Page 215 | Good Times

Living in Exile

Film

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March 6, 2024

Two years ago, award-winning filmmaker Jon Silver, a longtime resident of Watsonville now living in Santa Cruz, was visiting a friend north of San Francisco, who told him about a musician from Nicaragua who had recently relocated to Santa Rosa.

Silver— bilingual, multicultural and a longtime leftist activist who had been politically inspired by the Nicaraguan revolution of the 1980s—was more than a bit surprised to find out that the musician was none other than Carlos Mejía Godoy, the celebrated singer-songwriter and poet who had played a significant role in the early stages of Latin America’s “New Song Movement” of the 1970s. He was later a voice of the Sandinista uprising that swept his homeland in the following decade.

Silver went with his friend to meet Mejía Godoy, who, he discovered, was living in exile after speaking out against the right-wing dictatorship of Daniel Ortega, the former leader of the Sandinista Revolution who returned to power in 2007 on a starkly rightwing platform. Mejía Godoy soon became a critic of his former comrade and the murderous junta that now ruled his beloved country with an iron fist. He issued a public letter calling on Ortega “to stop the killing.” A short time later, he was warned by friends that Ortega’s henchmen “are going to kill you.”

Mejía Godoy took the warning seriously. He fled—first to Costa Rica, and then to Santa Rosa, where he has lived for the past four years.

During his initial meting with Mejía Godoy, Silver was immediately taken with the vitality of the now-80 year old musician. He was moved by his personal story as well as by the larger saga of Ortega and his current cadre betraying the spirit and egalitarian principles of the Sandinista Revolution. “Carlos’s stories about Nicaragua,” Silver recently noted, “combined with his charismatic presence and performative style as he shared his music and art immediately made me think he would be a great subject for a documentary.”

The result, Living in Exile: Carlos Mejía Godoy, an at once delightful and compelling 15-minute filmic portrait by Silver, will be featured as part of an evening of short musical documentaries at the Watsonville Film Festival, to be screened Friday, March 15, at the City of Seaside’s Oldemeyer Center (986 Hilby Ave., just off Fremont Blvd.)

As a special festival treat, Mejía Godoy will perform immediately following the screenings.

Film veteran Silver, whose documentaries date back four decades and include Watsonville On Strike, his epoch chronicle of labor unrest in the Pajaro Valley canning industry in the 1980s and his more recent Foodie for the People, on India Joze culinary maven Jozseph Schultz, has made delightful use of Mejía Godoy’s own artwork in constructing his narrative, while also employing telling images by Susan Meiseles, Margaret Randall, Owen Franken, and Jorge Mejía.

But it’s Mejía Godoy’s sparkling presence and musical magnetism, along with his political conscience, that is at the pulsating heart of Living in Exile. “I can’t remain silent,” the musician-poet says during one interview. “I can’t remain indifferent

to the pain of so many people.”

Living in Exile: Carlos Mejía Godoy; Yo Soy La Reyna; and Maura will screen Friday, March 15, 6:30 pm, at the Oldemeyer Center in Seaside, 986 Hilby Ave. A live performance by Carlos Mejía Godoy will begin immediately following the screenings.

Pizza Pie Perfection

Dining Reviews

Mark C. Anderson

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March 6, 2024

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Describing the joy that accompanies truly great food and drink can be tricky. This is not a self-pity statement. (Don’t cry for me, ravioli.)

The evidence is there in the line I’ve seen (as an editor) far too many quality writers revisit: “cooked to perfection.”

That said, near perfection does find expression on a square aluminum pan at Bookie’s Pizza, nestled inside Sante Adairius Rustic Ales’ Santa Cruz Portal (1315 Water St., Santa Cruz).

And I’m not talking about the foraged mushroom pizza, though that also approximates heaven in its own right, in a uniquely airy, crispy, melty and synergistic one-plus-one-plus-one-equals-22 way.

It’s Todd Parker’s latest creation, a union of three of the best foods Goddess has given us (pizza, garlic bread and crab): the cheesy crab bread appetizer.

My oh my it’s probably better than it sounds, somehow garlicky without overpowering the sweet and subtle crab, while bringing big butter energy—but not too much—with a nice interplay of mozzarella, pecorino and Parmesan too.

