete our 11-home project in Rodeo Creek Court and embark on a new 13-home project in Watsonville, I think this is the right time to pass the baton to a new leader who can see the project to completion.”

Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay is seeking a leader with a record of organizational leadership and community engagement, preferably in both Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. Habitat’s strategic plan calls for more affordable home building, active volunteer engagement, ReStore sales, and fundraising with significant expansion into Monterey County in the next three years. Apply at https://www.habitatmontereybay.com/ceosearch

NURSING MOTHERS: FREE HELP

Reva Raina Snyder shares that Nursing Mothers Counsel offers free breastfeeding support and education with classes, in-home, telephone and zoom or FaceTime. Plus breast pump rentals and supplies.

Information: Nursingmothers.org or call 831-688-3954.

OPPORTUNITY GRANT MUSIC SCHOLARSHIPS

Opportunity Grant Scholarships are awarded yearly to highly motivated young students whose families are financially unable to provide private music lessons.

Applications are due May 15, for scholarships in the 2024-2025 school year. Applications are at the Santa Cruz County Music Teachers’ Association website: https:// sccmtac.org/scholarships/#grants

Students can study piano, voice, string (violin, viola), and wind instruments (flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, and trumpet) with distinguished teachers. Lessons for other string and wind instruments are subject to teachers’ availability, so students should apply if interested.

Students must be enrolled in a Santa Cruz County school or be home-schooled residents in grades 2-12 during the ensuing school year. Students should have access to a practice instrument and transportation to weekly lessons.

The application includes a brief financial statement.

Families are responsible for a small co-payment and educational materials, $25 per year.

Since 1995, more than $130,000 in scholarships have

been awarded to students, more than half from communities of color. Teachers have donated the same amount as reduced tuition. The Music Teachers’ Association of California called it a model for scholarship programs. To apply, see https://sccmtac.org/scholarships/#grants. To donate, email OpportunityGrants@sccmtac.org.

ARTICHOKE FESTIVAL QUILT CHALLENGE

The Artichoke Festival invites quilting enthusiasts and fabric artists to participate in the 6th Annual Quilt Challenge June 8-9 at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center.

The Quilt Challenge now features four competitive categories: Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice plus Best Artichoke and Best Use of Fabric. The prizes:

• Judge’s Choice: Cash prizes of $250, $150, and $75 for the top three places.

• People’s Choice: Beautiful ribbons for the winners.

• Best Artichoke: A special category celebrating the most creative use of the artichoke theme.

• Best Use of Fabric: Recognizing outstanding creativity in fabric use and application.

Participants are encouraged to pick up a packet containing the competition rules, an entry form, and a piece of required fabric. All entries must depict at least one artichoke on the front and adhere to specified dimensions and labeling requirements.

Quilts must be received by May 31. For more information, visit https://artichokefestival.org/ entertainment-events/quilt-challenge/

MAH 2024 EXHIBITIONS AND PROJECTS

The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH) is pleased to announce its exhibition program for 2024, which includes solo and group shows, collaborative partnerships, and the return of its biennial, countywide multi-arts festival.

Highlights from the season include: the return of the Rydell Visual Arts Fellowship showcase; a retrospective of renowned landscape painter Richard Mayhew; a group exhibition about Filipino migration and labor in the Pajaro

RIGHT LIVELIHOOD CONFERENCE

Tuesday April 23 thru Saturday April 27

Valley presented with UC Santa Cruz; an exploration of photographic media with Ansel Adams, Norman Locks, Karolina Karlic, Shelby Graham, Binh Danh, and Edgar Cruz; a touring exhibition of works by contemporary Black artists including Ed Clark, Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, Mickalene Thomas, Kara Walker, Tavares Strachan, among others; CommonGround, a 10-day festival of outdoor art and performance hosted across the county; and an in-gallery, immersive Afrospeculative experience featuring Bay Area muralists Timothy B, Zoe Boston, and Shogun Shido.

MAH is located at 705 Front St. in Santa Cruz.

APRIL IS COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS MONTH

Collective consciousness is the set of shared beliefs, ideas, and moral attitudes that operate as a unifying force within society.

It does not refer to the specifically moral conscience, but to a shared understanding of social norms.

Founded by Simon and Rebecca Parkes, Connecting Consciousness is an international organization expanding with a presence on every continent.

Goals are to create networks through spiritual groups, share knowledge through research and debate, encouraging questions leading to the establishment of truth. To learn more see https://www.simonparkes.org/

THINK BIG AI CONTEST FOR STUDENTS

High school and college students in Santa Cruz County are invited to use the power of AI (Artificial Intelligence) to enhance your creative expression.

