Page 348 | Good Times

Santa Cruz Mountains’ Farmers Markets Lowdown

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May 3, 2022

Santa Cruz Mountains’ Farmers Markets Lowdown

Nothing whets the appetite for summer like a full-bodied farmers market, and the Scotts Valley Farmers Market is opening up at a new location, the Boys and Girls Club off Scotts Valley Drive. Every Saturday until late November, regional farms and food entrepreneurs will raise their tents and fill their stands in the new Scotts Valley market space with incredible fruits, veggies, meats, breads, eggs, seafoods and gorgeously crafted food items. There will be a Strawberry Shortcake Giveaway on opening day, May 7; indulge in fresh strawberries with whipped cream stacked on top of irresistible Beckmann’s Bakery shortbread. There will also be free mini ice cream cones from Penny Ice Creamery from 11am-1pm. Art activities sponsored by the Boys and Girls Club will pop up, along with a market hunt featuring prizes orchestrated by Santa Cruz Public Libraries. New this year, Hidden Fortress Coffee sells breakfast favorites like pancakes, French toast, bacon and sausage alongside their full espresso bar menu. Stop by this Saturday and see what’s new and fresh.

And don’t forget the Felton Farmers Market every Tuesday 1-6pm up in the spectacular redwood setting, with live music, food trucks and a dazzling array of fresh harvests. The Market Match program helps EBT (CalFresh) users stretch their dollars. May is CalFresh Awareness Month and Santa Cruz County, along with Second Harvest Food Bank, are sponsoring a double match special for the month. A $10 swipe with an EBT card equals $30 in tokens for food and fresh produce at the market in May. Now that’s a good deal! This is the perfect time of year for strawberries, asparagus and green garlic. See you at the market.

The Truck Stops Here

A tip from a foodie friend sent me over to the Cruz Kitchen and Taps scene (formerly Saturn Cafe) to see what the creators of Drunk Monkeys were up to. It gave me a chance to catch some of the latest graphic artwork by the edgy Louise Leong, one of my former UCSC students, who is a very hot designer. Her work, along with that of other locals such as Janet Allinger and Marie Gabrielle, has been reproduced on the table tops in the circular dining space. Otherwise, so far, Cruz Kitchen is a decor-free industrial space with a bar in the back, a flat screen TV and big grey booths. Cruz Kitchen co-owners Dameon Deworken and Mia Thorn are running ambitious breakfast, lunch and dinner menus, and from the looks of it, the eggs specialties and the lunch sandos might be obvious choices. Beef short ribs and fish tacos looked appetizing as I placed my carryout dinner order. At home we found the most to enjoy in the fish tacos of two blackened white fish filets, topped with a zippy citrus and jalapeño slaw on corn tortillas ($16). Each bite was nice and fiery. Big flavor. An order of quinoa salad ($12) contained plenty of arugula and large wedges of red beets, some queso fresco but not much in the way of quinoa. Miso-honey mustard on top of an entree of braised pot roast ($26) hit the wrong flavor notes—too sweet. Mashed potatoes surrounded everything including asparagus, hidden under a canopy of potatoes and sticky sweet miso-mustard. The journey from food truck to full-service restaurant was not built in a day. Clearly more fine-tuning is in store for the recently opened eatery across from the Laurel Street hotel-in-progress. We’ll watch with interest to see how Cruz Kitchen shapes up.

Cruz Kitchen and Taps, 145 Laurel St., Santa Cruz. Monday and Thursday, 11am-8:30pm; Wednesday, 4-8:30pm; Friday and Saturday, 11am-9:30pm. Closed Tuesdays. cruzkitchenandtaps.com.

Bernie Escalante Named Santa Cruz Chief of Police

Local News

Todd Guild

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April 29, 2022

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Bernie Escalante Named Santa Cruz Chief of Police

Bernie Escalante’s ascension to the top position comes seven months after he was named interim chief.

City Manager Matt Huffaker made the announcement Friday morning, praising his “depth of law enforcement experience, high ethical standards and knowledge of our community.”

“Bernie understands the unique challenges that the City of Santa Cruz and the dedicated officers of the Police Department face every day,” Huffaker stated.

In making the decision, the city conducted a citywide survey that garnered more than 400 responses.

Mayor Sonja Brunner said she appreciated that Escalante is a Santa Cruz local, having grown up in the Central Coast city.

“He has grown up in Santa Cruz and is highly respected in our community and within the Police Department,” Brunner stated. “We heard from our community that integrity, experience and a deep understanding of our City are important characteristics.”

