Page 355 – Good Times

Barrios Unidos Among Santa Cruz Gives Groups Helping Youth

Tony Nuñez

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December 14, 2021

Barrios Unidos Among Santa Cruz Gives Groups Helping Youth

When Daniel “Nane” Alejandrez returned home from the Vietnam War in the 1970s, he says that it was clear that his true fight had just begun.

“It seemed like I came from one war to another one,” Alejandrez says.

A son of migrant farmworkers from Texas who was born in a cotton field in Merigold, Mississippi, Alejandrez says violence and poverty among the Chicano population in his eventual hometown of Fresno had reached a dangerous tipping point. And after he arrived in Santa Cruz with hopes of earning a film degree at UCSC, Alejandrez says he remembers seeing the same violence around Santa Cruz County’s Chicanos.

It was clear then that if anything was going to improve in the community, he says, the change would need to come from within.

“We knew that no one was coming to our communities,” he says. “We had to rise ourselves.”

Alejandrez is the executive director of Barrios Unidos, a nonprofit he first started as a volunteer organization in 1977, and then officially incorporated in 1993. For more than 40 years, Barrios Unidos has helped tackle the social issues affecting Santa Cruz County’s Latinx youth, while also playing a key role in the move toward restorative justice in this area and beyond.

Barrios Unidos, which at a time had 27 chapters throughout the nation, does this through preventive programs offered at its headquarters in Santa Cruz, dubbed The Spot. There the organization offers afterschool programs, a food pantry and job training through its silkscreen business, recording studio and tiny-home project in which youth are taught how to construct the small houses.

It also does the work that many organizations would not: working with incarcerated individuals—both youth and adult offenders—that society has allowed to fall through the cracks. On top of steering youth in juvenile hall away from a life behind bars, Barrios Unidos offers an adult ReEntry program and Prison Project that addresses recidivism by dealing with one of the largest root causes of crime: a lacking support system.

Alejandrez says that at a recent visit to Soledad State Prison, Barrios Unidos had some 40 men graduate as “Peace Warriors,” taking an oath of nonviolence. The graduates, Alejandrez says, had been in prison for as long as 46 years.

“All those men at some point didn’t have someone in their lives as kids, and they made wrong decisions, or they were involved in the wrong things,” he says. “And they all said, ‘If we had somebody like you guys, it would’ve made a difference.’”

Participating in Santa Cruz Gives for the first time in the holiday crowdsourcing campaign’s seven-year run, Barrios Unidos aims to make a bigger difference in 2022. The organization’s “Big Idea” for the upcoming year is “Santa Cruz Cares for Kids,” an initiative that would build on the nonprofit’s popular after-school program for children ages 5-17.

Barrios Unidos’ youth offerings are unique. The organization not only provides a safe place for kids, but also emphasizes cultural teachings that are sometimes not passed down from the previous generation because of split households. Alejandrez says Barrios Unidos helps these young people, the majority of whom are Latinx, reconnect with their roots.

“You have to teach that, you have to keep that alive so they feel proud of who they are and they know who they are,” Alejandrez says.

It’s this pride in what Barrios Unidos calls the “authentic self,” Alejandrez argues, that will ultimately bring about change in the Latinx community. It’s not lost on him that the majority of kids in juvenile hall are Latinx residents from Watsonville, and that the county’s jail population is 58% Latinx. In contrast, he says, there are few Latinx people that hold key positions of power in the county.

“There’s an inequity there that needs to be addressed, and if we start educating our young kids in a safe place to look at that dream and say, ‘One of these days, I’m going to be the district attorney or the judge in this county,’ then we’ll start to see real change,” he says.

Alejandrez’s impact on the community and his impressive resume could serve as inspiration for young people, too. He’s been mentored by Harry Belafonte, Delores Huerta and Danny Glover. He’s also traveled to Columbia, El Salvador, Kenya and Tanzania to share his teachings. In addition, he’s spoken to the United Nations multiple times about Barrios Unidos’ work, and was most recently awarded the Chief Justice Earl Warren Civil Liberties Award, an honor that has gone to the likes of Thurgood Marshall and Rosa Parks.

Even more rewarding, Alejandrez says, is seeing some of Barrios Unidos’ alumni now leading organizations throughout the country.

“This community has given me and my family so much,” he says. “I have to give back.”