The Santa Cruz County Office of Education is hosting a contest for students in grades 8 and up.

The theme is: “How Artificial Intelligence Changes Our World and Our Future.” You can submit anything that shows off how AI impacts different parts of your life.

Craft something original using AI as your brush, pen, coder, literary writer or melody maker. Imagine and:

• Create images that capture your dreams, make a statement, or more

Main Event: 7 p.m. Thursday, April 25, Merrill College, 641 Merrill Rd, Santa Cruz UC Santa Cruz will host a conference to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Right Livelihood Center and inaugurate UCSC’s new role as Global Secretariat of the Right Livelihood College Network.

The main event features three speakers (from right): Phyllis Omido — dubbed the “Erin Brockovich of East Africa” – is a Kenyan environmental activist leading the battle for the health of the Owino Uhuru community that has suffered lead poisoning ever since a battery smelting plant began operating in their village. Her use of litigation, advocacy, and media engagement has set vital legal precedents, affirming people’s right to a clean and healthy environment and the state’s responsibility to safeguard it.

Juan Pablo Orrego — a Chilean musician and environmentalist working for decades to preserve the Biobío River, one of South America’s most spectacular and ecologically significant rivers. The campaign is a symbol of the environmental and social struggle which is ongoing, connecting the dots between energy policy, environment, indigenous people’s rights, monopolies, and the neo-liberal development goals of the establishment.

Fernando Leiva — professor of Latin American and Latino studies at UCSC. He is researching strategies that multinational extractivist corporations deploy to overcome community resistance, focusing on Chile’s Atacama region. He also studies economic elites in the Americas and the political economy of Latin American capitalism.

Attendees include 13 students from the Global Campus of Human Rights, a network of 100+ universities, and the Right Livelihood College, which has campuses in Nigeria, India, Thailand, Chile, Argentina, Sweden, Germany, and Switzerland.

Admission is free. Register at https://rightlivelihood.ucsc.edu/conference

• Co-author novels and short stories where characters write their own destinies

• Craft poems that dance between human and machine emotion

Have you thought about how you can use AI to address a current social issue ? This challenge is your golden ticket to unleashing your creative genius!

Top projects will be announced at the ThinkBig! AI & Me event 4:30-6 p.m. Thursday, April 11, hosted by Santa Cruz Works at Cruzio in Santa Cruz and DigitalNest in Watsonville.

Submission deadline is 4 p.m. April 2.

Applicants must complete and submit the Design Proposal Document, detailing their concept, use of AI tools, and reflections on the process.

Applicants must Submit Design Proposal and Project digitally through the Contest Form at https://tinyurl.com/ think-big-ai-propose.

All projects must be school appropriate, same expectations as a project for your teacher or principal. Register your entry at https://cs.santacruzcoe.org/events/thinkbig-series/thinkbigspring24

COUNTY FAIR BOARD MEETINGS

The Santa Cruz County Fair Board will meet each month in 2024 except September and November.

Remaining dates are April 23, May 28, June 25, July 23, Aug. 27, Oct. 22, and Dec. 3.

There is no meeting in September or November. Meetings typically begin at 1:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday in the Heritage Building at the fairgrounds, 2601 East Lake Blvd., Watsonville.

For agendas, posted 10 days in advance, see santacruzcountyfair.com

ONGOING EVENTS

April 19 thru May 5

“WHITE SKY, FALLING DRAGON”

Center Stage 1001 Center St., Santa Cruz “White Sky, Falling Dragon,” a co-production from Soaring Dragon Endeavors & Santa Cruz Actors’ Theatre, will be staged at Center Stage.

The show is written and directed by Soquel resident Steve “Spike” Wong. Inspired by Spike’s father, Captain Ernest Wong, USAAF, the play tells the story of a young ChineseAmerican man’s return to small town Watsonville in 1944 after his World War II service as a bombardier.

This production, which features an all-Asian cast in primary roles, offers a rare opportunity to experience a largely untold story of the heroic contributions of Chinese-Americans, and a dramatic telling of the aftermath of war.

With its focus on Chinese-American culture, immigration, and military service during wartime, the play is a unique blend of drama and comedy and a moving tribute to the complexities of what it means to come home.

The show got raves at its premiere in Mountain View in 2022.

