Green Beings: VegFest ’26

Cover Stories

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June 3, 2026

Look, vegans get a bad wrap and I’m not talking about one with old sprouts (although those suck too). For years they’ve been the butt of jokes (How do you know if someone is vegan? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you), the targets of the meat and dairy industries (“But how will you get your protein?”) and are usually thought of as malnourished weaklings (or “soy boys” as many on the Right–and some on the Left–like to say).

Recently – to nobody’s surprise – the President of the United States even used the word “vegan” (which he pronounced “vay-gun.” Again, to nobody’s surprise) derogatorily when describing Texas Senate Democratic candidate James Talarico.

However, veganism is a growing lifestyle worldwide. In 2026, roughly 1-2 percent of the world’s population is vegan, with approximately 13.4 million vegans, or about 4 percent, in the United States alone. Last year the plant-based market in the U.S. was valued at $10.3 billion and is expected to increase 11.72 percent to $27.74 billion by 2032. And it’s not just health food either. In 2021 the National Food Strategy report found that the Impossible Whopper accounted for 8 percent of all Whoppers sold in the U.S. by Burger King.

Which is why events like this year’s annual VegFest on Saturday, June 6 at the Watsonville Fairgrounds, are not only an important way to spread the message of veganism, but also to showcase a real-life example.

“Anything you can do I can do vegan,” explains Robert Cheeke. As one of the key speakers at this year’s VegFest, Cheeke is the living embodiment of how a vegan lifestyle is not only healthier than the omnivorous alternative, but vegans can also be just as badass as well. Cheeke has been living as a vegan activist for over three decades, and for 10 of those years he was a bodybuilder and won two International Natural Bodybuilding Association (INBA) Northwestern Natural Bodybuilding championships, first in 2005 and again in 2009.

“I totally promote and support the idea that anything we can replace with a more compassionate option than the animal one then we should,” he continues. “It’s part of my mission to show people it can be tasty, affordable and accessible.”

Along with Cheeke, this year’s VegFest will feature two different vegan comedians – Santa Cruzan by way of Chico favorite DNA, and Los Angeles-based writer, producer and stand-up Steven Marcus Releford. It will also feature two Story Times, one with local Drag Story Time with queer artist Rogue Roulette and another, non-drag one.

“We’re trying to make it as family-friendly as possible so we have a lot of children’s activities this year,” says Helbard Alkhassadeh. He and his wife, Camilla, are the VegFest organizers and the owners and operators of the Royal Oaks animal rescue, Little Hill Sanctuary.

Other VegFest children’s activities for the little ones will include bounce houses, face painting, flower crown making, and a craft area.

This year’s musical guests represent a wide range of styles and cultures. Michael Gaither and His New Best Friends will entertain audiences with their Americana sounds, while local rocker Adam Stafford reinterprets classic songs by KISS, Pearl Jam, Mazzy Star, AC/DC and more. Conscious hip hop artist Lysn will also be there to drop some knowledge and get attendees on their feet with his infectious beats. Festies will also get a taste of traditional Mexican dance alongside their vegan tacos with Grupo Folklórico Raices Mestízas, a Watsonville-based parent and student folklórico dance troupe. For those feeling more inclined to realign their chakras, the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Seva Ashram of Soquel will perform a Bhakti Yoga Ceremony that blends sacred rhythms with uplifting mantras and live Vedic music.

“And we’re going to put up pop-up tents because we heard there wasn’t enough shade last year,” says Camilla. “Families will be able to hang out and listen to some music while eating food and their kids make flower crowns, just enjoying the day.”

This year’s fest will also feature alcoholic beverages all from women-owned local businesses.

“We have Fruition, Santa Cruz Cider and Sante Adairius,” Helbard says.

Attendees will also have the chance to enjoy a cooking demonstration on how to make Mixed Mushroom Ceviche and “Do Better” Dubai Cake by Chef and Reverend Beth Love. As the founder of Eat For The Earth – a global community based in Santa Cruz that offers online and in-person culinary classes for eating whole, healthy plant-foods – she’s taken her knowledge to schools, businesses and even the California State Penitentiary System.

The 130 different vendors this year range from vegan leather artists to jewelry makers and farm-to-table delivery services. Of course, one of the biggest yearly draws is the food, and 2026 is no exception. There will be plenty of new options like The Soup Guru, 1837 Vegan and CaCau Bakery and even more returning, such as fresh and healthy favorites such as The Buzz Sushi and Auraganic Juicery.

However, vegan food doesn’t just have to be all raw veggies and juices.

“Not everyone is coming for the fitness or health thing,” Cheeke says of veganism. “So we need to show people there’s a compassionate way to have a popular food – like Mac ‘N Cheese that doesn’t come from any animals – or marshmallows that don’t have gelatin or animal by-products.”

Enter Vegan Circus, a VegFest returning favorite food truck out of Grass Valley.

“I’ve always loved corn dogs,” laughs owner and operator Drea Mason, who’s been a vegan for 14 years. “And it was hard to find a fresh corn dog that wasn’t frozen.”

After testing and tweaking recipes on her friends, family and anyone who was hungry, Mason launched Vegan Circus out of a food truck. Since then she’s made a name for herself in the California Vegan Food Truck world with her “bacon” melt pretzels, burgers, nachos (with homemade “cheese” from carrots and potatoes), and yes, her corn dogs.

For those thinking, “Yeah, but vegan cheese doesn’t even taste the same,” then it’s time to try Mason’s cheese. According to her, the non-vegans might even love it more than the actual herbivores. Don’t believe it? Well, Vegan Circus won the Best Grilled Cheese in the 2024 Sacramento Grilled Cheese Festival.

“I was the only vegan vendor and I won the blind taste test,” she exclaims. “The judges were not too happy about it but I was.”

This will be the third year the self-taught chef is returning to VegFest and she keeps coming back because of the community it creates.

“I love the people, the vendors, connecting with like-minded people and obviously being in a place where I can eat everything,” laughs Mason.

While she’s worked other festivals in the past, Mason says these days she focuses her energy on vegan fests, catering for private parties and working events to support animal sanctuaries. In fact, 15 percent of all of this hard-working,single mom’s profits go directly back to animal rescues. Just a few of the groups she donates to are Animal Place and Sammie’s Friends both in Grass Valley, the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) of San Andreas, Only Sunshine Sanctuary in Sacramento and Little Hill Sanctuary.

“I’ve always been connected to animals as sentient beings,” she says. “But I grew up not really having the connection between what I was eating and where it was actually coming from. Once I learned that, I – like a lot of vegans – couldn’t look away.”

