Page 368 – Good Times

Watsonville Mayor Opposes Affordable Housing Project

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November 11, 2021

Watsonville Mayor Opposes Affordable Housing Project

The Watsonville City Council approved an agreement with the County of Santa Cruz on a proposed 80-unit affordable apartment complex that, if approved by the county supervisors, would break ground in early 2022.

MidPen Housing, a nonprofit developer, is leading the project between Atkinson Lane and Brewington Avenue on land in the unincorporated county near the city limits. It is the second phase of the Pippin Orchards development that was completed off Atkinson Lane in 2019.

The decision before the City Council Tuesday was not whether it would support the construction. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) only laid out which jurisdiction—the county or city—would be responsible for the services provided to the development and who would collect certain fees.

If approved by the county supervisors, the city, according to the MOU, would collect more than $1 million in impact fees in exchange for providing its services such as police, fire, water and solid waste. The MOU also states that the city would annex the property when completed.

The project, according to MidPen Director of Housing Development, Joanna Carmen, would also bring roughly $500,000 in fees to the Pajaro Valley Unified School District.

County staff said the item will likely go before the supervisors on Dec. 7.

Of the 80 units, 39 of them would be deed-restricted to farmworker families, 37 would be filled through vouchers from the county’s Housing Authority and all of them would be listed between 30-60% of the area’s median income.

The majority of the council supported the project, but Mayor Jimmy Dutra, whose 6th District represents neighborhoods on both sides of the proposed construction, had several concerns about its development and cast the lone ‘no’ vote against the agreement.

He had apprehensions about the additional traffic flowing through Brewington Avenue, a sleepy neighborhood of mostly upscale, single-family homes, the small amphitheater planned for the center of the property and the ongoing costs to provide services to those residents, among other things.

Dutra said that a resident in the Brewington Avenue area has told him she would put her home up for sale if the project is approved.

“This is a really tough decision, to be really impacting the traffic in that area but I guess [it’s] what we live in now,” he said.

Plans to develop that area of the city into affordable housing date back more than a decade. Initial plans set by the county and city had set out to build hundreds of units on land currently used for farming adjacent to Brewington Avenue. But a lawsuit from the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau and a subsequent settlement reached between that agency and the city in 2011 restricted the scope of the development area to only four parcels.

Two of those parcels were developed into the first phase of Pippin Orchards, and the third and fourth parcels would be used for this proposed development.

The project received a unanimous recommendation for approval from the county’s planning commission in late October.

If approved by the county supervisors in December, the project would be the third affordable housing development greenlit in the Atkinson Lane area, including the aforementioned first phase of Pippin Orchards and the 53-unit complex on the corner of Atkinson Lane and Freedom Boulevard recently approved by the City Council.

Councilmember Lowell Hurst, who has been on the City Council off and on since the late-80s, said that these plans have been in place for several decades and that he did not want to hold up the construction any longer. The project, he said, should serve as an example of why the city needs to expand and grow.

“We don’t have a whole lot of land to build anything on and this is what it kind of comes down to if we’re going to supply the kind of housing we need for farmworkers and disabled folks and others that really need housing,” Hurst said.

Councilmember Rebecca Garcia said that in Watsonville, which is home to much of the Pajaro Valley’s farmworker community, the “need for affordable housing outweighs any sacrifices that we need to make.”

Dutra said that to address that need the city and county must start working with farmers to build farmworker housing on their property, and highlighted the bill penned by local Assemblymember Robert Rivas and approved by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2019.

City Manager Search Continues

In other action, the City Council did not make a final decision on the possible appointment of an interim city manager, City Attorney Alan Smith reported out of closed session.

It was the second time the City Council talked about the issue behind closed doors—public bodies conduct closed sessions to discuss private matters such as lawsuits, employees and the purchase or lease of real property.

Earlier in the day, outgoing City Manager Matt Huffaker was appointed as Santa Cruz’s chief executive. He will take over as that municipality’s city manager on Jan. 3, 2022.

City Adopts Policy that Limits Overnight RV Parking

Aiyana Moya

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November 11, 2021

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City Adopts Policy that Limits Overnight RV Parking

Serg Kagno, executive director of Stepping Up Santa Cruz, which provides services for people experiencing homelessness, has been living in Santa Cruz since the 1990s. He loves Santa Cruz, and makes an effort to be a positive member of the community through his volunteer work.

He also lives in his van.

“I use my van to live in, and as a mobile office,” Kagno said at Tuesday’s Santa Cruz City Council meeting. “I pay taxes. I volunteer for county boards and neighborhood courts, and I worked as a consultant last year helping set up the Covid shelters and motels.”

