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How the Queer Youth Task Force Helps Keep Kids Safe

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December 27, 2022

How the Queer Youth Task Force Helps Keep Kids Safe

When he was seven, Luka Chavez came out as bisexual to his younger cousin and siblings, a step he says was made easier having grown up in a family open to LGBTQIA+ issues.

Luka’s first question for his relatives after this revelation was simple but earnest: “Do you still love me?”

Their response, he says, was a resounding “yes.”

“That made me feel really safe,” Luka says.

Emboldened by this, Luka—now 13—came out to his parents on Sept. 21, 2018, which he describes as a personal holiday.

“Like a little anniversary of the day I finally told my parents who I was,” he says.

Assigned female at birth, Luka’s transformation continued when he saw a video on YouTube that featured a transgender boy telling his story.

“He said he never felt comfortable being himself, and that if he had been born as a boy he would have been a lot happier,” Luka says. “I felt like, ‘yes, I kind of feel like that too.’”

That same year, as a Watsonville Charter School of the Arts second grader, Luka wrote a book with a transgender child as the protagonist to help himself process his transformation.

But that created a surprising backlash, when some parents complained to the teacher about him.

“They said they didn’t want me in the class with their kids, because they didn’t want their kids learning about what transgender means,” Luka says. “That was the first time I ever experienced some kind of prejudice.”

The teachers supported Luka, and many of them put up posters showing support for the LGBTQIA+ community, he says.

Luka said the pushback didn’t affect him, since his mother said she would always support him.

“My mom made it very known that if I ever came out as gay she would accept me no matter what,” he says.

He also found support outside his family. Through most of his journey to becoming a transgender boy, Luka has been part of the Queer Youth Task Force of Santa Cruz County (QYTF), an organization created to foster understanding and acceptance of LGBTQIA+ youth who do not have that support.

QYTF is one of 13 youth-serving organizations sponsored this year by Santa Cruz Gives.

Co-founder Terry Cavanaugh says the group was created during the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, when community leaders noticed that many young people in their teens were testing positive for HIV, the virus that causes the disease.

But when they approached high schools to do outreach work on the subject, they were met with perplexed administrators seemingly unaware of the existence of the LGBTQIA+ community in their midst, Cavanaugh says.

“They said, ‘we don’t have any gay kids, we don’t know of any,’” Cavanaugh says.

So QYTF aimed to bring visibility and acceptance to a community that was essentially hiding in plain sight. The support network that stemmed from the organization was more important than ever, since HIV was one of several dangers facing young gay people, Cavanaugh says. Young people identifying as LGBTQIA+ also have higher-than-average rates of suicide and drug and alcohol addiction, and are more likely to be kicked out of their homes by their families.

QYTF is also increasing visibility of LGBTQIA+ youth and initiating change on an institutional level.

This looks like working with school superintendents and nonprofit leaders, and making law enforcement agencies aware that hate crimes were happening to LGBTQIA+ youth, QYTF Chair Stuart Rosenstein says.

“Before that, queer youth were scared to go to the police,” Rosenstein says. “If they don’t feel safe they need to know that law enforcement is going to protect them.”

In that spirit, QYTF in 2004 founded the Safe Schools Project, which provides training and support for administrators, teachers and school employees to support LGBTQIA+ students.

The Trans Teen Project was created to support the specialized needs of transgender youth, and to provide them with a support network that includes adult mentors.

The Adult Ally Project aims to recruit adult allies to help queer young people and the programs countywide that support them.

“The heart and soul of Santa Cruz County is people who are wanting to make life better for other people,” Rosenstein says. “And that’s how the Queer Youth Task Force was founded and that’s what it’s done since.”

One year after QYTF was founded, Cavanaugh launched the Queer Youth Leadership Awards (QYLA), now an annual event aimed at celebrating the achievements and abilities of queer youth.

“We used a strength-based model,” he says. “We said, ‘somewhere there are some of these young people who are going to make it and do fine. And they are probably helping people in their community, in their school settings. Why don’t we emphasize their strengths? Why don’t we make them role models?’”

While the QYLA ceremony is aimed at the LGBTQIA+ community, it is also intended as a message to any young person who is bullied for stepping outside the bounds of societal expectations, Cavanaugh said.

“The kid who isn’t queer but gets bullied because he likes to play the piccolo, or he is an artist, or she likes to play soccer,” Cavanaugh said. “Kids get gender role stereotyped and then are picked on for being gay. Well, if you take the picked-on-for-being-gay out of it, then there’s more gender role freedom for everybody. So it really helps everybody.”

Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency Director Monica Morales said that QYTF played a pivotal role in her life when she came out when she was young. Since then, she has seen the organization advance youth wellness and LGBTQIA+ rights, a mission that is still essential even in the face of growing societal acceptance.

“We’re still very behind,” she said. “We still don’t have equal rights. We’ve come a long way,—yes, we have gay marriage, but there is still a lot of discrimination that young people and the LGBT community face, even in Santa Cruz County.”

Bullied as a queer youth himself, Rosenstein says the main thrust of his mission is to reach young people who do not yet have the support they need.

“It’s important to know that there are absolutely wonderful, loving people from Scotts Valley to Santa Cruz to Capitola, and Aptos to Corralitos and Watsonville who are shining stars of how to embrace and celebrate their LGBT young people and their families,” he says. “What we all do as a county is to help support the students who don’t have that love and support.”

Luka, who was nominated for a Queer Youth Leadership Award in 2022, says he has a message for young people struggling with their sexuality and identity:

“Change will come,” Luka says. “One day you won’t feel embarrassed to be who you are. One day you will feel comfortable being who you are. And I think that’s what you have to look forward to. Imagine yourself years from now when you are happy. when you are yourself. That’s what gets me going.”

Through Dec. 31, you can support the Queer Youth Task Force in the Santa Cruz Gives holiday giving campaign. Other youth-serving organizations in this year’s campaign include Food, What?!, Big Brothers Big Sisters Santa Cruz County, Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Cruz County, CASA of Santa Cruz County, Ecology Action, Girls Inc. of the Central Coast, Hopes Closet of Santa Cruz, Live Like Coco, Live Oak Education Foundation, Santa Cruz Community Ventures, Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History and Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries. Donate to these groups at santacruzgives.org.

Community Bridges Debunks Taxation Myths

Aiyana Moya

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December 27, 2022

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Community Bridges Debunks Taxation Myths

There’s a common misconception that undocumented immigrants don’t pay taxes.

Ray Cancino, CEO of Community Bridges, says that stereotype is simply false.

“They pay taxes every single day,” says Cancino. “You can’t negotiate down any grocery bill or any sales tax of a gas station. Millions of dollars are being taxed to the undocumented that are never returned in terms of public benefit.”

For undocumented immigrants, Cancino says the fear of the government knowing their status is a significant enough deterrent to pursue any kind of tax reimbursement efforts. But the consequence of that fear means that there are billions of federal and state dollars left on the table, money that could fuel the local economy and make a big difference for those undocumented families, many of whom are living in poverty.

With the help of the Santa Cruz County ITIN and Child Tax Credit Project, Community Bridges is working to get money back into the hands of locals, by assisting eligible families and individuals in filing for their Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).

An ITIN allows undocumented immigrants to file for taxes, and makes them eligible for dozens of programs, like Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Earned Income Tax Credits (ETIC). Overall, Community Bridges has helped nearly 100 community members access almost half a million dollars in tax benefits over the past year: from tax reimbursements alone, filers have accessed approximately $122,000 in IRS refunds, and saved a total of $4,160 in document preparation fees.

In the current economic context, Cancino says this reimbursement money can mean the difference between buying essential goods, like diapers or groceries, or making hard decisions about what to sacrifice in order to pay rent. He points to some of Community Bridges services, like its food pantry and Family Resource Center, which have experienced a 135% increase in demand for services, as an indication of how much people need extra support in recent years.

The federal government reducing its Child Tax Credit program will be just another financial strain for low-income families, Cancino says. Throughout 2021, the program lifted 2.1 million children out of poverty, according to the Census Bureau. Now, the program will exclude some of the lowest earning families, which means that finding creative solutions to supplement income will be critical, he says.

“The reality is that money is an incredible way of stabilizing a family home from a lot of the negative impacts of our society that we see, from domestic violence to crime to substance use to homelessness,” says Cancino.

Meals on Wheels Gets Six-Month Extension

Todd Guild

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December 27, 2022

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Meals on Wheels Gets Six-Month Extension

The organization has been operating out of the Live Oak Senior Center—which the school district owns—since 1977.

While the eviction notice came on May 4, the school district told Community Bridges in 2018 that it was looking to construct workforce housing on the property at 1777 Capitola Road. The organizations have been negotiating since then.

MOW, a program of Community Bridges, last year distributed roughly 250,000 meals to seniors throughout the county, many of them homebound and living below the poverty line.

In addition, some 45 people per day are served by the onsite senior center, where the mid-county location draws people from throughout the county.

