Community Calendar • Arts & Entertainment – Pages 20

Tuesdays

PET LOSS AND GRIEF SUPPORT VIA ZOOM

6 to 7:30 p.m., virtual meeting BirchBark Foundation’s Pet Loss and Grief Support Zoom group offers a free support group, moderated by a licensed grief counseling therapist. Register at https://www.birchbarkfoundation.org/ griefsupport or call 831-471-7255.

Third Fridays

LEGO ENGINEERING CHALLENGE

3-5 p.m., Scotts Valley Branch Library, 251 Kings Village Rd Are you looking for fun, and competitive challenges? Do you like building stuff with LEGOs? Are you 8 to 12 years old?

If you answered yes, you are invited to join the Lego Engineering Challenges! The Challenges are a fun way for tweens to learn about basic engineering, teamwork, and leadership by completing Lego projects.

Challenges take place every third Friday of the month in the Fireside meeting room at the Scotts Valley Branch Library.

Space is limited and registration is highly encouraged but walk-ins are welcome if space is available. Questions? Contact Iván Llamas at llamasi@santacrupl.org or (831) 427-7700 Ext 7752.

DATED EVENTS

Tuesday January 10

COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER TO SPEAK

6 p.m., Online Meeting Dr. Gail Newel, Santa Cruz County Health Officer, will be the guest speaker for the Democratic Club of North Santa Cruz County via Zoom. Dr. Newel will provide an update on the current status of Covid-19 cases in the county, as well as the uptick in flu and RSV cases. She will also discuss the most common sources of exposure and precautions county residents can

Gail Newel take to stay healthy and avoid contracting these viruses. Members of the public are welcome to attend. Visit www.svslvdemocrats.org for the zoom meeting link. Social time starts at 6 p.m. and the meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday January 14

JUSTICE FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING SURVIVORS

1 p.m., Resource Center for Non-Violence, 612 Ocean St., SC The Santa Cruz County Branch of the American Association of University Women will present “Justice for Survivors of Human Trafficking” at the Resource Center for Non-Violence.

It is free and open to the public.

Rose Mukhar, founder of Justice at Last, a San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit law firm that provides free legal representation for survivors of human trafficking, is the featured speaker. She has experience in cases involving children, women, refugees, and survivors of domestic violence, torture, and human trafficking. For information about this event and human trafficking issues, call AAUW at (831) 425-1306. For information on AAUW, see https://santacruz-ca.aauw.net.

ACTORS’ THEATRE: NEW 8 TENS PLAY FESTIVAL

January 20 thru February 19

8 p.m., Thursdays thru Saturdays • 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Santa Cruz Center Street Theatre, 1001 Center St. After nearly a year without new shows, the Santa Cruz Actors’ Theatre is kicking off the 2023 season with its popular 8 Tens @ 8 Short Play Festival — 16 new productions Jan. 20 through Feb. 19.

The new plays, selected from nearly 260 submissions coming from across the country, will alternate Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with additional Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. The weekend shows will feature one line-up at 2 p.m., and another selection at 8 p.m., allowing theater fans to see all 16 plays on the same day.

All performances will be in the Santa Cruz Center Street Theatre, 1001 Center St.

Playgoers will be required to wear a mask in the theatre and lobby areas, but proof of vaccination is not required.

Tickets are $32 general, $29 for students and seniors. Thursday performances offer a discount: Two tickets for the price of one. A package deal for both shows is $58 general, $54 students and seniors. For the play lineup and tickets, see: www.santacruzactorstheatre.org/tickets ••• Photo: Actors Sarah Cruse (left) and Avondina Wills, pictured here in a past show, both return to the 2023 8 Tens @ 8 Festival. driving their assigned routes and aiding with data collection.

Volunteers are asked to bring their vehicles to use in the count if they are able. Contact Alex Werner at alex@appliedsurveyresearch.org. for more information.

•••

The Housing for Health Partnership and Applied Survey Research will host community meetings to gather input and volunteers for the count Friday, Dec. 16, from 11 a.m. to noon and Thursday, Jan. 12, time TBA. Meetings will be in person. RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ santa-cruz-county-2023-point-in-time-count-planningmeeting-tickets-464743970727

California and northwest Nevada. The BLM will consider all substantive comments received by Jan. 20.

The statewide Wildland-Urban Interface fuels treatments programmatic Environmental Assessment aims to facilitate projects on 900,000 acres of public land near rural communities.

“This initiative is designed to streamline on-theground projects to reduce hazardous fuels … and to protect local communities,” said BLM California State Director Karen Mouritsen.

Fuels reduction projects aim to reduce intensity, severity, and spread of wildfire on public lands by reducing overgrowth, creating fuel breaks and thinning forest density.

The goal is for reduced likelihood of loss of life, property, and community infrastructure from wildfires.

These treatments also aim to improve firefighting conditions when wildfires happen, allowing for greater success of fire suppression and fire perimeter control, increased safety for firefighters and decreased costs by reducing potential fire damage and fire size. To submit written comments on the plan, potential impacts, and alternatives in the preliminary environmental assessment and the Findings of No Significant Impact, see https:// eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2016583/510 or email: blm_ca_swft_ea@blm.gov.

The 2023 PIT count will be done using an appbased data collection tool, and will cover the entire county in one morning. Sign up at https://asr.sjc1. qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2f3KayP7qtQJNdk

Volunteers will work in groups, meeting their team members either at a central deployment center location or a convenient location before walking/

Saturday January 28

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA

10 a.m.-4 p.m., 13777 Fruitvale Ave., Saratoga Local residents, veterans, active-duty military and their families are invited to Wreaths Across America mobile education visit 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at 13777 Fruitvale Ave., Saratoga, sponsored by the Santa Clara Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. This is the closest local stop for Santa Cruz County. Admission is free.

The exhibit educates visitors about the service and sacrifice of our nation’s heroes and serves as an official ‘welcome home’ station for our nation’s Vietnam Veterans.

“The mission of Wreaths Across America is to Remember the fallen, Honor those who have served and their families, and teach the next generation the value of freedom,” said Karen Worcester, executive director. “The Mobile Education Exhibit provides the unique opportunity for communities to come together and share the stories of those who served and sacrificed.”

On Dec. 17, Wreaths Across America coordinated 596 truckloads of wreaths to all 50 states and beyond, delivering to 3,702 locations a total of 2.7 million sponsored veterans’ wreaths. Sponsoring a wreath is $15 at www.wreathacrossamerica.org. Each sponsorship goes toward a live balsam wreath to be placed on the headstone of an American hero on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, National Wreaths Across America Day. n

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Friday January 20

BLM FIRE COMMENT DEADLINE

The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comments on a plan to expedite fuels reduction treatments and fire protection efforts near high fire-risk areas on public lands in 44 counties throughout

Thursday January 26

VOLUNTEER FOR 2023 PIT COUNT

5 p.m.-10 a.m., Location TBD The County of Santa Cruz is moving to conducting the Point in Time homeless count annually and needs community support. • Commercial • Residential • Vacation Rental 831-476-2023

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