Vegans for life

The VegFest goes back to 2019 originally sponsored by the national non-profit Vegan Outreach and organized by local vegan activist Wendy Gabbe Day. That first year the Alkhassadehs volunteered to help out but when Day decided not to do a second year, they stepped up to keep it going.

“It’s a labor of love because it’s so much work,” Camilla says, noting the VegFest has only broken even the last two years

However, with expenses continuing to rise due to inflation, tariffs and the Iranian War, VegFest is costing the non-profit owners more than ever. And it’s not just the organizers who are striving to stay afloat.

“A lot of the vendors are also struggling, so we’ve been giving them deals,” she continues. “We want them to be there and we want the ticket prices to be low so we’re keeping it at $5.”

“We want it to be affordable and for people to experience being in a completely vegan environment with others who are interested in it,” admits Helbard. “But it’s been a real struggle this year.“

In fact, on the day I interviewed the couple, just five weeks before the event, they were informed the rental price for the Watsonville Fairgrounds had increased. The Alkhassadehs understand – the venue needs to pay for insurance, security and staffing – but acknowledge they need to be more financially creative if it’s going to continue in the future. In that spirit, this year’s VegFest will have fundraising events during the day and there will be an online auction as well through their website LittleHillSanctuary.org

“We want people to realize it’s a difficult event to put on,” Helbard says. “It costs just under $40,000 and we just want to break even.”

While that’s a hefty sum for any working-class family, for the Alkhassadehs – operating a four acre, non-profit animal sanctuary with roughly 70 animals at any given time – it means stretching their money thin as they can. They’ve already cut back on the number of animals they can rescue from just a few years ago.

In the past, Little Hill’s relied on individuals in the community making monetary donations – general or specifically sponsoring an animal at the sanctuary – or other types of donations like animal feed. Yet, recently things have changed.

“We don’t get donors saying ‘I don’t want to sponsor this animal anymore,’” Camilla says. “It’s ‘I’ve lost my job’ or ‘I’ve had to go take care of my mom.’”

VegFest has scored a number of local and non-local sponsors such as the breweries, Good Times, KION, and Pajaro Valley Printing. However, Little Hill Sanctuary is the only monetary sponsor for this year’s event. The Alkhassadehs say they’ve been approached by “some” entities wanting to sponsor but declined the offers.

“There are some large, corporate businesses and farms that want to tap into it but we don’t want them,” says Helbard. “They don’t fall in line with our mission. There’s a whole point to what we are doing and we’re not going to sell our soul.”

They also see the struggle at their weekly food pantry in Watsonville. As part of the Monterey Food Bank, Little Hill Sanctuary hosts a weekly, vegan, free food pantry to anyone in need. While some of the food is donated, much of it is grown on their land.

“With our food share program we’re seeing the increase in people’s needs,” Helbard says, adding they also donate to a number of local organizations throughout Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties like the Veterans Transition Center, Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes, and the Grace Harbor Women’s Center.

“We’ve figured out the numbers and it’s about 1,200 people every month that get something from our food pantry,” he continues. “You can see how long the lines are getting at food pantries, it’s wild how many people are in need.”

This is the main driving force for the Alkhassadehs’ veganism: compassion. Compassion for oneself, the Earth and – most importantly – other living creatures who have the same right to life as anything born on this planet.

Among the animals in their sanctuary is a large, black, sweet-natured hog named Pistachio. Most pigs live anywhere from 13-15 years. Pistachio is 19 years old and still kicking.

“Pistachio has a right to get old just like I do,” explains Helbard. “One of the main goals is to show people that domesticated animals want to get old and live their entire lives.”

Yet most animals slaughtered for their meat barely live past a year.

Typical current meat industry standards see lifespans of one day for male chickens, five to six weeks for female chickens, five to six months for pigs, a year and a half for cows, and the list goes on. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, 80 billion – that’s 80,000,000,000 – animals are slaughtered a year globally. That’s just terrestrial animals, not including fish or sea animals. The United States makes up 12.5% – or 10 billion animals – of the 80 billion despite accounting for only 4.11% of the world’s population.

There’s another hidden consequence the meat industry takes on humans. No, it’s not heart disease (although eating meat daily increases coronary heart diseases by 9-18%), it’s the toll the industry has on the slaughterhouse workers.

The United States has approximately 800 federally-inspected slaughterhouse plants with another 1,900 under state inspection. Studies in 2025 funded by the US Department of Agriculture found that 81% of workers in chicken plants are at high risk for musculoskeletal disorders, along with 46% in pig processing plants. In 2022, data released by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found that a staggering 27 workers a day suffer the most severe injuries, such as losing an eye, or result in amputation or overnight stays in the hospital. The data was taken from 29 states operating under federal regulations, while the other 21 states, not included in the data, report to state government.

Most workers are from marginalized or underserved communities. Roughly 80 percent identify as people of color, nearly half are born outside of the United States, and a quarter come from homes with limited English proficiency. Because of this – along with the difference in reporting to OSHA and state inspected agencies – many experts believe the injuries are severely underreported for fear of immigration status or retaliation from their bosses or companies.

“I don’t think there’s any path towards liberation for anyone without the complete liberation of all animals, people and the earth,” Camilla says. “All of that is tied together, and when you bring them all together [with veganism] things fall into balance and it sends you on a path.”

Heavy Lifting

“People say ‘Oh you got to be careful on a vegan or plant-based diet,’” Cheeke says. “No, no, no. Stop right there. I’d say you have to be really careful on a standard American diet. If you follow the status quo: 73.6 percent of Americans are overweight and 42.5 percent are obese. That’s not to bodyshame anybody. It’s to sound the alarm that something is going on here.”

Born and raised on a farm in Oregon to parents who worked in the Animal and Rangeland Sciences Department at Oregon State University, Cheeke was the last person anyone thought would go vegan. However, when he was 15 his sister helped conduct an Animal Rights Week at their high school. After learning about animal testing and factory farms, Cheeke realized he had to make a choice.

“I’ve always had a soft spot for animals,” he says. “Empathy and compassion just run through me and they always have.”

While he was an athlete and on the cross country running team, it wasn’t until he graduated high school that he decided to be a vegan bodybuilder. By meticulously working out and consuming plant-based protein on a high caloric diet, he started bulking up within no time.

“I did something people didn’t think you could do without eating meat,” says Cheeke. “I went from 120 to 220 lbs., and as a vegan athlete, it was something really unique, which is how I made my reputation.”

After leaving the bodybuilding world, Cheeke decided to pursue another passion: writing. He published his first book, Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness, in 2010 and became a New York Times best-selling author in 2021 when he co-wrote The Plant-Based Athlete: A Game-Changing Approach to Peak Performance with Matt Frazier. Cheeke has published 10 books – including his most recent, 2024’s The Impactful Vegan: How You Can Save More Lives and Make The Biggest Difference For Animals and the Planet – has presented his story at a yearly vegan cruise for the past two decades, and speaks at various vegan fests – nationally and internationally – throughout the year.

