Page 238 – Good Times

Rob Brezsny’s Astrology: Oct. 26-Nov.1

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October 25, 2022

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Of all the rich philanthropists in the world, Aries author MacKenzie Scott is the most generous. During a recent 12-month period, she gave away $8.5 billion. Her focus is on crucial issues: racial equality, LGBTQ+ rights, pandemic relief, upholding and promoting democracy and addressing the climate emergency. She disburses her donations quickly and without strings attached, and prefers to avoid hoopla and ego aggrandizement. I suggest we make her your inspirational role model in the coming weeks. May she motivate you to gleefully share your unique gifts and blessings. I think you will reap selfish benefits by exploring the perks of generosity. Halloween costume suggestion: philanthropist, Santa Claus, compassion freak.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): What animal best represents your soul? Which species do you love the most? Now would be a good time to try this imaginative exercise. You’re in a phase when you’ll thrive by nurturing your inner wild thing. You will give yourself blessings by stoking your creature intelligence. All of us are part-beast, and this is your special time to foster the beauty of your beast. Halloween costume suggestion: your favorite animal or the animal that symbolizes your soul.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): During the tyrannical reign of Spain’s fascist government in the 1930s, Gemini poet Federico García Lorca creatively resisted and revolted with great courage. One critic said Lorca “was all freedom inside, abandon and wildness. A tulip, growing at the foot of a concrete bulwark.” I invite you to be inspired by Lorca’s untamed, heartfelt beauty in the coming weeks, Gemini. It’s a favorable time to rebel with exuberance against the thing that bothers you most, whether that’s bigotry, injustice, misogyny, creeping authoritarianism or anything else. Halloween costume suggestion: a high-spirited protestor.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): If the trickster god Mercury gave you permission to do one mischievous thing today and a naughty thing tomorrow and a rascally thing two days from now, what would you choose? Now is the perfect time for you Cancerians to engage in roguish, playful, puckish actions. You are especially likely to get away with them, karma-free—and probably even benefit from them—especially if they are motivated by love. Are you interested in taking advantage of this weird grace period? Halloween costume suggestion: prankster, joker, fairy, elf.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Everyone’s mind constantly chatters with agitated fervor—what I call the ever-flickering flux. We might as well accept this as a fundamental element of being human. It’s a main feature, not a bug. Yet there are ways to tone down the inner commotion. Meditation can help. Communing with nature often works. Doing housework sometimes quells the clamor for me. The good news for you, Leo, is that you’re in a phase when it should be easier than usual to cultivate mental calm. Halloween costume suggestions: meditation champion, tranquility superstar, gold medalist in the relaxation tournament.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Education is an admirable thing,” said author Oscar Wilde. “But it is well to remember that nothing worth knowing can be taught.” What?! That’s an exasperating theory. I don’t like it. In fact, I protest it. I reject it. I am especially opposed to it right now as I contemplate your enhanced power to learn amazing lessons and useful knowledge and life-changing wisdom. So here’s my message for you, Virgo: What Oscar Wilde said DOES NOT APPLY to you these days. Now get out there and soak up all the inspiring teachings that are available to you. Halloween costume suggestion: top student.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): To celebrate Halloween, I suggest you costume yourself as a character you were in a past life. A jeweler in first-century Rome? A midwife in 11th-century China? A salt trader in 14th-century Timbuktu? If you don’t have any intuitions about your past lives, be playful and invent one. Who knows? You might make an accurate guess. Why am I inviting you to try this fun exercise? Because now is an excellent time to re-access resources and powers and potentials you possessed long ago—even as far back as your previous incarnations.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I guess it would be difficult to create a practical snake costume for Halloween. How would you move around? You’d have to slither across the floor and the ground everywhere you go. So maybe instead you could be a snake priest or snake priestess—a magic conjurer wearing snake-themed jewelry and clothes and crown. Maybe your wand could be a caduceus. I’m nudging you in this direction because I think you will benefit from embodying the mythic attributes of a snake. As you know, the creature sheds its old skin to let new skin emerge. That’s a perfect symbol for rebirth, fertility, transformation and healing. I’d love those themes to be your specialties in the coming weeks.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “I need my sleep,” proclaimed Sagittarian comedian Bill Hicks. “I need about eight hours a day and about ten at night.” I don’t think you will need as much slumber as Hicks in the coming nights, Sagittarius. On the other hand, I hope you won’t scrimp on your travels in the land of dreams. Your decisions in the waking world will improve as you give yourself maximum rest. The teachings you will be given while dreaming will make you extra smart and responsive to the transformations unfolding in your waking life. Halloween costume suggestions: dancing sleepwalker, snoozing genius, angel banishing a nightmare, fantastic dream creature.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Recently, my mom told me my dad only spoke the Slovakian language, never English, until he started first grade in a school near Detroit, Michigan. Both of his parents had grown up in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but immigrated to the United States in their youth. When I related this story to my Slovakian cousin Robert Brežny, he assured me it’s not true. He met my dad’s mother several times, and he says she could not speak Slovakian. He thinks she was Hungarian, in fact. So it’s unlikely my dad spoke Slovakian as a child. I guess all families have odd secrets and mysteries and illusions, and this is one of mine. How about you, Capricorn? I’m happy to say that the coming months will be a favorable time to dig down to the roots of your family’s secrets and mysteries and illusions. Get started! Halloween costume suggestion: your most fascinating ancestor.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): My Aquarian friend Allie told me, “If a demon turned me into a monster who had to devour human beings to get my necessary protein, I would only eat evil billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg.” What about you, Aquarius? If you woke up one morning and found you had transformed into a giant wolf-dragon that ate people, who would you put on your menu? I think it’s a good time to meditate on this hypothetical question. You’re primed to activate more ferocity as you decide how you want to fight the world’s evil in the months and years to come. Halloween costume suggestion: a giant wolf-dragon that eats bad people.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Do you value the feeling of wildness? Is that an experience you seek and cultivate? If so, what conditions rouse it? How does it feel? When it visits you, does it have a healthy impact? Are you motivated by your pleasurable brushes with wildness to reconfigure the unsatisfying and unwild parts of your life? These are questions I hope you will contemplate in the coming weeks. The astrological omens suggest you have more power than usual to access wildness. Halloween costume suggestion: whatever makes you feel wild.