General admission: $35; senior/student: $32. Tickets at https://ci.ovationtix.com/35410/production/1173181

For information about the play and the playwright, go to: https:// soaringdragon.net

Ongoing thru May 12

RICHARD MAYHEW: INNER TERRAIN

Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, 705 Front St. A rare and timely exhibition of the artwork of Soquel artist Richard Mayhew (b. 1924) at the Museum of Art & History, feature works that speak to American arts, culture, and history. He calls his landscapes “moodscapes” as an introspective excavation of the terrain of his mind. This exhibition — guest curated by Shelby Graham and Kajahl — is presented with support from Community Foundation Santa Cruz County and Santa Cruz County Bank.

Ernest Wong

Mondays BRIDGE CLUB

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

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

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

Tuesdays and Thursdays

WALKING ADVENTURE GROUP

9:30-11:30 a.m., Various locations

Walking Adventure Group, offered by city of Santa Cruz Recreation, offers weekly coordinated walks at locations around the county.

Join this group of active seniors for a weekly walking adventure. Walks can be canceled by inclement weather:

Tuesdays: Smell the Roses

Thursday: Walking Adventure Group

To register visit www.cityofsantacruz.com/government/ city-departments/parks-recreation/senior-programs

For more information call 831-420-5180 or e-mail WalkingAdventureGroup@gmail.com.

First Wednesdays

SONS IN RETIREMENT

Time TBD, Elks Lodge, 150 Jewell St., Santa Cruz SIR (Sons In Retirement) is a nonprofit, nonpolitical public benefit organization of senior men. The organization’s mission is to enhance the lives of its members through social events while making friends.

The Twin Valleys, Santa Cruz Branch welcomes new members and meets the first Wednesday of each month. Contact Ray Disperati at 831-588-8876 for information.

Last Thursdays of the Month

CARS ON THE COURSE

6:30 – 9:30 p.m., Seascape Golf Club, 610 Clubhouse Drive, Aptos

Love cars? Seascape Golf Club will host “Cars on the Course” through October.

All cars are welcome (but not sideshows).

Second and Fourth Saturdays

SOQUEL HOMESTEADERS MARKETS: NEW HOME, NEW DAY

11 a.m.-3 p.m., 2505 and 2525 South Main St. parking lots

Soquel Homesteaders Markets in in a new location and on a new day and time starting April 13 and active through Dec. 14.

The markets will be in the parking lots across from Soquel business’s Beer 30, Sunny Side Produce, Buzzo Wood Fired Pizza, and Carpo’s.

The Soquel Homesteaders Markets, organized by Jill Troderman of Holistic Family Nutrition, supports vendors of all good things, with a focus on promoting quality, natural, organic, and sustainable foods and products.

There will be vendors of locally grown produce, cottage industry foods, local meats, cheeses, ferments, natural products, homesteaders’ wares, arts and crafts, honey, candles, sweet treats, coffee and tea, health and wellness products, services, and practitioners, healers, spiritual endeavors, nonprofits, schools, plants, flowers, seeds and herbs, jewelry, green living and up-cycled garage sale items. The Markets will include live music, food trucks, a gleaner’s table with free local produce, and a seed share/ seed bank.

There will also be homesteading classes from 12 - 1 p.m. Find “Soquel Homesteaders Markets” on Facebook.

Third Sundays of the Month

ANTIQUE FAIR & FLEA MARKET

9 a.m.-2 p.m., Cabrillo College, 6500 Soquel Drive Clark’s Auction presents a monthly Antique Fair & Flea Market on the third Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cabrillo College, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos, starting March 17.

BONSAI IS ART EXHIBIT & SALE

Saturday April 13

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Aptos Grange Hall, 2555 Mar Vista Drive

Santa Cruz Bonsai presents its annual exhibit and sale 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 13, at Aptos Grange Hall, 2555 Mar Vista Drive, Aptos.

Demonstration at 1 p.m. by bonsai artist Mike Pistello who will transform a tree into a bonsai. Live auction of the demo tree will be at 3:30 p.m. Throughout the day: Sale of plant & bonsai related items, raffle tree every hour, experienced help with trees purchased, tea & cookies, and Off the Hook Sustainable Sushi food truck.

Entry is free; donations accepted.

Admission tickets are $8 at https://www.eventeny.com/ events/ticket/?id=9559&action=ticket&action_ticket=14707

Earlybird tickets are $15 to get in at 7 a.m.

DATED EVENTS

Saturday March 30

WATERCOLOR JOURNALING WORKSHOP

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Aromas Community Grange, 361 Rose Ave. Graphic designer Gay Kraeger and her daughter artist Elyse Fairweather will teach you ways to draw, watercolor and design to create your own illustrated journal at Aromas Community Grange.

