Page 279 | Good Times

Atmospheric River Slams Central Coast—Again

Local News

GT Staff

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March 10, 2023

Atmospheric River Slams Central Coast—Again

Evacuation orders in Felton Grove and Watsonville areas have already been issued. More evacuation warnings are expected to be elevated into orders throughout the day.

The National Weather Service reported that Ben Lomond has gotten over 5 inches of rain in the last 24 hours. And the rain is still falling.

East Lake Avenue, west of Bridge Street, is closed off due to flooding. PHOTO: Tarmo Hannula

“The band of heaviest rain will move southward towards Santa Cruz and Monterey mid-morning,” the weather service predicted. “Once this band of convection reaches the Big Sur Coast and the Santa Lucia Mountains, chances for very efficient rainfall become high due to the orientation of the warm conveyor belt of moisture.”

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation warning for residents in low-lying areas, including parts of Soquel, Paradise Park and the area around Aptos Creek that could see flooding.

storm-drains — Storm drains in Pajaro Village are backed up and overflowing. PHOTO: Tarmo Hannula

Meanwhile, FEMA sent an email stating, “Disaster Recovery Centers in Watsonville and Santa Cruz proper are closed today due to the weather conditions.”

Watsonville Film Festival’s Grand Finales

Local News

Adam Joseph

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March 10, 2023

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Watsonville Film Festival’s Grand Finales

The Watsonville Film Festival was crafted to unite the community while spotlighting cultures, creativity and resilience. In its 11th year, the inspiring lineup of films—25 also available at watsonvillefilmfest.org—showcase “ordinary people overcoming significant obstacles to do the extraordinary.”

Los Tigres del Norte: Historias Que Contar is the story of the Norteño band who came to San Jose in the 1960s with not much more than the clothes on their backs and ballads about farmworkers, immigration and narco-violence. Since their arrival, the group has sold over 60 million records and won six Grammys and 12 Latin Grammys.

The Los Tigres screening is co-presented by the Mexican Consulate of San José and UCSC Chancellor Cynthia Larive. There will be a Q&A with director Carlos Perez Osorio, whose Netflix series “The Taco Chronicles” continues to grow in popularity worldwide.

Saturday, March 11, at 7pm at the Mello Center.

Frontera Collection Curator and DJ Juan Antonio Cuellar will host an after-party with selections from the 32,000 Spanish-language songs digitized and preserved by UCLA’s Chicano Studies Research Center—funded by a $500,000 grant from the Los Tigres del Norte Foundation with support from the Bay Area’s Arhoolie Records.

Saturday, March 11, 9pm at El Alteño Restaurant

Sansón & Me is an internationally-acclaimed, award-winning documentary about an unusual friendship between a young immigrant caught up in California’s criminal justice system and his court interpreter. Director Rodrigo Reyes will present the film, followed by a Q&A.

Saturday, March 11, 1pm at the Mello Center

Santos: Skin to Skin is a portrait of seven-time Grammy nominee John Santos, a “keeper of the Afro-Caribbean flame,” who connects the drum rhythms to past and present struggles for social justice and cultural identity. Filmmakers Katryn Golden and Ashley James will be on hand to discuss their award-winning film.

Saturday, March 11, 4pm at the Mello Center (co-presented by Kuumbwa Jazz of Santa Cruz)

“After all we’ve been through over the past three years, we wanted to make this year’s festival free and accessible to everyone on a donation basis,” WFF co-founder and executive director Consuelo Alba says. “This is possible thanks to our generous sponsors and supporters who truly understand our vision.”

For all things Watsonville Film Festival, visit watsonvillefilmfest.org

Evacuation Order Issued in Watsonville

Local News

Todd Guild

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March 9, 2023

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The light rain that fell all day Thursday was “just the very, very top-tip of the iceberg” of a storm system expected to dump several inches of rain through Friday, says National Weather Service Meteorologist Brian Garcia.

“We still have a lot to get through overnight,” Garcia says.

The city of Watsonville late Thursday issued evacuation orders for several streets west of Corralitos Creek at risk for flooding in advance of storms expected Thursday night.

The evacuated areas include Union, Lincoln and Marchant streets, north to East Lake Avenue.

Just half an inch fell on Thursday, but the already saturated ground has sent much of the water into the San Lorenzo River–which is already seeing a sharp rise–raising new flood concerns. And several more inches are expected over the next 18 hours, he says.

