The Editor’s Desk

Editorial Note

Santa Cruz California editor of good times news media print and web
Brad Kava | Good Times Editor

I’m not sure any article I’ve read this year has had the same effect on me as this week’s cover story about medicinal plants written by Jillian Steinberger-Foster, a plantaholic. I have the opposite of a green thumb. Give me a plant and it’s like an executioner’s song. Green fades to brown in the blink of an eye. Even my beloved Longan Berry tree is moaning a death knell as I look outside my window. Those berries, native to Asia, are my favorite new fruit. It’s either over or under watered, gets too much or too little sun and, like the Joker says in Batman, I weep inside. 

But Jillian’s piece gives me some hope. She’s got recommendations for death-defying herbs that not only look and smell good, but can make me healthier. I can do this. I swear, I can, if she says so. I’ve got some new hope. Not to mention that as the climate changes, I want all the healthy things I can grow right outside my door. 

So welcome to our health and fitness issue, where you can read about new forms of yoga, some great eats and all kinds of healthy services throughout the county.

Stay cool, stay healthy and enjoy the last trickles of summer. Oh yeah, and you can still get out into the garden. 

Good Idea

Fewer homeless in latest survey

A census of Santa Cruz County’s homeless population taken in February shows a 21.5% decline since the last count in 2021.

Still, 1 in every 146 Santa Cruz County residents don’t have access to housing, according to the 2023 Homeless Count and Survey.

“While the numbers show the lowest levels of homelessness since the PIT Count was first conducted and reflects our efforts to prioritize housing, we still have a long way to go,” said housing authority Robert Ratner. For information, visit housingforhealthpartnership.org.

Good Work 

Bus stuffed with 2,500 backpacks

Stuff the Bus, held Saturday, filled a school bus with more than 2,500 backpacks to help homeless kids with school supplies.

“We have so many youth experiencing homelessness and other hardships, and they deserve to have something new to start the school year off right,” says United Way director Dawn Bruckel.

 “Having school supplies is basic, but it’s so fundamental, and if we’re able to provide that, why not,”said volunteer Juan Castillo. “It’s amazing working with different people. It feels like the community is getting together.”

To contribute: unitedwaysc.org

Photo Contest

HELPING HANDS Emily Maddox and Emily Scioscia of UC Santa Cruz’s Cal Teach program drop off backpacks they filled. Photo: Todd Guild/The Pajaronian

Quote of the Week


“Plants give you grace, and people who like plants tend to be awesome. Ethical, kind and connected to nature.” Jillian Steinberger-Foster


HOT WEATHER, BIKES, DOGS, SEABIRDS

I am seeing too many people running their dogs on the asphalt while they are held by leash as the owner is biking (sometimes with no leash). I saw a dog on the road by New Leaf in Aptos where there is in and out traffic trying to navigate the cars with two bikers heading to the bike shop outside of Nisene Marks.

The temperature was in the seventies. The dog’s tongue was hanging out and bright red as the rider held the dog on a rope leash and was talking to the other biker as the dog tried to keep pace with the bikes in the humid weather. 

The bikers are in all of their regalia but the dog does not have a helmet, likely no sunscreen for pink skin and white fur and no shoes. 

Maybe the biker could run barefoot on the hot pavement while being pulled by a leash as the dog pedals instead.

At the beach early in the morning, people ride e-bikes with surfboard racks and scare off all the seabirds and startle dogs on leash that do not hear them coming. It is tough on birds to deal with this or when dogs are allowed to run and chase birds up and down the beach like toys, especially when the birds are resting during migration.

As a concerned resident who has dogs, a bike and for many years done bird counts for Cornell Lab, I would like to see this change. 

Nan
La Selva Beach

LISTENING TO EACH OTHER

I appreciate how you posted this letter within your editorial, to kind of post it without posting it. I appreciate your sensibilities. We have to start somewhere and we have to be willing to field eruptions to arrive at nuance and wisdom. The Citizens Wisdom Council in Mauthausen, Austria, was convened to address what to do with the empty building that was a Nazi concentration camp, standing empty in the middle of their community since World War II. Finally they were having a conversation, finally they had a way to move forward. Finally the elders were given a way to open up the pain body so that the youth could begin to see why everybody had remained stuck for a generation. We have that capacity and we owe it to ourselves to use it.

Corrina McFarlane
Santa Cruz

FREE SPEECH WINS

Responding to your invitation to comment on respecting the right to publicly express opinions of people who don’t agree with you or have ideas that you don’t like, I think that the ACLU is an excellent example of why this value in the United States shines a bright light in times of darkness.