And while beer-and-pizza pairings might be exhibit A that Goddess loves us, there’s a nice alternative on tap that translates to fewer calories and more room for crab bread: Sante Adarius’ NA hop water that’s balanced, refreshing and bottomless, for $3.

Speaking of Sante, its new era as co-author of another local institution—and purveyor of perfection-adjacent brew—has begun.

Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing (402 Ingalls St., Santa Cruz) recently re-opened after a short pause following its purchase by Sante Adarius’ Adair Paterno and Brad Clark of Private Press Brewing (332 Ingalls St., Santa Cruz).

rusticales.com/tasting-room; scmbrew.com

DOUBLE YAY

Second Harvest Food Bank is now partnering with nonprofit Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust and its Community Seafood Program to get fresh local fish in front of its participants. MBFT’s Get Hooked! Dinner Series, meanwhile—with proceeds supporting the program—rolls on with seafood empanadas, huge quantities of paella and paired wines as Colectivo Felix cooks and Madson Wines (328 Ingalls St., Santa Cruz) hosts Thursday, March 7 ($90, tax deductible). montereybayfisheriestrust.org/get-hooked-events

NIBBLES AND NUGS Early returns are outright ecstatic at Watsonville Public House (625 Main St., Watsonville), open Thursday-Sunday…Wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains Grand Tasting cometh March 24 at The Mountain Winery in Saratoga, winesofthesantacruzmountains.com…I’m on a train south to a double conference coordinated by Women of the Vine & Spirits and The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. Message me on IG via @MontereyMCA with anything you’d like me to find out. Fun spirits fact: Isabella’s Islay, the most expensive whiskey in the world, comes in a bottle decorated with 8,500 diamonds and 300 rubies (filled with luxury Scotch) and costs…$6.2 million. Gulp.

Casa Rosita’s

Foodie File

Andrew Steingrube

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March 6, 2024

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An Eastside Mexican food mainstay for decades, Casa Rosita’s features the original founder’s family recipes passed down over the years.

Head chef Fernando Gonzalez was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, before moving with his family at a young age and being raised locally. A former soccer player with a chance to turn pro, he chose to become a cook to provide for his family and be closer with his mother.

He has been running the kitchen at Casa Rosita’s, his father-in-law’s business, for two years and he pairs traditional Mexican restaurant vibes with a family feel. Favorites include sizzling fajitas with bountiful peppers, onions and proteins, as well as Chili Colorado (red sauce) and Chili Verde (green sauce) with slow-cooked pork.

The Botano, a medley of fish and shellfish combined with mildly sweet and spicy diabla sauce, is a dream come true for seafood lovers at $50 for two. Gonzalez’s favorite is the birria taco, combining shredded beef with melted cheese and garnished with onions, cilantro and a side of consommé. The classic square-shaped flan for dessert is postre perfection. Dark on Mondays, hours are 11am-8pm every other day.

What got you into cooking?

FERNANDO GONZALEZ: I started working at 18 right after high school. I didn’t have a career path, but I talked to my mom and told her I was going to become a cook just like my brother so that I could provide for my family. So, I started as a dishwasher at another spot in town, and got moved up to prep cook and then line cook. I learned a lot about food and safety along the way, and now I’m able to use the same knowledge here and continue learning as well.

Tell me about the casita?

FG: Before it was a restaurant, Casa Rosita’s was a laundromat, so there is a raised little house/room right in the middle of the restaurant with many windows. People really love to be in that room for special events like birthdays, and Father’s and Mother’s Day. It fits about 20 people, and the customers love that they have their own private space that’s a little higher off the floor. It’s a very special ambiance, people and families throughout multiple generations have had many lifetime moments in there.

2608 Portola Drive, Santa Cruz, 831-346-6907; casarositas.com

The Editor’s Desk

Letters to the Editor

Brad Kava

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March 6, 2024

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

I’m disappointed to see people blaming San Francisco’s politicians for the fact that the landmark Macy’s in Union Square is shutting down.

Must we blame everything on politics?