Your first journal will be provided. You can bring your own watercolors.

Fee: $115 per person. Sign up with Linda Bjornson@att.net or 831-291-6719.

Sunday April 7

PICTURE THIS: REIMAGINING HOME

5 p.m., Hotel Paradox, 611 Ocean St., Santa Cruz

The nonprofit Housing Matters will host “Picture This: Reimagining Home and Belonging” to launch the Community Conversations series in the Sequoia Ballroom at Hotel Paradox. People with lived experience of homelessness will share their insights.

Headliners include:

New York Times best-selling author, educator and politician Julie Lythcott-Haims, member of the Palo Alto City Council. Her 2017 memoir, Real American, chronicled her experience of being Black and biracial in white spaces.

Thomas Sage Pederson, a Santa Cruz-based musician, composer, podcaster and community organizer known for his “Speak For Change” interview podcast.

Abi Mustapha, Housing Matters artist-in-residence, said, “The audience can expect to learn something new and possibly sit with some discomfort about how many of us have benefited from the historical systems of oppression leading to homelessness.”

Mer Stafford, chief impact officer at Housing Matters, said, “We must imagine the community that we wish to have and then join together to make it so.”

Collegiate School) and Gregory Souza (San Lorenzo Valley High School).

Finalists will have opportunities to read and support their peers along with the Youth Poet Laureate — to nurture a community of young poets.

All finalists receive a $100 cash honorarium with the Youth Poet Laureate receiving $500. All finalists will receive a gift card donated by Two Birds Books in Pleasure Point. The April 10 event is free. Reserve a seat at https://www. eventbrite.com/e/inaugural-santa-cruz-county-youth-poetlaureate-celebration-tickets-765867489277

CABRILLO CAREER FAIR

10 a.m.-1 p.m., Cabrillo College, 6500 Soquel Dr, Aptos Cabrillo College will host a Career Fair with more than 55 employers offering jobs & intern-ships.

Employers can register in advance: https://forms.gle/ nFFtdwYDN6dySc4f6. Walk-ins are welcome.

Cabrillo career fairs are free for employers to participate in. Contact studentjobs@cabrillo.edu if you’re interested in participating in a recruitment event.

Employers are also invited to schedule an information session about their company, discuss the hiring process, and conduct on campus interviews with our students. To schedule an information session or interview email studentjobs@cabrillo.edu.

Thursday April 11

APTOS CHAMBER WITH ROBERT BAILEY

11:30 a.m.– 1 p.m., Seascape Golf Club, 610 Clubhouse Drive, Aptos Aptos Chamber of Commerce hosts a luncheon meeting with guest speaker Robert Bailey of Bailey Properties, talking about local real estate & the big picture, at Seascape Golf Club.

Fee: $35 per person; reservations required.

Saturday April 20

The event begins with a reception featuring live music, a cash bar and light snacks. Speakers will begin at 6 p.m. For the complete speaker list, see https://housingmatterssc.org/event/picture-this/

General admission tickets are $30/person at https:// housingmatterssc.org/event/picture-this/

A small number of tickets will be available at the door. Proceeds benefit Housing Matters, which helps stably house hundreds of people in Santa Cruz County each year.

Tuesday April 9

CAPITOLA SOROPTIMIST CLUB MEETING

11:30 a.m., United Way of Santa Cruz County, 4450 Capitola Road, Suite 106, Capitola

Soroptimist International of Capitola-by-the-Sea will meet at United Way of Santa Cruz County. The meeting is free and open to the public.

Club members will discuss the results of the recent the Dream it, Be it program and plans for the Soroptimist International Sierra Pacific regional conference in Visalia in April.

Soroptimist International of Capitola-by-the-Sea is a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training to achieve economic empowerment. Soroptimist is a coined Latin phrase meaning Best for Women. For information, visit www.best4women.org, or email

Wednesday April 10

YOUTH POET LAUREATE CELEBRATION

6 p.m., Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz Santa Cruz Public Libraries and the Santa Cruz County poet laureate, with Urban Word, will hold a celebration to announce the Santa Cruz County youth poet laureate winner at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center.