“We’re already seeing that churn up, just with half an inch of rain up in the mountains,” he says. “So that just speaks to how wet the soils already are, that they cannot absorb any more moisture.”

Soquel Creek was beginning to rise Thursday afternoon, and officials will monitor that, along with Corralitos Creek and the Pajaro River, which is not expected to reach flood stage.

In addition, winds are expected to knock over trees across the county, Garcia said.

Garcia’s message to the community is to heed evacuation orders if they come and to protect yourself as much as possible.

“If you haven’t taken preparations by now to get yourself to a safe location or to harden your structure, it’s probably too late at this point,” he says.

County officials issued evacuations for several areas of unincorporated Santa Cruz County. Still, Undersheriff Chris Clark says there is a “high likelihood” that those warnings could transition to orders overnight.

•••

To see if your residence is in the evacuated area, visit community.zonehaven.com

Overnight shelters are being established at the following locations:

Watsonville Veterans Memorial Building

215 E. Beach St., Watsonville

Cabrillo College Gymnasium opens at 7pm

6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos

Ramsay Park on Main St. will serve as an information and reunification center.

Santa Cruz County will establish a daytime temporary evacuation point at the Scotts Valley Community Center at 370 Kings Village Road.

Each shelter site will provide a place to sleep, food, supplies and support services. Pets are allowed at the Cabrillo site if kept within carriers.

For those needing transportation services, Lift Line will be available to assist by calling 831-688-9663.

Emergency notifications will be made through CodeRED, an emergency phone notification system.

Register to receive information at www.scr911.org or text SCR911 to 99411.

‘Listening to the Land’ Showcases Thrilling New Music

Local News

Christina Waters

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March 9, 2023

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‘Listening to the Land’ Showcases Thrilling New Music

The fourth concert in New Music Works’ 44th season—sponsored by Roland and Pat Rebele— “Listening to the Land” offers an all-star evening of innovative work by composers who soar beyond musical norms. Featured are the 2022 Pulitzer Prize-winning composition “Voiceless Mass” by Raven Chacon—the first Native American to win a Pulitzer Prize in Music—and “The Light Within” by Pulitzer Prize-winning musician John Luther Adams, a sonic exploration inspired by the composer’s many decades living in the Arctic.

With Santa Cruz composer Michael McGushin conducting, the work of Chacon and Adams will be joined by “Blue Green Hill,” composed by England’s celebrated opera composer and concertmaster Judith Weir. Also on the program are two commissioned world premieres, “Continua” by Ben Dorfan and “Prologue—The Nightingale” by McGushin. Dorfan completed his doctorate in music composition at UCSC; he and McGushin are in demand throughout the Bay Area

Listening to the Land is among the contemporary music events that invite the composer into the hall for a pre-performance chat. Chacon’s pre-concert remarks may prove enlightening for those struggling with his new music’s a-harmonic aspects. A much-honored world performer and composer of visual and sonic artwork, Chacon was commissioned by the renowned Kronos Quartet to compose for their “Fifty for the Future” project. Noted for creating genre-crossovers intersecting video and sound, Chacon’s 11-minute award-winner, composed for pedal organ, is surrounded by bells, crotales, clarinets, timpani and strings; it represents one of the most exciting directions in contemporary sound and music design. Starkly contrasting dynamics often create the spiritual resonance of his work—timpani juxtaposed with bells and the pure oscillating pitches of sine tones, for example, as in “Voiceless Mass,” the piece chosen for this concert.

“One of the great wonders of music is that it’s so physical and yet so ephemeral,” Adams has said of his environmentally textured compositions. “I want to have it both ways at once.” The layered dreaminess of his work for untraditional soundscapes explores and probes this contradiction inherent within the formal heart of new music.

“The Light Within” is scored for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, vibraphone and electronic aura. Adams’ sonic poetry is nuanced yet grand, massive as the geologic landscapes that inspired them.

Bay Area musicians flutist Lars Johannesson, violist Kaethe Hostetter, bassist Stan Poplin, keyboardist Vlada Moran and percussionist William Winant will be joined by the New Music Works ensemble.

Chacon will join Dorfan in a pre-concert chat at 6:30pm, moderated by NMW founder and artistic director Phil Collins.

‘Listening to the Land’ happens Saturday, March 11, at 7:30pm. $25-35 plus fees. Peace United Church of Christ, 900 High St., Santa Cruz. eventbrite.com/e/listening-to-the-land-tickets-516439714087

Atmospheric River Coming, Flooding Likely

Local News

Todd Guild

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March 8, 2023

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Atmospheric River Coming, Flooding Likely

Today, the storm could cause severe flooding throughout the Central Coast, with 3 to 4 inches of rain expected in Watsonville.