In 1978, the ACLU took a controversial stand for free speech by defending a Neo-Nazi group that wanted to march through the Chicago suburb of Skokie, where many Holocaust survivors lived. The notoriety of the case caused some ACLU members to resign, but to many others the case has come to represent the ACLU’s unwavering commitment to principle. In fact, many of the laws the ACLU cited to defend the group’s right to free speech and assembly were the same laws it had invoked during the Civil Rights era, when Southern cities tried to shut down civil rights marches with similar claims about the violence and disruption the protests would cause. Although the ACLU prevailed in its free speech arguments, the neo-Nazi group never marched through Skokie, instead agreeing to stage a rally at Federal Plaza in downtown Chicago.

When I was a teenager in middle school I learned that to find the truth and therefore understanding we have to look at and listen to both sides of an issue.

Cancel Culture, censorship and labeling opinions we don’t like as “Hate Speech” will never serve us to that goal of knowing the truth.

Drew Lewis
Founder of the Sustainable Living Center, Workshop and Farm

Ganja Yoga and the Search for the Perfect High

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“Marijuana, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Uhm … one … what’s the question again?”  Elizabeth Baked Browning

Co-owners of Ganja Yoga, with a studio at the end of Squid Row in Santa Cruz, Javiera Köstner and Sebastian Beca grew up in Chile and moved to Northern California in 2014. As much a love story as it is a small business, the charismatic couple now run a cannabis friendly spot where you can heal your body and soul in a safe space through the magic pairing of yoga and marijuana. Sometimes there’s live music, sometimes there’s cannabis holotropic breathwork and, in tandem with the Santa Cruz Psychedelic Society, sometimes there’s micro-dosing hikes.

There’s an undeniable romantic spark between Köstner and Beca. They’re young, ambitious, have little desire for corporate structures and bring their passion to every event they host. And like all healthy couples, they have a sense of humor. When asked how they met, they said it was destiny, they both swiped right. Now married, this power duo is raising consciousness and body awareness around the globe, but they call Felton home. “At the beginning of the year we both had COVID and our power kept going out,” says Beca recalling living in the Santa Cruz mountains during the winter of 2023. Luckily, Köstner and Beca have assembled a large community around themselves, and friends stopped by to help out. This turning towards building and sustaining community ethics and ideals is what drives the engine of everything they do.

According to their greenmagicyoga.com website, “Ganja Yoga is a blend of mindfulness, yoga, cannabis, relaxing vibes, grounded spirituality and a touch of Latino spice in a community setting.”

Ganja Yoga was founded in 2009 by Dee Dussault. Dussault is the internationally recognized pioneer of the cannabis-enhanced yoga and wellness movement. She was the first teacher to publicly offer classes and authored the best-selling Harper Collins book Ganja Yoga in 2017. Köstner trained with Dussault, got certified and began teaching her own unique brand of Ganja Yoga in 2018. Köstner is currently leading the Santa Cruz (and San Francisco) Ganga Yoga community, as well as holding monthly Conscious Cannabis Circles. And while Köstner is the expert in stretching the body, her partner Sebastian Beca knows a lot about stretching the mind. In 2014 he became a licensed psychologist in Chile and in 2018 he graduated with an MA in Integral Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies, in SF. Beca knows a lot about cannabis and how it affects a wide array of people.

“We often get people who have never experimented with cannabis or have never really done it enough to understand its potential. So we make sure to get to know the user and help build their information base. For the cannabis ceremonies, we teach people how to make a blend of combining different strains of cannabis: sativa, indica, hybrids and sometimes some other herbs. Knowing your dosage level and your tolerance level is important. We teach people how to navigate the experience of marijuana in a safe and fun way,” says Beca.

Personally, I still struggle with things like stress and frustration, sometimes daily. And, I don’t stretch, like I never stretch, although I know I should. So, when I heard about Ganja Yoga, I knew I had to try it out. While Ganja Yoga offers in-person classes, I decided to do it online in the comfort of my home on my living room floor.

In anticipation, I headed to The Hook Outlet in Capitola and got some cannabis I thought would be good to stretch out the mind and body. I bought some local sativa from Santa Cruz Canna Farms and some indica from Fuego Family Farms, and blended them up into what I hoped to be the perfect yoga blend.

The online session started with a check in. Köstner calls it the “Yoga of the voice,” with Beca co-leading the conversational tone at the beginning. It’s a time where participants happily showed what they were smoking and talked about how they were feeling. It’s a social exchange, and one person shared that “Cannabis allows you to focus on other things besides the news.”

And then the stretching began. I carry a lot of stress in my body. I feel like I’m always stressed and resistant to letting it go. It’s like I have made being stressed part of my personality. So, it was comforting to have Köstner be so calm in leading the session.

I tried the easy beginning poses, and my body immediately felt better, but my mind started wandering. Yoga has a long history in America, often starting with Swami Vivekananda arriving in 1893. Even America’s favorite transcendentalist, Henry David Thoreau, would kick back around Walden Pond, take a few puffs on Emerson’s pipe, close his eyes and meditate and stretch.

Cannabis has an even longer history. Whether it was the Spanish arriving in the 1500s with hemp, or aliens dropping seeds from space, by 1920, weed was everywhere in America. So it was just a matter of time before cannabis and yoga would catch up with each other.