But his work is far from over, and in many ways, the battle he took up some 44 years ago has only become tougher because of the ongoing housing crisis and the economic downturn as a result of the pandemic.

“We have to give a way for our young people that were born and raised in this county, whether it be Watsonville or Santa Cruz, a way to be able to stay here,” he says. “In the long run, that’s what we’re trying to create in Barrios. We can have a place for kids, we can have teachings for the community and we can have housing. But we can’t do it alone. That’s why we need the community to step up.”

Creating Links

In today’s nonstop, now-now-now world, a stagnant list of potential jobs seems counterintuitive for an organization that prides itself on quickly linking young people to career opportunities and training. So when Yvette Brooks came aboard as Your Future Is Our Business’ (YFIOB) executive director just a few months ago, her goal was to fill the gaps still present in the nonprofit’s wide-ranging web connecting local schools with employers.

To do this, YFIOB, with the help of Santa Cruz Gives, plans to establish an online platform that would house vital information about prospective employers. Their “Big Idea” would connect schools and businesses, and give teachers access to career-based curriculum, business and community opportunities for students. It would also house virtual tours of companies and other tools for use in curriculum.

The idea is, Brooks says, to remove as many barriers as possible for teachers hoping to expose their students to the career possibilities available in their own backyard.

“We have to evolve with the times, and it’s so imperative to support students in providing workplace learning opportunities—and as many as possible,” she says. “For me, growing up I was taught that you go to college, you graduate and find a job for that career you went to college for and that was it. But, in reality, most of us have 10, 20, 30 jobs in our lifetime. It’s organizations like these who tell kids that there’s so much opportunity out there, explore them all, let me help you explore them all.”

Since 1993, YFIOB has worked to provide every Santa Cruz County student with opportunities to discover a fulfilling and successful career by partnering with local school districts and local employers. Through their countywide network of community leaders and businesses, they host monthly career panels and expos at various schools and give students real-world experience along with advice on career paths.

Future leaders

Peer pressure doesn’t have to be a bad thing. In fact, the local chapter of Girls Inc. hopes to harness it to address drug and alcohol abuse in young girls.

Their “Big Idea” for this year’s Santa Cruz Gives campaign is a “Friendly PEERsuasion program” in which they train seventh-grade girls (ages 11-14) to improve their decision-making, assertiveness and communication. They also practice walking away from situations where they feel pressured to use alcohol or drugs. Those girls, in turn, will work with fourth- and fifth-grade girls (ages 6-10) as role models and leaders, guiding activities that help avoid girls’ use of harmful substances, especially by giving them skills to refuse and walk away.

“It’s a beautiful way that we can build leaders amongst all different girls,” said Deanna Zachary, a donor relations officer with Girls Inc. of the Central Coast.

That organization has been around since 1999 and currently pairs some 1,700 young girls with mentors that inspire them to pursue secondary education, develop leadership and decision-making skills and serve their communities.

They do that in several ways, including the organization’s summer camp at UCSC, in which the girls stay in the dorms at the university. Zachary says it’s a life-changing experience for several girls, the vast majority of which are girls of color (some 90% Zachary says) who have grown up believing a college education is out of their reach.

“A lot of our girls are the first generation to go to college and the first generation to have a career,” Zachary says.

Safe future

As Santa Cruz County—and the greater state of California—continues to embrace the move toward pedestrian- and bike-friendly communities, it is essential that the next generation of commuters know how to properly navigate the roadways safely, says Kirsten Liske, vice president of community programs at Ecology Action.

That nonprofit’s “Big Idea” hopes to address that issue. Its initiative, “Youth Pedestrian + Bicycle Safety Education for All,” aims to bring its cutting-edge school-based bike and pedestrian safety skills programs to all second- and fifth-grade students in the county. The second-graders would undergo Ecology Action’s Walk Smart program while the older students would get the Bike Smart program.

“What that’s gonna do is reduce the disproportionately high youth fatality and injury rate that cities like Watsonville have for bike and pedestrian [collisions], and then … if kids are biking and walking more, even if it’s not to school, they’re in better health,” Liske says.

Ecology Action, established in 1970, has for years helped communities slowly transition away from car-centric commute patterns by helping them construct action plans that they, in turn, use to gather state and federal funding to implement road alterations promoting environmental sustainability.

