In 2009, Jenny Donโt formed the unhinged punk rock band Donโt, backed by members of veteran Portland punk groups like The Wipers, Poison Idea, Pierced Arrows and P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S. Together, everyone wrote raging punk rock songs, with Jenny contributing cathartic, powerful vocals.
But then a few years later, Jenny set out to write some songs on her own, but they were much different: in the vein of Patsy Cline and Hank Williams. Itโs just how they came out.
โI love writing country songs. I don’t know where it comes from necessarily,โ Jenny says. โI grew up in rural Washington, but my momโs side of the family all lives in New Mexico. I love the desert imagery. I like singing songs about the desert more than I like being in it.โ
For a while, this Jenny Donโt and the Spurs project was something she did on the side. It even featured many of the same punk musicians. But then the cowboy-hat-wearing, good-time country side project was getting better and more frequent offers than Donโt. The music makes people feel good. And Jenny even makes her own outfits for the band.
โThe Spurs can play breweries. We can play restaurants and venues,โ Jenny says. โWe can play a mellow set, or like we played with the Flesheaters. For that one, weโre like, โWeโre going to play more of our faster punk rock country songs.โ It was a lot easier to book that band.โ
Old country and western is quite popular currently in the Americana scene, but a lot of bands are pulling from the โ70s era, with Gram Parsons being a primary influence. The Spurs go back a little further to the up-tempo sounds from the โ50s and โ60s, which to some might seem more lighthearted. Jenny likes how the music gets people dancing, and that if you dig back in it, itโs sort of strange.
โโ70s country is good, but it doesnโt knock my socks off. Itโs okay, but it doesnโt make me want to party. Unless weโre talking about Johnny Paycheck, but his songs are just funny because heโs such a weirdo,โ Jenny says.
Jenny Donโt and the Spurs take influence from some of the oddball country artists from back in the day that were less known, and who highlight some of the stranger elements of the Americana culture. Jenny cites Oregonian Buzz Martin, who penned several songs about logging, as well as fellow Pacific Northwesterner Bonnie Guitar. She also loves artists like Johnny Bond, who wrote several truck driving songs, and Johnny Western, who wrote a song called โLight the Fuse,โ about miners getting blown up while they were working.
โItโs so easy to be like, โHereโs another song about whiskey.โ Well, okay, sure. But this guy is writing about getting blown up in a mine. Thatโs weird,โ Jenny says. โItโs just super rocking. We start going down that wormhole, like, Johnny Western and Johnny Bond. I like pulling from that well.โ
โLight the Fuseโ inspired Jenny to write the song โFire on the Ridge,โ her own song about miners getting trapped by a fire. Itโs the title track on the Spurs latest album, which was released in June 2021 after much delay. This record was the product of the Spurs becoming a more serious outfit. In 2018, a year after the Spurs released Call of the Road, she noticed that it was becoming harder to sing. Two bands were too many for her vocal cords, so she chose the Spurs because the songs felt more special to her.
In 2019, it got to be so bad that when they tried to record Fire On The Ridge, it sounded terrible.
โI wasnโt able to hit any notes. It sounded like a 100-year-old mummy was trying to sing,โ Jenny says.
In September of that year, she got vocal cord surgery. After healing up, she was able to sing like normal again, and re-recorded her vocals. Now (and after also enduring a global pandemic) the group is back in full form.
โIt was a great feeling. I think we did it in two days for all the vocals,โ Jenny says. โItโs so nice to feel like how I always felt.โ
Jenny Donโt and the Spurs will play at 9pm on Saturday, Jan. 15 at Moeโs Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $15/adv, $20/door. (831) 479-1854.
I am writing this in response to the โBrain Supplements” section of your article โAsk Scienceโ (GT, 1/5), which I feel is not accurate, and is misleading to your readers.
I am a Ph.D Nutritional Scientist and researcher with over 45 years experience and author of several hundred published articles, and was previously a columnist for the Press Banner.
The article has a quote from a neurologist who I am sure is very competent in her field, but lacks credibility in her comment: โThere really isnโt evidence to suggest that any particular vitamin or supplement can help improve or reverse cognitive changes.โ
I am very sorry Dr. Hellmuth, but you seem to have missed hundreds of scientific studies that disprove your statement.
I have included several studies in this letter, but I am prepared to provide additional scientific studies to prove my point.
The following findings were presented at the 14th Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) on November 10, 2021, in Boston. The placebo-controlled study included 2,262 adults aged 65 and over without dementia who underwent cognitive tests at baseline and annually for 3 years. The average age at baseline was 73 years, and 40.4% were men.
โDaily multivitamin-mineral supplementation appears to slow cognitive aging by 60%, or by 1.8 years,โ said study researcher Laura D. Baker, PhD, professor, Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She continues โOur study provides new evidence that daily multivitamin supplementation may benefit cognitive function in older women and men.โ
In a Feb 2017 study published in The Annals of Pharmacotherapy, researchers analyzed 5,269 men and women, and compared to non-supplementers, those who supplemented with vitamin C and/or vitamin E had a 38% lower adjusted risk of all-cause dementia and a 40% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. They also had a 23% lower risk of developing cognitive impairment.