Escalante has been with SCPD for 25 years, beginning as a community service officer in 1996. He was promoted to patrol soon after that, and, in 2003, became a sergeant.

He has served as a property crimes detective and a tactical team leader, among other assignments.

Escalante became lieutenant in 2009, where he managed the Investigations Division and led the Emergency Services Unit Tactical Team and the Neighborhood Policing Unit. He was appointed Deputy Chief in February 2020.

Escalante grew up on Santa Cruz’s west side. He attended Santa Cruz High, where he played football, basketball and baseball. He earned a bachelor’s degree in social science from San Francisco State University, where he continued to play baseball. Escalante earned a master’s degree in law enforcement and public safety leadership from the University of San Diego. He completed the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training Law Enforcement Command College in 2014.

Escalante says he hopes to address staffing shortages at the department, which were caused in part by the pandemic when recruitment and hiring were frozen for a year.

Currently, the department is budgeted for 94 officers and now has 88. Some of those, however, are injured, on field training programs, or are otherwise not on assignment, he said.

The shortages are exacerbated by the lengthy recruitment and training process that can take more than one year and can impact the department as it struggles to fill shifts.

“I really believe that your men and women need to be physically and mentally well if you expect them to perform at a high level in the field and deal with these really complicated situations,” Escalante said. I want to get our organization staffed where they are not feeling like they are drowning every day.”

The department must also grapple with the increasing population of homeless residents throughout the city and the mental health and addiction issues that plague the region.

“Although we’re a little city, we’re busy with big-city issues,” he said. “At some point, we need to truly sit down and evaluate what our organization should have versus what it does have.”

This is not Huffaker’s first appointment of a local to a leadership position. He appointed Jorge Zamora as Watsonville Police Department’s new chief in December.

“Both Zamora and Escalante have a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities facing our communities,” Huffaker said. “Like Zamora, Bernie has developed strong relationships in the community and has a keen understanding of the department’s needs. I’m confident his Santa Cruz roots and leadership approach will serve the community well.”

Fresh Vision for Santa Cruz County Libraries

Local News

Drew Penner

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April 29, 2022

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Fresh Vision for Santa Cruz County Libraries

When the Boulder Creek library reopens on May 7, it will feature a completely revamped children’s area, community room updates and a new teen section. The stained-glass window will remain a showpiece, and there will be an art gallery as well as a pleasant reading space by a fireplace.

Investing in the physical is an important part of strengthening the world of literacy in the county, according to Santa Cruz Public Libraries head librarian Yolande Wilburn.

Because, as far as she’s concerned, the book-lending and digital materials institution she oversees may have limited resources, but can wield outsized influence.

“As the library, we provide information resources and educational services to the community,” says Wilburn, who is new in her role as of January. “But we’re also connectors.”

That’s why she’s pushing for a policy update at the next Joint Powers Authority Board meeting, May 5, that would open robust new facilities being built with Measure S money to community groups. She’s hoping it will pave the way for initiatives similar to ones she’s championed in California—and further afield.

Organizations could use rooms to teach evening classes. Nonprofits could have a rendezvous point to set residents up with services.

“There’s no reason for us to reinvent the wheel,” she says. “I’m really looking forward to inviting our partners into our space.”

Wilburn started her professional bibliophile journey through the page program at the Chicago Public Library.

That’s where she started the Innovation Lab, which established a “maker space” within the urban library.

To this day CPL still runs introductory workshops and an “open shop” so people can flesh out their ideas on their own or for patrons to embark on collaborative endeavors.

The Innovation Lab tapped into the expertise of outside groups to facilitate technical programming, she explained.

“We’re not the experts in how to use a laser cutter,” she says, adding the library can be a point of contact with other educational pathways. “We’ll connect you up with a college that’s nearby.”

She took a job as a supervising librarian at the Higher Colleges of Technology, in Dubai, where she worked for about a year.

Although the country doesn’t have the same tradition of institutional libraries, the region has been going through somewhat of a new Islamic Golden Age.

For example, while she was there, the Emirate of Sharjah was in the process of providing millions of books to families through a home library project.

“Literacy rates there are really low,” she says. “The sheiks realize that there’s a need to educate people if you want successful communities long-term.”

Upon returning stateside, Wilburn took a job in the heart of South L.A., at the A.C. Bilbrew Library, between Watts and Gardena.

The facility houses the African American Resource Center, established in 1978, and serves as a fountain of knowledge about Black history in the country.

While there, the low-rise minimal modernist structure underwent an upgrade, which she says was sorely needed.

Soon she moved almost straight west to the brand-new Manhattan Beach library. Like Santa Cruz, it’s sited on the cusp of the Pacific, in a community famously visited by Duke Kahanamoku during surfing’s nascent age.