Santa Cruz Gives is presented by Good Times in partnership with the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County and with support from the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County, The Applewood Fund, the Bud & Rebecca Colligan Fund, The Joe Collins Fund, Driscoll’s, Inc., Santa Cruz County Bank, Wynn Capital Management, Oswald Restaurant, the Pajaronian and the Press Banner. For a list of all nonprofits and to donate, visit santacruzgives.org.

Rob Brezsny’s Astrology: Dec. 15-21

Rob Brezsny

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December 14, 2021

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Free will astrology for the week of Dec. 15

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Key questions for you, beginning now and throughout 2022: 1. What do you need to say, but have not yet said? 2. What is crucial for you to do, but you have not yet done? 3. What dream have you neglected and shouldn’t neglect any longer? 4. What sanctuary is essential for you to visit, but you have not yet visited? 5. What “sin” is it important for you to forgive yourself for, but you have not yet forgiven yourself? 6. What promise have you not yet fulfilled, even though it’s getting late (but not too late!) to fulfill? 7. What secret have you hidden so well that you have mostly concealed it even from yourself?

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus novelist Anthony Trollope (1815–1882) took one of his manuscripts to a publishing company, hoping it would be made into a book and sold to the public. A few weeks later, he got word by mail that his masterpiece had been rejected. He took a train to the publisher’s office and retrieved it. On the train ride home, he turned the manuscript over and began writing a new story on the back of each page. He spent no time moping. That’s the spirit I recommend you embody in the coming weeks, dear Taurus.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “John Coltrane was an addict,” wrote author Cornel West about the renowned jazz saxophonist and composer. “Billie Holiday was an addict. [Nobel Prize-winning author] Eugene O’Neill was an addict. What would America be without addicts and post-addicts who make such grand contributions to our society?” I welcome West’s sympathetic views toward addicts. Many of us who aren’t addicts understand how lucky we are not to have the genetic predisposition or the traumatic experiences that addicts often struggle with. We unaddicted people may also have been spared the bigotry and abuse that have contributed to and aggravated some addicts’ addictions. Having acknowledged these truths, I nevertheless hope to do whatever I can to help you convert any addictive tendencies you might have into passionate obsessions. Now is an excellent time to launch a new phase of such work. Invitation: Make a list of three things you can do in the coming months to nurture the process.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Actor and model Kate Beckinsale unleashed a cryptic boast: “My best feature is unfortunately a private matter, although I’m told it is spectacular. But you can’t really walk it down the red carpet. What can I say?” Are you imagining what I’m imagining? I bring this oddity to your attention in the hope that I can convince you to be more forthright and expressive about your own wonderful qualities. It’s time to be less shy about your beauty, less secretive about your deep assets. Show the world why you’re so lovable.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo-born Edna Ferber (1885–1968) was a celebrated author who won a Pulitzer Prize. She was witty and outspoken. Her stories featured strong women and characters struggling against discrimination. “I never would just open a door and walk through,” she said about her career. “I had to bust it down for the hell of it. I just naturally liked doing things the hard way.” At least in the coming weeks, Leo, I urge you NOT to adopt Ferber’s attitude. In my view, you’ll be wise to do everything possible to open doors rather than bust them down. And the best way to do that is to solicit help. Cultivate your ability to ask for what you need. Refine your practice of the arts of collaboration, synergy, and interweaving.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “No one has ever written, painted, sculpted, modeled, built or invented except literally to get out of hell,” wrote Virgo dramatist Antonin Artaud. That’s a ridiculous generalization, in my opinion. For example, I occasionally generate songs, stories, and horoscopes to help me escape from a momentary hell. But most of my creations are inspired by my love of life and a desire to inspire others. I’m very sure that in the coming weeks, your own motivations to produce good things will be far closer to mine than to Artaud’s. You’re in a phase when your quest for joy, generosity, blessings and fun could be fierce and productive.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Author Barbara Sher offered this wise counsel: “Imaginary obstacles are insurmountable. Real ones aren’t.” I bring this to your attention because I believe the coming weeks will be an excellent time to identify the imaginary obstacles you’ve erected in your inner world—and then smash them or burn them or dispose of them. Once you’re free of the illusory interference, I think you’ll find you have at least twice as much power to neutralize the real obstacles.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Prolific author Ray Bradbury liked to give advice to those with a strong need to express their imaginative originality. Since I expect you will be a person like that in 2022, I’ll convey to you one of his exhortations. He wrote, “If you want to create, you must be the most sublime fool that God ever turned out and sent rambling. I wish you a wrestling match with your Creative Muse that will last a lifetime. I wish craziness and foolishness and madness upon you.” Keep in mind that Bradbury was referring to constructive craziness, wise foolishness, and divine madness.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The coming months will be a favorable time for you to redefine the meaning of the term “sacred” and to deepen your relationship with sacredness. To spur your imagination, I offer four quotes: 1. “Recognizing the sacred begins when we are interested in every detail of our lives.” —Buddhist teacher Chögyam Trungpa 2. “When you notice something clearly and see it vividly, it then becomes sacred.” —poet Allen Ginsberg 3. “Holiness begins in recognizing the face of the other.” —philosopher Marc-Alain Ouaknin 4. “Modern culture, in its advertising of sex, is in a misguided fashion advertising its longing for the sacred.” —teacher Sobonfu Somé