In a 2020 randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, researchers concluded: โVitamin D supplementation for 12 months appears to improve cognitive function through reducing oxidative stress … Vitamin D may be a promising public health strategy to prevent cognitive decline.โ
Researchers in a randomized controlled trial published in a 2021 issue of the Journal of Alzheimerโs Disease reported: โFolic acid and DHA [from Omega 3 fish oil] improve cognitive function.โ
Research findings in Evidence Based Complementary Alternative Medicine (2011) indicate that Lionโs Mane (a nutritional mushroom) may have potential in stimulation of neurons to regrow in the treatment of senility, Alzheimerโs disease, repairing neurological trauma from strokes, improving muscle or motor response pathways and cognitive function.
I appreciate the honest and accurate information your paper usually provides; however, your article on brain supplements has more holes than swiss cheese.
I would hope you would provide your readers with accurate information on how nutritional supplements can benefit their lives and improve their brains.
Thank you for the opportunity to express my opinion.
Richard Goldberg
Felton
This letter does not necessarily reflect the views of Good Times.To submit a letter to the editor of Good Times: Letters should be originalsโnot 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.
I have to admit it felt like March of 2020 all over again when Jana Marcus of Actorsโ Theatre told me last week that the companyโs famed 8 Tens @ 8 festival would be going virtual this year due to the highly transmissible Covid variant Omicron. We had already planned a cover story on the big changes at Actorsโ Theatre to run this week, in advance of the festival, and combined with all the live music events that have been cancelled in the last couple of weeks, the news about 8 Tens definitely gave me flashbacks to the beginning of the pandemic, when weeks worth of stories had to be scrapped, and for a while we seemed to need a cover story every other week just to write about all the sectors that were affected by the shutdown.
I think whatโs different this time is very interesting, though. This time, Actorsโ Theatreโs new Executive and Artistic Director Andrew Ceglio was prepared, as he had already arranged for a crew to film the performances for virtual viewing. The groupโs plan could be a map for how stage companies deal with pandemic productionsโand really, even post-pandemic productionsโin the future, and Christina Waters did a great job of pivoting on this cover story to explain the significance of how this played out.
Last week, I promised an article wrapping up Santa Cruz Gives, and Johanna Miller has a story on the final total and why it matters in this issue.
Also, just a reminder to go to goodtimes.sc and vote for your favorite people and businesses in the Best of Santa Cruz County balloting!
Many of us wouldnโt have even survived without the help. Frankly, the impact of the pandemic is still being felt. Thank you for bringing light to this.
โ Mandy Fard
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GOOD IDEA
KIDS NEED A BOOST
In this issue, youโll find multiple stories about the Omicron variant. Hereโs one more reminder: the Pfizer Covid-19 booster shot has been approved for 12-to-15 year olds. Be sure to schedule an appointment to protect your children. A third dose is also available for certain immunocompromised children between the ages 5 and 11. For a list of local Covid-19 vaccine providers, visit www.santacruzhealth.org/coronavirusvaccine.
GOOD WORK
DIY LAWMAKING
If youโve ever thought โthere ought to be a law for that,โ now is your chance to make that law happen. In fact, Assemblymember Robert Rivasโ new program is called There Ought to Be a Law, and heโs currently accepting entries for new laws. Rivas represents Californiaโs 30th Assembly District, which includes parts of Watsonville. Learn more at a30.asmdc.org.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
โCreativity is always a leap of faith. You’re faced with a blank page, blank easel, or an empty stage.โ
Actor Willem Dafoe once said, โWith theater, you have to be ready for anything.โ Nobody knows that better than the intrepid producers of Santa Cruzโs Actorsโ Theatre, who were poised to plunge into a season of live theater this week with the celebrated 8 Tens @ Eight festival.
Alas, realityโin the form of the Covid-19 Omicron variantโbrought down the house. In a heartbreaking, yet not entirely unexpected development, the 8 Tens @ Eight festival has been canceled for 2022.
โActorsโ Theatre has worked so incredibly hard to get to the point of finally opening,โ says new Executive and Artistic Director Andrew Ceglio. โBut with the Omicron data, and if things continue on their present course, our run of the 8 Tens would fall right at the peak of this current Covid surge.โ
Luckily, Actorsโ Theatre had already been looking ahead, and used grant funds to hire a film crew to document the entire suite of plays. The crew was in place over the weekend to capture live performances for future on-demand viewing. So while the live theater experience must wait a while longer, the enjoyment of savoring the workโthe dramatic tension and comic surprise of these playsโwill still be available. Itโs a clever and forward-looking way of snatching theatrical victory from the mouth of defeat.
ย โThis is the way of the future,โ Marketing Director Jana Marcus told me shortly after the tough decision was made. โAt Actorsโ Theatre, we are so fortunate to produce original content that is not beholden to large licensing houses. With the on-demand platform, Actorsโ Theatre will be able to reach a wider audience for what is the longest-running short play festival in America.”
8 Tens founder and longtime Actorsโ Theatre director, Wilma Marcus, believes in the company โthat is deeply a part of the Santa Cruz artistic community, supported over the decades by many, many writers, theatre lovers and theatre professionals.โ
Marcus is pleased with the hiring of Ceglio to inherit the helm of the iconic local company. โIโm happy to have handed the baton to Andrew Ceglio. He is multi-talented, very dedicated to Actorsโ Theatre and has come on board at just the right moment to bring new energy, new enthusiasm and lots of hands-on experience with the many aspects of theatre arts,โ she says. โWe are in good hands with this transition.”