“I love the people,” Helbard says. “I love our fanbase that shows up every year but it’s also the folks who I’ve never seen before. It’s their first time there, experiencing vegan food because someone told them about it and they’re curious. It’s the people that make it a great event.”

Santa Cruz Vegfest is June 6, 11am-5pm at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, 2601 E. Lake Ave, Watsonville. Tickets are $5 online and $10 at the door and parking is free for carpools of three or more and $10 for other vehicles.

Schedule for a Big Weekend

Pride and Vegfest promise great festivals

You don’t have to choose between two of the biggest events of the season; you can do both.

Vegfest is Saturday and the Pride Parade is Sunday, although there are Pride events during the week.

Saturday’s Vegfest in Watsonville features speakers, music and food.

Drag queen Rogue Roulette presents Drag Storytime at 11:30am. She is a queer artist, scholar, and advocate who has been doing drag professionally for almost five years.

Comedian DNA performs at 1:30pm. DNA has appeared on NPR’s Snap Judgement, been Timothy Leary’s chauffeur, and has had a hit song on the radio in Northern California.

Comedian Steven Marcus Releford performs at 2:30pm. His material reflects his personal experiences and perspectives about racism and veganism.

Robert Cheeke speaks at 3:30pm. He’s the author of The Impactful Vegan, and his talk is titled: Building Your Body on a Plant-Based Diet and Becoming an Impactful Vegan.

For music:

Adam Stafford, from Salinas, plays at noon. His influences ranged from KISS, AC/DC, and Led Zeppelin, to The Police, Pearl Jam and Mazzy Star.

There is a Bhakti Yoga Ceremony at 11:30am led by the joyful Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Seva Ashram of Soquel.

Grupo Folklórico Raíces Mestízas plays at 2pm. It is made up of students and parents who have been dancing folklórico in Watsonville for many years.

Lysn plays at 3pm. With his band steering the momentum, Lysn pulls you into an experience that speaks for itself.

Michael Gaither and His New Best Friends play at 4pm. They play award-winning Americana originals and mixes in fun covers of the artists who’ve influenced them.

For PRIDE, events include:

A “Sapphic Jam Session” at the Mariposa Coffee bar in downtown Santa Cruz on Thursday, June 4.

The City of Santa Cruz is co-sponsoring a “Celebrate Pride Town Clock First Friday” at the Town Clock June 5. The Grand Marshals will be introduced and a local DJ will provide dance music.

The fourth annual “Queerlantis” is on Saturday 4-11pm at the Veterans Memorial Hall. This is a ticketed event that features live bands, drag performances, a vendor market and a DJ after party.

The Parade on Pacific Avenue starts at 11am Sunday and events go all afternoon at Abbott Square:

Noon: Celebrating the Grand Marshals and Remarks from Dignitaries.

12:45: Renegade Theater Company, Vintage Point Band, Chioke Dmachi, Trianna Feruza and the Heavy Hitters Band, Samba Dancers

2pm: Drag Performers: MC Gallo Gallina, La Bombon Assesina, Miss Monsterra, Tenacious Beef, Empress Astara, Lady Guinea Pinks, Starlight Erotica, Lady Jesus, Oddeng Lee, and Cherry & Franzia.

3:20: Irene the Alien

Pride Weekend’s Grand Marshalls

Rob Darrow

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June 3, 2026

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Marriage equality and a marriage date in June 2008 are what connect the Santa Cruz Pride 2026 Grand Marshals.

Assemblywoman Gail Pellerin has been a fierce advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and marriage equality since her days as the Santa Cruz County Clerk, which began in 1993. She has been at almost every Santa Cruz Pride since living in Santa Cruz and was first elected to the Assembly, where she has been a tireless advocate of equality for all people. In June 2008, she was honored to officiate at the first Santa Cruz County official same sex marriage of Dinah Phillips and Gail Groves.

Phillips, who worked for the county at the time, along with her partner, Groves, became the first married on June 17, 2008 and the officiant was County Clerk Pellerin. Phillips recalls that when Pellerin was the county clerk, she would annually report to the Board of Supervisors. At the end of each report, she would exclaim, “And one day, I hope we will be able to marry same sex couples.”

Groves and Phillips recall how that day in June was such a joyous time when ministers and marriage officiants came together to marry nearly 100 couples in and around the Santa Cruz County building on Ocean Street.

They had worked out as many legal arrangements as they possibly could when they met and became a couple in Santa Cruz in 1982. Phillips explains, “We set up a legal partnership through the California State Secretary of State in hopes we could at least have a family membership at the local gym, but even that did not work.”

Groves adds, “We never dreamed we would ever be legally married.”

They had been together for 25 years when the State Supreme Court ruled that same sex marriage was legal in California. It wasn’t until 2015 when the U. S. Supreme Court ruled in the case Obergefell v. Hodges that same sex marriage was legal throughout the U.S.

On a recent radio show, Pellerin reflected about those years when same sex marriage was legal and how recent actions by the federal government against LGBTQ+ remind all of us that all of us need to continually stand up for our rights. She explained, “Even today, we see attacks to our LGBTQ+ community and threats to all the rights that we have fought so hard for. We need to continue advocating. One example of advocating was getting Proposition 3 passed in 2024, which enshrined the right to same-sex marriage into the California Constitution. That was one of the first legislative acts I signed onto when I was elected in 2022.”

Person smiles while waving rainbow ribbons at the Santa Cruz Pride Parade. — **PEACE OUT** More rainbows in more styles as Pride is celebrated in last year’s parade. PHOTO: Brad Kava

Groves and Phillips went on living their lives in the lesbian community in a variety of ways. Groves was a former member of Santa Cruz Women Against Rape and was a founding member of the Santa Cruz Women’s Self-Defense Collective and taught self-defense to women and girls for over 20 years and co-authored a book about women’s self-defense.

Phillips worked as an analyst and Public Information Officer for the County Administrative Office until her retirement. She participated in a performance of The Laramie Project with Pisces Moon Productions in 2009. Together, Phillips and Groves have been members of Peace United Church for many years, helping out with various ministries.