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn author E. M. Forster wrote, “The only books that influence us are those for which we are ready, and which have gone a little further down our particular path than we have yet gone ourselves.” I propose we universalize that statement: “The only people, information, and experiences that influence us are those for which we are ready, and which have gone a little further down our particular path than we have yet gone ourselves.” I believe this principle will be especially fruitful for you to embrace during the next three months. Prepare yourself for lessons that are vital for you to learn—and on the frontier of your understanding

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Among America’s Founding Fathers was Aquarian William Whipple (1730-1785). He was one of 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, instigating war with Great Britain. Unlike many of his colleagues, however, Whipple believed it was hypocritical to enslave human beings while fighting for freedom. That’s why he emancipated the person who had been in bondage to him. The coming months will be a favorable time to make comparable corrections, Aquarius. If there are discrepancies between your ideals and your actions, fix the problem.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): According to Piscean author Ryunosuke Akutagawa, “People sometimes devote their lives to a desire that they are not sure will ever be fulfilled.” So true! I can personally attest to that behavior. Is such a quest misguided? Delusional? Naive? Not in my view. I see it as glorious, brave, and heroic. Akutagawa did too. He said that those who refrain from having inspirational desires are “no more than mere spectators of life.” In any case, I recommend you think big in 2022, Pisces. From an astrological angle, this could be the year you home in on and refine and upgrade the single most important desire you will ever have.

Homework. Tell me your most important lesson of the year. https://Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology

Martin Ranch Winery’s Malbec is Award Worthy

Josie Cowden

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December 14, 2021

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Martin Ranch Winery’s Malbec is Award Worthy

Martin Ranch Winery’s 2017 Santa Clara Valley Malbec is a rich and silky red wine that is made under their Thèrése Vineyards label, named after winery co-owner Thèrése Martin. She and her husband Dan are both winemakers and run Martin Ranch together. The Martins’ other trademark labels are J.D. Hurley and Soulmate—all well-made wines. And kudos to David Dockendorf, their right-hand man, who oversees winemaking and production “from harvest to bottle.”

Fruit for the Malbec comes from Dos Niñas Vineyard, which lies at the foot of the Santa Cruz Mountains, producing fruit reflecting true Malbec character.

“Blackberry, boysenberry and vanilla coat the palate,” say the winemakers, “while luscious plum tannins finish off this beautiful wine.” Full of lip-smacking ripe fruit flavors, this gorgeous ruby-red Malbec ($42) is well worth a visit to Martin Ranch to taste this and all their other wines. In September, the Malbec won a silver medal in the 2021 Sunset International Wine Competition and was awarded 90 points by Wine Enthusiast.

Martin Ranch is open for tasting reservations (for up to 75 minutes) 11:30am-4pm the first and third weekend of every month. Small snacks are available for purchase, but outside food is permitted, so pack a picnic and have a good time!

Martin Ranch Winery, 6675 Redwood Retreat Road, Gilroy. 408-842-9197; martinranchwinery.com.