The second floor of the glass building offers a direct view of orange sunsets over inky blue waves.

“I got to christen it,” she says. “That’s a beautiful library.”

While administering the Nevada County Community Library system, she met current Scotts Valley City Manager Mali LaGoe. Wilburn was convinced of the need to fix up the Truckee branch, as well as other libraries in the vicinity.

The two got the ball rolling on a process to establish a multi-municipality effort toward improvements.

“I really pushed to renovate and remodel our libraries,” she says. “I worked closely with Mali as we explored the ‘joint powers’ possibility.”

She headed back down to SoCal for a two-year stint in Torrance as the city’s top librarian. There she was in charge of six branches, a $7 million budget and a circulation of 658,246.

Wilburn says she’s excited to be at the helm of Santa Cruz Libraries, with Measure S renovations chugging full steam ahead—albeit with some supply-side hiccups.

“The people of Santa Cruz County are really committed to building and refurbishing their libraries,” she says. “I’m really thrilled to be here.”

She says it’s important to be conscious of changes in the way people interact with libraries.

“People use the space differently,” she says. “We want to be able to provide some quiet spaces, but we have to be aware that people learn in different ways.”

The Scotts Valley Branch, a former roller rink, is currently under construction. It was supposed to be finished around February, but delivery delays—for things like acoustic dampeners and exterior materials—have pushed back the timeline.

“We’re hoping that we can get occupancy in mid-to-late-May,” Wilburn says, adding there will probably be contractors adding finishing touches until June. “Then, we will be able to move into the building and put materials on the shelves.”

Long-delayed Housing Now Faces Environmental Concerns

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April 29, 2022

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Long-delayed Housing Now Faces Environmental Concerns

A group is planning to file a complaint to the California Attorney General’s Office against the city of Watsonville and the County of Santa Cruz for advancing a housing project that they say will create an environmental hazard for its future residents and a massive liability for the city.

The Watsonville Committee Against Toxics plans to file the documents with Rob Bonta’s office in the coming days. Their complaint, according to committee member Lisa DuPont, will claim that the jurisdictions’ approval of plans for Hillcrest Estate—a long-delayed, 144-unit housing development off Ohlone Parkway—is out of compliance with several mandates of the Environmental Justice in Local Land Use Planning Act, and is putting the future residents’ health at risk by allowing the developer to bury roughly 20,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil in a cement-capped pit on the 13-acre property.

A 2021 report from a consultant contracted by developer California Sunshine Development LLC found that the top two feet of soil on the site of the former vehicle junkyard contained varying amounts of lead, arsenic, cadmium and other fuel-based contaminants. Some of these toxins were found at levels that greatly exceeded various environmental and government standards.

Watsonville City Council approved a development agreement for the project at its Tuesday night meeting that will allow Sunshine Development to move forward with the project in five phases, so long as it can gain final approval from the county’s Department of Environmental Health.

The agreement will allow the developer to sell off the homes—29 of which will be reserved for low- and moderate-income residents—in waves as it completes the project over four years. However, it will also pass on the responsibility of maintaining the pit to the homeowners through the forthcoming homeowners association, a move that critics say could saddle the future residents with a seven-figure bill if the pit ever fails and the contaminants spread into the nearby slough or sicken residents.

Councilmembers Jimmy Dutra and Rebecca Garcia voted against the development agreement.

A rejection from the council on Tuesday would not have halted the project, which has been a thorn in the side of the elected leaders since it first surfaced in 2018. It would have only meant the homes could not have been sold in waves over the course of the construction.

Over the past five years, the development has faced heavy pushback from neighbors concerned about increased traffic, had troubles with securing funding and changed names (it was previously Sunshine Vista) and project managers, multiple times.

It first received approval in 2018, and council gave the developers a two-year extension in 2020.

The development team returned to the council last year to propose a major change to the soil remediation plan. Instead of excavating, hauling and disposing of the top 2-foot layer of soil, the developer proposed removing only the top six inches and burying the remaining 18 inches in the cement-sealed pit.

The council approved that plan in a 4-3 vote.

The developer has maintained that without this concession the project would not be financially viable, that the plan meets all of the county and state health requirements, that soil capping is an EPA-recognized action to remediate properties and that no homes or fields will be built over the pit—a road and a basketball court will be built on top of it, according to the site plan.

But various environmental groups and neighbors say that the city has approved the creation of a de facto toxic waste dump, and that the pit—and its retaining walls separating the contaminated soil from the slough and homes—is bound to fail in a catastrophic earthquake.