Fast-forward to the 1950s, when the first yoga studio opened in Hollywood, California. It was the birth of a billion-dollar industry and while early practitioners can be seen at Woodstock in 1969, bending and contorting in the mud, Apple’s five billion dollar campus has a yoga studio.

My body reconnected with my brain, and it had only been a couple of seconds that I was lost in thought, but Köstner’s gentle reminder to breathe, reminded me that, besides not remembering to stretch, I barely remember to breathe. Köstner first came to yoga to help cope with her own fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis. Her movements are slow, deliberate and easy to follow. There’s no pressure. It’s the opposite of pressure.

I found myself trying the yoga postures, unable to extend my body as far as Köstner, but it felt good, I genuinely felt the stress melt away. Köstner has a clear vision to “build spaces to explore your body,” and is also clear on the cannabis part.

“We ask that you bring your own cannabis, and because it is legal to share, please bring plenty to share. Our class is about working on yourself so you can be better in the world. We view marijuana as a psychedelic and if you are not connected to your body it can become risky. We think if used in the right way, marijuana can be very psychedelic,” says Köstner. And as a first-time Ganja Yoga attendee, I can personally attest, it was everything promised and more. Now, if I can just remember to do it again.

Find out more about Ganja Yoga and enroll for classes at greenmagicyoga.com Located at 738 Chestnut Street, Santa Cruz. Upcoming classes include 8/24 Ganja Yoga Live Music Experience 6:15pm, 9/2 Psychedelic Cannabis Breathwork 4pm, and 9/6 Psychedelic Peer Integration Circle 6:30pm.

Things to do in Santa Cruz

Aug 10: An evening with The Bad Plus at Kuumbwa

The Bad Plus are the perfect band for someone curious about jazz, but not deep into the genre. (They’re also the perfect band for someone deep into jazz!)

They mix avant-garde jazz with rock and pop elements and even play some nifty covers of popular songs like Queen’s “We Are The Champions” and Radiohead’s “Karma Police.”

Having formed in 2000, one key defining trait was how much sound they could create as a stripped-down trio. They revealed a new 4-piece lineup in 2021 (drums, guitar, sax, bass), and still managed to create that simple yet full sound that fans from all over the jazz spectrum have been digging on for over two decades.

The music begins THURSDAY at 7pm at Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320 Cedar St. Ste 2. Santa Cruz. Tickets are $42 in advance and $47.25 at the door.

Drag shows can be fun, sexy, weird and wild. The Cherry Pit, a monthly party at Blue Lagoon, is usually all of those things at the same time. It’s also a very local event, so you can learn all about the great drag and burlesque talent right here in your own backyard. Hell, if it’s something you love, you can get to know the community in no time.

The heart of Cherry Pit is its hosts Cherry Cola, Franzia Rose and DJ AyumiPlease. The only warning I offer is don’t go if you hate fun. If fun makes you mad, then maybe The Cherry Pit isn’t for you.

The fun starts FRIDAY at 9pm at The Blue Lagoon, 923 Pacific Ave. Santa Cruz. Tickets are $10.

The world of Boulder Creek psych metal band Heavy Blazer is an elaborate one. They sing about zombie strippers, government checks and (as a treat for locals) Highway 9. They also bring huge, sludgy riffs that both groove and bang hard. It’s exactly what you want in a stoner metal band. And fortunate for us, they call Boulder Creek home. Heavy Blazer is the perfect bridge between classic ’70s Sabbath-style metal and the newer evolving sound of metal that gets everyone vibing and head-banging at the same time. The metal starts SATURDAY at 8pm at Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave. Santa Cruz. Tickets are $10.

Comedian Ryan O’Flanagan wins over audiences with his total commitment to enthusiastic absurdity. Whether he’s amping up his excitement to the nth degree on his Funny or Die produced series “Overly Excited Tourist” or when he’s playing the fun-loving emotional basket case in sketches for his troop Dead Kevin, or just telling silly-but-relatable stories on stage about going to church as an adult or failing to succeed at flirting with his next door neighbor, it’s always a good time with Ryan. And it’ll be even more special this week as he performs in Moe’s Alley’s Yard, an underrated but delightful spot for live comedy. The laughs begin SUNDAY at 8pm at Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way. Santa Cruz, Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. 

At the heart of Lucian Mattison’s poetry are simple, descriptive stories that evoke the essence and beauty of being alive. He uses accessible language that anyone, regardless of their familiarity with poetry, can understand. And if people sit with the poems, the layers of Mattison’s words will unravel in their mind over time. There’s also a restlessness in his work. Having lived all over the US, in Singapore and having family/roots in Argentina, he naturally moves through the world as a visitor with so much insight into the human condition. It shows in his poetry. Mattison performs TUESDAY at 7pm at Abbott Square, 725 Front St. Santa Cruz.