According to Community Bridges spokesman Tony Nuñez, the six-month extension gives both organizations breathing room to meet their goals.

But moving would be a costly endeavor for MOW, he said, and prove a logistical challenge.

The LOSD Board of Trustees made the decision at its Dec. 14 meeting, and also approved the creation of a sub-committee to discuss the future development of workforce housing at the site.

The district’s plans potentially include a mixed-use housing project that could include permanent space for Meals on Wheels.

Community Bridges is in the “intermediate stages” of seeking out a location in Santa Cruz as a failsafe if the school district follows through on the eviction. Those discussions, Nuñez says, include local, county and state officials.

But making that move will require nearly $2 million of renovations and repair and up to two years to complete the necessary improvements.

Seeking a new location would also require MOW to temporarily spread its operations across to facilities at Elderday in Santa Cruz and the City of Watsonville, requiring the organization to make renovations and capital improvements to address those impacts to the kitchens.

In addition, MOW would be required to spend thousands of dollars to rent freezer space for its Home Delivered Meal program.

“The [thing] is that we don’t have time,” said Community Bridges CEO Raymon Cancino. “Construction and development is two years away, and we have a six-month extension. Those realities just don’t meet our needs.”

Cancino added that the organization does not want to spend its money on a temporary location.

“We want to make these one-time expenses worthwhile,” he said.

Rob Brezsny’s Astrology: Dec. 28 – Jan. 3, 2023

Rob Brezsny

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December 27, 2022

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Rob Brezsny’s Astrology: Dec. 28 – Jan. 3, 2023

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor,” writes Aries author Anne Lamott. “It will keep you cramped and insane.” I think that’s a key theme for you to embrace in 2023. Let’s express the idea more positively, too. In Navajo culture, rug weavers intentionally create small imperfections in their work, like odd-colored beads or stray pieces of yarn. This rebellion against unattainable exactitude makes the art more soulful. Relieved of the unrealistic mandate to be flawless, the rug can relax into its beauty.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Here are my four decrees for you in 2023, Taurus. 1. You are cleared to be greedy if it’s in service to a holy cause that fosters others’ well-being as well as yours. 2. It’s permissible to be stubborn if doing so nourishes versions of truth and goodness that uplift and inspire your community. 3. It’s proper to be slow and gradual if that’s the best way to keep collaborative projects from becoming slipshod. 4. It’s righteous to be zealous in upholding high standards, even if that causes less diligent people to bail out.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In 2023, many interesting lessons will arrive via your close relationships and collaborations. You will have the potential to learn more about the art of togetherness than you have in a long time. On occasion, these lessons may initially agitate you. But they will ultimately provide more pleasure and healing than you can imagine right now. Bonus prediction: You will have an enhanced talent for interweaving your destiny together with the fates of your allies.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Here are some projects I’d love to see you pursue in 2023: 1. Teach your allies the fine points of how to cherish you but not smother you. 2. Cultivate your natural talent for appreciating the joys of watching and helping things grow: a child, a creative project, a tree, a friendship or your bank account. 3. If you don’t feel close to the family members that fate provided you with, find others you like better. 4. As you explore territories that are further out or deeper within, make sure your Cancerian shell is expandable. 5. Avoid being friends with people who are shallow or callous or way too cool. 6. Cultivate your attraction to people who share your deepest feelings and highest ideals.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Mystic teacher Terence McKenna said, “You have to take seriously the notion that understanding the universe is your responsibility, because the only understanding of the universe that will be useful to you is your own understanding.” This will be key advice for you in 2023. You will be wise to craft an updated version of your personal philosophy. I suggest you read a lot of smart people’s ideas about the game of life. Make it your quest to commune with interesting minds who stimulate your deep thoughts. Pluck out the parts that ring true as you create a new vision that is uniquely your own.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): How should we refer to your romantic adventures in 2023? We could be whimsical and call them “Ritual Mating Dances on the Outskirts of History.” We could be melodramatic and call them “Diving into the Deep Dark Mysteries in Search of Sexy Treasures.” Or we could be hopeful and call them “A Sacred Pilgrimage to the Frontiers of Intimacy.” I think there’s a good chance that all three titles will turn out to be apt descriptors of the interesting stories ahead of you—especially if you’re brave as you explore the possibilities.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “Coddiwomple” is an English slang word that means to travel resolutely and dynamically toward an as-yet unknown destination. It’s not the same as wandering aimlessly. The prevailing mood is not passivity and vagueness. Rather, one who coddiwomples has a sense of purpose about what’s enjoyable and meaningful. They may not have a predetermined goal, but they know what they need and like. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, the next six months will be an excellent time for you Libras to experiment with coddiwompling.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In the theater of ancient Greece, the term anagnorisis referred to a pivotal moment when a character discovered a big truth they had previously been unaware of. Another Greek word, peripeteia, meant a reversal of circumstances: “a change by which the action veers round to its opposite.” I bring these fun ideas to your attention, dear Scorpio, because I think 2023 could bring you several instances of an anagnorisis leading to a peripeteia. How would you like them to unfold? Start making plans. You will have uncanny power to determine which precise parts of your life are gifted with these blessings.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Winters are cold in Olds, a town in Alberta, Canada. Temperatures plunge as low as 24 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. But an agronomist named Dong Jianyi has built a giant greenhouse there that enables him to grow vegetables year-round. He spends no money on heat, but relies on innovative insulation to keep the inside warm. In 2021, he grew 29,000 pounds of tomatoes. I propose we make him your inspirational role model for 2023, Sagittarius. My guess is, that like him, you will be a wellspring of imaginative resourcefulness. What creative new developments could you generate? How might you bring greater abundance into your life by drawing extra energy from existing sources? How could you harness nature to serve you even better?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In accordance with your astrological omens in 2023, I’ve chosen a quote from Capricorn storyteller Michael Meade. I hope you will make it one of your core meditations in the coming months. He writes, “All meaningful change requires a genuine surrender. Yet, to surrender does not simply mean to give up; more to give up one’s usual self and allow something other to enter and redeem the lesser sense of self. In surrendering, we fall to the bottom of our arguments and seek to touch the origin of our lives again. Only then can we see as we were meant to see, from the depth of the psyche where the genius resides, where the seeds of wisdom and purpose were planted before we were born.” (The quote is from Meade’s book Fate and Destiny, The Two Agreements of the Soul.)