The real reason Macy’s and countless other brick and mortar businesses are leaving, including here in Santa Cruz, is simple. Just look out your door and see how many Amazon packages there are. Every one of them is a kick in the shins to our local stores. We all knew this would happen eventually, yet people refuse to pump the brakes and shop local. There are plenty of excuses for shopping online but one has to realize, just as with all the plastic packaging we purchase and throw away, there are consequences to our actions.

Jeffery Bezos gets another yacht and mansion, while our neighborhood store owners barely hang on. Is there any hope?

I remember when Santa Cruzans protested the opening of a chain bookstore that was threatening our two local downtown bookshops. But they missed the bigger picture. It wasn’t just a chain bookstore that was threatening, it was the online Godzilla of Amazon that wreaked havoc.

The answer is still in shopping local and patronizing merchants who keep their tax dollars in our towns. Supporting them brings an honest and genuine local smile.

On the bright side this issue features our coverage of the Watsonville Film Festival, an important landmark on the horizon that features local artists, filmmakers and car builders. What could be cooler? Check it out and see if the War song “Lowrider” doesn’t get glued to your brain. It’s stuck in mine as I read the story.

One of the most surprising things in this story is that things have indeed changed. Lowriders were illegal and harassed by law enforcement, clearly a violation of civil rights. No one was bothering the drivers of hopped-up high trucks. So, we can put equal treatment for lowriders on the list of things that have gotten better.

And we can celebrate it at the Festival and the Porter Building, across from the Watsonville library, where there will be a lowrider exhibit through June. It will be a wildly colorful treat for the whole family.

Finally, as part of International Women’s Month, we asked residents which women they most admire. Check out their answers in the Street Talk column and drop us a line about who you think we should add to the list.

Send your feedback to ed****@*******es.sc

Thanks for reading.

Brad Kava

Photo Contest

LOOK UP Stunning view of the Santa Cruz Mission. Photograph by Kelly Gavin

Good Idea

California leads the country in getting energy from solar power with 27.8% of its electricity coming from solar panels, according to stats presented by Payless Power, of Texas. The state is followed by Nevada, 25.3% and Massachusetts, 24.5%.

Nevada (34,728 homes) leads in solar panels per capita and Hawaii (33,685 homes)was second. At the bottom are North Dakota (23) and West Virginia (188).Texas’ projects an increase of 38,523 megawatts and California’s anticipated growth of 20,767 megawatts in the next five years.California’s $97 billion investment in solar underscores its leading role in the solar energy revolution.

Good Works

The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County acquired 14 acres of core habitat critical to the recovery of the Santa Cruz long-toed salamander. Located in the heart of Larkin Valley,

this upland wooded habitat known as Little Glen, is adjacent to a

40-acre privately held open space, creating 54 acres of contiguous

preserved habitat.

With funding from the Wildlife Conservation Board and the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service, this property will be protected and

managed in perpetuity by the Land Trust.

“Definitions belong to the definers, not the defined.” ― Toni Morrison

Quote of the week

CORRECTION

An article in last week’s edition misstated the names of members of the Hive Poetry Collective. The are Julia Chiapella, Farnaz Fatemi, Geneffa Jahan, Julie Murphy, Dion O’Reilly and Roxi Power. Former members are Victoria Bañales and Billy Butler.

ws or the bad news first?

Letters

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor

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March 6, 2024

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Drastic Layoffs at Live Oak

I’m a Live Oak schools parent, and I would like to see LOSD sell the Live Oak senior center property and recover the $2.4M. Even if those funds couldn’t be used for teaching positions, our district could surely use the money as both a much needed buffer against insolvency, and to start making the repairs needed for our schools–for which the District is now asking taxpayers to fund in the form of Measure H.

What angers me is that the District is holding onto this property for workforce housing, which is something that voters have yet to approve. I strongly oppose workforce housing, because it adds yet another layer of administrative bloat to our district expenses. Do I want to see my tax dollars go to support all that goes along with managing an apartment building? Absolutely not.

Given that there are only 180 days of instruction in the school year, I would argue that teachers are more underemployed than underpaid. We as a society need to revisit this idea that it’s ok to offer education to our children for so few days a year.

Housing in Santa Cruz County is ridiculously expensive for everyone, not just the education workforce. We desperately need more housing. There is no ‘us and them’ here, we are all in this together.