Community

As important as Cesar Chavez is with regards to the labor movement in the US, we can’t forget Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers Association with Chavez. She also helped organize the Delano grape strike in 1965 and she was the originator of the potent phrase “Sí se puede.” She remains an important and involved figure in the continuing, evolving labor movement and civil rights activism inherently associated with labor rights. This Saturday, Huerta and other presenters will speak in Watsonville about harvesting equity, sustainability, economic justice and organic farming. There will be food and dance as well, so it’ll be fun but also an inspiring and enlightening experience. It all begins SATURDAY at 4pm at Henry J. Mello Center for the Performing Arts, 250 East Beach St. Watsonville. Tickets range between $20-$50.

The Point Kitchen and Bar is celebrating its fourth year under new owners—and surviving COVID—by going back in time to 2020, with an old menu and old prices until Aug. 13. Items include Chicken Tortilla Soup, Spicy Artichokes, Burger & Brew (you get a free local beer with your burger), Creamy Pesto Pasta and Sweet & Spicy BBQ Ribs (old school recipe). 3326 Portola Dr. Santa Cruz.

Ayurveda: What’s Really Bothering You

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How the alternative medicine gets to the core problem

Last Wednesday, editor in chief Brad Kava asked me, the news editor, for a health and fitness story.

I thought, how can I use this to my advantage?

So I was determined to make the most of my chance to write something fun on the company dime. As I cycled through ideas and scrolled the web, I found it: a massage offering listed on the Ayurvedic Healing website.

Ayurveda, I came to discover, is an ancient Indian medical system and one of the world’s oldest medical systems. It’s a holistic approach to physical and mental health that promises to address the root causes of sicknesses and boasts a preventative approach.

One day later, I was standing outside a nondescript building on the side of Soquel Drive, prepared to get a massage on the clock. On the phone, the receptionist who scheduled my ashwagandha massage said to wear clothes that could get oil on them—I didn’t give this much thought. I’ve had massages before, I knew the drill, the well-lotioned aftermath.

But as I lay on the massage bed and my masseuse, Kerri Lanzarotto, poured what felt like cups of warm oil on my face and hair, I internally swore about my choice to wear my brand new Lululemon yoga pants. Lanzarotto massaged the cups of oil into my hair, while I also lamented my decision to interview the doctor at the practice, Dr. Manas S. Kshirsagar, after my treatment.

I tried not to bother with these thoughts as I lay face down with oil slipping down my body and willed myself to relax. Lanzarotto rubbed my arms in circular motions, with the intention of clearing out the toxins from my lymphatic system.

“We use a series of strokes and circles to promote lymphatic drainage, and the oil acts as a lubrication to break down the toxins to kind of loosen them up,” Lanzarotto said. “When our digestive system isn’t functioning properly, if we’re not completely digesting the food we take, our body starts storing these toxins when we’re unable to eliminate them properly. [With this type of massage] they can detach and move into the lymphatic system.”
 

Lanzarotto is a registered nurse with a bachelor’s degree in science. She practiced western medicine for some years before being drawn to Ayurveda. She believes in the philosophy of Ayurveda, which seeks to cure the core issues of an illness or disease and prioritizes preventative methods, over that of Western medicine, which follows the principles of prescribing an antidote to minimize it.

That methodology is also what Dr. Manas S. Kshirsagar found compelling about Ayurveda. Kshirsagar and his parents own the Ayurvedic Healing practice. His parents have been practicing Ayurveda medicine since he was a child.

As a young boy and throughout his early adulthood, Kshirsagar was determined to be a doctor—“but not a hippy doctor, like my parents,” he said.

It was during his residency that this began to shift.

“In an ethics class that they told us students, ‘you should never get too close or too personal with your patients,’” Krshirsagar said. “You should always keep them at a distance. Growing up, that was not at all what I witnessed from my parents with their patients.” 

When Kshirsagar and his parents do intakes for new patients, they ask a series of in-depth questions: everything from a client’s close relationships, to their levels of stress and anxiety, to the direction their house faces.

Kshirsagar said this gives the doctors an overall picture of what’s happening in a client’s life, so as to identify areas where an imbalance might be. These sort of detail-oriented intakes also help eliminate the gender and race bias that exists in Western medicine: studies have repeatedly found that doctors minimize women’s pain and are much more likely to link it to an emotional or a psychological cause, rather than a bodily or biological one. Doctors’ minimization of pain is amplified for marginalized people.   

“That sort of stigma that’s associated with just the question-answer process is non-existent in Ayurveda,” Dr. Kshirsagar said. “We sit here for an hour, sometimes more during the initial consultation, going over every aspect of your life.” 

That’s the edge Ayurveda claims over Western medicine. At least, it’s what I found most appealing. According to Kshirsagar, Ayurveda doctors are curious about how to cure whatever it is that ails clients, rather than simply diagnose it. Ayurveda’s approach also seems intuitive: to do that, it’s important to examine every aspect of life, not just the symptoms of whatever ails you.