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In addition to my career as a horoscope columnist, I have written novels and other books. I have worked as a singer-songwriter in rock bands and performed a one-person show in theaters. As I survey my history, I always break into sardonic laughter as I contemplate how many businesspeople have advised me, “First, you’ve got to sell out. You’ve got to dumb down your creative efforts so as to make yourself salable. Only later, after you have become successful, can you afford to be true to your deepest artistic principles.” I am very glad I never heeded that terrible counsel, because it would have made me insane and unhappy. How are you doing with this central problem of human life, Aquarius? Are you serving the gods of making money or the gods of doing what you love? The coming year will, I suspect, bring you prime opportunities to emphasize the latter goal.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I’ve chosen a sweet taste of advice for you to keep referring back to in 2023. It’s in rapt alignment with upcoming astrological omens. I suggest you copy my counsel out in longhand on a piece of paper and keep it in your wallet or under your pillow. Here it is, courtesy of author Martha Beck: “The important thing is to tell yourself a life story in which you, the hero, are primarily a problem solver rather than a helpless victim. This is well within your power, whatever fate might have dealt you.”

Homework: What one element could you add to your life that would bring a major enhancement? newsletter.freewillastrology.com.

The Best Meals of 2022

Christina Waters

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December 27, 2022

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As the shadow of the pandemic lifted, there was much to savor in 2022. Throughout the year, I loved my favorite appetizers with cocktails at Venus Westside—cornbread with bourbon bacon topping, glazed brussels sprouts, spectacular french fries and the definitive burger.

At Bad Animal, our first encounter with the masterful Hanloh Thai cooking of Lalita Kaewsawang and Mauricio Ortiz left us breathless. Feisty appetizers of Mieng (betel leaves with assorted condiments) and Laab Moo (spiced pork wrapped in tender greens) led on to a memorable clay pot dish Pak Ob Woonsen accompanied by little bowls of a fiery bird’s eye chili and pineapple dressing. Inside the large pot lounged a shimmering tangle of glass noodles, surrounded by luscious shiitake mushrooms, tofu and tender braised greens, inflected with sesame oil, dark soy sauce and ginger. A gorgeous series of flavors.

At the new Iveta 545, we swooned over Dungeness crab cakes, glazed brussels sprouts and ahi on a bed of beans and squash with perfect asparagus. Dessert of panna cotta with ripe strawberries and shaves of dark chocolate made the perfect finish.

At Bookie’s Pizza, chef Todd Parker served up an ecstatic lunch in the form of thick pizza topped with mushrooms, nettles, preserved lemon and a dusting of parmesan Reggiano. A re-imagined Caesar salad made with chicories and kale was equally ravishing.