About a dozen people spoke to the council about the issue on Tuesday, and all of them opposed the project. Some, like DuPont, were speaking against the development for the first time. For others, the meeting was the latest chapter in a long-running battle.

Like many residents in the Sea View Ranch neighborhood, Noriko Ragsac has spoken against the development multiple times over the past five years, first raising concerns about additional traffic and loss of green space if the project would be approved. But Ragsac and other Sea View Ranch neighbors maintain that their issue is not with housing being constructed.

“We do want housing,” Ragsac said after the meeting. “We want that project to be built, but safely.”

The majority of the council said that they trust the county’s judgment on the remediation plan, that Watsonville was in dire need of new homes available for purchase and that this was the latest ploy from nearby neighbors to stop the development.

“They don’t want people to move in,” said Councilman Eduardo Montesino, who oversees the area of the city where the development is taking place. “Even if we get the perfect conditions, they’ll still find other avenues to say ‘no.’”

Councilman Francisco “Paco” Estrada echoed Montesino and said that Watsonville was a town of “haves and have nots,” highlighting the rift between homeowners and those struggling to buy a house under current skyrocketing home prices—many of the latter being people of color. He also asked those in attendance to visit the California Department of Toxic Substances Control’s website and view the agency’s map of sites that have undergone remediation. That list of local properties includes the Tannery Arts Center in Santa Cruz, which was once a leather tannery.

“Building housing here is already tough enough and this false dichotomy that we have to pick between safety and housing, is ridiculous,” he said. “The year is 2022. I think technology has gone far enough where we can do both, where we can do housing and we can do it in a safe way where it will not affect people’s health.”

Councilwoman Vanessa Quiroz-Carter, who was not on the council when it approved the new soil plan last year, said that because of restrictions on outward growth as a result of an “urban limit line” approved by Watsonville voters in 2002—the same limits a group is trying to extend through 2040 in the November election—that the council must move forward with infill housing projects when they come before them.

“If we are asked to have housing, and we are asked to build within our housing limits, and this is what is available, then I’m going to say we have to build with what’s available within our lines,” she said.

Watsonville Police Lay Out Military Weapons Policy

Local News

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April 29, 2022

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Watsonville Police Lay Out Military Weapons Policy

Watsonville Police Department has several military-grade weapons that it says it only uses in extraordinary circumstances.

That armory includes nearly two dozen high-powered rifles, a few shotguns, thousands of rounds of ammunition and dozens of less-lethal and “crowd control” weapons such as flashbangs, rubber grenades and a grenade launcher and chemical agents such as tear gas.

Because of a new state law, WPD is now required to publicly disclose this list of armaments, draft a policy of how and when these weapons will be used and report to the Watsonville City Council whenever it does deploy them.

Assembly Bill 481, which became law at the beginning of the year, also requires police and sheriff’s offices to get approval from their council or board to purchase military-grade equipment and that they go before the elected leaders for an annual review of their policy.

The council approved WPD’s inaugural policy at Tuesday night’s meeting, and will have a second reading on the issue at an upcoming meeting for final approval.

The elected leaders approved the policy 6-1, with councilmember Vanessa Quiroz-Carter casting the lone dissenting vote.

Quiroz-Carter voiced many of the same concerns about the policy that about two dozen people who spoke during public comment did. Her top concern was that the language around what constituted the use of the weapons was too open-ended.

She proposed changing the ordinance to more succinctly spell out when the weapons can be used, and when the department can call in “mutual aid” from a neighboring agency that has military-grade weapons that WPD does not.

City Attorney Samantha Zutler told Quiroz-Carter that the changes might make the ordinance “cumbersome” and that she would have to work with WPD on the language.

Mayor Ari Parker said that Quiroz-Carter could work with Zutler and WPD on proposed changes to the ordinance that would be presented to the council at a future meeting.

“That is certainly something they can put in there,” Parker said. “I’m sure, just like anything, there will be an evolution of this (ordinance) as it continues forward.”

A majority of the council said that these weapons were “tools” needed for WPD to do its job. Also included in the department’s list is a Throwbot, or a remote-controlled reconnaissance robot, and a device used to breach entryways.

They also said that many of the department’s military-grade weapons were purchased several years ago, and that this ordinance gives the community oversight over WPD’s purchases going forward.

Members of the public said that WPD’s policy did not capture the essence of AB481, which, at its core, was a way for local governments to not only increase transparency and accountability within their police departments but also demilitarize them.

“Please question how you see these military weapons positively impacting the community,” said Karina Moreno, a coordinator with MILPA.

People also said the council should direct WPD to get rid of many of its chemical agents and less-lethal weapons that could be used against protests.