When they were named 2026 Grand Marshals, Groves and Phillips stated that “We were surprised and honored to be part of the 2026 Santa Cruz Pride Grand Marshals. We love the SC Pride parade because it has such a nice hometown feel, and we see so many friends either marching or standing watching.” Phillips also recalled, “I remember marching in my first Santa Cruz parade, sometime in the early 1980s. I was working in County government, and I was really scared that some of the more conservative department heads or supervisors would see me. Gail was very supportive and encouraged me to go with her anyway, and I had a great time.“

Pellerin added: “Being named a Santa Cruz Pride Grand Marshal alongside Dinah and Gail means everything to me. Almost 20 years ago, I had one of the best days of my professional life officiating their wedding. I experienced, alongside our community, the joy of progress, the heartbreak of rights being taken away, and the determination it took to win them back. This recognition feels personal because it reflects that shared journey, our resilience, and the ongoing fight for equality.”

The Santa Cruz Pride Parade steps off with over 70 contingents at 11am Sunday in downtown Santa Cruz.

One addition to this year’s parade is that Santa Cruz High School Band Director Christy Latham reached out to all the high schools in the county to invite other band students to be involved and has formed the “Nor Cal Pride Band.” Representing 10 schools across the county, over 100 students will be part of the band this year. Spectators can watch the parade along Pacific between Cathcart and Church streets.

Following the parade, there will be over 70 information and merchant booths from 12-4 on the streets near Pacific and Cooper streets. There will be entertainment at the Abbott Square Stage and the Locust Street stage at which viewers will enjoy drag performers, dancers, singers, Cheer SF and DJ music.

The Grand Marshals will be honored on the Abbott Street stage at noon by a variety of speakers, followed by other performances. One featured performer later in the afternoon will be Irene the Alien, who appeared on the 10th Season of RuPaul’s AllStars.

The Second Annual Youth Pride, “The Art of Drag” will take place at 2pm, at the 418 Project. This event is open for high school and college-aged young people to meet one another, create some crafts, have some food, and view drag performances by Zimina, Xinistra and Lady Guinea Pinks.

In addition, the Santa Cruz MAH is open for all and will include a special Pride craft for young people as well as a newly unveiled “Queerstory Downtown Santa Cruz walk” that features different places that were important to the LGBTQ+ community.

Pride Week kicked off on June 1 with the second annual “Illuminight” event at the County Building, which was lit up with rainbow light following comments from County Board Chair and out lesbian Monica Martinez, County Office of Education Student Trustee Ash Immoor, Cabrillo College Trustee Adam Spickler, and others.

Other events during the week include a “Sapphic Jam Session” that will take place at the Mariposa Coffee bar in downtown Santa Cruz on Thursday, June 4. The City of Santa Cruz is co-sponsoring a “Celebrate Pride Town Clock First Friday” at the Town Clock June 5. The Grand Marshals will be introduced and a local DJ will provide dance music.

Finally, the fourth annual “Queerlantis” will take place on Saturday, June 6 from 4-11pm at the Veterans Memorial Hall. This is a ticketed event that features live bands, drag performances, a vendor market and a DJ afterparty. Local drag performers are featured as well as Irene the Alien from Seattle. The event will begin with a panel discussion of the drag performers out of drag sharing their insights about drag and related queer topics. Tickets can be purchased on SantaCruzPride.org.

All are welcome to be part of the myriad of Santa Cruz Pride 2026 events. All updated information can be found on the website at: SantaCruzPride.org.

Rob Darrow is Chair of Santa Cruz Pride and was born and raised in Santa Cruz before and devoted his career to education.

Big Relief

Todd Guild

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June 2, 2026

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Watsonville Community Hospital has been awarded $10.6 million through California’s Distressed Hospital Small Grant Program, part of a state effort to help financially struggling hospitals avoid closure.

The funding was announced Friday as part of a $25 million statewide program created through Assembly Bill 108, emergency budget legislation approved in 2025. The program is administered by the California Department of Health Care Access and Information and provides one-time grants to nonprofit and public hospitals facing immediate financial distress.

To qualify, hospitals were required to meet several criteria, including having fewer than 10 days of cash on hand, demonstrating efforts to exhaust other financial options, and serving a patient population in which more than half of patients are covered by government insurance programs or are uninsured.

Watsonville Community Hospital CEO Stephen Gray said the grant will provide a critical financial bridge as the hospital works through ongoing fiscal challenges.

“The State’s award of $10.6 million in grant money to support Watsonville Community Hospital is a crucial funding bridge during a challenging financial period,” Gray said in a statement. “We are thankful to the leadership of Sen. John Laird and the support of the governor to take quick action to support community hospitals like our own.”

Gray said the funding will be used for operational expenses, including debt management, employee salaries and medical supplies.

“The grant is critically important to WCH as we continue to navigate fiscal challenges brought on by funding delays and cutbacks at the federal level,” Gray said.

State officials established the Distressed Hospital Small Grant Program to prevent hospital closures and preserve access to healthcare services in vulnerable communities.

Gray said hospital leaders remain focused on maintaining patient care despite financial pressures.

“Watsonville Community Hospital’s dedication to the health and well-being of those we serve is the compass that guides every decision we make, and a focus on patient care remains our highest priority,” he said.

Gray also thanked hospital employees, community members and Sen. John Laird for their support.

“We are grateful to the commitment of our healthcare team, the ongoing support of the Pajaro Valley community, and the unwavering advocacy Sen. Laird has provided,” Gray said.

Watsonville Community Hospital was purchased by the Pajaro Valley Healthcare District Project in 2022 after community leaders and local governments worked to prevent the facility’s closure. The hospital serves residents throughout the Pajaro Valley and surrounding areas.

Safe Battery Storage?

Todd Guild

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June 2, 2026

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Congressman Jimmy Panetta introduced the Better Energy Storage and Safety (BESS) Act, bipartisan legislation that would allow the federal government to implement critical improvements to ensure safe energy storage.

Co-authored by Rep. Pat Harrigan (NC-10), the move directs the Department of Energy to conduct energy storage safety research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) activities within its energy storage programs.

The bill is in addition to existing authorizations to conduct RD&D activities on battery system failures and includes improving early detection methods and preventative techniques to reduce risks of fires or explosions, such as the one at Moss Landing, while promoting research on the causes of battery failure.

“As we continue to move towards renewable energy, we must ensure that the corresponding and critical technology is safe and secure,” Panetta said in a press release. “Although state-level public utility commissions have the authority and are responsible for ensuring safe and reliable energy service, my bipartisan bill would allow the federal government to make necessary improvements for the research, development, and testing of critical battery storage and clean energy systems.”

Harrigan added that the systems are going into homes, the power grid and communities across the country, but stressed that testing and safety standards have not kept pace with how fast the technology is moving.

“This bill closes that gap, puts the right agencies to work on the hard problems, and makes sure we are stress-testing these systems before failures happen in the field, not after,” he said.