“Everybody has stress. Everybody has issues—physical, mental, emotional,” Kshirsagar said. “But how you deal with those is what Ayurveda is all about. And so we give you many different tools, whether it be self-love, massage, herbs, exercise, meditation, prayer, all of these are different modalities that Ayurveda uses to help alleviate somebody’s imbalance.”

As I left the practice, I sat in my car for a moment, trying to determine if I felt fewer toxins in my body after my massage. As I examined my arms and legs, not sure what I was looking for, I caught a glimpse of myself in the rearview mirror. My face was shiny and my hair, plastered against my head, looked wet from the oil. I couldn’t help but laugh, and drove off feeling a bit lighter.

To visit Ayurveda Healing, go to www.ayurvedichealing.net or visit in-person at: 541 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz


take out for space

STREET TALK

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“Where would be your dream vacation, and, where do you take your real vacation?”

We’ve got sand and surf, hiking and biking,
Redwood trees and the ocean breeze.
When your town is already a year-round vacation,
Where else would you go, in the world or the nation?

Amardalai Batsundui, 20, student

“My big dream is Germany and see the War history, then visit Spain, Italy, all Europe. I live in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital city, so home vacation is seeing the lakes in the countryside.”


James Siemers, 13, Student

“My dream would be Japan, for the food and the culture. My real vacation is in Florida where my grandma has a house. We go to get away from the cold where I live in Switzerland when it’s snowing.”


Erzana Biquina, 20, Ride operator

“Anywhere with my family is a dream, we have so much fun together. I am an Albanian from Kosovo, so our real vacations are there. We have the best beaches on the Adriatic Sea. The water is so blue! My real dream is to visit my student exchange family in Iowa—or go to Hawaii!”


Mindy Hawkins, 53, Baseball coach

“India would be my dream vacation, to experience the chaos of what life looks like there, and have all of my senses activated. My actual real vacation is coming back here to Santa Cruz, my home town.”


Myra Fernando, 36, Psychiatrist

“For a dream vacation, I’ve wanted to go to Morocco for a long time. But for a nearby vacation place, I really love Big Sur.”


Rob Court, 66, Drawing teacher-Illustrator

“Seeing Portugal would be my dream, but for a real vacation, I like Santa Cruz!”


Silver Spur

Delicious Eye-Opener

Stepping into a gentler, cozier era, we found today’s Silver Spur refreshingly identical to yesterday’s Silver Spur. A slice of enduring Santa Cruz, this much loved, family-run classic American diner recently reopened, was packed at 8am mid-week and nobody minded that we had just arrived fresh from the gym and hungry for something involving eggs.

And coffee.

The current owner, Juan Valencia, who cooked for the previous owner, Linda Hopper, now operates the vintage breakfast and lunch spot along with his family. Warm, friendly service and reliably generous portions are part of the appeal at this mid-county landmark, popular with retirees and families, and front-loaded with cowboy decor.

Coffee ($3.50) arrived almost immediately in thick heavy mugs, as we scanned the big menu. Full disclosure: above the booth we occupied was a framed review of Silver Spur, written in 2008 … by me! I admit it brought a smile to my lips. It’s not every day the past glances over your shoulder.

Breakfast menus almost always defeat me. They’re so loaded with temptation of all kinds, from pancakes, to omelets, to waffles, to french toast, to huevos done every which way.

But the Vegetarian Eggs Benedict called to me ($16), and the Flying Sombrero ($14.99), a mouth-watering version of huevos rancheros, appealed to my companion. The coffee, let me quickly point out, was quite good. Strong and hot, just the way Agent Dale Cooper likes it. And so do we.

We also had a chance to check out the Wild West renaissance decor just before our orders arrived. The wood-burned “Silver Spur”on the sign above the doorway suggested an episode of Gunsmoke. I expected some hombres wearing spurs to walk through the door any minute, but had to settle for CalTrans workers in Timberlands and hoodies.

Watercolor landscapes and lots of souvenir signs and photos add just the right touch of hominess. No hard edges in this home of classic diner funkiness.

Our wait person proudly presented us with exactly the kind of breakfasts we’d come for. Large plates both, one was loaded with a lavish spread of scrambled eggs sandwiched between a corn tortilla and lots of tomato-laced salsa. A lake of black beans snuggled up to the eggs, while on another side slices of avocado, shredded cabbage—love the crisp texture contrast to the soft, satiny eggs—and a fist-sized portion of sour cream.

Two versions of the special housemade salsas were brought out for us to try—a hot version that was fiery, but not overwhelming, and a medium. They were both terrific, bold with chiles and spices but not mind-melting. I added some to my colorful plate of poached eggs on English muffins doused with tabasco-intensive Hollandaise. They sat on layers of tomato and avocado, rather than Canadian bacon. As I enjoyed the perfection of the avocados slathered with egg yolk, I meditated on the mystery of why I can’t find perfect avocados the way the Silver Spur does.