Dinner at the new and intimate Bedda Mia began with outstanding caponata of spiced vegetables, and led to an entree of wild salmon baked with herbs and joined by authentically Italian-style roast potatoes. Ravioli tossed with shreds of ham and sprinkled with fresh sage and parmigiano were stuffed with short ribs. The tiramisu dessert was shamelessly creamy.

At the micro-sized Sugo Italian Pasta Bar, I loved a salmon ravioli special with a dreamy sauce of diced fresh tomatoes and a dash of cream. An order of Pollo Marsala involved a huge plate of chicken scallops smothered in fresh mushrooms. Filling the rest of the generous plate were incredible roast potato slices, browned and crisp with bits of rosemary. Al Dente market veggies—long ribbons of brilliant orange carrots, crimson peppers, atop a nest of baby spinach—were perfumed with Marsala and olive oil.

A meal at Mentone began with a Caesar salad of mixed chicories, faintly bitter and crunchy, studded with lots of buttery, nutty Cravero parmigiano and extraordinary croutons of Manresa bread all slathered with an outrageous anchovy dressing ($17). Simple yet luxurious, the pizza was definitive. And so was the white Negroni that accompanied it. Tasting like a cross between a lean salame and prosciutto, the vibrant soppressata topping stood up to a scattering of hot red peppers and a dusting of parmesan and pecorino cheeses studding the entire surface. The crust was sheer poetry, ethereal yet substantial, kissed with a patina of oak charring. Dense chocolate gelato finished off a memorable lunch.

I also managed to take a long-awaited flight to Paris and Hungary, where the food was (as expected) terrific. A meal of chicken paprikash at Cafe Anna in Budapest proved to be the ultimate comfort dish. A richly seasoned stew joined by light free-form noodles—heaven. At the Michelin-starred Costes I surrendered to a square of house cured salmon topped with the fantasy surprise of sliced green strawberries and a glaze of ponzu sauce. It was one of the best things I’ve put in my mouth all year.

A meal in Paris at the two star Michelin Restaurant Palais Royal gave me serious flavor thrills with a multi-course lunch that began with many amuses, including a tiny cheese straw filled with whipped foie gras and continued on to a plate of large gamba prawn, sided by two basil-tinged green gnocchi draped with calamari crudo. This tour de force was also decorated with a flash fried zucchini flower on a little hill of broccolini. The gnocchi each sat on a brilliant green sauce of basil. The meal ended with a brilliant deconstructed tiramisu that arrived in two wide bowls. Mascarpone ice cream in one dish, candied orange peel on the side and on the other sat a warm baba drenched in rum on a crust of coffee nibs. A scoop of whipped cream on top was dusted with a veil of cacao and spices. Unbelievable, and as good as it looked.

Wishing you a Happy New Year filled with adventurous dining. Salut!

Wargin Wines’ 2018 Sagrantino Emits Aromas of Fruit and Spice

Josie Cowden

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December 27, 2022

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Wargin Wines’ 2018 Sagrantino Emits Aromas of Fruit and Spice

Now that the dust has settled after the holidays, it’s time to take a breather and relax with a nice glass of wine. And that would be Wargin Wines’ 2018 Sagrantino Reserve ($30).
Wargin Wines owner and winemaker Mikael Wargin doesn’t just stick to favorite varietals such as Chardonnay and Zinfandel; he churns out exciting wines such as this vigorous 2018 Sagrantino. A fundraiser at El Vaquero Winery and adjoining Alladin Nursery in Corralitos introduced wine lovers to a bastion of local wineries pouring their elixirs—including Wargin Wines.
The dry, inky-purple Sagrantino grape is high in tannin, twice the level of Cabernet Sauvignon or Nebbiolo, and has an almost-black center. Aromas of red currants, fennel, white pepper and rose hips delight the olfactory senses. Dried strawberry, rhubarb, dried thyme, dark caramel and light vanilla bean flavors add to the intrigue of this dry red wine.
Grapes are from Siletto Family Vineyards in San Benito County—ideal for sun-seeking Sagrantino.
“We make small-lot, handcrafted wines that speak to the palate and pair brilliantly with food, mood and maybe a little mayhem,” Wargin says. “Wines to pair with everyday meals and memories.”
Wargin Wines’ Soquel tasting room is open Wednesday through Sunday.

Wargin Wines, 5015 Soquel Drive, Soquel; 831-708-9463. warginwines.com.