Residents could see as much as 5 inches and 8 inches in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Meteorologist Brayden Murdock says the already saturated soil could mean trouble for areas hit by the January and February atmospheric river storms.

“Be prepared,” he says. “If you saw flooding in January, be prepared for flooding again from these events that are coming through.”

The Salinas and Carmel rivers will see high crests; Santa Cruz County officials say that the Pajaro River is not expected to crest.

Rainy conditions will persist throughout the weekend. On Monday, a cold front is expected to bring another inch of rain.

“It’s going to be a while before we get all this rain out of our system, and that can cause those river flooding conditions to increase,” Murdock says.

Approaching Storm Might Hit Harder Than Expected

Todd Guild

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March 8, 2023

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Approaching Storm Might Hit Harder Than Expected

The storm bearing down on the state is set to arrive Thursday, bringing as much as 10 to 12 inches of rain to the Big Sur Coast. The storm also has the potential of a deluge for the Central Coast—2 inches expected in Monterey and 3 to 4 inches in Watsonville.

In Santa Cruz, residents could see as much as 5 inches, and the Santa Cruz Mountains could get 8 inches.

That was the message Wednesday from meteorologist Brayden Murdock, who says the already saturated soil could mean trouble for areas beset by atmospheric river storms in January and February.

“Be prepared,” he says. “If you saw flooding in January, be prepared for flooding again from these events that are coming through,”

The Salinas and Carmel rivers will see high crests, but Santa Cruz County officials say that the Pajaro River will not.

The weekend is also predicted to bring rain, as is Monday, when a cold front is expected to pile on another inch.

“It’s going to be a while before we get all this rain out of our system, and that can cause those river flooding conditions to increase,” Murdock adds.

Things to Do in Santa Cruz: March 8-14

GT Staff

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March 8, 2023

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ARTS AND MUSIC

LYRICS BORN WITH lespecial “The [music] industry is where I faced challenges,” Lyrics Born says. “When I’d go to the corporate offices, the agencies, the management companies, the record labels, the distributors, the advertising and marketing departments, I’d never see a single Asian.” Beyond being the first Japanese American MC to release 10 studio records and perform at major music festivals like Coachella, Lyrics Born’s success signifies something far more powerful—he represents the freedom to do what he wants on his terms. “Hip-hop has given [Asian Americans] a voice,” he says. “We could be ourselves and say what we wanted to say and feel empowered. We could tell our story. I think representation matters.” $30/$35 plus fees. Saturday, March 11, 9pm. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. moesalley.com

‘LISTENING TO THE LAND’ “Listening to the Land” juxtaposes “the spiritual resonances of far-reaching geographies” from New Mexico to the Arctic. In 2022, Navajo composer Raven Chacon became the first Native American to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Music. Chacon will discuss his award-winning work, “Voiceless Mass,” as part of the concert conducted by Michael McGushin. “The Light Within” by Alaskan-born composer John Luther Adams will also be featured in addition to McGushin’s “Prologue—The Nightingale,” Ben Dorfan’s “Continuo” and Judith Weir’s “Blue Green Hill.” $28.52-39.19 plus fees. Saturday, March 11, 7:30pm. Peace United Church of Christ, 900 High St., Santa Cruz. eventbrite.com/e/listening-to-the-land-tickets-516439714087

NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS From Little Walter to Junior Kimbrough to R. L. Burnside, the North Mississippi Allstars grew up surrounded by the best. For over 25 years, the blues-rock-jam hybrid has intertwined those influences with every note they’ve played. “We strive to honor the debt we owe our elders and mentors and do what we can to encourage and pass on what we were taught,” Luther Dickinson says. “Our father used to say, ‘If you learn something, it’s your responsibility to pass it on to at least 10 people.’” NMA founders Luther (guitar and vocals) and his brother Cody (drums, Wurlitzer organ and vocals) knew the value of their father the late Jim Dickinson’s advice. The renowned producer worked with some of the biggest names from Big Star to the Stones. $35/$39 plus fees. Sunday, March 11, 8pm. Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy 9, Felton. feltonmusichall.com