Homework: Here’s another Halloween costume suggestion: Be the opposite of yourself. newsletter.freewillastrology.com.

Manresa Bread Comes to the Westside

Christina Waters

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October 25, 2022

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Welcome to the newest Manresa Bread store, opening Nov. 7 in a petit 300 square-foot facility at 330 Ingalls St. between the Surf City wineries and New Leaf Market. The newest in the Manresa Bread ecosystem is being detailed as I speak to founder Avery Ruzicka, who just happens to live a few blocks from the new home of outrageous pastries, renowned breads and ultimately some irresistible grab-and-go items.

“I’m so excited, because I live on the Westside,” says Ruzicka, who admits that she “likes to stay busy.” Those of us who have either made the drive over the hill to Los Gatos to snap up some of Manresa’s impeccable breads, or who have become addicted to the carrot spice muffins, almond croissants and kouign Amann have reason to rejoice.

Ruzicka, whose bakery idea was born in chef David Kinch’s 3-star Michelin kitchen, has grown the organic-intensive bakery into five Bay Area locations in the past eight years. All the Manresa baking is done in one large commissary, and then quickly distributed to the brick-and-mortar shops as well as retail outlets at 5pm each morning. “We make all of our products overnight and into the early morning,” she says. “And it makes sense for us to be on the Westside because we already deliver to Verve and to Venus—and also just because I love the Westside.”

Open daily from 8am until 3pm (or until sold out), the latest Manresa spot will also offer fresh-from-the-oven levain loaf, sourdough baguettes and 100% whole wheat loaf, all made from Manresa-milled flour.

“It’s gonna be great,” Ruzicka predicts. “As the year evolves, there will be seasonal specials. We always have our mainstays, but the pastries will change on a seasonal, typically quarterly basis.”

The energetic entrepreneur will be on hand personally at the new store. But she’s also in the midst of opening a new store in downtown Los Gatos, “right across from the movie theater and the Apple store.” For the new Santa Cruz store on Ingalls, “it will be a grab-and-go situation. In the spring we’ll probably expand into breakfast sandwiches, and other savories. But not yet, just because of all the things in front of us right now. Can’t do everything at once,” she says with a chuckle.