Andrew Ceglio singing with the Cabrillo Jazz Band in 2012. First known to local audiences as a performer, Ceglio recently took over as Executive and Artistic Director for Actorsโ Theatre. PHOTO: JANA MARCUS
Holding Patterns
During the unpredictable pandemic, performance venues and organizations have been stuck on hold, hoping for a thaw that would allow for live audiences and actors on stage once again. Actorsโ Theatre leaders went to great lengths to try to ensure that a live theater season would be possible this year, including selling only half the seats for each performance, allowing more space between patrons and installing a new HEPA filtration system that circulates fresh air every seven minutes and meets current CDC regulations. They also required that all actors, staff and audience require proof of full vaccination.
At the center of things, holding the moving parts together, has been Managing Director Jana Marcus.
โDuring the two years of the pandemic, we lost Bonnie Ronzio, who as producer ran everything, but we also gained the lease to the Center Stage Theater, which had previously been with Jewel Theatre. Both those events involved unraveling the past and rebuilding the future,โ says Marcus. โPreparing a show after two years involved mundane things like just trying to figure out what was in our storage unit for props, to really huge things like Wilma stepping down and handing the reins to Andrew to run the company as Executive and Artist Director. It has been a round-the-clock experience since late October, with donor drives, season announcements, building new procedures and protocols, receiving grants and allocating for them, website updates, hiring staff, buying equipment, etc.โ
The companyโs backup planโfilming to preserve the performancesโpredicted the future and offered a salvage strategy.
โTicket holders of the canceled sold-out run of the 8 Tens festival will have options,โ a disappointed but determined Marcus told me last week. โActorsโ Theatre will be contacting patrons shortly with options of either a refund or to seamlessly move their purchase to the on-demand platform to view the film in February.โย ย ย
Ceglio in Cabrillo Stageโs 2019 production of โInto the Woods.โ PHOTO: JANA MARCUS
New Direction
โI am the type of person who has backup plans for my backup plans,โ admits Ceglio. โThe pandemic has in many ways provided all companies with the opportunity to reinvent themselves.โ Well-known to local theatergoers for his acting chops, Ceglio came on board last year when 8 Tens founder Wilma Marcus announced her intention to retire. After years of working in almost every possible nook and cranny of actingโproducing and directing in the Santa Cruz area as well as film production work in Los Angeles between 2014 and 2018โCeglio was hungry to get back into live theater.
โI did some minor directing here and there in the Santa Cruz areaโCompany at Cabrillo Stage, as well as directing one play for 8 Tens in 2016,โ he says, โbut my work with Actorsโ Theatre had been minimal. Then Wilma Marcus called me last January. Bonnie [Ronzio] had just died and Wilma wanted some new person in place so she could retire.โ
Ceglioโs immediate response was, โAbsolutely, 100 percent yes!โ Itโs a phrase he pulls out of his repertoire in the blink of an eye. And itโs an attitude that bodes well for the future of the 26-year-old theater company.
Ceglio had his eye on the future when he came on board last year, first as Associate Art Director, โessentially shadowing Wilma, and learning the ropes,โ then more recently as Artistic Director. โOne of my big pushes for this coming year will be to establish a strong online and social media presence for Santa Cruz Actorsโ Theatre. As much as I would love for things to be the old-school way of networking and connecting in person, this is the age we live in now, and there are some strong benefits to developing this aspect of the company.โ
Ceglio originally suggested the filming of the 2022 8 Tens performances, because โit will help audience expansion, and would be a guarantee that should things get bad, Covid-wise, we would have a high-quality video.โ Ceglio reasoned that โthe company would still have a revenue stream, should performances need to be abridged due to pandemic considerations.โ A crystal ball couldnโt have done better.
โRegardless of what happens with the pandemic or when it may subside, being able to offer our productions through an on-demand or livestream format is something that I plan to make a permanent fixture of the company,โ he says. โActorsโ Theatre is fortunate to have a long history of fostering and collaborating with new artists and new works, many which are unlicensed properties. This provides many benefits: it allows us more flexibility when it comes to on-demand or livestreaming contracts, and it makes it possible for playwrights to have more freedom and be more involved with the negotiation process of how their work is presented.โ
Ceglio was intimately involved in programming the rest of the current season. All three of the post-8 Tens plays are by emerging playwrights, including The Milkcrate Monologues, written by Ron Johnson, a local hip-hop artist who lives half the year in L.A.
โThe piece fuses theater, married with hip hop,โ Ceglio says. Thatโs where his longtime L.A. contacts came in handy. โAbsolutely 100%. And I have already scouted a 2023 season as well,โ he says, adding that during the off-season he plans outreach with the community, โlooking for more local artists here in Santa Cruz.โ
Known to locals for his work as an actor with Cabrillo Stage, Ceglio admits that for the last eight years heโs been more focused on directing and producing.