Kagno was calling in to comment on the city’s proposal that limits overnight parking for recreation vehicles (RV). The proposal, which passed during the meeting in a 5-2 vote, was created in response to hundreds of complaints from residents. They cited concerns over RV owners dumping trash and waste onto streets, being unruly and creating an unsafe environment for their neighborhood.

But opponents of the ordinance say there are alternative ways to address these issues, such as providing free sewage dumping sites or more dumpsters where RV’s park. Not all RV owners are problematic, said City Councilman Justin Cummings, who voted against the ordinance. This new ordinance doesn’t distinguish between those who contribute to the community, and those who are disorderly, he said.

“Some of us are productive members of the community,” Kagno said. “You’re clearly making it illegal and unwelcome for those living in their RVs to live in the city and work in the city.”

The ordinance was proposed by Vice Mayor Sonja Brunner and council members Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson and Renee Golder, and will go into effect Dec. 9.

The ordinance will prohibit overnight parking for oversized vehicles on city streets unless the vehicle has a permit to be there. Residents can apply for a permit to have an oversized vehicle parked in front of their house for a few days a month. Unpermitted vehicles will be subject to fines and potentially towing. However, if RV owners attempt to participate in a safe parking program but were turned away, the fine will be waived.

Council members also upped the safe parking spaces included in the ordinance. There will be three overnight parking spaces for people to use by Dec. 9, and at least 30 additional overnight parking spaces by March, 2022.

How much will this cost the city? Similar programs that include an operator to monitor the lots and waste management for the RVs require close to $500,000 in start-up costs, and around $4 million annually.

City Councilwoman Sandy Brown joined Cummings in opposing the measure, saying that this will penalize the people experiencing homelessness.

Virtual Lit Event Celebrates Late Great Santa Cruz Writer Jory Post

Christina Waters

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November 10, 2021

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Virtual Lit Event Celebrates Late Great Santa Cruz Writer Jory Post

In his last summer, in a burst of impossible energy, Santa Cruz writer Jory Post wrote an essay every day. Post passed away in January from pancreatic cancer, and now several of his fellow writers have compiled his last pieces into a new volume of brief, tough, elegiac bursts. Titled Daily Fresh, this compilation of short pieces—fictional riffs, dreams, memories, eccentricities—pulses with the green flash at the author’s sunset. Sex, enemies, regrets, joys—nothing is off limits. Post gives us meditations on the word “verve,” the merits of the Gregorian calendar, a beloved editor he scolds as “Ms. Bossy Pants.” It is irresistible stuff, crisply observed.

With a Zoom launch for the book coming up on Friday, Nov. 12, I asked its editors to reflect on bringing Daily Fresh to life.

Kathryn Chetkovich: “I heard the pieces that make up Daily Fresh as they were being written—hearing the week’s catch was one of the agenda items of our regular Sunday morning visits—and I always looked forward to seeing how the various incidents and preoccupations of the week would get spun into the fabric of a fresh but finished essay. How Jory could begin with a single word, a memory, a “lightbulb” note in his journal, or an event in the world, and literally make something of it.

“In ‘A Shift in Focus,’ this double focus is explicit. The piece takes off from the ‘cold steel shaft piercing your brain behind the left eye,’ and it uses that intensely felt pain as ‘an entry into creativity.’ Taking that very process as its focus, the essay describes how it’s done—how it’s possible (sometimes) to ‘use the invasion as a starting point . . . have it connect to your brain and begin spewing words and thoughts from your fingers until sentences form.’ Soon we’re looking at the jay at the feeder and wondering about its navigational skills, and from there it’s on to the upcoming presidential election and a quick google search of the distance to Loma Prieta, which in turns leads to a childhood memory. The piece goes ‘sideways’ in ways that are classic Jory. And all the while, there’s his own awareness of just what he’s doing, using writing as a practice to both distract and focus his own mind. ‘Yes, this is really your only option today and every other day you have left,’ he writes. ‘So continue.’”

Paul Skenazy: “Editing Daily Fresh offered surprise after surprise. I knew a few of the essays from emails Jory wrote me in the summer of 2020 when he was at work on these pieces. Each one offered Jory the chance to wonder what he was wondering about, and to see where that wonder took him. Each essay looks at a different subject, often in startling ways. But there are continuities as well. Jory was dying; the chemo treatments were wearing him down; he had lost weight; he was in constant pain. The pandemic continued, isolating him from friends and family. His mother’s health was failing. The CZU fires raged; suddenly he and his wife Karen welcomed the newly homeless—four adults, two children, and three pets—into their home. These events commanded Jory’s attention, but don’t obstruct his view of the day, fresh if not always festive, before him. While primarily housebound, his mind and imagination traveled: to a childhood baseball game he loved to play, to learning to swim, to fried egg sandwiches, golf, his life as a teacher, friends named and anonymous. These characters, memories, and encounters offered the jumping off points for one leap of faith after another—each a daily effort to find, create, and maintain a curiosity about, as he titles one essay, ‘What’s Next?’”