Additionally, the BESS Act would:
• Authorize $30 million annually from FY 2027–2031 for energy storage safety activities.
• Improve coordination among Department of Energy, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the U.S. Fire Administration to strengthen testing and safety standards for grid-connected energy storage systems.
• Incorporate energy storage safety into program direction and strategic planning.
• Expand demonstration programs with two additional projects to improve the safety of short- and long-duration energy storage systems.

Full text of the bill is available at panetta.house.gov

Main Place

Foodie File

Andrew Steingrube

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June 2, 2026

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Before opening Mane Kitchen & Cocktails, Julianna Mireles’ industry-steeped lore began in Lake Tahoe where she grew up. She got her first restaurant position after answering the house phone on a babysitting gig and impressing the caller, who happened to own a restaurant, with her customer service and professionalism and was offered a job on the spot.

She then worked at several other places in Tahoe before moving to Santa Cruz, continuing to build her restaurant resume until she met her business partner Nancy Edwards, who provided the capital to open Mane with Mireles, who runs it on a day-to-day basis.

She says Mane’s ambiance has Leo energy – classy, comfortable and lively but not chaotic – set off by design elements of tufted leather, art deco accents and matte black/gold/teal colors.

The food menu is defined as upscale, approachable coastal Californian, complemented by “always finished” craft cocktails curated by bartender Rafael Reyes.

Open until 10pm, the kitchen serves succulent small bites that include shucked-to-order oysters and carpaccios of tuna and beef, as well as recommended entrées of New York steak with wild mushrooms, local fresh-caught fish, and a house-ground burger. Giving a strong industry aura, the bar features cold Fernet Branca on tap alongside signature cocktails like the mezcal-based Mane Margarita, the Hibiscus John Daly and after-dinner selections like key lime pie shooters and the coffee/orange/tequila, Cordially Yours.

Did you always aspire to open a restaurant?

JULIANNA MIRELES: Not necessarily, but I’ve worked at over 15 different restaurants throughout my career, and I’ve always given it my all and put an amount of passion into it as if I were the owner. Mane is 100% female-owned, we deeply value our employees and customers and want to provide an inclusive, positive and unforgettable experience for everyone.

Tell me about your Pabst Blue Ribbon tap.

The first restaurant I worked at burned to the ground years after I left. That job so inspired me; the owners did a great job of handling a consistently high volume and helped shape who I am today as a restaurateur. Years later, the structure still stood and when I heard it was going to be demolished, I felt drawn to make a pilgrimage back to pay my respects. I pulled our old P.B.R. tap out of the wreckage and use it at Mane as an homage.

1222 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, 831-201-2242; manekc.com

We Have Liftoff

Dining Reviews

Mark C Anderson

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June 2, 2026

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Woody’s at Watsonville Airport (100 Aviation Way) has opened in the former Ella’s, with casual drinks and chef’s-choice snacks, with a lot more coming on board gradually.

We’re talking big-bodied beet and Cobb and Niçoise salads, well-sourced sand dab and steak signatures, and a burger to bury any connoisseur’s appetite.

“Say what you want, but you gotta have a good burger,” namesake chef-owner Tim Wood says.

One thing that might get lost about the formula that helped his team win USA Today readers’ vote as #1 airport restaurant in the country (for its Monterey Regional spot) is that it plays proven hits but also leans location-specific.

The Watsonville space’s charms (including a tarmac-adjacent patio and wood-fired pizza oven) will affect that, but the community—both eaters and local staff members—will be the main influence, which has proved potent at Woody’s other three locations.

As Woody’s kitchen consigliere and longtime local chef Chris Caul puts it: “We’re gonna turn into part of the community.”

woodysmontereyairport.com

LIFE GOALS

Wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains has a fun promotion emerging to sync with the FIFA World Cup 2026. For a modest $25, The Sip & Explore: Santa Cruz Wines Adventure Pass works as a digital tasting passport June 6-July 15, granting the holder one free tasting at each of 30 participating wineries. That’s an insane bargain. “Being the only [wine] region adjacent to a host stadium [Levi’s in Santa Clara], we are excited to provide fans an opportunity to get out and experience all that the Santa Cruz Mountains has to offer!” announces Winegrowers Association Executive Director Keikilani McKay via email, winesofthesantacruzmountains.com/fifa.

KINCH ME

Chef David Kinch and star baker Avery Ruzicka have published plans to add a second Mentone restaurant (in addition to the spot at 174 Aptos Village Way in Aptos) plus a neighboring Manresa Bread outpost, in a forthcoming market hall for the new North 40 mixed-use development (Lark Avenue and Los Gatos Boulevard, Los Gatos). The sister spots will settle into a new hub called The Junction, along with a few other TBD restaurants and a cocktail lounge. When I saw Kinch at the OG Mentone last month—before a sequence of memorable breads, robust salads, handmade pastas, blistered pizzas and house gelato—he noted the Manresa Bread in the former West End Pub/West End Izakaya (334 Ingalls St., Suite D, Santa Cruz) is coming along nicely and could debut its bistro-bakery-bar concept as soon as late this month, manresabread.com.

INFO SNACK

Santa Cruz VegFest hits June 6 at Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds (2601 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville), with 100+ exhibitors and a bumper crop of animal-free food, drink, products and more, vegfestsantacruz.org…Also this Saturday: Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship honors National Trails Day with a combo of volunteer action at 18 sites (9am-1pm) followed an “epic” celebration (2-5pm)—catered lunch, raffle prizes, a huge makers market—at Woodhouse Blending & Brewing (119 Madrone St., Santa Cruz), act.santacruztrails.org/national-trails-day…Across the bay, the sixth annual Carmel Culinary Week uncorks its “Art on the Plate” June 5-13, carmelcalifornia.com/carmel-by-the-sea-culinary-week…Author Anne Lamott: “The key is not to try harder, it’s to resist less.”

Things to do in Santa Cruz

Things To Do This Week

GT Staff

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June 2, 2026

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THURSDAY 6/4

REGGAE

THIRD WORLD When it comes to roots reggae and its impact on the world, one must turn attention to the late Stephen “Cat” Coore, whom this show is a tribute to. Coore left this earth earlier this year, but his profound connection to Jamaica and reggae music is indelible. Coore started the now legendary Inner Circle in 1968 and then linked forces with Milton “Prilly” Hamilton and Michael “Ito” Cooper to launch Third World in 1974. A few years later, in 1977, reggae was massive and Third World’s album, 96º In The Shade, brought revolution and infectious beats to the planet. DNA

INFO: 8pm, Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Drive, Santa Cruz, $41. 479.1854.

