KWANZAA CELEBRATION
The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History and Musical Soulmates, in partnership with the County-Wide Black Student Union, will host a Community Kwanzaa Celebration on Dec. 27 from noon to 1pm at the MAH: 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. This family-friendly, intergenerational cultural gathering invites the public to celebrate African and African American heritage and unity.
This vibrant event takes place on Day 2 of Kwanzaa, which celebrates Kujichagulia, or Self-Determination. Musical Soulmates Performers Collab, alongside the Musical Soulmates Harmony Youth Choir, will present several uplifting musical offerings. It’s a chance to learn about Kwanzaa and to celebrate our community.
The event is free to attend. Guests can RSVP or learn more at
eventbrite.com/e/community-kwanzaa-celebration-tickets-1976539901051[1] .
Miles Backer | Media and Communications Coordinator
E-BIKE PROBLEMS
This is in response to Dan O’Bannon’s letter of 11/16. I am a disabled senior and I ride an e-bike for convenience. I recently witnessed an incident where 4-5 youths on e-bikes zipped around a car driver who was slowing down to turn right into a driveway. This driver was extremely patient and courteous while the adolescent lads were very rude, swearing at this driver with no regard for how their behavior impacted others. Had I been 10 years younger I would have taken to social media and filmed this incident. I was astonished.
I’ve also experienced having to slow down in the bike lane for drivers turning and the blind spots cars have when driving. So all these quick-riding e-bikers need to be educated, not only bicycling skills, like what is a blind spot and the social etiquette of navigating this among other situations. Maybe a virtual reality course for preteens?
Mary T. Falk | Capitola
ONLINE COMMENTS
RE: POETRY IN SCHOOLS
This is an amazing program. As a teacher in NC, I developed a similar program for at-risk kids called “Basketball Poets,” winning an Innovation Grant and involving NC Poet Laureate Kay Byer and nationally known author Sharon Creech. This program ran for over 10 years until I retired in 2015. I still use poetry with teens as a substitute teacher and find the same power in kids’ voices expressed as poetry. The “proof is in the poems” for sure. I will be visiting Santa Cruz next spring and would love to meet Rising Voices students and teachers. I could volunteer as well. Please share contact info. Thanks. Soooo glad poetry is alive and well in the lives of teens in Santa Cruz.
Martha “Marty” Mentzer | Goodtimes.sc
RE: POETRY IN JAIL
I work in the county jail and have seen poetry transform incarcerated persons. Nancy and her team have done a fabulous job of getting the word out to unconventional populations that poetry is not scary but can heal.
Ed Greene | Goodtimes.sc