Elizabeth McKenzie: “These essays represent so many facets of Jory’s incredible mind. But I’ll pick one. In ‘December 7, 1932—Santa Catalina,’ Jory admits to a fascination with small town papers and a website where they are archived. He lands on a date near to that of his mother’s birth, and soon we’re immersed in everything to do with Santa Catalina island the week of December 7, 1932. With Jory as our guide, we learn that the Cubs were holding their winter training there, that game fishers could have their catches taxidermied with ease, that the Hotel St. Catherine hosted a weekly ‘Avalon Night’ featuring a .65 cent buffet, that a collection of stories by Washington Irving was added to the high school library, that after a week’s stay the Barrymore’s left on their yacht, and that a Mrs. Orr was knocked down and seriously bruised by a large dog.

“In every one of these essays in Daily Fresh, Jory demonstrates his delight in unearthing the esoteric; he finds meaning in things others might overlook. And he communicates that delight and makes it contagious. Ordinary things become singular under his gaze. Jory read some of these essays to me on the very days they were written. I was amazed, as always, by his first draft skills, and emotionally in awe of his spirit. And it’s a privilege to be helping to bring out such meaningful literary work.”

There will be a launch party for ‘Daily Fresh’ (Paper Angel Press) on Zoom Forward on Friday, Nov. 12 from 5 to 6 pm. To register, go to santacruzwrites.org/events.

Rowdy Pop-Punk Trio Wavves Bring their High-Energy Show to Felton

Adam Joseph

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November 10, 2021

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Rowdy Pop-Punk Trio Wavves Bring their High-Energy Show to Felton

Since opening their current tour in Las Vegas on Oct. 1, Wavves has performed their brand of raucous pop-punk with sprinkles of rockabilly surf rock just about every night since; they’re scheduled to keep going at that clip until Thanksgiving. It’s hard to imagine that the last time the group performed live together was New Year’s Eve of 2019.

“I wasn’t going crazy about not playing shows, but I was definitely out of my element,” Wavves bassist Stephen Pope says before their Boise, Idaho show. “[Performing] is the only thing I’ve done for the last 15 years—it’s the only thing I’ve done as an adult is tour for a minimum of six months out of the year.”

Like most of the indie music world—those acclaimed and well-known acts who don’t need day jobs if they’re touring regularly—Pope had to get a “day job” as an Amazon delivery driver. Even Wavves’ volatile pop-punk poet, frontman Nathan Williams, had to move in with his folks in San Diego.

“I felt out of my element a lot of the time,” Pope says. “I don’t thrive on routine. I was thankful I was able to land a job during that time, but at the same time, it was driving me crazy.”

As demanding as it is to be on tour, Pope wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I’m wearing myself out, driving all day, playing in a different city every night and getting very little sleep,” he says. “People think touring in a band is like a holiday, but it is grueling work, and you’re always hungover. You have to be a psychopath to be in a band this long, but I feel like I’m back in my element.”

Wavves broke big with 2010’s King of the Beach, the outfit’s third record. It made several lists, including Pitchfork’s “Top 50 Albums of 2010.” The unpolished, hook-laden, garage rock nuggets in the vein of Dookie-era Green Day explode with more of an I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude. King of the Beach celebrated its 10th anniversary during the pandemic, and Pope says they’ll soon get around to doing something special in its honor.

Currently, Wavves is touring behind 2021’s Hideaway, their first LP since 2017 and their first record produced by TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek. After a stint with Warner Brothers, Hideaway also marks their return to Fat Possum, the label behind King of the Beach. Sitek initially connected with Williams through Instagram in 2019, inviting Wavves to record at his L.A. studio sometime.

“It’s humbling when someone like Sitek, who’s produced some of our favorite bands, like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, just comes to you and wants to work together,” Pope says. “[Sitek] became like a fifth member of Wavves. He helped write and played on songs; he wasn’t just a recording engineer; he would tell us if something sucks or tell us if something was really good or how to make something really good.”

Hideaway isn’t a significant departure from Wavves’ previous work; it’s more a return to form, a reminder of why we initially fell in love with the band. Per Sitek, the guys mainly used vintage equipment like a ’62 Fender Strat, which seems to summon doo-wop elements, early Dick Dale and even a dash of Hank Williams twang.