Ruzicka says her personal favorite Manresa Bread is the 100% whole wheat sourdough. “You know, we mill our own flour, so that’s something I’m really proud of,” she says. “My team does such a beautiful job with the fermentation. It has a beautiful tender crumb, and it’s not too dense like so many whole wheat breads. I just love that a lot.”

Goodbyes and Hellos

Auf wiedersehen to Tyrolean Inn, for 47 years a touch of Bavaria under the redwoods in Ben Lomond. I’ve consumed many plates of Schnitzel and potatoes up there. Perhaps its day was done … I’m not surprised that Malik Williams has closed his Aptos eatery so quickly, given the exorbitant prices and turquoise risotto. Such a shame to see hard work and money down the drain … The Alderwood group plans to open something new in the former Snap Taco space, as well as more Flashbirds up in Scotts Valley and out at Pleasure Point to match the one they’ve got serving fried chicken sandos in Abbott Square. Love the Flower Bar’s croissants, btw (yup, they’re part of the Alderwood empire, too).

Bottle Jack Winery’s 2018 Sabina’s Blend is Complex, Nuanced

Vine & Dine

Josie Cowden

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October 25, 2022

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Bottle Jack Winery’s 2018 Sabina’s Blend is Complex, Nuanced

Bottle Jack Winery owner and winemaker John Ritchey recently released an enjoyable wine called Sabina’s Blend—named after his 7-year-old daughter. The equation: 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet and 20% Sangiovese, this crimson elixir is a fabulous amalgam. In the 2018 Sabina’s Blend ($40), all three varieties come together seamlessly, forming a complex mix of exotic flavors of plum, black cherry, red currant and pomegranate. Dark plum, dark cherry and chocolate aromas add to the wine’s mystique—along with cedar, licorice, tomato leaf, cinnamon and earthy clay.
Ritchey says Sabina’s Blend is “expressive and bold”—just like his daughter!
“Bottle Jack was founded on the idea of doing what we love and loving what we do,” says Ritchey. “We are a family-run winery that makes very limited, handcrafted wines from local vineyards. Our goal is to make great wines to be shared with family, friends, laughter and love.”
If you haven’t visited Bottle Jack, I highly recommend you put their two tasting rooms on your list.

Bottle Jack Winery, 1088 La Madrona Drive, Santa Cruz; Bottle Jack Tasting Room, 328D Ingalls St., Santa Cruz. 831-227-2288; bottlejackwines.com.

Fire Grounds Coffee

I ordered some Fire Grounds Coffee to try, and it is packed with flavor. Produced in Dallas, the operation supports firefighters and veterans. Their mission: “At Fire Grounds Coffee Co., it is our duty to give back to those who have given so much.” I tried the medium roast Bubba Brew and loved it. firegroundscoffeecompany.com.

Tasty Cheesecake

A company called Good & Tasty Bakes makes super-duper cheesecakes. Free from refined sugar, white flour, preservatives and additives, they are made with butter and pure cream cheese and vanilla. They’re gluten-free and keto friendly too. I tried the chocolate and loved it. It tastes homemade and irresistible. Other flavors are Key lime and classic, and they are sold in various sizes. goodandtastybakes.com.

Sawasdee’s Authentic Thai Cuisine Sizzles

Andrew Steingrube

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October 25, 2022

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Sawasdee’s Authentic Thai Cuisine Sizzles

Born in Bangkok, Thailand, Bill Hongmanee came to the U.S. in 1974 to study architecture. He settled in San Francisco, but eventually moved to Monterey to be with his girlfriend (now wife) Dee, also Thai. Dee dreamt of opening her own Thai restaurant. After years of searching for the right place, they spotted a building in Soquel. They knew they had found their spot as soon as they saw it. The building was a total fixer-upper, but Bill’s background in architecture helped the process along; he drew up the plans for the renovation. Twenty-one years later, Sawasdee is a Soquel staple, and Dee’s interpretations of her mom’s recipes continue to be a hit. Menu highlights include the papaya salad, fresh spring rolls with peanut dressing, stir-fried noodles and Thai Basil Grapow. Their housemade curry is also beloved—they have multiple options, including red, green, yellow and panang. The signature dessert is sweet rice with mango.
Sawasdee is open every day, 11am-9:30pm. Bill recently spoke about the flavors that define their menu and the path to owning a prosperous restaurant.