Pacific Catch

Pacific Catch restaurants are now expanding throughout the Bay Area, where it started, and beyond—there’s a new location coming to San Diego. We stopped for lunch recently at their Campbell restaurant in the Prunedale Shopping Center and enjoyed some items from their new menu. Our Crab Melt, Spicy Cioppino and Pan-Seared Petrale Sole were simply delicious—all perfectly presented and served. Their Crab Mashed Potatoes are absolutely scrumptious—and available a-la-carte. The restaurant company focuses on Pacific Rim seafood—“a flavor journey brought to you straight from wave to table.” Visit pacificcatch.com for more information.

Santa Cruz Restaurant Vet Jonathan Glass Revamps Avanti

Andrew Steingrube

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December 14, 2021

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Santa Cruz Restaurant Vet Jonathan Glass Revamps Avanti

Following a 25-year stint working in the Santa Cruz restaurant scene, Jonathan Glass was ready to open his own spot. But it wasn’t that easy: It took the veteran chef five years to find the perfect place. When Glass first walked into Avanti, it just felt right. Beyond the “feeling,” it had everything on his checklist: it’s a stand-alone building with a parking lot, it has an open kitchen and a liquor license. Plus, it already had a built-in Westside customer base.

Three years in, that customer base has grown due to Glass’ revamped menu, which he describes as “seasonal farm-to-table California cuisine.” In addition to the fresh seafood and pasta dishes, his slew of small plates, including a pistachio steak, are widely popular. There’s also a full bar serving up a variety of craft cocktails. Avanti is open 5-9pm, Wednesday-Sunday. Glass recently spoke about his passion for local seafood and Avanti’s outdoor space, a pandemic must-have.

Tell me about your love for local seafood?

JONATHAN GLASS: Something that really gets me excited is to offer some local seafood items that aren’t as often seen on menus around town. When I have the opportunity, I like to offer a simple dish featuring some locally sourced seafood favorites such as fresh anchovies, whole pan-roasted sand dabs and even seared mackerel. And, of course, local calamari, both traditionally fried, and we also offer a unique grilled option. I just find these less often menued seafood items really fun and flavorful, and it gives me joy to eat them and to see them on the plate going out to guests.

How has your outdoor dining space evolved?

Our outdoor patio has been a work in progress that we’re now very happy with, and it keeps our guests comfortable. It’s fully covered, with new electric heaters that pump out a lot of warmth. We have strings of lights, lots of plants and hanging ferns to really provide a garden feel. It’s even comfortable in colder weather. We also have cushioned seats and outdoor speakers for music. I’m really happy with how it turned out. It’s a really beautiful place to have a meal.

1917 Mission St., Santa Cruz, 831-427-0135; avantisantacruz.com.

Watsonville’s New Strawberry Patch Cafe Does Breakfast Right

Christina Waters

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December 14, 2021

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Watsonville’s New Strawberry Patch Cafe Does Breakfast Right

The Strawberry Patch Cafe is ready to welcome all its devoted regulars—the ones who loved it as Ella’s Café (not the same place as Ella’s at the Airport), as well as newcomers looking for delicious housemade breakfasts and lunches.

The handiwork of owners Jennifer DeVault and her twin sister Erika Conrad, the new Strawberry Patch will offer flavor invention amidst a whole new cafe look.

“It took us forever to decide on a name,” Jennifer admitted. “We’ve owned Ella’s for two-and-a-half years, the neighbors know and love the place, so we’re not making radical changes,” she told me. “Why change it?”

But there are in fact a few changes to the popular eatery on the way to downtown Watsonville. “We’re now staying open until 6pm, and we’re also open now on Sundays. That’s new,” DeVault says. “We’ve had so much business on Saturdays that we thought we should extend hours into Sunday.”

Also new: there’s now beer and wine, plus creative cocktails featuring low-alcohol spirits. DeVault said that while they do have a staff, the sisters pretty much have their hands on all aspects of the food service.

“We both do everything, the fresh soups and the specials. Yes it is a lot of work, but it’s so much fun,” she says. Both sisters have been involved in the food and beverage industry for many years. “But we always wanted to work together on a project—and now we can!”

The owner’s excitement is obvious. And the menu gives some insight as to why.

“We have pesto pasta salad, panini, soup and salad combos, fresh pastries, freshly squeezed juices, lemon mascarpone cake, red velvet cake, strawberry cheesecake and fresh soup everyday.”