Seacliff Inn’s Grand Opening

The Seacliff Inn in Aptos, under the Best Western umbrella, is now part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton. And it was all stops out for their grand opening in mid-fall. Food and beverages were comped—cocktails, beer and wine flowing all evening. Oak Ridge Winery from Lodi poured their flavorful Zinfandel—with the dulcet sounds of Santa Cruz band Soulwise in the background. Seacliff Inn’s rooms and dining areas have been beautifully renovated with an entirely new look.

Seacliff Inn, 7500 Old Dominion Ct., Aptos; 831-688-8987. seacliffinn.com.

LittleKoe’s Gets Creative with Tacos

Andrew Steingrube

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December 27, 2022

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Joshua Kochanek learned to cook at a young age from his mom and grandma in Providence, Rhode Island, where he was born and raised. Kochanek went on to cook everywhere from casinos to high-end restaurants. After shutting down his own catering company in New England due to the pandemic, he rented a small spot from his uncle in Capitola, where he opened LittleKoe’s, an homage to his childhood nickname.
Kochanek uses shells made from radish, turnip or beet instead of a tortilla, which makes his root vegetable tacos the most unique in town—fillings include ahi, teriyaki chicken and kale citrus salad. His hand-mixed-to-order burgers, infused with spices and seasonings, are instant hits—customers must sign a waiver to eat the spicy Hell’s Burger. Kochanek recently detailed his culinary journey and the inspiration behind his distinctive tacos.

How did you end up becoming a chef?

JOSHUA KOCHANEK: When I was a kid watching my mom and grandma cook, I told them that one day I would open my own food shop. Being in fine dining on the East Coast, I excelled and was often told I was the top employee in the kitchen, but I was also told I would never be an executive chef because I didn’t have a college education. I was inspired to prove everybody wrong, and when my uncle gave me an opportunity to start LittleKoe’s, I jumped at it. It’s been a blessing to come out here, serve my food and not be told that I’ll never be an executive chef.

How were your taco shells conceived?

My wife and I used to love tacos, so when she developed a corn allergy, I was inspired to create a different kind of taco shell from shaved root vegetables. They ended up turning out really good, better in some ways in that they don’t fall apart like a traditional taco and retain their texture and crunch with every bite from start to finish. And they are also gluten-free and vegan.

LittleKoe’s Beach Bites, 115 San Jose Ave., Capitola, 401-617-9378; littlekoesbeachbites.wordpress.com.

Homeless Memorial Fills Vets Hall

Local News

Aiyana Moya

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December 23, 2022

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A soft chorus of voices from the Santa Cruz Threshold Singers welcomes me as I walk into the Santa Cruz County Vets building where the annual Homeless Memorial takes place.

This year is the first since the start of the pandemic that the memorial, which honors those who died while experiencing homelessness, has taken place in person. The rows of chairs in the building fill up as Joey Crottogini, the health center manager for Homeless Persons Health Project, starts to speak. People continue wandering in, standing against the walls and in the back of the room, packing the space.

The mood is warm, with people embracing each other and holding hands. Colorful squares of paper with the names and ages of unhoused people who have passed away decorate the walls. I sit next to a bright orange paper with the name Yosef C., age 28, written in looping handwriting.

Meanwhile, outside, someone dips into a makeshift blue tent constructed from tarps.

This year, 91 people experiencing homelessness died on the streets of Santa Cruz County, along with another 45 housed individuals who previously experienced homelessness. An estimated 2,299 people are experiencing homelessness in the county, slightly more than the previous year, which counted 2,167 unhoused people. Last year, the memorial honored approximately 95 unhoused people who had died.

The average life expectancy for someone living without permanent housing is around 50 years old, almost 20 years lower than someone who is housed, says David Davis, Homeless Persons Health Project analyst.

“Struck down in the prime has never been truer,” Davis says. “Housing contributes years to our lifespans.”

He says there’s no shortage of theories as to why that age gap exists, though deaths from Fentanyl overdoses, which continue to climb countywide and countrywide, are common. According to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office, from January to September this year, there were 64 deaths from overdoses in the county. Compared to the last four years, the county is set to outpace the number of overdose-related deaths.

Davis points out that 70% of people overdosing are housed.

“The issue of addiction goes well beyond people experiencing homelessness,” he says. “The only thing that separates people experiencing homelessness who are struggling with addiction, and people who are housed with these disorders, really comes down to money and support.”

Davis notes that there’s one certainty: these deaths are preventable.

“It is possible to house everyone,” he adds. “We literally have to see the forest for the trees, and decide it is worth giving up a few acres of land so that thousands of people can be in the house—it gets tiring standing up here year after year, talking about the number of people experiencing homelessness and how they end up dying.”