โIโm being selective about on-stage roles. But the stage is always my first home,โ he says. โItโs so seductive.โ
Space-Time Compression
The ten-minute lifespan of the season-opening 8 Tens is what makes them so appealing. โThe challenge here is telling a satisfyingly complete storyโwith a beginning, middle, and endโin such a short span of time,โ explains Santa Cruz playwright Kathryn Chetkovich. โItโs not just a situation or an evocation of a mood, but a full narrative arc, with characters who want things and risk things and find themselves saying things we suspect theyโve never said before, and where something ultimately happens that you didnโt expectโbut that nevertheless feels inevitable when it does.โ
Local theater veteran Gail Borkowski was deep into rehearsal when I caught up with her last week, just before the filming of the 8 Tens play she directs, โAre You One of Those Robots?โ I was in the audience several years ago for Borkowskiโs playwriting debut at Actorsโ Theatre, Waking Up, about a white couple that goes to bed one night and wakes up the next morning as African-Americans. The play was a vivid, funny and wildly surprising wake-up call to everyone watching. It did, in a mere ten minutes, exactly what good theater should do.
โThe 10-minute play is 10 pages long,โ Borkowski says. โTelling a complete story in such a short time, itโs pretty phenomenal.โ
She likes the 8 Tens format โbecause itโs short, not as many rehearsals, not as many schedules to coordinate. It is part of what excites me. The magic from rehearsing in a living room to moving into working with lighting and props, then finally to the stage.โ
The pandemic has changed much about bringing a play to life. โAs theatre people, weโre passionate. Weโre huggersโIโm a hugger,” Borkowski says with a laugh. โAnd even though that has been compromised, Iโm so thrilled being in this community. The journey is as exciting as the arrival.โ
When the lights go down and actors appear live onstage, we in the audience are plunged into another world, a world of the imagination. Our daily lives melt away and a place and time weโve never experienced before materializes before our eyes. Complete magic. The challenge for us now is to watch the short plays on our screens and suspend disbelief, fall under the spell of actors, words and movement, and let the magic emerge.
โWhere many people just see roadblocks and the departure from the old ways,โ says Ceglio, โI see opportunities and possibilities for us to become even more creative with how and where we can provide enriching theater experiences.โ
Actorsโ Theatre โ8 Tens @ 8โ Short Play Festival
โAโ NIGHT
WONDER PEOPLE by Madeline Puccioni. Directed by Hannah Eckstein.
ARE YOU ONE OF THOSE ROBOTS? by Dierdre Gerard. Directed by Gail Borkowski.
ME AND HIM by Michael John McGoldrick. Directed by Andrew Davids.
NOBODYโS HERO by Charles Anderson. Directed by Evan Hunt.
FREE HUGS by L. H. Grant. Directed by Marcus Cato.
OLD AQUATICS by Steven Kobar. Directed by Gerry Gerringer.
TOGETHER AT LAST by Stella Pfefferkorn (YoungPlaywrights Festival Winner). Directed by Kathie Kratochvil.
KEW GARDENS by James Armstrong. Directed by Bill Peters.
GOD ON THE COUCH by Dan OโDay. Directed by Peter Gelblum.
โBโ NIGHT
STRESS FOR SUCCESS by Terrence Patrick Hughes. Directed by Kathie Kratochvil.
GONE by AJ Davey Ouse (Young Playwrights Festival Winner). Directed by Andrew Ceglio.
ROSA & LEO by Adam Szudrich. Directed by Jim Schultz.
THE MALTESE WALTER by John Minigan. Directed by Cathy Warner.
DITMAS by Glenn Alterman. Directed by Helene Simkin Jara.
THE CORIOLUS EFFECT by Robert Lynn. Directed by Anita Natale,
SLOW DATING by Adam Szudrich. Directed by Buff McKinley.
UNHEARD by Glenn Alterman. Directed by Sarah Albertson.
DRESS BLUES by Donald J. Loftus. Directed by Karin Babbitt.
Live performances have been cancelled, but the performances will be available on-demand virtually. Go to santacruzactorstheatre.org for streaming options. Send email inquiries to AT****************@***il.com
Just when it started to feel like many parts of life were returning to normal, everyone and their mother got Covid-19.
Health officials first identified cases of the Omicron variant in Santa Cruz County on Dec. 21 from tests taken on Dec. 16 and 17. Shortly after that, the average number of new daily cases in the county skyrocketed from around 40 to over 110โan increase of more than 187%.
Models forecast that new daily infections will continue increasing in the near future. Some reports suggest the new variant causes more mild sicknessโespecially in vaccinated peopleโbut its transmissibility still makes it likely to overwhelm the healthcare system.
In a Jan. 5 press release, county officials urged people with mild to moderate cases to stay home and consult outpatient primary care providers rather than crowd emergency rooms.
In the same release, Santa Cruz County Deputy Health Officer Dr. David Ghilarducci emphasized the importance of getting vaccinated.
โThe best defense against serious illness and hospitalization from Covid-19 is to get vaccinated. If you have not gotten vaccinated or boosted and are eligible, please do so now. Do it for yourself, your family and your community, including the health care workers we depend on to be there when we truly need emergency care,โ he said.
Wearing masks and getting tested can also help keep numbers down. Santacruzhealth.org lists testing locations, but recent surges have overwhelmed some sites.
As cases increase and information changes, it can be tough to keep track of the latest recommendations. UCSC infectious disease ecology professor Marm Kilpatrick has kept an eye on and contributed to Covid-19 research throughout the pandemic. He recently sat down to answer some common Covid-19 questions over email. His answers have been slightly edited for clarity.
What makes Omicron so easily transmissible? How is it different than past variants?
MARM KILPATRICK: Omicron appears to be both inherently more transmissible, and is much better able to infect people that have immunity from vaccination or previous infection.