“This is basically a laundry list of how to put down protests, and if you look at why protests are happening across the country, it’s because of abuse by (police),” said Travis Walker, a local history teacher. “By allowing them to buy those things, you are arming them with the equipment they will use to suppress people who try to speak out against their abuses. These are not used to protect civil liberties. They are used to take them away.”

That item came about two hours after WPD Assistant Chief Tom Sims gave an update about the state of crime in Watsonville.

Sims laid out about a dozen high-profile violent crimes that have occurred over the past few months and said that the department is projecting a rise in violent crimes this year, as compared to the previous four years.

When asked by the council why the department is projecting that crime is on the rise, Sims said he didn’t have an answer.

“Sometimes there is no rhyme or reason and that’s hard for people to accept because we want to point a finger at something,” Sims said. “I will say this, historically this town has had years of extreme violence, and we’ve been fortunate over the last five or six years where we haven’t seen a lot [of violent crimes] relative to and compared to years before.”

In highlighting what the department is doing to address the projected rise in crime, Sims said WPD recently hired a community engagement coordinator and is developing a team with local service providers to give support to families who have been affected by violent crime. Sims also said that the city’s Parks and Community Services department and the Police Activities League are expanding their services.

In addition, officers are also conducting “proactive and investigative work.”

“You can make a case that arresting certain criminals can influence the crime rate,” Sims said. “For example, if we arrest a burglar, not only do we solve 20 burglaries but if that person is incarcerated, we’ve prevented future crimes from occurring.”

Sims said that because of recent “staffing issues” WPD is moving officers from investigations and special operations to patrol.

Habitat Helping Humanity

Local News

Aiyana Moya

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April 29, 2022

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Sarah Speers, a fifth grade teacher and single mother of three, never imagined she would be a homeowner in Santa Cruz.

“I never even hoped I would be a homeowner, absolutely not,” Speers says. “Not on a teacher’s income.”

The median listing of homes in Santa Cruz is nearly $1.5 million, and values have gone up 31.1% over the past year, according to Zillow. Generally, someone who can afford that house will need to be making between $100,000 and $222,000. For people earning between $48,000 and $78,000—someone like Speers, a teacher whose annual income falls in that very low income bracket for Santa Cruz—their options for becoming homeowners in Santa Cruz are limited.

It was a disheartening reality for Speers, who had resigned to be a renter for the rest of her life. So last year, when she randomly saw an ad for Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay’s homeownership program, she didn’t dare get her hopes up that she might be chosen and actually own her home. But fast forward to now, and she is getting the keys to her own three bedroom house on the eastside of Santa Cruz.

“I still don’t believe it’s real, it just feels like a dream,” Speers says.

Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay builds homes that are affordable for low and very low income families. Families selected for the program purchase homes with a $1,500 down payment, and although the mortgage rates vary, the program commits to keeping housing payments set at 30% of applicants’ household monthly income. The homes are built by volunteers, organization members and also the prospective homeowners, who must contribute 500 hours toward building their home.

Speers was surprised to learn she met the qualifications: housing costs were eating up more than 30% of her monthly income, and her housing situation was overcrowded. For the past five years, Speers and her sons have lived in a two-bedroom apartment. Her eldest son just left for college, but when he was living with them, he would sleep on the couch. It’s a small living space with little privacy, Speers and her sons say.

“Now, the boys will all have space, be in a safer space, have that security that this will be forever. This is their home,” says Speers.

Speers received the keys to her new home on April 23, along with another family of four. In total, the program has built 57 houses for low income families. On the lot that Speers’ house is on, there are 11 other houses being built for prospective homeowners. Four of those houses are going to teachers.

“Affordable housing is one of the biggest challenges for us to keep our teachers in Santa Cruz County,” says Dr. Faris Sabbah, the County Superintendent of Schools, who spoke at the home dedication.

Sabbah hopes to create a similar program as Habitat for Humanity’s, and find a way to build affordable housing for teachers.

“It would be a game changer to attract new teachers, and keep them here,” says Sabbah.

Things To Do in Santa Cruz: April 27-May 3

GT Staff

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April 27, 2022

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Things To Do in Santa Cruz: April 27-May 3

A weekly guide to what’s happening.