The record is drenched in Williams’ ever-present inner struggle and demons; the songs brim with juxtaposition, only adding depth. “Thru Hell” is a quick, upbeat jaunt with a scuzzy hook reminiscent of the Ramones. Williams’ lyrics are anything but cheery: “Like a terror taking over the Earth, like an atom bomb / Like the beauty of a mother at birth, like an animal.”

Wavves with Harmless play Sunday, Nov. 14, at Felton Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. 8pm; $22 advance/$24 doors. Proof of vaccination or negative test (within 48 hours) required. feltonmusichall.com.

Santa Cruz’s Henry Chadwick on His New Album, Tour

Aaron Carnes

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November 10, 2021

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Santa Cruz’s Henry Chadwick on His New Album, Tour

A year before the pandemic, local musician Henry Chadwick flew home from Southern California stressed out, overworked, and head buzzing with lyrics for a new song. What inspired the exhaustion was the musicians trade show NAMM, which he worked as part of Universal Audio. After a week of non-stop conversations, he felt the need to shut off completely. That is, except for the lyrics swirling in his mind that described his feeling coming off of this tiring trip.

“It’s a blast, but it was also overstimulation,” Chadwick says. “At the end of the week of a lot of conversations, you are left feeling like a little bit of a fool.”

The lyrics he wrote that day became “Bloodshot,” the opening track off of his new album, We All Start Again. “Bloodshot” is a melancholy folk-rock song that almost feels like a commentary on an ancient time, millions of years ago, when we all had busy lives, and no one imagined the world shutting down.

But back in 2019, Chadwick wasn’t just worn out from NAMM. For quite a while he’d been juggling a busy schedule that involved work, making music, touring, and no time for much else. When everything shut down in 2020, part of him felt relief that he could take a break. “Bloodshot” manages to capture the business of his pre-pandemic life, and the internal sadness it gave him.

“In 2019, and leading into the beginning of 2020, I was spread thin, and mentally exhausted,” Chadwick says. “It was a weird silver lining in the whole thing to get a chance to rest because all you were supposed to do was hunker down. The circumstances that created that were obviously not good.”

We All Start Again comes about a year after he intended its release. And it probably would have been an EP. At the end of 2019 he flew to Brooklyn to record six tracks at the now-defunct Refuge Recording Studio, an in-house recording studio owned by his record label Swoon City Records. Amid the pandemic, however, with there no longer being a rush, he and Swoon City decided to push the record back and expand it into an LP.

“The whole timeline just changed,” Chadwick says. “Take advantage of the restraints. Hunker down and work on stuff more. Everything shut down, so there was a lot of free time.”

The record is diverse, with some songs having been written before the pandemic, some written during, and some a blend. The tunes cover a range of emotions, with the pandemic songs tending to be calmer and evoking a greater sense of relief, juxtaposed with the stress and sadness of the pre-pandemic tunes. It’s also softer than his prior recordings.

“Sadness and melancholy, that’s always been in my music. But I have an impulse to sprinkle other things like anger or humor. [Now] it’s a pretty exhaustive world out there,” Chadwick says. “I like the idea of having a consistent sort of thread and sound running through a group of songs. And I wanted to make a pretty-sounding album that didn’t necessarily have to rock as hard. Next time I’ll make a full-on punk album. I don’t know.”

The album was finished for a while, but Chadwick didn’t want to release it until he could book a tour to promote it. His tour began on Nov. 5, including Mariposa, Sacramento, Chico, Blue Lake, and other towns. His final show on the run is right here in Santa Cruz.

“We’ll be getting warmed up for everybody,” Chadwick says. “Booking a tour was interesting because we had to book really far in advance and it’s trickier because restrictions were tight, and the numbers were sketchy. By the time we locked in the whole tour, it was like, it’s very fun. There’s a lot of towns we’ve never been to.”

Henry Chadwick performs at 9pm on Saturday, Nov. 13 at Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. $12/$15. 831-429-6994.

Letter to the Editor: Heart a Flutter

Letters to the Editor

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November 10, 2021

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The Western Monarch Count has reported the return of over 26,000 Monarchs to the Central Coast, over 10 times the annual count of 2020 of 1,914, an all-time low. 20,000 Monarchs have been counted in Pismo Beach, 250 in Lighthouse Field, 300 in Natural Bridges. Pacific Grove, a private site in Monterey and a site in Ventura each have 1,000-3,000 so far, with reports from other sites coming in.

It has been reported that high winds have blown the Monarchs off their migratory path inland and south, resulting in the high concentration in the Pismo area.

There still is more time for arrivals before the annual Thanksgiving Count.

This is a joyous and very hopeful sign for humanity and the planet. Welcome Monarchs!