ZAKIR HUSSAIN AND MASTERS OF PERCUSSION Every other year since 1996, Zakir Hussain has served as curator, conductor and producer to bring the very cream of Indian music and world percussion to tour America and Europe with his series, Zakir Hussain and Masters of Percussion. Growing out of his renowned international tabla duet tours with his father, the legendary Ustad Allarakha, Masters of Percussion began as a platform for popular and rarely heard rhythm traditions from India. While performing and collaborating in India for a few months every year, Hussain has unearthed lesser-known folk and classical traditions, which play an educational role in affording them greater visibility and introducing them to audiences in the West. Over time, the constantly changing ensemble has expanded to include great drummers and percussionists from many world traditions, including jazz. The 2023 version will boast spontaneous combinations of percussive, as well as melodic, performances. The tour features Sabir Khan, Tupac Mantilla, Melissa Hié and Navin Sharma. $47.25-78 plus fees. Sunday, March 12, 7:30pm. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. kuumbwajazz.org

PUP AND JOYCE MANOR WITH POOL KIDS Canadian punk rockers PUP (Pathetic Use of Potential) formed in 2010 originally as Topanga. PUP’s self-titled debut, released on Royal Mountain Records, led to signing with SideOneDummy Records, who re-released their debut in the United States in 2014. The group followed up with The Dream Is Over, then Morbid Stuff. Meanwhile, the idea for the name “Joyce Manor” came from an apartment building near frontman Barry Johnson’s house—it doesn’t get any more complicated. $32/$37 plus fees. Monday, March 13, 8pm. The Catalyst Atrium, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. catalystclub.com

BILL KIRCHEN AND REDD VOLKAERT WITH GINNY MITCHELL Bill Kirchen is a founding father of Commander Cody, and his diesel-fueled riffs helped Hot Rod Lincoln earn a Grammy nod for “Best Country Instrumental” in 2001. Kirchen has recorded with Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, Nick Lowe, Link Wray and others. Regarding killer guitarists, Redd Volkaert played his way from Santa Cruz to Galax, Virginia. In 1997 he landed a lead guitar spot with Merle Haggard’s band. “When I close my eyes, I sometimes hear Roy Nichols [Haggard’s original lead man], and that has never happened before,” Haggard said of Volkaert, who scored a Grammy for his own work in 2009. Local favorite Ginny Mitchell will also be on hand. $30/$40 plus fees. Monday, March 13, 7:30pm. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. kuumbwajazz.org

COMMUNITY

ALFRED HITCHCOCK FESTIVAL One of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Alfred Hitchcock lived in Scotts Valley from 1940-1970. He filmed several movies close by, including Vertigo in San Francisco and San Juan Bautista. The Birds was filmed in Bodega Bay and inspired by a true event in Capitola. Scotts Valley has proclaimed Alfred Hitchcock Week to honor National Hitchcock Day and celebrate the director. The Scotts Valley Community Theater Guild will host the first Alfred Hitchcock Festival with the Scotts Valley Exchange Club and the Scotts Valley Historical Society. Enjoy wines grown on Hitchcock’s former property, which is currently home to Armitage Wines. Free-$75 plus fees. Friday, March 10, 6-9pm and Saturday, March 11, 2-9pm. Scotts Valley Cultural and Performing Arts Center, 251 B Kings Village Road, Scotts Valley. brownpapertickets.com/event/5723433?ref=349591

CASTRO ADOBE OPEN HOUSE The fully restored two-story Rancho San Andrés Castro Adobe, built between 1848-49, is one of the best examples of a rancho hacienda in the Monterey Bay area. The 90-minute tour will be led by state park docents who will share the Castro family’s history. Learn about the Vaquero culture and more. Free (registration required). Sunday, March 12, 10:30am-3:30pm. Castro Adobe State Historic Park, 184 Old Adobe Road, Watsonville. santacruzstateparks.as.me

Titus Andronicus Returns to Santa Cruz

Stuart Thornton

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March 8, 2023

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When I ask Patrick Stickles of the punk rock band Titus Andronicus what or who inspired the big sound of their new album, The Will to Live, he gives me a very unexpected answer: Mutt Lange. Yes, the super producer who put his trademark gloss on a series of landmark rock and pop albums, including AC/DC’s Back in Black, Shania Twain’s Come on Over, the Cars’ Heartbeat City and Def Leppard’s Hysteria, among others.

“Bands that worked with him seemed to get into a certain mood,” Stickles says from his New York City home after an extensive tour of the United Kingdom. “[Bands] try and create the biggest and best version of their particular sound in an immodest way and try to saturate the sonic picture as much as possible with the very densely arranged backing vocals and all of the dozens of different guitar tracks and the subtle use of synthesizers to beef things up and put a nice sheen on everything.”