How long are people contagious for? The CDC currently recommends isolating for five days. Is that enough?
There isnโt great data from transmission studies on this yet, but available data indicate that a non-trivial fraction of people is infectious for more than the five days implied by the CDC recommendations. The CDC recommendations were a pragmatic move to make it easier for organizationsโbusinesses, hospitals, schools, etc.โto continue to operate when 5-15% of their staff are testing positive in a single week. Thatโs why California rightly includes a negative test taken at least five days after testing positive before stopping isolation.
Was the current spike caused by holiday travel, and is it expected to calm down anytime soon?
The current spike is a combination of the spread of the new variant (Omicron) plus holiday gatherings and travel. But even without holidays, Omicron is so transmissibleโincluding in vaccinated or previously infected peopleโthat it will continue to spread rapidly in January. Models suggest the Omicron surge will likely peak in late January or early February in many parts of the U.S., including California. But there is substantial uncertainty because human behavior can slow down or speed up transmission substantially.
Why is Omicron harder to detect with tests? Is a throat swab better than a nasal swab?
Itโs not harder to detect Omicron, except if tests use a single gene marker where Omicron has a mutation. Antigen tests are likely not less sensitive, in contrast to FDA reports. There is growing evidence that a combination of the throat and nasal swabs is better at detecting the virus, especially earlier in infection. There are many videos circulating on how to safely do a throat swab.
[Kilpatrick references a Dec. 28 Twitter thread from Michael Mina, a former Harvard Medical School epidemiologist and immunologist who recently became Chief Science Officer of at-home testing company eMed. Mina called the FDAโs statement that rapid tests may have reduced sensitivity to Omicron โinsane,โ and counters the announcement with two main points:
1) Antigen, or rapid tests, detect a part of Omicron that is not mutated.
2) Given equal amounts of Delta and Omicron, the tests perform the same. But on day one of infection, there might be less of Omicron to detect. So all types of tests will have a harder time detecting it on the first dayโnot just rapid tests. A few studies have suggested that early on, the variant appears more in saliva than in nasal mucus, which is why some officials now suggest throat swabs over nasal swabs.]
How long after being exposed should people get tested, and are rapid tests still reliable?
This question has a complex answer and depends on whether people are vaccinated or not, and which variant. Omicron appears to have a shorter incubation periodโthe time from infection to symptom onset. But a simple [answer] is that if people wait until day seven and then get tested, mostโbut not allโinfections will be detected.
Weโve seen advice about masksโwhat type to wear, when to wear them, how often to change them or clean them, etc.โchange over the course of the pandemic. How can people best protect themselves and their communities against this variant?
There is a gradient in mask quality (worse to better): gaiters, cloth masks, surgical/procedural masks, N95/KN95. But at least as important as the mask is how well it fits your face. If most of the air you breathe is passing through the mask, then it is doing its job. If it’s passing around the mask (i.e. out the sides/top) then even an N95 will be relatively ineffective.
Is anyone working to develop more effective vaccines for different variants? Are there predictions about what the virus might look like in the future?
Yes, the big vaccine companies are making Omicron-specific vaccines. But these havenโt been tested for efficacy yet, and it will likely be several months before they are available if they turn out to be substantially more effective than the current vaccines. Itโs also possible that Omicron will be replaced by another variant by the time they are available.
How do vaccines and herd immunity affect the evolution of new variants?
Immunity reduces transmission of the virus, which reduces the evolution of new variants. But if protection isnโt complete then their immunity can select for variants that evade immunity and enable infection. However, our immune system has multiple arms, and some of the arms that prevent severe disease (e.g. T-cells) are much more effective against a range of variants than the part of our immune system that stops infection (antibodies).
If someone who has not received a booster or a vaccine tests positive for Omicron, should they still get a shot once they recover?
Definitely. There is very strong evidence showing that people who have been infected but not vaccinated have some protection, but those that have been vaccinated after being infected have much stronger and broader protection.
Are there any common misconceptions about this variant youโd like to clear up?
Probably too many to mention.
In the spring of 2020, you made a point of emphasizing that outdoor activities were safe. Are they less safe now?
People have been asking if they should wear masks on their outdoor walks, even if theyโre not encountering many people. As noted above, Omicron is more infectious and can infect immune individuals much more easily. So, all activities are less safe. However, outdoor activities are still much, much safer than indoor activities. So people should still meet non-household members outdoors whenever possible, and if they canโt maintain a little bit of space (i.e. if they are going to talk face to face less than 3 feet apart) then a mask could help. But going for a walk when you donโt stop to talk to a person up close is still very low risk.
In 2020, there were certain sectors singled out as high-risk: hair salons, gyms, movie theaters. Has your view of the risk at any of those changed? With Omicron, do they now seem any riskier than other indoor locations?
The relative riskiness of different activities has not changed. All activities where you spend sustained time inside breathing air that other people have breathed are higher risk, and activities in which you spend more time or people breathe more heavily are higher risk. But, as noted above, with Omicron, the risk of all activities is higher.
In the final tally, the seventh annual Santa Cruz Gives crowdfunding campaign raised $1,069,088 million for local nonprofit organizations over the holiday season, far surpassing its goal of $900,000, and topping last yearโs total by more than $350,000.