What was the key to your success?

BILL HONGMANEE: Saving money is the main thing. I went from a dishwasher to a busboy in a French restaurant in San Francisco. I was going to school too, so money was scarce. One day I was thinking of inflation and how important it was to start saving now, so I decided to quit school and began working two to three jobs. When I met my wife, she was hardworking too and had been saving as well, so we were able to open our own restaurant business. I say having the right partner is the best thing.

What stands out about your Thai menu?

We try to keep it as authentic as possible, but we also like to cater to locals’ tastes. For instance, because there are many vegetarians, we don’t use fish sauce, so we can offer many more options. Thai cuisine is a combination of flavors, like mint and Thai basil, cilantro, tamarind, lemongrass, galanga and kefir leaves. My wife’s cuisine blends those ingredients, especially in our curries, and she understands the balance, so they don’t overpower one another. This talent is something she was born with.

Sawasdee,5050 Soquel Drive, Soquel, 831-462-5051; sawasdeesoquel.com.

Leaders Celebrate Pajaro Levee Funding

Local News

Todd Guild

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October 21, 2022

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Within the next two or three years, crews will begin work on rebuilding the Pajaro River Levee, giving up to 100-year flood protection to residents beset by years of devastating floods, and putting an end to a chapter in a South County story most would agree has gone on far too long.

On Thursday, as passersby walked and rode along the levee, a contingent of local, state and federal elected officials gathered in Atri Park to celebrate the now fully-funded $400 million project.

“We thought this day would never come, and for over 70 years two federally disadvantaged communities—communities that earn less than half the national average of income—have been stuck between two false choices,” Santa Cruz County Supervisor Zach Friend said.

The first, he said, is hoping for drought because of fears that heavy rains could overwhelm the levee and damage their communities.

But they also conversely hope for rain, Friend said, because most depend on the agriculture industry that dominates the area.

“Now, we can ask for normalcy in this community, because of the leadership of everyone that sits up here,” he said.

Friend was referring to efforts by several leaders to raise money for the project, including State Sen. John Laird, who authored Senate Bills 496 and 489 that provided the State of California’s portion of the $400 million pie. And, in March, President Joe Biden’s administration announced it had approved $67 million to help fund the long-awaited project. That funding was part of a $2.7 billion bipartisan infrastructure package to strengthen the nation’s ports and waterways.

The group of speakers included Sen. Alex Padilla, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, Assemblyman Robert Rivas and Congressman Jimmy Panetta.

“This is such a historic day here in the Pajaro Valley and my hometown of Watsonville,” said former Watsonville Mayor and Monterey County Supervisor Luis Alejo. “…we know that flood protection on this river has been talked about for decades, but it was never possible due to the cost that would have been placed on the backs of those who could least afford it.”

With just eight years of flood protection left, the Pajaro River Levee has a dubious history, overtopping its banks and allowing devastating floods in 1955, 1995 and 1997. Some 3,000 properties lie in the floodplain.

Efforts to rebuild the levee to offer 100-year flood protection for more than 3,000 properties have been ongoing for years, as residents weathered devastating floods in 1955, 1958, 1995 and 1998. Pajaro has suffered the brunt of many of these, with severely damaged properties and destroyed cropland.

Just five years ago, heavy storms nearly forced water over the top of the levee, a close call Alejo said cannot be allowed to repeat.

“That’s what this day is all about,” he said.

Laird said that as a county staffer during the 1995 flood he helped the hundreds of people affected by the flood.

Deflecting taking credit for his bills, he instead tipped his hat to the communities surrounding the levee, who in June approved a property tax levy that will fund the annual maintenance and operations costs.

“That was the teamwork you were seeing that brought us to this day,” Laird said. “And that is the reason we really have something to celebrate.”

County’s Search For Independent Sheriff’s Inspector Begins

Local News

Todd Guild

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October 21, 2022

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County’s Search For Independent Sheriff’s Inspector Begins

Santa Cruz County will send out a request for proposals (RFP) for an Office of the Inspector General (OIG) that would have independent oversight of the Sheriff’s Office, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday.

Assembly Bill 1185, a state law passed in 2020, allows counties to create an inspector general to act as an independent, neutral third party to review operations of sheriff’s offices, including evidence, policies, procedures and documents. It also allows for reviews of county jail systems.