The finalists are Madeline Aliah (Cypress High School), Simon Ellefson (San Lorenzo Valley High School), Sylvi Kayser (Aptos High School), Dina Lusztig (Pacific

TELLING DIVERSE STORIES

10:30 am to noon, Capitola Library, 2005 Wharf Rd The American Association of University Women (AAUW) is hosting K. X. Song, who will discuss the importance of representation in media, the publishing landscape today, and her own journey to the publication of her debut YA novel, “An Echo in the City,” published last year by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and named a Best Book of 2023 by Financial Times and Kirkus Reviews. A writer with roots in Hong Kong and Shanghai, she enjoys telling stories that explore the shifting nat ure of memory, translation, and history.. Much of her work touches on the Chinese-speaking) experience. No reservations are required.

Saturday April 27

PARTY WITH A PURPOSE

5-9:30 p.m., Seascape Golf Club, 610 Clubhouse Drive, Aptos Monarch Services, known as Women’s Crisis Support — Defensa de Mujeres, which offers shelter, counseling, prevention, education, crisis intervention to deal with and end domestic violence and sexual assault, will host Party with a Purpose at Seascape Golf Club.

There will be a live auction, raffle, dinner, drinks, and dancing.

Tickets are $125 per person. Purchase at https://events. readysetauction.com/monarchservices/pwp2024/shop/tickets or call 831-435-0516.

MUTT STRUTT

1-3 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at Aptos Village Green, 151 Aptos Village Way

The Aptos Chamber of Commerce presents the Mutt Strut Parade at Aptos Village Green, next to New Leaf Community Market.

There will be prizes for the best, also art activities, face painting, raffles, and vendors.

Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter, SPCA, and Unchained will be showing adoptable dogs.

To enter your dog, the fee is $10. Registration is required at www.aptoschamber.com. n

Farnaz Fatemi

County Budget Update: Debt Financing Ahead

By Zach Friend, Supervisor, Second District

Recently, the Board of Supervisors received a mid-year (fiscal year) budget update.

The update included a look at the state and federal funding outlooks, local revenue forecasts as well as an update on the seven federally declared disasters since 2017, which have strained the County’s budget.

Budget Context

InSeptember of last year the Board adopted this year’s budget with a balanced General Fund while maintaining 10% General Fund reserves, or $79.4 million. The budget message emphasized the challenges faced from deferred maintenance, disaster frequency and costs and new unfunded State mandates and continued to stress the systematically underfunded status of our County as compared to counties across the State (in particular with the percentage of property tax that stays with the County - a little over 13%).

In December, the Board received an update on the County’s financial and service impacts from the seven federally declared disasters since 2017 that have caused hundreds of millions in damages to County infrastructure, with $159.3 million yet to be reimbursed by federal and state partners. As a result, the Board directed staff to look at debt financing mechanisms to cover the costs of the disaster repairs while we are awaiting reimbursement (which is taking as much as seven years for some reimbursements to be realized).

Economic Conditions

Although 2023 ended with optimism in the stock market, jobs market and consumer spending, there are still some challenges as debt costs (interest rates) remain high, and personal savings rates remain low and unemployment is still higher in Santa Cruz County.

rates for the County increasing costs associated with building improvements and even some standard infrastructure work.

General Fund Forecast

County budget staff are forecasting deficits in the General Fund with a peak 2025-26 at $35 million and decreasing to $14 million by FY 2030-31.

The three largest deficit drivers in their forecast model are:

1) the need to finance disaster events while the County waits for federal reimbursements, largely for the CZU complex fires and 2023 storm disasters;

2) funding to partially restore and extend the life of the County’s aging facilities; and

3) mandated service level increases included the State’s Care Courts, CalAIM and providing additional services for people within the probation and jail facilities. Were it not for these cost drivers, the County’s remaining unfunded deficits would peak at $13.7 million in 2026-27, decreasing to a $6.5 million deficit by 2028-29 and would be eliminated by 2029-30.

In Santa Cruz County, the unemployment rate increased from an adjusted 5.0% last year to 6.6% in January 2024 higher than the state average.

Additionally, interest rates have increased borrowing

Disaster Financing

Since 2017, Santa Cruz County has experienced seven federally declared disasters, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to County infrastructure, much of which has not been reimbursed by federal and state partners.

Barring a shift in the speed at which local governments are reimbursed for the costs of disaster response and recovery, future County response will be limited by available resources and the pace of infrastructure recovery will be slowed.

Experiencing repeated disasters and the financial impacts from them may make it harder to implement resilience and mitigation projects that require a local match.

General Fund Revenues

Property Tax. Property tax is one of the most stable and dependable revenue bases but due to a Prop. 13 formulation the County only receives 13.4 cents from every dollar of property tax paid. For FY 2023-24, base property tax is estimated to reach $81.5 million.