And there’s more. New salads, new breakfast items like the Patch Burrito loaded with eggs, cheddar cheese, avocado, mushrooms, organic spinach, caramelized onions and choice of bacon, sausage or ham. Brie and blackened ham croissant, smoothies and espressos. I’m getting hungry just thinking about this menu! Bellinis, mimosa, bloody mary, micheladas.

Stop by and see what’s cooking at the vibrant redesigned cafe. The Strawberry Patch Cafe is located at 734 E. Lake Ave, #1 in Watsonville. Open 6:30am-6pm Mon-Sat., 7am-4pm on Sunday.

Breakfast by Candlelight

I’m not kidding. Early on, we found candlelight to start off the morning was a good way to take back the darkness from the pandemic shutdown. Eggs, toast and a pot of English breakfast tea tastes even cozier by candlelight. And now, approaching the winter solstice, mornings are so dark—and candlelight is as practical as it is soul-warming. Stop chuckling and try it for yourselves. You’re welcome.

Warm Rooms for Chilly Nights

The Rock Room at Shadowbrook comes to mind, for many reasons … sentimental dates, memorable occasions, lovely desserts … but especially during the cool weather, the room seems to glow with its own energy and romantic lighting. Shadowbrook at 1750 Wharf Rd., Capitola. 515 Kitchen & Cocktails, open Tuesday through Saturday, is one of those timeless interiors that might have been as perfect for your great-great grandfather as it is for you and your date. Love the deep plush couches and overstuffed armchairs. A vintage salon with complex Asian-fusion plates to share. An inviting outdoor patio, too, at 515 Cedar St. in downtown Santa Cruz.Mentone in Aptos Village offers a sophisticated welcome thanks to exceptional pizzas, amazing cocktails and a vivacious crowd. Warm, attentive service guarantees that you feel instantly in the right spot. 174 Aptos Village Way, Aptos.

Why Does California Have the Highest Jobless Rate in the Country?

GT Staff

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December 10, 2021

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Why Does California Have the Highest Jobless Rate in the Country?

By Grace Gedye, CalMatters

Nance Parry says she’s sent out more than 1,000 resumes since she got laid off in September 2019. She’s gotten one interview.

Just five weeks into what Parry thought would be a six-month contract, she was laid off from a job as a document specialist for an engineering firm. She says she’s sent out two to three resumes per weekday since but that’s netted a grand total of one interview, leaving her to live off of a monthly $1,200 Social Security check, $1,030 of which is used to pay rent for her apartment in Duarte.

“I’ve tried to survive, you know, paid bills and food and everything on $200 a month after the rent is paid,” Parry said. “I need to work.” She needs new glasses and electrical work done on her car, but won’t be able to pay for either of those things until she gets a new job. Her landlord has tried to evict her three times, she says, and she’s worried about what will happen when LA county’s eviction protections end in January 2022.

“I don’t know if I’m going to end up living in my car or what because without a job you can’t get an apartment,” she said.

Parry is one of roughly 1.4 million Californians who are out of work and looking for jobs. In October, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state recorded a 7.3% unemployment rate,, the highest in the country, a distinction California shares with Nevada. October’s national unemployment rate is several points lower, at 4.6%.

One contributor to the state’s lagging employment situation is that California’s large leisure and hospitality sector — made up of hotels, restaurants and more — hasn’t rebounded as quickly as the rest of the country’s. But other data suggest the news isn’t all bad: There are lots of job openings and workers are quitting their jobs in droves, which is often a sign that people are optimistic they can find a better job.

Why is California’s jobless rate bouncing back more slowly?

Even pre-pandemic, California’s overall unemployment rate was usually slightly above the national rate. But the fact that so many Californians work in the leisure and hospitality industries — which saw massive layoffs in the beginning of the pandemic — contributes to the state’s lagging employment recovery now. Leila Bengali, an economist at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, pointed out California’s leisure and hospitality sectors employed almost 18% fewer people in September 2021 than pre-pandemic, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nationwide, the industry was just 9% smaller in September than it was pre-pandemic.

One explanation for the gap between the rate at which California’s leisure and hospitality industry has recovered jobs and the rate at which the industry has recovered jobs nationally, Bengali said, is that international tourism, a large part of the state’s economy, was particularly hard hit during the pandemic. Visitors buy lunches at cafes and stay in hotels; when travel dried up, those businesses bore the brunt.