We spoke little as we dug into our hearty breakfasts. The black beans might have been a bit more flavor-forward, and my poached eggs might have been slightly firmer. But just slightly. The side of crunchy hash browns absorbed plenty of egg and Hollandaise, just as they were intended to.

Going out for breakfast is a treat and that’s a fact. An even bigger treat was to find the Silver Spur—home of many trysts in our early courtship (probably other people’s courtships too!)— almost exactly as we’d remembered.

Silver Spur – 2650 Soquel Dr., Santa Cruz, Open daily 7am-2pm

Integrity Wines

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Rosé 2021

I am a big fan of Rosé, especially in the summer months, so it was a delightful treat to taste this one made by Integrity Wines. Newly released, this splendid Rosé ($24) is a mouthful of apricot-hued elegance.

It has a “delicate nose of pollen, desiccated apricots and white raspberries,” says winemaker Mark Hoover. “On the palate there is a slight texture in the form of grippy Himalayan sea salt that carries along notes of quince and caramel to the finish,” he adds. “For food pairings I might consider something adjacent to grilled scallops and peaches, but I also think this would pair extremely well with lightly spicy street food such as elotes or tacos.”

I cooked roasted veggies and potatoes for dinner—and made a simple salad of lettuce, tomatoes, red pepper, shaved fennel, olives, feta, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Paired with the Rosé, everything tasted perfect!

Integrity will be pouring at the Scotts Valley Art, Wine and Beer Festival, so pay them a visit.

Integrity Wines, 135 Aviation Way, #16 (at Watsonville Municipal Airport), Watsonville, 831-322-4200 integrity.wine

Scotts Valley Art, Wine and Beer Festival

Mark your calendars for the Scotts Valley Art Wine and Beer Festival for Aug. 19 and 20. This upbeat event will feature more than 100 artists (including Sally Bookman Fine Art), live music, food trucks, margaritas and mimosas—and “Cops n’ Rodders” on Saturday. Many local wineries will be pouring their finest elixirs, including Armitage, which has just moved its tasting facility from Aptos to Scotts Valley, and Integrity Wines—an opportunity to try their Rosé and more.

Enjoy “Dog Day Sunday” on Sunday, when even Fido might enjoy a lick of chilled Rosé! The event is Aug. 19 and 20 at Skypark, 361 Kings Village Road, Scotts Valley. Admission is free. svartfestival.com

Free Will Astrology for the Week of August 9

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): In Stephen King’s novel It, a character named Beverly is in love with a man who projects a sense of authority but also listens well. He is strong-minded but receptive; confident but willing to be changed; self-possessed but open to influence. That’s an apt description of the allies I wish for you to attract into your life in the coming months. Whether they are lovers or partners, companions or collaborators, friends or colleagues, you need and deserve the high-quality, emotionally intelligent exchanges they offer.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Seventy-year-old Taurus-born Eric Bogosian is a prolific playwright and author renowned for his hard-edged satire. The title of one of his books is Pounding Nails in the Floor with My Forehead. But one critic speculates he may be softening as he ages, noting that he “seems more amused than disgusted by the decaying world around him, as if his anger has been tempered by a touch of hope.” The coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to cultivate a comparable reshaping, dear Taurus. Can you tenderize what has been tough? Is it possible to find redemption or entertainment in situations that have been challenging? Are you willing to add more levity and geniality to your perspective?