—Claudia Burgin

Teachers Work Hard

Underemployed??? If you think I am underemployed you clearly have not experienced teaching before. I suggest you consider taking a year and investing it in our students as a teacher before you bother offering your two cents!

—KC O’Brien

No Pay for Summer Work

Just FYI, most teachers spend the summer doing professional development. During my “summers” I have
a) done a six-week internship at Applied Biosystems;
b) written an entire Genetics curriculum;
c) participated in Math academies, Earth Science Academies, NGSS academies, writing academies, etc.;
d) taken college classes to get re-certified and to earn more teaching certifications (I have more than 10);
e) lesson plan;
f) batch planning for scope & sequence;
g) clean and restock (WITH MY OWN MONEY!) my classroom (which takes days).

You should also be aware that we are paid for 186 days per year, not the summer.

—Susan B. Toohey

Holiday Wines

Vine & Dine

Josie Cowden

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March 6, 2024

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A fabulous wine to have on hand for the coming spring holidays is Soquel Vineyards’ Trinity Rosso.

This full-throttle red wine is an amalgam of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Zinfandel. For the reasonable price of $16, what you get is a rich mouthfeel and soft tannins – along with a ripe blackberry flavor. “The length is elegant with sweet, creamy French and American oak,” say the folks at Soquel Vineyards.

Another red wine by Soquel Vineyards I would recommend is their 2015 Pyramid. A blend of 30% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec, and 8% Petit Verdot, this is a beautiful Bordeaux-style blend with lush notes of blackberry, licorice and tobacco. This wine is $50, and perfect for the upcoming holidays.

Soquel Vineyards has a warm and welcoming tasting room. It has been voted Best Winery many times by Good Times readers, including for the Best Of awards of 2023.

Soquel Vineyards, 8063 Glen Haven Road, Soquel, 831-462-9045. Soquelvineyards .com

Land of Olives

I am totally smitten with Heraclea extra-virgin olive oil. Having lived in Turkey for a year, I am very familiar with their exceptional culinary offerings such as olive oil, olives, figs, apricots, and other produce. Izmir, where I lived, is well-known for all kinds of tasty food, including honey and honeycomb. Turkey shines when it comes to olive oil, and the rich, velvety oil made by Heraclea in the city of Milas is worth its weight in gold! All my food is prepared with olive oil, including french fries. I cook them for a lengthy time so they soak up as much oil as possible, a technique I picked up from Greek cuisine. (I lived in Athens for 12 years). Visit Heraclea.com for more info.

Tonya Fleck, ND

Wellness

Elizabeth Borelli

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March 6, 2024

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Among the meaningful statistics woven through Tonya Fleck’s busy days, number 136 is important. Having founded Santa Cruz Naturopathic Center 15 years ago, I asked whether she was one of the first NDs in town. And yes, this pioneering practitioner was the 136^th person to receive a doctoral degree in Naturopathy 20 years ago.

Learning Naturopaths are licensed physicians was also news to me: the term sounds kind of squishy. So I asked Dr. Fleck; what’s the difference between Naturopathy and traditional Western medicine? As it turns out, for the first two years of medical training, nothing. Students study all the same basic sciences and lab diagnostic tools and are also trained in pharmacology and are licensed to prescribe pharmaceuticals (though Dr. Fleck says she rarely needs to.).

I was also surprised to learn a Naturopathic Doctor (ND) can be a primary care physician, licensed to diagnose and treat the same way your regular doctor can. Yet here’s where things differ: Naturopathic medicine emphasizes the body’s inherent ability to heal itself and focuses on treating the root cause of illness. The goal is a holistic balance of physical, mental and emotional wellness.

Dr. Fleck explained “Regardless of the health concern, whether it be sleep issues, hormone issues, gut issues, or even depression or anxiety, I recognize that that’s the symptom and it’s important to treat it, but ultimately, we always need to figure out the underlying root cause. Where’s the imbalance in the vital force?

“As an ND, I’m looking at the whole person. I want to know everything; How’s your gut? How’s your sleep? What’s your vitamin D level? How’s your thyroid? How are your adrenals, right? So it’s very much a holistic approach to health and vitality.”