For 15 minutes, the names of those who died while experiencing homelessness, along with their age when they passed, were read aloud at the podium in front of the crowd.

Adrienne A, 19, the list begins.

After the last name is read, a moment of silence falls across the room.

“This memorial is most importantly about celebrating the lives of those who were lost,” says Davis. “It’s been said that the saddest day for anyone will be the last time someone alive thinks of them. We refuse to let this happen, this year and every year.”

For more information about the Homeless Persons Health Project, visit santacruzhealth.org.

Report Details Rise in Mental Health Crises

Local News

Todd Guild

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December 22, 2022

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Report Details Rise in Mental Health Crises

Between June 1 and Aug. 15, law enforcement officers throughout Santa Cruz County responded to 577 calls involving mental health crises, according to a report released Dec. 14 by the Criminal Justice Council of Santa Cruz County (CJC).

The report delves into the way police agencies respond to such calls—which are increasing in number—and highlights a growing need for specialized training to help officers deal with people with mental health needs.

According to the CJC, the report is the county’s first look at how mental health policies played out in local law enforcement agencies.

As part of the study, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and Watsonville, Capitola, Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley police departments aligned how they code mental health calls to streamline data analysis.

“If we want to have a data-informed policymaking process, we need to ensure that we invest the time and effort in setting up viable data collection structures,” CJC Chair and Santa Cruz County Supervisor Zach Friend said.

Launched more than three decades ago, the CJC focuses its discussions on prevention, intervention and reentry programs—rather than suppression models, including a conference on the role of women and girls in gangs, and work with school districts on reducing youth involvement in gangs.

According to the report, all law enforcement agencies participate in countywide Crisis Intervention Training and renew their training at least every three years. All agencies also undergo use-of-force training in dealing with mental health calls.

The report shows that only 40% of the agencies have written policies regarding arrestees’ medications, but the remaining 60% said they would consider implementing one.

The report also looked at the use of mental health professionals who pair with field officers in mental health calls. The three departments that use so-called mental health liaisons—Santa Cruz and Watsonville police departments and the Sheriff’s Office—say they want to increase their programs, which they describe as beneficial. The two that do not have such a program say they want to explore adding it.

Mental health liaisons stated they prefer responding to calls with law enforcement present.

“It was clear that there is strong support for law enforcement partnering with non-sworn mental health liaisons and that agencies are interested in finding ways to invest more resources into those roles, increasing hours and increasing access,” Friend said.

The report shows that 83% of people contacted during a mental health call were transported to the County’s Behavioral Health unit, while 12% went to Dominican Hospital. Just 1% were booked into jail. The remaining 4% were placed in Dominican Hospital’s overflow area, the report shows.

“These calls help highlight how few of the contacts led to jail, how many were addressed on the scene by the officers or mental health liaisons, and those who needed acute help that there is a significant need for more bed and treatment space in our county,” Friend said. “The County has begun to make these investments, but more will need to be done to ensure that families have treatment options available for loved ones when needed.”

The picture could soon look brighter for young people in mental health crises after the County Supervisors on Dec. 12 approved the creation of the first residential crisis program for youth.

Friend said that the report highlights several challenges for law enforcement, including often complex calls and the amount of time and resources spent dealing with them.

“We can assume that the report provides a baseline understanding but also most likely an undercount of the true issue, which highlights the growing need to focus additional resources at all stages from prevention to intervention and response,” he said.

Visit santacruzcjc.org for more information.

Year in Review: Higher Education

Jonah Raskin

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December 21, 2022

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Back in 1965, Bob Dylan ridiculed the eternal square in his song “Ballad of a Thin Man” on the Highway 61 Revisited album. (“Something is happening here and you don’t know what it is/Do you, Mr. Jones?”) In one verse, he singled out “the professors” and the “very well-read,” as if the highly educated elites couldn’t possibly have a clue about the counterculture.

That may have been true back then—although ironically mass student protests on campus would start just a year after Dylan wrote the song. But these are different times, with nearly half of all states legalizing weed, and dispensaries proliferating across the West Coast and the country. And the two authors who have stepped in to educate the world about the rapidly shifting realities of modern weed are, of all things, academics.

Yes, the new book published by the University of California Press and written by two professors who teach at the University of California at Davis is a sure sign that the world of weed is now taken seriously in a way it wasn’t even a few short years ago. And Can Legal Weed Win: The Blunt Realities of Cannabis Economics by Robin Goldstein and Daniel Sumner also shows that it’s now safe for academics to venture into territory once off limits to any writers except dyed-in-the-wool marijuana journalists and gonzo reporters unafraid to puff on a joint and write about it.