FRIDAY 6/5

METAL

THE HU A fearsome collision of heavy metal and ancient Mongolian folk music, The HU’s sound must be heard to be believed. Formed in 2016 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, the four-piece built an entirely new genre they call “Hunnu Rock.” The morin khuur, a two-stringed horsehead fiddle played with horse-tail hair bows, drives their sound alongside songs from the tovshuur lute, the tsuur flute, and the band’s extraordinary throat singing. This vocal technique is recognized as an intangible cultural heritage. Their 2019 debut album The Gereg, earned them Mongolia’s highest state honor, and drew praise from Sir Elton John among other critics. SHELLY NOVO

INFO: 9pm, Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $61-$201. 713-5492.

FUNK

WINDCAVE WindCave emerges from a long absence to bring a heaping portion of high-energy music home to Santa Cruz. Named after the Chumash painted caves above Santa Barbara, Windcave built their reputation during the golden Palookaville era and earned a devoted following of ’90s rock lovers. Their sound is expansive, ranging from funk rock to reggae and rubbing shoulders with Americana and heartfelt ballads, punctuated by the occasional hard-edged surge that piques listeners’ ears. Uplifting in spirit and grounded in a nostalgic glow, WindCave has always carried a message worth hearing and a dance floor worth showing up to. SN

INFO: 7pm, Woodhouse Blending and Brewing, 119 Madrone St., Santa Cruz. Free. 313-9461.

SATURDAY 6/6

ROCK

THE MONTVALES Sally Buice and Molly Rochelson of The Montvales have a career and a certain style that points in the direction America needs to head. Their roots are in Appalachia, from their sweet duets on 2020’s Heartbreak Summer Camp to their breakthrough sophomore album, Born Strangers. Beyond the soul-enriching music, Buice and Rochelson have dedicated their lives to activism, using their wide base to bring awareness to the continued opioid crisis in Appalachia and offering recovery support and harm-reduction efforts. Everything circles back to the music, the songs, sounds, and the need for us to connect and raise each other. DNA

INFO: 8pm, Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. $20. 429-6994.

PRIDE

QUEERLANTIS 2026 Santa Cruz is kicking off Pride Month with the most amazing party of the year! This one-night micro-festival will be packed with out-of-this-world drag performances, killer DJs, a full bar, energetic live bands, and a queer vendor market. VIP tickets are available for premier seating during the performances and a meet-and-greet experience with Irene the Alien. The night begins with a panel discussion about breaking the binary before jumping into the live performances from Everyone is Dirty and Robbie Fitzsimmons. The night will then be topped off by a drag supernova! Peruse the queer market, grab a drink in the lounge, and dance all night long.

ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE

INFO: 4pm, Veterans Memorial Building, 846 Front St, Santa Cruz. $35-$100. 454-0478.

SUNDAY 6/7

SINGALONG

DUELING PIANOS The format is a familiar one, and it’s durable and appealing for good reason. The musical versatility afforded by two pianos allows the musicians a wide sonic palette, full of harmony, melody and expression. This dueling pianos performance emphasizes the interactive qualities of the format: audience members are encouraged to sing along to well-known tunes, and to challenge the knowledge and skill of the musical pair by requesting interesting songs. Funds from this community fundraising event go toward five local veterans’ support organizations. Two performances are scheduled: a 2pm matinee and an evening show at 7pm. BILL KOPP

INFO: 2pm and 7pm, Veterans Memorial Building, 846 Front St., Santa Cruz. $25-$100. 454-0478.

METAL

WITCH RIPPER The legendary Santa Cruz dive bar has been hosting a flurry of amazing punk and metal shows as of late, and this Sunday is going to be a ripper. A Witch Ripper, that is. Birthed from the darkest bowels of the city known as Seattle, Witch Ripper has been around since 2012 and has been playing Santa Cruz for almost as long. While normally riding heavily in the sludge metal category, their latest album Through the Hourglass, which they are currently touring on, pulls in elements of technical metal with some virtuoso style singing, which goes to show the band continues to confidently evolve as time passes and they *ahem* go through the hourglass. MAT WEIR

INFO: 9pm, Jury Room, 712 Ocean St., Santa Cruz. $10. 426-7120.

MONDAY 6/8

LITERARY

DUSTY BAKER Although Dusty Baker began his career in 1968 with the Atlanta Braves, after seven years, Baker moved to California to become a Dodger. He eventually made his way up to the Bay, and while he only played one season with the San Francisco Giants, he jumped the bridge to play for the Oakland A’s to finish his career as a player. Younger fans will know Baker as a coach who did nine years with the Giants before bouncing around the country and eventually landing in Houston. Now Baker has a new autobiography out and he’ll be doing a reading and Q&A at Bookshop Santa Cruz with host and fellow author Steve Kettman. MW

INFO: 7pm, Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $40. 423-0900.

WEDNESDAY 6/10

NOISE-ROCK

QUINTRON AND MISS PUSSYCAT An inspired, unique and unlikely multimedia pairing, this show is a combination of soulful music and evocative puppetry. New Orleans’ Quintron and Miss Pussycat have a deep catalog (7 albums and counting), and their live show features the sounds of Quintron’s psychedelic soul with the dreamy visuals of Miss Pussycat’s puppetry. Quintron’s unusual instrumentation includes the Weather Warlock (a synthesizer that draws upon the elements) and the Drum Buddy (a light-activated synthesizer) to make music. Regulars at New Orleans’ 9^th Ward hot spot, the Spellcaster Lounge, Quintron and Miss Pussycat embody the “as above, so below” cabaret aesthetic. BK

INFO: 8pm, Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $20. 429-6994.

Free Will Astrology

Astrology

Rob Brezsny

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June 2, 2026

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ARIES March 21-April 19

You’re often the best possible remedy for stale, unoriginal thinking that’s festering in your vicinity. And you are especially so these days. Others might have the gall to disrupt the deadening status quo, but you have the charm to do it without scorching every bridge and laying waste to the land. So I invite you to step into the role of cheerful troublemaker. Unleash your iconoclastic sparks with the intention of making life friskier and more imaginative, not more tangled and irritating.

TAURUS April 20-May 20

In many farming cultures, including parts of India, growers speak to or sing to their crops as they walk through the fields. It’s a gesture of personal care that mirrors growing scientific interest in how plants respond to sound and vibration. Some studies suggest that plants exposed to sustained speech and song may grow more vigorously. Your assignment in the coming weeks, Taurus, is to speak to the growing things in your life with similar devotion. Talk to your projects. Sing to your relationships. Tell jokes to your dreams. The universe is extra responsive to your sweet voice.

GEMINI May 21-June 20

Neurologist Oliver Sacks said, “I am haunted by the density of experience.” He meant that every moment contains far more richness than we can fully register or remember. This observation will be especially relevant for you in the coming weeks. Your mind—and heart!—will be flooded with an abundance of stimuli, ideas, feelings and impressions. It might initially feel overwhelming, but will ultimately be a boon, especially if you prepare yourself for the intensity and abundance. Imagine yourself standing next to a fountain and feeling cheerful about getting soaked.