A traditional Westen model offers a reductionist approach to medicine which assumes different bodily systems and functions operate independently. Fortunately, this model is also evolving as more current research sheds light on the intricate relationship between the mind and body.

Which brought me to my next question, is there a medical component to the rise in stress and burnout so many people are currently experiencing? Specifically, is this the result of what’s known as “adrenal fatigue”, a term used to describe symptoms that often include fatigue, body aches, difficulty concentrating, trouble sleeping, and feelings of being overwhelmed by everyday tasks.

While adrenal fatigue is not a diagnosis recognized in Western medicine, so many people experience these symptoms I wanted to know if it’s a condition she addresses.

“Our adrenals are really the foundation of our endocrine system and on a cellular level our bodies are designed to survive. So whenever we’re stressed, like running late to work, my kid is sick, whatever the stressor may be, our adrenals think we’re running from a tiger.

“They don’t know the difference. And so our adrenals are a bit like a fetus where the body will steal from you to make sure the fetus is okay. In the same way, our body will steal nutrients to make sure the adrenals are fed because the adrenals are essential for survival.

“From there, the body then will send nutrients to the thyroid and put more energy into replenishing sex hormones, and eventually producing neurotransmitters that help with depression and anxiety. With most of my patients, there is an adrenal support component, particularly in this high-stressed world that we’re living in.

“The adrenals love B vitamins, vitamin C and adaptogen herbs. In my office we also offer
high dose nutritional IV therapies, which is a great way of getting high doses of nutrients directly into the body.

“Although I treat patients with diagnosed diseases, many of my patients don’t necessarily have a diagnosable ‘disease’ but they also don’t feel well or vital. They know when something is off in our bodies.

“I see three pillars of health. One is having a diagnosed disease, the 2nd is not feeling well but not having a diagnosis, and the third pillar is feeling optimal. My goal is to bring all of my patients into the third pillar.”

As we finished our conversation, Dr. Fleck was greeted by a peppy lady in her 70s, who broke into a little happy dance as she waited for her infusion treatment. As we laughed she exclaimed, “Well, when you have an opportunity to feel great, why not!?”

Street Talk

Street Talk

John Koenig

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March 6, 2024

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March is Women’s History Month.
Who is a history-making woman you admire?

Greta Thunberg because she made such an impact on global warming and how she made an impact on corporations and how they think about what they’ve done.

Max Stonebloom, 12, Student

Michelle Obama, for all the things she did as First Lady, and just the way she carries herself.

Tyson Miller, 46, Engineer

There are so many. Dolores Huerta because of her activism in rights for farm workers. She’s done so much for minorities in general, it’s really inspiring..

Gabriela Candelaria, 43, Nurse

Bertha Benz, wife of Carl Benz, the inventor of the first automobile. She actually drove it herself 60 miles, for the first long-distance journey by automobile. She invented the leather brake shoe, so the brake would grip better.

Joyful Heart, 60, Writer

A new one is definitely Taylor Swift, she’s pretty powerful. She knows how to market herself and put herself out there and made herself very very recognizable.

Lilly Martin Candelaria, 13, Student

Candace Owens, the conservative commentator. She never gives up, doesn’t back down, doesn’t surrender to anyone pushing her towards how she should believe as a black woman.

Zachary Salazar, 44, Independent Artist

Free Will Astrology

Astrology

Rob Brezsny

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March 6, 2024

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ARIES March 21-April 19

“Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow talent to the dark place where it leads.” So wrote Aries author Erica Jong. Is that true? Is it hard to access the fullness of our talents? Must we summon rare courage and explore dark places? Sometimes, yes. To overcome obstacles that interfere with ripening our talents, there may be tough work to do. I suspect the coming weeks and months will be one of those phases for you, Aries. But here’s the good news: I predict you will succeed.

TAURUS April 20-May 20

In October 1879, Thomas Edison and his research team produced the first electric light bulb that was viable enough to be of practical use. In September 1882, Edison opened the first power plant on the planet, enabling people to light their homes with the new invention. That was a revolutionary advance in a very short time. Dear Taurus, the innovations you have been making and I hope will continue to make are not as monumental as Edison’s. But I suspect they rank high among the best and brightest in your personal life history. Don’t slack off now. There’s more work to be done—interesting, exciting work!