“It’s not a coincidence that two states (California and Nevada) that are heavily reliant on tourism and entertainment have not done as well, given the demise of tourism and entertainment under COVID,” said Manuel Pastor, a professor of sociology and American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California.

New York, which also has a large tourism industry, has an overall unemployment rate of 6.9%. Florida, another high-tourism state, stands apart among high-tourism states with a 4.6% unemployment rate overall. The leisure and hospitality sectors in California, Nevada, New York and Florida have all added jobs back more slowly than the sectors have nationally.

Another potential explanation comes from research by Harvard economics professor Raj Chetty and several other economists, who found that low-wage workers who worked at small businesses in high-rent zip codes — of which California has many — lost their jobs at higher rates early in the pandemic than low-wage workers who worked in small businesses in lower-rent areas.

“If you lived in East LA, but you got on your bike and a bus to get over to Beverly Hills to work in a restaurant, or to clean a house or to take care of kids, a lot of that demand disappeared,” said Pastor.

But aren’t employers struggling to fill jobs?

Yes. Walk down any commercial strip in a California city and there’s a decent chance you’ll see a ‘Now Hiring’ sign in a restaurant or shop window. Employers have been offering cash bonuses and beefed-up benefits to fill empty positions.

California’s unemployment situation “certainly isn’t a question of a lack of job opportunity; that’s not what’s going on,” said Chris Thornberg, founding partner of Beacon Economics, an economic research and consulting firm. “There are an insane number of job opportunities in our state and in the nation overall.” People may just be taking their time to find a good job, he said.

There are also some indications that lower-income families aren’t experiencing economic stress, said Thornberg. For example, the share of Californian consumers with new bankruptcies is lower than it was pre-pandemic.

A lot of the job openings also require in-person, physical work with unpredictable hours — like serving in a restaurant, or packing goods in a warehouse. Some people aren’t willing or able to do that work.

Parry is worried about working in person while the pandemic is ongoing. “I keep seeing signs in restaurants and stuff like that, it really makes me feel bad because I need work,” she said. She worked at Cost Plus over the holidays once in the past, and it made her legs hurt. “I am 71 years old,” she said. “I mean, the last thing I want is a job where I stand all day because it kills the legs and the back.”

“I think right now we’re seeing a lot of people move out of retail, leisure and hospitality and start looking for other employment,” said Somjita Mitra, chief economist at the California Department of Finance. Unpredictable schedules make it hard for workers in those industries to find child care and use public transit to get to work. “There’s going to be some structural changes in those industries long term,” she said.

It’s not all bad

Compared to California’s jobs recovery after the Great Recession — when unemployment peaked around 12.6% and took more than four years to get down to the state’s current 7.3% unemployment rate — the state’s post-pandemic recovery has been a roaring success. During the pandemic, unemployment in the state crested at 16%, but just a year-and-a-half later, that number had fallen by more than half.

If workers are holding out for jobs that better match their needs and goals, that can prompt employers to increase wages for the lowest wage workers, for example, or offer them more stable schedules — concessions that are good for the economy, said Irena Asmundson, managing director of the California Policy Research Initiative at Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and former chief economist for California Department of Finance.

“Our economy really does work better when we have more of a balance of power between employers and employees,” Asmundson said.

When will the unemployment rate come down?

A May 2021 report from the Department of Finance projected that California’s unemployment rate would return to pre-pandemic levels in 2024.

A new report from UCLA Anderson Forecast predicts that California’s unemployment rate will fall to an average of 5.6% in 2022, and will drop further to an average of 4.4% in 2023. Authors Jerry Nickelsburg and Leila Bengali also expect job growth to slow in industries with a lot of personal contact, and in sectors that cater to tourists.

It’s unclear if California’s pre-pandemic jobless rate of about 4% was sustainable, said Asmundson. There’s a sweet spot, she said, and while economists disagree on exactly what that sweet spot is, she puts it at 5% for California. She predicts we will get to that rate in mid 2022.

Other economists think we shouldn’t worry about the unemployment rate.
“Who cares?” asked Chris Thornberg. “People shouldn’t care,” he said. The more important question, he said, is whether there are job opportunities for people. “The answer is yeah, more than ever before.”