The law also allows the IG to have subpoena power in investigations involving use of force, critical incidents, and citizen complaints.

The RFP comes after four community meetings held countywide in August and September and attended by roughly 87 people to gather input on what the public wants to see in the OIG program.

Deputy County Administrative Officer Melodye Serino said that, in considering a local model, the County reviewed similar programs in 52 different jurisdictions.

County officials say that creating an independent inspector will foster public confidence in its law enforcement departments, as well as promote transparency in their day-to-day operations.

The OIG would have a wide range of duties, including the ability to audit internal affairs investigations, look into complaints and officer-involved shootings and in-custody deaths. The office would also have subpoena power.

It is not yet clear what the office will look like when established. The Supervisors will later determine whether it would be a single person or a contracted company.

Many of the speakers who addressed the Board called for it to include citizen’s oversight.

“I strongly believe that for sheriff oversight we should have a civilian board to work with the independent inspector general to increase transparency, trust and accountability,” said Rev. Beverly Brook of Peace United Church of Christ.

Some members of the public have called for a hybrid model, although the Supervisors seemed to reject calls from the public of forming the OIG as a citizen panel.

“I think it’s unquestionable that a civilian oversight board would be susceptible to a significant amount of bias, in particular the bias of those that would be doing the appointing,” Supervisor Zach Friend said.

Supervisor Ryan Coonerty agreed, pointing out that an entity selected by the Board of Supervisors and the Sheriff’s Office—both publicly elected—means the office would be subject to greater public accountability.

But any discussion of how the OIG will be run was premature, said County Counsel Jason Heath, who pointed out that those details can be hammered out once the Inspector is chosen.

“You’re just approving an RFP,” Heath said. “You’re not approving the language of an ordinance.”

As written, the plan calls for 1% of the Sheriff’s budget—roughly $100,000—to fund the OIG.

Rio Del Mar Walkway Battle Continues

Local News

Todd Guild

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October 20, 2022

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A Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge ruled on Oct. 8 that a group of Rio Del Mar property owners can put up temporary fencing blocking public access to a 37-foot-wide, 786-foot-long beachside walkway that runs along their properties.

County officials plan to appeal the ruling to the 6th District Court of Appeal.

Immediately after the ruling by Judge Timothy Volkman—which he tentatively made in June—the California Coastal Commission told the owners that, despite the verdict, the walkway must remain open under state law.

The walkway in question lies on the seaward side of a strip of homes from 202-300 Beach Drive.

The property owners—part of the Rio del Mar Beach Island Homeowners’ Association—say the walkway is their property.

The situation came to a boil in 2018 when the County removed a fence that blocked public access on one end of the walkway and a brick wall that partially blocked the other. That move followed months of back-and-forth with the County. That included threats of financial penalties.

Since then, the residents say that numerous people per day run, skateboard and bike along the walkway, which runs directly behind their residences. One resident says beachgoers used his patio for a bonfire, says Patrick Richard, an attorney representing the homeowners.

Many people peer into the windows of the residences, the ruling states, leaving residents to worry over their privacy and safety.

“The patio areas are rendered useless, as one cannot safely stand, nor sit in that area, with the presence of cyclists moving through,” it says.

Santa Cruz County spokesman Jason Hoppin says the issue is public access to the beachside walkway.

“These are a small number of wealthy homeowners along Beach Drive who don’t represent the rest of the community or even the rest of the homeowners there,” Hoppin says. “We will continue to fight for the public’s right to access the coast, including the disabled community and all users of this space.”

County Parks Friends Executive Director Mariah Roberts says that while blocking the walkway would not hinder access to the beach, it would impact people with disabilities.

People who use wheelchairs, she says, would be forced to use the narrow sidewalk on the street side of the homes.

“When you use a wheelchair, you already don’t have access to the sand,” she says. “When we talk about access, we talk about the ability to visit the beach and benefit from the views, the beauty, the places that the public owns.”

If the ruling stands, Roberts says, it could set a precedent that could impact access countywide.

Richard has a different take, saying that historically the strip of land has belonged to the residents.

According to Volkman’s ruling, County officials in 1958 said the County did not possess the title to the walkway and that it should be “abandoned.”