Since their first album, 2008’s The Airing of Grievances, Titus Andronicus has been a shambolic rock band with frequent heart-on-the-sleeve lyrics. Yet, Stickles, the band’s frontman and sole constant member, has never shied away from big, ambitious musical statements. He says The Will to Live embodies a concept he calls “ultimate rock” and defines it as “the biggest and boldest version of whatever music.”

It sounds as if every space on the album is stuffed full of sonic flourishes. On The Will to Live, that means a dense sound full of backing vocalists, frequently erupting guitar solos, stadium drums, piano and saxophone. The record begins with “My Mother is Going to Kill Me,” a rock instrumental that would have not been played on any FM radio rock station back in the day. There are also some nods to Nirvana’s “Territorial Pissings” on “Dead Meat” and a cover of English punk band Cock Sparrer’s “We’re Coming Back.”

“On one level, the inclusion of that particular song lets us keep one foot in the world of traditional punk rock while also expanding it to the more grandiose, celestial sounds,” Stickles explains.

Besides Mutt Lange and his production techniques, another effect on the album was the death of Stickles’ close friend and cousin Matt Miller in 2021. The surprisingly buoyant “Give Me Grief” was inspired by Miller’s demise. “It’s a musical representation of the sort of emotional, fraught, intellectual processes I had to go through to deal with his passing, which was painful,” Stickles says.

There are references to god and the devil, including a struggle between those forces in the seven-minute-plus “An Anomaly.” When I ask Stickles about the song’s dive into religion, he offers a disclaimer: “The record is definitely not intended as religious propaganda by any means, Christian or otherwise,” he says and then explains that it’s symbolic.

It’s impossible to write about Titus Andronicus without mentioning their 2010 opus, The Monitor. The ambitious concept album combines Civil War allusions and young adult angst under a sometimes dark cloud representative of Stickles’ New Jersey roots intertwined with anthemic rock. Though they’ve made seven albums, it’s the record of their career and their most popular and critically acclaimed.

Stickles admits that he has bristled at music writers and others who have focused on The Monitor at the expense of his other albums. “When I was a younger and grumpier guy, it often did feel like an albatross around my neck because inevitably anything that the band put out would be compared to that and not so favorably,” he says.

At this point in his life, Stickles has come to accept the benefits of that record.

“I have to have a certain level of gratitude for that record and the younger version of myself who made it because it sets us up for the long career we have enjoyed,” he says.

Meanwhile, this is one of those shows where the opener, the Country Westerns, should not be missed. The Nashville trio plays gritty and literate rock with a country twang that recalls both the Drive-By Truckers and Neil Young’s work with Crazy Horse. The group’s drummer, Brian Kotzur, was a member of Silver Jews, and Silver Jews’ mastermind, the late great David Berman, was an early advocate.

The Country Westerns’ 2020 self-titled debut features a batch of rough and ready songs that beg to be heard in a live setting. Their upcoming second album, Forgive the City, was produced by Matt Sweeney (Chavez, Zwan, the Superwolf projects with Bonnie “Prince” Billy) and comes out on April 23. Stickles is also a fan.

“They are a joy to be around and a real infusion of positive energy in the touring company,” he says. “And they make great tunes.”

Titus Andronicus and the Country Westerns perform Thursday, March 16, at 9pm. $20 plus fees. The Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. catalystclub.com

Opinion: One Final Act of Kindness

Adam Joseph

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March 8, 2023

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EDITORIAL NOTE

There are two unavoidable experiences every person encounters. Death, one of the two, is central to Roxanne Hoorne’s cover story this week. But it’s not a bleak read. It’s a comprehensive dive into Green Burials, an increasingly popular practice that honors the deceased in an eco-friendlier way. Unlike traditional burials, which often involve embalming chemicals and caskets, green burials aim to minimize environmental impact as much as possible. Hoorne outlines the various types currently employed in California. Natural organic reduction, aka Human Composting, is considered by many to be the “greenest” of all. While it won’t be available to Californians until 2027, many have already decided on this final act of environmental love.

Good Times contributor June Smith had initially decided on a burial at sea, one of the “green” options. “Woman’s soul uniting in glorious harmony with the brilliant blue sea,” she wrote in a 2019 piece, “Why I Chose a Green Burial.” But the 91-year-old’s post-life plan changed while Hoorne was writing the story—you’ll have to read to find out what Smith decided.