CANCER June 21-July 22

You have superpowers that hardened hearts and tough guys can’t fathom. Receptivity is a key part of your genius, for example. Emotional fluency is at the root of your intelligence. Your ability to feel so much and so deeply makes you dangerous to status quos managed by people who overthink everything. Wait! There’s more. You can nurture without smothering and protect without imprisoning. You wield the powers of memory without being enslaved by nostalgia. You make home a verb, not a noun, as you build shelter for yourself and your tribe. I hope you will express these gorgeous talents to the max in the coming weeks and months.

LEO July 23-Aug. 22

An astrologer rooted in older traditions might claim that now is an ideal time to promote your personal agenda through sly, gossipy maneuvering. But since I am devoted to building a new culture grounded in compassionate values that nourish the soul, my message is different. I’m pleased to tell you that the coming weeks will be a potent phase to engage in elevating gossip that serves the greater good, to celebrate unsung heroes and to call attention to everything that is thriving. For practical dreamers like you and me, carelessly speaking ill of others undermines our own aspirations. One of the most effective ways to expand our own possibilities is to use the power of language to boost other people’s chances for joy and success.

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22

The ancient Library of Alexandria contained over a half-million scrolls. If you devoted eight hours a day to reading, you could finish about 5,000 books over the course of your life. The librarians back then knew they would never read all the texts they managed and protected. Their job wasn’t to consume all knowledge but to be stewards of abundance. They’re good role models for you, Virgo. The wonderful fact is that you don’t have to master every single thing that attracts your attention. Your far more relaxing task is to curate with care and wisdom. Your growing edge is to know what to preserve and what to release. One of your noblest projects is to commune pleasurably with the intriguing mysteries life brings you, not obsess on them.

LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22

Libra psychologist Carol Dweck distinguishes between fixed mindsets (“I’m not smart enough”) and growth mindsets (“I can become smarter”). When you have a fixed mindset, obstacles weigh you down. With a growth mindset, they motivate you to develop. What determines your trajectory isn’t your current skill level but how you relate to your edge. With this in mind, Libra, I invite you to monitor your self-talk as you encounter challenges. Are you prone to thinking that limitations are permanent, or do you see them as temporary states you can use as opportunities? You now have a good chance to instill the latter as a root habit.

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21

What’s something you wish you could change about yourself? Is it a trait, pattern, fear or story about your body? And what exactly tells you that this can never change? Is it loyalty to old expectations or a rotting prophecy someone laid on you? Consider the possibility that maybe the “can’t” is really a “won’t,” or a “don’t know how yet” or “I’m afraid of who I’d be without this.” Then imagine that you don’t have to transform this thing instantly but, for starters, need only shift it by 10% in the direction of mercy and freedom. What small, specific action would generate that 10%?

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21

What’s your most vital relationship? I dare you to surprise each other in the coming weeks. Refresh your bond with playful experimentation. Here are adventures you two could explore: 1. Take a walk together with no destination in mind, letting curiosity guide you. Talk about the paths you have not yet taken in life but might like to. 2. Describe the most beautiful future you can imagine for each other. Share practical steps you could take to make these scenarios happen. 3. Choose a food treat you both love, speak a blessing over it, then eat it slowly together as you name what you are most grateful for in your connection.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19

Chess masters and accomplished musicians practice differently from amateurs. They focus most intensely on their weak points, less so on rehearsing what they already do well. It’s uncomfortable to confront inadequacy, but they’re better for it. In my astrological opinion, Capricorn, you should specialize in a similar courage during the coming weeks. I invite you to direct your generous attention toward your shakiest skills and most uncertain territories. Glorious growth will happen at the edge of your competence.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18

Be more like a lightning storm over a green meadow and less like a porch light attracting moths. Be more like a spiritual riddle in an ecstatic poem and less like a slogan printed on a T‑shirt. Be more like a Miles Davis improvisation and less like a tune played note‑for‑note from the sheet music for a formulaic pop song. Can you stretch yourself into more fertile wildness, Aquarius? Will you expand your future with adventures that thrill your imagination? I believe you can and should. For bonus magic, be more like a dream of wandering in a rowdy paradise and less like the old version of yourself. Trust the frontier signals that make your pulse quicken, and speak less about the obvious truths that make everyone nod in agreement.

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20

Are you ready to assess the state of your emotional pain? Every few years, I invite you to take stock. I ask you to reflect on how well you’ve been cultivating meaningful stress while avoiding useless pain and misery. So, how’s your progress since our last check-in? Have you improved at sidestepping dull torments you’ve relived a thousand times? Are you less vulnerable to being wounded by ignorant or thoughtless people? Can you more swiftly shake off the sting of minor troubles? Most importantly, are you increasingly magnetized to the intriguing dilemmas that challenge you to grow wiser and more resourceful?

Homework: Identify 10 of your best blessings. tinyurl.com/77ww77

Letters

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor

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June 2, 2026

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PUNCHING DOWN?

I just would like to say I found it disheartening and disappointing that the recent Good Times email “Home Run” opens by punching down on people just because they don’t have a college education. I think this is rather tasteless, especially in this current moment when everything is trying to divide us across all facets of life, from education, to income, to politics and that it is coming from a town that has a strong component of inclusivity wrapped in its identity. Please do better in the future.

Dan Palance | Santa Cruz

EDITOR: I wasn’t condemning the lack of education, but the lack of intelligence. I heard more racist words in that baseball locker room than I’ve heard in my whole life. It was disgusting.

RTC TRUTH, FINALLY

Sarah Christensen, (in a letter about the fact that the railroad tracks won’t sustain trains today, ed.) speaks the words of authority we have waited a decade to be spoken. I could cry — and for that it took so long.

Our institutions move like Molasses,

With their obfuscated vested interests and lack of political will,

We have our “One wild precious life” [Mary Oliver-speak],

the drag factor a bitter pill.

Corrina McFarlane | Santa Cruz

DATA CENTER DANGER

Your May 20 article, “Playing With Digital Fire,” correctly describes the disastrous effects of the “ridiculously enormous data centers:” their extreme waste of water and electricity, their ethical problems, such as the squandering of money that could be used for social services and education, as well as AI’s role in a surveillance state that is beginning to dominate politics and to suppress free speech.

Here’s something that we can all do as individuals: decrease our “cloud” storage by dumping old photos, superfluous documents, and other files that take up unnecessary space. This process might require a little time, but the rewards will be huge: saving precious water and electricity generated by fossil fuels; decreasing the obscene profits of these selfish, predatory corporations; and slowing the progress of robotic killing machines. Please, take action now.