ARTS AND MUSIC

FIRE & GRACE & ASH The self-described “folk Baroque chamber trio playing Bach, Celtic, Americana and world music” features three versatile musicians who are just as unpredictable as talented. The virtuoso triad—fiddler/violinist Edwin Huizinga, guitarist William Coulter and mandolinist Ashley Hoyer—Partita Americana is simultaneously unlike any other recordings and highly recognizable. The mashup of Bach’s “E Major Partita” with American fiddle tunes moves between original trio arrangements initially composed by Bach as solo violin music with new and old American fiddle tunes by various composers, including Jay Ungar. $25/$30 plus fees. Wednesday, April 27, 7:30pm. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. Proof of vaccination or negative Covid test required. kuumbwajazz.org.

‘MUSIC FOR SPRING’ The Cabrillo String Ensemble—violin, viola, cello, bass, piano and percussion—will perform everything from traditional and contemporary to Celtic and folk pieces. Susan C. Brown will conduct. Free. Thursday, April 28, noon. Samper Recital Hall, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos. cabrillo.edu/vapa.

PINK MOUNTAINTOPS WITH ASHLEY SHADOW Stephen McBean initially formed Pink Mountaintops for songs that didn’t quite fit the sound of his heavy stoner-rock group, Black Mountain—even though Mountaintops formed just before Black Mountain got together. The Canadian musician’s forthcoming PM record, Peacock Pools—due out May 6, 2022—is the project’s first release in eight years. It’s also their most eclectic and genre-bending. McBean likens his current tour, featuring a six-piece band, to the Rolling Thunder Revue, the eccentric caravan Bob Dylan collaged together for his 1975-76 excursion. (Read April 20 story). $15 plus fees. Friday, April 29, 8pm. Felton Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. Proof of vaccination or negative Covid test required. feltonmusichall.com.

CHRIS WEBSTER AND NINA GERBER Guitarist Nina Gerber’s musical journey sounds like it comes from the doc 20 Feet from Stardom—while well-known in the music world, Gerber spent about 20 years “in the shadows,” helping make big-time stars sound better. However, her work with Kate Wolf earned her deserved recognition as a performer, producer and arranger. Meanwhile, singer Chris Webster’s prolific career spans more than 20 albums, and her vocal range, whether she’s performing a classic gospel number to rockabilly, cannot be contained. Together, this talented duo is lightning in a bottle. $27/$40 plus fees. Friday, April 29, 7:30pm. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. Proof of vaccination or negative Covid test required. kuumbwajazz.org.

TIG NOTARO The Emmy-nominated, Grammy Award-winning multi-talented comedian, is a writer and actor and has done just about everything else in the entertainment biz. “I’m always going to do whatever I think is funniest,” Notaro said. “If something’s dark, I’ll do it. If it’s a sock puppet, if it’s a stool, I’ll do it. There’s no preconceived idea of who I think I might be now.” After a breast cancer diagnosis, the comedian’s style moved towards more reflections on her childhood and life. $35/$48 plus fees. Saturday, April 30, 8pm. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. Proof of vaccination or negative Covid test required. riotheatre.com.

‘GISELLE’ The Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre will showcase the delicate ballet’s themes of passion, love, betrayal, forgiveness and redemption with proficiency true to how it was intended to be performed when it first debuted in 1841. $14-30. Saturday, April 30, 2pm and 6pm. Cabrillo College Crocker Theater, 6500 Lower Perimeter Road, Aptos. Proof of vaccination or negative Covid test required. scbt.org.

SANTA CRUZ SYMPHONY: KALEIDOSCOPES Featuring violinist Julian Rhee and cellist Jonah Kim, the Santa Cruz Symphony’s program includes the world premiere of Josef Sekon’s “The Aptos Sound Project.” $31.50-102.50 plus fees. Saturday, April 30, 7:30pm. Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St., Santa Cruz and Sunday, May 1, 2pm. Henry J Mello Center, 250 E. Beach St., Watsonville. Proof of vaccination or negative Covid test required. santacruztickets.com.

RAVI COLTRANE QUARTET: COSMIC MUSIC The Grammy-nominated jazz saxophonist’s “Cosmic Music” project might be the most important of his 20-year career. He celebrates the repertoire of his parents, saxophonist John Coltrane and jazz harpist Alice Coltrane, two of jazz’s greatest all-time players and innovators. There isn’t anyone more qualified to tackle the music of John and Alice Coltrane than their son. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. $47.25/$52.50 plus fees; $26.25 plus fees/students. Monday, May 2, 7pm. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. Proof of vaccination or negative Covid test required. kuumbwajazz.org.