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Decca is a UK-based record label that has produced the work of many major musicians, including Billie Holliday, the Rolling Stones and Tori Amos. They made a huge mistake in 1962, though. A fledgling group named the Beatles tried to get signed to Decca. An executive at the company declined, saying, “We don’t like their sound. Groups of guitars are on their way out.” Oops. The Beatles eventually became the best-selling and most influential band of all time. I don’t think you’re at risk of making as monumental a misstep, Gemini. But please be alert to the possibility of a key opportunity coming into view. Don’t underestimate it, even if it’s different from what you imagine you want.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I’m a Cancerian who used to be overly reactive to people’s carelessness. If someone was in a bad mood and flung a rash insult at me, I might take offense too easily. If a friend misunderstood me, even with no malice intended, I may have sulked. Thankfully, over time, I have learned to be more like a honey badger, whose thick skin protects it well against stings and pricks. I bring this up because the coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to practice my approach. First step: Understand how people sometimes direct their frustration about life toward undeserving recipients. Second step: Vow to take things less personally. Third step: Give yourself regular compliments. Actually say them aloud.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Now and then, there comes a time when I acquire an uncanny knack for seeing the totality of who you really are. I tune in to everything you do that few others know about or appreciate. I behold the big picture of your best possible future. One of those magic moments has now arrived. And it’s no accident that your energy matches mine. In other words, my power to consecrate you reflects your ability to bless yourself. So give yourself the ultimate gift, please.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In the 17th century, Virgo musician Johann Pachelbel composed a piece of music he called the Canon in D. It soon went out of style and disappeared into obscurity. But over 250 years later, a French chamber orchestra rediscovered it, and by the 1980s, it was everywhere. Ever since, Pachelbel’s Canon has been used in many pop songs and is a common anthem at weddings and funerals. I’m predicting a comparable revival for you, Virgo. An influence, creation or person that has been gone for a while will re-emerge as a presence in your life. Be decisive in adopting it for your benefit.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Author Iain S. Thomas tells us, “There is magic even in gridlock, in loneliness, in too much work, in late nights gone on too long, in shopping carts with broken wheels, in boredom, in tax returns.” He says it’s the same magic that prompted Joan of Arc to believe that God spoke to her and empowered her to lead an army. I wouldn’t agree that it’s the same magic. But I do advise us all to be alert for enchantment and interesting mysteries even in the most mundane affairs. I am a champion of the quest for holiness, delight and marvels in seemingly unlikely locations. In the coming weeks, Libra, you will have a special talent for finding these revelatory joys.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Poet Rainer Maria Rilke said, “Self-transformation is precisely what life is.” If that’s true, you are in luck. Of all the zodiac signs, you are the most skillful self-transformer. Moreover, you are entering a prolonged phase when your instinct and talent for self-transformation will be even more potent than usual. I plan to observe you closely in the hope of learning your tricks for changing into an ever-better version of yourself. Show us all how it’s done, dear Scorpio!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Born under the sign of Sagittarius, Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) was one of history’s most influential composers of classical music. His elegant, lyrical works are still widely played today. He was also a revolutionary innovator who expanded the scope of many musical genres. One composition, Piano Sonata No. 32, prefigures elements of ragtime, jazz and boogie-woogie—70 years before those styles emerged. In this spirit, I invite you to plant a seed for the future. You will soon get glimpses of creative shifts that will someday be possible. And you will have an enhanced ability to instigate the inventive momentum that generates those shifts.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Let’s be honest. Most of us—maybe all of us!—fail to grasp the world objectively. Our perceptions get filtered through our opinions and beliefs and habit minds. The events we think we see are shaped by our expectations about them. Our projections often overrule the possibility of unbiased impartiality. We are serial misinterpreters. But there’s no need to be ashamed! It’s a universal human tendency. Having said all that, however, I believe you will have a special knack, in the coming weeks, for observing reality with more clarity and open-mindedness than usual. You will have an unprecedented opportunity to see accurately and gather fresh, raw truths.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Is this a phase of your cycle when you’ll be prone to saying things like “Why do you take me for granted?” and “I’m feeling cranky” and “It’s not what you said, it’s the way you said it”? Or are you in a time when the following expressions are more likely to emerge from your mouth: “I have come to understand you in a totally new and interesting way” and “Life has blessed me by removing one of my unnecessary obstacles” and “I would love to learn more about the arts of cooperation and collaboration?” Here’s what I think, Aquarius: Which way you go will depend on how clearly you set your intentions. Life will respond in kind to the moods you cultivate and the specific requests you make.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Our bodies are imperfect. They are often less than 100 percent completely healthy. They don’t always do what we wish they would. Yet even when we feel less than our best, our body continually carries out millions of biochemical marvels, mostly below the level of our conscious awareness. As the creation of an evolutionary process that has unfolded for eons, our precious organism is an amazing work of art that we have every right to regard as miraculous. According to my astrological reckoning, the coming weeks are the best time this year to honor and celebrate your body. What does it need to flourish? Ask your intuition to show you.

Homework: What story do you tell yourself about your life that’s less than 20 percent true? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

Firefly Tavern

Pub Grub Hub

Bartender Inga Thomas has spent her career in restaurants, calling it the “people industry.” Her love for taking care of guests makes her a perfect fit for the Firefly Tavern, opened in May and housed downtown in the space formerly occupied by 99 Bottles. Firefly’s menu is lit; Thomas defines it as elevated modern American pub food with Asian and Mexican influences.

Palette-awakening popular appetizers include furikake popcorn with housemade chili oil and classic truffle fries. A can’t-miss entrée is the “California-ized” poutine, waffle fries covered in mornay sauce, pork sausage and a fried egg.

A favorite dish is the soba noodles with chicken confit, chili paste and roasted brussels sprouts topped with sesame seeds. Closed Tuesdays, hours are 11:30am-8pm Mon-Fri, 11am-9pm Sat, 11am-5pm Sun.

GT asked Thomas about Firefly taking flight and her affinity for the industry.

Why do you love restaurants?

INGA THOMAS I’ve been working in service since age 15, starting in coffee shops. There I learned that I love the public interface and making people feel welcome. There is also an internal comradery between the front-of-house and back-of-house, I love that feeling of teamwork and having others’ backs and knowing they have mine. And I really love knowing a guest had a great experience and then seeing them return time and time again.