GEMINI May 21-June 20

I watched as the Thai snake charmer kissed a poisonous cobra, taming the beast’s danger with her dancing hands. I beheld the paramedic dangle precariously from a helicopter to snag the woman and child stranded on a rooftop during a flood. And in my dream, I witnessed three of my Gemini friends singing a dragon to sleep, enabling them to ramble freely across the bridge the creature had previously forbidden them to traverse.

CANCER June 21-July 22

The horoscopes you are reading have been syndicated in publications all over the world: the US, Italy, France, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Netherlands, Russia, Cambodia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Venezuela, Ireland and Finland. Yet it has never appeared in a publication in the UK, where there are over 52 million people whose first language is English—the same as mine. But I predict that will change in the coming months: I bet a British newspaper or website will finally print Free Will Astrology. I prophesy comparable expansions in your life, too, fellow Cancerian. What new audiences or influences or communities do you want to be part of? Make it happen!

LEO July 23-Aug. 22

Author Jean-Dominique Bauby wrote, “Today it seems to me that my whole life was nothing but a string of small near misses.” If you have endured anything resembling that frustration, Leo, I have good news: The coming months won’t bring you a string of small near misses. Indeed, the number of small near misses will be very few, maybe even zero. Instead, I predict you will gather an array of big, satisfying completions. Life will honor you with bull’s eyes, direct hits and master strokes. Here’s the best way you can respond to your good fortune and ensure the arrival of even more good fortune: Share your wealth!

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22

Virgo advice expert Cheryl Strayed wrote some rather pushy directions I will borrow and use for your horoscope. She and I say, “You will never have my permission to close yourself off to love and give up. Never. You must do everything you can to get what you want and need, to find ‘that type of love.’ It’s there for you.” I especially want you to hear and meditate on this guidance right now, Virgo. Why? Because I believe you are in urgent need of re-dedicating yourself to your heart’s desire. You have a sacred duty to intensify your imagination and deepen your willpower as you define what kind of love and tenderness and togetherness you want most.

LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22

Author Adam Alter writes, “Perfect success is boring and uninspiring, and abject failure is exhausting and demoralizing. Somewhere between these extremes is a sweet spot that maximizes long-term progress.” And what is the magic formula? Alter says it’s when you make mistakes an average of 16% of the time and are successful 84%. Mistakes can be good because they help you learn and grow. Judging from your current astrological omens, Libra, I’m guessing you’re in a phase when your mistake rate is higher than usual—about 30%. (Though you’re still 70% successful!) That means you are experiencing expanded opportunities to learn all you can from studying what doesn’t work well. (Adam Alter’s book is “Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most.”)

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21

Sometimes you Scorpios are indeed secretive, as traditional astrologers assert. You understand that knowledge is power, and you build your potency by gathering information other people don’t have the savvy or resources to access. But it’s also true that you may appear to be secretive when in fact you have simply perceived and intuited more than everyone else wants to know. They might be overwhelmed by the deep, rich intelligence you have acquired—and would actually prefer to be ignorant of it. So you’re basically hiding stuff they want you to hide. Anyway, Scorpio, I suspect now is a time when you are loading up even more than usual with juicy gossip, inside scoops, tantalizing mysteries, taboo news and practical wisdom that few others would be capable of managing. Please use your superpowers with kindness and wisdom.

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21

Here’s a little-known fact about me: I am the priest, wizard, rabbi and pope of Parish #31025 in the Universal Life Church. One of my privileges in this role is to perform legal marriages. It has been a few years since I presided over anyone’s wedding, but I am coming out of semi-retirement to consecrate an unprecedented union. It’s between two aspects of yourself that have not been blended but should be blended. Do you know what I’m referring to? Before you read further, please identify these two aspects. Ready? I now pronounce you husband and wife, or husband and husband, or wife and wife, or spouse and spouse—or whatever you want to be pronounced.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19

“You don’t have to suffer to be a poet,” said poet John Ciardi. “Adolescence is enough suffering for anyone.” I will add that adolescence is enough suffering for everyone, even if they’re not a poet. For most of us, our teenage years brought us streams of angst, self-doubt, confusion and fear—sufficient to last a lifetime. That’s the bad news, Capricorn. The good news is that the coming months will be one of the best times ever for you to heal the wounds left over from your adolescence. You may not be able to get a total cure, but 65% is very possible. Seventy-five percent isn’t out of the question. Get started!