Fiona Fairchild

Santa Cruz

This letter does 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: Outage Outrage

Letters to the Editor

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November 10, 2021

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Up here in the San Lorenzo Valley we keep having power outages and the other day an electrical engineer asked me to quote him on a battery backup system because he couldn’t work through the frequent blackouts. He claimed that PG&E has been retrofitting some new equipment that they rushed out to buy without thoroughly testing first. Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiter technology is designed to help mitigate risk by rapidly reducing electricity in a wires-down situation, reducing the potential for safety and electrical fire ignition events. Sounds good on paper, but it appears to drop out accidently and right now my neighborhood is having its second outage in 24 hours, first last night and now all day. I mention this because there’s a good chance this problem will increase knowing what a clown show PG&E runs. I’d encourage folks to reach out to their elected officials and the PUC and voice concerns because between PG&E and the equipment provider, someone has goofed and we deserve reliable power.

Carl Reuter

Land and Sea Solar, Santa Cruz

This letter does 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: Downtown Name Game

Letters to the Editor

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November 10, 2021

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Letter to the Editor: Downtown Name Game

Jacob Pierce’s front-page article “Street Fight” (GT, 11/3) gives pedestrians and cyclists downtown a boost, acknowledging the benefits a walkable and bikeable downtown will bring to everyone.

I wish that he’d be less biased about the hugely popular initiative, Our Downtown, Our Future. He even refuses to write the correct, full name of the initiative in the article.

Not journalism, Jacob, Steve and editors. The city-sponsored (Mathews’ gang) proposed mixed-use project added “an olive branch” to an atrocious parking garage and bait-and-switch Measure S library deception by adding affordable housing to the project. Good start; I’m glad power listened.

Now the voters will seal the deal with Our Downtown, Our Future. More housing, better Farmers Market, renovated historic library at Civic Center, cancelled unnecessary parking garage. Time to get the name of the initiative correct, Mr. Pierce.

Robert Morgan

Live Oak

[The article referred to the group as “Our Downtown,” a common shorthand of the name, but should have employed the full name on first reference. This error has been corrected in the online version. — Editor]

This letter does 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.

Opinion: A Long-Awaited Relief for Parents

GT Staff

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November 10, 2021

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Opinion: A Long-Awaited Relief for Parents

EDITOR’S NOTE

Parents of young children around the county have been on edge for months waiting for a Covid-19 vaccine to be approved for ages 5-11 by the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. First it was promised by the beginning of the school year, which would have eased fears considerably about the return of in-person K-12 schooling this Fall. But the date was pushed back, even as the Delta variant swept through the U.S. this summer. When Covid rates began to drop significantly in California in September and October, we still faced the unease of knowing that a huge percentage of school-age children were unprotected.

On Tuesday, Nov. 2, the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine was finally approved for kids 5 to 11. But as Guananí Gómez-Van Cortright reports in her cover story this week, Santa Cruz County schools are still in crisis mode, and there is plenty left to fix. Her story provides a sometimes unsettling window into the incredible challenges facing everyone involved in the system right now. For parents, there are even some things you haven’t thought to worry about yet. But my hope is that a fuller picture of the situation amid “the hardest school year ever” can bring understanding, empathy and solutions.

STEVE PALOPOLI | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Read the latest letters to the editor here.

Re: Hitchcock

My grandfather was his personal gardener for years. Ralph Ray lived in Felton, a few minutes drive from Scotts Valley. Supposedly there is a photo of Mr. Hitchcock holding me when I was a baby. I’m still looking for that pic.

— Michael Ray

What an interesting story and I loved Hitchcock movies and the TV show growing up. I was just in Scotts Valley; I could see why Hitchcock lived there, because it is very secluded compared to Santa Cruz. The man walking into his shadow.

— Don Collier

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER

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

GOOD IDEA

PINS AND NEED

We were brainstorming cold-weather activities—yes, it will be in the 70s again Friday, but let us have this Fall moment—when we came across the Boardwalk Bowl’s food drive, Strike Out Hunger. Bring a can of food, bowl for free. It’s probably been a while since you’ve been to a bowling alley, but it’s the season of giving, so bring a can of food and catch us rolling with the bumpers up for the greater good.

GOOD WORK

POKING AROUND

More parents can see the light at the end of this nearly two-year-long tunnel, as schools around Santa Cruz County will be hosting vaccine clinics for kids in the coming weeks, following the FDA’s green light for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to be distributed to ages 5 to 11. Find out how to schedule a vaccine appointment for your child at: santacruzcoe.org/vaccines.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“When are we going to stop putting up with the idiots in this country and just say it’s mandatory to get vaccinated? As I remember, when I went to school, you had to get a measles vaccine. You had to get a mumps vaccine.”
-Howard Stern

Things To Do in Santa Cruz: Nov. 10-16

GT Staff

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November 10, 2021

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A weekly guide to what’s happening.