Robert deFreitas | Santa Cruz

BAD EPA DEREGULATION

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing dangerous rollbacks to coal ash protections that would endanger the health of communities across the country. Coal ash, the toxic waste produced from burning coal, contains arsenic, mercury, lead, and other hazardous pollutants that are linked to cancer and serious illness.

For decades, utilities dumped this waste into unlined ponds and landfills, allowing it to leak into drinking water. Strong federal safeguards put in place in 2015 and expanded in 2024 finally began holding polluters accountable. Now, those protections are being dismantled, exempting hundreds of toxic dump sites and allowing companies to delay or avoid cleanup altogether.

This is a direct threat to public health. Industry data already shows that groundwater at most coal plant sites is contaminated above federal safety standards. Weakening these rules only ensures more pollution, more illness, and more communities left to deal with the consequences.

The EPA’s job is to protect people, not corporate polluters. We must speak out and demand that these safeguards remain in place. Our health, our water, and our future depend on it. This is so important. The EPA must again protect us.

Marianna Mejia | Soquel

GOOD WORDS FOR GOOD TIMES

A joy to seeing STREET TALK featured again. Cheers to Steve Kettmann with his always remarkable reporting (about bringing his kids to Asia). I wish I’d had such opportunities as a kid.

Alene Smith | Santa Cruz

The Editor’s Desk

Brad Kava

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June 2, 2026

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

Both. That’s my answer to which event in our cover story you should go to. I’ve been to both over the years and had a great time.
First off, Pride.
I have never felt as much love, joy and inclusivity as at the Pride Parade and its surrounding activities. It’s a great community gathering, somewhat like the annual Holiday Parade, but a bit crazier and more colorful.

It’s kid and family-friendly (San Francisco’s, with more wild floats and exhibitions, is less so for younger kids. The leather and nudity might be too much.). But I’ve been taking my 10-year-old since he was 4 and he loves the acceptance, festivities and love all over.

I remember my own childhood when the word gay was used as an insult. Luckily, here in our county, he’s never had to deal with anything like that. “It doesn’t matter who you love as long as you love someone,” he says.

And there’s a lot of humor and costumes in this parade. The moms who announce that they give hugs on their T-shirts, the stilt walkers, the booths from businesses all over the area, the dressed-up dogs, the diversity. It can’t help but make you smile.

That’s Sunday (although there are other events over the next few days listed in our cover story).

Then, there’s the VegFest on Saturday, celebrating animals and trying to convince people not to eat them.

They do this in a way that’s not negative, by serving food from dozens of booths that’s damned tasty without killing anything to prepare it.

They don’t proselytize so much as they give good-tasting alternatives to foods you might be eating out of habit or not knowing that vegetable or vegan dishes can be so tasty you don’t miss meat.

The thing people may not realize: you don’t have to be LGBTQ+ or vegetarian to thoroughly enjoy these events. There’s plenty of entertainment and really great people to meet and conversations to be had.

See ya there.

On the news side, we have two important stories: one about working to save Watsonville Community Hospital. I can’t stress how crucial that is. Our county is too big not to be able to get help when you urgently need it.

The other story is about a proposal to make battery storage systems safer. We need the storage to move away from fossil fuels, but at what cost? We don’t want them leeching poison into the soil and air. Can we reach a compromise?

Thanks for reading.

Get out and be festive this weekend.

Brad Kava | Editor

PHOTO CONTEST

Large rattlesnake photographed at Colina Ranch near Aromas.

RATTLED In the Colina Ranch, near Aromas, the fattest-ever rattlesnake. We also saw a mountain lion, wild boar, and 40 kinds of birds. Just look at the girth of this snake! It’s enough to rattle your nerves. Photograph by Ross Levoy

GOOD IDEA

A project to construct a pedestrian overcrossing at Mar Vista Drive in Seacliff will result in intermittent overnight lane closures of Highway 1 on Thursday, June 11.

Travelers heading northbound and southbound on Highway 1 will be reduced to one lane from State Park Dr. to Park Ave. beginning at 9 pm. Work will continue through the night with intermittent full closures of the northbound and southbound lanes. All lanes will be open by 6 am Friday, June 12.

Both closures will use Soquel Drive as the main detour.

Please allow extra time for you to travel through the area.

GOOD WORK

In 2020, the CZU Lightning Complex Fire tore through Lehi Park, destroying every structure on the property – except for two bathrooms. They stood unharmed; even the toilet paper remained intact. The project, by FUSE ARCHITECTS + BUILDERS, of Capitola, just received its fourth award: an Honorable Mention from San Francisco Design Week. This award is not only for aesthetic design, but also for design in environmental resilience, sustainability, innovation. A local company designs for a very real issue in California – wildfire – and is receiving local, statewide, and now national recognition for the innovation.

Good TimesGood Times

Good TimesGood Times

Vegans for life

Heavy Lifting

Schedule for a Big Weekend

Pride and Vegfest promise great festivals

For music:

For PRIDE, events include:

LIFE GOALS

KINCH ME

INFO SNACK

THURSDAY 6/4

REGGAE

INFO: 8pm, Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Drive, Santa Cruz, $41. 479.1854.

FRIDAY 6/5

METAL

INFO: 9pm, Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $61-$201. 713-5492.

FUNK

INFO: 7pm, Woodhouse Blending and Brewing, 119 Madrone St., Santa Cruz. Free. 313-9461.

SATURDAY 6/6

ROCK

INFO: 8pm, Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. $20. 429-6994.

PRIDE

INFO: 4pm, Veterans Memorial Building, 846 Front St, Santa Cruz. $35-$100. 454-0478.

SUNDAY 6/7

SINGALONG

INFO: 2pm and 7pm, Veterans Memorial Building, 846 Front St., Santa Cruz. $25-$100. 454-0478.

METAL

INFO: 9pm, Jury Room, 712 Ocean St., Santa Cruz. $10. 426-7120.

MONDAY 6/8

LITERARY

INFO: 7pm, Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $40. 423-0900.

WEDNESDAY 6/10

NOISE-ROCK

INFO: 8pm, Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $20. 429-6994.

ARIES March 21-April 19

TAURUS April 20-May 20

GEMINI May 21-June 20

CANCER June 21-July 22

LEO July 23-Aug. 22

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22

LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20

PUNCHING DOWN?

RTC TRUTH, FINALLY

DATA CENTER DANGER

BAD EPA DEREGULATION

GOOD WORDS FOR GOOD TIMES

PHOTO CONTEST

GOOD IDEA

GOOD WORK

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Nature doesn’t ask permission to grow. People don’t either.” –Robbie Fitzsimmons

“Nature doesn’t ask permission to grow.
People don’t either.” –Robbie Fitzsimmons