This amount is not sufficient to fund the County’s current operations, facility needs, nor the 607 miles of linear roadway it is responsible for.

Vehicle License Fees (VLF). VLF is also a stable revenue base. VLF is projected to grow by $2.2 million to $43.0 million in FY 2023-24.

Sales Tax. Sales tax revenue is one of the most variable general purpose revenues for the County, and has recently become more impacted from the nearly $5 million that is lost annually to other counties where major online distribution centers reside (meaning purchases made locally but via online retailers).

Sales tax is projected to reach $25.0 million in FY 2024-25 -- while it fell short of the County’s previous projections slightly it is on pace to meet projections this year.

Transient Occupancy Tax (hotel/vacation rental tax). The is also a highly variable tax base that is impacted by sudden market or consumer trends.

For FY 2022-23, this revenue declined by 18.5% and fell short of budgeted projections but this year revenue is expected to reach $13.3 million, due in large part to the June 2022 voter approved measure that increased rates from 11% to 12% and 14%, respectively, for hotels/motels and vacation rentals.

Given the magnitude and frequency of the climate change-driven disasters that have befallen the County and the fragility of County infrastructure and financial systems, as well as uncertainty about future reimbursements to local governments from the State and federal government, the County must explore debt financing options until Federal Emergency Management Agency and Federal Highways Administration Assistance reimbursements arrive.

As staff evaluate debt financing options, they will continue working with FEMA and FHWA to resolve claims and reimbursement shortfalls as quickly as possible.

Preliminary estimates of the total financing required range between $70 million to $85 million, with the best estimate currently at $74.4 million to fund projects already completed and underway. This amount will be updated as federal reimbursement timelines are updated, as project cost estimates change for active but not yet completed disaster work, and if additional high priority projects are required.

Due to the current high interest rate environment and the probability of receiving some federal reimbursements in the next 36 months, staff are creating a mix of financing options from internal county short-term financing to third party short-term variable interest rate financing and longer-term financing. This will impact future budgets until it is paid off.

Budget Hearings

The proposed budget for the next fiscal year will come to the Board of Supervisors at our April 9 meeting while the full hearings will occur on May 21, 22 and June 4 at the Board of Supervisors Chambers.

You are always welcome to comment on the budget and offer your thoughts. If you are unable to attend the hearings feel free to reach out to me with your questions or thoughts at 454-2200. n

SCCAS Featured Pet Capitola Wharf: What’s Happening?

Not Just a Place to Ski

Aspen (#A308851) is the SCCAS marshmallow king!

Though he may have arrived here a little lost, he has discovered that this place isn’t so bad. Aspen has made best friends with the incredibly kind Shelter staff who have showered him with love and treats which he loves. But we all know that Aspen is destined for an amazing forever home since he is an amazing cat!

He is a playful and affectionate cat, ready to bring joy and purrs into a loving home. Imagine warm snuggles on your lap, playful chases around the house, and enough cuddles to melt your heart (bonus points if there are feathery toys involved!).

Don’t be fooled by his initial shy demeanor he is a softie at heart. Think fluffy clouds, sunshine smiles, and a purr that rivals a happy tractor.

If you’re looking for a furry friend to brighten your life, come down to the shelter and meet me! I promise you won’t be disappointed. n

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

Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter’s full-service, open-admission shelter

1001 Rodriguez St., Santa Cruz, 95062 • Hours: Daily 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. 580 Airport Blvd., Watsonville, 95076 • Hours: Tues.-Sat. 9:30 a.m. – noon; 1–5 p.m. (Closed Sun/Mon)

Website: www.scanimalshelter.org

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

On March 13, the city of Capitola began demolishing the Wharf House and the Boat & Bait Shop on the Capitola Wharf, which dates to 1856.

The two businesses leased buildings on the Wharf, which was chopped in two by an epic rainstorm in January 2023. Another rainstorm hit the Wharf in December.

When city officials finally got a closer look, they realized the Wharf House’s seaward-facing wall had collapsed. They detected asbestos, a carcinogen requiring hazmat protocols and raising concerns about the impact on the ocean below, which is part of the federal protected marine sanctuary.

The bait shop did not comply with the current building code and officials expected the building would have to be lifted to repair the foundation and was not likely to survive.

Here are some photos from Capitola’s Public Works project manager.

One positive sign: Workers have put the

two sections of the Wharf back together and widened it.

But it will not be usable for this year’s Capitola Beach Festival at the end of September. n

Capitola Wharf: 1988 • Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz