For decades, students have struggled financially while questioning whether they can afford the textbooks they need to attend classes. Since 1977, the price of textbooks has risen by 1041%, three times the rate of inflation.
In my experience, one textbook can cost as much as a month’s supply of groceries. College itself is very expensive; there is a risk of putting students in a financially insecure environment to ensure their own future when textbooks are added to the cost.
Thankfully, organizations like the California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) are working on ways to create more options for textbook affordability, such as moving toward open access and Open Educational Resources (OER).
Despite the challenging impact of Covid, CALPIRG is still working with the grassroots organization to collect a large number of petition signatures from all campus communities to demonstrate student support.
CALPIRG aims to ensure that UC Regents’ funding goes towards students’ futures and not their debt.
This issue will be heard, and eventually, students do not have to choose between spending money to support themselves or textbooks needed for class.
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THE BASTARD SONS OF JOHNNY CASH WITH NASHVILLE HONEYMOON Mark Stuart was personally permitted to use the band’s name by Johnny Cash himself and was also honored by the Man in Black with an invitation to record songs at Cash’s home in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard were also early believers who were instrumental in helping Stuart get his start. With the release of their critically acclaimed 1999 debut, Walk Alone, the Bastard Sons quickly proved they weren’t another “wedding band” performing straightforward covers. With solid songwriting and musicianship, the outfit jumped to the forefront of the growing alt-country music scene. Their constant touring has resulted in a loyal fanbase in the States and overseas. Meanwhile, songwriting duo Hank Maninger and Lynne Maes’ shared love of country music blossomed into an inspired partnership, onstage and off. Nashville Honeymoon’s original tunes are inspired by a cornucopia of country, rockabilly and honky tonk. $15/$20 plus fees. Wednesday, April 5, 8pm (two-step lesson at 7:30pm). Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. moesalley.com
CREED BRATTON WITH RORY LYNCH “I am not offended by homosexuality. In the ’60s, I made love to many women, often outdoors in the mud and rain. It’s possible a man could’ve slipped in there. There’d be no way of knowing.” If you’re a fan of The Office, you likely know which character said this. Creed Bratton, who played Creed Bratton on The Office during its nine-season lifespan, took what was initially intended to be a background character without any dialogue and created a fan favorite. Creed’s wonderfully cryptic—and somewhat shady—backstory oozed out more and more with each season. Creed is THE quality assurance department; he might have been a cult leader, he enjoys dining at soup kitchens, enjoys mind-altering substances, has four toes, and “the only difference between me and a homeless man is this job. I will do whatever it takes to survive—like I did when I was a homeless man.” The now 80-year-old Bratton’s unexpected stardom revealed another side of the actor: He’s a musician and played lead guitar for the mildly successful psych-rock group the Grass Roots in the late ’60s. In 2018, Bratton released a well-received solo record, While The Young Punks Dance. His live shows are a mix of comedy and music, and Office fans should not miss them. $25/$29 plus fees. Friday, April 7, 8pm. Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy 9, Felton. feltonmusichall.com
TAYLOR RAE WITH MOKILI WA Santa Cruz Mountains’ singer-songwriter Taylor Rae has consistently released music since she was a sophomore in high school. Now at 27, Rae has modernized her ’70s-inspired sound with a blend of jazz, psych-folk and blues-rock that she calls “Soul and Roll.” Now living in Austin, Rae has immersed herself in the live music scene while performing an average of 200 shows yearly, playing in 28 cities across America in 2022, and hit some major festivals, including the Rochester International Jazz Festival and NPR’s Mountain Stage. Rae’s Top 20 Americana Music Album Chart debut, Mad Twenties, is the culmination of a mildly frenzied decade lived with courageous grit. A new-found maturity resonates throughout her acclaimed recent LP, Mad Twenties. The single “Home on the Road” was on the Top 10 Americana Music Singles Chart for five consecutive weeks. $15/$20 plus fees. Friday, April 7, 9pm. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. moesalley.com
STINKFOOT ORCHESTRA FEATURING NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK The debut of Mountain Music Productions’ Santa Cruz Veterans Hall concert series features Napoleon Murphy Brock, iconic frontman for Frank Zappa’s 1970s ensemble. Brock is known for helping breathe life into many of Zappa’s most enduring tunes throughout four albums, including what many consider his best live release, Roxy and Elsewhere. Decades later, Brock’s Grammy Award-winning voice is as strong as ever. The San Jose native still boasts a four-octave range, bringing an immediate sense of familiarity to the music of the Stinkfoot Orchestra. Using a 6-piece horn section, four vocalists and a trio of percussionists, the ensemble delivers the intricacies and eccentricities of Frank’s music with power, authenticity and musical prowess. Founded by a 35-year veteran of the South Bay music scene, Nick Chargin, the Stinkfoot Orchestra spent most of the pandemic honing their craft and transcribing horn charts, finally bringing their show to the stage in September of 2021. Boosted by a few articles that got international attention, the band hit the road with multiple trips to the Pacific Northwest in 2022, exposing new audiences to Zappa’s music and wowing the most devout Zappa heads. $25/$30. Friday, April 7, 8pm. Veterans Memorial Hall, 846 Front St., Santa Cruz. mountainmusicproductions.com
PAINTED MANDOLIN: A BENEFIT FOR THE LAND TRUST OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY From 1991-94, Joe Craven was a member of the Garcia/Grisman Band, and from 1989-2004, he was part of the David Grisman Quintet. So, with the multi-instrumentalist Craven (mandolin, fiddle, vocals and percussion) at the helm, Painted Mandolin has an ideal frontman to carry on Jerry Garcia’s music, touching on most of the Grateful Dead frontman’s musical journey. The quartet performs tunes from Garcia’s early jug band days, his bluegrass-saturated Old and In the Way era, and many of the Dead acoustic songs most famously showcased on their beloved album Reckoning. Proceeds from Painted Mandolin’s show will go to the Santa Cruz Land Trust, a foundation dedicated to preserving the open spaces around Santa Cruz. $27-32. Saturday, April 8, 7:30pm. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. kuumbwajazz.org
BILL AND JILIAN NERSHI WITH JASON HANN The String Cheese Incident guitarist and co-founder Bill Nershi and his wife, Jilian, unleash harmonies and powerful acoustic guitar, immediately drawing in the listener. An inspired journey through various styles and influences, a throwback to the roots of American music, the Nershis have a relaxed way of connecting with the audience through the stories in their songs. Constantly finding ways to make the music sound complete as a duo, unique arrangements and an extensive catalog of original songs highlight the couple’s dedication to their craft.$36 plus fees. Saturday, April 8, 7pm. Big Basin Vineyards, 830 Memory Lane,Boulder Creek. bigbasinvineyards.com
The door that slammed shut so famously in Henrik Ibsen’s 1893 classic looms large in the Jewel Theatre’s A Doll’s House: Part 2, written in 2016 by Lucas Hnath. And while it won’t slam shut quite the same way this time, it will be opened—and closed—many times in an hour and a half. This taut, beautifully acted production treated opening night’s audience to elegant figures on a spare stage. Chartreuse velvet upholstery on the few pieces of furniture matches the crimson cut-velvet coat and dress worn by Nora Helmer (Julie James) and the handsomely tailored suit of her estranged husband Torvald (David Arrow). Everything sets the stage for a witty and searching exploration of whether a man and a woman can understand each other. Kudos to scenic designer Andrea Bechart.
In addition to the famous couple, the Helmer’s long-suffering housekeeper Anne Marie (a crisp Nancy Carlin) and daughter Emmy (ably played by Sara Safari) round out the quartet of players. A suite of passionate arguments and bold confessions ensues until the startling and richly satisfying conclusion.
During her 15-year absence, Nora has successfully—maybe—bucked the trappings of a proper marriage and the late 19th-century status quo in which she was raised. Since then, she’s lived as a single free spirit, indulged her desires, written feminist manifestos and become a successful modern woman. All achievements are destined to shake bourgeois values. Like Ibsen, playwright Hnath examines those rigid values through bristling stand-offs among all four characters while probing deeper into the negotiations required of marriage.
Nora returns to her husband’s house, wrapped in the trappings of success, with one final demand—a divorce. She needs that legal piece of paper so she can, in good faith, practice the authentic single life that she has preached in her best-selling books. While on her own, Nora has struggled to extract herself from cultural convention, to “hear her own voice.” She returns as the play opens, triumphantly proclaiming that people do change—that she has changed. The beauty of being human, however, is that we don’t ever quite get it, at least not all of it. Each of us gropes and thrashes and tries to see beyond the moment. As the play deepens its focus, it questions whether understanding—the habits that bind, define and harden between people—is even possible.
Although the setting remains Ibsen’s 19th century, the play’s language is our own contemporary vernacular, a conceit that often works exceptionally well to keep us surprised, amused and engaged. Often, but not always. Perhaps because we are in Santa Cruz, this six-year-old play feels curiously dated. Many of the feminist epiphanies proclaimed by Nora have been in circulation for decades. Yet we would do well to examine them again. Much of the back-and-forth dialogue explores post-Ibsen implications of feeling trapped, wanting more, existing within a prison of social conventions. The “what if?” question each character asks produces a few bracing responses. And many predictable ones.
Was it braver of Nora to leave and start a new life—if such a thing is even possible—or would it be braver to stay and work through the difficulties of a marriage? Daughter Emmy has a few sharp retorts, and they are not the compliant “so glad you’re home, mommy” speeches our returning free spirit had expected. Once Torvald enters the stage, everything pulses with strange new momentum. Given lines that Ibsen didn’t dare, Arrow’s charismatic performance illuminates Torvald’s 15 years of abandonment.
James, in an extravagantly mercurial performance, gives juice and rage to her every line, and Arrow is every bit her match. The air becomes electric when he finally has his say about the past and how things are now. Both these resourceful actors force us to consider unanswerable questions: How is it possible to be an authentic human being and to be true to oneself while living with another person? Big stuff.
I could not help but sense that opening night’s audience—perhaps wearied by three years of Covid, inflation, soul-eroding political chaos, so many oppressive unknowns—was anticipating something more upbeat, more frothily entertaining. But innovative theater must be in the business of pushing us out of our comfort zones. Could audiences rise to the occasion? The actors in A Doll’s House: Part 2 certainly did.
The Jewel Theatre Company’s ‘A Doll’s House: Part 2,’ written by Lucas Hnath, and directed by Bill Peters, runs through April 23 at the Colligan Theater, Tannery Arts Center, 1010 River St., Santa Cruz. jeweltheatre.net
The salty old-timer remembers when all surfers were bodysurfers. Before leashes transformed surfboards into flotation devices. Before the crowds and the bad vibes and the meth-addled surf tribes. Before the creation of the surf industry and the contests designed to move surf-industry products. Before, even, the bodysurfer’s curse faded from memory.
“Beware!” the old-timer croaks at surfers who pass too close to his van in the parking lot. “Every time you drop in on a bodysurfer, that’s a season of bad surf luck.”
How was the bodysurfer’s curse forgotten? Blame the 1980s. When polyurethane foam, violence and Coors Light Party Balls overran Santa Cruz lineups, the curse became little more than a joke. Fluorescent wetsuits and the fascist leanings of certain punk rock music upended the natural order. Chaos reigned. Santa Cruz bodysurfers were forced to stray further and further from their traditional surfing grounds. But they adapted, learning to surf hollow, breakneck wedges unsuitable for boards and cold, remote spots haunted by white sharks. They also grew feral in exile, avoiding surfers altogether when possible. The curse floated along like a half-baked rumor in certain circles with limited consequences before eventually sinking from sight entirely. For Santa Cruz bodysurfers, interactions with surfers grew fewer and further between and were generally characterized by a single question: “You lose your board?”
Thus, when Steamer Lane hosts its first-ever USA Bodysurfing contest on Friday, April 21, the Santa Cruz surf ecosystem will take a significant step back to full health. As a prelude to the USA Surfing contest, which runs on April 22-23 at the Lane, the competition feels like a main-stage performance for bodysurfing.
That’s no knock on the Santa Cruz Bodysurfing Association (SCBA), which has operated locally since 1983. The SCBA has retained its goofy, outsider charm by design and welcomed all comers. The SCBA contest moved eight miles north of town to avoid crowds in the nineties and remains a fun, jubilant gathering of Californian bodysurf clans. For 40 years, it has hosted generations of bodysurfers from South Jetty Swells (Ventura), Chubascos Bodysurfing Association (Huntington Beach), Del Mar Bodysurf Club, Gillis Beach Bodysurfing Association (Manhattan Beach), the Wedge (Newport Beach) and beyond.
The USA Bodysurfing contest at Steamer Lane will be cutthroat in comparison. USA Bodysurfing is the brainchild of Vince Askey and Randy Gilkerson. Established in 2022 to operate contests in co-location with USA Surfing events, USA Bodysurfing has implemented surf contest guidelines, including four-person heats, a priority system and professional judges accredited by the International Surfing Association. Real-time scoring will also be available via the Stact App.
If all that isn’t enough, USA Bodysurfing aspires to make bodysurfing an Olympic sport. To this end, Askey and Gilkerson worked with the International Bodysurfing Association (IBSA) to develop a standardized framework for global competition. The result is this year’s inaugural IBSA World Tour. Steamer Lane is one of six regional qualifiers in California. Similar qualifiers are taking place in four other general regions: South/Central America, Hawaii/Tahiti, Europe/Africa and Australia/Asia. After the World Tour completes its qualifying series in each of the five regional areas, the top-ranking men and women will represent their region in the IBSA Bodysurfing World Tour Finals—tentatively planned for the North Shore of Oahu in 2024.
“Our goal is to promote bodysurfing, unify bodysurfers and create consistency in competition,” IBSA Board President Patrice Grieumard says. “Standardizing the contest’s formats and judging will enable the IBSA to establish a viable global format for bodysurfing contests. Ultimately, we want to elevate the profile of competitive bodysurfing and recognize the athletes from around the world.”
Askey says the contest at Steamer Lane will host, top-to-bottom, one of the most talented collections of North American bodysurfers ever. While that point is debatable, many legitimate ringers have already signed up to surf the legendary Lane.
PAT MALO: SANTA CRUZ STYLE MASTER
The Santa Cruz Bodysurfing Association will be well-represented at the Lane. The hometown favorite in the Men’s Open is Pat Malo, 41, a local style master with enough polished tricks in his bag to beat the Hawaiians and enough glide to take down the South Jetty Swells. Malo grew up bodysurfing Blacks, Sunny Cove, Santa Maria’s and 26th Avenue.
Pat Malo is a Santa Cruz style master. PHOTO: Santa Cruz Bodysurfing Association
“I started to really dial in the tricks and poses by watching the lifeguards and the SCBA folks in the late 1990s,” he says. Over the years, Malo has regularly won or placed in his division at the SCBA contests. “The SCBA contests were huge for my development. I was inspired by the locals, but also the bodysurfers who traveled to Santa Cruz.”
Malo’s love of competitive tricks is part of a Santa Cruz heritage. “Bodysurfers from Santa Cruz have been striking poses in competition since the early eighties,” he says. “It may be our greatest contribution to the sport. I strive to be intentional with my body position the entire wave. Between maneuvers like underwater takeoffs, spins and re-entries, I try to hold functional yet aesthetically pleasing poses.”
Malo rattles off a list of his go-to poses: “There’s the classic ‘Chicken Wing,’ the ‘Maui Boy’ and a Santa Cruz original called the ‘Burt Reynolds.’ Plus, spins. Lots of spins.”
Win or lose, Malo sees the future of Santa Cruz bodysurfing as bright. “Today, there are more quality bodysurfers in town than ever before,” Malo says. “The kids are getting really good, really quickly, and lots of surfers keep swim fins in their quiver these days. I’d say bodysurfing is reemerging from the woodwork a little.”
KATY COLLINS: THE CHARGER
Katy Collins, 28, represents Santa Cruz bodysurfing’s finest legacy—its women. From world champions like Tish “The Fish” Denevan to mentors and shredders like Carla Christensen and Julie Davis, Santa Cruz’s female bodysurfers have ruled the game since the beginning.
Denevan, retired from competition, remembers Lauren Crux and Karen Zelin putting on free bodysurfing clinics for women in the mid-1980s at Twin Lakes Beach. “I rarely saw other women bodysurfers,” she recalls. “At times, it was a bit lonely being the only woman out in the lineup. So, I showed up for one of the clinics with my fins and wetsuit.”
Denevan entered her first SCBA contest in 1985 and won it. Similarly, Christensen and SCBA cofounder Tom Mader introduced Collins and her friends to bodysurfing, ushering them into the SCBA fold. Even today, Collins does her best to emulate Christensen. “Carla is so elegant out in the water, and she’s never afraid to get after the big one,” Collins says.
Collins isn’t afraid of going big, either. In addition to possessing a style suited for competition and an uncanny ocean sense, Collins appears fearless. In 2019, she swam into foggy, triple-overhead Ocean Beach to compete in the OB, a big-wave bodysurfing contest held in the wilds off San Francisco. Not only did Collins hold her own that day in 12- to 18-foot waves, but she also won the Spirit Award for her performance and made it to the finals of the open-format contest.
Dave Ford (DMC Fins) of Ventura’s South Jetty Swells has won contests around the globe and is a longtime friend of the Santa Cruz Bodysurfing Association. PHOTO: South Jetty Swells
Collins remains humble when she’s compared to Denevan or Christensen; she acknowledges the responsibility she carries to pay the ocean forward. “Even more momentous than their titles are the barriers they’ve broken as lady chargers in a sea of men,” Collins says. “It’s important for ladies who are curious about getting in the sea to see gals like Tish, Julie and my mom out there, making it seem natural, not forbidding. Bodysurfing was, in Hawaiian tradition, a sport of Queens, after all.”
Ultimately, Collins bodysurfs because it’s “the most-pure form of fun. I love that you don’t need any gear. Heck, you can do it naked,” she says. “The connection with the ocean, the energy of the waves—you’re a part of that. There is no barrier. It’s pretty surreal, honestly. Plus, you’re guaranteed barrels, and there’s no eggy-ness happening. It’s actually fun to party-wave bodysurfing. We don’t take ourselves too seriously. We’re just out to play, and I love that.”
Of course, it won’t all be fun and games on April 21. Collins and the Santa Cruz women will have multiple world champs to contend with at Steamer Lane, including USA Bodysurfing’s 2022 winner Calla Allison, Red Bull big-wave star Katie McConnell and standout water polo player Scotti Shafer—not to mention teen phenom Michelle Urkov and the hard-charging Sunceray Chamblee.
DaFiN AND THE HAWAIIANS
They say it isn’t really a bodysurfing contest unless the Hawaiians are there. Luckily, DaFiN Hawaii has flown over three-fifths of its crack bodysurf team—Dane Torres, Keali’i Punley and Wyatt Yee (Kaneali’i Wilcox and grandmaster Mark Cunningham couldn’t make the trip). The Hawaiians are just here to shred. Wins at Steamer Lane won’t count toward their point total on the IBSA World Tour—they must wait for the Hawaii/Tahiti regionals.
Torres, Punley and Yee are difficult to beat anywhere, but they’re especially motivated by USA Bodysurfing. Each is eager to carry on the legacy of the great Duke Kahanamoku, the great waterman who represented Hawaii in the Olympics. They surf to win, but with boundless, kinetic joy. A vast assortment of tricks developed on Point Panic’s impossibly long rights and honed on social media should help these young Hawaiians take down much of the field in the all-ages Men’s Open. However, the cold ocean temperatures could be a factor. The Hawaiians haven’t spent much time in the water north of Ventura County. Wetsuits could slow their roll.
THE SOUTH JETTY SWELLS
Dave Ford, 47, has competed in SCBA’s contests since the 1980s. The bond between the South Jetty Swells and the SCBA remains strong thanks to the Ford family’s multigenerational presence at the contest over the decades.
“As a grom [young surfer], it was intimidating because the waves in Santa Cruz were powerful, and the competitors were all solid,” Ford says. “I remember events when we would swim in 10-plus heats. Sunny Cove had that nice little wedge.”
Ernie and Carly Ford, excellent bodysurfers themselves, weaned three pinniped sons. Each is capable of winning the contest at the Lane, but only Dave is here. Sponsored by DMC Fins, Dave Ford’s style is more in the classic vein of Mark Cunningham—no tricks or frills, just long, elegant rides tucked in the pocket or deep within the barrel.
Yet Ford isn’t the only South Jetty Swell in town. The six-foot, three-inch Tony Sholl, 48, is a water polo coach and the Aquatic Supervisor for Santa Barbara. A powerful swimmer, Sholl can cover a lot of the lineup in a hurry and bodysurfs with the natural ease of a dolphin.
The Templeman Brothers are also a threat. Scions of an esteemed Ventura bodysurfing family, the brothers have different approaches, but often the same result: win or place. Brett Templeman, 46, is impossible to miss. He will probably be the only one competing in trunks. His no-wetsuit, throwback style serves him well. He catches a lot of waves and has a knack for positioning his hairy, bowling-ball torso right in the sweetest spot of the wave. His 42-year-old brother, Bart, is a dark-horse pick to win the contest. Bart moved to Santa Cruz County from Ventura years ago and board-surfs the Lane often enough to have an advantage. Watch out for Black Bart.
THE WILDCARDS
Additional legitimate threats competing at the Lane include Thorsten Hegberg, 54, of Huntington Beach’s Chubascos Bodysurfing Association, a longtime competitor in the SCBA contests. Hegberg is known for being in the right place at the right time in nearly any lineup. As a result, he wins a lot of heats. It remains to be seen if he can crack the Lane’s code.
Katy Collins of Santa Cruz has earned her reputation as a hard charger bodysurfing waves like Ocean Beach in San Francisco. PHOTO: Santa Cruz Bodysurfing Association
Del Mar’s Mark Drewelow, 59, took the internet by storm with a video of his impossibly long left at bombing Black’s Beach in San Diego. A relative newcomer to the competitive circuit, Drewelow is an innovator. He trains relentlessly, perfecting dramatic takeoffs with names like “the flying squirrel.” He has the mindset and the skill to win, but little-to-no experience at the Lane. Another Del Mar bodysurfer, 49-year-old Greg Wilkinson, is a South African specimen. He won his division at the inaugural USA Bodysurfing event in Huntington Beach in 2022 and could easily walk away with the points at the Lane.
Askey has also floated rumors that the great one, Mike Stewart, might compete. Stewart is a nine-time World Champion bodyboarder and a pioneer of the bodyboarding sport—he’s also one of the early big-wave tow-in surfers. Widely considered to be the best bodysurfer to ever strap on a pair of fins, Stewart’s presence would radically shift the odds.
As the old-timers know, bodysurfing will never be about who is best. Contests, even IBSA-sanctioned USA Bodysurfing contests, will always be more about gathering the tribe than qualifying for the Olympics. After all, the greatest bodysurfer in the world is an anonymous bodhisat quietly ripping waves in some remote, swell-blessed corner of the Pacific Ocean, blissfully unaware of competition.
It is the sacred duty of bodysurfers to protect the stoke. Someday, god forbid, the violence and the Coors Light Party Balls could return to Santa Cruz. The bodysurfers will be forced to invoke the curse once more before spiriting away the stoke, hiding it in some rocky cove far to the north until the darkness passes once again.
The USA Bodysurfing Contest happens Friday, April 21, at 7am at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz. usabodysurfing.org
Up a winding road lined with Eucalyptus trees in DeLaveaga Park, a lot of 15 RVs sit at the top of a forested hill. Potted plants surround the door of some trailers, with one trailer boasting a “Just Married” sign on its windshield.
The park is full of life, but it’s no vacation.
Current residents of city-funded Santa Cruz Free Guide’s RV Park followed different paths to get here, but they are chasing the same goal: to end their journey with homelessness.
“People don’t take chances on people like us,” says Jody Ann Conway, one of the first residents to park in the RV lot when it was established in August of 2022. “But I didn’t think I was going to be homeless.”
After losing her home and job as a caregiver in Gilroy, Conway moved to Santa Cruz to be closer to her parents and grandchildren. For three months, she lived in a brand new RV, but one night at 3am, the city of Santa Cruz impounded it, along with most of her belongings.
Having a safe space for her new trailer and possessions is a huge relief and has allowed her to get a job and focus on ending her homelessness.
“If people take the opportunity that’s here and venture out and know that their stuff is safe, it really is the first step,” she says.
Approximately 2,300 people are experiencing homelessness in Santa Cruz County as of 2022, according to that year’s point-in-time (PIT) count, a limited one-day sweeping survey of the unhoused population. The RV Park and the adjoining Overlook Emergency Shelter at the National Guard Armory are among the Santa Cruz City government’s many efforts to reduce this number.
In 2017, the Homelessness Coordinating Committee, a city council subcommittee, spent six months formulating a report outlining goals to alleviate homelessness locally.
The plan laid out 16 short-term and four long-term goals to be completed in five or more years. The list includes year-round shelters, day services, more permanent housing and a “navigation center” that houses all resources needed under one roof.
Now, nearly six years later, some long-term goals are underway, and some are yet to be realized. The city has continued to assess the needs of the unhoused community and how they have shifted over the years and through the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to a new Homelessness Response Action Plan written in 2022. But at the core of both the 2017 and 2022 projects is the same message: city governments can’t tackle homelessness alone and must partner at the county, city, state and federal levels to form long-term solutions.
LOCAL EFFORTS
Larry Imwalle, Santa Cruz City’s Homeless Response Manager, says the city’s increased role in homelessness response is a relatively new expectation that historically fell on the county and state.
“If cities are going to continue to play these roles, they need to be resourced in a way they haven’t been previously,” Imwalle says. “At every level, the investment needs to be commensurate with the statewide crisis we’re seeing.”
In 2021, the city received $14.5 million to address local homelessness, funding new projects and expansions of proven ones. Newer city-supported shelters like the Overlook Community Emergency Shelter and the River Street Transitional Camp have added 165 new beds to the city’s year-round capacity.
“I think that demonstrates what we’re able to accomplish when we have resources,” Imwalle says.
These efforts correspond to the report’s goal to establish year-round shelters for people experiencing homelessness rather than ones that only operate during the winter. The city provides targeted casework and services at each location to move people toward permanent housing.
But despite the improvements, it’s simply not enough for the number of people seeking shelter.
Housing Matters, a leading local nonprofit aimed at reducing homelessness in Santa Cruz County, hosts a campus of shelter and services for Santa Cruz’s unhoused community. It provides 160 more beds and day services like restrooms, showers and charging stations.
Housing Matters was essential to Conway’s story, helping her rent her first apartment in Santa Cruz. After she was hospitalized for an infection in her hand, a nurse coordinated for her to stay in one of the 12 beds offered at The Recuperative Care Center, a joint effort between the county and Housing Matters for homeless individuals requiring medical respite.
Then Conway was connected to a caseworker and CalWORKs’ Housing Assistance Move-in Program, which is paying for her to move into her new apartment. Wings Homeless Advocacy, a partner nonprofit in the county, is providing her bed and essential household supplies.
Conway is also one of 295 households to receive an emergency housing voucher in the county after proactively applying back in 2012, she says. The program targets those moving out of—or at risk of becoming—homeless. The county housing authority pays 70% of her rent, so she is only responsible for 30%, which she earns at her job at the Homeless Garden Project.
While Conway was able to use the local resources at her disposal, she knows her situation is unique. The waitlists for the RV park and housing vouchers are long and unreliable, and many of Conway’s successes came from chance interactions.
“I really just got lucky,” she says. “I feel like it was just knowing the right people and chance moments.”
The city has purchased the property next to Housing Matters on Coral Street to provide services to more people. The property will be home to a 120-unit supportive housing project that includes ground-floor medical offices, a “navigation center,” a shelter and a one-stop-shop where people can come in hopes of finding permanent housing.
“I think we already have the components of a navigation center, but it’s putting them together in a more streamlined and efficient way,” says Tom Stagg, Chief Initiatives Officer at Housing Matters.
Expansion efforts have been made possible by one-time funding and grants. Still, these programs need long-term investment to continue running, says Evan Morrison, Executive Director at Santa Cruz Free Guide, which runs the DeLaveaga RV lot. The Free Guide is operating its shelter and services on a year-long grant.
STATE OF HOMELESSNESS
Despite the city’s efforts and a 59% decrease in families experiencing homelessness, the overall number of unhoused individuals hasn’t changed much in the last six years. In 2017, there were 2,249 individuals experiencing homelessness in Santa Cruz County. In 2022 there were 2,299 reported, according to PIT counts. As people secure housing, more people are losing their homes and taking their place.
“So, the logic is, we house 1,000 people, that should translate to 1,000 less people being on the street,” says Richelle Noroyan, a previous city council member on the 2017 report’s coordinating committee. “But that’s not what’s going on.”
Some, like Noroyan, question if the growing numbers of homeless individuals are from people losing their homes in Santa Cruz versus those moving to Santa Cruz already homeless. The numbers say otherwise. According to the PIT count, 89% of people experiencing homelessness in Santa Cruz County lost their homes while living here.
A significant cause and problem are the affordable housing shortage in Santa Cruz. At their core, the city’s programs and partnerships aim to move people from the streets to permanent housing, not to prolong their homelessness. Preventive measures like housing vouchers and rent assistance can help people from losing their homes in the first place. In Santa Cruz County, a one-person household is considered low income at $87,000 a year, making homelessness a threat many people live on the brink of.
“It’s a valuable exercise to think about, ‘what would it take for me to become homeless?’” Morrison says. “And often, people don’t want to think about that.”
Free Guide Program Manager Maile Earnest adds that she would be homeless if she lost her job.
“I thought I could get in front of it and handle the situation,” says Conway about losing her home and income. “And it just snowballed out of my control.”
Housing advocates throughout Santa Cruz County recognize the necessity of having a home base.
“Being Homeless is a kind of a full-time job,” Morrison says.
“Asking somebody to focus on getting a job and finding housing when they’re living outside is like asking you to make a grocery list and go to the store in the middle of an earthquake,” adds Earnest, quoting previous county worker Christine Sippl.
For unhoused community members like Conway, having a stable roof over your head can change everything.
Homelessness is “not my story,” Conway says. “It’s just a chapter of it.”
Shortly after a breach in the Pajaro Levee caused torrents of water to flood the tiny town of Pajaro on March 11, work crews temporarily plugged the breach. Now, officials hope to permanently repair the levee by banking on a law that will call in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE).
Under Public Law 84-99, which covers emergency assistance in response to flood and coastal storms, repairs usually take two years. But Pajaro River Flood Management Agency Director Mark Strudley says the agency is asking for the levee’s repairs to be expedited and completed by summer.
Even after repairs, he says, the old levee system—which holds the Pajaro River back from the agriculture fields and neighborhoods in both Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties—is rife with weakness that could mean more flooding in future years.
“There are plenty of vulnerabilities elsewhere,” he says. “That’s probably why the levee broke. They’re old, they’re undersized, they were poorly built to different engineering standards in the ’40s. Things wear out. Things have a useful design life to them, and they are well past that.”
Indeed, the levee—built in 1949—flooded in 1955, 1958, 1995 and 1998. Despite decades of discussions, an upgrade authorized in 1966 by the Federal Flood Control Act never got off the ground.
The levee is now due for a $400 million upgrade, with some optimistic estimates putting the start date within two years and others saying it could be longer.
The federal government has kicked in $149 million for the project. The state’s share—up to $181 million—covers the remaining costs.
The last piece of this puzzle fell into place when roughly 3,000 property owners along the levee system last year approved an assessment on their annual property tax bills. That money will fund the $1.2 million annual maintenance and operations.
In a March 27 letter to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Assistant Secretary Michael Connor, Senators Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein joined with Congresspeople Jimmy Panetta and Zoe Lofgren to ask that the project and its funding be expedited.
But that’s not an easy task. Before any work happens, officials must hack through a mountain of red tape, including environmental review and permitting, as well as land acquisitions and easements. The pre-work also includes moving power poles and elevating bridges.
These requirements, he says, are part and parcel of any major construction project and move along their own timeline.
“We’ll try to make them go as quickly as we can, but there is nothing you could do to write them into state law or hardwire a faster process,” he says.
The promise of 100-year flood protection is cold comfort for residents who live along the levee and have endured five devastating floods. It’s no accident that most of those impacted by the floods are low-income agricultural laborers, says Monterey County Supervisor Luis Alejo.
“Historically, what happened to Pajaro is a story that has happened to marginalize poor communities, communities of color, throughout history,” he says.
Alejo points to San Lucas, a community of roughly 500 farmworkers along Hwy 101, grappling with water quality issues for years.
As a state Assemblyman, Alejo got the California State Water Resources Control Board to approve an $8 million pipeline that would have brought clean water from King City. But one year later, the project was stopped after officials cited the high cost.
“For me, that is a more recent example of a disadvantaged community where the state, even after giving approval, backs out because they thought that costs were too high per household for disadvantaged farmworker communities,” he says.
The board recently began factoring racial equity into its decisions.
“We are changing how we do business and re-looking at communities that have historically not received the resources they deserve,” Alejo says. “We are now trying to deliver them. That is our commitment to those communities.”
Second District Supervisor for Santa Cruz County Zach Friend agrees that economics have played a role in the sizable time span it has taken to move the levee upgrade forward.
“Pajaro is the tip of the iceberg in a federal system that unequivocally has discriminated against low-income communities in funding federal flood control projects,” he says.
But this story is not unique to Pajaro. The problem, Friend says, is a 1:1 benefit-cost ratio used by ACOE when calculating the feasibility of a project that calls for one dollar of savings for every dollar spent.
That means a community with million-dollar homes will take precedence over one with lower property values, leaving low-income areas in the lurch. Agricultural communities fare even worse since the ACOE places a zero on that land in the ratio.
“So, the most hurt is low-income, rural and ag communities,” Friend says. “Our story shouldn’t have happened. For years we have been yelling from the rooftops to anyone who would listen—the underlying system is broken; the coldness of their economic calculations not only discounts human suffering but ensures low-income communities can’t compete. While there seemed to be agreement at many levels, change has been painfully slow.”
Rising water from the Pajaro River erased a section of McGowan Road and farm land. PHOTO: Tarmo Hannula
Alejo, who began his career as an elected official on the Watsonville City Council before moving to the Assembly and then to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, says one of his focuses has been securing funding for the levee upgrade.
That dream was realized in October when a cadre of local, state and federal officials gathered at Atri Park—a tiny community space abutting the levee—to celebrate the full funding of the project.
While that vote was the apex of two years of work by state and federal lawmakers, Alejo says it is now vital to ensure the funds are in the bank, especially with an expected economic recession looming.
“In light of everything that has happened in Pajaro, we need to expedite this project to move along quicker, to prevent another flood from happening in the future,” he says. “Considering it’s a project that is going to take numerous years, we don’t want our state and federal agencies to bail out and not fulfill their promises to the communities on both sides of the Pajaro River.”
Strudley says that if the money comes in all at once, it will allow for a design-build approach, meaning a single contractor could see the project to completion. He says that could accelerate the timeline.
If it comes in piecemeal, it might stretch out the completion time. Either way, the funding is assured, as is the overall project.
“I don’t want people to lose faith in this project,” Strudley adds. “It’s heartbreaking what’s been going on with the flood, but everything is still on track with the overall levee construction project.”
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries-born René Descartes (1596–1650) was instrumental in developing of modern science and philosophy. His famous motto, “I think, therefore I am” is an assertion that the analytical component of intelligence is primary and foremost. And yet, few history books mention the supernatural intervention that was pivotal in his evolution as a supreme rationalist. On the night of November 10, 1619, he had three mystical dreams that changed his life, revealing the contours of the quest to discern the “miraculous science” that would occupy him for the next 30 years. I suspect you are in store for a comparable experience or two, Aries. Brilliant ideas and marvelous solutions to your dilemmas will visit you as you bask in unusual and magical states of awareness.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The dirty work is becoming milder and easier. It’s still a bit dirty, but is growing progressively less grungy and more rewarding. The command to “adjust, adjust, and adjust some more, you beast of burden” is giving way to “refine, refine, and refine some more, you beautiful animal.” At this pivotal moment, it’s crucial to remain consummately conscientious. If you stay in close touch with your shadowy side, it will never commandeer more than ten percent of your total personality. In other words, a bit of healthy distrust for your own motives will keep you trustworthy. (PS: Groaning and grousing, if done in righteous and constructive causes, will continue to be good therapy for now.)
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “‘Tis the good reader that makes the good book,” wrote Gemini philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. “In every book, he finds passages which seem confidences or asides hidden from all else and unmistakably meant for his ear.” In the coming weeks, a similar principle will apply to everything you encounter, Gemini—not just books. You will find rich meaning and entertainment wherever you go. From seemingly ordinary experiences, you’ll notice and pluck clues that will be wildly useful for you personally. For inspiration, read this quote from author Sam Keen: “Enter each day with the expectation that the happenings of the day may contain a clandestine message addressed to you personally. Expect omens, epiphanies, casual blessings, and teachers who unknowingly speak to your condition.”
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Traditional astrologers don’t regard the planet Mars as being a natural ally of you Crabs. But I suspect you will enjoy an invigorating relationship with the red planet during the next six weeks. For best results, tap into its rigorous vigor in the following ways: 1. Gather new wisdom about how to fight tenderly and fiercely for what’s yours. 2. Refine and energize your ambitions so they become more ingenious and beautiful. 3. Find out more about how to provide your physical body with exactly what it needs to be strong and lively on an ongoing basis. 4. Mediate on how to activate a boost in your willpower.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I won’t ask you to start heading back toward your comfort zone yet, Leo. I’d love to see you keep wandering out in the frontiers for a while longer. It’s healthy and wise to be extra fanciful, improvisatory, and imaginative. The more rigorous and daring your experiments, the better. Possible bonus: If you are willing to question at least some of your fixed opinions and dogmatic beliefs, you could very well outgrow the part of the Old You that has finished its mission.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The Supreme Deity with the most power may not be Jehovah or Allah or Brahman or Jesus’s Dad. There’s a good chance it’s actually Mammon, the God of Money. The devoted worship that humans offer to Mammon far surpasses the loyalty offered to all the other gods combined. His values and commandments rule civilization. I bring this to your attention, Virgo, because now is an excellent time for you to deliver extra intense prayers to Mammon. From what I can determine, this formidable Lord of Lords is far more likely to favor you than usual. (PS: I’m only half-kidding. I really do believe your financial luck will be a peak in the coming weeks.)
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): It’s an excellent time to give up depleted, used-up obsessions so you have plenty of room and energy to embrace fresh, succulent passions. I hope you will take advantage of the cosmic help that’s available as you try this fun experiment. You will get in touch with previously untapped resources as you wind down your attachments to old pleasures that have dissipated. You will activate dormant reserves of energy as you phase out connections that take more than they give.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “The best revenge is not to be like your enemy,” said ancient Roman philosopher Marcus Aurelius. I’m tempted to advise every Scorpio to get a tattoo of that motto. That way, you will forever keep in mind this excellent advice; As fun as it may initially feel to retaliate against those who have crossed you, it rarely generates redemptive grace or glorious rebirth, which are key Scorpio birthrights. I believe these thoughts should be prime meditations for you in the coming weeks.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sometimes love can be boring. We may become overly accustomed to feeling affection and tenderness for a special person or animal. What blazed like a fiery fountain in the early stages of our attraction might have subsided into a routine sensation of mild fondness. But here’s the good news, Sagittarius: Even if you have been ensconced in bland sweetness, I suspect you will soon transition into a phase of enhanced zeal. Are you ready to be immersed in a luscious lusty bloom of heartful yearning and adventure?
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): What shall we call this latest chapter of your life story? How about “Stealthy Triumph over Lonely Fear” or maybe “Creating Rapport with the Holy Darkness.” Other choices might be “As Far Down into the Wild Rich Depths That I Dare to Go” or “My Roots Are Stronger and Deeper Than I Ever Imagined.” Congratulations on this quiet but amazing work you’ve been attending to. Some other possible descriptors: “I Didn’t Have to Slay the Dragon Because I Figured Out How to Harness It” or “The Unexpected Wealth I Discovered Amidst the Confusing Chaos.”
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): It’s sway-swirl-swivel time for you, Aquarius—a phase when you will be wise to gyrate and rollick and zigzag. This is a bouncy, shimmering interlude that will hopefully clean and clear your mind as it provides you with an abundance of reasons to utter “whee!” and “yahoo!” and “hooray!” My advice: Don’t expect the straight-and-narrow version of anything. Be sure you get more than minimal doses of twirling and swooping and cavorting. Your brain needs to be teased and tickled, and your heart requires regular encounters with improvised fun.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): When I was growing up in suburban America, way back in the 20th century, many adults told me that I was wrong and bad to grow my hair really long. Really! It’s hard to believe now, but I endured ongoing assaults of criticism, ridicule, and threats because of how I shaped my physical appearance. Teachers, relatives, baseball coaches, neighbors, strangers in the grocery store—literally hundreds of people—warned me that sporting a big head of hair would cause the whole world to be prejudiced against me and sabotage my success. Decades later, I can safely say that all those critics were resoundingly wrong. My hair is still long, has always been so, and my ability to live the life I love has not been obstructed by it in the least. Telling you this story is my way of encouraging you to keep being who you really are, even in the face of people telling you that’s not who you really are. The astrological omens say it’s time for you to take a stand.
