BATTERY BURNS
Do you remember the Moss Landing Fire and do you want a repeat?
On Jan. 16, 2025, lithium-ion battery equipment ignited at the Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility in Moss Landing, CA. Like many people affected by the fires, I have concerns about the health effects of humans, local sea life, livestock, pets and the contamination of the water and soil.
Since I was personally affected by the fire/s (asthma symptoms for more than six weeks), my main purpose for this letter is to inform the public of a report that you can find titled Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility (Battery) Fire Community Survey Results (neveragainmosslanding.org/the-moco-health survey) In this report a total of 1,539 people completed the health survey with 1,296 people who worked or resided within 16 zones closest to the facility. 243 individuals who responded live outside the 16 zones and include the communities of Capitola, Soquel, Live Oak, Santa Cruz City, Scotts Valley, Ben Lomond, Felton, Aptos, and Rio Del Mar. The health symptoms reported include headache, sore throat, coughing, itchy eyes, metallic taste in mouth, fatigue, congestion, dizziness or lightheadedness, watery eyes, and shortness of breath.
Do you know that the County of Santa Cruz is proposing three B.E.S.S. (Battery Energy Storage Sites) in our area? One is located near Aptos High School, a second near Dominican Hospital/Dominican Oaks and a third is in Watsonville (90 Minto Road). The Watsonville location is farthest along in the planning process and is proposed to be 14 acres. It is in a densely populated area and is very close to Minto Lake and Park. The next community informational meeting is set for July 17 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Live Oak Annex (979 17th Ave., Santa Cruz) by the Simpkins Family Swim Center.
Come and learn more!
Marlese Roton
ZEN HERE
In your current issue you asked for suggestions for future issues celebrating the 50th anniversary of Good Times.
I would like to suggest the Santa Cruz Zen Center on School Street, where zen students began practicing in 1973 under the guidance of beloved teacher the late Kobun Chino Otogawa. Kobun, as he was known to everyone, was invited by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi to help with the establishment of Tassajara Zen Monastery in the late ’60s and eventually made his way to teach in Santa Cruz at the invitation of a group of zen students.
During the 1980s there was a transition and the late Katherine Thanas from the San Francisco Zen Center was invited to be the teacher at the Santa Cruz Zen Center and was eventually named Abbot. Currently several of Katherine’s students, and some of their students, lead the practice.
The Santa Cruz Zen Center is up the block from Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park and down the block from Mission Plaza, and although upgrades have been made over the years the buildings look as they did when the center was established.
Ellen Richter
BEAUTIFY SANTA CRUZ
It’s peak tourist season, and yet the first thing that greets visitors is a falling-down sign at the entrance to our beautiful town, saying “Help beautify Santa Cruz,” tied to a couple of redwoods and surrounded by a chain-link fence. To the right, there is a rotating crew of down-and-out people soliciting money on the median under the “no soliciting on median” sign. On the left, we have an ice cream shop and then nearly three blocks of dilapidated houses and empty lots. What message does that send? Direct visitors to Midtown/Seabright businesses that are having a hard time with the bridge out. We need to make the entrance to our city reflect the colorful, artsy, playful place it is—we could start by removing the chain link fence. Can we encourage those landowners to rebuild or beautify their lots? Next, we could add vibrancy to this area by planting flowers and trees, making a food truck area, hosting an antique or art show in one of those empty lots on weekends, offering free parking in those lots and/or county building lot and a shuttle to and from downtown, midtown and the beaches and alleviate some of the traffic. Let’s do what Santa Cruz does best, be creative.
Hannah Nevins | Santa Cruz
THANKS PENNY
I want to thank the Penny Ice Creamery for their generous donation of ice cream to make this past Fourth of July special for the often forgotten children at the Santa Cruz Juvenile Hall. The donation was greatly enjoyed and appreciated! The Penny is a wonderful local business, one we should all support.
Peggy | Aptos