COMMUNITY

MONTEREY BAY ROSE SOCIETY 41ST ANNUAL ROSE SHOW A rose-filled day sounds magical. Explore homegrown roses and consult rosarians about all things rose-related. Experts will also be available to guide attendees to choose the most suitable rose variety from the nursery. Free. Saturday, April 30, 10am-4:30pm. Alladin Nursery, 2905 Freedom Blvd. Watsonville. alladinnursery.com

MUAY THAI CHAMPIONSHIP As Muay Thai’s popularity grows, its positive effect on participants’ lives is evident. The martial art has deep Santa Cruz roots dating back to Francis Farley, a one-time world champion. Every event will be dedicated to raising money for the Muay Thai community. Spectators will be able to select the fighter they are rooting for. The “Muay Thai Championship is dedicated to delivering an authentic Muay Thai experience.” $65-100. Sunday, May 1, 3-8pm. Santa Cruz Convergence, 3775 Capitola Road, Capitola.

NERDVILLE WATSONVILLE The second iteration of Nerdville is going big (Read this week’s story). In addition to all the vendors, exhibitors and costumes, the comics, art, fantasy and collectibles event will feature Salvadorian author Randy Ertll, whose latest book Supersiguanaba is scoring hype worldwide. Additionally, Hollywood’s most renowned special effects crew, Stephen, Charlie and Edward Chiodo, aka the Chiodo Brothers, will be on hand for a Q&A following a screening of their beloved 1980s cult classic, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, filmed on location in Watsonville. Nerd Night Out, Saturday, April 30, 7-10pm ($10) at El Alteño Restaurant, 323 Main St., is a warm-up before the big event. $5/$10 plus fees. Sunday, May 1,10am-5pm (Killer Klowns from Outer Space screening with Chiodo Brothers Q&A, 7pm, included with admission). Watsonville High School, 250 E. Beach St., Watsonville. friendsofwatsonvillepcs.org

GROUPS

WOMENCARE ARM-IN-ARM This cancer support group is for women with advanced, recurrent or metastatic cancer. Meets every Monday on Zoom. Free. Registration required. Monday, April 18, 12:30pm. 831-457-2273. womencaresantacruz.org.

OUTDOORS

SANTA CRUZ WORLD SURFING RESERVE 10TH ANNIVERSARY COMMUNITY CELEBRATION Learn about how Santa Cruz’s coastlines are protected and hear about the vision for the future. There will be info about Save The Waves, the Santa Cruz World Surfing Reserve and a short film highlighting the organization’s work throughout the community. The Ride of the Reserve winners will be announced as well. Additionally, local legends, surfers, ambassadors and coalition members will share memorable Ride of the Reserve stories. Free (RSVP to sh***@**********es.org). Friday, April 29, 5-8pm. Seymour Marine Discovery Center, 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz. 831-426-6169.

FOOD TRUCK FRIDAY Along with the various food trucks, including Holopono, Pana and Aunt LaLi’s, the Scotts Valley Educational Foundation’s beer and wine garden will raise funds for Scotts Valley public schools. The Paperback Ryders’ take on Beatles’ tunes—“Dr. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band,” “Octopus’ Garden Salad” and “Norwegian Wood Oven Pizza”—is appropriate live music for a food event. Free. Friday, April 29, 5-8pm. Skypark, 361 Kings Village Road, Scotts Valley. foodtrucksagogo.com.

Nerdville Goes Bigger its Sophomore Year

Todd Guild

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April 27, 2022

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Nerdville Goes Bigger its Sophomore Year

In September, a hastily organized event dubbed Nerdville drew more than 800 comics fans, collectors and geeks of every ilk to celebrate superheroes and share their love for a genre that has captivated the world since the Phantom debuted in 1936.

Friends of Watsonville Parks and Community Services is now bringing the event back for a sequel on April 30 and May 1.

Featuring prominently in the event will be Salvadorian author Randy Ertll, whose most recent illustrated children’s book Supersiguanaba features a female mythical hero from El Salvador who represents the struggle and perseverance of women.

Also at the event will be Stephen, Charlie and Edward Chiodo, whose iconic film Killer Klowns from Outer Space was filmed in Watsonville. The brothers will be on hand to talk to fans, and for a screening of the film after the event in the Mello Center starting at 7pm.

Diversifying the Multiverse

Ertll, who lives in Los Angeles, is also known for several other nonfiction and children’s illustrated books. In his El Cipitío, a mythical three-foot-tall, 10-year-old boy with a big hat and backwards feet strives to do well in school and eventually runs for president of the United States.

“I want to influence young students to see themselves as the characters or the ideas within the stories,” Ertll says. “I want kids and community members to see that there are books that are bilingual and have characters like them.”

Ertll will be on hand to talk to attendees and sign his books.

He says his characters are in part an answer to what he sees as a dearth of Latino and otherwise nonwhite protagonists in mainstream comics.