ARTS AND MUSIC

A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL! Christian Youth Theater (CYT) Santa Cruz is back with a captivating live performance of “A Christmas Story, The Musical.” Based on the hilarious and heartwarming movie classic that delights audiences around the world every Christmas season, this high-energy musical follows the charming, determined nine-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest for the holy grail of Christmas gifts: an Official Red Ryder Carbine-action 200-shot Range Model Air Rifle. With dynamic music by Pasek and Paul (writers of “The Greatest Showman,” “Dear Evan Hansen” and more) and a riveting story by Joseph Robinette, this show is truly a magical treat for the whole family. CYT’s spectacular production includes every iconic scene, from the flagpole, to the leg lamp, to the pink bunny suit—this musical has it all! Kick off your glorious holiday season with CYT Santa Cruz at “A Christmas Story, The Musical,” coming to the new Performing Arts Chapel at Monte Vista Christian School November 12-14. Details and tickets available now at cytsantacruz.org. Friday, Nov. 12, 7pm. Monte Vista Performing Arts, 2 School Way, Watsonville.

CHARLEY’S AUNT Brandon Thomas’ side-splitting farce, Charley’s Aunt is playing now at Cabrillo College’s Crocker Theatre’s Blackbox Stage. Ela Delahy (played by Nichole Langmead) shares secrets with Lord Fancourt Babberley (Nathan Woodward) while Donna Lucia D’Alvadorez (Shannon Marie McDonough) eavesdrops. Performances begin on November 5th and run weekends thru November 21st. More info and tickets available thru www.cabrillovapa.com or call 831-479-6154. Rumor has it: they will sell out fast!

CELTIC TEEN BAND PROGRAM Teenage musicians ages 12-19 play in an ensemble, developing musicianship, flexibility, and musical creativity. Participants work on music from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, Norway, Sweden, and the United States, in addition to modern and more quirky pieces. Instruments welcomed include fiddle, viola, flute, tin whistle, pipes, cello, upright bass, guitar, mandolin, banjo, dulcimer, autoharp, ukulele, Celtic harp, accordion and percussion. Students must have at least two years experience on their instrument, and must be able to read sheet music and chord symbols. The group meets twice a month Wednesday afternoons from 3:30-5pm at the London Nelson Center with fiddle teacher John Weed. Cost is free-$10 per session on a sliding scale. Potential students are welcome to come for a session and see if they like it—no obligation! More information and registration at CommunityMusicSchool.org/teenband. Wednesday, Nov. 10, 3:30pm. Louden Nelson Community Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz.

HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE Holiday Open House at Stewart’s Floral. Celebrate the beginning of a joyous holiday season. Decorated Christmas trees, holiday gifts and home decor items. Featuring Mark Roberts Fairies. There will be refreshments, too. Call for more information: 831-479-0999. Saturday, Nov. 13, 10am-5pm. Sunday, Nov. 14, 10am-5pm. Stewart’s Floral, 1658 Soquel Drive #A, Santa Cruz.

LA SELVA BEACH BRANCH LIBRARY OPENING CELEBRATION AND HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR The La Selva Beach Branch Library will host activities for adults and kids indoors and on the patio. Teenage magician James Chan will walk among the crowd performing magic and card tricks from noon-1pm and 1:30-2:30pm. The Craft Fair will feature 26 vendors of fine arts and crafts. The Friends of the LSB Library will host a book sale inside the Clubhouse. LSB Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) will host a bake sale and prize raffle to help fund community emergency response needs. Come and enjoy live music in the courtyard and great eats from local food trucks. Saturday, Nov. 13, 10am-4pm. La Selva Beach Branch Library, 316 Estrella Ave., La Selva Beach.

MOUNTAINFILM ON TOUR SANTA CRUZ Mountainfilm on Tour brings a selection of culturally rich, adventure-packed and incredibly inspiring documentary films curated from the Mountainfilm festival in Telluride, Colorado. The tour will soon visit Santa Cruz with films that explore themes connected to Mountainfilm’s mission of using the power of film, art and ideas to inspire audiences to create a better world. The Rio Theatre has been organizing Mountainfilm on Tour for several years and has been working with local schools to host Mountainfilm in Education to area students. Mountainfilm is a documentary film festival that showcases stories about environmental, cultural, climbing, political and social justice issues. Mountainfilm is held every Memorial Day weekend in Telluride, Colorado. Along with exceptional documentaries, the festival goes beyond the film medium by bringing together world-class athletes, change makers and visionary artists for a multi-dimensional celebration of indomitable spirit. We will be serving Sierra Nevada Sufferfest beer with a portion of proceeds benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank. Please check the Rio Theatre Covid-19 protocols before purchasing tickets; riotheatre.com. Saturday, Nov. 13, 7pm. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz.