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18

A psychic once predicted that I would win a Grammy award for my music. She said my dad and mom would be in the audience, smiling proudly. Well, my dad died four years ago, and I haven’t produced a new album of songs for over ten years. So that Grammy prophecy is looking less and less likely. I should probably give up hope that it will come to pass. What about you, Aquarius? Is there any dream or fantasy you should consider abandoning? The coming weeks would be a good time to do so. It could open your mind and heart to a bright future possibility now hovering on the horizon.

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20

I invite you to entertain the following theory: Certain environments, companions and influences enhance your intelligence, health and ability to love—while others either do the opposite or have a neutral effect. If that’s true, it makes good sense for you to put yourself in the presence of environments, companions and influences that enhance you. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to test this theory. I hope you will do extensive research and then initiate changes that implement your findings. Homework: What’s one way you wish you were different from who you are? New sletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

Local Primary Election Night Results

William S. Woodhams and Josué Monroy

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March 5, 2024

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Here are the preliminary results of some the important races in the area. Follow-up stories to come

Santa Cruz City Council District 2

The District 2 Santa Cruz City Council race is being contested between incumbent Sonja Brunner and newcomer Hector Marin. As of Tuesday night, Brunner enjoyed a substantial lead with 60.75% of the vote.

Marin said that despite what he considered a low primary election turnout, he was feeling good about the race and would await the final results.

Santa Cruz City Council District 3

In the District 3 Santa Cruz City Council race, incumbent Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson took an early lead Tuesday night.

With only the first batch of votes counted, Kalantari-Johnson led 75.12% to Schendledecker’s 23.87%.

Schendledecker was feeling hopeful.

“It will only get better from here,” she said.

Kalantari-Johnson said she was feeling, “Good!”

Santa Cruz City Council District 5

In Santa Cruz’s District 5, which encompasses UCSC and the upper-west side civil-engineer Susie O’Hara took an early lead over UCSC student Joe Thompson.

The all-important student vote could still be outstanding. In recent cycles progressive votes have come in-late. However, as a midterm election, turnout is expected to be low this year.

Thompson came to prominence in 2022 when they led the first unionization of a Starbucks in California. Parlaying this notoriety, Thompson ran for State Assembly, only to lose to Gail Pellegrin. This time around Thompson gained an impressive list of state endorsements, not only progressives, including Rep. Ro Khanna, State Senator Scott Weiner, and former State Senator Bill Monning. Thompson also won the support of local unions and the Santa Cruz Democratic Party.

Susie O’Hara is a civil engineer and former Water Commissioner. Susie O’Hara got the support of Ryan Coonerty and current city council members.

Santa Cruz County Supervisor District 1

Santa Cruz County District 1 Supervisor Manu Koenig led challenger Lani Faulkner as of Tuesday night with 54.61% of the votes counted. Faulkner trailed behind with 44.95%.

The incumbent felt confident about the lead.

“I’m feeling very encouraged by the results so far. Democracy is a team sport and I’m really proud of my team. It’s looking like our hard work paid off,” Koenig said.

Santa Cruz City: Measure M

In the City of Santa Cruz, Measure M, also known as the Housing For People Initiative, will not pass, according to Tuesday night’s preliminary election results. 60.97% of counted votes rejected the measure, while 39.03 % voted in favor. The measure proposed to increase the affordable housing requirement to 25%, as well as the right to vote on building heights that go over existing height limits.

The No on M campaign gained traction in recent months, and called the measure “misguided” and a threat to the development of local affordable housing.

Frank Barron, one of the main organizers behind the measure, said that he feel they ran a good campaign, but hoped it would be a closer race.

“it definitely resonated with many or most, but it’s hard to say if it’s a majority. I’d be surprised if it stayed 60-40,” Barron said

Former Santa Cruz Mayor Don Lane, who was part of the No on M campaign, said he was happy with the preliminary results.

“I feel pleased and energized to work further on affordable housing issues,”Lane said.

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