That is slowly but inexorably changing. In 2018’s Into the Spiderverse, New York City high schooler Miles Morales–who has a Latina mother and a Black father–is bitten by a radioactive spider and takes the mantle of protecting the city as a young Spiderman. The Marvel hero Black Panther debuted in 1969, but the 2018 film adaptation was that company’s first with a predominantly Black cast.

Those books, comics and movies have changed the literature landscape for anyone looking for heroes and literature they can relate to.

“I think we can all learn from different stories, different cultures, different characters,” Ertll says. “I think that’s what makes great literature that can transcend where the characters come from and what race they are. If there is a great story and character, I think it will appeal.”

Nerd Night Out

Nerdville will kick off on April 30 with a pre-party called “Nerd Night Out” at El Alteño restaurant in Watsonville, where participants are encouraged to dress up as their favorite superhero, or any other character.

The pre-party will feature food and drinks, music and dancing.

During the event the next day in Watsonville High School’s cafeteria, attendees can browse among vendors selling toys, collectibles, art and crafts. There will be raffles all day, as well as free prizes.

Visitors can also take part in a costume contest.

The Watsonville Community Band will be on hand to play such sci-fi classics as the Star Wars theme.

Friends of Watsonville Parks and Community Services President Alfonso Lobato says the event is Santa Cruz County’s tinier answer to the large-scale comics conventions events held in major cities.

“Our community hasn’t been exposed to this type of event, and some of these youth, they will probably never have the opportunity to go to San Jose, L.A. or San Diego to attend one of these big conventions,” he says. “We wanted to bring something like that to our community, and make it accessible and affordable.”

Nerd Night Out is April 30 from 7-10pm at El Alteño Restaurant at 323 Main St. in Watsonville. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door. Nerdville is May 1 from 10am until 5pm at the Watsonville High School cafeteria at 250 East Beach Street. Tickets are $5-10 and can be purchased at the door. Tickets to both events can also be purchased friendsofwatsonvillepcs.org.

Letter to the Editor: Too Compromising

Adam Joseph

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April 27, 2022

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In her letter to the editor, (GT, 4/13), city councilmember and supervisor hopeful Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson opines that she, and the rest of the moderate majority on city council, “have embarked on an ambitious effort to find effective responses to homelessness that emphasize balancing accountability, management and response to truly address the problems.” As community members (including UCSF vehicular homelessness researcher Graham Pruss, Ph.D) have repeatedly told Kalantari-Johnson, the science disagrees with her policy prescriptions. Though she may personally consider the linking of services to criminalization “innovative” or balancing “accountability and management,” this strategy is neither new nor effective. In “compromising” with, rather than educating, those who hold bigoted views about homeless people, Kalantari-Johnson’s policies become embedded with racism, classism, ableism and queerphobia, leading to an overburdening of already marginalized people and cementing new systemic inequities into law. Kalantari-Johnson claims that OVO and CSSO have already led to more people being housed, fewer large encampments, fewer vehicles overnight on city streets and a restoration of San Lorenzo Park. This is not at all congruent with what we have seen and we ask that the council member make her data available to the public. Services without threat of criminalization is not only possible, moral and just, it is also the most data-informed, evidence-based and effective policy prescription for serving the interests of both the unhoused and housed alike. That is why Santa Cruz Cares will be continuing the appeal process, sending the coastal permit decision for OVO to the Coastal Commission.

SANTA CRUZ CARES ORGANIZING COMMITTEE | SANTA CRUZ

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

Letter to the Editor: Runs Downhill

Adam Joseph

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April 27, 2022

0

Regarding the article on property tax assessment proposed for residents in the Pajaro River’s flood plain (GT, 3/30): Believe it or not, water runs downhill. Pajaro’s watershed problems have their origins upstream in Santa Clara County and San Benito County. Rampant land development has greatly reduced permeable surface area and resulted in greatly increased stormwater runoff.

Under California law, if water flow exists in its natural state, the owner of the property at the higher elevation has the right for that water to flow from their property onto all properties having lower elevations pursuant to the natural flow. That is, so long as water is flowing off the higher property at the natural flow (i.e., the speed, frequency, intensity and path of the water has not been changed from its natural condition). The land development occurring in the upstream areas has greatly increased the flow of stormwater in the Pajaro River and impacts the people residing there, and legally it is the responsibility of the public officials in the two upstream counties to pay to fix the problem.

The cost of the levee improvements and ongoing maintenance and repairs should be assessed against the developed properties in Santa Clara and San Benito counties and not the downstream victims in the Pajaro community. It was wrong for a representative of Monterey County to propose otherwise.

Bruce Stenman | Elkhorn

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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