OUTDOOR FILM SCREENING AT GREATER PURPOSE BREWERY: UNITED AGAINST HATE As part of the national United Against Hate Week movement, SCPL has partnered with Santa Cruz County United for Safe and Inclusive Communities to bring community members together through films, conversations and actionable opportunities to prevent hate violence and to build safe, inclusive environments where everyone can participate in public life. Join us at Greater Purpose Brewery for a free outdoor screening and engaging discussion of Not in Our Town short films. This curated list of films feature how dedicated people and community groups stood, spoke and acted against hate when hate crimes were committed in their towns. A facilitated discussion will follow each film to explore what, where, why and how Santa Cruz County communities can unite against hate. Special thanks to Greater Purpose Brewery for hosting this event in their outdoor beer garden and making provisions for us to move inside in case of inclement weather. Food and beer will be available for purchase. Proof of vaccination or a mask is required for entry into the taproom. Cheers! Sunday, Nov. 14, 6pm. East Cliff Brewing Co., 21517 E Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz.

COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY PILATES MAT CLASS Come build strength with us. This very popular in-person community Pilates Mat Class in the big auditorium at Temple Beth El in Aptos is in session once again. Please bring your own mat, small Pilates ball and theraband if you have one. You must be vaccinated for this indoor class. Suggested donation of $10/class is welcome. Thursday, Nov. 11, 10am. Tuesday, Nov. 16, 10am. Temple Beth El, 3055 Porter Gulch Road, Aptos.

CUÉNTAME UN CUENTO Acompáñanos para una hora de cuentos, actividades y canciones en español. Este programa es para niños de 0-8 y sus familias. La hora será miércoles a las 4:30pm. Nos reuniremos en el porche exterior. Cuéntame un Cuento se llevará a cabo en Capitola durante el período de construcción de Live Oak. En caso de mal clima, se cancelará la hora de cuentos. Join us for Spanish Storytime, activities, and music! This program is best suited for kids ages 0-8 and their families. Storytime takes place on Wednesday at 4:30pm. We will meet on the outside porch. Storytime will take place at Capitola during Live Oak’s construction period. In the event of bad weather, storytime will be cancelled. Wednesday, Nov. 10, 4:30pm. Capitola Library A Santa Cruz City County Public Library Branch, 2005 Wharf Road, Capitola.

DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ ANTIQUE FAIRE The Santa Cruz Antique Faire is on the second Sunday of every month. Vendors offer an eclectic blend of antiques and unique items, vintage clothing, collectibles, LP’s, clothing, furniture, memorabilia, home decor and more! Sunday, Nov. 14, 9am-5pm. Downtown Santa Cruz Antique Faire, Lincoln St. between Pacific and Cedar Sts, Santa Cruz.

FELTON TODDLER TIME Join Librarian Julie on our beautiful Felton patio for Toddler Time. Toddler Time is a weekly early literacy program for families with children ages 0-3 years old. Music, movement, stories, fingerplays, rhymes, and songs are a fun way for your child to learn. Let’s play and learn together! Make sure to bring something to sit on. We ask that adults please wear a mask. Repeats weekly. Wednesday, Nov. 10, 11am. Felton Branch Library, 6121 Gushee St., Felton.

GREY BEARS BROWN BAG LINE Grey Bears are looking for help with their brown bag production line on Thursday and Friday mornings. Volunteers will receive breakfast and a bag of food if wanted. Be at the warehouse with a mask and gloves at 7am. Call ahead for more information: 831-479-1055, greybears.org. Thursday, Nov. 11, 7am. California Grey Bears, 2710 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz.

KNITTING AT THE FELTON LIBRARY Join us every Monday afternoon at the Felton Branch for a knitting party. All you need to do is bring some yarn and knitting needles. All ages are welcome. Monday, Nov. 15, 12:30pm. Felton Branch Library, 6121 Gushee St., Felton.

LA SELVA BEACH PRESCHOOL STORYTIME Join us for a fun interactive storytime. We’ll read books, sing songs and use rhythm and movement. This event is suitable for children ages 3-6 years. There will be an arts and crafts project to take home. This event will be held outside on the back patio. Please bring something to sit on and dress for the weather. Masks will be required. Repeats weekly. Tuesday, Nov. 16, 11am. La Selva Beach Branch Library, 316 Estrella Ave., La Selva Beach.

PRESCHOOL STORYTIME IN THE SECRET GARDEN Join us in the Secret Garden in Abbott Square at the MAH for storytime! We’ll share stories, songs and rhymes in a safe environment! This 30-40 minute program is intended for children aged 2-6. Do it yourself craft kits will be provided every week. Every other week we will feature STEM-related stories and concepts. Tuesday, Nov. 16, 11am. Abbott Square, 118 Cooper St., Santa Cruz.