The milestone was reached after the campaign doubled in size, featuring 80 nonprofits on its online platform. Individual donors, matching funds, challenge gifts and more contributed to its success.
โWe are overjoyed,โ says Gives organizer Jeanne Howard. โThis communityโs generosity has been incredible.โ
Originally heralded as โa new way to give,โ Santa Cruz Gives has now completed its seventh drive. It has grown each year, both in the number of nonprofits accepted and money raised. 2020โs campaign raised $709,617, a 73% increase over 2019โs total. The decision to take on twice as many organizations this year came after the Human Race, an annual walk/run event that had been held for more than 40 years, was officially retired in 2021. Gives saw a gap forming in nonprofit support.
โItโs been a lot more work, having twice as many groups,โ Howard admits. โAnd itโs been challenging for the donors. It forces them to narrow down their focus, make tough decisions on who to support. Each page provides compelling work, so it can be hard to choose. But it has also expanded our network. More nonprofits, and their supporters, are now involved.โ
Because of its rapid growth, Gives increased its publicity, going to radio stations, newspapers, distributing posters and more to increase awareness. Howard says that the organizations also โstepped upโ their outreach.
โWe are a platform, and they have to work the platform,โ she says. โItโs like we are a wave and they are the surfer; theyโve got to work it.โ
As for donors, Howard says they saw more people than usual donating to different organizations. Usually, donors tend to give to similar groups, but this year was different.
โWe still see people giving to like-minded organizations, however, this year people also chose random, unrelated groups,โ she says. โMaybe they saw something that moved them, or had personal connections. It was interesting.โ
The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter (SCCAS) was the leader in donations, raising $101,226. Program Director Erika Smart says the organization will use the funds raised to help support their campus expansion, now in its first phase, with the purchase of furniture, cat trees, equipment for the spay/neuter clinic and more.
โConstruction is expensive,โ Smart says. โWe had raised money for that, but now weโre trying to furnish the space. For everything that will be going inside our new cat and rabbit rooms, and to supply our spay and neuter clinic.โ
Early on in the campaign, SCCAS hosted an event at the shelter to spotlight the participating nonprofits. Groups set up tables in order to showcase what they do for the community. The event also allowed the nonprofits to network with each other.
โIt was a really cool thing to see what everyone is working on,โ Smart says. โIt was inspiring. It really promotes this sense of togethernessโhow weโre all working for the betterment of our community.โ
Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries followed SCCAS in total donations with $60,350, and Dientes Community Dental came in third with $49,520.
Sheree Storm, Chief Development Officer at Dientes, says that funds raised will support the groupโs Dientes Cares for Kids program, which provides free dental services for low income, uninsured children in Santa Cruz County.
โThis support has a lasting impact on our community’s children, helping them focus on school instead of a toothacheโone of the most common reasons low-income kids miss school,โ Storm says.
Howard says there were some โwonderfulโ surprises this year, including the small nonprofit Live Like Coco, which aims to to provide local children with various educational opportunities, raising $20,300.
Howard says that supporting nonprofits is โvitalโ for a community.
โPeople know about government, they know businesses,โ Howard says. โBut thereโs a nonprofit sector people donโt know anything about. We hope to reach more people to understand how the sector helps our community. New donors are the lifeblood of nonprofits, like new customers are to businesses.โ
Looking ahead, Gives organizers hope to secure more matching funds, which greatly help nonprofits during the campaign. They also want to hear from donors about how they are using the website and any suggestions they have.
โWe want Santa Cruz Gives to become so well-known that it takes the burden off the nonprofits entirely,โ Howard said. โWe want to make it a household name in this community.โ
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The coming months will be an excellent time for you to explore the art of Soulful Bragging. Do you deserve any of the titles below? If so, feel free to use them liberally throughout 2022. 1. Practical Idealist with Flexible Strategies. 2. Genius of Interesting Intimacy. 3. Jaunty Healer with Boisterous Knowledge of the Soul’s Ways. 4. Free-Wheeling Joker Who Makes People Laugh for Righteous and Healing Reasons. 5. Skillful Struggler. 6. Empathy Master with a Specialty in Creative Compassion. 7. Playful Reservoir of Smart Eros. 8. Purveyor of Feisty Wisdom and Cute Boldness. 9. Crafty Joy-Summoner.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Most people who use tobacco products are at risk of having shorter life spans than they might have otherwise had. Smoking is detrimental to health. Those who smoke in their twenties and thirties may cut ten years off their longevity. But here’s some good news: If you kick your tobacco habit before age 40, you will regain most of those ten years. I bring this to your attention because I’d like it to serve as a motivational tale for you in 2022. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you will have more power than ever before to escape any harmful addictions and compulsions you haveโand begin reclaiming your full vitality.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In May 1974, the Grateful Dead introduced a new wrinkle to their live musical performances. Playing at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, they amplified their music through a “Wall of Sound”: 604 speakers piled high, together channeling 26,000 watts of energy. Had any band ever treated their fans to a louder volume and crisper tones? I’d like to make this breakthrough event one of your top metaphors for 2022. According to my analysis, it will be a great year for you to boost your signal. I invite you to distribute your message with maximum confidence and clarity. Show the world who you are with all the buoyant flair you can rouse.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Philosopher Emil Cioran said he despised wise philosophers. Why? Because they practice prudent equanimity, which he regarded as empty and sterile. In Cioran’s view, these deep thinkers avoid strong feelings so they can live in cool safety, free from life’s nerve-wracking paradoxes. I agree with him that such a state is undesirable. However, Cioran contrasted it with the lives of the normal people he admired, who are “full of irreconcilable contradictions” and who “suffer from limitless anxiety.” My question for Cioran: Are there no other options between those two extremes? And my answer: Of course there are! And you can be proof of that in 2022, Cancerian. I expect you’ll be full of deep feelings, eager for new experiences and infused with a lust for lifeโwith less anxiety and fewer irreconcilable contradictions than ever before.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In 1838, 29-year-old naturalist Charles Darwin was early in his career. He had not developed his theory of evolution, and was not yet a superstar of science. He began ruminating about the possibility of proposing marriage to his cousin Emma Wedgwood. If married, he wrote: “constant companion and a friend in old age; the charms of music and female chit-chatโgood things for one’s health.” If not married: “no children; no one to care for one in old age; less money for books, loss of time, and a duty to work for money.” I bring this to your attention, Leo, because I suspect that in 2022, you may be tempted and inspired to deeply interweave your fate with the fates of interesting characters. A spouse or partner or collaborator? Could be. Maybe a beloved animal or spirit guide? Have fun making your list of pros and cons!