“I should do what feels right to me,” Smith says. Her self-reassurance is potent unintentional wisdom; straightforward advice that might help anyone conflicted about how to wave that last goodbye.

Adam Joseph | Interim Editor

ONLINE COMMENTS

RE: Former Cabrillo Instructor Leaves College $2.5 Million

What a legend! I adored Tom. I took Anatomy, physiology and Inorganic Bio Chem from him, and he ended up being a mentor and a fantastic storyteller. He loved to shock and awe us wide-eyed anatomy students with stories from his studies at Berkeley in the muscular dissection labs. I still recall one specific story I won’t repeat here, but it made us all laugh. He will be missed! —Katharina Short

Tom was a wonderful human and friend. His legacy continues as he supports education at Cabrillo College and enhances the lives of those who will benefit from his generosity. Seeing his face in this article just fills my heart. —Veronica Vanderstoep

He was my anatomy instructor a long time ago, and he was a great instructor, incredibly dedicated. He also took a group of us on a four-week backpacking trip in The Hawaiian islands that remains one of my most memorable life experiences. I didn’t know he had passed, and it doesn’t surprise me that he would leave such an amazing donation and legacy. —Alexis Hoekstra

Tom was also a descendant of an early French family in San Jose. His aunt, Eva Sourisseau, left a bequest that founded the Sourisseau Academy for State and Local History at SJSU. A number of years ago, he donated a large and important collection of early family photographs and other ephemera to Sourisseau. What a wonderful, generous family! —Charlene Duval

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER

Black skimmers on Santa Cruz Main Beach. Photograph by Jo Koumouitzes.

Submit to ph****@*******es.sc. Include information (location, etc.) and your name. Photos may be cropped. Preferably, photos should be 4 inches by 4 inches and minimum 250dpi.

GOOD IDEA

A reminder for all the folks who sustained storm damage: the current deadline to apply for FEMA and Small Business Administration assistance is March 16. The Governor’s office has requested an extension to that deadline, but it’s still up in the air if any extension will be granted. Local officials recommend all residents, businesses and nonprofit organizations continue to apply as soon as possible before the current deadline and seek help at the face-to-face assistance available in the recovery centers throughout California.

GOOD WORK

The San Lorenzo Valley Water District (SLVWD) will begin flushing its water mains, an annual tradition that helps clean and maintain water pipelines, starting March 6. Yearly water main flushing removes iron and manganese deposits that accumulate in the district’s water distribution system. Consistent flushing improves water quality, maintains clean pipes and minimizes episodes of discolored water caused by iron and manganese. Don’t worry; water is entirely safe to drink during flushing.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I carry death in my left pocket. Sometimes I take it out and talk to it: ‘Hello, baby, how you doing? When you coming for me?’”
—Charles Bukowski

Letter to the Editor: Bear Hug

Cat Johnson

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March 8, 2023

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What a wild ride 2023 has been already. My hope is that even as the community experienced record flooding, two evacuations of the Grey Bears campus and destruction of beloved businesses, homes and natural monuments, each of you is now safe and sound.

Despite our challenges, Grey Bears stepped up to provide meals to seniors and their families during a time of need. As we enter our 50th year of support to older adults in Santa Cruz County, we intend to chronicle our beginnings and critical milestones and celebrate the golden days as we concurrently reinvest and shape our future. Those with a keen eye will notice the updated 50th Anniversary logo at the top of the page, which will be used this year to mark this momentous achievement.

With the passage of time comes a desire to not only maintain older friendships but also kindle new ones. We’ll try new ways to connect seniors this year, including our unique take on speed-dating—or friending—for the 70-plus crowd in late March.

In other news, the Board of Directors recently allocated $100,000 to make much-needed deferred maintenance improvements to keep food operations and the thrift stores humming as we embark on plans for redeveloping the Chanticleer campus.

Finally, as we embark on the next 50 years, it’s a great time to remind friends of Grey Bears that our work can only be accomplished through the dedication of volunteers, staff and support from our community. Grey Bears has been blessed with all three.

—Jennifer Merchant, Grey Bears Executive Director

These letters do not necessarily reflect the views of Good Times.To submit a letter to the editor of Good Times: Letters should be originals—not copies of letters sent to other publications. Please include your name and email address to help us verify your submission (email address will not be published). Please be brief. Letters may be edited for length, clarity and to correct factual inaccuracies known to us. Send letters to le*****@*******es.sc

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Atmospheric River Slams Central Coast—Again