R.E.A.D.: REACH EVERY AMAZING DETAIL R.E.A.D. is one-on-one reading comprehension instruction for readers second-12th grade. Instructors are California credentialed teachers. Sessions are 25 minutes long. By appointment only. Contact SCPL Telephone Information if you have any questions: 831-427-7713. Wednesday, Nov. 10, 3pm. Capitola Library A Santa Cruz City County Public Library Branch, 2005 Wharf Road, Capitola.

R.E.A.D.: REACH EVERY AMAZING DETAIL @ DOWNTOWN R.E.A.D. is one-on-one reading comprehension instruction for readers second-12th grade. Instructors are California credentialed teachers. Sessions are 25 minutes long. By appointment only. Contact SCPL Telephone Information if you have any questions: 831-427-7713. Thursday, Nov. 11, 3pm. Santa Cruz Public Libraries Downtown Branch, 240 Church St., Santa Cruz.

R.E.A.D.: REACH EVERY AMAZING DETAIL @ LA SELVA BEACH R.E.A.D. is one-on-one reading comprehension instruction for readers second-12th grade. Instructors are California credentialed teachers. Sessions are 25 minutes long. By appointment only. Contact SCPL Telephone Information if you have any questions: 831-427-7713. Wednesday, Nov. 10, 3pm. La Selva Beach Branch Library, 316 Estrella Ave., La Selva Beach.

GROUPS

ENTRE NOSOTRAS GRUPO DE APOYO Entre Nosotras support group for Spanish speaking women with a cancer diagnosis. Meets twice monthly. Registration required, please call Entre Nosotras 831-761-3973. Friday, Nov. 12, 6pm. WomenCARE, 2901 Park Ave., Suite A1, Soquel.

S+LAA MENS’ MEETING Having trouble with compulsive sexual or emotional behavior? Recovery is possible. Our small 12-step group meets Saturday evenings. Enter through the front entrance, go straight down the hallway to the last door on the right. Thursday, Nov. 11, 6pm. Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center, 2900 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz.

WOMENCARE ARM-IN-ARM WomenCARE Arm-in-Arm Cancer support group for women with advanced, recurrent, or metastatic cancer. Meets every Monday, currently on Zoom. Registration is required, call WomenCARE at 831-457-2273. All services are free. For more information visit womencaresantacruz.org. Monday, Nov. 15, 12:30pm. WomenCARE, 2901 Park Ave., Suite A1, Soquel.

WOMENCARE TUESDAY SUPPORT GROUP WomenCARE Tuesday Cancer support group for women newly diagnosed and through their treatment. Meets every Tuesday currently on Zoom. Registration required, call WomenCARE 831-457-2273. Tuesday, Nov. 16, 12:30-2pm. WomenCARE, 2901 Park Ave., Suite A1, Soquel.

WOMENCARE: LAUGHTER YOGA Laughter yoga for women with a cancer diagnosis. Meets every Wednesday, currently via Zoom. Registration is required, please call WomenCARE at 831-457-2273. Wednesday, Nov. 10, 3:30-4:30pm. WomenCARE, 2901 Park Ave., Suite A1, Soquel.

OUTDOOR

CASFS FARMSTAND Organic vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers are sold weekly at the CASFS Farmstand, starting June 15 and continuing through Nov. 23. Proceeds support experiential education programs at the UCSC Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems. Friday, Nov. 12, Noon-6pm. Tuesday, Nov. 16, Noon-6pm. Cowell Ranch Historic Hay Barn, Ranch View Road, Santa Cruz.

HISTORIC RANCH GROUND TOUR Discover what life was like a century ago on this innovative dairy ranch. This hour-long tour includes the 1896 water-powered machine shop, barns and other historic buildings. The vehicle day-use fee is $10. For more information, call 831-426-0505. Spaces are limited and early pre-registration is recommended. Attendees are required to self-screen for Covid-19 symptoms when pre-registering. Masks and social distancing are also required at all programs. Saturday, Nov. 13, 1-2pm. Sunday, Nov. 14, 1-2pm. Wilder Ranch State Park, 1401 Coast Road, Santa Cruz.

SUNSET BEACH BOWLS Experience the tranquility, peace and calmness as the ocean waves harmonize with the sound of crystal bowls raising vibration and energy levels. Every Tuesday one hour before sunset at Moran Lake Beach. Call 831-333-6736 for more details. Tuesday, Nov. 16, 6:30-7:30pm. Moran Lake Park & Beach, East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz.

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