How has business been going?

Phenomenal. Our soft opening was almost a little overwhelming because we had such a good turnout. Our evenings and weekends are usually at full capacity, and in the daytime, we often have a lunch rush, but it’s also mellow and relaxing enough for someone strolling by to have a seat. I remember coming here with my family when I was younger, and then when I came of age, playing trivia upstairs. It is truly an honor to work in such an iconic space in Santa Cruz that means so much to so many people.

110 Walnut Avenue, Santa Cruz, 831-291-5880

Trustees Delay Cabrillo College Renaming

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Cabrillo College will keep its name for now, following the Board of Trustees’ 6-1 vote on Monday that defers selecting a new name for the college.

In a prior report to the trustees, the board’s Name Exploration Subcommittee had cited a lack of scientific polling, limited representation of student voices in discussions, unfunded renaming costs and potential loss of college funding from failed bond issues and decreased Cabrillo Foundation support as reasons to regroup and re-engage the community to solicit greater support before announcing a final choice.

Subcommittee members had also expressed dismay over the divisiveness prompted by the decision to purge the name and legacy of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo from the school.

In her opening introduction, Trustee Christina Cuevas recounted how the turmoil created by floods, forest fires, Covid-19 quarantines and social unrest preoccupied the county to the exclusion of engaging in the Cabrillo debate.

Of the five proposed replacement names offered for consideration, Aptos College was the most popular vote-getter among community polling participants. 

Trustee Steve Trujillo insisted that the winning name should be announced as planned. He was the lone vote against the delay, saying that the name change was already long overdue. Student Trustee Yefry Mata Diaz sided with Trujillo in casting his advisory vote.

Trustee Adam Spickler said that the Name Exploration Subcommittee was surprised by the strong support for the name Aptos College after public forums had suggested a growing support for the name Cajastaca.

Costa Vista College, Seacliff College and Santa Cruz Coast College were the other names under consideration.

The subcommittee will work toward a Nov. 6 presentation that will address the issues of inclusion, education and funding—all issues that figured prominently in opinions shared by those in attendance.

Opinions were divided over the fairness of allowing a countywide vote to decide the issues of removing the name Cabrillo, and the choice of names to replace it.

Proponents of placing the decision on a ballot pointed to the need to respect the wishes of the majority. Opponents believed that minority racial groups who are most impacted by the Juan Cabrillo legacy are likely to have their concerns overruled.

In previous public discussion forums and in social media, the desirability of any of the proposed replacement names has been questioned, prompting doubts among critics about the method of their selection.

In an interview, Spickler cited the democratic nature of the Name Selection Committee’s process as the process by which the final five name choices were presented to the board.

In addressing the opinion of many that the final five names were poor choices, he said that though some may believe there were better names, “they just didn’t get the votes” when the committee tallied the numbers.

Cabrillo President Matt Wetstein said a lack of funds is the reason that no scientific polling has been possible.

Many people cite their concerns over Cabrillo’s financial wellbeing in their arguments against changing the name. 

Much needed funding for repairs and improvements to the college have not been completed as recent bond measures have failed, and there are fears that a backlash to a name-change could make future measures more likely to fail. 

The Cabrillo Foundation has also expressed concerns over the possibility of decreasing donations that support students.

Deborah Windisch of Soquel reminded the trustees of the programs and organizations whose reputation and recognition would be affected by a name change, including Cabrillo Stage and the Cabrillo nursing program. To her, the name Cabrillo attracts world-class talent and students with lofty aspirations.

From faculty, students and alumni to local indigenous tribes, a common concern has been the lack of a plan to directly benefit those who were impacted by the colonialism that Juan Cabrillo was a part of.

Andrew Morrissey, a 19-year-old engineering major at Cabrillo, spoke about the importance of prioritizing the immediate support of students, and sees the entire name change debate as a distraction from the issues of housing, food and mental health. He wondered why so much time and money is being expended on a project with no practical benefit when so many need assistance.

Sheryl Kern-Jones, a Cabrillo instructor, signed the original petition and voiced her support for the name change while offering the view that renaming the college is merely a symbolic gesture without meaningful action. She suggested that the college, in addition to its current status as a Hispanic serving institution, might set a goal of becoming a Native American serving institution. There are currently three “tribal colleges” in California.

Wetstein has previously said that local tribal leaders want a renaming of the college to come with curriculum changes to teach Native American history along with concrete plans to recognize and benefit the local indigenous peoples.

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Firefly Tavern

Pub Grub Hub Bartender Inga Thomas has spent her career in restaurants, calling it the “people industry.” Her love for taking care of guests makes her a perfect fit for the Firefly Tavern, opened in May and housed downtown in the space formerly occupied by 99 Bottles. Firefly’s menu is lit; Thomas defines it as elevated modern American pub food...

Trustees Delay Cabrillo College Renaming

Process expected to reboot on Nov. 6
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