Moreover, property owners have used the area for private purposes since 1968, and the County has not spent any money to maintain the walkway since 1928.

In 2004, the County Assessor said the residents have been paying property taxes based on the area that includes the walkway and, as such, have “implied ownership,” the ruling states.

“I think the judge saw what anyone who looks at the whole arc of evidence sees, which is ‘wow, what an abuse of power,’” Richard says.

One resident who has owned one of the units since 1985—and who asked not to be named—says that County officials and the Coastal Commission forced her to tear out a patio her husband built that partly blocked the walkway and threatened her with $5,000 per day fines if she did not.

She now worries about safety, with bicyclists speeding by, although those are not the worst things she sees.

“We’ve had cars and motorcycles go up and down here; I’m not kidding you,” she says.

She says others walking their dogs don’t bother to clean up after them.

Still, she says that most passers-by are amicable, and she doesn’t want more barriers to be built.

“I don’t think they can, I don’t think they will, and I don’t think they should,” she says.

Women on Waves Adds Second Day

Local News

Liza Monroy

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October 20, 2022

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This year’s Women on Waves, taking place in Capitola this weekend on Saturday, Oct. 22 and Sunday, Oct. 23, marks the first time in the contest’s 26-year history that the event is taking place over two days rather than one.

The change came about primarily because of popular demand; however, it was also partially in response to last year’s controversy over a “backwash heat.” A midday high-tide of over five feet had women competing to catch “waves” created by the water hitting the cliffs and wall, heading back out to sea. While contestants met the unusual challenge with good spirits, it wasn’t ideal. “There could be amazing waves during high tide,” co-organizer Marisol Godinez says, “but you never know. Above all, we wanted to be able to have more participants.”

This year, there are also high tides to contend with, but the contest being spread out over the full weekend, plus the promise of more swell, means greater opportunities for participants to surf good waves. The contest’s spirit of equity and inclusion is also high: raffle boards include contributions from two surfboard makers from communities that would have been marginalized by traditional surf industry and media: BIPOC and LGBTQ+, respectively.

A longboard is up for the raffle from longtime WOW organizer Godinez, who now brings her design skills to fledgling local women’s surfboard brand Sol y Mar (Marisol spelled backwards, as well as “Sun and Sea” in her native Spanish). And Mando, a nonbinary shaper from Monterey, shaped a twin-fin fish to contribute to the raffle. Both Sol y Mar and Mando will have booth presences at Women on Waves, along with many other local artists and vendors such as swim and surfwear by co-organizer Aylana Zanville and art by Danyelle Carpenter of BabelRose.

Other new updates include the training and participation of more female judges, co-organizer Godinez says: “We’re trying to accomplish this because this is an event that’s been going on for so many years. We have to train new generations to take over since it should be happening for many years to come.”

This year’s theme, also new, is Sea Happiness, meant to raise awareness of the mental health benefits the ocean brings. The contest’s beneficiary is always connected to the theme, and co-organizers Godinez, Zanville, and Corey Grace selected the organization Sea Hugger this year, an organization that protects and heals the ocean from plastic pollution “through action and education to drive systemic change that addresses the root cause of the issue,” per the organization’s mission statement. A healthy ocean means a future where people can continue to reap its health benefits in turn. To go along further with the Sea Happiness theme, a water meditation session led by therapist Jody Priestly-Wilfong will cap off the weekend of community, competition, celebration, and support.

“We found a theme to focus on this year that would integrate the therapy part of the water and the ocean,” Godinez says, “how it brings us joy, and to have this therapy meditation session to share with the participants is really cool.”

Women of Waves happens Saturday, Oct. 22 and Sunday, Oct. 23 at 9am. Capitola Beach. $40-85. womenonwavessurfcontest.com.

Ceremony Rings in New Watsonville Community Hospital Ownership

Local News

Todd Guild

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October 20, 2022

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Ceremony Rings in New Watsonville Community Hospital Ownership

Watsonville Community Hospital has been up and running under its new leadership–the Pajaro Valley Healthcare District (PVHD)–since Sept. 1.

It has been business as usual since then.

On Monday, however, a group of state and local elected officials, the PVHD board and a sizable contingent of nurses and doctors gathered in the hospital’s parking lot for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to ring in the new era of South County health care.