Imagine an app that could help reduce food waste, support local restaurants and deliver substantial bargains for around $5 a bag.
If that sounds too good to be true, you’re getting warm. It’s called Too Good to Go, and it’s my favorite new smartphone foodie tool.
Too Good to Go started in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2016 and has been transforming food surpluses into fun meals in select cities worldwide since—but only recently made it into Santa Cruz.
Using it is simple enough. Download the app, enter a search radius, peep who is participating, link payment and sign up to grab a “surprise bag” in the designated time window.
TGTG describes the surprise part: “Beyond knowing the gist of what your order contains (for instance, muffins and pastries, or sandwiches and salads), the contents remain a delicious surprise until pickup time.”
Both the contents and the deals proved delicious on my scouting outings. At the Original Ferrell’s Donuts, the friendly manager let me pick out a custom selection since she hadn’t yet prepped the bags. A massive haul of high-quality donuts resulted.
Downtown, Pono Hawaiian Grill loaded me up with a container of teriyaki chicken, macaroni salad, seasoned rice and kimchi.
Across two Poke House visits, I got a sizable crispy shoyu chicken bowl over rice and greens and a bag of fresh salmon trim and salmon heads (and made my very first from-scratch fish stew!).
Each “bag” was $5 and met the stated goal of providing more value than you pay.
While writing this, a peek at the app reveals El Rosal Bakery, Norma Jean’s Coffee, Dunlap’s Donuts and Peet’s Coffee are also on board with TGTG. Hopefully, having this out there will encourage more to join in.
Meanwhile, restaurant staff tells me the app, while it has some hiccups, not only clears their surplus for a modest return but also brings in visitors that might not otherwise stop by.
Add in the fact the wider carbon-neutral TGTG organization—a certified B Corp—is partnering with schools and governments to reduce waste further makes me hope Too Good to Go goes and goes and goes.
BOTTLE POP
Woodhouse Blending & Brewing launched a compelling new special pop-up dinner sequence last week. The maiden voyage happened with Adorable French Bakery, and like each installment, featured special release barrel-aged beers exclusive to the pop-ups. The next dinner happens May 1, featuring smart Filipino fusion from Paul Suniga’s MASARAP. Head over to WBB’s Instagram for more.
FEEL THE TRUST
Fun fact: I helped publish two seasonal recipes inspired by some of the best seafood found along the Central Coast in partnership with Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust, whose mission is to support a thriving ecosystem. (It stocks a lot of consumer resources as a result). Dive into cioppino by Phil DiGirolomo of Phil’s Fish Market fame and Sicilian crab by Domenic Mercurio of Cafe Fina at montereybayfisheriestrust.org. Bonus cut: Another story explains how local fisherfolk—including Santa Cruz resident and third-generation fisherman Valerie Phillips—work to direct healthy fishery management.
Coeur De Vigne wines are mainly sold through wine merchants, so getting some shipped to your door is easy. Based in Rutherford, Napa, Coeur De Vigne is known for its extraordinary Cabernet Sauvignon.
The 2019 Cab ($102) is a great red wine to enhance any special occasion. Composed of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and blended with 8% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, this deep purple wine is brimming with dark fruit, considerable oak and complex layers of vanilla, cassis and plum. Aged in 87% new French oak, delicious flavors of dark chocolate and dried cherries with some plum and raspberry notes emerge in this divine Cab.
Grapes are grown on the Sullivan Estate, started by Jim Sullivan in 1972. Winemaker Jeff Cole takes pride in continuing the legacy of making this Left Bank Bordeaux-inspired blend “with a clear and powerful voice.”
The Tasting Panel Magazine awarded the “fresh and velvety” Cab 94 points. coerdevignenapa.com
Carmel Café
Café Carmel serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and it’s a charming spot to stop by. The Carmel and Monterey Peninsula chambers of commerce will be holding a ribbon cutting to celebrate Sarah Cook’s fourth year as owner. Cook moved with her family from England to run the café, and a stellar job she’s doing. The café is baking traditional British hot cross buns just in time for Easter.
Carmel Café Ribbon Cutting, Thursday, April 6, 5-7pm, at Café Carmel, Ocean and Mission, Carmel. cafecarmel.com
Safe Catch Pure Wild Tuna
Safe Catch Wild Tuna has the lowest mercury content—and the fish is sustainably sourced and wild-caught. The cans come with easy-to-open pull tabs, so they’re handy for road trips, picnics, sandwiches or adding to salad for a quick meal. Safe Catch, based in Sausalito, also does wild salmon, sardines, mackerel and more. safecatch.com
Brian Churchill’s career has taken him from Nebraska to Colorado to South Lake Tahoe. Last year, he moved to Santa Cruz to help run Aptos’ now defunct-Sid’s Smokehouse, where he met patron Paul Beers. After the spot closed, Churchill and Beers took over the space and collaborated on what’s now Churchill & Beers. The Firecracker Prawn app—bacon-wrapped and jalapeño-stuffed—is an explosion of flavor. Burger options include the Western with barbeque sauce, bacon, cheddar and onion rings; the fried chicken and Philly cheesesteak sandwiches are also hits. The wood-fired pizza boasts housemade dough; faves include the Hawaiian and pesto chicken. There’s also a slew of local beer and wine selections. Hours are 11:30am-8:30pm every day except Tuesdays. GT asked Churchill more about his and Beers’ new spot.
What do you hope Churchill & Beers brings to Aptos?
BRIAN CHURCHILL: A comfortable place for families to come and unwind, where dad can enjoy a nice beer, mom a glass of wine and the kids can relax and watch sports. We’re right next to the high school, so we picture it as a place where people stop after the game to enjoy good food and a family-oriented vibe.
How would you describe your commitment to local wine and beer?
We live in a great area with many good local wineries and breweries. We are located right near Freedom Boulevard, a gateway to Corralitos, which is home to some of the best pinot noir grapes in California. It would be a shame not to feature the skills of all the local winemakers and brewers. Our goal is to showcase these great local products and honor the hard labor that goes into making them.