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): What were your favorite toys when you were a child? Now would be a good time to retrieve fond memories of them, and even acquire modern versions so you can revive the joy they gave you. In my astrological analysis, you’ll be wise to invite your inner child to play a bigger role in your life as you engage in a wide range of playtime activities. So yes, consider the possibility of buying yourself crayons, Legos, dolls and puppets, video games, squirt guns, roller skates, yo-yos, jump ropes, and board games. And don’t neglect the pleasures of blanket forts, cardboard boxes, mud pies, and plain old sticks.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In his novel The Story of a Marriage, Andrew Sean Greer asks, “Does love always form, like a pearl, around the hardened bits of life?โ My answer would be, “No, not always, but when it does, it’s often extra sweet and enduring.” One of my wishes and predictions for you in 2022, Libra, is that love will form around your hardened bits. For best results, be open to the possibility that difficulty can blossom into grace. Look for opportunities that are seeded by strenuous work.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “It is worth living long enough to outlast whatever sense of grievance you may acquire.” Author Marilynne Robinson wrote that, and I recommend her thought as one of your uplifting meditations in 2022. According to my reading of the astrological omens, the coming months will be a favorable time to dismantle and dissolve as many old grievances as you can. This could and should be the year you liberate yourself from psychic grungeโfor the sake of your own mental, physical and spiritual health as much as for the sake of others’.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Some critics view author Diana Wynne Jones as a genius in her chosen field: fantasy novels for children and young adults. She had a generous spirit, asserting, “I have this very strong feeling that everybody is probably a genius at something; itโs just a question of finding this.” If you are still unsure what your unique genius consists of, Sagittarius, I believe 2022 will show you in detailed glory. And if you do already know, the coming months will be a time when you dramatically deepen your ability to access and express your genius.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn biologist Robin Wall Kimmerer wrote a meditative book about moss. It was her response to questions she had been wondering about: Why has this inconspicuous plant persevered for 350 million years? While so many other species have gone extinct, why has moss had staying power through all the Earth’s climate changes and upheavals? And what lessons does its success have for us? Here are Kimmerer’s conclusions: Moss teaches us the value “of being small, of giving more than you take, of working with natural law, sticking together.” In accordance with astrological omens in 2022, Capricorn, I believe moss should be your role model. (Kimmerer’s book is Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses.)
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Author Joyce Carol Oates has been very successful and has won several major awards. But she describes her job as arduous and time-consuming. “I work very slowly,” she testifies. “It’s like building a ladder, where you’re building your own ladder rung by rung, and you’re climbing the ladder. It’s not the best way to build a ladder, but I don’t know any other way.” I wouldn’t always recommend her approach for you, Aquarius, but I will in 2022. As long as you’re willing to accept gradual, incremental progress, you’ll get a lot of fine work done.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I’ve selected a quote for you to use as one of your guiding principles in 2022. I urge you to undertake a specific action in the next 24 hours that will prove you mean to take it seriously. Here’s the wisdom articulated by Piscean rabbi and philosopher Marc-Alain Ouaknin: “People must break with the illusion that their lives have already been written and their paths already determined.” It’s reinvention time, dear Pisces.
Roughly 3,000 Covid-19 tests are being administered per day in Santa Cruz County, as residents try to dodge the latest, hyper-transmissible Omicron variant of Covid.
But that mark, says county spokesperson Jason Hoppin, is only a fraction of the true number of tests being used throughout the county. Hoppin says that there are likely hundreds, if not thousands, of additional tests that are being conducted every day at home.
โEveryone is trying to get a test,โ Hoppin says. โThere is an extraordinary demand in the county now, as there is throughout the nation.โ
The county on Dec. 30 announced that it would expand its testing capacity at three sites: Depot Park in Santa Cruz, Ramsay Park in Watsonville and the Mountain Community Resources Center in Felton. Expanded hours at those sites began last week, and Hoppin says that the three locations accounted for almost halfโabout 1,400โof the tests reported to the county health department.
But because of the rise of the at-home rapid tests, which have been harder and harder to find as Omicron has wreaked havoc, itโs tough to get an accurate estimate of how many people throughout the county have taken a test and, more importantly, have come back positive.