And to be sure, getting from looming bankruptcy and possible closure one year ago to new ownership and leadership was an accomplishment worthy of ceremony, said Board Secretary Jasmine Nájera.

“To see everyone be able to come together and work together across different sectors, across different communities, to see folks come together to support saving the hospital has been incredibly refreshing, and it gives me a ton of optimism and hope for our ability moving forward to ensure that we do have the right services in our Pajaro Valley for the community,” she said.

The story that brought the crowd together Monday began in 1998 when an out-of-town corporation called Community Health Systems (CHS) bought it. That company created a spinoff called Quorum Health Corporation in 2016, which sold the hospital to Los Angeles-based Halsen Healthcare in 2019.

Halsen’s reign ended when the hospital’s Board of Directors ousted Halsen after the company could not pay its bills.

Pajaro Valley Healthcare District Project (PVHDP) was formed to purchase the hospital after its leadership announced it was facing imminent closure.

When the hospital announced it was facing imminent closure unless a buyer stepped forward, PVHDP did just that, having been formed in October 2021 for that very purpose.

But that required forming a healthcare district, a process that takes state intervention and legislators’ approval in both the Assembly and Senate.

That came from Sen. John Laird, who authored Senate Bill 418, which made its way through the byzantine legislative process in three weeks when most bills can take seven months or more.

He says he turned down offers to honor him for that work, which he said sometimes took daily talks.

“I said, ‘all I want is to be able to come to this ceremony when we celebrate it,’” he said.

He added that he did the work despite knowing it would be difficult.

“I knew from the beginning we wanted to save this hospital,” he said. “It was just that desire and that knowledge that we just had to save it; that failure was not an option.”

Assemblyman Robert Rivas, who authored the bill with Laird, said saving the hospital has been a “monumental effort” at the local, state and regional levels.

“And this is something of which we all must be extraordinarily proud,” he said.

Strike Ends as Union and City of Santa Cruz Reach Agreement

Local News

Todd Guild

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October 20, 2022

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Strike Ends as Union and City of Santa Cruz Reach Agreement

Two days after a historic strike shut many services in the City of Santa Cruz, causing trash and recycling to begin piling up, Service Employees International Union Local 521 has reached a tentative agreement with the City.

Under the agreement, employees will get a 12% raise over three years and an $1,800 payment, as well as pay increases that bring many positions closer to market rate.

It also includes a “furlough moratorium” for that three-year duration, the union says, referring to the 10% furlough members agreed to in 2008 and 2020.

A majority of union members rejected a previous offer by the City of a 12% increase and a $1,100 payment.

“We strongly believe this settlement will begin to address our demands of bringing city positions up to meet market comparison, with additional commitments by the City to continue meeting to bring other classifications up to parity,” Chapter President Ken Bare said. “The support from our community was incredible, Santa Cruz City workers were strong and resilient, and their sacrifice to strike was historic. We will finally get the respect and dignity we fought for and deserve.”

Santa Cruz City Manager Matt Huffaker did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Wednesday.

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Rob Brezsny’s Astrology: Oct. 26-Nov.1

Manresa Bread Comes to the Westside

Goodbyes and Hellos

Bottle Jack Winery’s 2018 Sabina’s Blend is Complex, Nuanced

Fire Grounds Coffee

Tasty Cheesecake

Sawasdee’s Authentic Thai Cuisine Sizzles

What was the key to your success?

What stands out about your Thai menu?

Leaders Celebrate Pajaro Levee Funding

County’s Search For Independent Sheriff’s Inspector Begins

Rio Del Mar Walkway Battle Continues

Women on Waves Adds Second Day

Ceremony Rings in New Watsonville Community Hospital Ownership

Strike Ends as Union and City of Santa Cruz Reach Agreement

Rob Brezsny’s Astrology: Oct. 26-Nov.1

Manresa Bread Comes to the Westside

Bottle Jack Winery’s 2018 Sabina’s Blend is Complex, Nuanced

Sawasdee’s Authentic Thai Cuisine Sizzles

Leaders Celebrate Pajaro Levee Funding

County’s Search For Independent Sheriff’s Inspector Begins

Rio Del Mar Walkway Battle Continues

Women on Waves Adds Second Day

Ceremony Rings in New Watsonville Community Hospital Ownership

Strike Ends as Union and City of Santa Cruz Reach Agreement