Then again, there’s not much that Sumner is afraid of; he’s not intimidated by anyone inside or outside academia. “The cotton industry tried to get me fired,” he tells me. “I also pissed off the dairy industry. I studied tobacco subsidies and that made me suspect, too.”

Rolling Off the Presses

Just a decade ago, an editor at UC Press rejected my own book, Marijuanaland: Dispatches from an American War, saying it was too hot to handle. Fortunately, High Times published it, along with a dozen color photos and a glossy cover that depicts a big fat bud of the kind that makes cannabis connoisseurs drool (or so the publisher told me).

A French paperback appeared in print in France soon after the American edition went on sale. “Everyone from Paris and the Riviera to Normandy and Brittany knows the word ‘marijuana,’” Virginie Giraud, the translator, explained. “There’s no need to find a French equivalent.”

On a book tour in France, I met French growers—many of them self-styled anarchists who weren’t mad bombers, but advocate for community control of everything, from power to wealth, in their communities. In Paris, I appeared on an anarchist radio show. The host met me at a stop on the Paris Metro and took me to a clandestine location.

A New Weed Reality

Sumner and Goldstein conceived their book in a new, very different era. Goldstein is the younger of the two authors; a native of Massachusetts who settled here more than a decade ago, he has reinvented himself as a Californian. (Although his hometown, Northampton, Massachusetts, is a tamer East Coast version of Santa Cruz.)

Sumner, who was born in 1950, has kids who have smoked weed. Back in the day, Sumner was once a wrangler who doubled as a hippie. He wore boots, a cowboy hat and long hair in a ponytail. “I straddled two worlds,” he says.

Goldstein focuses on sales and retailing issues, while Sumner looks at weed as a crop.

“I get excited about technical stuff like rice and drought in the Central Valley,” Sumner tells me.

The two professors explored the weed world in and around Santa Cruz, where they visited the Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana and met its founder, the legendary Valerie Corral. Unusual issues abound in this corner of the cannabis industry.

“In the Santa Cruz area, some people in the cut flower business were worried that weed farmers would monopolize greenhouses and put them out of business,” Sumner says. “That has not happened, and they’ve calmed down, though some of the best managers in the cut flower business have jumped ship and joined the weed industry, where salaries are heftier.”

Sumner and Goldstein also obtained valuable information from students on their own campus in Davis who say they don’t buy marijuana from dispensaries because it’s more expensive than the illegal product on the black market. In California, the law states that you have to be 21 years of age or older to purchase weed. That leaves preteens, teens and kids aged 20 with no choice but to spend millions of dollars on the black market. A legal grower in Santa Cruz County tells me that most students here buy on the black market.

“Everyone is doing the black market thing,” he says. “With the high price of gas, people have less disposable income, so the market for dispensary weed has narrowed.”

Yolo County, where Davis is located, has a double standard when it comes to weed, Sumner tells me. Farmers in Yolo don’t have a problem with the cultivation of weed. After all, it’s a crop. “But they don’t like the cannabiz,” he says. “In that regard, Yolo has a lot in common with the Central Valley.”

A large portion of Can Legal Weed Win? is devoted to predictions, but when I interviewed the authors, they backed away from their crystal ball. “The future is uncertain,” Goldstein says. “We’re not in the business of making industry forecasts.” That’s a wise choice. “The industry is evolving faster than books can keep up with it,” Sumner and Goldstein write in their book. Ain’t that the truth.

The Potency Myth

Goldstein also argues that consumers don’t know much about the marijuana they purchase. Sumner adds that the prohibition against weed, like the prohibition against booze, has prompted consumers to focus mistakenly on potency.

In the days of Al Capone and his fellow mobsters, they looked at the alcohol content of bootleg whiskey and gin. Now, for cannabis, it’s THC. But weed with high levels of THC isn’t necessarily better than weed with lower levels of THC, Sumner points out, much as whiskey with a high alcoholic content isn’t always superior to whiskey with a low alcoholic content.

Caveat emptor: buyer beware. That slogan made sense during the days when con artists sold snake oil as a miracle drug to unsuspecting consumers. Caveat emptor still makes sense today when the market is flooded with so many different weed products with different packaging that it’s challenging to separate the ordinary from the extraordinary.

Over half a century after Dylan wrote “Ballad of a Thin Man,” there are still plenty of Mr. Joneses, even if they’re harder to pigeonhole. But if they read Goldstein and Sumner, they’ll learn a thing or two—and so will the rest of us.

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