The more than 3,300 active Covid-19 cases recorded Monday are the most the county has seen since the start of the pandemic. The countyโs positivity rate, 11.8%, is the highest itโs been since the 2020-2021 winter surge.
But there is good news: despite the mass rise in cases, the number of county residents filling ICU beds has not seen a similar jump. There were only three people in intensive care in local hospitals as of Monday, Hoppin said.
In addition, Hoppin says that a significant portion of the countyโs 18 patients hospitalized with Covid-19 were headed to the hospital for other reasons such as surgery. All patients must be tested for Covid-19, and if they test positive they must be treated as a Covid-19 patient, meaning they are isolated from other patients.
Hoppin also says that a positive case is not removed from the countyโs dashboard count for three weeks, regardless of whether the person who tested positive is no longer infected with the disease.
For much of December, test results from the three aforementioned sites were taking roughly 48 hours. Hoppin says that is likely not the case any longer. Not only have lines at those sites gotten longer, but the lab processing those tests is also in charge of processing tests from other sites across the region.
โWeโre doing what we can to make tests accessible to county residents, but there are some thingsโthe supply chain, for instanceโthat are out of our control,โ he says.
Several local pharmacies and stores were sold out of at-home rapid tests, and online orders were backed up for at least two weeks with most retailers.
The White House announced last week that it had finalized contracts to fulfill its plan to mail some 500 million free at-home test kits. And on Monday, the Biden administration doubled down on bringing test kits to homes across the U.S. by requiring private health care providers to pay for eight tests per person per month.The latter move, the Health and Human Services Administration says, will begin Jan. 15.
Great wine selections for the new year that wonโt break the bank
Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard 2019 Quinta Cruz Tempranillo, Pierce Ranch, San Antonio Valley ($22) Pierce Ranch delivers a wine with an amazing amount of fruit complexity, from wild strawberries to cranberries, plus some darker red fruits.Quinta Cruz is another Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard label, which features grape varieties that originated in Portugal and Spain but are now grown in California.
Balletto 2017 Russian River Valley Chardonnay ($29) All the wines, including this crisp Chardonnay, are grown on sustainably farmed estate vineyards and reflect the Balletto familyโs passion for the land.
Mascota Vineyards 2018 Unรกnime Malbec ($22) Deeply red with aromas of plums and cherries and notes of toasted coconut, this 100% Malbec showcases Argentinaโs flagship varietal.
Frank Family Vineyards 2016 Brut Rosรฉ ($55) The gorgeous sparkling wine is beautifully textured with delicate beads; the palate offers touches of red berries laced with citrus fruit minerality.
Silver Mountain Vineyards 2013 Central Coast Alloy ($34) Expert winemaker Jerold OโBrien has made this Bordeaux-style red-wine blend for years. Bold and structured, it remains a popular local favorite.
Bargetto Winery 2019 Lodi Retro Zinfandel ($18) This old-vine Zinfandel has aromas of black cherry, blackberry, clove and cinnamonโwith a fruit-forward palate of black plum, cranberry and baked cherry pie. Hints of black pepper, mocha and coffee make this an all-around delicious Zin.
Valdo Marca 2019 Oro Prosecco Rosรจ Brut Sparkling Wine ($20); 2020 Brilla Prosecco Rosรฉ ($15) Imported from Italy, the Valdo Marca is a tasty sparkler thatโs suitable for any celebration. Also from Italy, the extra dry Brilla Prosecco Rosรฉ, which comes in an artfully-engraved bottle that youโll want to keep as a display piece.
Cambodian native Sitha Ngourn immigrated to the U.S. in 2001, motivated by the ideal of the American Dream. And 20 years later, perseverance and a lot of hard work have helped make Ngournโs idea of that dream a reality. Since 2011, sheโs been the manager at Main Street Bagels in Capitola. Her uncle, Sam, is the baker behind the beloved bagels that Sitha described as authentic โNew York-style.โ The popular everything bagelโa blend of sesame and poppy seeds, onion and garlicโis one of the many options. There are several cream cheese flavors and sweet and savory toppings. But the bagels are so good that many customers just go with plain. The longtime grab-and-go breakfast favorite is boiled to achieve an outer crunch, encapsulating that soft and doughy, warm goodness.
Main Street Bagels is open 6am-4pm every day. Sitha recently reminisced with GT about her journey to America and her first day in the country.
How did you end up in the U.S.?
SITHA NGOURN: It was always my dream when I was younger. When I was in school at age 12 or 13, I learned about airplanes, and I wondered where they fly. Someone told me they can go to the U.S.A. and I wanted to know about it. My friend said it was far away, but I wanted to learn. Then I learned a little English in school and thought it was amazing, and I wanted to come to the U.S. Then a couple family members came here, and I kept dreaming about it. My friends said the people were nice here. At age 28, I finally made it, and it was a dream come true. It is everything I thought it would be.
What do you remember about your first day in this country?
My plane landed in Chicago, but I really didnโt know how to speak English. A nice man in the airport held my hand and helped me answer some questions and made sure to sit with me on my next flight to San Francisco. When we landed, he held my hand again and helped me find my sister-in-law, who was picking me up. He was so nice, and I appreciated his help so much; heโs a major reason I made it here today.