Cabrillo College Administrator Charged With Embezzlement

GT Staff

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December 10, 2021

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Cabrillo College Administrator Charged With Embezzlement

By Lucia Meza

A high-ranking administrator at Cabrillo College has been charged with embezzlement by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Paul De La Cerda, the current Vice President of Instruction at Cabrillo, faces one felony count of misappropriation of government funds, and another felony count of embezzlement of government funds stemming from his time as dean of East Los Angeles College (ELAC).

Los Angeles County DA George Gascón said in a press release that De La Cerda, 47, overbilled ELAC roughly $1,575 between March 2017 and 2019. He is accused of forging documents he submitted for reimbursement.

De La Cerda is expected to be arraigned on Jan. 7.

“My office will continue to strive to root out public corruption in order to make government clean,” Gascón said in the release.

De La Cerda was hired by Cabrillo College in June of 2021.

He has not responded to two separate requests for comment.

Cabrillo spokeswoman Kristin Fabos said that De La Cerda was still employed by the local community college but declined to comment further, citing personnel laws.

De La Cerda, according to multiple media reports, was dismissed from ELAC in March 2021 by Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) officials.

When asked about De La Cerda, a spokesperson for LACCD said they could only confirm that De La Cerda was a former employee of ELAC.

Cabrillo President Matt Wetstein said in a late October interview that De La Cerda resigned from the LACCD in June to join Cabrillo. He declined to comment further but said that the circumstances of De La Cerda’s departure from ELAC were known to him and Cabrillo’s board of trustees.

“We made a decision to hire Dr. Paul De La Cerda that followed our normal hiring process for Vice-President-level positions, and that included input from a broad representation of our College community,” he said.

He added: “We are pleased to have him as a member of the Cabrillo family.”

The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, in the Fraud and Cyber crimes division.

PG&E to Remove Tree Trunks Left During CZU Fires

GT Staff

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December 10, 2021

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PG&E to Remove Tree Trunks Left During CZU Fires

By Drew Penner

Pacific Gas and Electric Company is moving into the next phase of wildfire clean-up efforts—clearing out thick tree trunks it chopped down previously.

According to Santa Cruz County’s Office of Response, Recovery & Resilience, the electricity provider is taking action in the wake of a legal dispute.

“Under the terms of a settlement reached with the County, PG&E agreed to implement a wood waste removal program and provide additional measures meant to protect the community from the threat and impact of wildfires,” a county spokesperson said in a release. “The County filed suit with the Public Utilities Commission following complaints from impacted residents that PG&E’s vegetation management and hazardous tree removal practices following the CZU Fire were insufficient.”

In a Dec. 1 announcement, the power company said it had already started reaching out to landowners for permission to get rid of the thick tree chunks.

“With landowner permission, PG&E will begin the wood removal program in the coming weeks, weather and safety permitting,” a PG&E spokesperson said in a release. “This includes planning and implementation steps to ensure the safety and success of the program, such as environmental review, site visits, landowner coordination and resource management.”

Following the CZU Lightning Complex fires, PG&E and its tree-removal contractors raced to restore power, including inspecting and cutting down hazardous trees that put workers or electric equipment in danger.

At the time, according to PG&E, crews were able to chip wood that was less than four inches in diameter, often spreading the chips on-site.

“Because wood is considered property that legally belongs to the landowner, any wood larger than four inches in diameter was left on-site,” the company’s release states.

But PG&E got a lot of flak for leaving many felled trees to rot.

The County says PG&E’s decision not to remove large wood debris in the first place put extra burdens on homeowners.

“After hearing from our constituents, it became clear that we needed to take strong action to remedy PG&E’s neglectful actions during the recovery process,” 5th District Supervisor Bruce McPherson said. “We look forward to PG&E working more collaboratively with the County and our residents in the future to assure that their needs are met following major disaster events and outages.”

PG&E says its tree-removal contractors will carry identification with them so residents know what they’re up to.

“In response to customer and community feedback, PG&E is preparing to remove wood debris and trees that it cut down,” a spokesperson said. “For the safety of PG&E’s customers, communities and crews, wood management that may require additional equipment or coordination will be addressed once PG&E is able to determine a path forward.”

Third District Supervisor Ryan Coonerty said he’s pleased with the settlement that he says will help reduce the risk of future wildfires.

“Our role as elected officials is to look out for the interests of residents when they need us most,” he said.

Under terms of the settlement, PG&E will notify customers regarding the opt-in wood waste removal program, which expires Jan. 31.